The present invention relates to vehicles and, respectively, vehicle lightning and signalling equipment, particularly to headlamps and fog lamps, and more particularly to a lamp which in addition to lighting the section in front of the vehicle is also provided for lighting other sections, such as a so called multifunctional lamp being capable to carry out either simultaneously or occasionally different functions and, therefore, serves as a headlamp with integrated high beam and/or low beam and/or front position lamp (i.e. parking light) and/or direction indicator and/or cornering lamp, or as a fog lamp with integrated cornering lamp, for example, and similar.

The present invention is based on a problem how to create a multifunctional lamp for motor vehicle with a possibility, without intervening with the lamp structure itself or, optionally, also with minor intervention in the sense of the replacement of individual components, to regulate key optical features and, thus, to alter operating each lighting function of the lamp.

The applicant is aware of different multifunctional lamps with motor vehicles, which are capable either selectively or simultaneously to operate several lighting functions such as the function of a low or high beam, a direction indicator, a daytime running lamp, a cornering lamp and similar. It is typical for known solutions of the kind that each light source provided for generating light beams which reflect from each corresponding reflective surface of the reflector to the area in front of/behind/along a vehicle and thus provided for carrying out certain function, is supplied from its own power source. The light source for carrying out certain lighting function is either an incandescent light bulb, in particular a halogen bulb, such as with the lamp according to EP 2 419 672, or a light emitting diode (LED) and, respectively, a plurality of LEDs mutually connected to a suitable electric circuit, such as with the lamp according to SI 24567 A, for instance. Installing each of the sources of electricity intended to supply each of the light sources available is connected with certain costs and, simultaneously, the larger number of the components represents also the increasing possibility of failure. In case LEDs are used as the light source, also replacement of the light source may cause problems. In particular, known lamps does not allow adjusting operation of each lighting functions without interfering with the design of the lamp itself. The invention refers to a multifunctional lamp for a motor vehicle. Said lamp comprises a body having at least one light permeable wall, and inserted inside said body at least one reflector having at least two reflective surfaces. Furthermore, said lamp comprises a generally replaceable light source installed in said body, said light source being configured for cooperation with each available reflective surface of the reflector in a manner that the light beams generated by said light source and directed towards said reflector redirect at said reflective surfaces of the reflector toward the light permeable wall and through the latter into each corresponding area in the front or behind or along the vehicle.

It is provided according to the present invention that said light source is formed as a linear carrier, at least one series of mutually uniformly spaced light elements being attached thereto, each of said light elements being electrically connected to the control unit which is electrically connectable to the power source, and configured in a manner that operation of each light element or certain predetermined groups of the light elements can be programmed in the sense of cooperation of said each light element or certain predetermined groups of the light elements with each corresponding reflective surfaces of the reflector, thus carrying out individual predetermined lighting function of the lamp. Each light source is preferably represented as a light emitting diode (LED).

Optionally, said light source is inserted either in longitudinal or transversal direction of the lamp.

Moreover, said light source may resemble at least approximately rectangular form, when viewed from the side, the number of available series of light elements being either equal or less than the number of longitudinal surfaces of the light source formed as a linear carrier.

Alternatively, said light source may resemble a polygonal form, when viewed from the side, the number of available series of light elements being either equal or less than the number of longitudinal surfaces of the light source formed as a linear carrier.

The invention will be more readily understood on reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings where

Fig. 1 shows schematic longitudinal view of the first embodiment of a lamp according to the invention; Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view in a plane A - A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of another embodiment of a lamp according to the invention; Fig. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view in a plane B - B of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 shows separately a schematic view of a light source of the lamp according to Fig. 1 - 4; and

Fig. 6 shows a schematic view of an electric circuit of each light element of the light source of Fig. 5.

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a multifunctional lamp of a motor vehicle comprising a body 1 having at least one light permeable wall 11. Inside said body 1 is installed a reflector 2 which, in the present embodiment, comprises four reflective surfaces 21, 22, 23, 24 each of them being configured to carry out different lighting functions such as a high beam and/or a low beam and/or a cornering lamp and/or a direction indicator and/or a front position lamp (i.e. parking light), or as a fog lamp.

A light source 3 being installed in said body 1, said light source being in one hand generally replaceable, and on the other hand configured for cooperation with each available reflective surfaces 21, 22, 23, 24 of the reflector 2 in a manner that the light beams generated by said light source 3 and directed towards said reflector 2 redirect at said reflective surfaces 21, 22, 23, 24 of the reflector 2 toward the light permeable wall 11 of the body 1 and through said wall into each corresponding area in the front or behind or along the vehicle.

It is provided for, according to the present invention, that said light source 3 is formed as a linear carrier, at least one series of mutually uniformly spaced light elements 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' being attached thereto, each of said light elements being electrically connected to the control unit 4 which is electrically connectable to the power source 5. Furthermore, said control unit 4 is configured in a manner that operation of each light element 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' or certain predetermined groups of the light elements 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' can be programmed in the sense of cooperation of said each light element 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' or certain predetermined groups of the light elements 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' with each corresponding reflective surfaces 21, 22, 23, 24 of the reflector 2, in order to carry out individual predetermined lighting functions of the lamp. Furthermore, it is provided for according to the present invention that each light element 31, 32,

33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' is represented by a light emitting diode (LED), the cathode and the anode being separately electrically connected with said control unit 4 (Fig. 6). The light source 3, in the embodiment according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, is inserted into the body 3 in the transversal direction of the lamp.

Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 shows another embodiment, where the light source 3 is inserted into the body 1 in the longitudinal direction of the lamp and is configured to cooperate with two reflectors 2, 2'.

In each case, said light source 3 is provided in a form of a stick-shaped linear carrier, wherein possible variants of the side section thereof and installation of each series of light elements 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' can differ from each other.

The light source 3 may resemble in its simplest embodiment at least approximately rectangular form, when viewed from the side, the number of available series of light elements 31, 32, 33,

34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' being either equal or less than the number of longitudinal surfaces of the light source 3 formed as a linear carrier.

Alternatively, said light source may resemble, similar to the embodiments according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a polygonal form, when viewed from the side, the number of available series of light elements 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' being either equal or less than the number of longitudinal surfaces of the light source 3 formed as a linear carrier.

The advantage of such a lamp shows in a wide possibilities of adjusting the lamp to carry out different lighting functions by means of a universal light source 3 in a universal body 1 either by means of a single reflector 2 with each corresponding reflective surfaces 21, 22, 23, 24, or optionally by means of installation of different reflector 2 or by means of installation of different light source 3 in the very same body 1. It is possible to variously control the operation of each group of light elements 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38; 31', 32', 33', 34', 35', 36', 37', 38' only by programming the control unit, such as by intensifying or attenuating the light intensity of certain functions.