US 11,732,863 B2
Illumination device for a motor vehicle
Michael Mueller, Munich (DE); Daniel Niebler, Munich (DE); Mohamed Rabeh, Munich (DE); and Harald Schaffler, Neuhof (DE)
Assigned to Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
Appl. No. 17/916,152
Filed by Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft, Munich (DE)
PCT Filed Mar. 24, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/057508
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 30, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/197946, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 109 136.2 (DE), filed on Apr. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0134469 A1, May 4, 2023
Int. Cl. F21S 43/245 (2018.01); F21S 43/14 (2018.01); F21S 43/247 (2018.01); F21S 43/237 (2018.01); F21S 43/31 (2018.01); B60Q 3/12 (2017.01); B60Q 3/64 (2017.01); F21W 104/00 (2018.01); F21W 106/00 (2018.01)
CPC F21S 43/245 (2018.01) [B60Q 3/12 (2017.02); B60Q 3/64 (2017.02); F21S 43/14 (2018.01); F21S 43/237 (2018.01); F21S 43/247 (2018.01); F21S 43/315 (2018.01); B60Q 2400/50 (2013.01); F21W 2104/00 (2018.01); F21W 2106/00 (2018.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An illumination device for a motor vehicle, the illumination device comprising:
at least one light source; and
an elongate light guide, wherein:
the light guide is bounded along a longitudinal extent by a lateral surface,
the light guide is adapted for total-reflection guiding of light of the at least one light source along a light propagation direction, which corresponds to the longitudinal extent of the light guide,
the light of the at least one light source is introducible through an input surface on an end side of the light guide,
an output structure is provided in the lateral surface of the light guide for extraction of light, which emerges from the light guide along the light propagation direction, through an exit region of the lateral surface by negating a total reflection condition,
the output structure is formed by a plurality of disjunct output regions, which are surrounded by a region of the lateral surface that is provided for total-reflection guiding of light,
the illumination device is configured such that a light graphic is generated on a surface arranged next to the light guide from extracted light of the disjunct output regions,
each output region is assigned to a different element of the light graphic which is formed from extracted light of the assigned output region, and:
at least some of the disjunct output regions respectively have a shape of a strip, wherein the strip is a straight strip which extends perpendicularly to the light propagation direction in the light guide, and/or
at least some of the disjunct output regions respectively have a shape of a circle, and/or
at least some of the disjunct output regions respectively have a shape of an ellipse.