The invention relates to a head lamp module for a motor vehicle according to claim 1.

It is known to construct head lamps for motor vehicles by combining different modules. Such a modular system comprises several modules, which can be combined. These modular systems have decreased the necessary amount of work for constructing a head lamp for a motor vehicle.

Further, head lamp modules are known as a part of a modular system. Often, head lamp modules comprise several lighting sources, which are arranged in a matrix. These lighting sources are often light emitting diodes (LEDs). WO 2019/193066 A1 discloses a head lamp module with different group of light sources. A first group is ar ranged on a first printed circuit board. This group is adapted to emit a low beam. A second group is arranged on a second printed circuit board. This group is adapted to emit a high beam.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a head lamp module with reduced manufacturing costs. Further, a head lamp with such a head lamp module, a motor ve hicle with such a head lamp and a modular system for constructing such a head lamp shall be provided.

This object is achieved with a head lamp module for a motor vehicle according to claim 1, a head lamp according to claim 12, a motor vehicle according to claim 14 and a modular system according to claim 15. Embodiments of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

The head lamp module according to claim 1 comprises one single printed circuit board, a first group of light sources, a second group of light sources, a lens and an op tical device. The term “one single” means in particular in this description that only this one single component is present. Thus, there are no more printed circuit boards pre sent in the head lamp module except for the one single printed circuit board. The opti cal device may for example be a primary optic device. In particular, it is possible that the optical device is the only primary optic device of the head lamp module.

The first group of light sources and the second group of light sources are both ar ranged on the printed circuit board. Both group of light sources are arranged on the printed circuit board. Both group of light sources emit light to the optical device. Thus, the optical device is adapted to receive light from both group of light sources. The opti cal device is further adapted to guide the emitted light in a direction towards the lens. The light leaves the head lamp module through the lens.

This head lamp module is in particular advantageous because both groups of light sources are arranged on the one single printed circuit board. Further, only one optical device receives the light directly from both groups of light sources. Both features are in particular advantageous because the head lamp module can for example be a bima trix head lamp module. In this case, for example the first group of light sources may be adapted to emit light, which leaves the head lamp module as low beam light. The sec ond group of light sources may be adapted to emit light, which leaves the head lamp module as high beam light. The high beam light may in particular be an adaptive high beam light.

Using only one printed circuit board and the optical device for both groups of light sources reduces the manufacturing costs. Thus, such a head lamp module could also be used for cost sensitive motor vehicles.

According to an embodiment of the invention the lens may be adapted to assume a first state or a second state. The lens may be transferable from the first to the second state and vice versa. The lens may be adapted to have a different effect on a light dis tribution emitted by the headlamp module in the first state than in the second state. According to an embodiment of the invention the optical device comprises a first group of light coupling surfaces and a second group of light coupling surfaces. The first group of light coupling surfaces is adapted to receive light from the first group of light sources. The second group of light coupling surfaces is adapted to receive light from the second group of light sources.

According to an embodiment of the invention each light coupling surface is adapted to receive light from exactly one single light source of the light sources. This can particu larly apply to both groups of light coupling surfaces.

According to an embodiment of the invention the optical device is dismountable from the head lamp module as a whole. In particular, this can mean that the optical device may be fastened to another component of the head lamp module with fastening ele ments. When these fastening elements are loosened the optical device can be dis mounted as a whole. Thus, there is no need to disassemble the optical device in order to remove it from the head lamp module.

According to an embodiment of the invention the optical device comprises geometrical light ways and air channels between the light ways. The term “geometrical” means particularly that the light ways are present virtually and not as real components. A geo metrical light way is a geometrical construction that defines the way the light takes. Each light way may correspond to one of the light sources of the second group of light sources. The light of each of the light sources of the second group of light sources may be emitted via the corresponding light way. The emitted light may be totally re flected at the interfaces between the light ways and the air channels. For example, the geometrical light ways may lead through glass and/or plastic material. In this case, to tal reflection may occur at the interfaces between the glass and the air channels and/or between the plastic material and the air channels. This embodiment is especially advantageous for an adaptive high beam light. Each light source may for example illuminate a certain area in front of the motor vehicle be cause of these light ways being separated by the air channels. This allows to avoid blinding other road users by switching off certain light sources.

According to an embodiment of the invention the light emitted by the first group of light sources leaves the head lamp module as low beam light.

According to an embodiment of the invention the light emitted by the second group of light sources leaves the head lamp module as high beam light.

According to an embodiment of the invention the optical device comprises a shutter element. The shutter element may be adapted to limit the range of the light emitted by the first group of light sources.

According to an embodiment of the invention the light sources are light emitting di odes.

According to an embodiment of the invention the light sources of the second group of light sources are adapted to be switched on and off independently. In particular, it is possible that each light source of the second group of light sources can be switched on and off independently from the other light sources of the second group of light sources.

The head lamp according to claim 12 comprises several module slots and several lighting modules. The lighting modules are mounted in the module slots. One of the lighting modules is a head lamp module according to an embodiment of the invention. It is possible that the lighting modules may be replaced by each other. According to an embodiment of the invention the head lamp module is dismountable as a whole independently from the other lighting modules.

The motor vehicle according to claim 14 comprises a head lamp according to an em bodiment of the invention.

The modular system for constructing a head lamp according to claim 15 comprises a head lamp according to an embodiment of the invention. The modular system further comprises several body units and several lighting modules. Each body unit comprises several module slots. The lighting modules comprise a head lamp module according to an embodiment of the invention.

Based on the attached drawings, the invention is explained in more detail below. Iden tical or similar components and components with identical or similar functions are as signed the same reference signs.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic top view of a head lamp module according to an embod iment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a schematic bottom view of the head lamp module of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 shows a schematic side view of the head lamp module of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 4 shows a schematic light distribution generated by the head lamp module of

Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 shows a schematic light distribution with an anti-glare tunnel generated by the head lamp module of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 6 shows a schematic light distribution with a dark middle area generated by the head lamp module of Fig. 1 ; and

Fig. 7 shows a schematic top view of the head lamp module of Fig. 1 generating the light distribution of Fig. 6. The head lamp module 100 comprises a first group of light sources 101, a second group of light sources 200, an optical device 102, several air channels 103, geomet rical light ways 201 , a lens 300 and a printed circuit board 301. The first group of light sources 101 is adapted to emit low beam light. The second group of light sources 200 is adapted to emit high beam light. The light emitted by both groups of light sources 101 and 200 is transmitted through the optical device 102. The optical device 102 comprises the geometrical light ways 201 and the air channels 103, wherein the air channels separate the geometrical light ways 201 from each other. Thus, each air channel 103 is located between two geometrical light ways 201. The geometrical light ways 201 may lead through glass and/or plastic material. Thus, this glass and/or plas tic material may be separated by the air channels 103.

In figure 3 is shown that the first group of light sources 101 and the second group of light sources 200 are arranged on the same and single circuit board 301. This reduces manufacturing costs. Further, the optical device 102 is mountable to and dismountable from the head lamp module 100 as a whole. This reduces the manufacturing costs even more.

In operation, the first group of light sources 101 and the second group of light sources 200 emit light towards the optical device 102. Each light source 200 of the second group of light sources 200 corresponds to one single geometrical light way 201. Thus the light of the respective light source 200 of the second group of light sources is only emitted to one single corresponding geometrical light way 201. The light of the second group of light sources 200 is reflected totally at the interfaces between the geometrical light ways 201 and the air channels 103. Thus, the light may not pass from one geo metrical light way 201 to another geometrical light way 201. The light passes through the optical device 102 towards the lens 300. The light leaves the head lamp module 100 through the lens 300. The light distribution 400 shown in figure 4 is generated by the second group of light sources 200 with all light sources 200 switched on. The light distribution 500 shown in figure 5 is generated by the second group of light sources 200 with all light sources 200 except for one switched on. Thus, one of the light sources 200 is switched off.

Due to the light ways 201 being separated by the air channels 103 the tunnel 501 shown in figure 5 is created. This tunnel 501 was illuminated in light distribution 400 of figure 4 only by the light source 200 that is switched off for creating the light distribu tion 500 of figure 5.

This principle is further explained with respect to figures 6 and 7. In figure 6 a light dis tribution 600 is shown with a dark middle area 601. This light distribution 600 is cre ated by a switching the second group of light sources 200 shown in figure 7. In figure 7 two geometrical light ways 700 do not transmit any light. Thus, the corresponding light sources 200 are switched off while all other light sources 200 of the second group of light sources 200 are switched on. This results in the light distribution 600 shown in figure 6.

The tunnel 501 and the dark middle area 601 may be used to avoid glaring of other road users.

List of reference signs

100 Head lamp module

101 Light source

102 Optical device

103 Air channel

200 Light source

201 Geometrical light way

300 Lens

301 Printed circuit board

400 Light distribution

500 Light distribution

501 Tunnel

600 Light distribution

601 Dark middle area

700 Geometrical light way