JP2010205607A - Headlamp unit for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a headlamp unit for vehicle in which the visibility is improved by increasing the light use efficiency of a light source, and the structure is compact. <P>SOLUTION: In the headlamp unit for vehicle 10, a light guide 20 is formed around the periphery of an optical lens 14, then the light guide 20 reflects fowards the out-of-control light projected from the periphery of the optical lens 14. This can make the headlamp unit for vehicle 10 use the out-of-control light effectively, so that the light use efficiency of an LED light source 12 is improved. Further, a light-emitting surface at the time of lighting an optical surface 14C of the optical lens 14 plus the light guide 20, so that an area of the light emitting surface is increased. This improves the visibility for a walker and a driver of an oncoming vehicle, and improves the design properties. Furthermore, since the headlamp unit for vehicle 10 is composed that the light guide 20 is not arranged between the LED light source 12 and the optical lens 14 but arranged around the periphery of the optical lens 14, the length from front to back can be reduced. This makes the structure compact. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle headlamp unit, and more particularly to a direct projection type vehicle headlamp unit using an LED light source as a light source.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle headlamp unit mainly includes a light source 1 and an optical lens 2, and the light from the light source 1 is irradiated to the front of the vehicle by the optical lens 2 and irradiated from the optical surface 2 </ b> A of the optical lens 2. A desired light distribution pattern is obtained by the emitted light.

  Incidentally, the optical lens 2 emits light from the peripheral surface 2B, which is a surface other than the optical surface, in addition to the optical surface 2A formed on the front surface. This light is not the light that is involved in the light distribution, but may be glare light that is obscuring the driver of the oncoming vehicle. Therefore, conventionally, by shielding the peripheral edge 2B of the optical lens 2, light beams that are difficult to control from the peripheral edge 2B are cut. However, in this case, since the optical lens 2 is limited so that only the optical surface 2A is exposed, there is a disadvantage that the light emitting surface becomes small and the visibility for the driver and pedestrian of the oncoming vehicle is deteriorated. In addition, the light utilization rate of the light source is also reduced.

  Also, when trying to control the surface of a lens that is not involved in light distribution, it is difficult to control because the light after being reflected multiple times within the lens must be targeted, and there was only a way to absorb it in another part .

  Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle headlamp unit that improves the visibility by increasing the light utilization factor of a light source. The vehicle headlamp unit includes a light source, a convex lens, an auxiliary lens unit, and the like, and irradiates light emitted from the light source in the optical axis direction of the light source forward by a convex lens disposed on the optical axis of the light source. The main light distribution is made, and the light diffused from the light source is radiated forward by the auxiliary lens unit placed between the light source and the convex lens, thereby increasing the light utilization rate of the light source and viewing Improves sex.

JP 2003-86009 A

  However, since the vehicle headlamp unit of Patent Document 1 requires that the light incident surface of the auxiliary lens unit be disposed between the light source and the convex lens, the distance between the light source and the convex lens becomes longer, and the vehicle is accordingly increased. The length of the headlight unit for use in the depth direction becomes longer. Therefore, in patent document 1, there existed a fault that the vehicle headlamp unit became large.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle headlamp unit having a compact structure while improving the light utilization rate of a light source to improve visibility. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle headlamp unit that includes a light source and an optical lens, and irradiates the direct light from the light source forward through the optical surface of the optical lens. Provided is a vehicle headlamp unit characterized in that a reflecting member that reflects light emitted from a peripheral portion forward is provided at least at a part of the periphery of an optical lens.

  According to the vehicle headlamp unit of the present invention, the reflecting member is provided around the optical lens, and the uncontrollable light emitted from the peripheral portion of the optical lens is reflected forward by the reflecting member. Thereby, since the vehicle headlamp unit of the present invention can effectively use uncontrollable light, the light utilization rate of the light source is improved. In addition, since the light emitting surface at the time of lighting is also a reflection member added to the optical surface of the optical lens, the area of the light emitting surface is increased, which makes the vehicle visible to oncoming drivers and pedestrians. As well as improving design properties. Furthermore, the vehicle headlamp unit of the present invention has a configuration in which the reflecting member is not disposed between the light source and the optical lens, but is disposed around the optical lens, so that the length in the depth direction can be suppressed. By this, it becomes a compact structure.

  Moreover, according to the vehicle headlamp unit of the present invention, it is preferable that the reflecting member is a light guide, and the light is reflected forward using an inner surface of the light guide.

  According to the present invention, the uncontrollable light emitted from the peripheral portion of the optical lens is totally reflected by the inner surface of the light guide and emitted forward. Thereby, since the optical loss can be suppressed as compared with a reflector configured by aluminum vapor deposition, the light utilization rate of the light source is improved.

  As described above, according to the vehicle headlamp unit of the present invention, the light utilization rate of the light source is improved, the visibility is improved, and the structure is compact.

The perspective view which looked at the headlight unit for vehicles of an embodiment from the front side 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vehicle headlamp unit shown in FIG. Explanatory drawing which showed the light emission surface of the vehicle headlamp unit shown in FIG. Explanatory drawing which showed the light emission surface of the conventional vehicle headlamp unit by the shaded part Vertical sectional view of a vehicle headlamp unit using a metal reflector as a reflecting member A longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of a conventional vehicle headlamp unit

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a vehicle headlamp unit according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle headlamp unit 10 according to an embodiment as viewed from the front side.

  The vehicle headlamp unit 10 is a lamp unit that forms a low beam light distribution pattern (passing light distribution pattern). The vehicle headlamp is configured by arranging one or a plurality of vehicle headlamp units 10 according to the embodiment. When a plurality of vehicle headlamp units 10 are arranged side by side, each of the vehicle headlamp units 10 is arranged. A low beam light distribution pattern is obtained by combining a plurality of lights irradiated from 10. The vehicle headlamp unit 10 is of a so-called direct projection type in which the LED light source 12 and the optical lens 14 are used to irradiate direct light from the LED light source 12 from the optical lens 14. Furthermore, the LED light source 12 is, for example, an LED package in which one or a plurality of white light emitting diodes are arranged. Furthermore, a shade (not shown) for forming a low-beam light distribution pattern is disposed on the front side closest to the LED light source 12. In the drawing, lamp components such as a high beam vehicle headlamp unit, a turn signal, a position lamp, and an outer lens are omitted.

  The vehicle headlamp unit 10 according to the embodiment is excellent in design by exposing parts other than the optical surface of the optical lens 14, and effectively uses light rays emitted from the peripheral part other than the optical surface to produce an LED light source. By increasing the light utilization rate of 12 and increasing the area of the light emitting surface to the front, the visibility from the driver and pedestrian of the oncoming vehicle is improved.

  The vehicle headlamp unit 10 includes an LED light source 12, an optical lens 14, a lens holder 16, a heat sink 18, and a light guide (reflecting member) 20.

  The LED light source 12 is fixed to a front central portion of a heat sink 18 configured in a rectangular shape, and a lens holder 16 including four leg portions 22, 22. The optical lens 14 is bonded and fixed to the front part. The optical lens 14 is configured in a convex lens shape, and is configured in a rectangular shape that is horizontally long when viewed from the front with the upper and lower portions cut off. The shade described above is arranged at the focal position of the optical lens 14, and the cut-off shape of the shade is projected forward through the optical lens 14 to form a low beam light distribution pattern.

  As the optical lens 14, a lens that forms a light distribution pattern by refraction is used. However, an optical lens that is controlled not only by refraction but also by reflection by a reflection film, total reflection, or all may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the light guide 20 which is an example of the reflecting member of the present invention reflects light emitted from the peripheral portion of the optical lens 14, particularly from the upper and lower flat surfaces 14 </ b> A and 14 </ b> B of the optical lens 14 to the front. Are provided around the optical lens 14. The light guide 20 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front, the longitudinal section thereof is formed in a substantially triangular shape as shown in FIG. 2, and the inclined surface 20A is disposed on the outer peripheral portion. The uncontrollable light emitted from the peripheral edge of the optical lens 14 enters the light guide 20 from the incident surface 20B, which is the horizontal surface of the light guide 20, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. The light is totally reflected by the inclined surface 20 </ b> A and irradiated forward from the light exit surface 20 </ b> C, which is a vertical surface of the light guide 20.

  As described above, according to the vehicle headlamp unit 10, the light guide 20 is provided around the optical lens 14, and the light guide 20 allows the periphery of the optical lens 14 (particularly the upper and lower flat surfaces of the optical lens 14 to be formed). 14A, 14B) reflects the uncontrollable light emitted from the front. Thereby, according to the vehicle headlamp unit 10, the light utilization rate of the LED light source 12 is improved.

  Further, as indicated by the hatched portion in FIG. 3, since the light emitting surface at the time of lighting is also the optical surface 14C of the optical lens 14 with the light guide 20 added thereto, only the optical surface 14C of the optical lens 14 shown in FIG. Compared with the conventional vehicle headlamp unit that emits light, the area of the light emitting surface is increased. Thus, according to the vehicle headlamp unit 10 of the embodiment, the visibility of the driver and the pedestrian of the oncoming vehicle is improved by the increase in the area of the light emitting surface, and the area of the light emitting surface is increased by the pedestrian. The larger the headlight, the closer it feels when it is lit at night, it can be dealt with quickly, such as while crossing the road, improving safety. In addition, the design by appearance is improved.

  Further, the vehicle headlamp unit 10 has a configuration in which the light guide 20 is not disposed between the LED light source 12 and the optical lens 14 but is disposed around the optical lens 14. Thus, the vehicle headlamp unit 10 has a compact structure.

  The light guide 20 emits light emitted from the vertical direction of the optical lens 14 toward the front of the vehicle using any one of reflection, total reflection, refraction, and irregular reflection, or a plurality of these characteristics. Anything to do. When the light guide 20 is not disposed, the light from the upper and lower flat surfaces 14A and 14B of the optical lens 14 is different from the light distribution from the optical surface 14C of the optical lens 14 that is intentionally distributed in front of the vehicle. Therefore, the light does not contribute to the improvement of visibility for the driver of the oncoming vehicle. By arranging the light guide 20, the light from the upper and lower flat surfaces 14A, 14B of the optical lens 14 can be diffused and emitted to the front front of the vehicle, and there is no possibility of being dazzled by the driver of the oncoming vehicle. Instead, it can contribute to improving the visibility of the driver of the oncoming vehicle.

  FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of a vehicle headlamp unit 26 in which a metal reflector 24 is used in place of the light guide 20 as a reflecting member of the present invention. The reflector 24 has a reflecting surface 24A formed by vapor-depositing aluminum on a metal or plastic base material.

  According to the vehicle headlamp unit 26, the uncontrollable light emitted from the peripheral edge of the optical lens 14 can be reflected forward by the reflecting surface 24A. Thus, the obtained effect is the same as that of the vehicle headlamp unit 10 provided with the light guide 20.

  The reflector 24 may be applied as the reflecting member. However, when light loss due to reflection is taken into consideration, the light guide 20 is preferable, and by applying the light guide 20, the LED light source 12 can be used. Light utilization can be increased.

  On the other hand, when the vehicular signal lamp is configured using a plurality of vehicular headlamp units 10, 10..., The light emitting portion is increased and the distance between the vehicular headlamp units 10, 10 can be shortened. . As a result, it is possible to easily realize a layout with a sense of unity and a single lamp requirement.

  In the embodiment, the example in which the entire periphery of the optical lens 14 is covered with the light guide 20 or the reflector 24 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the reflecting member of the present invention may be provided with the light guide 20 or the reflector 24 not on the entire periphery of the optical lens 14 but on a part of the periphery of the optical lens, such as only on the top and bottom and only on the left and right.

  In the embodiment, the light guide 20 or the reflector 24 is provided at a distance from the optical lens 14 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, for example, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, in the present invention, the optical lens 14 and the reflecting member may be provided so as to contact each other, or may be provided with a predetermined interval.

  In the embodiment described above, the vehicle headlamp unit for creating the low beam light distribution pattern has been described. However, the vehicle headlamp unit for creating the high beam light distribution or the vehicle signal lamp according to the present invention may be used as a vehicle headlamp unit. A light unit can also be applied.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle headlamp unit, 12 ... LED light source, 14 ... Optical lens, 16 ... Lens holder, 18 ... Heat sink, 20 ... Light guide, 20A ... Reflecting surface, 20B ... Incident surface, 20C ... Output surface, 22 ... Leg part, 24 ... Reflector, 26 ... Vehicle headlamp unit

Claims (2)

In a vehicle headlamp unit that includes a light source and an optical lens, and irradiates the direct light from the light source forward through the optical surface of the optical lens.
A vehicular headlamp unit, characterized in that a reflecting member that reflects light emitted from the peripheral edge of the optical lens forward is provided at least at a part of the periphery of the optical lens.   The vehicle headlamp unit according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting member is a light guide, and the light is reflected forward using an inner surface of the light guide.

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