US 12,441,237 B2
Motor vehicle lighting device with a plurality of light sources with respective paired cover segments which can be switched so as to be opaque; motor vehicle; and method
Jacques Hélot, Ingolstadt (DE)
Assigned to AUDI AG, Ingolstadt (DE)
Appl. No. 18/265,319
Filed by Audi AG, Ingolstadt (DE)
PCT Filed Oct. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/079310
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 5, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/117256, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 9, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 132 098.1 (DE), filed on Dec. 3, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0198899 A1, Jun. 20, 2024
Int. Cl. B60Q 3/66 (2017.01); B60Q 3/78 (2017.01)
CPC B60Q 3/66 (2017.02) [B60Q 3/78 (2017.02)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A motor vehicle lighting device comprising:
a lighting element comprising a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources being linearly arranged in a direction orthogonal to a light emitting direction;
a cover element comprising a plurality of cover segments, wherein the cover element is configured to change between a transparent operating state and an opaque operating state,
wherein, in a transition area, each of the plurality of cover segments is individually actuated respectively to the transparent operating state and the opaque operating state,
wherein starting from a first side of the transition area to a second side of the transition area, each of the plurality of cover segments is actuated with an increasing opacity and a decreasing transparency, and
wherein starting inversely from the second side of the transition area to the first side of the transition area, each of the plurality of cover segments is actuated inversely with a decreasing opacity and an increasing transparency; and
a light guiding element configured to guide light emitted by the plurality of light sources from first coupling surfaces of the light guiding element to second coupling surfaces of the light guiding element, the second coupling surfaces being opposite to the first coupling surfaces in the light emitting direction,
wherein the light guiding element is continuous without division into chambers, and is optically coupled to each of the plurality of light sources at the first coupling surfaces,
wherein the light guiding element is optically coupled to each of the plurality of cover segments at the second coupling surfaces,
wherein each light source is individually associated with one respective cover segment to cause the light guiding element to guide the light emitted by each light source to the one respective cover segment, providing a one-to-one association between each light source and the one respective cover segment, and
wherein the second coupling surfaces are each larger than the first coupling surfaces.