Patents Assigned to ZKW GROUP GMBH
  • Patent number: 10591126
    Abstract: A micro-projection light module (1) for a vehicle headlight, comprising at least one light source (2) and at least one projection arrangement (3) which images the light emitted from the at least one light source (2) into an area in front of the motor vehicle in the form of at least one light distribution, wherein the projection arrangement (3) comprises an entry optics (30) having one, two, or more micro entry optics (31) preferably arranged in an array, and an exit optics (40) having one, two, or more micro exit optics (41) preferably arranged in an array, wherein each micro entry optics (31) is paired with precisely one micro exit optics (41), wherein the micro entry optics (31) are designed in such a way and/or the micro entry optics (31) and the micro exit optics (41) are arranged relative to one another in such a way that substantially all the light emitted from a micro entry optics (31) enters precisely only into the paired micro exit optics (41), and wherein the light pre-shaped by the micro entry opti
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventor: Bernhard Mandl
  • Patent number: 10584842
    Abstract: A lamp for a vehicle includes a lamp module configured to emit light; an interface unit configured to receive information; at least one processor; and a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations that include: receiving, through the interface unit, driving situation information of the vehicle; and controlling, based on the driving situation information, a resolution of light that is output from the lamp module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventor: Jinwoo Park
  • Patent number: 10569711
    Abstract: The invention relates to a monitoring apparatus for monitoring the operating state of a laser vehicle headlamp (4), wherein the laser vehicle headlamp (4) comprises at least one laser light source (5) and a light conversion element (6) that can be illuminated by the laser light source (5) and therefore can be excited to emit visible light, wherein the monitoring apparatus has at least one photosensitive device (3) and one comparison device (1), wherein the photosensitive device (3) comprises at least one LED (D1) that is set up to convert light received from the laser light source (5) into an electrical signal (UD) that is supplied to the comparison device (1), wherein the comparison device (1) is set up to compare the electrical signal (UD) with a preselectable value and to output a fault signal (U0) on the basis of the result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventor: Georg Hebenstreit
  • Patent number: 10550320
    Abstract: The invention relates to a converter (25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95, 115, 125) for a lighting device, in particular for a lighting device for a motor vehicle headlight, wherein the converter comprises a converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 114, 124) for at least partly converting a primary light, which is emitted from a primary light source, into a secondary light, wherein the secondary light has a different wavelength than the primary light, wherein the converter comprises a flat diamond support structure (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 110, 120) made of polycrystalline diamond with a plurality of column-shaped diamond crystals (23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73, 83, 93, 113, 123), which form a column-shaped diamond texture, wherein regions (22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72, 82, 92, 112, 122) of the diamond support structure comprise the converter material (24, 34, 44, 54, 64, 74, 84, 94, 114, 124), and free spaces remain between said regions, the free spaces allow the primary light to pass through the diamond s
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventor: Peter Hartmann
  • Patent number: 10531571
    Abstract: A method for positioning at least one electronic component (3) on a circuit board (1) provided for installation in a vehicle headlamp, wherein the circuit board (1) comprises at least one position mark and the at least one electronic component (3) is positioned relative to the at least one position mark on the circuit board (1), wherein the at least one position mark is detected optically and is used for positioning, wherein the at least one position mark used is at least one alignment mark (5, 6, 7, 8, 8?, 8?) of the circuit board (1) which, in the vehicle headlamp, when the circuit board (1) is installed, interacts mechanically with a positioning means (9, 15) of the vehicle headlamp that is complementary to the alignment mark (5, 6, 7, 8,8?, 8?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Dietmar Kieslinger, Peter Wurm, Arianit Idrizaj
  • Patent number: 10527248
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lighting device (1a) for a motor vehicle headlight, comprising a first light-guide (2) unit having a retaining bar (2a) and at least two outcoupling bars (2b) arranged at least at a distance from one another and protruding from the retaining bar (2a), a second light-guide unit (3) having a retaining bar (3a) and at least one outcoupling bar (3b) protruding from the retaining bar (3a), a number of light sources (4) for coupling light into the outcoupling bars (2b, 3b) of the light-guide units (2,3), wherein at least one light source (4) is associated with each outcoupling bar (2b, 3b), and comprising at least one lens (5), preferably a projection lens, arranged after the light-guide units (2, 3) for generating a light distribution, wherein each outcoupling bar (2b, 3b) has a light-outcoupling surface (2c, 3c) for emitting light into the at least one lens (5), wherein the first and the second light-guide units (2, 3) are separate components from one another, which are arranged in rela
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Lukas Taudt, Udo Maier
  • Patent number: 10518695
    Abstract: A lighting device for a vehicle headlight, the lighting device having a first light module (105), a second light module (106) and a third light module (107), wherein the first light module (105) generates, when installed in a vehicle, a first specified overall light distribution (A) in a region in front of the motor vehicle, and the second light module (106) generates, when installed in a vehicle, a first specified partial light distribution (F) in a region in front of the motor vehicle, and the third light module (107) generates, when installed in a vehicle, a second specified partial light distribution (Z) in a region in front of the motor vehicle, and wherein when the first and second light modules (105, 106) are illuminated at the same time, the first overall light distribution (A) at least partially overlaps the first partial light distribution (F), with the result that a second overall light distribution (AF) is formed, wherein the second partial light distribution (Z) lies underneath the hh line (hh) a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Lukas Taudt, Stefan Tomasetig, Heimo Frank
  • Patent number: 10488007
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle headlight comprising at least one light source, at least one projection optical system, and an electronic component (1) with an active optical surface on a front face, an active thermal surface, and electric contacts. A component housing (110), which is made of a housing shell (120) and a housing cover (150), a first printed circuit board (130) and at least one first spacer (160) are also contained. The component housing (110) at least partly receives the electronic component (1). The housing shell (120) comprises an assembly position for the electronic component (1) and a component opening (121) which is located in the region of the assembly position, in which the electronic component (1) is arranged, and by means of which the active optical surface of the electronic component (1) can be accessed. The electronic component (1) can be connected to the first printed circuit board (130) via the electric contacts of the electronic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Mayer, Markus Reinprecht, Stefan Mitterlehner
  • Patent number: 10480739
    Abstract: A headlamp (1) for vehicles having at least one laser light module (3l, 3m, 3r) which has a laser light source (11) and a phosphorus element (13) which is arranged downstream of the latter in the beam path and a front-end optical system (16) in which the at least one laser light module is arranged in a housing (2) of the headlamp which has a projection optical system (4) for projecting the light distribution generated in the focal plane of the projection optical system of the at least one laser light module into the carriageway space, and at least one deflection prism (20; 22, 23) is integrated into the at least one front-end optical system (16), which deflection prism (20; 22, 23) lies in the region of the laser beam (15; 15-1, 15-2) which occurs when the phosphorus element (13) is defective or missing and which deflects this laser beam occurring in the event of disruption and keeps it away from the projection optical system and therefore from the carriageway space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Danner, Michael Riesenhuber, Bettina Reisinger, Peter Mayer
  • Patent number: 10451237
    Abstract: A lighting device (1) comprising: a first light source arrangement (2), a light-shaping device (3) arranged after the first light source arrangement (2), a first reflector (4,4?) having a first focal point (f1) and a second reflector (5, 5?) having a second focal point (f2), an additional second light source arrangement (6), which is arranged outside on the second reflector (5, 5?), wherein a recess is provided for this purpose on the second reflector (5, 5?), and a termination plate (8) positioned in the exit opening of the second reflector (5, 5?), wherein the light emitted from the light source arrangement (2) is directed by means of the light-shaping device (3) onto the first reflector (4, 4?), wherein the first reflector (4, 4?) deflects the light beams onto the second reflector (5, 5?), and the light beams reflected by the second reflector (5, 5?) are cast out in a desired exit direction by the termination plate (8) in the form of a defined light distribution, wherein the second light source arrange
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventor: Jürgen Zorn
  • Patent number: 10443803
    Abstract: In a lighting device for a vehicle, a light guide assembly (10) for guiding the light emitted by a light source comprises a head portion (12) with decoupling elements (18) for decoupling at least some of the coupled-in light, and also a feed line portion (11), which comprises a coupling-in region (15) for the coupling-in of light from a light source and by means of which light coupled in in this way is fed to the head portion (12). The coupling-in region (15) has a first securing arrangement (13) with at least one element protruding transversely to the longitudinal axis of the coupling-in region (15), for example a pin, by means of which the coupling-in region (15) is insertable into a first securing location in the lighting device and lockable there. The head portion (12) has a second securing arrangement (14) for securing the head portion (12) in the lighting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Edletzberger, Patrick Windgruber, Stefan Etlinger
  • Patent number: 10436410
    Abstract: A lighting device (1) for a motor vehicle headlight, having at least one illumination module (2) for emitting visible light, at least one optical component (3) deflecting and/or shaping the light of the illumination module (2) and a holding module (4) which is connected with the illumination module (2) and in which the at least one optical component (3) is supported, the illumination module (2) comprising at least one laser light source (2a) and a light conversion element (2b), the light of the at least one laser light source (2a) being directed onto the light conversion element (2b), which converts the light into visible light and emits it into the optical component (3), the holding module (4) having at least one first and one second guidance means (4b?, 4h), the first guidance means (4b?) being able to move the optical component (3) in a first direction (x) with respect to the light conversion element (2b), and the second guidance means (4h) being able to move the optical component (3) in a second direction
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventor: Matthias Mayer
  • Patent number: 10429024
    Abstract: A holding device (1) for an electronic component (2) in a vehicle headlamp, the electronic component (2) comprising an optical interface area on a front side and a thermal interface area and electrical contacts on a rear side facing away from the front side, as well as: a base body (3) having a mounting position for the electronic component, and an opening (31) located in the region of the mounting position, through which opening access to the optical interface area of the electronic component (2) is possible, wherein the electronic component (2) bears by way of the front side thereof against the base body (3), a circuit board (4), to which the electronic component (2) can be connected by means of the electrical contacts thereof and which has an opening (41), though which access to the thermal interface area of the electronic component (2) is possible, a heat sink (5), which is arranged on the thermal interface area of the electronic component (2) and can be fastened on the base body, at least one resilien
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventors: Matthias Mayer, Stefan Mitterlehner
  • Patent number: 10408403
    Abstract: A headlamp for vehicles, in which the laser beam of at least one laser light source (1) is directed via a beam deflection means (7) towards at least one light conversion means (8) in a scanning manner, which at least one light conversion means comprises a phosphor for converting light, and having a projection system (10) for projecting the light image (9) generated at the light conversion means onto the roadway (11), characterized in that at least one electro-optical modulator (4) is arranged in the beam path of the at least one laser light source (1), which at least one electro-optical modulator is controlled by a control unit (12) and lies before the light conversion means (8) in the beam path and affects the polarization of the light, wherein a polarization element (3, 5, 17) is arranged at least after the modulator in the beam path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Erik Edlinger, Emanuel Weber
  • Patent number: 10408407
    Abstract: The invention relates to a light module for a motor vehicle headlight for emitting light to form a light pattern in an area in front of the light module, the light module comprising two or more primary light sources (PLQ1, PLQ2) that produce light to form a main light pattern (HLV), and at least one secondary light source (SLQ1) that produces light to form an additional light pattern (ZLV), the additional light pattern overlapping the main light pattern to form an entire light pattern, the primary light sources (PLQ1, PLQ2) being associated with at least one primary reflector (PR1, PR2) and being set up to bundle the light emitted the from the primary light sources (PLQ1, PLQ2) and to direct it in the form of the main light pattern (HLV) into an area in front of the light module, the at least one secondary light source (SLQ1) being associated with an optical imaging system (AS) and being set up to project the light emitted from the at least one secondary light source (SLQ1) in the form of the additional light
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Martin Stein, Christian Bemmer, Thomas Edletzberger, Martin Schragl, Peter Schadenhofer, Jürgen Ganzberger, Johann Altmann, Jürgen Zorn
  • Patent number: 10391927
    Abstract: The invention relates to a vehicle headlight (1) comprising a light source (2), a primary optical system (3), a projection optical system (4), a control device, an output unit and an optoelectronic component (7) having a controllable arrangement of several, individually adjustable optoelectronic elements (8) in the form of a two-dimensional matrix. Said vehicle headlight (1) is designed to emit light from at least one light source (2) in the direction of the optoelectronic component (7) and to modulate by means of the optoelectronic component (7), and to radiate at least partially in the direction of the projection optical system (4) and to form a light image in front of the vehicle. The control device is connected to the output unit. The output unit is connected to the optoelectronic component (7) and can control the optoelectronic elements (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Lahmer
  • Patent number: 10386696
    Abstract: The invention relates to an illumination apparatus (100), in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising at least one laser light source (10) for producing excitation light, at least one wavelength conversion element (20), which is designed to receive excitation light from the at least one laser light source (10) in the form of an excitation-light light bundle, at least one optical imaging element (30a, 30b, 30c; 31; 32), which images light, which is emitted in the visible wavelength range by the wavelength conversion element (20), in the form of at least one light distribution or one partial light distribution (LVa, LVb, LVc, LVd, LVe), and at least one beam-deflecting device in the beam path between the at least one laser light source (10) and the at least one wavelength conversion element (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW GROUP GMBH
    Inventors: Markus Reinprecht, Michael Riesenhuber
  • Patent number: 10383185
    Abstract: A motor vehicle lighting device comprising at least one branch of semiconductor light sources including two or more light source units connected in series is disclosed herein. A MOSFET switch bridging the individual light source units is assigned to the light source units. The at least one branch is fed from the output voltage of a DC/DC converter with respect to ground. An activation circuit is assigned to the MOSFET switch for activating the MOSFET switch, which is a p-channel MOSFET. A rectifier circuit is assigned to the DC/DC converter. The input of the rectifier circuit is connected to a pole of a storage inductor of the converter, at which negative voltage pulses occur with respect to ground. The rectifier circuit is designed to rectify the negative pulses and to provide the resulting negative DC voltage of the activation circuit for switching the MOSFET switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventor: Christian Guth
  • Patent number: 10378719
    Abstract: The invention relates to a lighting device (1) for a motor vehicle headlight, comprising a light module (2) with at least one light emission source (10), a primary lens (100) and a secondary lens (300), wherein said primary lens (100) comprises at least one light-conducting ancillary lens (102) which is designed to direct light (50) captured by the at least one light emission source (10) through at least one light-emitting surface (103) of the ancillary lens and on to the secondary lens (300) arranged downstream in optical longitudinal axial direction (150), and wherein the secondary lens (300) is designed to image a light distribution, which forms on the light-emitting surface (103) of the ancillary lens, in an area in front of the lighting device (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventors: Lukas Taudt, Bettina Reisinger, Andreas Moser
  • Patent number: 10378718
    Abstract: The invention relates to an optical structure (100) for a lighting device (1) of a motor vehicle headlight, which lighting device (1) is designed to radiate light, the light radiated from the lighting device (1) forming a predefined light distribution (LV1), wherein the optical structure (100) is associated with the lighting device (1) in such a way or is part of the lighting device (1) in such a way that substantially the entire flow of light from the lighting device (1) passes through the optical structure (100), and wherein the unmodified light distribution (LV1) produced by the lighting device (1) is modified by the optical structure (100) into a predefinable, modified light distribution (LV2), wherein the modified light distribution (LV2) is formed by convolution of the unmodified light distribution (LV1) with a scattering function (PSF), and wherein the optical structure (100) is designed in such a way that the unmodified light distribution (LV1) is modified according to the scattering function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: ZKW Group GmbH
    Inventor: Dietmar Kieslinger