New Optical Concepts for Headlamps with LED Arrays

With the recent development of white multichip LED arrays, main headlamp functions such as high and low beam become realistic not only for prototypes but even for industrial series production. However, one special challenge in the development of suitable optical concepts is the increasing, and therewith changing, luminous flux over the development period. As a consequence, for a light distribution with a certain luminous flux aimed at, the number of necessary LED arrays can differ significantly between the beginning and the end of the development time. Automotive Lighting has worked out new optical concepts for main headlamp functions, in which both the headlamp design and the shape of the light distribution are independent of the number of LEDs used and therewith independent of the luminous flux roadmap. These scalable optical concepts, implying different reflection, projection and light guide techniques, are presented and illustrated by simulations, measurements of engineering samples and visualisations.