The present invention generally relates to a lighting system and more particularly, to a class C Light Emitting Diode (LED) headlamp assembly with a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for high beam and low beam.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Headlamps have been most commonly used lighting devices or some time now. They are widely used in street lighting, park lighting, domestic lighting, in vehicles etc. The vehicle headlamps have been constantly evolving with advancement in technologies. Vehicular headlamps help drivers to have a clear vision of the road ahead in low-light conditions and at night. But these headlamps utilized filament bulbs, HIDs etc. as a light source which could only provide limited illumination. But with the introduction of LEDs, the traditional bulbs and/or HIDs as light source are being replaced by the LEDs in the vehicular headlamps.
LEDs provide more illumination and consume less power than the previously used light sources. The vehicular LED lamps have two configurations i.e. low-beam and high beam. In the low beam configuration, the illumination from the light source is directed on the path immediately in front of the vehicle of the vehicle but only up to a predetermined distance. Whereas in case of high beam, a bright, long-range illumination of a darkened road is provided and chiefly for use in driving in nonurban areas. These configurations may achieve by a single light source (traditional) or multiple light sources (presently used). Multiple light sources may have dedicated multiple chip LEDs for High beam generation and low beam generation respectively using multiple electronic circuits.
But even after all the developments, there are problems with the vehicular headlamps that have not been improved yet. To meet the illumination requirements, multiple chip LEDs are being commonly used. The multiple chips LEDs is bigger than a single chip LED and requires more space in the electronic circuit. Heat management also becomes an issue. Additionally, in some of the prior art separate Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are used to control LEDs for high beam and low beam configuration respectively. The use of multiple PCBs again the leads to space constraints. And when all the above requirements are somehow managed, then cost of the headlamp increases.
Therefore, there remains a need in the art to have a class C LED headlamp assembly with a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for high beam and low beam, which overcomes the aforesaid problems and shortcomings or at least provide a viable alternative.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a class C LED headlamp assembly with a single printed circuit board (PCB) for high beam and low beam.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a class C LED headlamp assembly with one or more single chip LEDs.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce cost of an LED headlamp assembly using the single PCB.
Yet another object of the present invention is to reduce electrical circuitry of the headlamp assembly.
Yet another object of the present invention is to manage heat produced during operation of the headlamp assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention aim to provide a class C LED headlamp assembly with a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB) (hereinafter referred to as the “LED headlamp assembly”) for high and low beams. The LED headlamp assembly may comprise a reflector unit including a plurality of reflective portions configured to reflect light from a light source in a predetermined direction. Further, the plurality of reflective portions may comprise a first reflective portion for a high beam configuration and a second reflective portion for a low beam configuration. In addition, the reflector unit has a plurality of cavities cut out corresponding to the plurality of reflective portions. Furthermore, the plurality of cavities may include a first cavity corresponding to the first reflective portion and a second cavity corresponding to the second reflective portion. A plurality of LEDs received in the respective plurality of reflective portions and the respective plurality of cavities, an extension unit adjacent to the reflector unit, and a control unit disposed in the reflector unit, the control unit may comprise a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly connected with, may be, but not limited to, a battery of a vehicle by means of a connection cord and a fuse that provides electrical power to operate the LED headlamp assembly.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the LED headlamp assembly may comprise a transparent lens adjacent to the extension unit, adapted to cover the extension unit and the plurality of LEDs.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the PCB assembly may have a predetermined length and a predetermined width.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit is configured to control operation of the plurality of LEDs to actuate and switch between the high beam configuration and the low beam configuration of the LED headlamp assembly.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the PCB assembly may include a driver circuit, a bypass circuit and an LED circuit.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the driver circuit may be configured to provide inputs to a meter.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the meter is configured to provide an indication of illumination of the LED headlamp assembly, based on the inputs, to a user of the vehicle.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of LEDs may include high beam LEDs and Low beam LEDs corresponding to the high beam configuration and the low beam configuration respectively.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the driver circuit may include a switch connected to the bypass circuit, the high beam LEDs and the Low beam LEDs to switch between the high beam configuration and the low beam configuration of the LED headlamp assembly.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the extension unit is sandwiched between the reflector unit and the transparent lens.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular to the description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
These and other features, benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following text figure, with like reference numbers referring to like structures across the views, wherein:
Fig. 1A illustrates a front view of an LED headlamp assembly with a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for high and low beams, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 1B illustrates an exploded view of the LED headlamp of fig. 1A in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates a control unit of the LED headlamp of fig. 1A-1B, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
Fig. 3 illustrates a circuit diagram of a PCB assembly of the control unit of fig. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the present invention is described herein by way of example using embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments of drawing or drawings described, and are not intended to represent the scale of the various components. Further, some components that may form a part of the invention may not be illustrated in certain figures, for ease of illustration, and such omissions do not limit the embodiments outlined in any way. It should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modification/s, equivalent/s and alternative/s falling within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claim. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claim. As used throughout this description, the word "may" be used in a permissive sense (i.e. meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e. meaning must). Further, the words "a" or "an" means "at least one” unless otherwise mentioned. Furthermore, the terminology and phraseology used herein is solely used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting in scope. Language such as "including", "comprising", "having", "containing", or "involving" and variations thereof, is intended to be broad and encompass the subject matter listed thereafter, equivalents, and additional subject matter not recited, and is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. Likewise, the term "comprising" is considered synonymous with the terms "including" or "containing" for applicable legal purposes. Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the likes are included in the specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention.
In this disclosure, whenever an element or a group of elements is preceded with the transitional phrase “comprising”, it is understood that we also contemplate the same composition, element or group of elements with transitional phrases “consisting of”, “consisting”, “selected from the group of consisting of”, “including”, or “is” preceding the recitation of the composition, element or group of elements and vice versa.
The present invention is described hereinafter by various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein reference numerals used in the accompanying drawing correspond to the like elements throughout the description. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, the embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the following detailed description, numeric values and ranges are provided for various aspects of the implementations described. These values and ranges are to be treated as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims. In addition, a number of materials are identified as suitable for various facets of the implementations. These materials are to be treated as exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
Figure 1A illustrate a front view of a class C Light Emitting Diode (LED) headlamp assembly (100) with a single Printed Circuit Board (PCB) for high and low beams (hereinafter referred to as the “LED headlamp assembly”), respectively, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in figure 1A, the LED headlamp assembly (100) is configurable between a high beam and a low beam of light. The LED headlamp assembly (100) comprises a reflector unit (102). The reflector unit (102) is, but not limited to, a substantially V-shaped structure. The reflector unit (102) includes a plurality of reflective portions (1022). The plurality of reflective portions (1022) may be, meticulously designed concave portions, configured to reflect the light from a light source in a predetermined direction.
In accordance in the embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of reflective portions (1022) comprise a first reflective portion for a high beam configuration and a second reflective portion for a low beam configuration. In an additional or alternative embodiment, either of the first reflective portion and the second reflective portion may be positioned on top or bottom for the high beam configuration or the low beam configuration.
Further, the reflector unit (102) may be made of a material selected from a group comprising, but not limited to, Polycarbonate (PC), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polypropylene (PP), Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, PC is the preferable material for making the reflector unit (102).
The LED headlamp assembly (100) further comprises an extension unit (104). The extension unit (104) may be connected adjacent to the reflector unit (102). Moreover, the material for the extension unit (104) may be made of a material selected from a group comprising, but not limited to, Polycarbonate (PC), Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), Polypropylene (PP) and Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).
Figure 1B illustrates an exploded view of the LED headlamp of figure 1A in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in figure 1B, the reflector unit (102) has a plurality of cavities (1042) cut out. The plurality of cavities (1042) cut out may be positioned corresponding to the plurality of reflective portions (1022). In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of cavities (1042) include a first cavity corresponding to the first reflective portion and a second cavity corresponding to the second reflective portion.
Further included in the LED headlamp assembly (100) is a plurality of LEDs (106) received in the respective plurality of reflective portions (1022) and the respective plurality of cavities (1042). The plurality of LEDs (106) are the light sources that are responsible for generating light. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the LEDs may be configured to produce luminous flux of about, but not limited to, 780 mA/LED. In an aspect, each of the plurality of LEDs is a single chip LED.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there may be provided three LEDs. The two LEDS may be dedicated for low beam light production and the one LED for high beam light production. Besides the plurality of LEDs (106) may be configured to produce, but not limited to, white light. In an aspect, the LEDs are single chip LEDs. Single chip LEDs offers advantages of low space requirement and adequate illumination.
Further, as shown in the figure 1B, a transparent lens (110) is provided in the LED headlamp assembly (100). The transparent lens (110) may be connected adjacent to the extension unit (104). In other words, the extension unit (104) is sandwiched between the reflector unit (102) and the transparent lens (110). The extension unit (104) may be sandwiched between the reflector unit (102) and the transparent lens (110) using, fastening means such as, may be, but not limited to, a sealant, an adhesive, a plurality of screws (114) and/or breather caps (116). In a preferred embodiment, the extension unit (104) is mounted on the reflector unit (102) with help of the plurality of screws (114). The transparent lens (110) covers the extension unit (104) and the plurality of LEDs (106). The transparent lens (110) may have, but not limited to, a convex shape configured to direct the light beam from the reflective portions to the predetermined path.
The requirements for the material of the transparent lens (110) may be, but not limited to, good optical properties (transparency), strength (minimum elastic modulus and high fracture toughness), ability to be shaped into complicated 3-D shapes, good resistance to mild acids and petroleum products, good wear resistance to resist scratches (hardness), unaffected by UV-rays and low cost. Therefore, the material is selected from one of, but not limited to, polycarbonate (PC), cellulose polymers, polypropylene (PP) and polymethyl methacrylate.
Referring to the figure 1B, the LED headlamp assembly (100) further comprises a control unit (112). The control unit (112) disposed is the reflector unit (102). The control unit (112) is illustrated in figure 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in figure 2, the control unit (112) comprises a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly. The PCB assembly (1122) is connected with a battery of the vehicle by a means of a connection cord and a fuse (1124). The battery provides electrical power to operate the LED headlamp assembly (100). The PCB assembly (1122) has a predetermined length “L” and a predetermined width “w”. The predetermined length may be about, but not limited to, 162mm. The predetermined width may be about, but not limited to, 100mm.
The PCB assembly (1122) is made of, but not limited to, FR- 4 (Flame Retardant) material. FR-4 (or FR4) is a NEMA grade designation for glass-reinforced epoxy laminate material. FR-4 is a composite material composed of woven fiberglass cloth with an epoxy resin binder that is flame resistant (self-extinguishing). The control unit (112) is configured to control the operation of the plurality of LEDs (106) to produce as well as switch between the high beam configuration and the low beam configuration of the LED headlamp assembly (100).
Referring to figure 3 that illustrates a circuit diagram of the PCB assembly (1122) of the control unit (112) of figure 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in figure 3, the PCB assembly (1122) includes a driver circuit (202), a bypass circuit (204) and the LED circuit (comprising the plurality of LEDs (106)). Also, multiple connections are made to provide the input from the driver circuit (202) to a meter (206). The meter (206) gives indication of the illumination of the LED headlamp assembly (100) to a user of the vehicle. The circuit also includes a switch (208) connected to the bypass circuit (204), high beam LED and the Low beam LEDs (106) to switch between the high beam configuration and the low beam configuration of the LED headlamp assembly (100). In an aspect, the Low beam LEDs (106) are single chip LEDs.
Referring back to figure 1B, the connections between the reflector unit (102), the extension unit (104) and the control unit (112) may be made using, but not limited to, a plurality of screws (114) and breather caps (116). In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the transparent lens (110) is glued to the reflector (102). It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that connection means other than screws, breather caps and the adhesive may also be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.
Additionally, considering the complex shape of the reflector unit (102), the extension unit (104) and the transparent lens (110), each of the reflector unit (102), the extension unit (104) and the transparent lens (110) may be made by a process of, but not limited to, injection molding. However, it will be appreciated by a skilled addressee that other components may also be included in the LED headlamp assembly (100) as well as in the PCB assembly (1122) without departing from the scope of present invention.
The present invention works in the following manner. The electric power from the battery is provided to the PCB assembly (1122) of the control unit (112). When the driver of the vehicle selects a low beam configuration, the switch allows the electric current to flow to the LED circuit to turn on the plurality of LEDs (106) received in the second reflective portion configured to generate a low beam of light. Whereas, if the driver of the vehicle selects a high beam configuration, the switch allows the electric current to flow to the LED circuit to turn on the plurality of LEDs (106) received in the first reflective portion configured to generate a high beam of light. Both the configurations are achieved by using a single PCB assembly (1122). The LED headlamp assembly (100) is configured to generate high beam and low beam within a range of, but not limited to, 550-650 lumen.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, if one of the high beam or low beam configuration malfunctions, the control unit (112) automatically switches to the configuration that is working so that the driver always has an illuminated driving path in front of the vehicle.
The present invention offers a number of advantages. Firstly, the LED headlamp assembly (100) provides a cost effective and easy to implement solution to rectify the problems of the prior art. Additionally, the present invention utilizes a single PCB to achieve both high beam and low beam configurations with proper light distribution in both configurations. Also, the present invention may also be used as an upgrade in the existing lighting systems and head lamps as more illumination is achieved with less space requirement and well managed heat dissipation. Moreover, using FR-4 as a material for PCB takes care of the heat management.
Various modifications to these embodiments are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description and the accompanying drawings. The principles associated with the various embodiments described herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the description is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown along with the accompanying drawings but is to be provided broadest scope consistent with the principles and the novel and inventive features disclosed or suggested herein. Accordingly, the invention is anticipated to hold on to all other such alternatives, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the present invention and the appended claims.

We Claim:

1.A class C LED headlamp assembly (100) with a single PCB for high beam and low beam, the LED headlamp assembly (100) comprising:
a reflector unit (102) including a plurality of reflective portions (1022) configured to reflect light from a light source in a predetermined direction;
wherein the plurality of reflective portions (1022) comprising a first reflective portion for a high beam configuration and a second reflective portion for a low beam configuration;
wherein the reflector unit (102) has a plurality of cavities (1042) cut out corresponding to the plurality of reflective portions (1022);
wherein the plurality of cavities (1042) include a first cavity corresponding to the first reflective portion and a second cavity corresponding to the second reflective portion;
a plurality of LEDs (106) received in the respective plurality of reflective portions (1022) and the respective plurality of cavities (1042), wherein each of the plurality of LEDs (106) is a single chip LED;
an extension unit (104) adjacent to the reflector unit (102); and
a control unit (112) disposed in the reflector unit (102), the control unit (112) comprising:
a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) assembly (1122) connected with a battery of a vehicle by means of a connection cord and a fuse (1124) that provides electrical power to operate the LED headlamp assembly (100).
2. The LED headlamp assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a transparent lens (110) adjacent to the extension unit (104), adapted to cover the extension unit (104) and the plurality of LEDs (106).
3. The LED headlamp assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the PCB assembly (1122) having a predetermined length and a predetermined width.
4. The LED headlamp assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (112) is configured to control operation of the plurality of LEDs (106) to actuate and switch between the high beam configuration and the low beam configuration of the LED headlamp assembly (100).
5. The LED headlamp assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the PCB assembly (1122) including a driver circuit (202), a bypass circuit (204) and an LED circuit.
6. The LED headlamp assembly (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the driver circuit (202) is configured to provide inputs to a meter (206).
7. The LED headlamp assembly (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the meter (206) is configured to provide an indication of illumination of the LED headlamp assembly (100), based on the inputs, to a user of the vehicle.
8. The LED headlamp assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of LEDs (106) including high beam LEDs and Low beam LEDs corresponding to the high beam configuration and the low beam configuration respectively.
9. The LED headlamp assembly (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the driver circuit (202) includes a switch (208) connected to the bypass circuit (204), the high beam LEDs and the Low beam LEDs (106) to switch between the high beam configuration and the low beam configuration of the LED headlamp assembly (100).
10. The LED headlamp assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extension unit (104) is sandwiched between the reflector unit (102) and the transparent lens (110).