JP7407668B2 - lighting unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lamp unit including a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, vehicle-mounted lamp units have been known that are configured to emit light from a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit through a projection lens.

``Patent Document 1'' describes such a lamp unit in which the projection lens is composed of a plurality of lenses arranged in line in the front and back direction of the unit, and these are supported by a common lens holder. Are listed.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-91976

By adopting a configuration in which a plurality of lenses are supported by a common lens holder, as in the lamp unit described in the above-mentioned "Patent Document 1", it is possible to improve the accuracy of the positional relationship between the lenses. However, in this case, it is preferable to configure the lens closest to the rear of the unit as a biconvex lens in order to improve the optical characteristics as a projection lens.

However, when the lens located closest to the rear of the unit among the plurality of lenses is configured with a biconvex lens, the following problem occurs.

In other words, when a biconvex lens is made of a glass lens, it is difficult to ensure sufficient surface precision on the front and rear surfaces, and when a biconvex lens is made of a resin lens, the center Since the portion becomes considerably thick, sink marks are likely to occur during molding, making it difficult to manufacture biconvex lenses with high precision.

If the lens located closest to the rear of the unit is constructed of a biconvex lens in this way, the manufacturing cost will be increased in order to maintain the optical characteristics as a projection lens.

The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and is configured to irradiate light from a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit via a projection lens. An object of the present invention is to provide a lamp unit that can maintain the optical characteristics of a projection lens while reducing costs.

The present invention aims to achieve the above object by devising a lens structure.

That is, the lamp unit according to the first invention of the present application is as follows:
In a lamp unit configured to irradiate light from a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit via a projection lens,
The above-mentioned projection lens is composed of a plurality of lenses arranged in line in the front and back direction of the unit,
The above multiple lenses are supported by a common lens holder,
The plurality of lenses are configured such that the lens located closest to the rear of the unit is a first plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit, and the lens adjacent to the front side of the unit of the first plano-convex lens is a lens that is located closest to the rear of the unit. It is composed of a second plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges forward,
The present invention is characterized in that an annular spacer is disposed between the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens .
Further, the lighting unit according to the second invention of the present application is
In a lamp unit configured to irradiate light from a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit via a projection lens,
The above-mentioned projection lens is composed of a plurality of lenses arranged in line in the front and back direction of the unit,
The above multiple lenses are supported by a common lens holder,
The plurality of lenses are configured such that the lens located closest to the rear of the unit is a first plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit, and the lens adjacent to the front side of the unit of the first plano-convex lens is a lens that is located closest to the rear of the unit. It is composed of a second plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges forward,
The second plano-convex lens is made of a resin lens,
A protrusion is formed on the outer periphery of the rear surface of the second plano-convex lens, the protrusion defining a distance between the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens by coming into contact with the front surface of the first plano-convex lens. It is characterized by this.
Furthermore, the lighting unit according to the third invention of the present application includes:
In a lamp unit configured to irradiate light from a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit via a projection lens,
The above-mentioned projection lens is composed of a plurality of lenses arranged in line in the front and back direction of the unit,
The above multiple lenses are supported by a common lens holder,
The plurality of lenses are configured such that the lens located closest to the rear of the unit is a first plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit, and the lens adjacent to the front side of the unit of the first plano-convex lens is a lens that is located closest to the rear of the unit. It is composed of a second plano-convex lens with a convex curved surface that bulges forward,
The lens holder is made of a resin member in which through holes are formed at multiple locations in the circumferential direction, and in each of the through holes, an engagement member that extends inwardly toward the front side of the unit is provided. It has a structure in which the pieces are integrally formed,
Each of the engaging pieces is configured to engage with the first plano-convex lens when the first plano-convex lens is inserted from the rear side of the unit to a position where it contacts the lens holder. It is something.

The above-mentioned "multiple light emission control elements" are not particularly limited in their specific configuration, as long as they are arranged in a matrix on the rear side of the unit relative to the projection lens and are configured to emit light individually. For example, there are devices configured to reflect and control the light emitted from the light source, such as digital micromirrors and reflective liquid crystal panels, and devices that transmit the light emitted from the light source, such as transmissive liquid crystal panels. It is possible to adopt a device configured to control the device, a device configured with a plurality of light emitting elements that emit light by themselves, such as a micro LED, etc.

The specific shape and material of the above-mentioned "lens holder" are not particularly limited.

Although the above-mentioned "projection lens" is composed of a plurality of lenses, the specific number thereof is not particularly limited.

The specific shape of the convex curved surface of the "first plano-convex lens" is not particularly limited as long as it is a plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit.

As long as the "second plano-convex lens" has a convex curved surface that bulges toward the front of the unit, the specific shape of the convex curved surface is not particularly limited.

The specific materials of each of the "first plano-convex lens" and "second plano-convex lens" are not particularly limited.

The lighting unit according to the present invention is configured to emit light from the plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit through the projection lens. Through control, various light distribution patterns can be formed with high precision.

At this time, the projection lens is composed of a plurality of lenses arranged side by side in the front and back direction of the unit, and these are supported by a common lens holder, so the accuracy of the positional relationship between the lenses can be improved. This can be ensured sufficiently, thereby making it possible to easily obtain the desired optical characteristics.

In addition, the plurality of lenses are configured such that the lens located closest to the rear of the unit is a first plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit, and the lens adjacent to the front of the unit extends toward the front of the unit. Since it is composed of a second plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit, it can have substantially the same lens function as when the lens located furthest to the rear of the unit is composed of a biconvex lens.

Moreover, by employing the first and second plano-convex lenses instead of the biconvex lenses in this way, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost.

In other words, when each of the first and second plano-convex lenses is made of a glass lens, it is sufficient to mold only the lens surface on the convex curved side with a mold, so it is easy to manufacture them with high precision. becomes. In addition, when each of the first and second plano-convex lenses is made of a resin lens, the thickness of the center portion is approximately halved compared to when they are made of a single biconvex lens, so during molding. sink marks are less likely to occur. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the first and second plano-convex lenses while maintaining optical characteristics as a projection lens.

According to the present invention, costs can be reduced in a lamp unit configured to emit light from a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit via a projection lens. In addition, the optical characteristics of the projection lens can be maintained.

In the above structure, if the first plano-convex lens is made of a glass lens, the following effects can be obtained.

In other words, the lens located furthest to the rear of the unit is susceptible to the effects of radiant heat from light from multiple light emission control elements and heat generated around the light source and trapped in the internal space of the lens holder. By using lenses, it is possible to prevent thermal deformation from occurring. This can enhance the effect of maintaining the optical characteristics of the projection lens.

In the above structure, if the second plano-convex lens is made of a resin lens, the weight of the second plano-convex lens can be reduced, and the degree of freedom in its shape can be increased.

In the above structure, if the structure is such that an annular spacer is further arranged between the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens, the following effects can be obtained.

In other words, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens are placed in direct surface contact as the projection lens, but in this case, vibration load is applied to the lamp unit. When this occurs, the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens may rub against each other, causing damage to the lens surfaces.

On the other hand, if the configuration is such that an annular spacer is arranged between the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens, the positional relationship between the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens is maintained, and Damage to the lens surface can be prevented.

In the above configuration, the second plano-convex lens is configured to be made of a resin lens, and the first plano-convex lens is attached to the outer peripheral edge of the rear surface of the second plano-convex lens by contacting the front surface of the first plano-convex lens. If the configuration is such that a protrusion defining the distance between the convex lens and the second plano-convex lens is formed, the lens can be formed while maintaining the positional relationship between the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens without increasing the number of parts. This can prevent damage to the surface.

As long as the above-mentioned "projection" can define the distance between the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens by coming into contact with the front surface of the first plano-convex lens, its specific configuration is not particularly limited. For example, a rib-like protrusion formed in an annular shape, a plurality of hemispherical protrusions formed at intervals in the circumferential direction, etc. can be adopted.

In the above configuration, the lens holder is further configured such that through holes are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction, and the first plano-convex lens is located on the rear side of the unit and is locked in the multiple through holes. If a plate spring is arranged to elastically press the first plano-convex lens toward the front side of the unit, the first and second plano-convex lenses can be reliably positioned in the front-rear direction of the unit.

On the other hand, in the above configuration, the lens holder is made of a resin member in which through holes are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction, and in each of the through holes, the inner peripheral side toward the front side of the unit is In addition, when the first plano-convex lens is inserted from the rear side of the unit to the position where it abuts the lens holder, each engagement piece engages the first plano-convex lens. If the structure is such that the first and second plano-convex lenses are engaged with each other, the first and second plano-convex lenses can be reliably positioned in the front-rear direction of the unit without increasing the number of parts.

A side sectional view showing a vehicle lamp equipped with a lamp unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. II direction arrow view in Figure 1 showing the above lighting unit Cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2 A perspective view showing the above lighting unit disassembled into its main components Detailed view of main parts in Figure 1 Detailed view of main parts in Figure 5 A diagram substantially similar to Figure 3, showing how the lens side sub-assembly of the above lighting unit is assembled. A perspective view showing the light distribution pattern formed by the irradiated light from the above lamp unit. A diagram substantially similar to FIG. 5 showing the first and second modified examples of the above embodiment. A diagram similar to FIG. 1 showing a third modification of the above embodiment. A diagram similar to FIG. 4 showing the third modification example above. A diagram substantially similar to FIG. 7 showing the effect of the third modification described above. A diagram substantially similar to FIG. 5 showing a fourth 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 100 including a lamp unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a view taken along the arrow II in FIG. 1, showing the lamp unit 10, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III--III in FIG. Further, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the lamp unit 10 exploded into main components.

In these figures, the direction indicated by is "upward". The same applies to figures other than these.

The vehicular lamp 100 is a road drawing lamp provided at the front end of the vehicle, and the lamp unit 10 is arranged in a lamp chamber formed by a lamp body 102 and a transparent cover 104 in the front-rear direction (that is, in the unit front-rear direction). ) is accommodated with the optical axis adjusted so that it coincides with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

The lamp unit 10 includes a spatial light modulation unit 20, a light source side subassembly 50, a lens side subassembly 70, and a bracket 40 that supports these.

The bracket 40 is a member made of metal (for example, aluminum die-casting), and includes a vertical surface portion 40A extending along a vertical plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the unit, and a shelf extending toward the front of the unit in the lower region of the vertical surface portion 40A. It is provided with a shaped part 40B.

The lamp unit 10 is supported by the lamp body 102 at the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 via a mounting structure (not shown), and is configured to be able to tilt vertically and horizontally with respect to the lamp body 102. .

The spatial light modulation unit 20 includes a spatial light modulator 30, a support substrate 22 disposed on the rear side of the unit from the spatial light modulator 30, and a heat sink 24 disposed on the rear side of the unit from the support substrate 22. It is equipped with Note that the support substrate 22 is formed to extend below the heat sink 24.

The light source side sub-assembly 50 includes a pair of left and right light sources (specifically, light emitting diodes) 52 mounted on a substrate 56, and a reflector 54 that reflects the light emitted from each light source 52 toward the spatial light modulation unit 20. It is equipped with At this time, the reflective surface of the reflector 54 is configured to converge the emitted light from each light source 52 at a position displaced upward with respect to the rear focal point F (see FIG. 1) of the projection lens 72. Note that a connector 58 for supplying power to the pair of left and right light sources 52 is mounted on the board 56.

The shelf portion 40B of the bracket 40 is formed so as to extend horizontally from the vertical surface portion 40A toward the front of the unit, and then to extend diagonally downward and forward. A substrate 56 and a reflector 54 of the assembly 50 are supported. Note that a mounting leg portion 54a for attaching the bracket 40 to the shelf portion 40B is formed at the lower end portion of the reflector 54 so as to surround the connector 58.

The lens-side sub-assembly 70 includes a projection lens 72 having an optical axis Ax extending in the front-rear direction of the unit, and a lens holder 74 that supports the projection lens 72, and is supported by the bracket 40 at the rear end of the lens holder 74. has been done.

Note that a heat sink 80 and a cooling fan 82 are disposed below the shelf portion 40B of the bracket 40 to dissipate heat generated when each light source 52 is turned on. The heat sink 80 is formed integrally with the bracket 40 and includes a plurality of heat radiation fins 80a extending toward the rear of the unit. The cooling fan 82 is arranged on the rear side of the unit of the plurality of radiation fins 80a.

The lamp unit 10 according to the present embodiment emits 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 displaying characters and images on the road surface in front of the vehicle. The configuration is such that a light distribution pattern for drawing symbols and the like (that is, a light distribution pattern for road surface drawing) can be formed with high precision.

To achieve this, the lighting unit 10 is configured to include a control board 60 equipped with a control circuit (not shown) that controls the spatial light modulator 30 based on a video signal from an on-vehicle camera (not shown). ing.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control board 60 is disposed on the rear side of the unit with respect to the heat sink 24, and is supported by an electromagnetic shielding cover 90, etc., which will be described later, via a support member (not shown). The control board 60 is electrically connected to the support board 22 via a flexible printed wiring board 64. That is, the first connector 62A is mounted on the support board 22, and the second connector 62B is mounted on the control board 60. Both ends of the U-shaped flexible printed wiring board 64 are inserted into the openings of the first and second connectors 62A, 62B from below.

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the main part of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the spatial light modulator 30 is a digital micromirror device (DMD) in which a plurality of reflective elements (specifically, hundreds of thousands of micromirrors) 30As are arranged in a matrix. It includes a reflection control section 30A, a casing section 30B that accommodates the reflection control section 30A, and a transparent plate 30C supported by the casing section 30B while being disposed on the front side of the unit rather than the reflection control section 30A. The structure is as follows.

The spatial light modulator 30 is arranged such that its reflection control section 30A is located on a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax at the rear focal point F of the projection lens 72. At this time, the central axis Ax1 of the reflection control section 30A extends in the unit front-rear direction at a position displaced upward with respect to the optical axis Ax.

The spatial light modulator 30 controls the reflection of the light from each light source 52 that reaches each reflective element 30As by controlling the angle of the reflective surface of each of the plurality of reflective elements 30As constituting the reflection control unit 30A. The structure is such that the direction can be selectively switched. Specifically, the first angular position in which the light from each light source 52 is reflected in the direction of the optical path R1 toward the projection lens 72 (the direction shown by the solid line in the figure), and the direction away from the projection lens 72 (i.e., the light distribution A second angular position is selected in which the light is reflected in the direction of the optical path R2 (the direction indicated by the two-dot chain line in the figure), which is the direction that does not adversely affect pattern formation.

FIG. 6 is a detailed diagram of the main part of FIG. 5, showing the detailed structure of the reflection control section 30A.

As shown in FIG. 6, each reflection element 30As constituting the reflection control section 30A is configured to be rotatable around a horizontal axis extending in the left-right direction, and in the first angular position, the reflection control section 30A is rotated. When rotated downward by a predetermined angle (for example, about 12 degrees) with respect to a vertical plane perpendicular to the central axis Ax1, the reflected light from the reflector 54 (see FIG. 5) is converted into slightly upward light (light on optical path R1). While the reflected light from the reflector 54 is reflected toward the front of the unit, in the second angular position, the reflected light from the reflector 54 is The light is reflected toward the front of the unit as considerably upward light (light on optical path R2).

Switching between the first angular position and the second angular position is achieved by controlling energization to an electrode (not shown) disposed near a member (not shown) that rotatably supports each reflective element 30As. It is done by doing. In the neutral state in which no current is applied, the reflective elements 30As are configured such that their reflective surfaces are flush with each other along a vertical plane orthogonal to the central axis Ax1.

In addition, in FIG. 6, the reflective element 30As located in the vicinity of the central axis Ax1 of the reflection control unit 30A is in the first angular position, and the reflective element 30As located in the lower region is in the second angular position. Indicates the condition.

As shown in FIG. 5, the support substrate 22 is arranged so as to extend along a vertical plane perpendicular to the unit front-rear direction (that is, a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax and the central axis Ax1), and has a front surface thereof. A conductive pattern (not shown) is formed. The support substrate 22 supports the peripheral edge of the housing 30B of the spatial light modulator 30 from the rear side of the unit via the socket 26, so that the spatial light modulator 30 is electrically connected to the support substrate 22. It is now connected.

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 front and back direction of the unit.

The heat sink 24 is arranged so as to extend along a vertical plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the unit, and has a protrusion 24a projecting toward the front of the unit in a prismatic shape on its front surface, and a protrusion 24a on its rear surface. A plurality of radiation fins 24b are formed extending toward the rear of the unit. The heat sink 24 is adapted to come into contact with the center portion of the housing portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30 at the tip end surface of the protrusion portion 24a.

A horizontally long rectangular opening 40Aa surrounding the transparent plate 30C of the spatial light modulator 30 is formed in the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40. This opening 40Aa has an inner peripheral surface shape that is chamfered so as to expand toward the front of the unit over its entire circumference.

Further, on the rear surface of the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40, protrusions 40Ab that protrude in a cylindrical shape toward the rear of the unit are formed at three positions surrounding the opening 40Aa. An annular flange portion 40Ac that protrudes rearward is formed to extend in a horizontally long rectangular shape.

The vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 is configured such that the tip surfaces of the three projections 40Ab come into contact with the front surface of the housing portion 30B of the spatial light modulator 30, and at this time, the annular flange portion 40Ac contacts the spatial light modulator. 30 is designed to cover the entire circumference.

As shown in FIG. 1, an electromagnetic shielding cover 90 for protecting the spatial light modulator 30 from noise generated by repeated turning on and off of the light source 52 is arranged on the rear side of the unit with respect to the bracket 40. The electromagnetic shield cover 90 is made of metal (for example, steel), and is screwed onto the vertical surface 40A of the bracket 40 while being arranged to cover the spatial light modulation unit 20 and the control board 60 from the rear side of the unit. Fixed by Although the electromagnetic shield cover 90 constitutes a part of the lamp unit 10, the lamp unit 10 is shown in FIG. 4 with the electromagnetic shield cover 90 removed.

Next, a specific configuration of the lens side sub-assembly 70 will be explained.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the projection lens 72 includes four first, second, third, and fourth lenses 72A, 72B, 72C, and 72D arranged in line in the front-rear direction of the unit on the optical axis Ax. It is configured.

The first lens 72A located closest to the front of the unit is configured as a plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that expands toward the front of the unit, and the second lens 72B, which is the second lens from the front of the unit, is configured as a biconcave lens. The third lens 72C, which is the third lens from the front of the unit, is configured as a plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the front of the unit, and the fourth lens 72D, which is located furthest to the rear of the unit, is configured to face toward the rear of the unit. It is constructed as a plano-convex lens with a convex curved surface that bulges out.

The first lens 72A is made of a resin lens (specifically, an acrylic resin lens), and the second lens 72B is made of a resin lens (specifically, a polycarbonate resin lens). The third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D are made of glass lenses.

The first and second lenses 72A and 72B have rectangular (specifically square) outer circumferential shapes that are approximately the same size when viewed from the front of the unit, and the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D have approximately the same size when viewed from the front of the unit. It has a circular outer peripheral shape that is larger in vision than the first and second lenses 72A and 72B (specifically, slightly larger than the circumscribed circles of the first and second lenses 72A and 72B).

The first to fourth lenses 72A to 72D are supported by a common lens holder 74.

The lens holder 74 is a member made of metal (for example, aluminum die-casting), and its front region 74A is formed to extend into a rectangular tube shape centered on the optical axis Ax, and its rear region 74B is a member made of metal (for example, aluminum die-casting). It is formed to extend in a cylindrical shape around the axis Ax.

A pair of left and right flanges 74Ba are formed at the rear end of the lens holder 74. The lens holder 74 is fixed to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 by screwing at each flange portion 74Ba.

The lower end of the rear region 74B of the lens holder 74 is cut out, and a downward protrusion 74Bb that protrudes downward is formed around the cutout.

The downward protruding portion 74Bb has a lower surface shape that follows the horizontal and inclined surface shapes of the shelf portion 40B of the bracket 40 and the outer peripheral surface shape of the mounting leg portion 54a of the reflector 54. The lens holder 74 is fixed to the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 with its downward protruding portion 74Bb placed on the shelf portion 40B of the bracket 40. Thereby, the lens holder 74 is arranged in a state where the space between the bracket 40 and the projection lens 72 is sealed.

A metal fitting 76A is attached to the lens holder 74 from the front side of the unit, thereby fixing the first and second lenses 72A and 72B to the lens holder 74.

A pair of left and right outer peripheral flanges 72Aa and 72Ba extending in the vertical direction are formed on the outer peripheral edges of the first and second lenses 72A and 72B, respectively.

The first and second lenses 72A and 72B are supported by the front end surface of the front region 74A of the lens holder 74, with the left and right pair of outer circumferential flanges 72Aa and 72Ba superimposed. .

A pair of left and right positioning pins 74Aa extending toward the front of the unit are formed on the front end surface of the front region 74A. Each positioning pin 74Aa is located slightly below the horizontal plane that includes the optical axis Ax.

A pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Aa, 72Ba of each of the first and second lenses 72A, 72B includes a pair of left and right engaging portions 72Ab, 72Bb that engage with a pair of left and right positioning pins 74Aa of the lens holder 74. is formed. Of the pair of left and right engaging portions 72Ab, 72Bb, the engaging portions 72Ab, 72Bb located on the right side are formed as engaging holes, and the engaging portions 72Ab, 72Bb located on the left side are formed as engaging grooves. It is formed.

Each of the first and second lenses 72A, 72B is attached to a lens holder by engaging the engaging portions 72Ab, 72Bb of the left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Aa, 72Ba with the left and right pair of positioning pins 74Aa. When the metal fitting 76A is attached to the metal fitting 74, it is positioned within a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax. Note that a pair of left and right insertion holes 76Aa are formed in the metal fitting 76A for inserting a pair of left and right positioning pins 74Aa therethrough.

As shown in FIG. 5, the third lens 72C has an aspherical convex surface forming its front surface 72Ca, and the fourth lens 72D has an aspherical convex surface forming its rear surface 72Db. It is configured. At this time, the convex curved surface forming the front surface 72Ca of the third lens 72C is formed with a larger curvature than the convex curved surface forming the rear surface 72Db of the fourth lens 72D.

The third lens 72C has an outer flange portion 72Cc with a constant width formed around its outer periphery, and the fourth lens 72D has an outer flange portion 72Dc with a constant width formed around its outer periphery. has been done. The third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D have the same external shape.

A metal spacer 76B formed in an annular shape is arranged between a plane forming the rear surface 72Cb of the third lens 72C and a plane forming the front surface 72Da of the fourth lens 72D.

The lens holder 74 is configured to support the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D in a positioned manner at the front end 74Bc of the rear region 74B.

That is, on the inner surface side of the front end portion 74Bc, there is an annular surface 74Bc1 that extends annularly around the optical axis Ax along a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax, and an annular surface 74Bc1 that extends in the unit front-back direction around the optical axis Ax. A cylindrical surface 74Bc2 is formed. Furthermore, an annular groove portion 74Bc3 extending along the annular surface 74Bc1 is formed at the connection portion between the annular surface 74Bc1 and the cylindrical surface 74Bc2.

The third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D are housed in the cylindrical surface 74Bc2 from the rear side of the unit with the spacer 76B sandwiched between the outer peripheral flange portions 72Cc and 72Dc, and the outer peripheral flange of the third lens 72C The lens holder 72Cc contacts the annular surface 74Bc1 of the lens holder 74 from the rear side of the unit, and the outer peripheral flange 72Dc of the fourth lens 72D is elastically pressed toward the front side of the unit by the leaf spring 78, so that the lens holder 74.

As shown in FIG. 4, the leaf spring 78 is formed to extend in an annular shape centered on the optical axis Ax. Elastic pressing portions 78a are formed at four locations in the circumferential direction of the leaf spring 78, and locking portions 78b are formed at two locations on the left and right of the elastic pressing portions 78a.

The four elastic pressing portions 78a are arranged and shaped in a symmetrical manner with respect to a vertical plane including the optical axis Ax. Each elastic pressing portion 78a is formed by cutting and raising a portion of the leaf spring 78 diagonally toward the front side of the unit so as to extend in a band shape in the circumferential direction.

The two locking portions 78b are arranged and shaped symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane including the optical axis Ax. Each of the locking portions 78b is formed by bending the outer peripheral edge of the leaf spring 78 toward the rear of the unit, and has a notch cut in the center thereof in a direction away from the optical axis Ax toward the rear of the unit. A raised portion 78b1 is formed.

On the other hand, in the rear region 74B of the lens holder 74, through holes 74Bd are formed at two locations on the left and right near the front end thereof. Each through hole 74Bd is formed in a vertically long rectangular shape on both the left and right sides of the optical axis Ax.

The plate spring 78 is configured such that the cut-and-raised portions 78b1 of the pair of left and right locking portions 78b are locked in the pair of left and right through holes 74Bd of the lens holder 74. At this time, the leaf spring 78 is elastically deformed with the four elastic pressing parts 78a in contact with the outer periphery flange part 72Dc of the fourth lens 72D from the rear side of the unit, so that the fourth lens 72D is pressed against the third lens 72C. and the spacer 76B to elastically press the unit toward the front side.

FIG. 7 is a diagram substantially similar to FIG. 3, showing how the lens-side sub-assembly 70 of the lamp unit 10 is assembled.

As shown in FIG. 7, first, the third lens 72C is inserted into the internal space of the rear region 74B of the lens holder 74 from the rear side of the unit, and the outer peripheral flange portion 72Cc is inserted into the annular surface within the cylindrical surface 74Bc2 of the lens holder 74. 74Bc1.

Next, the spacer 76B and the fourth lens 72D are sequentially inserted into the internal space of the rear region 74B of the lens holder 74 from the rear side of the unit, the spacer 76B is brought into contact with the rear surface 72Cb of the third lens 72C, and the fourth lens The front surface 72Da of 72D is brought into contact with the spacer 76B.

Thereafter, the leaf spring 78 is inserted into the internal space of the rear region 74B of the lens holder 74 from the rear side of the unit, and the cut and raised portions 78b1 of the pair of left and right locking portions 78b are inserted into the pair of left and right through holes 74Bd of the lens holder 74. to be locked. At this time, the leaf spring 78 is elastically deformed with the four elastic pressing portions 78a abutting the outer peripheral flange portion 72Dc of the fourth lens 72D from the rear side of the unit.

Thereby, the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D are positioned within the cylindrical surface 74Bc2 of the lens holder 74 with the spacer 76B sandwiched therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 1, since the optical axis Ax of the projection lens 72 is displaced downward with respect to the central axis Ax1 of the reflection control section 30A of the spatial light modulator 30, the projection lens 72 is The light that has reached 72 is irradiated from the projection lens 72 toward the front of the unit as slightly downward light with respect to the horizontal direction, thereby forming a road surface drawing light distribution pattern on the road surface in front of the vehicle.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a light distribution pattern formed on a virtual vertical screen placed 25 m in front of the vehicle by the irradiation light from the vehicle lamp 10.

The light distribution pattern shown in FIG. 8 is a road surface drawing light distribution pattern PA, and is formed together with a low beam light distribution pattern PL formed by irradiation light from other vehicle lamps (not shown).

Before explaining the road surface drawing light distribution pattern PA, the low beam light distribution pattern PL will be explained.

This low beam light distribution pattern PL is a left-hand low beam light distribution pattern, and has cutoff lines CL1 and CL2 at its upper edge.

These cutoff lines CL1 and CL2 are formed by forming a horizontal cutoff line CL1 on the right side of the VV line passing vertically through HV, which is the vanishing point in the front direction of the lamp, on the oncoming lane side, and forming a horizontal cutoff line CL1 along the VV line. The portion on the left side of the own lane is formed as a diagonal cut-off line CL2, and the elbow point E, which is the intersection of the two, is located approximately 0.5 to 0.6 degrees below HV.

The road surface drawing light distribution pattern PA is a light distribution pattern for drawing a road surface to draw attention to the surroundings, and is formed as a light distribution pattern for drawing characters, symbols, etc. on the road surface in front of the vehicle. The road surface drawing light distribution pattern PA shown in FIG. 8 is formed as an arrow-shaped light distribution pattern facing the front direction of the vehicle.

The light distribution pattern PA for road surface drawing is based on light from some of the plurality of reflection elements 30As that constitute the reflection control section 30A of the spatial light modulator 30 (for example, the reflection elements 30As located in an area set in the shape of an arrow). It is formed by directing reflected light toward the projection lens 72.

By forming such an arrow-shaped road surface drawing light distribution pattern PA when a vehicle is driving at night, for example, it is possible to notify the surroundings that the vehicle is approaching an intersection in front of the vehicle and to call for attention. It has become.

In FIG. 8, a region Z1 indicated by a two-dot chain line indicates a range in which various road surface drawing light distribution patterns PA can be formed. This region Z1 is a rectangular region centered on the line VV, and its upper edge is located near the bottom of the line HH passing through HV in the horizontal direction.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

The lamp unit 10 according to the present embodiment includes light from a light source 52 reflected by a spatial light modulator 30 including a plurality of reflective elements 30As arranged in a matrix (i.e., a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix). Since it is configured to irradiate the light from The light distribution pattern PA can be formed with high precision.

In this case, the projection lens 72 is composed of four first to fourth lenses 72A, 72B, 72C, and 72D arranged in line in the front-back direction of the unit, and these are supported by a common lens holder 74. Therefore, it is possible to ensure sufficient accuracy in the positional relationship between the lenses, and thereby it is possible to easily obtain desired optical characteristics.

In addition, the four first to fourth lenses 72A to 72D are constituted by a plano-convex lens (first plano-convex lens) in which the fourth lens 72D located at the rearmost side of the unit has a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit. In addition, since the third lens 72C adjacent to the front side of the unit is composed of a plano-convex lens (second plano-convex lens) having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the front of the unit, the lens located furthest to the rear of the unit is It is possible to provide substantially the same lens function as when configured with a convex lens.

Furthermore, by employing the third lens 72C (second plano-convex lens) and the fourth lens 72D (first plano-convex lens) instead of the biconvex lens, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost.

That is, in this embodiment, each of the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D is composed of a glass lens, but the lens surface on the convex curved side (i.e., the front surface 72Ca of the third lens 72C and the fourth lens 72D Since it is sufficient to mold only the rear surface 72Db) with a mold, it is possible to easily manufacture these with high precision.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the lamp unit 10 configured to irradiate the reflected light from the plurality of reflective elements 30As arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit via the projection lens 72, The optical characteristics of the projection lens 72 can be maintained while reducing costs.

In particular, in this embodiment, since the fourth lens 72D is made of a glass lens, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, the fourth lens 72D located at the rearmost side of the unit is easily affected by radiant heat due to reflected light from the plurality of reflective elements 30As, heat generated around the light source 52 and trapped in the internal space of the lens holder 74, etc. However, by constructing this with a glass lens, it is possible to prevent thermal deformation from occurring. This can enhance the effect of maintaining the optical characteristics of the projection lens 72.

Moreover, in this embodiment, since the third lens 72C is also made of a glass lens, the effect of maintaining the optical characteristics of the projection lens 72 can be further enhanced.

Further, in this embodiment, since the annular spacer 76B is arranged between the third lens 72C and the fourth lens 72D, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, when the projection lens 72 is configured such that the third lens 72C and the fourth lens 72D are arranged in direct surface contact, when a vibration load or the like acts on the lamp unit 10, the third lens 72C There is a risk that the lens surface and the fourth lens 72D will rub against each other, causing damage to the lens surface.

On the other hand, if the annular spacer 76B is arranged between the third lens 72C and the fourth lens 72D, it is possible to maintain the positional relationship between the third lens 72C and the fourth lens 72D. , it is possible to prevent damage to the lens surface.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, through holes 74Bd are formed at two locations in the circumferential direction of the lens holder 74, and two through holes 74Bd are formed at a position on the rear side of the unit relative to the fourth lens 72D in the internal space of the lens holder 74. Since a plate spring 78 is arranged to elastically press the fourth lens 72D toward the front side of the unit while being locked in the through hole 74Bd at the location, the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D are moved toward the front and rear of the unit. Positioning can be performed reliably in the direction.

Further, in this embodiment, since the outer diameters of the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D are set to larger values than the outer diameters of the first and second lenses 72A and 72B, It becomes easier to prevent the first and second lenses 72A and 72B from being affected by heat.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D have circular outer shapes, and the first and second lenses 72A and 72B have rectangular outer shapes, so that the following effects can be achieved. effect can be obtained.

That is, by configuring the first and second lenses 72A and 72B located on the front side of the unit to have a rectangular outer shape, it is possible to easily improve the design of the lamp unit 10. In this case, since the first and second lenses 72A and 72B are made of resin lenses, they can easily be configured to have a rectangular outer shape. On the other hand, since the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D, which are made of glass lenses, have a circular outer shape, they can be easily manufactured, thereby reducing the cost of the lamp unit 10. Can be done.

Further, the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D are attached to the lens holder 74 at the front end 74Bc of the rear region 74B of the lens holder 74 (that is, the portion that protrudes toward the outer circumferential side than the first and second lenses 72A and 72B). Since they are fixed, the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D can be easily positioned.

Further, the spatial light modulator 30 includes a plurality of reflection elements 30As that reflect light from the light source 52 as a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix, and the angular position of each reflection element 30As corresponds to the projection lens. It is configured as a digital micromirror device configured to be able to selectively take a first angular position to reflect the light toward the projection lens 72 and a second angular position to reflect the light in a direction away from the projection lens 72. Further, the lens holder 74 is made of a metal member and is configured to block reflected light from the reflective element 30As located at the second angular position. Since heat is easily transferred to the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D, it is particularly effective to employ the configuration of this embodiment.

Further, in this embodiment, among the four first to fourth lenses 72A to 72D, the first and second lenses 72A and 72B are made of resin lenses, but the first lens 72A is made of a plano-convex lens. Since the second lens 72B is configured as a biconcave lens, even if some thermal deformation or the like occurs, the change in optical characteristics between the two is substantially canceled out. Therefore, by configuring the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D with glass lenses that are less susceptible to thermal deformation, it is possible to easily maintain the desired optical characteristics of the projection lens 72.

In the above embodiment, each of the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D has been described as being made of a glass lens, but it is also possible to make them of a resin lens.

In this way, when each of the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D is made of a resin lens, the thickness of the central portion is approximately halved compared to when they are made of a single biconvex lens. , sink marks are less likely to occur during molding. Therefore, the optical characteristics of the projection lens 72 can be maintained while reducing the manufacturing cost of the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D.

In the embodiment described above, spatial light modulation is performed on the optical axis Ax of the projection lens 72 in order to form the road surface drawing light distribution pattern PA on the road surface in front of the vehicle with the lamp unit 10 directed toward the front of the vehicle. Although the central axis Ax1 of the device 30 has been described as being displaced upward, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which the central axis Ax1 and the optical axis Ax coincide.

In the above embodiment, the lamp unit 10 is described as an in-vehicle lamp unit; however, it is used for purposes other than in-vehicle use (for example, a street light configured to draw images from directly above the road surface). It is also possible to use it for applications such as units.

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

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

FIG. 9(a) is a diagram substantially similar to FIG. 5, showing the main parts of the lamp unit according to this modification.

As shown in FIG. 9A, the basic configuration of this modification is the same as that of the above embodiment, but the structure of the projection lens 172 is partially different from that of the above embodiment.

That is, in the projection lens 172 of this modified example, the fourth lens 172D located closest to the rear of the unit is configured as a plano-convex lens (first plano-convex lens) having a convex curved rear surface 172Db that bulges toward the rear of the unit. In addition, the third lens 172C adjacent to the front side of the unit is configured as a plano-convex lens (second plano-convex lens) having a convex curved front surface 172Ca that bulges toward the front of the unit. This embodiment differs from the above embodiment in that the three lenses 172C are made of resin lenses.

The projection lens 172 of this modification is also different from the above embodiment in that a protrusion 172Cd is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the rear surface 172Cb of the third lens 172C. This protrusion 172Cd is formed as a flat plate-like protrusion that extends in an annular shape around the optical axis Ax. The rear surface of this projection 172Cd comes into contact with the front surface 172Da of the fourth lens 172D, thereby defining the distance between the third lens 172C and the fourth lens 172D.

Therefore, in this modification, there is no member equivalent to the spacer 76B of the above embodiment.

Note that the fourth lens 172D of this modification has the same configuration as the fourth lens 72D of the above embodiment.

Even when the configuration of this modification is adopted, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

In addition, by employing the configuration of this modification, it is possible to reduce the weight of the third lens 172C, and it is also possible to increase the degree of freedom in its shape.

In this modification, since the protrusion 172Cd is integrally formed on the third lens 172C, the spacer 76B of the above embodiment can be omitted. While maintaining the positional relationship between the lens 172C and the fourth lens 172D, damage to the lens surface can be prevented.

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

FIG. 9(b) is a diagram substantially similar to FIG. 5, showing the main parts of the lamp unit according to this modification.

As shown in FIG. 9(b), in the projection lens 272 of this modification, the third lens 272C is made of a resin lens, and the fourth lens 272D is made of a resin lens, similarly to the projection lens 172 of the first modification. Consists of glass lenses.

Also in this modification, a protrusion 272Cd is integrally formed on the outer peripheral edge of the rear surface 272Cb of the third lens 272C, but the protrusion 272Cd in this modification is a hemispherical protrusion extending in the circumferential direction. They are formed at multiple locations at equal intervals.

Even when the configuration of this modification is adopted, the same effects as in the case of the first modification can be obtained.

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

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing a vehicle lamp 300 including a lamp unit 310 according to the present modification, and FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 4, showing the lamp unit 310 exploded into its main components. It is.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the basic configuration of this modification is the same as that of the above embodiment, but the structure of the lens side sub-assembly 370 is partially different from that of the above embodiment.

That is, the lens-side sub-assembly 370 of this modification is also configured to include a projection lens 72 having an optical axis Ax extending in the front-rear direction of the unit, and a lens holder 374 that supports the projection lens 72. The configuration is partially different from the above embodiment.

Specifically, this modification differs from the above embodiment in that the lens holder 374 is made of a resin member (for example, polycarbonate resin).

On the other hand, similarly to the lens holder 74 of the above embodiment, the lens holder 374 of this modification is also formed such that the front region 374A extends in the shape of a rectangular tube around the optical axis Ax, and the rear region 374B is It is formed to extend in a cylindrical shape centering on the axis Ax, and is configured to support the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D in a positioned state at the front end 374Bc of the rear region 374B.

The rear region 374B of the lens holder 374 is penetrated at three locations near its front end (specifically, a position directly above the optical axis Ax and a position slightly below the optical axis Ax on both the left and right sides of the optical axis Ax). A hole 374Bd is formed. Each through hole 374Bd is formed in a rectangular shape, and within each through hole 374Bd, an engaging piece 374Bd1 that extends toward the front side of the unit and extends toward the inner peripheral side is formed integrally with the lens holder 374. ing.

The third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D are housed in the cylindrical surface 374Bc2 of the front end 374Bc from the rear side of the unit with the spacer 76B sandwiched between the outer peripheral flange portions 72Cc and 72Dc, and the third lens With the outer peripheral flange portion 72Cc of the lens holder 374 in contact with the annular surface 374Bc1 of the lens holder 374 from the rear side of the unit, each engagement piece 374Bd1 engages with the outer peripheral flange portion 72Dc of the fourth lens 72D, whereby the lens holder 374 is positioned against.

FIG. 12 is a diagram similar to FIG. 7, showing how the lens-side sub-assembly 370 of the lamp unit 310 is assembled. Note that FIGS. 12A and 12B show cross-sectional shapes at cross-sectional positions including the optical axis Ax and the two right and left through holes 374Bd.

As shown in FIG. 12, when the third lens 72C, spacer 76B, and fourth lens 72D are sequentially inserted into the internal space of the rear region 374B of the lens holder 374 from the rear side of the unit, each engagement piece 374Bd1 is inserted into the third lens 72C. , the spacer 76B and the fourth lens 72D are elastically deformed toward the outer periphery by contact with each other, and when these are inserted to a position where they abut the annular surface 374Bc1 of the lens holder 374, each engagement piece 374Bd1 engages the fourth lens. 72D.

Thereby, the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D are positioned within the cylindrical surface 374Bc2 of the lens holder 374 with the spacer 76B sandwiched therebetween.

Even when the configuration of this modification is adopted, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

Moreover, the lens holder 374 of this modification is made of a resin member, and the engaging pieces 374Bd1 are integrally formed with the lens holder 374 at three locations near the front end in the rear region 374B. , the plate spring 78 of the above embodiment is not required, and thereby the third and fourth lenses 72C and 72D can be reliably positioned in the unit front-rear direction without increasing the number of parts.

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

FIG. 13 is a diagram substantially similar to FIG. 5, showing a lamp unit 410 according to this modification.

As shown in FIG. 13, the lamp unit 410 according to this modification has the same structure as the lens side subassembly 470 as in the above embodiment, but the spatial light modulation unit 20 and the light source side subassembly of the above embodiment. This embodiment differs greatly from the above embodiment in that a light source unit 500 is provided instead of the assembly 50.

The light source unit 500 has a configuration in which a micro LED 510 is supported by a support member 520. The micro LED 510 has a structure in which a plurality of light emitting elements 512 arranged in a matrix are supported by a substrate 514. The plurality of light emitting elements 512 are composed of about 1000 light emitting diodes that emit white light, and are configured to be able to emit light individually.

The micro LED 510 is arranged so as to be located at the rear focal point F of the projection lens 72 on a vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax. At this time, the micro LED 510 is arranged so that its center axis Ax1 extends in the front-rear direction of the unit while being displaced upward with respect to the optical axis Ax, as in the above embodiment.

The lens-side sub-assembly 470 of this modification also has a configuration in which the projection lens 72 is supported by the lens holder 474, but the projection lens 72 is supported by the outer peripheral edge 520a of the support member 520 at the rear end of the lens holder 474. This is different from the above embodiment in that the following points are true.

The lamp unit 410 according to this modification is configured such that the light emitted from each of the plurality of light emitting elements 512 constituting the micro LED 510 directly enters the projection lens 72.

Even when the configuration of this modification is adopted, the projection lens 72 is supported by the lens side sub-assembly 470 with respect to the lens holder 474 in the same configuration as in the above embodiment. The same effects can be obtained.

Note that the numerical values shown as specifications in the above embodiment and its modified examples are merely examples, and it goes without saying that these may be set to different values as appropriate.

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

10, 310, 410 lamp unit 20 spatial light modulation unit 22 support substrate 24 heat sink 24a protrusion 24b radiation fin 26 socket 30 spatial light modulator 30A reflection control unit 30As reflection element (light emission control element)
30B Housing portion 30C Transparent plate 40 Bracket 40A Vertical surface portion 40Aa Opening portion 40Ab Projection portion 40Ac Annular flange portion 40B Shelf portion 50 Light source side subassy 52 Light source 54 Reflector 54a Mounting leg portion 56 Board 58 Connector 60 Control board 62A 1st Connector 62B Second connector 64 Flexible printed wiring board 70, 370, 470 Lens side sub-assembly 72, 172, 272 Projection lens 72A First lens 72Aa, 72Ba Outer flange portion 72Ab, 72Bb Engagement portion 72B Second lens 72C, 172C, 272C Third lens (second plano-convex lens)
72Ca, 72Da, 172Ca, 172Da Front surface 72Cb, 72Db, 172Cb, 272Cb Rear surface 72Cc, 72Dc Outer flange portion 72D, 172D, 272D 4th lens (first plano-convex lens)
74, 374, 474 Lens holder 74A, 374A Front region 74Aa Positioning pin 74B, 374B Rear region 74Ba Flange portion 74Bb Lower protruding portion 74Bc, 374Bc Front end portion 74Bc1, 374Bc1 Annular surface 74Bc2, 374Bc2 Cylindrical surface 74Bc3 Annular groove part 74Bd, 374Bd penetration Hole 76A Metal fitting 76Aa Insertion hole 76B Spacer 78 Leaf spring 78a Elastic pressing part 78b Locking part 78b1 Cut-and-raise part 80 Heat sink 80a Radiation fin 82 Cooling fan 90 Electromagnetic shield cover 100, 300 Vehicle lamp 102 Lamp body 104 Transparent cover 172Cd, 272Cd Projection 374Bd1 Engagement piece 500 Light source unit 510 Micro LED
512 Light emitting element (light emission control element)
514 Substrate 520 Support member 520a Outer periphery Ax Optical axis Ax1 Center axis CL1 Horizontal cut-off line CL2 Oblique cut-off line E Elbow point F Rear focal point PA Light distribution pattern for road drawing PL Light distribution pattern for low beam R1, R2 Optical path Z1 Area

Claims (5)

In a lamp unit configured to irradiate light from a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit via a projection lens,
The above-mentioned projection lens is composed of a plurality of lenses arranged in line in the front and back direction of the unit,
The above multiple lenses are supported by a common lens holder,
The plurality of lenses are configured such that the lens located closest to the rear of the unit is a first plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit, and the lens adjacent to the front side of the unit of the first plano-convex lens is a lens that is located closest to the rear of the unit. It is composed of a second plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges forward,
A lamp unit characterized in that an annular spacer is disposed between the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens . In a lamp unit configured to irradiate light from a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit via a projection lens,
The above-mentioned projection lens is composed of a plurality of lenses arranged in line in the front and back direction of the unit,
The above multiple lenses are supported by a common lens holder,
The plurality of lenses are configured such that the lens located closest to the rear of the unit is a first plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit, and the lens adjacent to the front side of the unit of the first plano-convex lens is a lens that is located closest to the rear of the unit. It is composed of a second plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges forward,
The second plano-convex lens is made of a resin lens,
A protrusion is formed on the outer periphery of the rear surface of the second plano-convex lens, the protrusion defining a distance between the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens by coming into contact with the front surface of the first plano-convex lens . A lighting unit characterized by: Through holes are formed at multiple locations in the circumferential direction of the lens holder,
A plate spring is arranged behind the first plano-convex lens in the unit and elastically presses the first plano-convex lens toward the front side of the unit while being engaged with the through holes formed in the plurality of locations. The lamp unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: In a lamp unit configured to irradiate light from a plurality of light emission control elements arranged in a matrix toward the front of the unit via a projection lens,
The above-mentioned projection lens is composed of a plurality of lenses arranged in line in the front and back direction of the unit,
The above multiple lenses are supported by a common lens holder,
The plurality of lenses are configured such that the lens located closest to the rear of the unit is a first plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges toward the rear of the unit, and the lens adjacent to the front side of the unit of the first plano-convex lens is a lens that is located closest to the rear of the unit. It is composed of a second plano-convex lens having a convex curved surface that bulges forward,
The lens holder is made of a resin member in which through holes are formed at multiple locations in the circumferential direction, and in each of the through holes, an engagement member that extends inwardly toward the front side of the unit is provided. It has a structure in which the pieces are integrally formed,
Each of the engaging pieces is configured to engage with the first plano-convex lens when the first plano-convex lens is inserted from the rear side of the unit to a position where it contacts the lens holder. lighting unit. 5. The lamp unit according to claim 1, wherein the first plano-convex lens is made of glass.

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