JP7136686B2 - lighting unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lamp unit having a reflective spatial light modulator.

Conventionally, as a vehicle-mounted lamp unit, there is known one that is configured to irradiate light from a light source reflected by a spatial light modulator toward the front of the unit via an optical member such as a projection lens. .

In "Patent Document 1", as a spatial light modulator in such a lamp unit, a reflection control section (display section 32) in which a plurality of reflective elements (micromirrors 31) for reflecting light from a light source are arranged. , and a transparent plate (transparent member 33) disposed on the front side of the unit with respect to the reflection control section.

At that time, in the spatial light modulator described in this "Patent Document 1", the space between the reflection control section and the transparent plate is sealed by the housing section (support section 34) that accommodates the reflection control section. configured to be

JP 2015-138763 A

In such a lamp unit, if the configuration of the spatial light modulator includes a sealing portion that seals the peripheral edge of the translucent plate to the housing, then the space between the reflection control portion and the translucent plate is: It is possible to improve the airtightness of the space.

However, when such a lamp unit is irradiated with external light from a direction close to the horizontal direction, such as sunlight in the morning and evening, the external light travels along an optical path substantially opposite to that of the light emitted from the light source. The light converges on the seal portion of the spatial light modulator via the optical member, and the converged light melts the seal portion, thereby impairing the airtightness of the space between the reflection control portion and the light-transmitting plate. There is a risk.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a lamp unit equipped with a reflective spatial light modulator to prevent external light from melting the sealing portion of the spatial light modulator. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lamp unit capable of preventing overheating.

The invention of the present application is intended to achieve the above object by employing a configuration including a predetermined plate-like member and a gasket.

That is, the lamp unit according to the present invention is
A lamp unit comprising a light source, a spatial light modulator that reflects light from the light source, and an optical member that irradiates the light reflected by the spatial light modulator toward the front of the unit,
The spatial light modulator includes a reflection control section in which a plurality of reflecting elements for reflecting light from the light source are arranged, a housing section that accommodates the reflection control section, and a front side of the unit from the reflection control section. and a sealing portion that seals the light-transmitting plate to the housing portion at the peripheral edge portion of the light-transmitting plate,
A bracket for supporting the spatial light modulator is arranged on the unit front side of the spatial light modulator,
A plate-shaped member having an opening surrounding the reflection control section is arranged between the spatial light modulator and the bracket so as to cover the seal section from the front side of the unit,
A gasket is interposed between the plate member and the housing.

The specific configuration of the "spatial light modulator" is not particularly limited as long as it can control the spatial distribution of the reflected light when reflecting the light from the light source. Instead, for example, a digital micromirror, a reflective liquid crystal, or the like can be employed.

The specific configuration of the "optical member" is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to irradiate the light from the light source reflected by the spatial light modulator toward the front of the unit. For example, a projection lens, a reflector, a mirror, or the like can be used.

The specific arrangement and configuration of the above-mentioned "bracket" are not particularly limited as long as the "bracket" supports the spatial light modulator in a state of being arranged on the front side of the unit relative to the spatial light modulator.

If the above-mentioned "plate-shaped member" has a configuration in which an opening is formed so as to cover the seal portion from the front side of the unit and surrounds the reflection control section, the specific arrangement and the specific "opening" The shape is not particularly limited.

The lamp unit according to the present invention is configured to irradiate the light from the light source reflected by the spatial light modulator toward the front of the unit via the optical member. Various light distribution patterns can be formed with high accuracy by controlling the spatial distribution.

At that time, the spatial light modulator includes a reflection control section in which a plurality of reflecting elements are arranged, a housing section that houses the reflection control section, and a housing that is arranged on the front side of the unit from the reflection control section. Since the light transmitting plate is supported by the body and the sealing portion seals the light transmitting plate to the housing at the peripheral edge of the light transmitting plate, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust from adhering to the reflection control portion. It can be prevented before it happens.

In addition, a plate member is arranged between the bracket that supports the spatial light modulator and the spatial light modulator on the unit front side of the spatial light modulator. An opening surrounding the reflection control section is formed so as to cover the seal section, and a gasket is interposed between the plate-shaped member and the housing section. effect can be obtained.

That is, since the sealing portion of the spatial light modulator is covered from the front side of the unit by the plate-like member, even if external light is transmitted through the optical member at an angle converging on the sealing portion or reflected by the optical member, This converging light can be blocked by the plate-shaped member, thereby preventing the sealing portion from being eroded.

As described above, according to the present invention, in a lamp unit having a reflective spatial light modulator, it is possible to prevent the sealing portion of the spatial light modulator from being damaged by external light. In this way, it is possible to prevent the airtightness of the internal space of the spatial light modulator from being damaged.

Moreover, in the present invention, since the gasket is interposed between the plate-like member and the housing, the plate-like member can be supported without applying an excessive load to the spatial light modulator. , so that the function of the spatial light modulator is not impaired.

Although the lamp unit according to the present invention is suitable for use as a vehicle-mounted lamp unit, it can also be used for applications other than vehicle-mounted use.

In the above configuration, if the plate member is configured to be positioned in a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction of the unit by engagement with the bracket, the reflection control section of the spatial light modulator and the opening of the plate member can be used. It is possible to improve the accuracy of the positional relationship with the portion, thereby making it possible to properly cover the sealing portion of the spatial light modulator.

In the above configuration, if projections are formed at a plurality of locations on the rear surface of the bracket, by engaging these projections with the plate-like member, the plate-like member can be moved in a direction orthogonal to the unit front-rear direction. can easily be positioned with respect to

In the above configuration, if projections are further formed at a plurality of locations on the rear surface of the gasket, the gasket is elastically deformed by bringing the gasket into contact with the casing at these projections, thereby forming a spatial light modulator. It is possible to easily support the plate member appropriately without applying an excessive load.

In the above configuration, if the plate-shaped member is configured to have a plate thickness smaller than that of the light-transmitting plate, the light incident on the spatial light modulator from the light source and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator can be It is possible to easily prevent the optical path from being unintentionally blocked by the plate member.

In the above configuration, the plate-like member is arranged at a position away from the light-transmitting plate toward the front of the unit, and the gap between the plate-like member and the light-transmitting plate is larger than the plate thickness of the light-transmitting plate. If the configuration is set to a small value, interference between the plate-like member and the light-transmitting plate can be prevented, and then the optical path of the light incident on the spatial light modulator from the light source and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator. is easily prevented from being unintentionally obstructed by the plate member.

1 is a perspective view showing a lamp unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. View from the direction of arrow II in Fig. 1 III-III line sectional view of FIG. Figure 2 IV direction arrow view V direction arrow view of FIG. View in the direction of arrow VI in Fig. 4 VII direction arrow view in Fig. 4 FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the lamp unit with some components disassembled; A perspective view showing the lamp unit with the components removed. A plan view showing the lamp unit with the components removed. Detailed view of XI section in Fig. 3 XII-XII line sectional view of FIG. Detailed view of the main part of Fig. 11 A cross-sectional side view showing a vehicle lamp including the above lamp unit. FIG. 4 is a diagram similar to FIG. 3 for specifically explaining the effects of the above embodiment; FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 11, showing the essential parts of the lamp unit according to the first modified example of the embodiment; FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 11, showing the essential parts of the lamp unit according to the second modification of the embodiment;

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

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

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

The lamp unit 10 according to the present embodiment is designed to be used while being incorporated in a vehicle lamp 100 shown in a cross-sectional side view in FIG. 14 .

Specifically, the vehicle lamp 100 is a headlamp provided at the front end of a vehicle, and the lamp unit 10 is housed in a lamp chamber formed by a lamp body 102 and a translucent cover 104 . In addition, the lamp unit 10 is used after the optical axis is adjusted so that the longitudinal direction of the lamp unit 10 (that is, the longitudinal direction of the unit) coincides with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

The lamp unit 10 includes a spatial light modulation unit 20 , a light source side sub-assembly 50 and a lens side sub-assembly 70 . The lamp unit 10 is supported by the lamp body 102 via a mounting structure (not shown) at the bracket 40 forming part of the spatial light modulation unit 20 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the spatial light modulation unit 20 includes a spatial light modulator 30, a support substrate 22 arranged on the unit rear side of the spatial light modulator 30, and a unit rear side of the support substrate 22. and a bracket 40 arranged on the front side of the unit with respect to the spatial light modulator 30 .

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

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the lamp unit 10 with the light shielding cover 90 and the upper cover 92 and lower cover 94 (which will be described later), which are the constituent elements of the lamp unit 10, disassembled, and FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which they are attached, and FIG. 10 is a plan view showing them in a state in which they are removed.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 10, the light source side sub-assembly 50 supports a pair of left and right light sources 52, a reflector 54 that reflects the light emitted from these light sources 52 toward the spatial light modulation unit 20, and these. A base member 60 is provided.

The lens-side sub-assembly 70 includes a projection lens 72 having an optical axis Ax extending in the unit front-rear direction, and a lens holder 74 that supports the projection lens 72 .

The lamp unit 10 according to the present embodiment irradiates the light from each light source 52 reflected by the reflector 54 toward the front of the unit via the spatial light modulator 30 and the projection lens 72, thereby achieving various light distributions. Patterns (for example, low beam light distribution patterns, high beam light distribution patterns, light distribution patterns that change according to vehicle driving conditions, and light distribution patterns that draw characters, symbols, etc. on the road surface in front of the vehicle) are formed with high accuracy. It is configured to obtain

In order to achieve this, in the assembly process of the lamp unit 10, the positional relationship between the spatial light modulator 30 and the projection lens 72 is finely adjusted while the light sources 52 are turned on to form a light distribution pattern. It is designed to improve the accuracy of the positional relationship.

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

First, before describing the configuration of the spatial light modulation unit 20, the configuration of the light source side sub-assembly 50 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 10, the pair of left and right light sources 52 are both white light emitting diodes and arranged in a symmetrical positional relationship with respect to a vertical plane including the optical axis Ax. Each light source 52 is mounted on the front surface of a substrate 56 with its light emitting surface 52a directed obliquely upward and forward. The substrate 56 is fixed to the base member 60 by screws while its rear surface is in surface contact with the base member 60 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, a connector 58 for supplying power to the pair of left and right light sources 52 is mounted on the lower end of the front surface of the board 56 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the base member 60 is a plate-shaped member made of metal (for example, made of die-cast aluminum), and includes an inclined surface portion 60A extending obliquely upward and rearward from the lower end position to the upper end position, and the inclined surface portion 60A. A horizontal surface portion 60B extends toward the rear of the unit from the upper end position of 60A, and the horizontal surface portion 60B is fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 by screwing.

As shown in FIG. 10, the reflector 54 is arranged so as to cover the pair of left and right light sources 52 from the front side of the unit, and is fixed to the base member 60 at its periphery by screwing. The reflector 54 has a pair of left and right reflecting surfaces 54a formed in a symmetrical positional relationship with respect to a vertical plane including the optical axis Ax. The surface shape of each reflecting surface 54a is set so as to converge the emitted light from each light source 52 near the rear focal point F (see FIG. 3) of the projection lens 72. As shown in FIG. A lower end portion of the reflector 54 is formed so as to surround the connector 58 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 40 is formed such that its horizontal surface portion 40B extends to the unit front side beyond the reflector 54, and an opening 40Ba for inserting the reflector 54 is formed in this horizontal surface portion 40B. It is

A heat transfer plate 62 made of metal (for example, aluminum die-cast) is arranged on the rear surface side of the inclined surface portion 60A of the base member 60 . The heat transfer plate 62 is fixed to the inclined surface portion 60A of the base member 60 by screwing while in surface contact with the rear surface of the inclined surface portion 60A.

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

The heat sink 80 is a member made of metal (for example, aluminum die-cast), and is arranged to extend along a horizontal plane. ) are formed. The heat sink 80 is fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 by screwing. This screw tightening is performed on boss portions 40Bb protruding downward at a plurality of locations (specifically, three locations) of the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40, so that the upper surface of the heat sink 80 and the horizontal surface portion of the bracket 40 A constant space is formed between 40B.

A heat dissipation fan 82 is arranged below the heat sink 80 to promote heat dissipation by the heat sink 80 .

The heat radiation fan 82 includes a fan body 82A and a support portion 82B that supports the fan body 82A so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. It is configured. The heat radiation fan 82 is fixed to the heat sink 80 at its supporting portion 82B by screwing (see FIG. 6).

As shown in FIG. 3 , a heat transfer plate 84 made of metal (for example, aluminum die-cast) is arranged on the upper surface side of the heat sink 80 . The heat transfer plate 84 is arranged to extend along the horizontal plane, and is fixed to the heat sink 80 by screwing while in surface contact with the upper surface of the heat sink 80 .

The heat transfer plate 84 is connected to the heat transfer plate 62 of the light source side sub-assembly 50 via a pair of left and right heat pipes 86 . That is, each heat pipe 86 is a heat transfer member that connects the heat transfer plates 62 and 84, and has a lower thermal resistance than when the heat sink 80 and the heat transfer plates 62 and 84 are made of the same material and have the same dimensions. It is configured as a heat transport member.

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

Each boss portion 40Bb formed on the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 has its length dimension set so that a gap S1 is formed between the lower surface of the horizontal surface portion 40B and the upper surface of the heat transfer plate 84. there is At that time, the vertical width of the gap S1 is set to a value of 1 mm or more (for example, about 2 to 10 mm).

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

11 is a detailed view of section XI in FIG. 3, and FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along the line XII-XII of FIG.

As shown in these figures, the spatial light modulator 30 is a reflective spatial light modulator, and includes a reflection control section 30A in which a plurality of reflecting elements 30As for reflecting light reflected from a reflector 54 are arranged. A housing portion 30B housing the reflection control section 30A, a light-transmitting plate 30C arranged on the front side of the unit from the reflection control section 30A, and the light-transmitting plate 30C placed in a housing at the periphery of the light-transmitting plate 30C. and a seal portion 30D for sealing to the body portion 30B.

Specifically, the spatial light modulator 30 is a digital micromirror device (DMD), and its reflection control section 30A has several hundred thousand micromirrors arranged in a matrix as a plurality of reflection elements 30As. It has a configuration. At that time, the reflection control section 30A has a laterally long rectangular outer shape centered on the optical axis Ax when viewed from the front of the unit, and its size is set to, for example, about 6 mm long by 12 mm wide. .

The spatial light modulator 30 controls the angles of the reflecting surfaces of the plurality of reflecting elements 30As constituting the reflection control section 30A so that the light from the pair of left and right light sources 52 reaching the reflecting elements 30As It is configured to be able to selectively switch the reflection direction of the light. Specifically, the first mode reflects the light from the pair of left and right light sources 52 in the direction of the optical path R1 toward the projection lens 72, and the direction away from the projection lens 72 (that is, the formation of the light distribution pattern is adversely affected). A second mode is selected in which the light is reflected in the direction of the optical path R2 toward the opposite direction).

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

As shown in the figure, each reflecting element 30As is configured to be rotatable around a horizontal axis extending in the left-right direction, and in the first mode, it rotates at a predetermined angle with respect to a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax. (For example, about 12°), the light reflected from the reflector 54 (see FIG. 3) is reflected toward the front of the unit as slightly upward light (light on the optical path R1) in response to the downward rotation. In this case, the reflected light from the reflector 54 is turned upward by a predetermined angle (for example, about 12°) with respect to the vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax, and the reflected light from the reflector 54 is turned into a considerably upward light (light on the optical path R2) toward the front of the unit. It is designed to reflect toward.

Switching between the first mode and the second mode is achieved by controlling the energization of electrodes (not shown) arranged near members (not shown) that rotatably support each reflecting element 30As. It is supposed to be done by In a neutral state in which no current is supplied, the reflecting elements 30As are arranged so that their reflecting surfaces are flush with each other along a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax.

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

In FIG. 13, the reflecting element 30As positioned on the optical axis Ax and the reflecting element 30As positioned above it are at the angular position of the first mode, and the reflecting element positioned below the optical axis Ax. 30As is shown at the second mode angular position.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the light-transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30 is made of a flat glass plate having a laterally long rectangular outer shape, and has a plate thickness of about 1 to 1.5 mm. is set to the value of

A housing portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30 has an annular stepped portion 30Bb formed on the inner periphery of the front surface thereof. The sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 is formed by filling a sealing material containing an organic substance between the outer peripheral surface of the transparent plate 30C and the annular step portion 30Bb of the housing portion 30B. completely seals the gap between the two.

The front surface of the spatial light modulator 30 is displaced toward the rear side of the unit at the position of the seal portion 30D, so that the front surface of the housing portion 30B is stepped toward the rear side of the unit with respect to the front surface of the light plate 30C. there is

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

The socket 26 is configured as a horizontally long rectangular frame member along the periphery of the rear surface of the housing section 30B. On the other hand, the support substrate 22 is arranged to extend along a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax on the unit rear side of the socket 26 . The support substrate 22 is formed with an opening 22a having substantially the same shape as the inner peripheral surface of the socket 26, and a conductive pattern (not shown) is formed on the front surface of the opening. The socket 26 is fixed to the support substrate 22 while being electrically connected to the conductive pattern formed on the support substrate 22 .

A plurality of terminal pins 30Ba that protrude toward the rear of the unit are formed on the peripheral portion of the rear surface of the housing portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30 . On the other hand, the socket 26 is formed with a plurality of terminal pins 26a protruding rearward from the rear surface of the socket 26 at positions corresponding to the plurality of terminal pins 30Ba.

Each terminal pin 26a of the socket 26 has a substantially tubular base end portion (that is, the front end portion of the portion embedded in the socket 26). The spatial light modulator 30 and the socket 26 are electrically connected by fitting the tip of the pin 30Ba.

Each terminal pin 26a of the socket 26 is soldered to a conductive pattern (not shown) of the support substrate 22 at its tip (that is, rear end). Therefore, the socket 26 is arranged with its rear surface slightly floating from the front surface of the support substrate 22 .

The spatial light modulation unit 20 has a configuration in which the spatial light modulator 30 is supported by the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the heat sink 24 from both sides in the unit front-rear direction.

A horizontally long rectangular opening 40Aa is formed in the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 . The opening 40Aa is formed so as to surround the optical axis Ax centering on a position displaced directly below the optical axis Ax. At this time, the inner peripheral surface shape of the opening 40Aa is larger than the outer peripheral surface shape of the light transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30 at the upper end surface and the left and right side end surfaces, but is larger than the outer peripheral surface shape of the seal portion 30D. It is set to a small value, and is set to a value larger than the shape of the outer peripheral surface of the seal portion 30D at its lower end surface. Furthermore, the front edge of the inner peripheral surface of this opening 40Aa is chamfered over its entire circumference.

As shown in FIG. 12, on the rear surface of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, cylindrical projecting portions 40Ab projecting toward the rear of the unit are formed at three locations around the opening 40Aa. The vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 contacts the housing portion 30B from the front side of the unit at the front end surfaces (that is, the rear end surfaces) of the protrusions 40Ab at these three locations. At this time, the three projections 40Ab are formed to abut on the center position in the vertical direction of the right end of the housing 30B and to abut on the upper and lower positions of the left end of the housing 30B.

A plate member 32 and a gasket 34 are arranged between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the spatial light modulator 30 .

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

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

The plate-like member 32 has a plate thickness (for example, a plate thickness of about 0.3 to 0.6 mm) that is thinner than the light-transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30, and the rear surface of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 are placed in face-to-face contact with the The plate-like member 32 is arranged at a position away from the light-transmitting plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30 toward the front side of the unit. (for example, a value of about 0.5 mm).

The plate-like member 32 has insertion holes 32b at positions corresponding to the three projections 40Ab formed on the rear surface of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, through which the projections 40Ab are inserted. Two of the three insertion holes 32b have a circular shape slightly larger than the outer diameter of the protrusion 40Ab, thereby engaging the plate member 32 with the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40. Positioning is performed with respect to a direction perpendicular to the optical axis Ax.

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

The gasket 34 has a flat front surface and is in surface contact with the plate member 32 .

The gasket 34 has an outer peripheral surface shape slightly smaller than the outer peripheral surface shape of the plate member 32, and an inner peripheral surface shape slightly smaller than the outer peripheral surface shape of the seal portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30. have a shape.

The gasket 34 is formed with a thin portion 34A in a portion located on the front side of the unit with respect to the housing portion 30B, and a thick portion 34B in a portion surrounding the housing portion 30B. At that time, the thickness of the thin portion 34A is set to a value slightly smaller than the difference between the length of the projecting portion 40Ab of the bracket 40 and the plate thickness of the plate-like member 32 . On the rear surface of the thin portion 34A, there are protruded rearwardly of the unit at four points in the circumferential direction (specifically, the central position in the horizontal direction on both upper and lower sides, the central position in the vertical direction on the left side, and the lower end position on the right side). A dome-shaped protrusion 34Aa is formed. The protrusion height of each protrusion 34Aa is set to a value larger than the interval between the thin portion 34A and the housing portion 30B.

As a result, when each projection 40Ab of the bracket 40 abuts against the housing portion 30B, the apex portion of each projection 34Aa of the gasket 34 abuts against the housing portion 30B and is elastically deformed. is configured not to press excessively. Further, the thin portion 34A of the gasket 34 is formed with insertion holes 34Ab at positions corresponding to the three insertion holes 32b of the gasket 34, through which the projecting portions 40Ab of the bracket 40 are inserted.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 supports a translucent cover 36 arranged to cover the opening 40A from the front side of the unit.

The translucent cover 36 is composed of a member made of transparent resin (for example, made of acrylic resin). The translucent cover 36 includes a front upper region 36A extending planarly along a vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax, and a front surface extending planarly obliquely downward and rearward from the lower edge of the front upper region 36A. It has a lower region 36B and an outer peripheral flange portion 36C formed to surround them.

A boundary position between the front upper region 36A and the front lower region 36B is positioned below the optical axis Ax. The light-transmitting cover 36 transmits reflected light from the reflector 54 in its front lower region 36B, and transmits reflected light from the reflecting element 30As in the first mode in its front upper region 36A. It is configured. The translucent cover 36 is configured to transmit the reflected light from the reflecting element 30As in the second mode in the upper region of the outer peripheral flange portion 36C.

The translucent cover 36 is fixed to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 by screwing at a pair of left and right boss portions 36Ca formed on both left and right sides of the outer peripheral flange portion 36C.

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

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

The space between the translucent cover 36 and the spatial light modulator 30 is sealed by the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, the plate-like member 32, and the gasket 34 interposed therebetween. The structure is such that foreign matter such as dust does not adhere to the surface of the light transmitting plate 30</b>C of the modulator 30 .

The heat sink 24 is a member made of metal (for example, made of aluminum die-cast), and is arranged so as to extend along a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax. formed.

At the central portion of the front surface of the heat sink 24, a prism-shaped protrusion 24a is formed to protrude toward the front of the unit. The projecting portion 24 a has a horizontally long rectangular cross-sectional shape centered on the optical axis Ax, and its size is set to a value smaller than the inner peripheral surface shape of the socket 26 . The protrusion 24a is inserted through the opening 22a of the support substrate 22, and its front end face abuts against the casing 30B of the spatial light modulator 30 from the rear side of the unit.

The heat sink 24 is fixed to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 by two pairs of left and right stepped bolts 42 with the front end surface of the protrusion 24a in contact with the housing portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30. (See Figures 9 and 10). This fixation is a state in which the spatial light modulator 30 with which the protrusion 24a of the heat sink 24 abuts is elastically pressed forward by the compression coil spring 44 attached to the large-diameter portion of each stepped bolt 42. It is supposed to be done in

As shown in FIG. 9, the front surface of the heat sink 24 is formed with a pair of left and right shafts 24c projecting toward the front of the unit. Each shaft 24c is arranged so as to be positioned in the center of a pair of upper and lower stepped bolts 42, and is formed in a cylindrical shape.

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

By slidably engaging the shaft positioning holes 40Ad of the vertical surface portion 40A with the shafts 24c over a certain length, the front end surfaces of the protrusions 24a of the heat sink 24 are aligned with the vertical surface perpendicular to the optical axis Ax. It is designed to prevent in advance from inclining.

The support substrate 22 is formed with a pair of left and right shaft insertion holes (not shown) for inserting the pair of left and right shafts 24c.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, holding members 46 for holding the support substrate 22 from both sides in the unit front-rear direction are attached to two upper and lower portions of the left and right end faces of the support substrate 22 . Each holding member 46 is formed by welding together two metal plates that are L-shaped in plan view and are spaced apart in the front-rear direction of the unit. Each holding member 46 is fixed by screwing to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 at the portion where the two metal plates are overlapped.

At this time, each clamping member 46 is formed with a long hole (not shown) extending in the unit front-rear direction, and by screwing in the long hole, the support substrate 22 is attached to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40. The position of the unit in the front-rear direction can be finely adjusted.

As a result, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a plurality of terminal pins 30Ba formed on the rear surface of the housing portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30 are connected to a plurality of fitting holes (that is, terminal pins) formed in the socket 26. 26a formed in a substantially cylindrical shape) (that is, a state in which electrical connection between the spatial light modulator 30 and the socket 26 is securely established) is maintained. there is

Next, the configuration of the lens side sub-assembly 70 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, the projection lens 72 is composed of first, second and third resin lenses 72A, 72B and 72C arranged on the optical axis Ax in the unit front-rear direction at predetermined intervals. there is

The first lens 72A positioned closest to the front of the unit is configured as a plano-convex lens bulging toward the front of the unit. The third lens 72C located at is configured as a biconvex lens. At this time, the first to third lenses 72A to 72C are configured such that their upper ends are cut slightly along the horizontal plane and their lower portions are cut relatively large along the horizontal plane.

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

As shown in FIG. 2, the lens holder 74 is a member made of metal (for example, made of die-cast aluminum), and includes a holder body 74A formed so as to surround the projection lens 72 in a cylindrical shape, and an outer circumference of the holder body 74A. A pair of left and right flange portions 74B are provided so as to protrude from the lower end of the surface to both the left and right sides.

A first metal fitting 76A is attached to the holder main body 74A from the unit front side, and a second metal fitting 76B is attached from the unit rear side. The first to third lenses 72A to 72C are supported in a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the holder main body 74A by these first and second metal fittings 76A, 76B and a support structure (not shown).

The pair of left and right flange portions 74B are formed to project slightly downward from the lower end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the holder main body 74A toward the left and right sides, and the distal end portions thereof are formed to extend along the horizontal plane. there is

Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the lens holder 74 is fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 by screwing at two front and rear portions of the distal end portion of each flange portion 74B.

At this time, each flange portion 74B is formed with a long hole (not shown) extending in the unit front-rear direction, and by screwing in the long hole, the lens holder 74 is attached to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40. The position of the unit in the front-rear direction can be finely adjusted. In this way, the position of the rear focal point F of the projection lens 72 is set after taking into consideration the deviation of the optical path due to the refraction of the reflected light from each of the reflecting elements 30As when it passes through the light-transmitting plate 30C and the light-transmitting cover 36. can be performed.

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

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 8, between the spatial light modulating unit 20 and the lens-side sub-assembly 70, there is provided a light shielding unit for shielding light reflected from each of the plurality of reflecting elements 30As at the second angular position. A light shielding cover 90 is arranged.

The light-shielding cover 90 is made of a plate-like member that is surface-treated to suppress reflection of light, and covers the space between the lens holder 74 and the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 from above. is formed in The light shielding cover 90 is fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 by screwing at a pair of front and rear flange portions 90a formed on both left and right sides thereof.

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

Specifically, the light shielding cover 90 is made of a black alumite-treated aluminum plate (specifically, an aluminum die-cast product formed into a substantially semi-cylindrical shape). When the light-shielding cover 90 is screwed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40, the black alumite-treated portion is scraped off, so that the light-shielding cover 90 is electrically connected to the bracket 40. ing.

When the light shielding cover 90 is fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40, the black alumite treatment applied to the portions that come into surface contact with the horizontal surface portion 40B (that is, the lower surfaces of the two pairs of left and right flange portions 90a) is removed in advance. By placing the bracket 40 thereon, it is possible to achieve a configuration in which the electrical connection with the bracket 40 is more reliably performed.

When fixed to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40, the light shielding cover 90 has its front end portion covering the rear end portion of the lens holder 74 and its rear end edge positioned near the front of the unit on the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40. So, its shape is set.

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

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

At that time, the upper cover 92 is arranged so as to cover the space between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the heat sink 24 from the upper side and the left and right sides, and the lower cover 94 covers the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the heat sink 24. It is formed below the heat sink 24 so as to cover the substrate 22 from the front, rear, left, and right.

These upper cover 92 and lower cover 94 are arranged so as to abut against the bracket 40 and the heat sink 24 from both upper and lower sides. integrated by.

The upper cover 92 has a pair of left and right locking pieces 92b that are locked to the vertical surface portion 40A at both left and right ends of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, and a plurality of left and right locking pieces 92b that are locked to the heat sink 24 at a plurality of locations in the left and right direction. and a locking piece 92c are formed.

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

Thus, the upper cover 92 and the lower cover 94 are also configured as electrically grounded second conductive members, like the light shielding cover 90 .

As a result, the light shielding cover 90, the upper cover 92 and the lower cover 94 function as electromagnetic shields for protecting the spatial light modulator 30 from noise generated by repeated turning on and off of the light source 52. 30 is effectively prevented from being adversely affected.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The lamp unit 10 according to the present embodiment is a vehicle-mounted lamp unit so that the light from the light source 52 reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 is projected forward through the projection lens 72 (optical member). Therefore, by controlling the spatial distribution of the reflected light in this spatial light modulator 30, various light distribution patterns can be formed with high precision.

At that time, the spatial light modulator 30 includes a reflection control section 30A in which a plurality of reflection elements 30As are arranged, a housing section 30B that houses the reflection control section 30A, and a front side of the unit from the reflection control section 30A. Since the light transmitting plate 30C supported by the housing portion 30B in an arranged state and the sealing portion 30D for sealing the periphery of the light transmitting plate 30C to the housing portion 30B are provided, the reflection control portion 30A It is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust from adhering to the surface.

In addition, a plate-like member 32 is arranged between the spatial light modulator 30 and the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 that supports the spatial light modulator 30 on the front side of the unit. The plate-like member 32 is formed with an opening 32a surrounding the reflection control portion 30A so as to cover the seal portion 30D from the front side of the unit. Since the gasket 34 is interposed, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, since the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 is covered from the front side of the unit by the plate member 32, even if the external light is transmitted through the projection lens 72 at an angle converging on the sealing portion 30D, this The converging light can be blocked by the plate-like member 32, thereby preventing the sealing portion 30D from being eroded.

FIG. 15 is a diagram similar to FIG. 3 for specifically explaining such a function and effect.

The drawing shows a state in which the lamp unit 10 is irradiated with external light from a direction close to the horizontal direction, such as sunlight in the morning and evening.

As shown in the figure, the external light from a direction close to the horizontal direction passes through the projection lens 72 and the translucent cover 36 along an optical path R3 that is substantially opposite to the optical path R1 of the illumination light from the lamp unit 10, and the spatial light is emitted. It becomes light directed to the modulator 30 .

In the figure, if the plate-like member 32 were not present, the light traveling along the optical path R3 toward the spatial light modulator 30 would reach the lower region of the sealing portion 30D located below the light-transmitting plate 30C. Since the seal portion 30D is located near the rear focal point F of the projection lens 72 in the unit front-rear direction, the external light reaches the area below the seal portion 30D as convergent light.

Actually, since the seal portion 30D is covered from the front side of the unit by the plate-like member 32, the convergent light traveling toward the spatial light modulator 30 along the optical path R3 is blocked by the plate-like member 32 and reaches the seal portion 30D. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sealing portion 30D from being eroded.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the lamp unit 10 having the reflective spatial light modulator 30, it is possible to prevent the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 from being melted by external light. can be done. As a result, the airtightness of the internal space of the spatial light modulator 30 can be prevented from being impaired.

Moreover, in this embodiment, since the gasket 34 is interposed between the plate-like member 32 and the housing portion 30B, the plate-like member 32 can be moved without applying an excessive load to the spatial light modulator 30. Support can be provided so that the functionality of the spatial light modulator 30 is not compromised.

Furthermore, since the plate-like member 32 is made of an aluminum plate whose surface has been subjected to black alumite treatment, it is possible to prevent the light reflected from the surface of the plate-like member 32 from becoming stray light and being emitted in front of the lamp unit. can be effectively suppressed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the plate-like member 32 is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the unit by engaging with the bracket 40, so that the reflection control section 30A of the spatial light modulator 30 and the plate-like member 32 It is possible to improve the accuracy of the positional relationship with the opening 32a, thereby covering the seal portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 in an appropriate state.

At this time, the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 has projections 40Ab formed at a plurality of locations on the rear surface thereof. It is possible to easily position the unit in a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction.

Furthermore, since projections 34Aa are formed at a plurality of locations on the rear surface of the gasket 34, the gasket 34 is brought into contact with the casing 30B at these projections 34Aa and is elastically deformed to thereby achieve spatial light modulation. It is possible to easily support the plate member 32 properly without applying an excessive load to the container 30 .

Further, since the plate-like member 32 is formed with a plate thickness smaller than that of the transparent plate 30C, the optical path of the light incident on the spatial light modulator 30 from the light source 52 and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 is blocked. It is easily possible to avoid inadvertent obstruction by the shaped member 32 .

Further, the plate-like member 32 is arranged at a position away from the light-transmitting plate 30C toward the front side of the unit, and the gap between the plate-like member 32 and the light-transmitting plate 30C is smaller than the plate thickness of the light-transmitting plate 30C. , the light incident on the spatial light modulator 30 from the light source 52 and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 are prevented from interfering with the plate member 32 and the transparent plate 30C. It is possible to easily prevent the plate member 32 from inadvertently blocking the optical path of .

In the above embodiment, the unit front-rear direction (that is, the direction in which the optical axis Ax extends) is orthogonal to the planar extending direction of the reflection control section 30A of the spatial light modulator 30, but the unit front-rear direction It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the reflection control section 30A extends in an inclined direction with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plane.

In the above embodiment, the light emitted from the light source 52 reflected by the reflector 54 is reflected by the spatial light modulator 30. It is also possible to employ a configuration in which the light is reflected by 30 or a configuration in which the emitted light from the light source 52 is directly reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 .

In the above embodiment, the lamp unit 10 is described as a vehicle-mounted lamp unit, but it can also be used for applications other than vehicle-mounted.

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

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

FIG. 16 is a view, similar to FIG. 11, showing the essential parts of the lamp unit according to this modified example.

As shown in the figure, the basic configuration of this modification is the same as that of the above embodiment, but the configuration of the spatial light modulation unit 120 is partly different from that of the above embodiment. Specifically, the spatial light modulation unit 120 of this modified example differs from the embodiment described above in that the gasket 134 has the functions of the plate member 32 and the gasket 34 of the embodiment described above.

That is, the spatial light modulation unit 120 of this modification has a configuration in which a black silicone rubber gasket 134 is arranged between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the spatial light modulator 30 .

The gasket 134 has a planar front surface and is in surface contact with the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, like the gasket 34 of the above-described embodiment.

As with the gasket 34 of the above-described embodiment, the gasket 134 has a thin portion 134A located on the unit front side with respect to the housing portion 30B, and a thick portion surrounding the housing portion 30B. It is formed as part 134B. The gasket 134 has a structure in which a thinnest portion 134C is formed inside the thin portion 134A.

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

At this time, on the rear surface of the thin portion 134A, projections 134Aa similar to those of the gasket 34 of the above-described embodiment are formed at four locations in the circumferential direction. The thin portion 134A is formed with three insertion holes (not shown) similar to those of the gasket 34 of the above-described embodiment.

Further, the thinnest portion 134C is formed with an opening 134Ca having the same shape as the opening 32a of the plate member 32 of the above embodiment. Thereby, the gasket 134 covers the sealing portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 from the front side of the unit at the thinnest portion 134C.

Even when the configuration of this modified example is adopted, the spatial light modulator 30 has its sealing portion 30D covered with the thinnest portion 134C of the gasket 134, so that external light is projected at an angle converging on the sealing portion 30D. Even if the light passes through the lens 72, the converging light can be blocked by the gasket 134, thereby preventing the sealing portion 30D from melting.

In addition, in this modification, since the gasket 134 is interposed between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the spatial light modulator 30, it is possible to prevent an excessive load from being applied to the spatial light modulator 30. This can prevent the function of the spatial light modulator 30 from being impaired.

Moreover, by adopting the configuration of this modified example, the number of parts of the lamp unit can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the gasket 134 is made of black silicone rubber, it is possible to effectively prevent the light surface-reflected by the gasket 134 from being emitted to the front of the unit as stray light.

Also in this modification, the gasket 134 is positioned in the direction perpendicular to the unit front-rear direction by engagement with the bracket 40, so that the reflection control section 30A of the spatial light modulator 30 and the opening 134Ca of the gasket 134 are aligned. The accuracy of the positional relationship can be improved, and as a result, the seal portion 30D of the spatial light modulator 30 can be covered in an appropriate state.

Furthermore, since projections 134Aa are formed at a plurality of locations on the rear surface of the gasket 134, the gasket 134 is brought into contact with the casing 30B at these projections 134Aa and is elastically deformed to thereby achieve spatial light modulation. It is possible to easily support the plate member 32 properly without applying an excessive load to the container 30 .

In addition, since the gasket 134 is formed with the thinnest portion 134C in the area surrounding the opening 134Ca, the optical paths of the light incident on the spatial light modulator 30 from the light source 52 and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 are blocked. It is readily possible to prevent the gasket 134 from inadvertently blocking.

Furthermore, the gasket 134 is arranged at a position away from the light-transmitting plate 30C toward the unit front side, and the gap between the thinnest portion 134C of the gasket 134 and the light-transmitting plate 30C is larger than the plate thickness of the light-transmitting plate 30C. Since the value is set to a small value, after preventing interference between the gasket 134 and the transparent plate 30C, the light incident on the spatial light modulator 30 from the light source 52 and the light reflected by the spatial light modulator 30 are It is easily possible to prevent the optical path from being unintentionally blocked by the gasket 134 .

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

FIG. 17 is a view, similar to FIG. 11, showing the essential parts of the lamp unit according to this modified example.

As shown in the figure, the basic configuration of this modification is the same as that of the above embodiment, but the configuration of the spatial light modulation unit 220 is partly different from that of the above embodiment. Specifically, in this modified example, the bracket 240 has the functions of the bracket 40 and the plate member 32 of the above embodiment, which is different from the above embodiment.

That is, the bracket 240 of this modification also has a vertical surface portion 240A formed with an opening portion 240Aa and an annular groove portion 240Ac similar to those of the above-described embodiment. It has the same shape as the plate-like member 32 and is formed so as to protrude toward the rear side of the unit, and is in surface contact with the gasket 34 on its rear surface.

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

Even when the configuration of this modified example is adopted, the spatial light modulator 30 has its sealing portion 30D covered with the plate-like portion 240Ae formed on the vertical surface portion 240A of the bracket 240, so that external light is Even if the light is transmitted through the projection lens 72 at an angle converging to 30D, the converging light can be blocked by the plate-like portion 240Ae, thereby preventing the sealing portion 30D from melting.

Also, by adopting the configuration of this modified example, the number of parts of the lamp unit can be reduced.

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 employed.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 lamp unit 20, 120, 220 spatial light modulation unit 22 support substrate 22a, 32a, 40Aa, 40Ba, 134Ca, 240Af opening 24 heat sink 24a, 34Aa, 134Aa protrusion 24b radiation fin 24c shaft 26 socket 26a terminal pin 30 spatial light Modulator 30A Reflection control section 30As Reflection element 30B Housing section 30Ba Terminal pin 30Bb Annular stepped section 30C Translucent plate 30D Seal section 32 Plate member 32b Insertion hole 34, 134 Gasket 34A, 134A Thin section 34B, 134B Thick section 36 Translucent cover 36A Upper front region 36B Lower front region 36C Outer peripheral flange 36Ca, 40Bb Boss 36Cb Annular rib 40, 240 Bracket 40A, 240A Vertical surface 40Ab Protrusion 40Ac, 240Ac Annular groove 40Ad Shaft positioning hole 40B Horizontal surface 42 Stepped Bolt 44 Compression coil spring 46 Clamping member 50, 250 Light source side sub-assembly 52, 252 Light source 52a Light emitting surface 54 Reflector 54a Reflecting surface 56 Board 58 Connector 60 Base member 60A Inclined surface portion 60B Horizontal surface portion 62, 84 Heat transfer plate 62a, 84a Support recess 70 lens side sub-assembly 72 projection lens (optical member)
72A first lens 72B second lens 72C third lens 74 lens holder 74A holder main body 74B, 90a flange portion 76A first metal fitting 76B second metal fitting 80 heat sink 80a heat radiation fin 82 heat radiation fan 82A fan body 82B support portion 86 heat pipe 90 light shielding Cover 92 Upper cover 92a, 94a Left and right side portions 92b, 92c, 94b Locking piece 94 Lower cover 94c Inclined surface portion 100 Vehicle lamp 102 Lamp body 104 Translucent cover 134C Thinnest portion 240Ae Plate-shaped portion Ax Optical axis F Rear focus R1, R, R3 Optical path S1, S2 Gap

Claims (6)

A lamp unit comprising a light source, a spatial light modulator that reflects light from the light source, and an optical member that irradiates the light reflected by the spatial light modulator toward the front of the unit,
The spatial light modulator includes a reflection control section in which a plurality of reflecting elements for reflecting light from the light source are arranged, a housing section that accommodates the reflection control section, and a front side of the unit from the reflection control section. and a sealing portion that seals the light-transmitting plate to the housing portion at the peripheral edge portion of the light-transmitting plate,
A bracket for supporting the spatial light modulator is arranged on the unit front side of the spatial light modulator,
A plate-shaped member having an opening surrounding the reflection control section is arranged between the spatial light modulator and the bracket so as to cover the seal section from the front side of the unit,
A lamp unit, wherein a gasket is interposed between the plate member and the housing. 2. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein said plate-like member is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of said unit by engagement with said bracket. 3. The lamp unit according to claim 1, wherein projections are formed at a plurality of locations on the rear surface of the bracket. The lamp unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of protrusions are formed on the rear surface of the gasket. 5. The lamp unit according to claim 1, wherein the plate-like member is formed with a plate thickness thinner than that of the translucent plate. The plate-shaped member is arranged at a position away from the light-transmitting plate on the front side of the unit,
6. The lamp unit according to claim 1, wherein a gap between the plate-like member and the light-transmitting plate is set to a value smaller than the thickness of the light-transmitting plate.

Images