Patent Abstract:
A light for motor vehicles has a housing having a peripheral edge. A light screen is connected to the peripheral edge of the housing. At least one light source is arranged at least at a portion of the peripheral edge behind the light screen within the housing.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a light, especially, a taillight, for motor vehicles comprising at least one light means arranged behind a light screen at the peripheral edge of the housing. 
     Known taillights are equipped with a light means that is positioned on the housing wall behind the light screen. The light means is usually an incandescent light bulb illuminating the light screen. Frequently, the light screen is not fully illuminated by this light means. 
     It is an object of the present invention to design a taillight such that the light screen is illuminated across its entire surface perfectly and in a simple manner. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This object is solved with the inventive design such that a light source is arranged at the edge of the light. The light screen can thus be reliably illuminated across its entire surface. The light screen can also be illuminated in different colors and thereby perform different functions. If the light, respectively, its light screen is illuminated in red, the light can serve as a rear light or a brake light. The light source can be arranged at the edge of the taillight in a constructively simple manner and at low costs. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The object and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an inventive light in a schematic view; 
     FIG. 2 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view along line II—II of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The taillight illustrated in the drawings has a housing  1  with a housing wall  1   a . A light screen  2  is arranged in front of the housing wall  1   a  at a distance to it and is connected to the housing wall  1   a  via a peripheral edge  4  that is part of the housing  1 . The peripheral edge  4  and the housing wall  1   a  can be embodied as a monolithic part forming the housing  1 . In the rear of the light screen  2 , an optic  3  is provided, for example, a Fresnel optic. The peripheral edge  4  has a Z-shaped cross-section with a longer leg  5  which connects to the housing wall  1   a . The rim of the light screen  2  rests against the shorter leg  6  of the peripheral edge  4 . In the illustrated embodiment, the light screen  2  is curved in a circular arc shape. Of course, the housing wall  1   a  and the light screen  2  can have any other suitable shape. The interior surface of the housing wall  1   a  is embodied as a reflective surface  7 . It is also possible to attach a reflecting member to the interior surface of the housing wall  1   a . In the illustrated embodiment the housing wall  1   a  has three openings  8 . Each opening  8  is provided with a printed circuit board  9  whose interior board surface carries a number of LEDs  11  arranged adjacent to one another. In the area of the openings  8 , the light screen  2  is provided with one light window  14  to  16  for each opening  8 . The light emitted by the respective LEDs  11  of the board  9  passes through the light windows  14  to  16  toward the outside. The light windows  14  to  16 , and also preferably the corresponding openings  8  of the housing wall  1   a , can have various sizes and/or shapes. 
     For example, the light window  14  can function as a turn signal and is colored yellow for that purpose. The light window  15  can be colored red and function as a brake light. Finally, the light window  16  can, for example, function as the rear light and can be colored red, accordingly. The light windows  14  to  16  can be provided at their inwardly facing sides with corresponding optics. It is also possible to use differently colored LEDs  11  for the different light windows  14  to  16  so that the light windows can consist of a transparent material. It is also possible to color the light windows  14  to  16  accordingly and to arrange correspondingly colored LEDs  11  at their inwardly facing sides. Instead of light means in the form of LEDs  11 , it is also possible to employ fluorescent lights, neon lights, incandescent light bulbs or the like. Furthermore, it is possible to separate the individual light windows  14 - 16  from one another, at least, partially, e.g., by walls extending between the housing wall  1   a  and the light screen  2 . This warrants that no stray light can impinge on the respective light windows  14  to  16 . The light screen  2  can also be designed without the above described light windows. In that case, the respective areas of the light screen  2  light up when the respective LEDs  11  are activated. 
     At the peripheral edge  4 , a further light source/sources are provided, preferably LEDs. Advantageously, a number of such LEDs is arranged in series about the peripheral edge  4 . They can be provided either about a part of the peripheral edge  4  only, as illustrated in FIG. 1, or they can also be provided about the entire circumference of the peripheral edge  4 . The LEDs (light sources)  12  are distributed such as to indirectly illuminate the entire light screen  2 . Furthermore, a very flat structural design of the taillight is possible by using LEDs. 
     The LEDs  12  are arranged on a printed circuit board  17  which is supported at the peripheral edge  4  in a suitable way. Because of the Z-shaped cross-sectional embodiment of the edge  4 , the printed circuit board  17  and the LEDs  12  are positioned in a receiving portion  18  which is laterally delimited by the housing wall  1   a  and the lateral stay  19  of the peripheral edge  4 . The LEDs protrude partially from the receiving portion  18  into the interior of the taillight. The light beams emitted from the LEDs impinge preferably exclusively upon the reflective interior surface  7  from where they are reflected to the light screen  2 . In this manner, the entire light screen  2  is indirectly illuminated. It is also possible, to arrange the LEDs  12  such that the light beams emitted by them partially impinge directly upon the light screen  2  and partially upon the reflective interior surface  7  at which they are reflected to the light screen  2 . In this manner, the light screen  2  is also optimally illuminated across its entire surface. The reflective interior surface  7  needs to be provided only in that area of the housing wall  1   a  in which the light beams emitted by the LEDs  12  impinge upon the housing wall  1   a . The light screen  2  can have a desired color, e.g., corresponding to the vehicle color. It is also possible to color the LEDs  12  accordingly. Instead of the LEDs  12 , neon lights, fluorescent lights, incandescent light bulbs and the like can be used also. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the taillight is a complete taillight assembly which comprises, e.g., the brake light, the turn signal, and the rear light. However, it is also possible to embody each individual light such that the light screen is illuminated by the LEDs  12  directly and indirectly in the described manner. In this case, the light screens are colored corresponding to the signal colors yellow (turn signal), red (brake and rear light) or clear (backing-up light), or the LEDs are provided with a corresponding color. The LEDs  11  and  12  as well as the corresponding printed circuit boards  9  and  17 , respectively, are connected to the vehicle&#39;s electrical system. 
     The specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of German priority document 198 15 963.3 of Apr. 9, 1998. 
     The present invention is, of course, in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings, but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5