OPTIMIZED LIGHT SOURCE FOR HIGH INCOUPLING EFFICIENCIES IN DISTRIBUTIVE LIGHTING SYSTEMS (DLS)

The exciting styling possibilities of DLS has attracted the attention of designers for a long time. Due to the high efficiency of HID light sources, nowadays also the performance of such a DLS can compete with existing Xenon headlamps, thus combining the benefits of both technologies to a completely new headlighting concept. Starting from the performance of present HID headlamps and based on sound considerations of losses of the various components of a DLS, the beam requirements are traced back to the necessary properties of an HID light source and bulb driver dedicated for DLS. To improve even further the performance of DLS systems, the results of new 60W Xenon prototype bulbs especially designed for incoupling purposes are described. Bulb, reflector and their fixation and alignment are constructed to meet automotive specifications. These light sources show a superior incoupling efficiency, which make them ideally suited for a DLS headlighting system. For the covering abstract see ITRD E123380.