JP2016115582A - Vehicular lighting unit with light distribution device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To protect a micro optical element of a light distribution device against light collected heat of sunlight and apply the light distribution device as a design element.SOLUTION: A light-emitting unit 5 is installed in a lamp chamber 4 of a vehicular head lamp 1 and a body 7 of the light emitting unit 5 comprises a semiconductor light source 9, a micro-mirror array 10 for distributing light from the light source 9, a projection lens 12 for projecting light from a reflection mirror 10a of the micro-mirror array in front of a vehicle and a plurality of dummy reflectors. The projection lens 12 is rotatably arranged around a fixing shaft 13, it is arranged at a non-operating position [a dotted line position] by a motor 14 when the lamp is turned off, an optical axis 12a of the projection lens 12 is removed from all the reflection surfaces 10a of the micro-mirror array 10, a light collection of the sunlight is avoided, metallic luster of the micro-mirror array 10 is combined with reflection light from a dummy reflector to give a fresh design to a vehicle head lamp 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp provided with a light distribution device composed of micro optical elements that orient light emitted from a light source.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicular lamp that forms a light distribution pattern using a micromirror array that includes minute mirror elements is known. For example, the vehicular lamp of Patent Document 1 controls a plurality of mirror elements individually to switch between a first reflection position where reflected light is used for illumination and a second reflection position where reflected light is not used for illumination. The light reflected by the mirror element at the first reflection position is transmitted through the projection lens, and a required light distribution pattern is formed in front of the lamp.

JP 2014-220072 A

  However, according to the conventional vehicular lamp, the projection lens always covers the micro mirror array from the front of the lamp, so that sunlight passes through the projection lens and is condensed on the mirror array, and the mirror element is damaged by the condensed heat. There was a fear. In addition, although many mirror elements have a unique metallic luster, they are always hidden by the projection lens, so there is a problem that the micromirror array cannot be used as a design element of a vehicle lamp. .

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular lamp that can protect a micro optical element such as a mirror element from the heat collected from sunlight and can use a light distribution device as a design element.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides the following vehicular lamp.
(1) A light source, a light distribution device composed of micro optical elements that orient the light emitted from the light source, a lens that projects light from the light distribution device to the front of the lamp, and a drive unit that displaces the lens. A vehicular lamp characterized by that.
Here, as the light distribution device, for example, a micromirror array composed of a plurality of mirror elements, an LCOS (Liquid crystal on silicon) device composed of a plurality of reflective liquid crystal elements, or the like can be used.

(2) The vehicular lamp as described in (1) above, wherein the driving means displaces the lens to a position where the optical axis is disengaged from all the micro optical elements of the light distribution device when the light source is turned off.

(3) The vehicular lamp according to (1) or (2), wherein the driving unit rotates the lens around a lens mounting shaft.

(4) The vehicular lamp according to the above (1) or (2), wherein the driving means slides the lens in a direction crossing the optical axis of the vehicular lamp.

(5) The vehicular lamp according to the above (1) or (2), wherein the driving means causes the lens to turn around a fixed axis or a movable axis.

  Since the vehicular lamp of the present invention is equipped with driving means for displacing the lens, when the lamp is turned off, the lens is moved to a position where the sunlight is not collected on the light distribution device, or the light distribution device is moved from the outside of the lamp. The lens can be moved to a position where it can be seen, so that the micro optical element can be protected from the sunlight collecting heat, and the light distribution device can be used as a design element of a vehicular lamp. Play.

It is sectional drawing of the vehicle headlamp which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows a headlamp when a lens is arrange | positioned in an action position. It is a front view which shows a headlamp when a lens is arrange | positioned in a non-operation position. It is a principal part elevation view of the vehicular lamp provided with the slidable lens. It is a principal part elevation view of the vehicular lamp which shows another movement of a lens. It is a principal part elevational view of the vehicle lamp which shows another motion of a lens. It is a front view of the vehicle headlamp which shows other embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is embodied in a vehicle headlamp will be described with reference to the drawings. A vehicle headlamp 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a lamp housing 2 and a front cover 3, and a lamp chamber 4 is formed inside both 2 and 3. A light emitting unit 5 is installed in the lamp chamber 4, and an extension reflector 6 is disposed on the outer periphery of the front end. The body 7 of the light emitting unit 5 is formed of a metal material, and a recess 7 a is formed in the front part of the body 7 so as to open forward, and a heat radiating part 7 b is formed in the rear part of the body 7.

  A semiconductor light source 9 made of LED or LD is installed at the bottom of the recess 7a, and a micromirror array 10 as a light distribution device for orienting the light transmitted from the light source 9 is installed at the back of the recess 7a. A plurality of dummy reflectors 11 (see FIG. 2) are arranged so as to be positioned on the left and right sides of the micromirror array 10. For the micromirror array 10, a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) mirror, a digital mirror device (DMD) mirror, or the like is used, and a plurality of minute mirror elements are provided so as to be individually tilt-controllable. Further, instead of the micromirror array 10, an LCOS device made of a reflective liquid crystal element can also be used. Note that the vertical angle of the body 7 of the light emitting unit 5 can be adjusted by a plurality of aiming screws 15.

  A cylindrical projection lens 12 for projecting light from the reflecting surface 10a of the micromirror array 10 to the front of the vehicle is disposed at the front end of the recess 7a, and a lens mounting shaft for rotatably mounting the projection lens 12 on the body 7 13 and a motor 14 for rotating the projection lens 12 around the mounting shaft 13 are installed. When the lamp is turned on, the projection lens 12 is disposed at the operating position (solid line position in FIG. 1), the reflected light from the selected mirror element is transmitted through the projection lens 12, and when the lamp is turned off, the projection lens 12 is moved to the motor 14. Therefore, the optical axis 12a of the projection lens 12 is deviated from the reflecting surface 10a of the micromirror array 10 (the reflecting surfaces of all mirror elements).

  Therefore, according to the vehicle headlamp 1 of this embodiment, the projection lens 12 is moved to the non-operating position when the light is turned off, so that the sunlight on the micromirror array 10 is avoided and the mirror element is caused by the condensed heat. The heat loss of 10a can be prevented. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, since the micromirror array 10 can be viewed from the outside of the front cover 3 at the non-acting position of the projection lens 12, the metallic luster of the anti-inclined surface 10a is utilized, and further, the metallic luster is dummy. The reflected light of the reflector 11 can be combined to give a novel design to the vehicular headlamp 1 when it is turned off.

  Next, another embodiment of the vehicular lamp will be described. In the vehicular lamp 21 shown in FIG. 4, the projection lens 22 is provided so as to be slidable in a direction intersecting the optical axis 21 a of the lamp 21, for example, in the vertical direction, and is almost the same height as the micromirror array 10 by a driving means (not shown). It is arranged at the active position (solid line position) and the lower non-active position (chain line position). A condensing reflector 23 is attached to the semiconductor light source 9, and an auxiliary reflector 24 is disposed on the optical path between the light source 9 and the micromirror array 10. In addition, dummy reflectors 25 are arranged above and below the micromirror array 10 so that a design that is long in the vertical direction can be displayed together with the mirror array 10.

  In the vehicular lamp 31 shown in FIG. 5, the projection lens 32 is provided so as to be able to turn around the fixed shaft 33, and the operating position (solid line position) in the vertical posture and the non-operating position in the horizontal posture (not shown) by the driving means (not shown). It is arranged at a chain line position).

  A vehicle lamp 41 shown in FIG. 6 includes a linear guide 44 and a curved guide 45 that guide a pair of movable shafts 43 of the projection lens 42, and the projection lens 42 turns around the movable shaft 43 by a driving means (not shown). It moves and is arranged at a vertical action position (solid line position) and a horizontal non-action position (chain line position).

  In the vehicle headlamp 51 shown in FIG. 7, dummy reflectors 53, 54 are arranged side by side on the left and right sides of the micromirror array 10, and a daytime running lamp 55 is arranged outside one dummy reflector 53. A clearance lamp 56 is provided outside the dummy reflector 54. When the projection lens 52 is disposed at the non-operating position, both the lamps 55 and 56 can be seen through the front cover 3 from the front of the lamp together with the micromirror array 10 and the dummy reflector 52.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the light distribution device and the projection lens are installed in a rear combination lamp or a vehicle sign lamp, or a plano-convex lens is used as the projection lens. The configuration of each part can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle headlamp 5 Light-emitting unit 7 Body 9 Semiconductor light source 10 Micromirror array 11 Dummy reflector 12 Projection lens 13 Lens mounting shaft 14 Motor

Claims (5)

  A light distribution device including a light source, a light distribution device including micro optical elements that orient the light transmitted from the light source, a lens that projects light from the light distribution device to the front of the lamp, and a driving unit that displaces the lens. A vehicular lamp characterized by the above.   2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein when the light source is turned off, the driving unit displaces the lens to a position where an optical axis of the lens deviates from a minute optical element of the light distribution device.   The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit rotates the lens around a lens mounting shaft.   The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit slides the lens in a direction intersecting with an optical axis of the vehicular lamp.   The vehicular lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the driving means causes the lens to turn around a fixed axis or a movable axis.

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