CN210128318U

CN210128318U - Lamp unit

Info

Publication number: CN210128318U
Application number: CN201920967804.7U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 佐藤隆芳
Original assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-27
Filing date: 2019-06-25
Publication date: 2020-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2029-06-25
Also published as: CN111380031B; JP2020107494A; CN111380031A; JP7136686B2

Abstract

In a lamp unit having a reflective spatial light modulator, a seal portion of the spatial light modulator is prevented from being melted by external light. A plate-like member (32) is disposed between a vertical surface portion (40A) of a bracket (40) for supporting the spatial light modulator (30) and the spatial light modulator (30) at a position closer to the front side of the unit than the spatial light modulator (30), and an opening portion (32a) that covers the sealing portion (30D) from the front side of the unit and surrounds the reflection control portion (30A) is formed in the plate-like member (32). Thus, even when external light passes through the projection lens (72) at an angle at which the external light is converged toward the sealing portion (30D), the converged light is blocked by the plate-like member (32), and melting damage of the sealing portion (30D) is prevented in advance. In addition, by interposing a spacer (34) between the plate-like member (32) and the frame body (30B), the plate-like member (32) is supported without applying an excessive load to the spatial light modulator (30), and the function of the spatial light modulator (30) is not impaired.

Description

Lamp unit

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a lamps and lanterns unit with spatial light modulator of reflection-type.

Background

Conventionally, as a lamp unit for vehicle mounting, a configuration is known in which light from a light source reflected by a spatial light modulator is irradiated to the front of the unit via an optical member such as a projection lens.

"patent document 1" describes that the spatial light modulator as the lamp unit described above includes a reflection control unit (display unit 32) in which a plurality of reflection elements (micromirrors 31) for reflecting light from a light source are arranged, and a light-transmitting plate (transparent member 33) disposed on the front side of the unit with respect to the reflection control unit.

In this case, in the spatial light modulator described in "patent document 1", the space between the reflection control unit and the transparent plate is sealed by a housing unit (support unit 34) that houses the reflection control unit.

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2015-138763

In the lamp unit described above, as the configuration of the spatial light modulator, the light-transmitting plate has a sealing portion for sealing the frame portion at a peripheral portion thereof, so that the sealing property of the space between the reflection control portion and the light-transmitting plate can be improved.

However, in such a lamp unit, when external light is irradiated from a direction close to the horizontal direction, for example, like sunlight in the morning and evening, the external light is condensed to the sealing portion of the spatial light modulator via the optical member by an optical path in a direction substantially opposite to the direction of light emitted from the light source, and the sealing portion is melted and damaged by the condensed light, whereby the sealing property of the space between the reflection control portion and the light-transmitting plate may be impaired.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a lamp unit having a reflective spatial light modulator, in which a sealing portion of the spatial light modulator can be prevented from being melted by convergent light.

Means for solving the problems

The present invention achieves the above object by providing a plate-like member and a gasket.

That is, the lamp unit of the present invention includes a light source, a spatial light modulator that reflects light from the light source, and an optical member that irradiates light reflected by the spatial light modulator toward a unit front side, and the spatial light modulator includes: a reflection control section formed by arranging a plurality of reflection elements for reflecting light from the light source, a frame section for housing the reflection control section, a transparent plate arranged on the cell front side of the reflection control section, and a sealing section for sealing the transparent plate to the frame section at the peripheral edge of the transparent plate, a bracket for supporting the spatial light modulator is arranged on the cell front side of the spatial light modulator, a plate-like member is arranged between the spatial light modulator and the bracket, the plate-like member covers the sealing section from the cell front side, forms an opening surrounding the reflection control section, and a gasket is interposed between the plate-like member and the frame section.

The "spatial light modulator" is not particularly limited as long as it can control the spatial distribution of the reflected light when the light from the light source is reflected, and for example, a structure using digital micro mirrors or a structure using reflective liquid crystals can be used.

The "optical member" is not particularly limited as long as it irradiates the light from the light source reflected by the spatial light modulator toward the front of the cell, and for example, a projection lens, a reflector, a mirror, or the like can be used.

The "bracket" is not particularly limited in specific arrangement and structure as long as it supports the spatial light modulator in a state of being arranged on the cell front side of the spatial light modulator.

The "plate-like member" is not particularly limited in specific arrangement and specific shape of the "opening" as long as the opening surrounding the reflection control section is formed so as to cover the sealing section from the cell front side.

Effect of the utility model

The utility model discloses a lamps and lanterns unit constitutes to make the light that comes from the light source that is reflected by spatial light modulator shine to unit the place ahead via optical component, consequently through the spatial distribution at this spatial light modulator control reverberation, and can form various grading patterns with good precision.

In this case, the spatial light modulator includes: the reflection control unit includes a reflection control unit formed by arranging a plurality of reflection elements, a housing for housing the reflection control unit, a transparent plate supported by the housing in a state of being disposed on the unit front side of the reflection control unit, and a sealing unit for sealing the transparent plate to the housing at the peripheral edge portion thereof.

Further, in the case where the plate-like member is disposed between the bracket for supporting the spatial light modulator and the spatial light modulator at a position closer to the cell front side than the spatial light modulator, the plate-like member covers the sealing portion from the cell front side to form the opening portion surrounding the reflection control portion, and the packing is interposed between the plate-like member and the frame portion, so that the following operational effects can be obtained.

That is, since the spatial light modulator is covered with the plate-like member from the cell front side, even if external light is transmitted through the optical member or reflected by the optical member at an angle at which the external light is converged toward the sealing portion, the converged light can be blocked by the plate-like member, and thus, the sealing portion can be prevented from being melted.

According to the present invention, in the lamp unit having the reflective spatial light modulator, it is possible to prevent the sealing portion of the spatial light modulator from being melted by the external light. This makes it possible to prevent the sealing of the internal space of the spatial light modulator from being impaired.

In the present invention, since the spacer is interposed between the plate-like member and the frame body portion, the plate-like member is supported without applying an excessive load to the spatial light modulator, and thus the function of the spatial light modulator can be prevented from being impaired.

Furthermore, the present invention is applicable to a lamp unit for vehicle use, and can also be applied to uses other than vehicle use.

In the above configuration, by using a configuration in which positioning in a direction orthogonal to the cell front-rear direction is performed by engagement with the bracket as a configuration of the plate-like member, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the positional relationship between the reflection control section of the spatial light modulator and the opening of the plate-like member, and thereby it is possible to cover the sealing section of the spatial light modulator in an appropriate state.

In the above configuration, the projection portions are formed at a plurality of positions on the rear surface of the bracket, and the projection portions are engaged with the plate-like member, whereby the plate-like member can be easily positioned in a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction of the unit.

In the above configuration, the spacer is elastically deformed by abutting the frame body portion at the plurality of protruding portions, so that the plate-like member can be appropriately supported without applying an excessive load to the spatial light modulator.

In the above configuration, the plate-shaped member is formed to have a thickness smaller than that of the transparent plate, so that the optical paths of the light incident from the light source to the spatial light modulator and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator can be easily prevented from being inadvertently blocked by the plate-shaped member.

In the above configuration, the plate-shaped member is disposed at a position apart from the light-transmitting plate toward the front side of the cell, and the gap between the plate-shaped member and the light-transmitting plate is set to a value smaller than the plate thickness of the light-transmitting plate, so that interference between the plate-shaped member and the light-transmitting plate can be prevented in advance, and the optical paths of the light incident from the light source to the spatial light modulator and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator can be easily prevented from being inadvertently blocked by the plate-shaped member.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a lamp unit according to an embodiment of the present invention

FIG. 2 is a view from direction II of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2

FIG. 4 is a view in the direction IV of FIG. 2

FIG. 5 is a view in the direction of V of FIG. 4

FIG. 6 is a view in the direction VI of FIG. 4

FIG. 7 is a view in the direction VII of FIG. 4

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a part of the components of the lamp unit is disassembled

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where the components of the lamp unit are removed

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a state where the components of the lamp unit are removed

FIG. 11 is a detailed view of section XI of FIG. 3

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line XII-XII of FIG. 11

FIG. 13 is a detailed view of the main portion of FIG. 11

FIG. 14 is a side sectional view showing a vehicle lamp having the lamp unit

FIG. 15 is a diagram for specifically explaining the operation and effect of the above embodiment, and is the same as FIG. 3

Fig. 16 is a view similar to fig. 11 showing a main part of a lamp unit according to a first modification of the above embodiment

Fig. 17 is a view similar to fig. 11 showing a main part of a lamp unit according to a second modification of the above embodiment

Description of the reference numerals

10 Lamp unit

20. 120, 220 spatial light modulation unit

22 support substrate

Openings

22a, 32a, 40Aa, 40Ba, 134Ca, 240Af

24 radiator

24a, 34Aa, 134Aa protrusions

24b radiating fin

24c axis

26 socket

26a terminal pin

30 spatial light modulator

30A reflection control unit

30As reflective element

30B frame body part

30Ba terminal pin

30Bb annular step part

30C light-transmitting plate

30D seal part

32 plate-like member

32b insertion hole

34. 134 liner

34A, 134A thin wall part

34B, 134B thick-walled portion

36 light-transmitting cover

36A front surface upper region

36B front surface lower region

36C outer peripheral flange portion

36Ca, 40Bb protrusions

36Cb annular rib

40. 240 bracket

40A, 240A vertical face

40Ab protrusions

40Ac, 240Ac circular groove

40Ad axle locating hole

40B horizontal plane part

42 stepped bolt

44 compression coil spring

46 clamping part

50. 250 light source side subassembly

52. 252 light source

52a light emitting surface

54 reflector

54a reflecting surface

56 substrate

58 connector

60 substrate member

60A inclined plane part

60B horizontal plane part

62. 84 Heat conducting plate

62a, 84a support recess

70 lens side subassembly

72 projection lens (optical component)

72A first lens

72B second lens

72C third lens

74 lens holder

74A bracket main body

74B, 90a flange

76A first Metal piece

76B second metal piece

80 radiator

80a radiating fin

82 heat radiation fan

82A fan body

82B support part

86 heat pipe

90 light shield

92 upper cover

92a, 94a on the left and right sides

92b, 92c, 94b locking piece

94 lower cover

94c inclined surface part

100 vehicle lamp

102 lamp body

104 light-transmitting cover

134C thinnest part

240Ae plate-shaped part

Ax optical axis

F back side focus

R1, R, R3 light path

S1, S2 gap

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a lamp unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 2 is a view in the direction II of fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of fig. 2, and fig. 4 is a view taken along direction IV of fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view in the direction V of fig. 4, fig. 6 is a view in the direction VI of fig. 4, and fig. 7 is a view in the direction VII of fig. 4.

In these drawings, the direction indicated by X is the "cell front", the direction indicated by Y is the "left direction" (the "right direction" in the front view of the cell) orthogonal to the "cell front", and the direction indicated by Z is the "upper direction". The same applies to the other figures.

The lamp unit 10 of the present embodiment is used in a state incorporated in a vehicle lamp 100 shown in a side sectional view in fig. 14.

Specifically, the vehicle lamp 100 is a headlamp provided at the front end portion of the vehicle, and the lamp unit 10 is used in a state of being housed in a lamp chamber formed by the lamp body 102 and the translucent cover 104, and in a state of being adjusted in the optical axis so that the front-rear direction of the lamp unit 10 (i.e., the unit front-rear direction) coincides with the vehicle front-rear direction.

The lamp unit 10 has a spatial light modulation unit 20, a light source side sub-assembly 50, a lens side sub-assembly 70. The lamp unit 10 is supported by the lamp body 102 via a mounting structure, not shown, in a bracket 40 that constitutes a part of the spatial light modulation unit 20.

As shown in fig. 3, the spatial light modulation unit 20 has: the spatial light modulator 30, the support substrate 22 disposed on the cell rear side of the spatial light modulator 30, the heat sink 24 disposed on the cell rear side of the support substrate 22, and the bracket 40 disposed on the cell front side of the spatial light modulator 30.

The bracket 40 is a metal (e.g., aluminum die cast) member, and includes: a vertical surface portion 40A extending along a vertical plane orthogonal to the unit front-rear direction, and a horizontal surface portion 40B extending from a lower end edge of the vertical surface portion 40A toward the unit front along a substantially horizontal plane.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state where the lamp unit 10 is disassembled into a light shield 90, an upper cover 92, and a lower cover 94 (which will be described later), which are constituent elements thereof, fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state where they are detached, and fig. 10 is a plan view showing a state where they are detached.

As shown in fig. 3 and 10, the light source side sub-assembly 50 has: a pair of right and left light sources 52, a reflector 54 for reflecting the light emitted from these light sources 52 toward the spatial light modulation unit 20, and a substrate member 60 for supporting these.

The lens side subassembly 70 includes: a projection lens 72 having an optical axis Ax extending in the unit front-rear direction, and a lens holder 74 for supporting the projection lens 72.

Further, the lamp unit 10 of the present embodiment can accurately form various light distribution patterns (for example, a light distribution pattern for low beam, a light distribution pattern for high beam, a light distribution pattern that changes according to the vehicle running condition, a light distribution pattern that draws characters, symbol numbers, and the like on a road surface in front of the vehicle, and the like) by irradiating the light from each light source 52 reflected by the reflector 54 to the front of the unit through the spatial light modulator 30 and the projection lens 72.

In order to achieve the above-described effects, in the assembly process of the lamp unit 10, the positional relationship between the spatial light modulator 30 and the projection lens 72 is finely adjusted in a state where the light sources 52 are turned on to form a light distribution pattern, thereby improving the positional relationship accuracy.

Next, specific structures of the spatial light modulation unit 20, the light source side sub-assembly 50, and the lens side sub-assembly 70 will be described.

First, before the structure of the spatial light modulation unit 20 is described, the structure of the light source side subassembly 50 will be described.

As shown in fig. 10, the pair of right and left light sources 52 are white light emitting diodes, and are disposed in a left-right symmetrical positional relationship with respect to a vertical plane including the optical axis Ax. Each light source 52 is mounted on the front surface of the substrate 56 with its light-emitting surface 52a directed obliquely upward and forward. The substrate 56 is fixed to the substrate member 60 by screw fastening in a state where the rear surface thereof is in surface contact with the substrate member 60. As shown in fig. 3 and 6, a connector 58 for supplying power to the left and right 1 light sources 52 is mounted on a lower end portion of the front surface of the substrate 56.

As shown in fig. 3, the base member 60 is a metal (e.g., aluminum die-cast) plate-like member, and has an inclined surface portion 60A extending obliquely upward and rearward from a lower end position thereof to an upper end position, and a horizontal surface portion 60B extending rearward of the unit from an upper end position of the inclined surface portion 60A, and is fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 by screw fastening at the horizontal surface portion 60B.

As shown in fig. 10, the reflector 54 is disposed so as to cover the left and right 1 pairs of light sources 52 from the unit front side, and is fixed to the substrate member 60 by screw fastening at the peripheral edge portions thereof. The reflector 54 has a pair of left and right reflecting surfaces 54a formed in a laterally symmetrical positional relationship with respect to a vertical plane including the optical axis Ax. The surface shape of each reflecting surface 54a is set so that the light emitted from each light source 52 is converged in the vicinity of the rear focal point F (see fig. 3) of the projection lens 72. The lower end of the reflector 54 is formed so as to surround the connector 58.

As shown in fig. 3, the bracket 40 is formed such that the horizontal surface portion 40B thereof extends to the unit front side of the reflector 54, and an opening 40Ba for inserting the reflector 54 is formed in the horizontal surface portion 40B.

A heat transfer plate 62 made of metal (e.g., aluminum die-casting) is disposed on the rear surface side of the inclined surface portion 60A of the substrate member 60. The heat transfer plate 62 is fixed to the inclined surface portion 60A of the base member 60 by screw fastening in a state of being in surface contact with the rear surface of the inclined surface portion 60A.

As shown in fig. 3, a heat sink 80 is disposed on the unit front side of the light source side sub-assembly 50 and on the lower side of the lens side sub-assembly 70 as a heat dissipating member for dissipating heat generated by lighting of each light source 52.

The heat sink 80 is a metal (e.g., aluminum die-cast) member, and is disposed to extend along a horizontal plane, and a plurality of heat dissipating fins 80a are formed in a stripe shape (i.e., extend in the left-right direction) on the lower surface thereof. The heat sink 80 is fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 by screw fastening. The screws are fastened to the downward-projecting protrusions 40Bb at a plurality of positions (specifically, 3 positions) of the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40, whereby a certain space is formed between the upper surface of the heat sink 80 and the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40.

A heat radiation fan 82 for promoting heat radiation of the heat sink 80 is disposed below the heat sink 80.

The heat radiation fan 82 includes: the fan body 82A and the support portion 82B that supports the fan body 82A so as to be rotatable about the vertical axis line cause wind generated by rotation of the fan body 82A to blow the heat radiation fins 80a of the heat sink 80. The radiator fan 82 is fixed to the radiator 80 by screw fastening at its support portion 82B (see fig. 6).

As shown in fig. 3, a heat conduction plate 84 made of metal (e.g., made of aluminum die casting) is disposed on the upper surface side of the heat sink 80. The heat conductive plate 84 is disposed to extend along a horizontal plane, and is fixed to the heat sink 80 by screw fastening while being in surface contact with the upper surface of the heat sink 80.

The heat conductive plate 84 is connected to the heat conductive plate 62 of the light source side sub-assembly 50 via a pair of right and left heat pipes 86. That is, each heat pipe 86 is a heat-conductive member that connects the heat-

conductive plates

62, 84, and is configured as a heat-transporting member having a lower thermal impedance than a case where the heat sink 80 and the heat-

conductive plates

62, 84 are connected by the same material and the same size.

Each heat pipe 86 extends in the unit front-rear direction on both the left and right sides of the light source side sub-assembly 50, and a front end portion and a rear end portion thereof are formed to extend in the horizontal direction toward the direction close to the optical axis Ax. The front end of each heat pipe 86 is fixed to the heat transfer plate 84 in a state of being fitted into a support recess 84a formed in the upper surface of the rear portion of the heat transfer plate 84, and the rear end of each heat pipe 86 is fixed to the heat transfer plate 62 in a state of being fitted into a support recess 62a formed in the upper rear surface of the heat transfer plate 62.

The length of each protrusion 40Bb of the bracket 40 formed on the horizontal surface portion 40B is set to be such that a gap S1 is formed between the lower surface of the horizontal surface portion 40B and the upper surface of the heat transfer plate 84. In this case, the vertical width of the gap S1 is set to a value of 1mm or more (e.g., about 2 to 10 mm).

Next, the structure of the spatial light modulation unit 20 will be described.

Fig. 11 is a detailed view of section XI of fig. 3, and fig. 12 is a sectional view taken along line XII-XII of fig. 11.

As shown in these figures, the spatial light modulator 30 is a reflective spatial light modulator, and includes: a reflection control section 30A in which a plurality of reflection elements 30As are arranged, the plurality of reflection elements 30As reflecting the reflected light from the reflector 54; a housing 30B for housing the reflection control section 30A; a transparent plate 30C disposed on the front side of the cell with respect to the reflection control unit 30A; the transparent plate 30C is sealed to the sealing portion 30D of the frame portion 30B at the peripheral edge portion of the transparent plate 30C.

Specifically, the spatial light modulator 30 is a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD), and the reflection control unit 30A is configured to arrange hundreds of thousands of minute mirrors in a matrix As the plurality of reflection elements 30 As. In this case, the reflection control section 30A has an outer shape of a horizontally long rectangle centered on the optical axis Ax when the unit is viewed from the front, and the size thereof is set to be, for example, about 6mm in the vertical direction by 12mm in the horizontal direction.

The spatial light modulator 30 can selectively switch the reflection direction of light from the pair of left and right light sources 52 that reach the respective reflection elements 30As by controlling the angles of the respective reflection surfaces of the plurality of reflection elements 30As that constitute the reflection control unit 30A. Specifically, the selection is made between a first mode in which the light from the pair of left and right light sources 52 is reflected in the direction of the optical path R1 of the projection lens 72 and a second mode in which the light from the pair of left and right light sources 52 is reflected in the direction of the optical path R2 in the direction away from the projection lens 72 (i.e., in the direction that does not adversely affect the formation of the light distribution pattern).

Fig. 13 is a detailed view of a main portion of fig. 11.

As shown in the drawing, each of the reflecting elements 30As is configured to be rotatable about a horizontal axis extending in the left-right direction, and in the first mode, to be rotated downward by a predetermined angle (for example, about 12 °) with respect to a vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax, to convert the reflected light from the reflector 54 (see fig. 3) into slightly upward light (light of the optical path R1) and reflect it toward the front of the cell, while in the second mode, to be rotated upward by a predetermined angle (for example, about 12 °) with respect to a vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax, to convert the reflected light from the reflector 54 into greatly upward light (light of the optical path R2) and reflect it toward the front of the cell.

The switching between the first mode and the second mode is performed by controlling the current supply to electrodes (not shown) disposed in the vicinity of a member (not shown) that rotatably supports the respective reflective elements 30 As. In a neutral state where the current is not applied, the reflection elements 30As are configured such that their reflection surfaces are coplanar with each other along a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax.

The rear focal point F of the projection lens 72 (see fig. 3) is set at a position of an intersection between a vertical plane formed by the reflection surfaces of the plurality of reflection elements 30As in the neutral state and the optical axis Ax.

Fig. 13 shows a state in which the reflective element 30As located on the optical axis Ax and the reflective element 30As located above the reflective element are at the angular position of the first mode, and the reflective element 30As located below the optical axis Ax is at the angular position of the second mode.

As shown in fig. 11 and 12, the light-transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30 is formed of a flat plate-like glass plate having an outer shape of a horizontally long rectangular shape, and the plate thickness thereof is set to a value of about 1 to 1.5 mm.

An annular step portion 30Bb is formed on the inner peripheral edge portion of the front surface of the frame portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30. The sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 is formed by filling a sealing material containing an organic material between the outer peripheral surface of the light-transmissive plate 30C and the annular step portion 30Bb of the frame portion 30B, thereby completely sealing the gap therebetween.

The front surface of the spatial light modulator 30 is displaced toward the cell rear side at the position of the sealing portion 30D, whereby the front surface of the frame portion 30B is moved downward toward the cell rear side with respect to the front surface of the light panel 30C.

The spatial light modulator 30 is supported on the support substrate 22 via the socket 26 on the rear surface of the frame portion 30B.

The insertion opening 26 is a horizontally long rectangular frame member along the peripheral edge of the rear surface of the frame portion 30B. On the other hand, the support substrate 22 is disposed so as to extend along a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax at a position closer to the unit rear side than the socket 26. An opening 22a having substantially the same shape as the inner peripheral surface of the socket 26 is formed in the support substrate 22, and a conductive pattern (not shown) is formed on the front surface thereof. The socket 26 is fixed to the support substrate 22 in a state of being electrically connected to the conductive pattern formed on the support substrate 22.

A plurality of terminal pins 30Ba projecting toward the rear of the cell are formed on the peripheral edge portion of the rear surface of the frame portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30. On the other hand, in the socket 26, a plurality of terminal pins 26a protruding rearward of the unit from the rear surface thereof are formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of terminal pins 30 Ba.

The base end portions of the terminal pins 26a of the socket 26 (i.e., the distal end portions of the portions embedded in the socket 26) are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the distal end portions of the terminal pins 30Ba of the spatial light modulator 30 are fitted into the base end portions, whereby the spatial light modulator 30 and the socket 26 are electrically connected.

Each terminal pin 26a of the socket 26 is soldered at its front end (i.e., rear end) to a conductive pattern (not shown) of the support substrate 22. Therefore, the socket 26 is disposed in a state where its rear surface is slightly raised from the front surface of the support substrate 22.

The spatial light modulator unit 20 is configured such that the spatial light modulator 30 is supported from both sides in the unit front-rear direction by the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the heat sink 24.

A horizontally long rectangular opening 40Aa is formed in the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40. The opening 40Aa is formed so as to surround the optical axis Ax around a position displaced from the optical axis Ax in the positive downward direction. At this time, the inner peripheral surface shape of the opening 40Aa is set to a value larger than the outer peripheral surface shape of the light-transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30 but smaller than the outer peripheral surface shape of the sealing portion 30D at the upper end surface and both left and right end surfaces, and set to a value larger than the outer peripheral surface shape of the sealing portion 30D at the lower end surface. The front end edge of the inner peripheral surface of the opening 40Aa is chamfered over the entire periphery thereof.

As shown in fig. 12, on the rear surface of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, columnar protrusions 40Ab protruding toward the unit rear are formed at three positions around the opening 40 Aa. The vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 abuts against the front end surface (i.e., the rear end surface) of the protrusion 40Ab at the three positions with respect to the frame body portion 30B from the unit front side. At this time, the three positions of the projection 40Ab are formed to abut against the center position in the vertical direction of the right end of the frame portion 30B and abut against the upper position and the lower position of the left end of the frame portion 30B.

The plate-like member 32 and the spacer 34 are disposed between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the spatial light modulator 30.

The plate-like member 32 is made of an aluminum plate having a larger outer peripheral surface shape than the frame portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30, and the surface thereof is subjected to black alumite treatment.

The plate-like member 32 is formed with a horizontally long rectangular opening 32a centered on the optical axis Ax so as to surround the reflection control unit 34 of the spatial light modulator 30. At this time, the opening 32a has an opening shape smaller than the outer peripheral surface shape of the light-transmissive plate 30C, and thus the plate-like member 32 covers the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 from the cell front side.

The plate-like member 32 has a plate thickness (for example, a plate thickness of about 0.3 to 0.6 mm) smaller than the light-transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30, and is disposed in surface contact with the rear surface of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40. The plate-like member 32 is disposed at a position away from the light-transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30 toward the cell front side, and in this case, the gap between the two is set to a value smaller than the plate thickness of the light-transmitting plate 30C (for example, a value of about 0.5 mm).

In the plate-like member 32, insertion holes 32b for inserting the three protrusions 40Ab formed on the rear surface of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 are formed at positions corresponding to the protrusions 40 Ab. Two insertion holes 32b of the three insertion holes 32b have a circular shape slightly larger than the outer diameter of the protrusion 40Ab, and thus the plate-like member 32 is positioned in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis Ax by engaging with the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40.

On the other hand, the spacer 34 is made of silicone rubber, and is interposed between the plate-like member 32 and the frame portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30.

The front surface of the spacer 34 is formed in a planar shape and is in surface contact with the plate member 32.

The spacer 34 has an outer peripheral surface shape slightly smaller than the outer peripheral surface shape of the plate-like member 32, and an inner peripheral surface shape slightly smaller than the outer peripheral surface shape of the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30.

In the spacer 34, a portion located on the unit front side with respect to the frame portion 30B is formed as a thin portion 34A, and a portion surrounding the frame portion 30B is formed as a thick portion 34B. At this time, the thickness of the thin portion 34A is set to a value slightly smaller than the difference between the length of the protruding portion 40Ab of the bracket 40 and the plate thickness of the plate-like member 32. Further, on the rear surface of the thin portion 34A, dome-shaped protrusions 34Aa protruding toward the rear of the unit are formed at four positions in the circumferential direction (specifically, the left-right direction center position on both the upper and lower sides, the left-upper direction center position, and the right-lower end position). The projection height of each projection 34Aa is set to a value larger than the distance between the thin portion 34A and the frame portion 30B.

Accordingly, when the respective projecting portions 40Ab of the bracket 40 abut against the frame portion 30B, the apex portions of the respective projecting portions 34Aa of the packing 34 abut against the frame portion 30B and are elastically deformed, so that the frame portion 30B is not excessively pressed. In addition, insertion holes 34Ab for inserting the protrusions 40Ab of the bracket 40 are formed in the thin portion 34A of the spacer 34 at positions corresponding to the three insertion holes 32b of the spacer 34.

As shown in fig. 11 and 12, a light-transmitting cover 36 is supported on a vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, and the light-transmitting cover 36 is disposed so as to cover the opening portion 40A of the bracket 40 from the unit front side.

The light-transmitting cover 36 is made of a transparent resin (for example, acrylic resin). The light-transmitting cover 36 includes: a front surface upper region 36A extending in a planar manner along a vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax, a front surface lower region 36B extending in a planar manner obliquely downward and rearward from a lower end edge of the front surface upper region 36A, and an outer peripheral flange portion 36C surrounding the front surface upper region 36A and the front surface lower region 36B.

The boundary position between the front surface upper region 36A and the front surface lower region 36B is located on the lower side than the optical axis Ax. The light-transmitting cover 36 transmits the reflected light from the reflector 54 in the front surface lower region 36B thereof, and transmits the reflected light from the reflective element 30As in the first mode in the front surface upper region 36A thereof. The light-transmitting cover 36 transmits the reflected light from the reflective element 30As in the second mode in the upper region of the outer peripheral flange portion 36C thereof.

The light-transmitting cover 36 is fixed to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 by screw fastening at a pair of left and right protrusions 36Ca formed on both left and right sides of the outer peripheral flange portion 36C thereof.

An annular groove 40Ac extending so as to surround the opening 40Aa is formed in the front surface of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40. On the other hand, the light-transmitting cover 36 is formed with an annular rib 36Cb projecting rearward of the unit from the rear end surface of the outer peripheral flange portion 36C thereof. The translucent cover 36 is fixed to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 in a state where the annular rib 36Cb is engaged with the annular groove portion 40Ac of the vertical surface portion 40A.

The distance between the front surface upper region 36A and the front surface lower region 36B of the light-transmitting cover 36 and the cell front-rear direction of the light-transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30 is set to a value (for example, a value 5 times or more) larger than the distance between the light-transmitting plate 30C and the cell front-rear direction of the reflection control unit 30A.

The space between the light-transmitting cover 36 and the spatial light modulator 30 is sealed by the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, the plate-like member 32, and the spacer 34 interposed therebetween, so that foreign substances such as dust do not adhere to the surface of the light-transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30.

The heat sink 24 is a metal (e.g., aluminum die-cast) member, and is disposed so as to extend along a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax, and has a plurality of heat dissipating fins 24b formed in a longitudinal stripe shape on a rear surface thereof.

A corner-column-shaped protrusion 24a protruding toward the front of the unit is formed at the center of the front surface of the heat sink 24. The projection 24a has a horizontally long rectangular cross-sectional shape centered on the optical axis Ax, and its size is set to a value smaller than the inner peripheral surface shape of the socket 26. The projection 24a is inserted through the opening 22a of the support substrate 22, and abuts against the frame 30B of the spatial light modulator 30 from the cell rear side at the front end surface thereof.

The heat sink 24 is fixed to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 by the pair of right and left stepped bolts 42 in a state where the distal end surface of the protrusion portion 24a is in contact with the frame portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30 (see fig. 9 and 10). The spatial light modulator 30 fixed in contact with the projection 24a of the heat sink 24 is elastically pressed toward the front of the cell by the compression coil spring 44 attached to the large diameter portion of each stepped bolt 42.

As shown in fig. 9, a pair of left and right shafts 24c protruding toward the unit front are formed on the front surface of the heat sink 24. Each shaft 24c is disposed at the center of the pair of upper and lower stepped bolts 42 and is formed in a cylindrical shape.

On the other hand, a pair of left and right shaft positioning holes 40Ad are formed in the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, and the pair of left and right shaft positioning holes 40Ad are used to position the heat sink 24 in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis Ax with respect to the bracket 40 in a state where the distal end portions of the pair of left and right shafts 24c are inserted.

Further, since the shaft positioning holes 40Ad of the vertical surface portion 40A are slidably engaged with the shafts 24 over a certain length, the tip end surfaces of the protruding portions 24a of the heat sink 24 are prevented from being inclined with respect to a vertical surface perpendicular to the optical axis Ax.

Further, a pair of left and right shaft insertion holes (not shown) for inserting the pair of left and right shafts 24c are formed in the support substrate 22.

As shown in fig. 9 and 10, holding members 46 for holding the support substrate 22 from both sides in the unit front-rear direction are attached to both upper and lower positions on both left and right end surfaces of the support substrate 22. In each of the clamping members 46, two metal plates formed in an L-shape in plan view are welded to each other in a state of being arranged at an interval in the unit front-rear direction. Each clamping member 46 is fixed to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 by screw fastening at a portion where the two metal plates overlap.

At this time, each of the clamp members 46 is formed with an elongated hole (not shown) extending in the unit front-rear direction, and the position of the support board 22 in the unit front-rear direction with respect to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 can be finely adjusted by fastening the elongated hole with a screw.

Thus, as shown in fig. 11 and 12, the plurality of terminal pins 30Ba formed on the rear surface of the frame portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30 are maintained in a state of being appropriately fitted into the plurality of fitting holes formed in the socket 26 (i.e., the proximal end portions of the terminal pins 26a formed in a substantially cylindrical shape) (i.e., in a state in which the spatial light modulator 30 and the socket 26 can be reliably electrically connected).

Next, the structure of the lens-side subassembly 70 will be described.

As shown in fig. 3, the projection lens 72 is composed of first, second, and

third resin lenses

72A, 72B, and 72C disposed at a predetermined interval in the unit front-rear direction on the optical axis Ax.

The first lens 72A located closest to the front side of the unit is configured as a plano-convex lens bulging toward the front of the unit, the second lens 72B located at the center is configured as a biconcave lens, and the third lens 72C located closest to the rear side of the unit is configured as a biconvex lens. In this case, the first to third lenses 72A to 72C are configured such that the upper end portions thereof are slightly cut off along the horizontal plane and the lower portions thereof are relatively large cut off along the horizontal plane.

The first to third lenses 72A to 72C are supported by a common lens holder 74 at their outer peripheral edge portions.

As shown in fig. 2, the lens holder 74 is a metal (e.g., aluminum die-cast) member, and includes a holder main body 74A formed to surround the projection lens 72 in a cylindrical shape, and a pair of left and right flange portions 74B formed to bulge out to the left and right from the lower end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the holder main body 74A.

The bracket main body 74A is attached with a first metal fitting 76A from the unit front side, and with a second metal fitting 76B from the unit rear side. The first to third lenses 72A to 72C are supported by the first and

second metal members

76A and 76B and a support structure, not shown, in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the holder main body 74A.

The pair of left and right flange portions 74B are formed to slightly bulge downward from the lower end portions of the outer peripheral surface of the bracket main body 74A toward the left and right sides, and the front end portions thereof extend along the horizontal plane.

As shown in fig. 1, the lens holder 74 is fixed to the horizontal plane portion 40B of the bracket 40 by screw fastening at two positions, front and rear, of the distal end portion of each flange portion 74B.

At this time, each flange portion 74B is formed with an elongated hole (not shown) extending in the unit front-rear direction, and the position of the lens holder 74 in the unit front-rear direction with respect to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 can be finely adjusted by fastening the elongated hole with a screw. Thus, the position of the rear focal point F of the projection lens 72 can be set in addition to the deviation of the optical path due to refraction that occurs when the light reflected from each of the reflecting elements 30As passes through the transparent plate 30C and the transparent cover 36.

The lens holder 74 has a pair of left and right flange portions 74B slightly bulging downward toward the left and right sides, so that a gap S2 is formed between the holder main body 74A and the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40. At this time, the vertical width of the gap S2 is set to a value of 1mm or more (e.g., about 1 to 5 mm).

As shown in fig. 1, 3, and 8, a light shield 90 is disposed between the spatial light modulation unit 20 and the lens side subassembly 70, and the light shield 90 shields the reflected light from each of the plurality of reflective elements 30As when in the second angular position.

The light shield 90 is formed of a plate-like member subjected to surface treatment for suppressing light reflection, and is formed to cover a space between the lens holder 74 and the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 from the upper side. The shade 90 is fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 by screw fastening at a pair of front and rear flange portions 90a formed on both left and right sides thereof.

The light shield 90 is configured as a conductive member electrically grounded to a conductive member (not shown) on the vehicle body side via the bracket 40.

Specifically, the light shield 90 is made of an aluminum plate (specifically, an aluminum die-cast product formed in a substantially semi-cylindrical shape) subjected to black alumite treatment. When the light shield 90 is screwed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40, the black alumite-treated portion is cut to establish electrical connection with the bracket 40.

When the light shield 90 is fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40, the black alumite treatment applied to the portions in surface contact with the horizontal surface portion 40B (i.e., the lower surfaces of the left and right pairs of flange portions 90 a) is peeled off in advance, whereby the conduction with the bracket 40 can be performed more reliably.

The light shield 90 is shaped such that, in a state of being fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40, its front end portion covers the rear end portion of the lens holder 74 and its rear end edge is positioned in the vicinity of the unit front of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40.

On the other hand, as shown in fig. 1, 3 and 8, an upper cover 92 and a lower cover 94 are disposed around the substrate 22.

The upper cover 92 and the lower cover 94 are formed by bending a metal plate (e.g., an aluminum plate). The upper cover 92 is disposed so as to surround an upper region of the substrate 22, and the lower cover 94 is disposed so as to surround a lower region of the substrate 22.

In this case, the upper cover 92 is disposed to cover the space between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the heat sink 24 from the upper side and the left and right sides, and the lower cover 94 is disposed to cover the substrate 22 from the front, rear, left, and right sides at a position lower than the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the heat sink 24.

The upper cover 92 and the lower cover 94 are disposed so as to abut on the bracket 40 and the radiator 24 from both the upper and lower sides, and the left and

right side portions

92a and 94a are integrated by screw fastening in a state of partially overlapping each other.

The upper cover 92 is formed with: a pair of right and left locking pieces 92b that lock to the vertical surface portion 40A at both right and left end portions of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, and a plurality of locking pieces 92c that lock to the heat sink 24 at a plurality of positions in the right and left direction.

On the other hand, a pair of right and left locking pieces 94b that lock with the vertical surface portion 40A at both right and left end portions of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 are formed in the lower cover 94. The lower cover 94 has an inclined surface portion 94c extending obliquely downward and forward from the upper end edge of the front surface portion thereof, and the inclined surface portion 94c is fixed to the base member 60 by screw fastening.

In this way, the upper cover 92 and the lower cover 94 are constituted as the second conductive member electrically grounded, similarly to the light shield 90.

Thus, these light shield 90, upper cover 92 and lower cover 94 function as electromagnetic shields to protect the spatial light modulator 30 from noise generated by repeated turning on and off of the light source 52, while effectively suppressing adverse effects on the control of the spatial light modulator 30.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be explained.

Since the lamp unit 10 of the present embodiment is configured such that the light from the light source 52 reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 is irradiated to the front of the unit via the projection lens 72 (optical member) as a lamp unit for vehicle mounting, various light distribution patterns can be formed with high accuracy by controlling the spatial distribution of the reflected light in the spatial light modulator 30.

In this case, the spatial light modulator 30 includes: since the reflection control section 30A formed by arranging the plurality of reflection elements 30As, the housing section 30B housing the reflection control section 30A, the translucent plate 30C supported by the housing section 30B in a state of being arranged on the unit front side of the reflection control section 30A, and the sealing section 30D sealing the translucent plate 30C to the housing section 30B at the peripheral edge portion thereof, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such As dust from adhering to the reflection control section 30A in advance.

Further, when the plate-like member 32 is disposed between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 supporting the spatial light modulator 30 and the spatial light modulator 30 on the unit front side of the spatial light modulator 30, the opening portion 32a surrounding the reflection control portion 30A is formed in the plate-like member 32 so as to cover the sealing portion 30D from the unit front side, and the packing 34 is interposed between the plate-like member 32 and the frame portion 30B, so that the following operational effects can be obtained.

That is, since the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 is covered with the plate member 32 from the cell front side, even if external light passes through the projection lens 72 at an angle converging toward the sealing portion 30D, the converging light can be blocked by the plate member 32, and thus, the sealing portion 30D can be prevented from being melted.

Fig. 15 is a diagram for specifically explaining the above-described operation and effect, and is the same as fig. 3.

In the same figure, a state is shown in which external light such as sunlight in the morning and evening is irradiated to the lamp unit 10 from a direction close to the horizontal direction.

As shown in the figure, the external light from the direction close to the horizontal direction becomes light that is directed toward the spatial light modulator 30 via the projection lens 72 and the light-transmitting cover 36 along the optical path R3 that is substantially opposite to the optical path R1 of the irradiation light from the lamp unit 10.

In the same figure, if the plate-like member 32 is not present, the light directed toward the spatial light modulator 30 along the optical path R3 reaches the lower region below the light-transmitting plate 30C of the sealing portion 30D, but since the sealing portion 30D is located close to the rear focal point F of the projection lens 72 with respect to the cell front-rear direction, the external light becomes convergent light and reaches the lower region of the sealing portion 30D.

In fact, since the sealing portion 30D is covered from the cell front side by the plate-like member 32, the convergent light toward the spatial light modulator 30 along the light path R3 is shielded by the plate-like member 32 and does not reach the sealing portion 30D, so that melting damage of the sealing portion 30D is prevented in advance.

According to the present embodiment as described above, in the lamp unit 10 including the reflective spatial light modulator 30, the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 can be prevented from being melted by the external light. This makes it possible to prevent the internal space of the spatial light modulator 30 from being hermetically sealed.

In the present embodiment, since the spacer 34 is interposed between the plate-like member 32 and the frame portion 30B, the plate-like member 32 can be supported without applying an excessive load to the spatial light modulator 30, and thus the function of the spatial light modulator 30 can be prevented from being damaged.

Further, since the plate-like member 32 is made of an aluminum plate having a black alumite-treated surface, light reflected on the surface of the plate-like member 32 becomes stray light, and irradiation to the front of the lamp unit can be effectively suppressed.

In addition, in the present embodiment, since the plate-like member 32 is positioned in the direction orthogonal to the cell front-rear direction by engaging with the bracket 40, the accuracy of the positional relationship between the reflection control section 30A of the spatial light modulator 30 and the opening 32a of the plate-like member 32 can be improved, and thus the sealing section 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 can be covered in an appropriate state.

At this time, since the projecting portions 40Ab are formed at a plurality of positions on the rear surface of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, the plate-like member 32 can be easily positioned in the direction orthogonal to the unit front-rear direction by engaging the projecting portions 40Ab with the plate-like member 32.

Further, since the projections 34Aa are formed at a plurality of positions on the rear surface of the spacer 34, the spacer 34 is brought into contact with the frame body portion 30B at the projections 34Aa to be elastically deformed, whereby the plate-like member 32 can be appropriately supported without applying an excessive load to the spatial light modulator 30.

Further, since the plate-like member 32 is formed to have a thickness smaller than that of the light-transmitting plate 30C, the optical paths of the light incident from the light source 52 to the spatial light modulator 30 and the light reflected along the spatial light modulator 30 can be easily prevented from being inadvertently blocked by the plate-like member 32.

Further, since the plate-like member 32 is disposed at a position spaced apart from the light-transmitting plate 30C toward the cell front side, and the gap between the plate-like member 32 and the light-transmitting plate 30C is set to a value smaller than the plate thickness of the light-transmitting plate 30C, it is possible to prevent interference between the plate-like member 32 and the light-transmitting plate 30C in advance, and to easily prevent the optical paths of the light incident from the light source 52 to the spatial light modulator 30 and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 from being inadvertently blocked by the plate-like member 32.

In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the cell front-rear direction (i.e., the direction in which the optical axis Ax extends) is orthogonal to the direction in which the reflection control section 30A of the spatial light modulator 30 extends in a planar shape has been described, but the reflection control section 30A may extend in an oblique direction with respect to the plane orthogonal to the cell front-rear direction.

In the above embodiment, the light emitted from the light source 52 reflected by the reflector 54 is reflected by the spatial light modulator 30, or the light emitted from the light source 52 whose deflection is controlled by a lens or the like may be reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 or the light emitted from the light source 52 may be directly reflected by the spatial light modulator 30.

In the above embodiment, the lamp unit 10 is described as a lamp unit for vehicle mounting, but may be used for applications other than vehicle mounting.

Next, a modified example of the above embodiment will be described.

First, a first modification of the above embodiment will be described.

Fig. 16 shows a main part of a lamp unit according to the present modification, and is the same as fig. 11.

As shown in the figure, the basic configuration of the present modification is the same as that of the above embodiment, but the configuration of the spatial light modulation unit 120 is partially different from that of the above embodiment. Specifically, the spatial light modulation unit 120 of the present modification differs from the above-described embodiment in that the spacer 134 functions as both the plate-like member 32 and the spacer 34 of the above-described embodiment.

That is, in the spatial light modulation unit 120 of the present modification, a black silicone rubber spacer 134 is disposed between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the spatial light modulator 30.

The front surface of the spacer 134 is formed in a flat shape, and is in surface contact with the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, similarly to the spacer 34 of the above embodiment.

In addition, in the same manner as the spacer 34 of the above embodiment, the portion of the spacer 134 located on the unit front side with respect to the frame portion 30B is formed as a thin portion 134A, and the portion surrounding the frame portion 30B is formed as a thick portion 134B. The gasket 134 has a thinnest portion 134C formed inside the thin portion 134A.

In this spacer 134, the thickness of the thin portion 134A is set to a value obtained by adding the thickness of the plate-like member 32 of the above-described embodiment to the thickness of the thin portion 134A of the spacer 34 of the above-described embodiment, and the thickness of the thick portion 134B is set to a value obtained by adding the thickness of the plate-like member 32 of the above-described embodiment to the thickness of the thick portion 34B of the spacer 34 of the above-described embodiment. The thickness of the thinnest portion 134C is set to the same value as the plate thickness of the plate-like member 32 of the above embodiment.

At this time, the rear surface of the thin portion 134A is formed with the same projection portions 134Aa as in the case of the spacer 34 of the above embodiment at four positions in the circumferential direction. Further, insertion holes (not shown) similar to those in the case of the spacer 34 of the above embodiment are formed at three positions of the thin portion 134A.

In addition, an opening 134Ca having the same shape as the opening 32a of the plate-like member 32 of the above embodiment is formed in the thinnest portion 134C. And thereby, the gasket 134 covers the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 from the cell front side at its thinnest portion 134C.

In the case of the configuration of the present modification, since the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 is covered with the thinnest portion 134C of the spacer 134, even if external light transmits through the projection lens 72 at an angle converging toward the sealing portion 30D, the converging light can be shielded by the spacer 134, and thus, the sealing portion 30D can be prevented from being melted.

In addition, in the present modification, since the spacer 134 is interposed between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the spatial light modulator 30, an excessive load can be not applied to the spatial light modulator 30, and thus the function of the spatial light modulator 30 can be not impaired.

In addition, by adopting the configuration of the present modification, the number of components of the lamp unit can be reduced.

The spacer 134 is made of black silicone rubber, and light reflected on the surface of the spacer 134 becomes stray light, so that irradiation to the front of the cell can be effectively suppressed.

In addition, in the present modification, since the spacer 134 is positioned in the direction orthogonal to the cell front-rear direction by engaging with the bracket 40, the accuracy of the positional relationship between the reflection control section 30A of the spatial light modulator 30 and the opening 134Ca of the spacer 134 can be improved, and thus the sealing section 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 can be covered in an appropriate state.

Further, since the projections 134Aa are formed at a plurality of positions on the rear surface of the spacer 134, the spacer 134 is elastically deformed by abutting the frame body portion 30B at the projections 134Aa, and thus the plate-like member 32 can be appropriately supported without applying an excessive load to the spatial light modulator 30.

Further, since the region of the spacer 134 surrounding the opening 134Ca is formed as the thinnest part 134C, the optical paths of the light incident from the light source 52 to the spatial light modulator 30 and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 can be easily prevented from being inadvertently blocked by the spacer 134.

Further, since the spacer 134 is disposed at a position spaced apart from the light-transmitting plate 30C toward the cell front side and the gap between the thinnest portion 134C of the spacer 134 and the light-transmitting plate 30C is set to a value smaller than the plate thickness of the light-transmitting plate 30C, interference between the spacer 134 and the light-transmitting plate 30C can be prevented in advance, and in addition, the optical paths of the light incident from the light source 52 to the spatial light modulator 30 and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 can be easily prevented from being inadvertently blocked by the spacer 134.

Next, a second modification of the above embodiment will be described.

Fig. 17 shows a main part of a lamp unit according to the present modification, and is a view similar to fig. 11.

As shown in the figure, the basic configuration of the present modification is the same as that of the above embodiment, and the configuration of the spatial light modulation unit 220 is partially different from that of the above embodiment. Specifically, in the present modification, the bracket 240 is different from the above-described embodiment in that it has both the functions of the bracket 40 and the plate-like member 32 of the above-described embodiment.

That is, although the opening 240Aa and the annular groove 240Ac are formed in the vertical surface portion 240A of the bracket 240 of the present modification as in the case of the above-described embodiment, the vertical surface portion 240A is formed so as to bulge toward the unit rear side in the same shape as the plate-like member 32 of the above-described embodiment, and is in surface contact with the pad 34 on the rear surface thereof.

Specifically, a plate-shaped portion 240Ae that bulges into the inner peripheral space of the opening 240Aa is formed on the vertical surface portion 240A of the bracket 240. The plate-like portion 240Ae is formed to have the same plate thickness as the plate-like member 32 of the above-described embodiment, and an opening 240Af having the same shape as the opening 32a of the plate-like member 32 is formed. Thus, the plate-shaped portion 240Ae of the vertical surface portion 240A of the bracket 240 covers the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 from the unit front side.

In the case of the configuration of the present modification, since the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 is covered with the plate-shaped portion 240Ae formed on the vertical surface portion 240A of the bracket 240, even if external light passes through the projection lens 72 at an angle at which the external light converges on the sealing portion 30D, the converging light can be shielded by the plate-shaped portion 240Ae, and thus, the sealing portion 30D can be prevented from being melted.

In addition, with the configuration of the present modification, the number of components of the lamp unit can be reduced.

Note that the numerical values indicated as specifications in the above embodiment and the modifications thereof are merely examples, and it is needless to say that the numerical values can be set to different values.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications thereof, and various other modifications may be made.

Claims

1. A lamp unit having a light source, a spatial light modulator for reflecting light from the light source, and an optical member for irradiating the light reflected by the spatial light modulator toward the front of the unit,

the spatial light modulator includes: a reflection control section formed by arranging a plurality of reflection elements for reflecting light from the light source, a frame body section for housing the reflection control section, a transparent plate disposed on the front side of the unit with respect to the reflection control section, and a sealing section for sealing the transparent plate to the frame body section at the peripheral edge of the transparent plate,

a bracket for supporting the spatial light modulator is arranged on the front side of the unit than the spatial light modulator,

a plate-like member that covers the sealing portion from the cell front side and forms an opening surrounding the reflection control portion is disposed between the spatial light modulator and the bracket,

a gasket is interposed between the plate-like member and the frame body.

2. The luminaire unit of claim 1,

the plate-like member is engaged with the bracket to position the plate-like member in a direction orthogonal to the unit front-rear direction.

3. Lamp unit according to claim 1 or 2,

the bracket has a rear surface provided with a plurality of protrusions.

4. Lamp unit according to claim 1 or 2,

the pad has a plurality of protrusions formed at a plurality of positions on a rear surface thereof.

5. Lamp unit according to claim 1 or 2,

the plate-like member is formed to have a thickness smaller than that of the transparent plate.

6. Lamp unit according to claim 1 or 2,

the plate-like member is disposed at a position separated from the light-transmitting plate toward the front side of the cell,

the gap between the plate-like member and the transparent plate is set to a value smaller than the plate thickness of the transparent plate.