# US 2019/0170318 A1 · Automotive Lighting Unit

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- Number: US 2019/0170318 A1
- Document ID: US20190170318A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/205,544
- Filed: 2018-11-30
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-01
- Assignees: Automotive Lighting Italia S.p.A.
- Applicants: Automotive Lighting Italia S.p.A.
- Inventors: Alessandro Buzzurro; Patrick Bianco
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170318A1

## CPC

- F21S 43/247: with a single light source being coupled into the light guide
- B60Q 1/2607: {comprising at least two indicating lamps}
- F21S 43/13: characterised by the type of light source
- F21S 43/14: Light emitting diodes [LED]
- F21S 43/237: rod-shaped
- F21S 43/239: plate-shaped
- F21S 43/245: emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
- F21S 43/30: characterised by reflectors
- F21S 43/31: Optical layout thereof
- F21S 43/40: characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors
- F21S 43/50: characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers
- G02B 6/0006: {Coupling light into the fibre (in general G02B6/4298)}
- G02B 6/001: {the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre}
- G02B 6/003: {Lens or lenticular sheet or layer}
- G02B 6/0031: {Reflecting element, sheet or layer}
- G02B 26/0833: {the reflecting element being a micromechanical device, e.g. a MEMS mirror, DMD (G02B26/0825 takes precedence; micromechanical devices in general B81B)}
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

An automotive lighting unit wherein the lighting assembly that backlights the front half-shell comprises: at least one light-guide body made of photoconductive material, which is placed inside the rear body and is structured to channel, by total internal reflection and towards said transparent or semi-transparent portion of the front half-shell, the light that enters into the light-guide body through a light-incoupling end or sidewall of the same light-guide body; an active light deflector device which is placed inside the rear body, facing the light-incoupling end or sidewall of said light-guide body; and an electrically-powered light source which is placed inside the rear body and emits, on command, a collimated light beam towards the active light deflector device; the active light deflector device being adapted to reflect/divert said collimated light beam towards the light-incoupling end or sidewall of said light-guide body, so that the collimated light beam can enter into the light-guide body and then travel inside the light-guide body by total internal reflection.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An automotive lighting unit (1) comprising: a substantially basin-shaped, rear body (2); a front half-shell (3) placed in front of the mouth of the rear body (2); and at least one lighting assembly (4, 5) that emits light on command, and is located inside the rear body (2) so as to be able to backlight a corresponding transparent or semi-transparent portion of the front half-shell (3);
the automotive lighting unit (1) being characterised in that the lighting assembly (4, 5) comprises: at least one light-guide body (6, 15, 20) made of photoconductive material, which is placed inside the rear body (2) and is structured to channel, by total internal reflection and towards said transparent or semi-transparent portion of the front half-shell (3), the light that enters in the same light-guide body (6, 15, 20) through a light-incoupling end or sidewall (8, 17, 21) of the same light-guide body (6, 15, 20); an active light deflector device (9, 16) which is placed inside the rear body (2), facing the light-incoupling end or sidewall (8, 17, 21) of said light-guide body (6, 15, 20); and an electrically-powered light source (10, 18) which is placed inside the rear body (2) and emits, on command, a collimated light beam (r, l) towards the active light deflector device (9, 16);
the active light deflector device (9, 16) being adapted to reflect/divert said collimated light beam (r, l) towards the light-incoupling end or sidewall (8, 17, 21) of said light-guide body (6, 15, 20), so that the collimated light beam (r, l) can enter into the light-guide body (6, 15, 20) and then travel inside the light-guide body (6, 15, 20) by total internal reflection.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the active light deflector device (9, 16) is adapted to move the collimated light beam (r, l) in a swinging manner along at least a part of the light-incoupling end or sidewall (8, 17, 21) of said light-guide body (6, 15, 20), with a speed greater than that perceptible by the human eye.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 2, characterised in that the active light deflector device (9, 16) is adapted to move the collimated light beam (r, l) in a swinging manner along substantially the entire light-incoupling end or sidewall (8, 17, 21) of said light-guide body (6, 15, 20), with a speed greater than that perceptible by the human eye.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the active light deflector device (9, 16) comprises: a MOEMS device (12, 24), and a control electronics (13, 25) adapted to drive said MOEMS device (12, 24).

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 4, characterised in that said control electronics (13, 25) is additionally adapted to drive said light source (10, 18).

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 4, characterised in that said MOEMS device (12, 24) is a digital micromirror device (DMD), or a micromirror scanner with an electronically-controlled integrated moving system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 1, characterised in that said light source (10, 18) is a LASER light emitting device (10) or a LED light emitting device (18).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 1, characterised in that the lighting assembly (4, 5) comprises a plurality of light-guide bodies (6, 15, 20) made of photoconductive material, each of which is placed inside the rear body (2) and is structured to channel, by total internal reflection and towards a corresponding transparent or semi-transparent portion of the front half-shell (3), the light that enters in the same light-guide body (6, 15, 20) through a light-incoupling end or sidewall (8, 17, 21) (8, 17, 21) of the same light-guide body (6, 15, 20); the active light deflector device (9, 16) being adapted to reflect/divert said collimated light beam (r, l) towards the light-incoupling end or sidewall (8, 17, 21) of each of said light-guide bodies (6, 15, 20), so that the collimated light beam (r, l) can enter into the same light-guide body (6, 15, 20) and then travel inside the same light-guide body (6, 15, 20) by total internal reflection.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 1, characterised in that said at least one light-guide body (6, 15, 20) comprises an oblong light-guide section-bar (6) which is made of photoconductive material, and is placed inside the rear body (2) with its front end (7) facing and/or substantially skimming the front half-shell (3), and with its rear end (8) facing the bottom of the rear body (2); the light-guide section-bar (6) being structured to channel, by total internal reflection up to the front end (7) of the oblong light-guide section-bar (6), the light that enters in the same light-guide section-bar (6) from the rear end (8) of the section-bar.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 1, characterised in that said at least one light-guide body comprises a light-guide plate (15), which is made of photoconductive material and extends inside the rear body (2) with its front face substantially locally skimming the front half-shell (3); the light-guide plate (15) being structured to channel, by total internal reflection up to the front face of the same light-guide plate (15), the light that enters in the light-guide plate (15) from a lateral sidewall (17) of the same plate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 10, characterised in that said lateral sidewall (17) of the light-guide plate (15) is provided with a series of divergent optics (19) which are shaped so as to spread and diffuse, inside the body of the light-guide plate (15), the collimated light beam (r, l) that enters into the light-guide plate (15).

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 1, characterised in that said at least one light-guide body comprises a light-guide rod (20), which is made of photoconductive material and extends inside the rear body (2) while remaining, for at least one section, locally substantially skimmed over the front half-shell (3); the light-guide rod (20) being structured so as to channel, by total internal reflection, the light that enters in the light-guide rod (20) from a first end (21) of the same light-guide rod (20), towards the portion of the lateral side that is substantially skimmed over the front half-shell (3).

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 12, characterised in that, on the first end (21) of said light-guide rod (20), there is an auxiliary diffusion lens (22) having a divergent profile so as to spread and diffuse, inside the body of the light-guide rod (20), the collimated light beam (r, l) that enters into the light-guide rod (20).

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

Automotive lighting unit according to claim 1, characterised in that said at least one light-guide body (6, 15, 20) is made of transparent plastic material, preferably via an injection moulding process.