EP0229572A1 - Signal lamp with coloured lighting, particularly for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The lamp is intended to emit a coloured luminous signalling radiation, whilst having a substantially non-coloured appearance when it is switched off. It comprises a sealing glass (14), a parabolic-type reflector (10) having a focus (F) and an optical axis (X-X), a luminous source (12) arranged in the region of the focus and a coloured envelope (16) surrounding the said source. The lamp is delimited in its upper region by an opaque flange (10a) extending generally in the direction of the optical axis above and close to the source so as to mask, at least partially, the said coloured envelope from a point of observation (18) situated above the said optical axis. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates generally to signaling lights of motor vehicles, and more particularly relates to a signaling light intended to emit colored light radiation.

In a certain number of existing colored radiation signaling lights, the coloring of the light is given by the glass or the globe for closing the light, which is appropriately tinted.

However, from a purely aesthetic point of view, it has been observed that some of these colors given to the glass for closing the lights were not very harmonious with certain other colors given to the body of the vehicle. In particular, the yellow-orange, or amber, color used for the indicators of motor vehicles (this specific color being imposed in certain countries by regulations) goes very poorly with a certain number of other colors. The overall aesthetics of the vehicle is thus degraded.

Furthermore, there is today a tendency to give all the exterior surfaces of the lighting devices of a motor vehicle, whether at the front or at the rear of the vehicle, a color and an appearance. relatively uniform.

In particular, the fact of having a projector side by side, instead of transparent closure and therefore of generally colorless appearance, with a flashing light of generally amber appearance is less and less desirable from an aesthetic point of view.

Already known in the art, particularly by French patent application ^No. 80 04054 in the name of the Applicant, traffic light vehicles which have attempted to provide, when off, a colorless external appearance. Such a light includes a lamp, emitting white light, a reflector and a closing glass. In this signaling light of the prior art, a balloon, forming a colored filter, for example of amber color for a flashing light, is interposed between the lamp and the reflector. The balloon is partially masked on its outer surface by a cover which is substantially impermeable to light from the outside to the inside and substantially permeable in the opposite direction. Such a cover, which may for example be reflective towards the outside, contributes to attenuating the amber appearance of the fire when the lamp is off and when it is observed from the outside.

However, such a fire has several drawbacks. On the one hand, the filtering balloon must leave a space around the lamp large enough to avoid excessive heating inside it. Its size therefore remains relatively large. In addition, the cover must not cover an excessive proportion of the surface of the ball, as it influences the light output of the fire, which cannot be excessively reduced. For these reasons, the amber color of the extinguished fire as observed from the outside is certainly attenuated, but it remains however clearly perceptible. When the fire is observed in the vicinity of the direction of its optical axis, the amber tint appears markedly. It also appears quite clearly, for example when the fire is observed from a point located above its optical axis, for example by an observer standing in front of (or behind) the vehicle.

The present invention aims to propose a light signaling light for a motor vehicle, such a direction indicator flashing light, the general appearance of which is as colorless as possible when the light is off, with of course the suitably colored light function in the on state.

More specifically, the present invention aims to attenuate as much as possible the colored appearance of a signaling light when it is observed, extinguished, from a region situated above its optical axis, which represents the vast majority of the conditions of 'observation.

To this end, the present invention relates to a signaling light, for example for a motor vehicle, capable of emitting colored light signaling radiation, of the type comprising a colorless closing lens, a reflector of the parabolic type having a focus and an axis. optic, a light source arranged in the region of the focal point, and a colored balloon arranged around and near the light source, characterized in that the reflector is delimited in its upper part by an opaque cheek generally extending in the direction of the optical axis, above and near the light source and in front of the colored balloon, so as to at least partially mask the latter from an observation point located above said optical axis.

• - la figure 1 est une vue en coupe verticale passant par l'axe optique d'un feu de signalisation selon un premier exemple de réalisation de l'invention,
• - la figure 2 est une vue de face partielle­ment arrachée du feu de la figure 1,
• - la figure 3 est une vue en coupe verticale passant par l'axe optique d'un feu selon une seconde forme de réalistion de l'invention, et
• - la figure 4 est une vue en coupe verticale d'un bloc optique comportant plusieurs feux, auquel sont appliqués les principes de l'invention.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

• FIG. 1 is a view in vertical section passing through the optical axis of a signaling light according to a first embodiment of the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a front view partially cut away from the lamp in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section passing through the optical axis of a light according to a second embodiment of the invention, and
• - Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of an optical unit comprising several lights, to which the principles of the invention are applied.

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2, a signaling light capable of emitting light radiation of colored signaling comprises a reflector 10, of the parabolic type, comprising a focal point F and defining an optical axis XX, a lamp 12, the filament of which is placed in the region of the focal point F, and a transparent and colorless closing globe or glass 14 closing the reflector at the front thereof.

A colored balloon 16 surrounds the lamp 12 in the immediate vicinity thereof, in order to give the light rays that it emits an appropriate coloration. For example, the coloring will be amber for a direction indicator light, red for a position or stop light, etc.

In the present example, the signaling light is a front direction indicator light, and its closing glass 14 is inclined in a generally leaky line from the bottom to the top. This type of profile conventionally makes it possible to integrate the light, for example in the vicinity of a headlamp, into a vehicle body to which a similar line aerodynamic profile has been given.

According to the present invention, the reflector 10 has in its lower region a conventional parabolic shape, but is truncated in its upper region, above and near the lamp 12, by an opaque cheek 10a which extends in the present example substantially parallel to the optical axis XX and a substantial distance in front of the colored balloon.

The opaque cheek 10a can be produced for example in a unitary manner with the reflector 10.

As a result, the colored balloon 16 has, in its illustrated vertical section, the general shape of an L. More specifically, the upper edge of its front part is connected to the adjacent lower surface of the cheek 10a, and the rear edge of its part located under the lamp 12 is connected to the reflector in the region of the bottom thereof, near the lamp opening. The balloon will of course also have two side walls (not visible in the figures) to define a substantially closed interior space, all the rays emitted by the lamp 12 having to pass through said balloon.

Thus, according to the known principle of the colored balloon, the light rays emitted by the lamp 12 pass through the balloon taking on the amber coloration before being reflected by the reflector 10 (more precisely its lower half) to create the signaling beam for change. direction (as indicated by spoke paths 17).

It is well known that a vehicle signal light is in most cases located a few tens of centimeters above the ground. Thus, it is understood that an observer standing in front of the vehicle (which represents the majority of the possible observation conditions) will have his eyes (one of which is indicated in 18) located well above the optical axis of the vehicle . Thus, and as is easily understood by observing FIG. 1, when the fire is extinguished, the cheek 10a which delimits the fire in its upper region has the primary function, according to the present invention, of at least partially masking the colored balloon 16 for observation under the above conditions.

In fact, there is a reduction in amber color for three main reasons. On the one hand, as we let guess above, the light rays coming from the outside and which, after having crossed the balloon 16 or having been reflected by the latter, are returned in the general direction of the observer taking the aforementioned amber coloration, are largely intercepted by the opaque cheek 10a of the reflector.

In addition, a significant proportion of the rays (for example those of daylight) which enter the fire through the colorless closing glass 14 meet the lower parabolic half of the reflector 10, and are therefore directly reflected towards the outside, without take coloring. This contributes to reinforcing the proportion of white light in the luminous flux leaving the fire. This phenomenon is illustrated in FIG. 1 by the ray path designated by the reference 19.

Finally, there is an important advantage linked to the removal of the upper half of the reflector. Indeed, in a signaling light with a conventional amber colored balloon, a large proportion of the light rays which emerge from the light having taken on an amber color are those which, after a first reflection on the reflector 10, have passed through the balloon in part and were again reflected by said reflector in a region located substantially in the other half of it. Thus, the removal of the upper half of the reflector through the cheek 10a has the effect of "trapping" this kind of rays, which are intercepted by said cheek.

In this regard, the lower surface of the cheek 10a can be given any desired optical behavior. It could for example be absorbent, and for example painted in matt black, to highlight the third advantage above.

It can also be reflective, in particular for exploiting without loss the part of the light flux emitted by the lamp upwards.

As shown in FIG. 2, arrangements have also been made in the light tending to further attenuate the amber appearance thereof, in particular when observed in a direction close to the optical axis (these observation conditions being rarer but must still be taken into account). These arrangements include, on the balloon 16, bands 20 oriented in the present example vertically, and to which a reflecting power has been given on the outside. These strips may be produced by a conventional vacuum metallization process, or else be painted directly on the surface of the balloon. The rest of the flask will be left intact, that is to say transparent and forming a color filter.

In combination with these vertical strips 20, vertical streaks of light scattering and / or dispersion are indicated on the inner surface of the closing glass 14, indicated at 22. This is obtained, more specifically in the direction of the optical axis but also in the other directions, in particular in the direction of observation illustrated, an additional attenuation of the amber light which can emanate from the fire, lit from the outside, when the latter is extinguished. For more details on amenities above and their variants, reference is made to the French patent application ^No. 80 04 054, which is incorporated herein by reference.

In Figure 3 is shown a variant for producing a signaling light according to the invention. In this figure, elements identical or similar to those of Figures 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numbers.

In this variant, the cheek 10aʹ which truncates the fire in its upper region has a slightly plunging profile from top to bottom in the direction of emission of the signaling light beam. The masking of the balloon 16 for observation above the optical axis as mentioned above is thus increased.

In addition, the cheek 10aʹ has, at its end close to the bottom of the reflector, a reflecting region 10b of substantially spherical shape. This reflecting region is centered approximately on the focal point F and has for its object to return downward, passing through said focal point F, a large part of the light rays emitted by the lamp upwards. These descending rays will thus be able to participate in the creation of the signaling light beam, and the light output will thus be increased.

It can be noted here that, when the fire is extinguished and subjected to diffuse external lighting, such as daylight, or else concentrated, the rays which, after having penetrated into the enclosure of the fire, will be reflected by the lower region of the reflector 10 to pass through the balloon 16, will pass precisely through the focal point F only in a very small proportion. In this way, most of the rays will be reflected by the spherical region 10b in a direction different from their direction of incidence, said region 10b thus having a diffusing effect. The rays likely to emerge from the fire with the coloring printed by the balloon will therefore be mostly diffused in the outgoing flow, to reduce the amber coloring.

In FIG. 4 is shown, in longitudinal vertical section, a block of lights, for example for the light signaling at the rear of a vehicle, in which the general principles of the invention are implemented.

According to this embodiment, use is made of the space which is available behind the lower region of the upper parabolic reflector 10ʹ (which may be of any type whatsoever, according to the invention or not) to receive there, accompanied by its colored balloon 16, the filament lamp 12. In this case, it is advantageously the lower end region of the upper reflector 10ʹ which acts as an opaque cheek to mask the colored balloon 16 in the eyes of an observer located above above the optical axis.

The reflectors 10 and 10ʹ may be produced individually or not.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes any variant or modification in accordance with its spirit.

In particular, the arrangements mentioned above provided on the surface of the balloon and tending to attenuate the colored reflections when the extinguished fire is observed from the outside may be supplemented by any type of absorbent / reflective arrangement acting in combination with the surface of the cheek 10a or 10aʹ turned towards the lamp and the ball. We can also reserve through the cheek through passages for air circulation inside the enclosure defined by the ball.

Finally, the invention also applies to corner lights, that is to say capable of emitting signaling radiation both in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and towards the sides thereof, the truncated reflector and the glass then being suitably shaped.

Claims (8)

1. - Signaling light, for example for a motor vehicle, capable of emitting light colored signaling radiation, of the type comprising a colorless closing lens (14), a reflector of the parabolic type (10) having a focus (F) and an optical axis (XX), a light source (12) arranged in the region of the focal point, and a colored balloon (116) disposed around and near the light source, characterized in that the reflector is delimited in its upper part by an opaque cheek (10a) generally extending in the direction of the optical axis, above and near the light source and in front of the colored balloon, so as to at least partially mask the latter from an observation point (18) located above said optical axis. 2.- Light according to claim 1, characterized in that the opaque cheek (10a) is parallel to the optical axis (X-X). 3.- Light according to claim 1, characterized in that the opaque cheek (10aʹ) is slightly inclined up and down in the direction of emission of light radiation. 4. Light according to claim 3, characterized in that the opaque cheek is defined by the lower end region of a reflector (10ʹ) belonging to a second light located immediately above and belonging to the same optical unit. 5.- Fire according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the colored balloon (16) has reflective zones on its outer surface. 6.- Light according to claim 5, characterized in that the reflective zones are in the form of spaced vertical strips (20). 7.- Light according to claim 6, characterized in that the closing glass (14) comprises vertical streaks of dispersion and / or diffusion of light. 8.- Signaling light according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the balloon (16) has, in vertical section passing through the optical axis, the general shape of an "L" and s' extends between the opaque cheek and the bottom of the reflector below the source.

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