Patent Publication Number: US-2023142357-A1

Title: Condenser, and high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present disclosure claims the benefit of Chinese patent application No. 202020958350.X filed on May 29, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp, and particularly to a condenser. In addition, the present disclosure further relates to a high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module containing this condenser. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In the vehicle lamp industry, many requirements for test points or zones are posed by low beam and high beam, and the light shape distributions of low beam and high beam should meet relevant standards, e.g., the Chinese standard “GB 25991-2010 Automotive headlamps with LED light sources and/or LED modules” and the like.  FIG.  13    is a schematic diagram of requirements in GB25991 for test points or zones of low beam light shape.  FIG.  14    is a low beam light shape with partial test points marked out, wherein for a  50 L test point, the coordinate position of the point is (−3.4°, −0.9°), and it is required that the illuminance of this test point is not higher than a certain value, and taking GB25991 as an example, this value should not be higher than 15 lx. 
     In the prior art, taking the Chinese patent for invention with the number 201610679896.X, the application date on Aug. 17, 2016, and the authorization announcement date on Oct. 26, 2018 as an example, in order to control the illuminance value of the  50 L test point to be below a certain value, the technical solution adopted is shown in  FIGS.  15  and  16   . The condenser comprises at least one high beam condensing structure  1 - 1 , a III-zone light shape forming structure  1 - 2 , and a cut-off line forming structure  1 - 3 . The III-zone light shape forming structure  1 - 2  includes a III-zone light shape spreading width forming structure  1 - 2 - 1 , a III-zone light shape brightness reducing structure  1 - 2 - 2 , and a  50 L dark area forming structure  1 - 2 - 3 . The  50 L dark area forming structure  1 - 2 - 3  is provided at the front end of the upper surface of the condenser and protrudes in a triangular shape perpendicular to the direction of light propagation, so as to reduce the illuminance value at the  50 L test point. In a low beam illumination mode, light of the low beam propagates above the condenser, and the light shape thereof is shown in  FIG.  17   . The original propagation direction of the low beam light is changed under the action of the  50 L dark area forming structure  1 - 2 - 3 , such that light irradiating at the  50 L test point G is reduced, causing that the illuminance value at the  50 L test point G drops to a certain value (15 lx). In this light shape, the  50 L test point G is close to a low beam cut-off line H. In a high beam illumination mode, high beam light propagates in the inside of the condenser, and the light shape thereof is shown in  FIG.  18   . The light of the high beam does not reach the  50 L dark area forming structure  1 - 2 - 3  and emerge from the  50 L dark area forming structure  1 - 2 - 3  to irradiate to the  50 L test point G, such that in the high beam illumination mode, few light irradiates to the  50 L test point G, causing that the isophotes at the  50 L test point G do not have uniform transition, and dark spots are generated. 
     SUMMARY 
     A problem to be solved by an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a condenser, which can make transition of isophotes at a  50 L test point uniform, and accordingly would not cause the generation of dark spots in a high beam illumination mode and make high beam light shape uniform. 
     A problem to be solved by another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module, the condenser of which can make transition of isophotes at a  50 L test point uniform, and accordingly would not cause the generation of dark spots in a high beam illumination mode and make high beam light shape uniform. 
     In order to achieve the above objects, an aspect of the present disclosure provides a condenser, comprising: at least one light incident portion, a light passage portion(light-transmitting portion), and a light emergent portion, wherein a  50 L dark area light shape forming structure is formed on the light passage portion; the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure protrudes from a surface of the light passage portion and has a slope surface; and the distance from the slope surface to the surface of the light passage portion gradually increases from a position close to the light incident portion to a position close to the light emergent portion. 
     Specifically, the slope surface is a flat surface or a smooth curved surface. 
     Preferably, an edge of the light emergent portion forms a cut-off line forming structure, and an edge line of the light emergent surface of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure is in connection with an edge line of the cut-off line forming structure. 
     Further preferably, the light emergent surface of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure is coplanar with the light emergent portion. 
     Preferably, an edge of the light emergent portion forms a cut-off line forming structure, and the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure is provided on the side of the cut-off line forming structure close to the light incident portion. 
     Preferably, the slope surface and the surface of the light passage portion where the slope surface is located form an included angle α, wherein 0°&lt;α≤30°. 
     Further preferably, wherein 0°&lt;α≤10°. 
     A technical solution to be solved by another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module, which comprises a condenser as described above. 
     Through the above technical solutions, the present disclosure achieves following beneficial effects: 
     1. In the present disclosure, the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure is made to protrude from the surface of the light passage portion and have the slope surface. In the high beam illumination mode, most light emitted by a high beam light source firstly is converged by the light incident portion, then is transmitted via the light passage portion to the light emergent portion, and emerge from the light emergent portion to form a high beam light shape, while the other small part of light is converged by the light incident portion and then transmitted via the light passage portion to the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure, and emerge from the light emergent surface of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure to the  50 L test point, such that the light reaching the  50 L test point is increased, the isophotes here have uniform transition, no dark spots would be generated, and the uniformity of the high beam light shape is improved. 
     2. In a preferred solution of the present disclosure, the slope surface and the surface of the light passage portion where the slope surface is located form an included angle ranging from 0 to 30°, that is to say, the entire structure of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure is relatively gentle with respect to the surface of the light passage portion and is not abrupt, such that in the high beam illumination mode, the light emitted by the high beam light source can irradiate the inside of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure and finally be projected to the  50 L test point G, and the illuminance at the  50 L test point G is the same as or similar to the high beam light shape illuminance. 
     3. In a preferred solution of the present disclosure, the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure is coplanar with the light emergent portion, which, while ensuring that no dark spots would be generated at the  50 L test point, can further achieve a significant illuminance reduction at the  50 L test point in a low beam mode, such that emergent light accordingly do not cause a dazzling effect under the premise of a sufficient illumination intensity, so as to avoid affecting normal driving behavior of drives of oncoming vehicles. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a first structural schematic diagram of a first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is an enlarged schematic diagram of part A in  FIG.  1   ; 
         FIG.  3    is a schematic diagram of  FIG.  1    seen from another direction; 
         FIG.  4    is an enlarged schematic diagram of part B in  FIG.  3   ; 
         FIG.  5    is a second structural schematic diagram of the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  6    is sectional view of  FIG.  5    in direction C-C; 
         FIG.  7    is an enlarged schematic diagram of part D in  FIG.  6   ; 
         FIG.  8    is a schematic diagram of the light path of emergent light from a light source according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  9    is a structural schematic diagram of a second embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  10    is an enlarged schematic diagram of part F in  FIG.  9   ; 
         FIG.  11    is a drawing of high beam light shape formed by the projection of a high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  12    is a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  13    is a schematic diagram of respective test points and zones for low beam; 
         FIG.  14    is a drawing of low beam light shape with partial test points marked out; 
         FIG.  15    is a structural schematic diagram of a condenser in the prior art; 
         FIG.  16    is an enlarged schematic diagram of a  50 L dark area forming structure in the prior art; 
         FIG.  17    is a drawing of low beam light shape of a high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module in the prior art; and 
         FIG.  18    is a drawing of high beam light shape of a high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module in the prior art. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
     
         
           1 : light incident portion 
           2 : light passage portion 
           3 : light emergent portion 
           31 : cut-off line forming structure 
           41 :  50 L dark area light shape forming structure 
           411 : slope surface 
           412 : light emergent surface 
           5 : light source 
         G:  50 L test point 
         H: low beam cut-off line 
           1 - 1 : high beam condensing structure 
           1 - 2 : Ill-zone light shape forming structure 
           1 - 3 : cut-off line forming structure 
           1 - 2 - 1 : Ill-zone light shape spreading width forming structure 
           1 - 2 - 2 : Ill-zone light shape brightness reducing structure 
           1 - 2 - 3 :  50 L dark area forming structure 
       
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     The specific embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that specific embodiments described here are merely used to illustrate and explain the present disclosure, instead of being intended to limit the present disclosure. 
     First of all, it shall be clarified that in the following description, some orientation terms involved for clearly illustrating the technical solution of the present disclosure, such as “front” and “rear”, refer to the meanings analogized according to the orientation pointed by a normal vehicle after mounting the high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module in the vehicle, that is to say, the direction of the vehicle front indicates just the front, while the direction of the vehicle rear indicates the rear, and the orientation terms are intended merely to facilitate the description of the present disclosure and to simplify the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation and be constructed and operated in a certain orientation, and therefore cannot be construed as limiting the present disclosure. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1 - 10   , a condenser according to the present disclosure comprises: at least one light incident portion  1 , a light passage portion  2 , and a light emergent portion  3 , wherein a  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is formed on the light passage portion  2 ; the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  protrudes from a surface of the light passage portion  2  and has a slope surface  411 ; and the distance from the slope surface  411  to the surface of the light passage portion  2  gradually increases from a position close to the light incident portion  1  to a position close to the light emergent portion  3 , such that the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is relatively gentle with respect to the surface of the light passage portion  2  and is closer to the light passage portion  2 , such that light emitted by a high beam light source  5  can reach the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  and emerge from the front surface, namely the light emergent surface  412 , of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  to a  50 L test point G. As shown in  FIG.  8   , in a high beam illumination mode, most light emitted by the high beam light source  5  firstly is converged by the light incident portion  1 , then is transmitted via the light passage portion  2  to the light emergent portion  3 , and emerge from the light emergent portion  3  to form a high beam light shape as shown in  FIG.  11   , while the other small part of light is converged by the light incident portion  1  and then transmitted via the light passage portion  2  to the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41 , and emerge from the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  to the  50 L test point G, such that light reaching the  50 L test point G is increased, the isophotes here have uniform transition, and no dark spots would be generated. 
     Specifically, the slope surface  411  and the surface of the light passage portion  2  where the slope surface is located form an included angle α, wherein 0°&lt;α≤30°, preferably, 0°&lt;α≤10°, that is to say, the slope surface  411  is a gentle slope surface, and the gentle slope surface  411  makes the entire structure of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  relatively gentle with respect to the surface of the light passage portion  2  and not abrupt, such that in the high beam illumination mode, when the light emitted by the high beam light source  5  can irradiate the inside of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  and finally be projected to the  50 L test point G, the illuminance at the  50 L test point G is the same as or similar to the high beam light shape illuminance, that is to say, there will neither be dark spots nor too bright at  50 L test point G. 
     On the basis of the above technical solutions, the slope surface  411  may be a flat surface as shown in  FIGS.  2  and  4    or a smooth curved surface as shown in  FIG.  10   , wherein the smooth curved surface can replace the slope surface  411  as shown in  FIG.  4    and two inclined surfaces on both sides of the slope surface, and surround the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  in a larger range, so that more high beam light can reach the smooth curved surface and the reflection direction of partial light is changed, such that more light emerges from the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  to the  50 L test point G, which results in the increase of light irradiating the  50 L test point G and accordingly results in greater brightness at the  50 L test point G in the high beam illumination mode, hereby further avoiding the generation of dark spots. 
     An edge of the light emergent portion  3  forms a cut-off line forming structure  31 , which correspondingly forms a low beam cut-off line H in the low beam light shape, wherein the low beam cut-off line H in the low beam light shape is clearly visible. An edge line of the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  may be or may not be in connection with an edge line of the cut-off line forming structure  31 . As shown in  FIG.  4   , in a situation where the edge line of the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is in connection with the edge line of the cut-off line forming structure  31 , low beam light can be cut off in the low beam illumination mode by the edge line of the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  and the edge line of the cut-off line forming structure  31  together. As shown in  FIG.  17   , almost no light reaches the  50 L test point G, such that the edge line at the  50 L test point G is connected with the low beam cut-off line as a whole, which accordingly greatly reduces the illuminance at the  50 L test point G, hereby avoiding a dazzling effect for drivers of oncoming vehicles. The light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is preferably coplanar with the light emergent portion  3 . In this way, the illuminance reduction at the  50 L test point G in the low beam illumination mode can be made to be more significant. 
     As shown in  FIG.  10   , in a situation where the edge line of the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is not in connection with the edge of the cut-off line forming structure  31 , that is to say, the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is provided on the side of the cut-off line forming structure  31  close to the light incident portion  1 , the illuminance at the  50 L test point G would not reduce significantly in the low beam illumination mode, the illuminance reduction is more moderate, and compared with the structure shown in  FIG.  4   , the low beam light shape uniformity is improved. Meanwhile, in the high beam illumination mode, partial high beam light emerges from the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  to the  50 L test point G, at which there are no dark spots or dark spost are not obvious. 
     In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is not only suitable for a high beam condenser extending along one direction as shown in  FIGS.  1 ,  3 ,  5 ,  8 , and  9   , but is also suitable for a high beam condenser bent into an “L”-shape as a whole as shown in  FIG.  12   , which is provided at a position as shown at part I in  FIG.  12   , wherein the structural features thereof are consistent with the preceding one, and no repetitive description will be made here. 
     The present disclosure further provides a high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module, which comprises a condenser as described above, and further comprises a low beam optical element, a high beam optical element, and a lens provided in front of the low beam optical element and the high beam optical element. A high beam light shape formed by the projection of the high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module is shown in  FIG.  11   , and it can be seen from  FIG.  11    that there are no dark spots at the  50 L test point G and the high beam light shape is uniform. Thus, the present disclosure has a significant effect in improving the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  in the condenser. 
     The low beam optical element of the high-and-low-beam integrated vehicle lamp module of the present disclosure may be a reflection mirror or a condenser. 
     Two preferred embodiments of the condenser according to the present disclosure are described below. 
     Embodiment 1 
     As shown in  FIGS.  1 - 8   , the condenser comprises at least one light incident portion  1 , a light passage portion  2 , and a light emergent portion  3 , wherein a  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is formed on the light passage portion  2 ; the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  protrudes from a surface of the light passage portion  2  and has a slope surface  411 ; the slope surface  411  is a flat surface, and the slope surface  411  and the surface of the light passage portion  2  where the slope surface is located form an included angle α, wherein 0°&lt;α≤10°, and the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is coplanar with the light emergent portion  3 . 
     Embodiment 2 
     As shown in  FIGS.  9  and  10   , the condenser comprises at least one light incident portion  1 , a light passage portion  2 , and a light emergent portion  3 , wherein a  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is formed on the light passage portion  2 ; the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  protrudes from a surface of the light passage portion  2  and has a slope surface  411 ; the slope surface  411  is a smooth curved surface, and the slope surface  411  and the surface of the light passage portion  2  where the slope surface is located form an included angle α, wherein 0°&lt;α≤30°, and the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is located at the rear the light emergent portion  3 . 
     It can be seen from the preceding description that the present disclosure has following advantages: In the present disclosure, the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is made to protrude from the surface of the light passage portion  2  and have the slope surface  411 , such that the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  is relatively gentle with respect to the surface of the light passage portion  2  and is closer to the light passage portion  2 . In the high beam illumination mode, most light emitted by the high beam light source  5  firstly is converged by the light incident portion  1 , then is transmitted via the light passage portion  2  to the light emergent portion  3 , and emerge from the light emergent portion  3  to form a high beam light shape, while the other small part of the light is converged by the light incident portion  1  and then transmitted via the light passage portion  2  to the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41 , and emerge from the light emergent surface  412  of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  to the  50 L test point G, such that the light reaching the  50 L test point G is increased, the isophotes here have uniform transition, no dark spots would be generated, and the uniformity of the high beam light shape is improved. In a preferred solution of the present disclosure, the slope surface  411  and the surface of the light passage portion  2  where the slope surface is located form an included angle ranging from 0 to 30°, and the gentle slope makes the entire structure of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  relatively gentle with respect to the surface of the light passage portion  2  and not abrupt, such that the light emitted by the high beam light source  5  can irradiate the inside of the  50 L dark area light shape forming structure  41  and finally be projected to the  50 L test point G, such that in the high beam illumination mode, the illuminance at the  50 L test point G is the same as or similar to the high beam light shape illuminance. 
     Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details in the foregoing embodiments, various simple modifications may be made to the technical solutions of the present disclosure within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, and all these simple modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present disclosure. 
     Moreover, it shall be clarified that various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any proper manner without causing any conflict, and in order to avoid unnecessary repetition, various possible combination manners will not be described here in the present disclosure. 
     In addition, various embodiments of the present disclosure may also be combined arbitrarily, and as long as they do not violate the spirit of the present disclosure, they should also be deemed as contents disclosed in the present disclosure.