JP2023044895A - Lamp for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To sufficiently secure front visibility at low-beam irradiation, in a lamp for a vehicle which is constituted so as to irradiate emission light from a plurality of light emitting elements toward ahead of the lamp via a projection lens.SOLUTION: A plurality of first light emitting elements 30 are arranged in a state that the light emitting elements are aligned in left and right directions, and also in a state that light emitting faces 30a of the light emitting elements are oriented toward a projection lens 50. Also, a shade 60 for shielding a part of emission light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 is arranged between the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the projection lens 50 in order to form a cutoff line having a low-beam light distribution pattern. After that, a second shade 70 for shielding a part of direct light progressing toward an upper region of the projection lens 50 from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 is arranged between the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the projection lens 50. By this constitution, it can be prevented that a lower region of the low-beam distribution pattern becomes excessively bright.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp having a projection lens.

Conventionally, as a configuration of a vehicle lamp, there has been known one configured to form a low-beam light distribution pattern by irradiating light emitted from a plurality of light emitting elements toward the front of the lamp through a projection lens. ing.

In "Patent Document 1", as a configuration of such a vehicle lamp, a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a state in which a plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a horizontal direction with a light emitting surface facing a projection lens, and a plurality of light emitting elements and a projection lens to form a cut-off line for a low-beam light distribution pattern.

JP 2019-207774 A

Like the vehicle lamp described in the above-mentioned "Patent Document 1", a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a row in the left-right direction are arranged with their light-emitting surfaces facing the projection lens. In this case, the low-beam light distribution pattern formed by the direct light emitted from the plurality of light-emitting elements and incident on the projection lens has a considerably bright lower area.

Therefore, when the low-beam light distribution pattern is formed on the road surface in front of the lamp, the short-distance area becomes too bright and the long-distance area becomes difficult to see. I can't do it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a vehicle lamp configured to irradiate light emitted from a plurality of light emitting elements toward the front of the lamp via a projection lens. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular lamp capable of sufficiently ensuring forward visibility during illumination.

The invention of the present application aims to achieve the above object by providing a configuration in which a predetermined second shade is additionally arranged.

That is, the vehicle lamp according to the present invention is
A vehicle comprising a plurality of light emitting elements and a projection lens, and configured to form a low beam light distribution pattern by irradiating light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements toward the front of the lamp via the projection lens. In lighting fixtures,
The plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a horizontal direction with the light emitting surface facing the projection lens,
A shade is arranged between the plurality of light emitting elements and the projection lens to block part of the light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements in order to form a cutoff line of the light distribution pattern for low beam,
A second shade is arranged between the plurality of light emitting elements and the projection lens to block part of the direct light from the plurality of light emitting elements toward the upper region of the projection lens. It is.

As long as the "plurality of light emitting elements" are arranged in a horizontal direction with the light emitting surface facing the projection lens, the specific arrangement and the number of arrangement are not particularly limited. .

If the above-mentioned "shade" is configured so as to form a cutoff line of a low-beam light distribution pattern by shielding part of the light emitted from a plurality of light emitting elements, its specific arrangement and The shape and the like are not particularly limited.

The specific arrangement and shape of the "second shade" are not particularly limited as long as they are configured to block part of the direct light from the plurality of light emitting elements toward the upper region of the projection lens. not something.

The above-mentioned "upper region of the projection lens" means a region located above the optical axis of the projection lens.

A vehicle lamp according to the present invention is configured to form a low-beam light distribution pattern by irradiating light emitted from a plurality of light emitting elements toward the front of the lamp via a projection lens. The light-emitting elements are arranged in a horizontal direction with the light-emitting surfaces facing the projection lens. A shade is arranged to block part of the light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements in order to form a . Since the second shade is arranged to block part of the direct light directed toward the outside, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, the reason why the lower area of the low-beam light distribution pattern becomes brighter than necessary is due to the direct light from the plurality of light emitting elements entering the upper area of the projection lens. Therefore, by shielding part of the direct light from the plurality of light emitting elements toward the upper region of the projection lens with the second shade, it is possible to prevent the lower region of the light distribution pattern for low beam from becoming too bright. can be done.

Therefore, when the low beam light distribution pattern is formed on the road surface in front of the lamp, it is possible to prevent the short distance area from becoming too bright and the long distance area becoming difficult to see. Sufficient forward visibility can be ensured.

As described above, according to the present invention, in a vehicle lamp configured to irradiate emitted light from a plurality of light-emitting elements toward the front of the lamp via a projection lens, front visibility is sufficiently improved during low-beam illumination. can be secured.

In the above configuration, the second shade further has a configuration in which the light-emitting element positioned at the center in the left-right direction among the plurality of light-emitting elements has a larger amount of blocking of direct light than the light-emitting elements positioned at both ends in the left-right direction. When the light distribution pattern for low beam is formed on the road surface in front of the lamp, the brightness of the front portion in the short distance region can be suppressed intensively.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the short distance area of the road surface in front of the lamp from becoming too bright and make the long distance area difficult to see. Visibility can be prevented from being spoiled.

In the above configuration, if the second shade further includes a reflective surface formed to reflect downward the direct light from the plurality of light emitting elements to enter the projection lens, the following is the case. It is possible to obtain a good effect.

That is, the direct light from the plurality of light emitting elements that is reflected downward by the reflecting surface of the second shade becomes light that illuminates the long-distance area of the road surface in front of the lamp. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the brightness of the entire low-beam light distribution pattern from being impaired by the arrangement of the second shade, and to make the low-beam light distribution pattern excellent in long-distance visibility. .

In the above configuration, if the configuration further includes a reflector for reflecting the light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements toward the projection lens, the brightness of the low beam light distribution pattern can be increased, and the brightness of the light distribution pattern can be increased. The degree of freedom of light distribution can be increased. In this case, if the second shade is integrally formed with the reflector, the accuracy of light distribution control can be improved and the number of parts of the vehicle lamp can be reduced.

In this case, if the reflector is integrally formed with the shade, the accuracy of the light distribution control can be further improved, and the number of parts of the vehicle lamp can be further reduced. can.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention; View from the direction of arrow II in Fig. 1 III-III line sectional view of FIG. (a) is a diagram showing a low-beam light distribution pattern formed by the light emitted from the vehicle lamp, and (b) is a diagram similar to (a) showing a comparative example. (a) is a diagram showing the illuminance distribution of the low beam light distribution pattern, and (b) is a diagram similar to (a) showing the comparative example. (a) is a diagram showing a high-beam light distribution pattern formed by the light emitted from the vehicle lamp, and (b) is a diagram showing the high-beam light distribution pattern with a part missing. FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a first modification of the above embodiment; FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a second variant of the above embodiment; A view similar to FIG. 4 showing the action of the second modification A view similar to FIG. 5 showing the action of the second modification FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a third modification of the above embodiment;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a vehicle lamp 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a view taken in the direction of arrow II in FIG. 1. FIG.

In these figures, the direction indicated by X is the "front of the lamp", the direction indicated by Y is the "left direction" ("right direction" when viewed from the front of the lamp) orthogonal to the "front of the lamp", and the direction indicated by Z. is the "upward direction". The same applies to figures other than these.

The vehicle lamp 10 is a headlamp provided at the front end of a vehicle, and has a configuration in which a lamp unit 20 is accommodated in a lamp chamber formed by a lamp body 12 and a translucent cover 14 .

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III--III in FIG.

As also shown in FIG. 3, the lamp unit 20 is a so-called projector-type lamp unit, and includes a plurality of first and second light emitting elements 30 and 40 as light sources, and first and second reflectors 32 and 42. , and a projection lens 50, and are configured to selectively form a low-beam light distribution pattern and a high-beam light distribution pattern with the irradiated light.

Specifically, the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 are configured to be lit during low beam irradiation and high beam irradiation, and the plurality of second light emitting elements 40 are configured to be additionally lit during high beam irradiation.

The lamp unit 20 directs the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and reflected by the first reflector 32 through the projection lens 50 toward the front of the lamp. Direct light from the plurality of second light emitting elements 40 and light emitted from the plurality of second light emitting elements 40 and reflected by the second reflector 42 By irradiating the projected light toward the front of the lamp through the projection lens 50, an additional light distribution pattern for high beam is formed.

In FIG. 3, the optical path of light emitted from the first light emitting element 30 is indicated by a solid line, and the optical path of light emitted from the second light emitting element 40 is indicated by a broken line.

Next, a specific configuration of the lamp unit 20 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the projection lens 50 is composed of a plano-convex aspherical lens having a convex curved front surface, and has an optical axis Ax extending in the longitudinal direction of the lamp. The projection lens 50 projects the light source image formed on the rear focal plane, which is the focal plane including the rear focal point F, as an inverted image onto a virtual vertical screen in front of the lamp (that is, in front of the vehicle). ing.

The projection lens 50 is supported at its outer peripheral portion by a lens holder 52 , and this lens holder 52 is supported by a heat sink 54 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction above the optical axis Ax, and the plurality of second light emitting elements 40 are arranged above the optical axis Ax. They are arranged side by side in the left-right direction on the lower side.

Each of the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 is composed of 11 white light emitting diodes each having a rectangular (specifically, square) light emitting surface 30a, and are arranged at small intervals from each other. At that time, the first light emitting element 30 arranged directly above the optical axis Ax and the five first light emitting elements 30 arranged on the right side thereof (the left side when viewed from the front of the lamp) are replaced by the remaining five light emitting elements 30 arranged on the left side. is arranged in a state of being displaced downward with respect to the first light emitting element 30 of .

On the other hand, the plurality of second light emitting elements 40 are composed of 13 white light emitting diodes each having a rectangular light emitting surface 40a (specifically, a square having the same size as the light emitting surface 30a). They are arranged in a horizontal row at intervals.

The plurality of first light-emitting elements 30 are configured to light up all at once, while the plurality of second light-emitting elements 40 are configured to light up all at once as well as individually. That is, each of the plurality of second light emitting elements 40 is controlled to be turned on and off by an electronic control unit (not shown) according to the running condition of the own vehicle. At this time, the running condition of the own vehicle can be grasped based on detected values such as steering angle data of the own vehicle, navigation data, image data of the road ahead.

A plurality of first and second light-emitting elements 30 and 40 are mounted on a common substrate 56 , and this substrate 56 is supported by a heat sink 54 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the substrate 56 is arranged in a state tilted backward with respect to a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax. At that time, the backward inclination angle of the substrate 56 with respect to the vertical plane is set to a value of 10 to 20 degrees (for example, about 15 degrees). As a result, the plurality of first and second light-emitting elements 30 and 40 have their light-emitting surfaces 30a and 40a directed upward by 10 to 20° (for example, about 15°) with respect to the front direction of the lamp (that is, the projection lens). 50).

The first and second reflectors 32 and 42 are arranged on the front side of the lamp with respect to the board 56 . These first and second reflectors 32 and 42 are integrally formed and supported by heat sinks 54 at both left and right ends thereof.

The first reflector 32 has a reflecting surface 32a formed to surround the plurality of first light emitting elements 30. The light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 is directed to the projection lens 50 on this reflecting surface 32a. It is configured to be directed and reflected. At this time, the reflecting surface 32a has a horizontally elongated concave curved reflecting surface shape, and the upper edge thereof has a substantially horizontally elongated elliptical outer shape when viewed from the front of the lamp.

On the other hand, the second reflector 42 has a reflecting surface 42a formed so as to surround the plurality of second light emitting elements 40. The light emitted from the plurality of second light emitting elements 40 is projected onto the reflecting surface 42a. It is configured to reflect towards 50 . In this case, the reflecting surface 42a has a structure in which a pair of small reflecting surfaces 42s are arranged on both upper and lower sides of each of the plurality of second light emitting elements 40. As shown in FIG. The pair of upper and lower small reflecting surfaces 42s reflect the emitted light from each of the second light emitting elements 40 toward the projection lens 50 as substantially parallel light.

A reflecting surface 32a of the first reflector 32 is formed with an opening 32b that surrounds the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 in the vicinity of the outer periphery thereof. The openings 32b are formed so as to extend along the arrangement of the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 in a substantially laterally elongated rectangular shape in a staggered manner.

On the other hand, the reflective surface 42a of the second reflector 42 is formed with a laterally long opening 42b surrounding the plurality of second light emitting elements 40 in the vicinity of the outer periphery thereof. The opening 42b is formed to extend in a horizontally long rectangular shape along the arrangement of the plurality of second light emitting elements 40. As shown in FIG.

Direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 reflected by the first reflector 32 are separated between the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the plurality of second light emitting elements 40 . A shade 60 is provided for blocking part of the incident light and forming a cutoff line for the low-beam light distribution pattern.

The shade 60 is integrally formed with the first and second reflectors 32,42. That is, the shade 60 is formed by extending the connecting portion of the first and second reflectors 32 and 42 in a wedge-shaped vertical cross section toward the front of the lamp, and the upper surface of the shade 60 is the reflecting surface 32a of the first reflector 32. A part of the reflection surface 42 a of the second reflector 42 is formed on the lower surface of the second reflector 42 .

A front edge 60a of the shade 60 is formed so as to extend in the left-right direction along a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax at the position of the rear focal point F of the projection lens 50 in a staggered manner. Specifically, the front edge 60a extends in the horizontal direction at a position slightly above the optical axis Ax at the left side of the optical axis Ax (the right side when viewed from the front of the lamp). A portion on the right side of Ax extends horizontally at a position slightly below the optical axis Ax, and its left end portion extends obliquely in an upper left direction and is connected to a portion on the left side of the optical axis Ax. .

As shown in FIG. 3, between the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the projection lens 50, there is a region above the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 to the projection lens 50 (that is, above the optical axis Ax). A second shade 70 is arranged to block part of the direct light directed toward the area). The second shade 70 is formed of a plate-like member, and is supported by the first reflector 32 at its upper end while being arranged substantially parallel to the substrate 56 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the second shade 70 is located at a position that partially overlaps the five first light emitting elements 30 positioned in the center in the left-right direction among the eleven first light emitting elements 30 when viewed from the front of the lamp. placed in relation to each other.

Specifically, the first light emitting element 30 located directly above the optical axis Ax and the first light emitting element 30 adjacent to the right thereof have their upper ends hidden by the second shade 70, and are further adjacent to the right thereof. The upper left end of the first light emitting element 30 is hidden by the second shade 70 . In addition, the first light emitting element 30 adjacent to the left side of the first light emitting element 30 located directly above the optical axis Ax has its upper half hidden by the second shade 70, and the first light emitting element 30 adjacent to the left side is hidden by the second shade 70. The element 30 is hidden by the second shade 70 in its upper right quadrant.

A lower end surface of the second shade 70 is formed to extend obliquely upward toward the front of the lamp at an angle at which direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 does not enter.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first reflector 32 is formed with a notch portion 32c for disposing the second shade 70 and a support portion 32d for supporting the upper end portion of the second shade 70. formed.

4A shows a low-beam light distribution pattern PL formed on a virtual vertical screen positioned 25 m in front of the vehicle by light emitted forward from the lamp unit 20 of the vehicle lamp 10. FIG. It is a figure which shows transparently.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the low-beam light distribution pattern PL is a left-handed low-beam light distribution pattern, and has cutoff lines CL1 and CL2 that are uneven on the left and right sides at the upper edge thereof. The cut-off lines CL1 and CL2 extend in the horizontal direction on the left and right sides of the line VV, which passes vertically through the vanishing point HV in the front direction of the lamp. The opposite lane side portion is formed as a lower cutoff line CL1, and the own lane side portion on the left side of the VV line is formed as an upper cutoff line CL2 rising from the lower cutoff line CL1 via an inclined portion. formed.

In the low-beam light distribution pattern PL, the elbow point E, which is the intersection of the lower cutoff line CL1 and the line VV, is positioned below HV by about 0.5 to 0.6°.

As described above, the low beam light distribution pattern PL is formed by the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the reflected light from the first reflector 32. At this time, the left and right cutoff lines CL1 and CL2 are shades. 60 is formed as an inverted projected image of the front edge 60a.

On the other hand, FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a comparative example of the present embodiment, and shows a low-beam light distribution pattern PL' that would be formed if the lamp unit 20 did not have the second shade 70. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing;

As shown in FIG. 4B, the low-beam light distribution pattern PL′ is also formed as a light distribution pattern similar to the low-beam light distribution pattern PL, but the illuminance distribution thereof is different from that of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL. are significantly different.

That is, the low-beam light distribution pattern PL' is formed as an excessively bright portion Pa' in which the lower region is brighter than necessary. Therefore, when the low-beam light distribution pattern PL' is formed on the road surface in front of the lamp, the short-distance region where the excessively bright portion Pa' is located becomes too bright, and the long-distance region (that is, the excessively bright portion Pa' and the cutoff line (area between CL1 and CL2) becomes difficult to see, and therefore, sufficient forward visibility cannot be ensured during low-beam irradiation.

On the other hand, in the low-beam light distribution pattern PL shown in FIG. 4A, the excessive bright portion Pa' is not formed in the lower region. This is because, in the lamp unit 20 according to the present embodiment, part of the direct light from the plurality of light emitting elements 30 toward the upper region of the projection lens 50 is blocked by the second shade 70, thereby forming a low beam light distribution pattern. This is due to the reduction of the irradiation light for forming the lower region.

At this time, the second shade 70 is arranged at a position that blocks part of the direct light from the five first light emitting elements 30 positioned at the center in the left-right direction among the eleven first light emitting elements 30 . Therefore, the brightness of the front portion in the short distance area of the road surface in front of the lamp is mainly suppressed, and a certain amount of brightness is ensured in the left and right side portions of the short distance area.

FIG. 5(a) is a diagram showing the illuminance distribution IDv along the VV line of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL formed on the virtual vertical screen, and FIG. 5(b) shows the comparative example. It is a similar figure.

As shown in FIG. 5A, in the illuminance distribution IDv of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL, the illuminance Ev sharply rises from near 0° corresponding to the HH line to its lower side. This corresponds to the fact that the illuminance Ev of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL is highest in the regions below the cutoff lines CL1 and CL2. The illuminance distribution IDv reaches the maximum illuminance around 1°D, then sharply drops as the downward angle increases, and then smoothly drops to approximately zero around 10°D.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, in the illuminance distribution IDv' of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL' as well, the illuminance Ev rises sharply from near 0° to below, reaching the maximum illuminance near 1°D. After that, it drops rapidly as the downward angle increases, and drops to almost zero at around 10°D. reference).

In FIG. 5A, the illuminance distribution IDv' of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL' is indicated by a chain double-dashed line. As indicated by the dashed line area A in the figure, the low beam light distribution pattern PL has a smooth illuminance distribution in which the illuminance Ev around 4 to 6°D is lower than that of the low beam light distribution pattern PL'.

By forming the low-beam light distribution pattern PL having such an illuminance distribution IDv on the road surface in front of the lamp, it is possible to prevent the short distance area from becoming too bright and the long distance area becoming difficult to see. This ensures sufficient forward visibility when illuminating the low beam.

FIG. 6A is a view perspectively showing a high-beam light distribution pattern PH formed on the virtual vertical screen by light emitted from the lamp unit 20 of the vehicle lamp 10 toward the front of the lamp. .

As shown in FIG. 6A, the high-beam light distribution pattern PH is formed as a synthetic light distribution pattern in which the additional light distribution pattern PA is added to the low-beam light distribution pattern PL.

The additional light distribution pattern PA includes direct light from the 13 second light emitting elements 40 and light emitted from the 13 second light emitting elements 40 and reflected by the second reflector 42 (specifically, light from the second reflector 42). This is a light distribution pattern formed by light reflected by 13 pairs of small reflecting surfaces 42s that constitute the reflecting surface 42a.

In other words, the additional light distribution pattern PA is formed as a composite light distribution pattern of 13 small light distribution patterns PAa formed by lighting the 13 second light emitting elements 40 respectively.

Each of the thirteen small light distribution patterns PAa is formed as a substantially rectangular light distribution pattern, and the small light distribution patterns PAa adjacent to each other are formed in a horizontal row while slightly overlapping each other. At that time, each small light distribution pattern PAa is slightly It is formed as a vertically long, substantially rectangular light distribution pattern, and its lower edge is formed so as to extend along the cutoff lines CL1 and CL2.

FIG. 6(b) is a view perspectively showing an intermediate light distribution pattern PM in which a part of the high-beam light distribution pattern PH is omitted.

In FIG. 6B, the sixth small light distribution pattern PAa from the right among the 13 small light distribution patterns PAa forming the additional light distribution pattern PA is turned off by turning off the sixth light emitting element 40 from the left. shows an intermediate light distribution pattern PM in which is missing.

By forming such an intermediate light distribution pattern PM, the irradiation light from the lamp unit 20 is prevented from striking the oncoming vehicle 2, and as much as possible within a range that does not give glare to the driver of the oncoming vehicle 2. It is designed to illuminate a wide area ahead.

As the position of the oncoming vehicle 2 changes, the second light emitting elements 40 to be turned off are sequentially switched to change the shape of the intermediate light distribution pattern PM, thereby changing the shape of the intermediate light distribution pattern PM. It is designed to keep the road ahead illuminated as wide as possible without causing glare.

The existence of the oncoming vehicle 2 is detected by an in-vehicle camera or the like (not shown). Even if there is a vehicle ahead on the road ahead or a pedestrian on the shoulder of the road ahead, glare is given by detecting this and removing a part of the small light distribution pattern PAa. It is designed so that it does not get lost.

Next, the effect of this embodiment is demonstrated.

The lamp unit 20 of the vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment irradiates the light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 (light emitting elements) through the projection lens 50 toward the front of the lamp, thereby achieving low beam light distribution. In this configuration, the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 are aligned in the left-right direction with the light emitting surfaces 30a facing the projection lens 50. Between the first light emitting elements 30 and the projection lens 50, part of the light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 is blocked in order to form the cutoff lines CL1 and CL2 of the low beam light distribution pattern PL. The shade 60 is arranged between the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the projection lens 50 to block part of the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 toward the upper region of the projection lens 50. Since the second shade 70 is arranged, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, the reason why the lower area of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL becomes brighter than necessary is due to the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 entering the upper area of the projection lens 50 . Therefore, by shielding part of the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 toward the upper region of the projection lens 50 with the second shade 70, the lower region of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL becomes too bright. can be prevented.

Thus, when the low-beam light distribution pattern PL is formed on the road surface in front of the lamp, it is possible to prevent the short-distance area from becoming too bright and the long-distance area from becoming difficult to see. It is possible to sufficiently ensure forward visibility during irradiation.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the vehicle lamp 10 configured to irradiate the light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 through the projection lens 50 toward the front of the lamp, Sufficient forward visibility can be ensured.

In this case, in the present embodiment, the second shade 70 is positioned at the center in the left-right direction relative to the first light-emitting elements 30 positioned at both ends in the left-right direction among the plurality of first light-emitting elements 30 . Since the element 30 is arranged at a position where the amount of light shielding against the direct light from the element 30 is large, when the low beam light distribution pattern PL is formed on the road surface in front of the lamp, the brightness of the front portion in the short range area is suppressed intensively. can do.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the short distance area of the road surface in front of the lamp from becoming too bright and make the long distance area difficult to see. Visibility can be prevented from being spoiled.

Further, in this embodiment, since the first reflector 32 (reflector) for reflecting the light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 toward the projection lens 50 is provided, the brightness of the low beam light distribution pattern PL can be can be increased, and the degree of freedom of the light distribution can be enhanced.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the first reflector 32 is integrally formed with the shade 60, the accuracy of light distribution control can be improved and the number of parts of the vehicle lamp 10 can be reduced. can.

At that time, the lighting unit 20 of the vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment is configured to selectively form the low beam light distribution pattern PL and the high beam light distribution pattern PH. Since the second reflector 42 that reflects the light emitted from the plurality of lit second light emitting elements 40 is formed integrally with the first reflector 32, the number of parts of the vehicle lamp 10 can be further reduced. can.

In the above-described embodiment, the second shade 70 is arranged at a position that blocks part of the direct light emitted from the five first light emitting elements 30 positioned at the center in the left-right direction among the 11 first light emitting elements 30 . However, it is also possible to appropriately change the number of the first light emitting elements 30 to be shielded and the amount of shielding, thereby adjusting the brightness in the short range area of the road surface in front of the lamp. Is possible.

In the above embodiment, the projection lens 50 is described as being composed of a plano-convex aspherical lens, but it is also possible to be composed of a biconvex lens, a convex meniscus lens, or the like. It is also possible to have a configuration having an outer shape of .

In the above embodiment, the lamp unit 20 is described as having eleven first light emitting elements 30 and thirteen second light emitting elements 40, but the number of first and second light emitting elements other than this number may be different. A configuration with 30 and 40 is also possible.

In the above embodiment, the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 are arranged in a staggered manner, but it is also possible to arrange them in a horizontal row.

In the above embodiment, the light-emitting surfaces 30a and 40a of the plurality of first and second light-emitting elements 30 and 40 have been described as having a square outer shape. It is also possible to adopt a configuration having an external shape such as a rectangular shape or a laterally long rectangular shape.

In the above embodiment, the first and second reflectors 32, 42 are arranged to effectively utilize the light emitted from the plurality of first and second light emitting elements 30, 40. and second reflectors 32, 42, or both are not arranged.

In the above embodiment, the lamp unit 20 of the vehicle lamp 10 is configured to selectively form the low beam light distribution pattern PL and the high beam light distribution pattern PH. A configuration in which only the light distribution pattern PL is formed is also possible.

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

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

FIG. 7 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, showing a lamp unit 120 of a vehicle lamp according to this modified example.

As shown in FIG. 7, the basic configuration of the lamp unit 120 is similar to that of the lamp unit 20 of the above embodiment, but the configuration of the second shade 170 is different from that of the above embodiment. The structure of the 1 reflector 132 is also partly different from that of the above embodiment.

That is, in this modification as well, a second light emitting element 30 is provided between the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the projection lens 50 to block part of the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 toward the upper region of the projection lens 50 . A shade 170 is provided, but differs from the above embodiment in that the second shade 170 is integrally formed with the first reflector 132 .

The second shade 170 is formed in substantially the same arrangement and shape as the second shade 70 of the above embodiment.

Also in this modified example, the first reflector 132 has a reflecting surface 132a and an opening 132b similar to those of the first reflector 32 of the above-described embodiment.

Also in this modified example, the configurations of the shade 60 and the second reflector 42 are the same as in the above-described embodiment.

By adopting the configuration of this modified example, it is possible to improve the accuracy of light distribution control and reduce the number of parts of the vehicle lamp.

Next, the 2nd modification of the said embodiment is demonstrated.

FIG. 8 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, showing a lamp unit 220 of a vehicle lamp according to this modified example.

As shown in FIG. 8, the basic configuration of the lamp unit 220 is similar to that of the lamp unit 20 of the above embodiment, but the configuration of the second shade 270 is different from that of the above embodiment.

That is, in this modification as well, a second light emitting element 30 is provided between the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the projection lens 50 to block part of the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 toward the upper region of the projection lens 50 . A shade 270 is provided, but differs from the above embodiment in that the second shade 270 is integrally formed with the first reflector 232 and has a reflective surface 270a.

The reflecting surface 270a of the second shade 270 is formed to extend along the horizontal plane above the optical axis Ax, thereby reflecting the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 downward to the projection lens 50. It is designed to be incident on the At that time, part of the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 reflected by the reflecting surface 270a is incident on the projection lens 50 after being reflected by the reflecting surface 232a of the first reflector 232 .

Also in this modified example, the first reflector 232 has a reflecting surface 232a and an opening 232b similar to those of the first reflector 32 of the above-described embodiment.

Also in this modified example, the configurations of the shade 60 and the second reflector 42 are the same as in the above-described embodiment.

FIG. 9(a) is a view perspectively showing a low-beam light distribution pattern PL-2 formed on the virtual vertical screen by light emitted from the lamp unit 220 of the present modification toward the front of the lamp. .

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the low-beam light distribution pattern PL-2 is a distribution obtained by adding a distant illumination light distribution pattern Pa-2 to the low-beam light distribution pattern PL shown in FIG. 4(a). It is formed as a light pattern.

On the other hand, FIG. 9B is a diagram showing a comparative example of this modified example, and shows a low-beam light distribution pattern PL' that would be formed if the lamp unit 220 did not have the second shade 270. 4B, and is similar to FIG. 4B.

The light distribution pattern Pa-2 for distant illumination of the light distribution pattern PL-2 for low beam shown in FIG. 9(a) was formed in the lower region of the light distribution pattern PL' for low beam shown in FIG. 9(b). A light distribution pattern having substantially the same shape as the excessively bright portion Pa' is formed in a state of being displaced to the upper region near the cutoff lines CL1 and CL2.

In the light distribution pattern for far-field illumination Pa-2 shown in FIG. 9A, part of the direct light from the plurality of light-emitting elements 30 toward the upper region of the projection lens 50 is blocked by the second shade 270, It is a light distribution pattern formed by reflecting downward on the reflecting surface 270 a and irradiating forward of the lamp through the projection lens 50 .

FIG. 10(a) is a diagram showing the illuminance distribution IDv-2 along the VV line of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL-2 formed on the virtual vertical screen, and FIG. It is a similar diagram showing a comparative example.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), the illuminance distribution IDv-2 of the low beam light distribution pattern PL-2 is 4 times higher than the illuminance distribution IDv' of the low beam light distribution pattern PL' shown in FIG. 10(b). There is no bulge around ~6°D (see dashed line area A in the figure), and the degree of decrease when the illuminance Ev sharply drops as the downward angle increases after reaching the maximum illuminance around 1°D is relaxed (see dashed line area B in the figure).

By forming the low-beam light distribution pattern PL-2 having such an illuminance distribution IDv-2 on the road surface in front of the lamp, as shown in FIG. 9A, the entire low-beam light distribution pattern PL-2 Distant visibility is further improved without impairing the brightness of the lens.

By adopting the configuration of this modified example, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, as described above, the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 reflected downward by the reflecting surface 270a of the second shade 270 becomes the light that illuminates the far-distance area of the road surface in front of the lamp. To make the low-beam light distribution pattern PL-2 excellent in long-distance visibility after preventing the brightness of the entire low-beam light distribution pattern PL-2 from being impaired by the arrangement of 270.例文帳に追加can be done.

Next, the 3rd modification of the said embodiment is demonstrated.

FIG. 11 is a view, similar to FIG. 3, showing a lamp unit 320 of a vehicle lamp according to this modified example.

As shown in FIG. 11, the basic configuration of a lamp unit 320 is the same as that of the lamp unit 20 of the above embodiment, but the arrangement of the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 is different from that of the above embodiment. Accordingly, the configuration and arrangement of the first reflector 332 are different from those of the above embodiment. Also, in this modified example, the substrate 356 supporting the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 is configured separately from the substrate 358 supporting the plurality of second light emitting elements 40, which is also different from the above embodiment. there is Furthermore, in this modification, the shape of the heat sink 354 that supports the two substrates 356 and 358 is partially different from that in the above embodiment.

Specifically, the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 are arranged above the optical axis Ax with their light emitting surfaces 30a facing obliquely downward with respect to the front direction of the lamp.

Further, the substrate 358 is arranged in a state tilted backward with respect to the vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax, like the substrate 56 of the above-described embodiment. It is placed in a forward tilted state.

Furthermore, the first reflector 332 is arranged with its reflecting surface 332 a facing obliquely downward in front of the lamp, thereby reflecting the light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 toward the projection lens 50 . is configured to

Also in this modification, a second shade is provided between the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 and the projection lens 50 to block part of the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 toward the upper region of the projection lens 50. 370 are arranged. The second shade 370 is formed of a plate-like member, like the second shade 70 of the above-described embodiment, and is supported at its upper end by the first reflector 332 while being arranged substantially parallel to the substrate 356 . ing.

Also in this modified example, the first reflector 332 has an opening 332b similar to that of the first reflector 32 of the above-described embodiment.

Also in this modified example, the configurations of the shade 60 and the second reflector 42 are the same as in the above-described embodiment.

By adopting the configuration of this modified example, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, in the lamp unit 320 according to this modified example, the direct light emitted from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 in the direction perpendicular to the light emitting surface 30a becomes light directed toward the substantially central region in the vertical direction of the projection lens 50. Therefore, the ratio of direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 toward the upper region of the projection lens 50 is smaller than in the above embodiment.

Therefore, even if the second shade 370 is not arranged in the configuration of the lamp unit 320, the light distribution pattern for low beam PL' (see FIG. 4B) is as bright as the comparative example of the above embodiment. Although the excessively bright portion Pa' is not formed in the lower region, the phenomenon that the lower region of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL' becomes bright still remains.

On the other hand, since the lamp unit 320 according to the present modification has a configuration in which the second shade 370 is arranged, part of the direct light from the plurality of first light emitting elements 30 directed to the upper region of the projection lens 50 is It is possible to block light, thereby preventing the lower area of the light distribution pattern for low beam from becoming bright.

It should be noted that the numerical values shown as specifications in the above-described embodiment and its modification are merely examples, and it goes without saying that these values may be set to different values as appropriate.

Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications thereof, and configurations with various other modifications can be adopted.

2 oncoming vehicle 10 vehicle lamp 12 lamp body 14 translucent cover 20, 120, 220, 320 lamp unit 30 first light emitting element (light emitting element)
30a, 40a light emitting surface 32a, 42a, 132a, 232a, 270a, 332a reflecting surface 32, 132, 232, 332 first reflector (reflector)
32b, 42b, 132b, 232b, 332b opening 32c notch 32d support 40 second light emitting element 42 second reflector 42s small reflecting surface 50 projection lens 52 lens holder 54, 354 heat sink 56, 356, 358 substrate 60 shade 60a Front edge 70, 170, 270, 370 Second shade Ax Optical axis CL1 Lower cutoff line CL2 Upper cutoff line E Elbow point Ev Illuminance F Rear focus IDv, IDv-2 Illuminance distribution PA Additional light distribution pattern PAa Small light distribution pattern Pa -2 Light distribution pattern for distant illumination PH Light distribution pattern for high beam PL, PL-2 Light distribution pattern for low beam PM Intermediate light distribution pattern

Claims (5)

A vehicle comprising a plurality of light emitting elements and a projection lens, and configured to form a low beam light distribution pattern by irradiating light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements toward the front of the lamp via the projection lens. In lighting fixtures,
The plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a horizontal direction with the light emitting surface facing the projection lens,
A shade is arranged between the plurality of light emitting elements and the projection lens to block part of the light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements in order to form a cutoff line of the light distribution pattern for low beam,
A second shade is arranged between the plurality of light emitting elements and the projection lens to block part of the direct light from the plurality of light emitting elements toward the upper region of the projection lens. Vehicle lighting. The second shade is arranged at a position where the light-emitting element positioned at the center in the left-right direction out of the plurality of light-emitting elements blocks more light from direct light than the light-emitting elements positioned at both ends in the left-right direction. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein 3. The second shade according to claim 1, wherein the second shade has a reflecting surface formed to reflect downward the direct light from the plurality of light emitting elements to enter the projection lens. vehicle lighting fixtures. A reflector is provided for reflecting light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements toward the projection lens,
4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the second shade is formed integrally with the reflector. 5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein the reflector is formed integrally with the shade.

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