JP2009032694A - Lighting module for vehicle provided with light source arranged in cross-wise direction - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting module which can generate a sufficient luminous flux irrespective of existence of a lamp arranged in a cross-wise direction. <P>SOLUTION: The lighting module 200 for mounting a headlight is specifically provided with a main reflector 201 which has a light emitting surface 209 and in which a light source 202 arranged in a cross-wise direction is provided and irradiates light beams 204, 205, 206 and a projection lens 208, and is provided with a first mirror 210 which has a curved inclined surface to face the light source and can reflect a first portion of the beam at a lower portion of the main reflector, and a second mirror 211 which has a curved inclined surface which is directed to receive the beam reflected by the first mirror 210 and reflects the beam toward the light emitting surface of a headlight unit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an illumination module that is used in a so-called elliptical illumination module and includes a light source provided in a transverse direction. The elliptical module according to the present invention is incorporated in an automobile headlight to irradiate at least one dip (downward) beam. The main object of the present invention is to propose a structure in which the depth of the headlight device is reduced by using a transverse light source provided in the illumination module. Thereby, the illumination module which concerns on this invention can implement | achieve the optimal collection | recovery of the light beam which the light source arrange | positioned as mentioned above produces | generates.

The field to which the present invention can be applied is generally automotive headlights. Various types of devices are known in the field for illuminating roads or emitting signal light. The following lighting apparatus is mentioned as a main example.
-Parking lights (low intensity, for narrow areas).
-Long-distance main beam (high beam) and long-distance auxiliary light (the visibility on the road is about 200m. It is necessary to switch off so as not to dazzle the other driver when passing each other. is there).
-Fog lights.
-Low beam or dip beam (high luminous intensity, visibility on the road is around 70m).
-Improved headlight (referred to as a dual function combining the dip / low beam function and the main beam function by incorporating a removable screen).
-Signal light device (flashing type, etc.).

  There are two types of lighting modules, each corresponding to two structures with different components. An illumination module is an optical system that includes at least one light source such as a halogen lamp or a xenon lamp disposed in a reflector (reflector). This light source is self-contained, that is, it can be switched on or off independently of other lighting modules of the headlight device, even when the headlight device incorporating the light source comprises a plurality of lighting modules. preferable.

  The above two types of lighting modules will now be described.

  The first type is a so-called elliptical illumination module. In this type of headlight, a condensing point is generated by a light source arranged in a mirror or reflector. Typically, the light source is placed at the first focus or object focus of the elliptical mirror, and the focal point is formed at the second focus or image focus of the mirror. Thereby, the condensing point is projected onto the road by a converging lens such as a plano-convex lens. In order to emit a beam having a cut-off line, a screen is inserted by a known method at the focal point of the lens.

  The second type is a so-called parabolic illumination module. In this type of illumination module, a light beam is generated by a small light source arranged in a reflector or mirror. The light beam reflected by a suitable reflector is projected onto the road, so that it is possible to directly emit a light beam that meets various restrictions according to the standard. As this type of illumination module, there is a so-called free surface or complex surface type headlight capable of directly emitting a light beam having a desired cut-off line.

  More specifically, the present invention is applied to the first type of illumination module. FIG. 1 shows a typical example of a general-purpose elliptical headlight device used conventionally. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the dip light 100 as viewed from the side. The dip light 100 includes a substantially elliptical reflector 101, a light source 102 for irradiating a plurality of light beams 103 disposed near the top of the reflector 101, and an exit surface 104 of a light beam 106 such as a lens made of a plastic material. It has as its main part. Before reaching the exit surface 104, the light beam 103 is reflected directly or on the reflector 101 and passes through the projection lens 105 including the entrance surface 110 and the exit surface 111. Thereby, the light beam 106 is projected, and its direction and range are determined in particular by the configuration and optical characteristics of the lens 105, the shape of the reflector 101, the position of the light source 102 in the reflector, the presence or absence of the screen, and its position. The central portion of the light source 102 is disposed in the focal region of the first focal point F <b> 1 of the reflector 101, and the object focal point of the projection lens 105 is formed in the focal region of the second focal point F <b> 2 of the reflector 101. Therefore, any light beam 103 emitted from the central portion of the light source 102 passes through the second focal point F2 of the reflector 101 and exits from the projection lens 105 in the horizontal direction.

  In this example, the screen 108 is interposed between the reflector 101 and the projection lens 105. The screen 108 is arranged on a plane parallel to the projection lens 105, which is substantially the same height as the object focal plane of the projection lens 105, so that an image on the screen is irradiated infinitely. Since the screen 108 is provided, the light beam 106 actually irradiated by the headlight device 100 is not irradiated above the cutoff line defined by the shape of the top portion 109 of the screen 108.

  By disposing the light source in the longitudinal direction along the focal points F1 and F2 of the reflector, the reflector 101 has a particularly long and narrow shape. The light source is supported by a support 112 that extends along the light source and further extends the entire length of the headlight device 100. Therefore, the conventional elliptical headlight device generally has a large size in the longitudinal direction, and needs to have a large depth in the vehicle in which the device is arranged. Due to this dimensional requirement, the space that can be used cannot be placed in a shallow space. However, due to changes in the manufacturer's requirements, especially with respect to style, the above configuration is increasingly used.

  On the other hand, a headlight device in which a light source is provided in the transverse direction has been proposed. According to this configuration, the filament of the lamp of the light source does not extend along the optical axis of the headlight device as in the above-described example, and further substantially in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the headlight device. Extend to the horizontal plane. Therefore, the depth of the headlight device is further deepened. In the case of a transverse light source, this is even more pronounced and the light source is placed on one of its sides, not the back of the reflector.

However, if the amount of light in the depth direction is large, the following problems occur with respect to the generated light beam by using a light source in the transverse direction.
-First, in order to place the lamp in the reflector, it is necessary to provide an opening in one of the sides of the reflector. This makes it impossible to use a part of the reflecting surface originally intended to reflect the light beam.
-Secondly, conventional bulbs that are commercially available have a darkened end called "black top" in English. In order to avoid dazzling phenomenon and to control all the light rays that are emitted and used from the light source, this end is painted black in the conventional example in which the light source is arranged along the optical axis of the headlight device. . However, using such a transversely mounted bulb, the reflective surface of the reflector arranged substantially opposite the opening formed in the reflector to incorporate a transverse light source in the reflector. Some of the rays that reach the area are lost. This region will therefore not be used correctly to reflect the rays.

  Therefore, when a transverse light source is used, one of the two reflecting surface areas of the reflector is lost, and in this situation, the flux recovery is more than the flux recovery measured when the light source is provided in the axial direction. Results in inferior. Further, the area where one of the reflectors is lost is an area used for changing the width of the light beam generated by the headlight device in the width direction.

  Accordingly, when a transverse light source is used in the conventional headlight device, there are problems in terms of luminous intensity and spread.

  An object of the present invention is to propose a structure that solves the above problem, and the present invention provides an illumination module that can generate a sufficient luminous flux regardless of the presence or absence of a lamp provided in the transverse direction. is there. For this reason, the illumination module according to the present invention is provided with an auxiliary mirror in addition to the main reflector, and if it is not provided, the lost ray of rays is collected without leaking. The light beam can be integrated into the light beam generated by the headlight device in which the illumination module is incorporated. Furthermore, it is preferable to change the spread of the projection light beam generated by the auxiliary mirror.

In view of the above points, an elliptical illumination module for a headlight device according to the present invention having an exit surface is
A light source provided in the transverse direction is arranged in the main reflector for irradiating the light beam;
A projection lens;
A first mirror having an anti-slope facing the light source and capable of reflecting a first part of the light beam at the bottom of the main reflector;
-Receiving a light beam reflected by the first mirror and comprising a second mirror having an anti-slope directed to reflect the light beam towards the exit surface of the headlight device.

  The first mirror is preferably arranged with respect to the main reflector so as to be partially lower than the module. The first mirror is preferably disposed at least partly below the optical axis of the main reflector, and the main part or the whole of the first mirror is preferably disposed below the optical axis. For example, at the same height as the light source, at a height close to or lower than the light source, the top end thereof is arranged to face the main reflector.

  The “transverse portion” indicates that the lamp extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis (for example, a direction indicated by an arrow 203 shown in detail below). The direction of the lamp is variable in a range of ± 10 ° (particularly ± 5 °) with a direction strictly perpendicular to the optical axis as a center. Furthermore, it is preferably provided on a surface having a variable inclination in a substantially horizontal plane, that is, in a range of ± 10 ° (particularly ± 5 °) with respect to a strict horizontal plane.

  In addition to the main features described above, the lighting module according to the present invention can include one or more of the following features.

  -The light beam reflected by the second mirror is irradiated toward the exit surface of the headlight device without passing through the projection lens.

  The first mirror has a substantially hyperbolic shape;

  The second mirror has a substantially parabolic shape;

  The second mirror is mainly constituted by joining together a plurality of components having a substantially parabolic shape, in particular its central part is defined by the first parabolic shape, the first side and the second side; The part is defined by a second parabolic shape.

  The second mirror comprises a central part with an inclination arranged at the bottom end of the second mirror;

  The illumination module is arranged in a part extending the top of the main reflector and has a third reflecting surface capable of reflecting the second part of the light beam, in particular towards the optical part arranged below the projection lens; The optical unit further includes a mirror, and the optical unit changes the direction of the light beam reflected by the third mirror and directs the light beam to the exit surface of the headlight device.

  The third mirror has a substantially elliptical shape;

  The optical part is of the light recovery type, in particular French patent No. 06-04386 (2901012 publication) filed on May 12, 2006, and European patent no. No. 07-290566.4 (1855501 gazette). This is a photorefractive element that efficiently collects light rays and shapes them to form a desired beam. This makes it possible to spread the beam especially.

  The light collector is defined at its bottom by an inclined surface acting on total reflection. The second part of the light beam is straightened by the light collector, in particular so that, on average, it is substantially parallel to the optical axis of the exit surface of the light collector.

  The light collector has an entrance surface whose upper limit forms a cut-off line edge, and only light rays that have passed through the entrance surface and reached the light collector contribute to the generation of the projection light beam.

The third mirror is located in the center of the first end of the third mirror that is in direct contact with the main reflector;
A first region capable of reflecting a first part of the second part of the light beam towards the projection lens;
Located at a position that does not belong to the first region among the free end of the third mirror and the first end of the third mirror, the second part of the second part of the light beam is directed toward the specific optical part. It consists of separate reflective areas with a second area that can be reflected.

  The illumination module further comprises a screen, wherein at least part of the light reflected by the first mirror is blocked by the screen in places where the first mirror is not provided; If necessary, the screen is movably mounted. (Thus, the module does not block the light so that the module can irradiate the main beam type beam without the cut-off line and the light absorption function for generating one or more light beams having a cut-off line such as dip type and fog type. It has one or more optically active positions that exert a contractile function).

  In the aspect in which the module includes a screen, it is preferable to dispose the first mirror between the light source and the screen. The top of the mirror is preferably located below the top of the screen.

  Various other features of the lighting module according to the present invention can be combined in any way as long as they do not interfere with each other, thereby obtaining different aspects of the present invention.

  The present invention also relates to a vehicle headlight provided with the above-described illumination module, and an automobile provided with such a headlight.

  The present invention and its various applications will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The various components shown in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals unless otherwise specified. Concepts such as “top (part)”, “bottom (part)”, “vertical direction”, “horizontal direction”, “side (part)”, “down (part)”, etc. It is in the normal use condition of the illumination module based on this invention arrange | positioned in the headlight apparatus mounted in the motor vehicle which is moving.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of an illumination module 200 according to the present invention used in a dip type headlight device. 3-7 is another figure which shows the illumination module which concerns on this invention, and has shown the whole or the component. The headlight device incorporating the illumination module according to the present invention includes the following components as in the prior art.

  A main reflector 201 in which the lamp 202 is arranged. The lamp 202 is provided in the transverse direction. An opening 221 is provided in the side portion of the main reflector 201, so that the lamp 202 can be disposed in a transverse direction thereon. From the viewpoint of the irradiation direction, the lamp used in the illumination module according to the present invention is preferably a halogen lamp. In another embodiment, another type of lamp such as a xenon lamp or a light emitting diode may be used. The lamp 202 is disposed at the first focal point F11 of the main reflector 201. The lamp emits a first light beam 204, a second light beam 205, and a third light beam 206.

  In this embodiment, the shape of the main reflector 201 is slightly changed from the shape of the reflector used in the conventional lighting module having the lamp at the axial position. In order to optimize the collection of the luminous flux, the reflector 201 is slightly wider than the conventional one (the width direction is perpendicular to the cut surface of FIG. 1 and is thicker (the thickness direction is the same cut) Such a change allows an optimum adjustment to the transverse position of the light source.

  The illumination module 200 according to the embodiment further includes the following elements.

  A screen 207 that blocks some of the light rays emitted from the light source 202 to form a cut-off line that meets the criteria; The screen 207 is disposed at the second focal point F22 of the main reflector 201.

  A projection lens 208; As will be described later, the projection lens 208 according to the present invention does not receive all of the light rays generated by the light source 202 but only a part thereof. In particular, light rays such as the light ray 206 reflected by the main reflector 201 are directed to the projection lens 208. The projection lens 208 is characterized in that its central axis passes through the object focal point and image focal point of the lens, thereby corresponding to the optical axis 203 of the headlight device in which the illumination module 200 is disposed.

  An exit surface 209 through which all rays generated by the illumination module according to the invention are transmitted in order to generate a projection light beam;

  The illumination module 200 according to this embodiment further includes the following elements.

  A first mirror 210 arranged to be directed to receive the first part of the light beam generated by the light source 202, in particular the light beam 204 at the reflecting surface. By directing the first mirror 210, the light received by this mirror is reflected in the intended direction below the main reflector 201. The first mirror 210 is preferably arranged close to the screen 207. At least a part of the light beam reflected by the screen is blocked by the screen 207 in a place where the first mirror is not provided, and does not contribute to the generation of the projection light beam.

  A second mirror 211 located below the main reflector 201; The second mirror works in conjunction with the first mirror 210 to redirect the light beam reflected by the first mirror 210 toward the exit surface 209. This light beam does not pass through the projection lens 208, but passes through its lower portion and is directed to the exit surface as shown in FIG.

  In the embodiment, the first mirror has a substantially hyperbolic shape, and the second mirror has a substantially parabolic shape. Since the two mirrors have such a shape, it is possible to optimize the size of the illumination module in particular while optimizing the collection of the light flux. In other embodiments, even if other mirror shapes are devised, particularly the shape of the bottom of the main reflector 201 needs to be changed by reducing its dimensions. In general, in this specification, “substantially parabolic shape”, “substantially hyperbolic shape”, and “substantially elliptic shape” refer to curves that can be compared to a parabola, a hyperbola, and an ellipse, respectively, using a general mathematical expression. It is a volume part (three-dimensional) having a corresponding planar cross section.

  In particular, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, the second mirror 211 includes the following three elements.

  A first part 301 consisting of a first volume part of substantially parabolic shape, defined as the central part; The main function of the first part is to slightly widen the projection light beam while achieving high intensity in the corresponding region of the projection light beam.

  -A second part which consists of a substantially parabolic second volume and is divided into a first side 302 and a second side 303; The main function of the second part is to greatly expand the projection light beam.

  A third part 304 which is arranged at the central bottom of the first part 301 and has a steep slope relative to the first part 301 towards the front of the lighting module; The main function of the third part is to greatly increase the luminous intensity of the projection light beam, especially in the central part of the projection light beam.

  In this embodiment, it is preferable that the lighting module 200 includes the following elements.

  A third mirror 212, which is substantially elliptical in this example. The reflecting surface of this mirror extends upward from the main reflector 201. The third mirror is oriented and arranged to receive the second portion of the light beam generated by the light source 202, particularly the light beam 205, by its reflective surface. By orienting the third mirror 212, the light received by this mirror is reflected in the intended direction below the lens 208.

  An optical unit 213 for causing the light beam reflected by the third mirror 212 to reach the emission surface 209; This light beam is directed to the optical unit 213 disposed below the projection lens 208. The function of the optical unit 213 is to collect at least a part of all the light beams reflected by the third mirror 212, thereby directing the light beams and directing them toward the emission surface 209. In this example, the optical unit is of a light recovery type. In this example, the light beam reflected by the second mirror 211 passes through the lower part of the light recovery device 213 before reaching the emission surface 209.

  In the present embodiment, the light recovery device 213 is a single component, and is manufactured from a transparent material such as glass, or a plastic material such as polymethacryl or polycarbonate. This is provided at the bottom of the lens 208 and in FIG. 2 includes an edge 222 that is orthogonal to the surface of the main reflector 201 that passes through the second focal point F3. The light rays that reach the second focal point F3 are then emitted from the second focal point F3, but generate a wave having a cylindrical wavefront.

  The light recovery device includes the following components.

  The entrance surface 214; Rays that reach the entrance surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane containing the entrance surface, or in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane that touches the entrance surface at the associated entry point of each ray, are incident on the entrance surface. The light is incident on the light recovery device 213 so that the light reaching the incident surface is not deviated. The incident surface is provided with an angle with respect to the optical axis 203 of the headlight device, and forms a cut-off line edge at the upper limit. The incident surface is preferably substantially planar, and light rays that do not reach the light recovery device 213 through the incident surface 214 do not contribute to the generation of the projection light beam.

  A bottom surface 215, preferably a surface inclined from the back to the front. Light incident on the light collector is reflected by this surface. The degree of inclination is preferably set so that light rays are totally reflected.

  An exit surface 216 that is curved. The light beam reflected by the bottom surface 215 is irradiated from the light recovery device on this surface and directed to the emission surface 209 of the headlight device. The bottom surface 215 causes the light beam reflected at the bottom surface to be straight, and in particular, on average, substantially parallel to the optical axis of the exit surface 216 of the light recovery device.

  The light recovery device has a corner (F3) where the top surface and the bottom surface intersect. By this corner portion, it is possible to form a cut-off line of the beam irradiated from the light recovery device. Light rays that reach the collector above the corner do not contribute to the formation of the beam.

  As specifically shown in FIG. 7, the third mirror 212 in this example includes the following plurality of reflection regions.

  A first region 217 located in the center of the first end 218 of the third mirror 212; This first end is in direct contact with the main reflector 201. The light beam reflected by the first region 217 is directed to go straight to the projection lens 208 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the first region 217 mainly contributes to increasing the maximum luminous intensity of the projection light beam particularly in the direction close to the optical axis direction.

  A second region 219 located at a position that does not belong to the first region 217 of the free end 220 of the third mirror 212 and the first end of the third mirror; The light beam reflected by the second region 219 is directed to go straight to the light collector 213 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the second region 219 mainly contributes to expanding the projection light beam.

It is a figure which shows the example of the conventional headlight apparatus. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows one Embodiment of the illumination module which concerns on this invention. FIG. 3 is a first three-dimensional view of the illumination module of FIG. 2 showing an optical path followed by a first light beam. FIG. 3 is a second three-dimensional view of the illumination module of FIG. 2 showing an optical path followed by a second light beam. FIG. 4 is a third three-dimensional view of the illumination module of FIG. 2 showing an optical path followed by a third light beam. It is a figure which shows one Embodiment in detail among the some mirrors used for the illumination module which concerns on this invention. It is a top view of the illumination module of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

200 Illumination module 201 Main reflector 202 Light source 204, 205, 206 Light beam 207 Screen 208 Projection lens 209 Exit surface 210 First mirror 211 Second mirror 212 Third mirror 213 Optical unit, light collector 214 (light collector 214 ) Incident surface 216 (light collector) exit surface 217 (third mirror) first region 218 (third mirror) first end 219 (third mirror) second region 220 (third mirror) Free end 222 of third mirror) Cut-off line edge 301 Center part 302 First side part 303 Second side part

Claims (15)

Having an exit surface (209);
A main reflector (201) which is arranged in a transversely provided light source (202) and irradiates light rays (204, 205, 206);
A projection lens (208);
A first mirror (210) having an anti-slope facing the light source (202) and capable of reflecting a first part of the light beam at the bottom of the main reflector;
A second mirror (211) having an anti-slope directed to receive the light beam reflected by the first mirror (210) and reflect the light beam toward the exit surface (209) of the headlight device. )
An elliptical illumination module (200) for a headlight device.   The light beam reflected by the second mirror (211) is irradiated toward the exit surface (209) of the headlight device without passing through the projection lens (208). The lighting module (200) of claim 1.   The illumination module (200) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first mirror (210) has a substantially hyperbolic shape.   4. The illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the second mirror has a substantially parabolic shape. 5.   The second mirror (211) is configured by combining a plurality of components having a substantially parabolic shape, and a central portion (301) thereof is defined by the first parabolic shape, and the first side portion (302). ) And the second side (303) are defined by a second parabolic shape, lighting module (200) according to claim 4, characterized in that:   Illumination module (200) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the second mirror (211) comprises an inclined central part (304) arranged at the bottom end of the second mirror (211). ).   The illumination module is arranged in a portion extending from the top of the main reflector (201) and is capable of reflecting the second part of the light beam, in particular towards the optical part arranged in the lower part of the projection lens (208). A third mirror (212) having a surface is further provided, and the optical unit (213) changes the direction of the light beam reflected by the third mirror (212) and transmits the light beam to the emission surface ( 209). Lighting module (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is directed to 209).   The illumination module (200) according to claim 7, characterized in that the third mirror (212) has a substantially elliptical shape.   9. Illumination module (200) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the optical part (213) is of the light recovery type.   The light collector (213) is delimited at its bottom by an inclined surface (215) acting on total reflection, and the second part of the light beam, in particular on average, is the light on the light collector output surface (216). Lighting module (200) according to claim 9, characterized in that it is straightened by the light collector (213) so as to be substantially parallel to the axis.   The light recovery device (213) has an incident surface (214) whose upper limit (222) forms a cut-off line edge (222), passes through the output surface (214), and reaches the light recovery device (213). Illumination module (200) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that only light rays contribute to the generation of the projection light beam. The third mirror (212)
Located in the center of the first end (218) of the third mirror (212) that is in direct contact with the main reflector (201), the first part of the second part of the beam is directed towards the projection lens (208). A first region (217) that can be reflected by
Of the free end (220) of the third mirror (212) and the first end (218) of the third mirror (212), located at a place not belonging to the first region (217), A second region (219) in which the second part of the second part can be reflected toward the specific optical part (213).
The illumination module (200) according to any one of claims 7 to 11, characterized in that it comprises individual reflective areas.   The illumination module further comprises a screen (207), where at least part of the light reflected by the first mirror (210) is not provided with the screen (207). The illumination module (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it is blocked by the illumination module (200).   14. The illumination module of claim 1-13, further comprising a screen (207), wherein a first mirror (210) is disposed between the screen (207) and the light source (202). Lighting module (200) according to any one of the preceding claims.   A vehicle headlight comprising the illumination module (200) according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

Images