Vehicle headlamp

Abstract

A vehicle headlamp (10) is provided with: a first optical unit (70) that irradiates light to a cutoff line (CL) and a region including at least a region below the cutoff line (CL); a second optical unit (80) capable of irradiating light to a region including at least a region above the cutoff line (CL) and capable of reducing light in any of the regions; and a third optical unit (90) that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a part of the cutoff line (CL), the first optical unit (70) and the second optical unit (80) being turned on when the high beam is turned on, and the first optical unit (70) and the third optical unit (90) being turned on when the low beam is turned on.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a headlamp for a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle lamp that can moderately blur the bright-dark boundary of the cut-off line, prevent the G value from becoming too high and exceeding the regulatory reference value, and can obtain a light distribution pattern for low beam that is easy to visually recognize.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-262755 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, the higher the mounting position of the vehicle headlamp on the vehicle, the closer the cut-off line of the low beam light distribution pattern is to the mounting height of the interior rearview mirror of the vehicle in front. Therefore, when the mounting position becomes higher, it is preferable to form a low beam light distribution pattern with a clear cut-off line where the brightness changes sharply at the cut-off line. Therefore, it is difficult to meet the requirement of forming a low beam light distribution pattern that blurs the cut-off line and is easy to observe as in Patent Document 1.

[0008] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle headlamp that can form a light distribution pattern with good visual recognition even when the mounting position becomes higher.

[0009] Technical Solution for Solving the Technical Problem

[0010] A vehicle headlamp according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a first optical unit that has a cut-off line and irradiates light at least to a region below the cut-off line; a second optical unit that can irradiate light to a region including at least a region above the cut-off line and can dim any region therein; and a third optical unit that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a part of the cut-off line. When the high beam is lit, the first optical unit and the second optical unit are lit, and when the low beam is lit, the first optical unit and the third optical unit are lit.

[0011] According to the above structure, when the low beam is lit, the third optical unit irradiates light so as to overlap with the cut-off line formed by the first optical unit. Therefore, compared with the cut-off line formed only by the first optical unit, it is blurred, and a low beam light distribution pattern with good visual recognition is formed.

[0012] On the other hand, when the high beam is lit, the so-called ADB light distribution pattern is irradiated to form a clear light and dark cut-off line. However, the light and dark cut-off line only appears in the area after dimming, so it is not easy to deteriorate the visual recognition.

[0013] Thus, for the vehicle headlamp according to the above structure, when the low beam is lit, a blurred light and dark cut-off line is formed, and the visual recognition is excellent. In addition, even when the installation height of the vehicle becomes higher and the installation height of the interior rearview mirror of the vehicle in front is close to the height of the light and dark cut-off line, since the so-called ADB light distribution pattern in which the third optical unit is not lit is irradiated when there is a vehicle in front of the vehicle, glare will not be caused to the vehicle in front.

[0014] In addition, the vehicle headlamp according to one aspect of the present invention can irradiate an ADB light distribution pattern and a low beam light distribution pattern. Among them, the light and dark cut-off line formed when irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern is at least partially blurred compared with the light and dark cut-off line formed when irradiating the ADB light distribution pattern.

[0015] According to the above structure, the light and dark cut-off line formed when irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern is at least partially blurred compared with the light and dark cut-off line formed when irradiating the ADB light distribution pattern. Therefore, when irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern, a blurred light and dark cut-off line is formed, and the visual recognition is excellent.

[0016] Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle headlamp that can form a light distribution pattern with good visual recognition even when the installation position becomes higher. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 FIG. is a perspective view of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle headlamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter, simply referred to as the present embodiment).

[0019] Figure 2 FIG. is a block diagram of a system structure including the vehicle headlamp according to the first embodiment.

[0020] Figure 3 FIG. is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle headlamp according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 4 FIG. is a diagram illustrating each light distribution pattern irradiated by the vehicle headlamp in the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 5 FIG. is a diagram illustrating a light distribution pattern during low beam selection when the low beam is lit in the first embodiment.

[0023] Figure 6 FIG. is a diagram illustrating a high beam light distribution pattern when the high beam is lit in the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining the state of the cut-off line between light and dark being blurred.

[0025] Figure 8 It is a diagram for explaining the state of the cut-off line between light and dark being blurred.

[0026] Figure 9 It is a diagram showing the light distribution pattern during low beam selection when the low beam is lit in the second variation of the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 10 It is a block diagram showing the system structure of the vehicle headlamp including the second embodiment.

[0028] Figure 11 It is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle headlamp of the second embodiment.

[0029] Figure 12 It is a block diagram showing the system structure of the vehicle headlamp including this embodiment.

[0030] Figure 13 It is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle headlamp of this embodiment.

[0031] Figure 14 It is a diagram showing the low beam light distribution pattern when the low beam is lit.

[0032] Figure 15 It is a diagram showing the high beam light distribution pattern when the high beam is lit.

[0033] Figure 16 It is a diagram for explaining the state of the cut-off line between light and dark being blurred.

[0034] Figure 17 It is a diagram for explaining the state of the cut-off line between light and dark being blurred. Detailed implementation manners

[0035] Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. For ease of explanation, the dimensions of the components shown in these drawings are sometimes different from the actual dimensions of the respective components.

[0036] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, for ease of explanation, the "left - right direction", "up - down direction", and "front - rear direction" are sometimes appropriately mentioned. These directions are for Figure 1The relative directions set for the exemplified vehicles 1, 1A, and 1B. Here, the "left - right direction" is the direction including "left side" and "right side", and is also the vehicle width direction of the vehicles 1, 1A, and 1B. The "up - down direction" is the direction including "upper side" and "lower side". The "front - rear direction" is the direction including "front side" and "rear side". The front - rear direction is orthogonal to the left - right direction and the up - down direction. It should be noted that in each figure, the reference numeral U shown in the figure represents the upper side. The reference numeral D represents the lower side. The reference numeral F represents the front side. The reference numeral B represents the rear side. The reference numeral L represents the left side. The reference numeral R represents the right side.

[0037] (First Embodiment)

[0038] First, the vehicle headlamp 10 for the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 FIGs. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle 1 equipped with the vehicle headlamp 10. Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the system configuration including the vehicle headlamp 10. The vehicle 1 is, for example, a vehicle (automobile) that can travel in a manual driving mode and / or an autonomous driving mode.

[0039] As Figure 1 and Figure 2 exemplified, the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle headlamp 10, a steering device 20, a camera 30, a headlamp switch 40, and a vehicle control unit 50. As Figure 1 exemplified, the vehicle headlamps 10 are respectively arranged on the right front side and the left front side of the vehicle 1. The steering device 20 is, for example, provided inside the vehicle 1. The camera 30 is, for example, arranged near the windshield. The camera 30 is arranged between the vehicle headlamp 10 arranged on the right front side of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle headlamp 10 arranged on the left front side of the vehicle 1 in the vehicle width direction ( Figure 1 the left - right direction in

[0040] As Figure 2 exemplified, the vehicle headlamp 10 includes a headlamp control unit 60, a first optical unit 70, a second optical unit 80, and a third optical unit 90. In addition, as Figure 3 exemplified, the vehicle headlamp 10 includes a lamp body 11 having an opening in the front of the vehicle headlamp 10, and a light - transmissive outer cover 12 covering the opening of the lamp body 11. The headlamp control unit 60, the first optical unit 70, the second optical unit 80, and the third optical unit 90 are housed in the lamp chamber 13 formed by the lamp body 11 and the outer cover 12.

[0041] Returning Figure 2 to FIG. 2, the steering device 20 will be described. The steering device 20 is, for example, composed of a steering wheel or the like.

[0042] The camera 30 is, for example, a camera including imaging elements such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) and a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 30 obtains imaging data by imaging the periphery of the vehicle 1 (for example, the front of the vehicle 1). The camera 30 outputs the imaging data to the vehicle control unit 50.

[0043] The headlight switch 40 is configured to, for example, switch the on / off state of the vehicle headlight 10 or switch the irradiation light distribution pattern according to the operation of the driver of the vehicle 1. The driver of the vehicle 1 can select which of the low beam and the high beam to turn on by operating the headlight switch 40. When the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the headlight switch 40, the headlight switch 40 generates a control signal for irradiating a light distribution pattern corresponding to the operation and transmits the signal to the vehicle control unit 50.

[0044] The vehicle control unit 50 is configured to control the running of the vehicle 1. The vehicle control unit 50 is configured to judge the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 based on the surrounding environment information and send the judgment result to the headlight control unit 60. The vehicle control unit 50 is constituted by, for example, at least one electronic control unit (ECU: Electronic Control Unit). The electronic control unit includes, for example, a computer system including one or more processors and one or more memories, and an electronic circuit constituted by active elements such as transistors and passive elements.

[0045] The vehicle control unit 50 is configured to perform image analysis on the imaging data output from the camera 30. The vehicle control unit 50 detects the surrounding environment information indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 from the imaging data and sends the surrounding environment information to the headlight control unit 60. The surrounding environment information includes, for example, the position information of an object (oncoming vehicle, preceding vehicle, sign, etc.) located in front of the vehicle 1. The position information is, for example, an angular coordinate representing the azimuth of the object when observed from the vehicle 1 in terms of an angle.

[0046] Based on the control signal from the headlight switch 40, the vehicle control unit 50 sends a signal for controlling the vehicle headlight 10 to the headlight control unit 60. For example, when the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the headlight switch 40 for irradiating a low beam light distribution pattern or a light distribution pattern for low beam selection described later, the vehicle control unit 50 receives the control signal for irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern or the light distribution pattern for low beam selection from the headlight switch 40 and sends the control signal to the headlight control unit 60. For example, when the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the headlight switch 40 for irradiating a high beam light distribution pattern (for example, an ADB light distribution pattern), the vehicle control unit 50 receives the control signal for irradiating the high beam light distribution pattern from the headlight switch 40 and sends the control signal to the headlight control unit 60.

[0047] The headlight control unit 60 may also have the same hardware configuration as the vehicle control unit 50. The headlight control unit 60 is configured to control the first optical unit 70, the second optical unit 80, and the third optical unit 90 based on the surrounding environment information received from the vehicle control unit 50.

[0048] The first optical unit 70 irradiates light onto the cut-off line and an area including at least the area below the cut-off line. As Figure 3 illustrated, the first optical unit 70 includes, for example, at least one light source 71, a reflector 72, and a projection lens 73. The light source 71 may be constituted by, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) element or an LD (Laser Diode) element. The light source 71 is configured to emit light toward the reflector 72. The reflector 72 is configured to reflect the light emitted from the light source 71 toward the projection lens 73. The projection lens 73 is, for example, an aspherical lens whose front-side surface is a convex surface and whose rear-side surface is a flat surface. The projection lens 73 is formed of a light-transmissive material such as transparent resin like acrylic. The projection lens 73 is configured to project the light reflected by the reflector 72 onto the front area of the vehicle 1.

[0049] The second optical unit 80 is capable of irradiating light onto an area including at least the area above the cut-off line and can dim any area therein. It should be noted that in this specification, the term "dimming" includes cases where at least a part of the light emitted from the second optical unit 80 is blocked and cases where the intensity of the light emitted from the second optical unit 80 is weakened. The second optical unit 80 can irradiate, for example, an ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam) light distribution pattern. It should be noted that the ADB light distribution pattern is a light distribution pattern in which light is not irradiated onto areas where objects such as the vehicle ahead or oncoming vehicles exist in the high-beam light distribution pattern, and is a light distribution pattern in which the non-irradiated area changes according to the presence or position of the object.

[0050] The second optical unit 80 includes a light source 81 and a projection lens 82. The light source 81 may be constituted by, for example, a plurality of micro-LED light-emitting elements. The lighting states of the plurality of micro-LED light-emitting elements included in the light source 81 can be changed independently of each other. That is, in the vehicle headlamp 10, on / off control and brightness adjustment can be performed for each of the micro-LED light-emitting elements included in the light source 81 by the headlight control unit 60. The projection lens 82 may also have the same structure as the projection lens 73, for example.

[0051] The third optical unit 90 includes, for example, a light source constituted by an LED array. It should be noted that the LED array is, for example, a light source in which a plurality of micro-LED light-emitting elements are arranged in an array. The lighting states of the plurality of micro-LED light-emitting elements included in the third optical unit 90 can be changed independently of each other. In this case, the vehicle headlamp 10 can perform on / off control and brightness adjustment for each of the micro-LED light-emitting elements included in the third optical unit 90 through the lamp control unit 60.

[0052] Here, with reference to Figure 4 the first light distribution pattern P11 irradiated from the first optical unit 70, the second light distribution pattern P12 irradiated from the second optical unit 80, and the third light distribution pattern P13 irradiated from the third optical unit 90 will be described. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the case where the vehicle 1 travels in the right lane will be described. In addition, Figure 4 the illustrated first light distribution pattern P11, second light distribution pattern P12, and third light distribution pattern P13 represent the states projected onto an imaginary vertical screen at a specified position in front of the vehicle 1 (for example, a position 25 m in front of the vehicle 1). It should be noted that, regarding the light distribution patterns illustrated in the figures hereafter, they also represent the states projected onto an imaginary vertical screen at a specified position in front of the vehicle 1. In addition, in Figure 4 V-V line indicating the vertical direction ( Figure 4 the up-and-down direction in Figure 4 the center of the irradiation range of the vehicle headlamp 10), and an H-H line orthogonal to the V-V line and extending in the horizontal direction ( Figure 4 the left-and-right direction in

[0053] As Figure 4 illustrated, the first light distribution pattern P11 is a so-called low beam light distribution pattern. The first light distribution pattern P11 has a cut-off line CL. The first light distribution pattern P11 is irradiated by the first optical unit 70 to the area including the cut-off line and the area below the cut-off line CL (the part shaded with diagonal lines slanting downward to the right in Figure 4 ).

[0054] The second light distribution pattern P12 forms a so-called high beam light distribution pattern together with the first light distribution pattern P11. The second light distribution pattern P12 is irradiated by the second optical unit 80 to the area including at least the area above the cut-off line CL (in Figure 4The portion marked with diagonal lines slanting upward to the right). It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the second optical unit 80 irradiates the ADB light distribution pattern. Therefore, any region in the second light distribution pattern P12 can be dimmed.

[0055] The third light distribution pattern P13 is irradiated by the third optical unit 90 in such a way as to overlap at least a part of the light and dark cut-off line CL of the first light distribution pattern P11 (the portion marked with vertical lines in Figure 4 the figure).

[0056] Next, with reference to Figure 5 and Figure 6 the light distribution pattern PL for low beam selection irradiated from the vehicle headlamp 10 when the low beam is lit and the high beam light distribution pattern PH irradiated from the vehicle headlamp 10 when the high beam is lit will be described respectively. It should be noted that when the low beam is lit, it means that the driver of the vehicle 1 has operated the headlamp switch 40 to irradiate the light distribution pattern PL for low beam selection. When the high beam is lit, it means that the driver of the vehicle 1 has operated the headlamp switch 40 to irradiate the high beam light distribution pattern PH. Figure 5 FIG. is an example of the light distribution pattern PL when the low beam is lit. Figure 6 FIG. is an example of the light distribution pattern PH when the high beam is lit. It should be noted that the high beam light distribution pattern PH irradiated in the present embodiment is an ADB light distribution pattern.

[0057] As Figure 5 illustrated, when the low beam is lit, the vehicle headlamp 10 irradiates the light distribution pattern PL for low beam selection composed of the first light distribution pattern P11 and the third light distribution pattern P13 by turning on the first optical unit 70 and the third optical unit 90. That is, the light distribution pattern PL for low beam selection in the present embodiment includes the third light distribution pattern P13, and the third light distribution pattern P13 is irradiated in such a way as to overlap with the right side portion of the light and dark cut-off line CL (the portion of the light and dark cut-off line CL with a higher height of the light and dark cut-off line CL). Therefore, the region where the first light distribution pattern P11 and the third light distribution pattern P13 are overlapped and irradiated is brighter than the region where only the first light distribution pattern P11 is irradiated without irradiating the third light distribution pattern P13. In this way, the brightness of the light and dark cut-off line of the light distribution pattern PL for low beam selection changes in two stages. It should be noted that if counting starts from the region where no light is irradiated, it can also be said that the brightness of the light and dark cut-off line of the light distribution pattern PL for low beam selection changes in three stages.

[0058] As Figure 6 illustrated, when the high beam is lit, the vehicle headlamp 10 irradiates the high beam light distribution pattern PH composed of the first light distribution pattern P11 and the second light distribution pattern P12 by turning on the first optical unit 70 and the second optical unit 80.

[0059] In Figure 6 In the example shown, there is a preceding vehicle 1C in front of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the camera 30 outputs the photographed data related to the preceding vehicle 1C to the vehicle control unit 50. The vehicle control unit 50 detects the surrounding environment information including the position information of the preceding vehicle 1C based on the photographed data output from the camera 30, and sends the surrounding environment information to the headlight control unit 60. The headlight control unit 60 controls the second optical unit 80 based on the surrounding environment information received from the vehicle control unit 50 so that light is not emitted toward the preceding vehicle 1C. Therefore, in Figure 6 In the example shown, the peripheral area of the preceding vehicle 1C is shielded from light. Therefore, when the high beam is lit, the peripheral area of the preceding vehicle 1C is shielded from light, and the third light distribution pattern P13 is not irradiated. Therefore, the brightness difference of the portion C11 of the cut-off line CL located below the preceding vehicle 1C is clear. That is, the cut-off line CL is formed by the area irradiated with the first light distribution pattern P11 and the area not irradiated with the first light distribution pattern P11. Near the cut-off line CL, the brightness does not change in two stages. If counting starts from the area where no light is irradiated, the brightness of the cut-off line of the high beam light distribution pattern PH changes only in two stages. Therefore, the cut-off line CL formed when the low beam light distribution pattern PL is selected for irradiation looks blurrier than at least a part (in this embodiment, the part C11) of the cut-off line CL formed when the high beam light distribution pattern PH (ADB light distribution pattern) is irradiated. It should be noted that a general low beam light distribution pattern is formed by shielding a part of the light. Therefore, usually, the brightness difference of the cut-off line is obvious. The brightness of the cut-off line of a general low beam light distribution pattern does not change in two stages. Therefore, the cut-off line of the light distribution pattern PL when the low beam is selected is also blurrier than the cut-off line of a general low beam light distribution pattern.

[0060] The blurring condition of the cut-off line CL can be represented by the brightness gradient. Therefore, in this embodiment, the Figure 7 and Figure 8 representing the light distribution patterns having cut-off lines with different degrees of blurring are used to explain the blurring degree of each cut-off line in detail. Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining the brightness gradient g1 in the cut-off line CL of the conventional low beam light distribution pattern PL0. It should be noted that Figure 7 The position P1 in is the reference position when measuring the brightness gradient. The position P1 is any position on the H-H line within the range that is to the right of the angle θ1 and to the left of the angle θ2 in the horizontal direction from the front of the vehicle headlight. The brightness gradient g1 at the position P1 is obtained using the following formula (1). It should be noted that E(a) represents the illuminance at the position P1. E(a + 0.1) represents the illuminance at the position where the vertical angle position from the position P1 upward is 0.1 degree.

[0061] g1 = logE(a) - logE(a + 0.1) … Equation (1)

[0062] Next, with reference to Figure 8 the luminance gradient G1 in the cut-off line CL of the light distribution pattern PL during low beam selection in the present embodiment will be described. It should be noted that Figure 8 the position P1 in Figure 7 is the same position as the position P1 in

[0063] G1 = logE(a) - logE(a + 0.1) … Equation (2)

[0064] As Figure 7 exemplified, the third light distribution pattern P13 is not included in the conventional low beam light distribution pattern PL0. On the other hand, as Figure 8 exemplified, the third light distribution pattern P13 is included in the low beam selection light distribution pattern PL of the present embodiment. Therefore, the luminance gradient G1 is smaller than the luminance gradient g1. The smaller the luminance gradient, the smaller the difference in brightness between light and dark in the cut-off line CL. Therefore, the cut-off line CL of the low beam selection light distribution pattern PL of the present embodiment is visually recognized more vaguely compared to the cut-off line CL of the conventional low beam light distribution pattern PL0.

[0065] However, the higher the mounting position of the vehicle headlamp on the vehicle, the closer the cut-off line of the low beam light distribution pattern is to the mounting height of the interior rearview mirror of the preceding vehicle. Therefore, when the mounting position becomes higher, it is preferable to form a low beam light distribution pattern with a clear cut-off line where the brightness changes sharply at the cut-off line. However, if one wants to form a low beam light distribution pattern with a clear cut-off line where the brightness changes sharply at the cut-off line, it is difficult to meet the requirement of forming a low beam light distribution pattern in which the cut-off line is blurred and easy to observe.

[0066] In the headlamp 10 for a vehicle having the above-described structure, when the low beam is lit, the third optical unit 90 irradiates light in a manner overlapping with the cut-off line CL formed by the first optical unit 70. Therefore, compared with the cut-off line CL formed only by the first optical unit 70, it is blurred, and a low beam selection distribution pattern PL with good visual recognition is formed. On the other hand, when the high beam is lit, a so-called ADB distribution pattern is irradiated, and a clear cut-off line CL is formed. However, the cut-off line CL appears only in the dimmed area, so it is not easy to deteriorate the visual recognition. Thus, according to the headlamp 10 for a vehicle, a blurred cut-off line CL is formed when the low beam is lit, and the visual recognition is excellent. In addition, even when the mounting height of the vehicle 1 becomes higher and the mounting height of the interior rearview mirror of the preceding vehicle 1C is close to the height of the cut-off line CL, since a so-called ADB distribution pattern is irradiated when there is a preceding vehicle 1C near the front of the vehicle 1, glare is not caused to the preceding vehicle 1C.

[0067] In addition, in the headlamp 10 for a vehicle having the above-described structure, the cut-off line CL formed when the first optical unit 70 and the third optical unit 90 are lit is blurrier than the cut-off line CL formed when only the first optical unit 70 is lit. Therefore, according to the headlamp 10 for a vehicle, a distribution pattern with less discomfort can be irradiated.

[0068] (First modification of the first embodiment)

[0069] Next, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 5 to describe the first modification of the first embodiment. It should be noted that in this modification, the same reference numerals are used for the parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the repeated parts are appropriately omitted. As shown by the dashed line in Figure 2 this modification is different from the first embodiment in that the headlamp 10 for a vehicle is provided with a drive unit 92. It should be noted that in this modification, the vehicle 1 also travels in the right lane.

[0070] The drive unit 92 can be, for example, a rotary actuator controlled by the headlamp control unit 60. The drive unit 92 has, for example, a stepping motor. By driving this stepping motor, the drive unit 92 can adjust the angle of the optical axis of the third optical unit 90 in the vehicle width direction ( Figure 1 the left-right direction in Figure 1in the left - right direction) displacement. That is, the driving unit 92 can move the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90 in the horizontal direction. It should be noted that the driving unit 92 can also be a leveling actuator controlled by the vehicle lamp control unit 60. In this case, the driving unit 92 includes, for example, a motor as a driving source and a screw rod that rotates by being driven by this motor. The screw rod included in the driving unit 92 is, for example, screwed with the third optical unit 90. When the driving unit 92 is driven, the third optical unit 90 tilts in the up - down direction. In this way, the driving unit 92 can displace the orientation of the third optical unit 90 in the vertical direction ( Figure 1 in the up - down direction). That is, in this case, the driving unit 92 can move the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90 in the vertical direction. It should be noted that the driving unit 92 can also include a rotary actuator and a leveling actuator. In addition, the driving unit 92 can be integrally formed with the third optical unit 90 in such a way as to only drive the light source of the third optical unit 90, or can be separately formed with the third optical unit 90 in such a way as to drive the entire third optical unit 90 including the light source.

[0071] Here, with reference to Figure 5 the case where the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90 is moved to the left is described. It should be noted that the driving unit 92 includes a rotary actuator and a leveling actuator. The vehicle lamp control unit 60, for example, based on the control signal received from the vehicle control unit 50, sends a control signal to the driving unit 92 for moving the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90 to the left (an example of the horizontal direction). The driving unit 92 adjusts the angle of the optical axis of the third optical unit 90 based on the control signal from the vehicle lamp control unit 60, thereby moving the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90 to the left. As a result, as Figure 5 shown by the dashed line in, the third light distribution pattern P13 moves to the left.

[0072] Next, the case where the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90 is moved downward is described. The vehicle lamp control unit 60, for example, based on the control signal received from the vehicle control unit 50, sends a control signal to the driving unit 92 for moving the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90 downward (an example of the vertical direction). The driving unit 92 tilts the third optical unit 90 downward based on the control signal from the vehicle lamp control unit 60, thereby moving the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90 downward. As a result, as Figure 5 shown by the single - dotted line in, the third light distribution pattern P13 moves downward from Figure 5 the position of the dashed line in. In this way, the third optical unit 90 of this modified example can change the light irradiation area in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction.

[0073] The high - beam light distribution pattern when the high - beam is lit in this modified example is the same as the high - beam light distribution pattern when the high - beam is lit in the first embodiment, that is,Figure 6 The high beam light distribution patterns PH shown in the example are the same.

[0074] In the vehicle headlamp 10 of this modified example, the same effects as those of the vehicle headlamp 10 of the first embodiment are also achieved.

[0075] In addition, in the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above structure, since the third optical unit 90 can change the irradiation area of light according to the situation, the vehicle headlamp 10 can irradiate an appropriate low beam selection light distribution pattern PL suitable for the situation.

[0076] In addition, in the vehicle headlamp 10 according to the above structure, since the vehicle headlamp 10 is provided with a drive unit 92 that moves the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90 in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, the irradiation area of light can be changed with high precision.

[0077] (Second Modified Example of the First Embodiment)

[0078] Next, a second modified example of the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 9 In this modified example, the same reference numerals are used for the parts that are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the repeated parts are appropriately omitted. In this modified example, the third optical unit 90 is composed of an LED array, but other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment. In this modified example, the vehicle 1 also travels in the right lane.

[0079] First, a low beam selection light distribution pattern PL1 when the low beam is lit in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 9 When the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the headlamp switch 40 to irradiate the low beam selection light distribution pattern PL1, the vehicle headlamp 10 irradiates a low beam selection light distribution pattern PL1 composed of a first light distribution pattern P11 (the part shaded with diagonal lines slanting downward to the right in Figure 9 ) and a third light distribution pattern P13A (the part shaded with diagonal lines slanting upward to the right in Figure 9 ). Specifically, when the low beam is lit, the vehicle headlamp 10 projects the Figure 9 illustrated low beam selection light distribution pattern PL1 onto an imaginary vertical screen at a specified position in front of the vehicle 1 by turning on the first optical unit 70 and the third optical unit 90.

[0080] Since the third optical unit 90 is composed of an LED array, as shown in Figure 9In the example shown, when the low beam is selected, the third light distribution pattern P13A included in the light distribution pattern PL1 is divided into a plurality of regions in which arbitrary regions can independently change the lighting state. Therefore, the third optical unit 90 can change the light irradiation region.

[0081] The high beam light distribution pattern PH when the high beam is lit in this modified example is the same as the high beam light distribution pattern when the high beam is lit in the first embodiment, that is, Figure 6 the high beam light distribution pattern PH shown in the example.

[0082] In the vehicle headlamp 10 of this modified example, the same effects as those of the vehicle headlamp 10 of the first embodiment are also achieved.

[0083] In addition, in the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above structure, since the third optical unit 90 can change the light irradiation region according to the situation, the vehicle headlamp 10 can irradiate an appropriate light distribution pattern PL at the time of low beam selection suitable for the situation.

[0084] In addition, in the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above structure, the irradiation region of the third optical unit 90 is divided into a plurality of regions in which arbitrary regions can independently change the lighting state, so that the irradiation region of the third optical unit 90 can be changed densely.

[0085] In addition, in the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above structure, since the third optical unit 90 is composed of an LED array, the lighting states of a plurality of regions in the irradiation region of the third optical unit 90 can be changed with high precision.

[0086] (Second Embodiment)

[0087] Next, refer to Figure 4 , Figure 10 and Figure 11 to describe the second embodiment. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment or each modified example of the first embodiment, and the repeated parts are appropriately omitted. As Figure 10 shown in the example, the vehicle 1A of this embodiment is different from the vehicle 1 of the first embodiment in that it is equipped with a vehicle headlamp 10A instead of the vehicle headlamp 10. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the vehicle 1A also travels in the right lane.

[0088] As Figure 10As an example, the vehicle headlamp 10A includes a headlamp control unit 60, a first optical unit 70, and a third optical unit 90A. It should be noted that the third optical unit 90A in the present embodiment has the functions of the second optical unit 80 in the first embodiment and the third optical unit 90 in the first embodiment. That is, in the present embodiment, the second optical unit 80 and the third optical unit 90 in the first embodiment are integrated into a common optical unit (the third optical unit 90A).

[0089] As Figure 11 shown in the example, the vehicle headlamp 10A includes a lamp body 11A having an opening in front of the vehicle headlamp 10A, and a light-transmissive outer cover 12A covering the opening of the lamp body 11A. The headlamp control unit 60, the first optical unit 70, and the third optical unit 90A are housed in a lamp chamber 13A formed by the lamp body 11A and the outer cover 12A.

[0090] The third optical unit 90A includes a light source 101 and a projection lens 102. The light source 101 can be constituted by, for example, an LED array including a plurality of micro-LED light-emitting elements. It should be noted that when the light source 101 is constituted by an LED array, the lighting states of the plurality of micro-LED light-emitting elements included in the light source 101 can be changed independently of each other. That is, in this case, in the vehicle headlamp 10A, the on / off control and brightness adjustment for each of the micro-LED light-emitting elements included in the light source 101 can be performed by the headlamp control unit 60.

[0091] The projection lens 102 can also have the same structure as the projection lens 73, for example.

[0092] The third optical unit 90A can irradiate Figure 4 the second light distribution pattern P12 and the third light distribution pattern P13 shown in the example.

[0093] The light distribution pattern at the time of selecting low beam when the low beam is lit in the present embodiment is the same as the light distribution pattern at the time of selecting low beam when the low beam is lit in the first embodiment or each modified example of the first embodiment, that is, Figure 5 or Figure 9 the light distribution pattern PL, PL1 at the time of selecting low beam shown in the example.

[0094] The high beam light distribution pattern when the high beam is lit in the present embodiment is the same as the high beam light distribution pattern when the high beam is lit in the first embodiment, that is, Figure 6 the high beam light distribution pattern PH shown in the example.

[0095] In the vehicle headlamp 10A of the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the vehicle headlamp 10 in the first embodiment and the second modified example of the first embodiment are also achieved.

[0096] In addition, in the headlamp 10A for a vehicle having the above-described structure, the second optical unit 80 of the first embodiment and the third optical unit 90 of the first embodiment are integrated into a common optical unit (third optical unit 90A). Since the second optical unit 80 is lit when the high beam is lit, it is functionally close to the third optical unit 90 that irradiates light in a manner overlapping at least a part of the cut-off line CL, and the second optical unit 80 and the third optical unit 90 can be easily shared. In addition, according to the headlamp 10A for a vehicle, the second optical unit 80 of the first embodiment and the third optical unit 90 of the first embodiment can be constituted by a common optical unit, so that the number of components can be reduced.

[0097] (Third Embodiment)

[0098] Next, with reference to Figure 1 and Figures 12 to 17 the third embodiment will be described. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for the parts that are the same as those in the first embodiment, each modification of the first embodiment, or the second embodiment, and the description of the repeated parts is appropriately omitted. As Figure 12 illustrated, the vehicle 1B of the present embodiment is different from the vehicle 1 of the first embodiment in that it includes a headlamp 10B for a vehicle instead of the headlamp 10. It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the vehicle 1B also travels in the right lane.

[0099] As Figure 1 and Figure 12 illustrated, the vehicle 1B includes a headlamp 10B for a vehicle, a steering device 20, a camera 30, a lamp switch 40, and a vehicle control unit 50. As Figure 1 illustrated, the headlamps 10B for a vehicle are respectively disposed on the front right side and the front left side of the vehicle 1B.

[0100] As Figure 12 illustrated, the headlamp 10B for a vehicle includes a lamp control unit 60 and an optical unit 170. In addition, as Figure 13 illustrated, the headlamp 10B for a vehicle includes a lamp body 111 having an opening in front of the headlamp 10B for a vehicle, and a light-transmissive outer cover 112 that covers the opening of the lamp body 111. The lamp control unit 60 and the optical unit 170 are housed in a lamp chamber 113 formed by the lamp body 111 and the outer cover 112.

[0101] In the present embodiment, for example, when the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the headlight switch 40 to irradiate a low beam light distribution pattern, the vehicle control unit 50 receives a control signal for irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern from the headlight switch 40 and sends the control signal to the headlight control unit 60. For example, when the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the headlight switch 40 to irradiate a high beam light distribution pattern (e.g., ADB light distribution pattern), the vehicle control unit 50 receives a control signal for irradiating the high beam light distribution pattern from the headlight switch 40 and sends the control signal to the headlight control unit 60.

[0102] In the present embodiment, the headlight control unit 60 is configured to control the optical unit 170 based on the surrounding environment information received from the vehicle control unit 50.

[0103] The optical unit 170 is capable of irradiating an ADB light distribution pattern and a low beam light distribution pattern. It should be noted that the ADB light distribution pattern is a light distribution pattern in the high beam light distribution pattern that does not irradiate light to the area where an object such as a vehicle in front or an oncoming vehicle exists, and is a light distribution pattern in which the non-irradiation area changes according to the presence or position of the object. As Figure 13 illustrated, the optical unit 170 includes a light source 171 and a projection lens 172. It should be noted that the light distribution pattern in the high beam light distribution pattern that does not irradiate light to the area where an object such as a vehicle in front or an oncoming vehicle exists includes the case of not irradiating light to the object area and the case of irradiating dimmed light to the object area.

[0104] The light source 171 is constituted by, for example, an LED array including a plurality of micro LED light-emitting elements. It should be noted that the LED array is, for example, a light source in which a plurality of micro LED light-emitting elements are arranged in an array. The lighting states of the plurality of micro LED light-emitting elements included in the optical unit 170 can be changed independently of each other. Therefore, the vehicle headlight 10B can perform on / off control and brightness adjustment for each of the micro LED light-emitting elements included in the optical unit 170 through the headlight control unit 60. That is, the optical unit 170 can dim any area. It should be noted that in this specification, the term "dimming" includes the case where at least a part of the light emitted from the optical unit 170 is blocked and the case where the intensity of the light emitted from the optical unit 170 is weakened. The light source 171 is configured to emit light toward the projection lens 172.

[0105] The projection lens 172 is, for example, an aspherical lens whose front side surface is a convex surface and whose rear side surface is a flat surface. The projection lens 172 is formed of a light-transmitting material such as a transparent resin such as acrylic. The projection lens 172 is configured to project the light emitted from the light source 171 to the front of the vehicle 1B.

[0106] Next, refer to Figure 14 andFigure 15 The low beam light distribution pattern PL10 irradiated from the vehicle headlamp 10B when the low beam is on and the high beam light distribution pattern PH10 irradiated from the vehicle headlamp 10B when the high beam is on will be described respectively. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the case where the vehicle 1B is traveling in the right lane is described. In addition, when the low beam is on, it means that the driver of the vehicle 1B has operated the headlamp switch 40 to irradiate the low beam light distribution pattern PL10. When the high beam is on, it means that the driver of the vehicle 1B has operated the headlamp switch 40 to irradiate the high beam light distribution pattern PH10. It should be noted that the high beam light distribution pattern PH10 irradiated in this embodiment is an ADB light distribution pattern. In addition, in Figure 14 and Figure 15 the hatching is changed for each region with different brightness. That is, the regions marked with the same hatching have the same brightness, but the brightness between the regions marked with different hatching is different.

[0107] Figure 14 is a diagram showing the light distribution pattern PL10 projected onto a hypothetical vertical screen at a specified position in front of the vehicle 1B (for example, a position 25 m in front of the vehicle 1B) when the low beam is on. Figure 15 is a diagram showing the light distribution pattern PH10 projected onto a hypothetical vertical screen at a specified position in front of the vehicle 1B (for example, a position 25 m in front of the vehicle 1B) when the high beam is on.

[0108] First, with reference to Figure 14 the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 when the low beam is on in this embodiment will be described. When the driver of the vehicle 1B operates the headlamp switch 40 to irradiate the low beam light distribution pattern PL10, the optical unit 170 irradiates the low beam light distribution pattern PL10. In this case, Figure 14 the illustrated low beam light distribution pattern PL10 is projected onto a hypothetical vertical screen at a specified position in front of the vehicle 1B.

[0109] As Figure 14 illustrated, the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 is formed by being divided into a plurality of irradiation regions. In Figure 14 the first part P110 is represented by hatching with upper right slashes, and the second part P120 is represented by hatching with lower right slashes.

[0110] The first part P110 is the region in the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 among the plurality of divided irradiation regions that is located above the inflection point of the cut-off line CL10. In the illustrated example, the uppermost region among the regions in the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 that is located above the inflection point of the cut-off line CL10 is set as the first part P110.

[0111] The second part P120 is a part below the first part P110. The brightness of the region P120a at the upper edge of the second part P120 is brighter than that of the first region P110. In the present embodiment, the entire region of the second part P120 has the same brightness.

[0112] The first part P110 is darker than the region P120a at the upper edge of the second part P120. Therefore, if we focus on the vicinity of the cut-off line CL10 of the low beam light distribution pattern PL10, from bottom to top, there are arranged the region P120a at the upper edge of the bright second part P120, the first part P110 darker than the region P120a, and the region where no light is irradiated, and the brightness changes in three stages and gradually becomes darker.

[0113] Next, with reference to Figure 15 the high beam light distribution pattern PH10 when the high beam is lit in the present embodiment will be described. When the driver of the vehicle 1B operates the headlight switch 40 to irradiate the high beam light distribution pattern PH10, the optical unit 170 irradiates the high beam light distribution pattern PH10. In this case, Figure 15 the exemplified high beam light distribution pattern PH10 is projected onto an imaginary vertical screen at a prescribed position in front of the vehicle 1B.

[0114] The high beam light distribution pattern PH10 is formed by being divided into a plurality of irradiation regions. Thus, whether the low beam is lit or the high beam is lit, the irradiation region of the optical unit 170 is divided into a plurality of regions where the lighting states of arbitrary regions can be changed independently of each other. That is, the optical unit 170 can irradiate light to an irradiation region composed of a plurality of regions where the lighting states of arbitrary regions can be changed independently of each other.

[0115] In the present embodiment, the high beam light distribution pattern PH10 is formed by being divided into a region P210 above the cut-off line CL10 and a region P220 below the cut-off line CL10. In Figure 15 it, the region P210 is represented as the region hatched with right-upward slanting lines, and the region P220 is represented as the region hatched with right-downward slanting lines. In the region P210, the light-shielding or light-reducing region changes according to the presence, absence, and position of the preceding vehicle and the oncoming vehicle. On the other hand, in the region P220, even if the presence, absence, and position of the preceding vehicle and the oncoming vehicle change, the lighting state does not change. Both the region P210 and the region P220 are illuminated with uniform brightness. In addition, the brightness of the region of the region P22 is equal to that of the region P120 of the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 described in Figure 14 it.

[0116] In Figure 15In the example shown, there is a preceding vehicle 1D in front of the vehicle 1. Therefore, the camera 30 outputs the captured data related to the preceding vehicle 1D to the vehicle control unit 50. The vehicle control unit 50 detects the surrounding environment information including the position information of the preceding vehicle 1D based on the captured data output from the camera 30, and sends the surrounding environment information to the headlight control unit 60. The headlight control unit 60 controls the optical unit 170 so as not to emit light toward the preceding vehicle 1D based on the surrounding environment information received from the vehicle control unit 50, and forms the area P210. In addition, the headlight control unit 60 forms the area P220 regardless of the surrounding environment information. Therefore, in Figure 15 In the example shown, the peripheral area of the preceding vehicle 1D forms a shaded high beam light distribution pattern PH10.

[0117] As Figure 15 shown in the example, when the high beam light distribution pattern PH10 is irradiated, a part of the cut-off line CL10 appears as the contour of the lower edge of the shaded area. This cut-off line CL10 is formed by the upper edge of the area P220. Since the area P220 is irradiated with a uniform brightness, the change in brightness across the cut-off line CL10 from bottom to top has two stages from bright to dark. That is, in Figure 14 the cut-off line CL10 of the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 shown, it becomes darker in three stages from bottom to top. In contrast, in Figure 15 the cut-off line CL10 of the high beam light distribution pattern PH10 shown, it becomes darker in two stages from bottom to top. Thus, in the vehicle headlight 10B of the present embodiment, at least a part of the cut-off line CL10 formed when irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 is blurrier than the cut-off line CL10 formed when irradiating the ADB light distribution pattern PH10.

[0118] The blurriness of the cut-off line CL10 can be expressed by a brightness gradient. Therefore, in the present embodiment, Figure 16 and Figure 17 representing light distribution patterns with cut-off lines having different degrees of blurriness are used to explain the degree of blurriness of each cut-off line in detail. Figure 16 is a diagram for explaining the brightness gradient g10 in the cut-off line CL100 of the low beam light distribution pattern PL100 having a uniform brightness. Figure 16 The low beam light distribution pattern PL100 shown in the example is different from Figure 14 the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 shown in the example. In order to indicate that the brightness of each area of the low beam light distribution pattern PL100 is the same, the entire low beam light distribution pattern PL100 is marked with the same hatching in Figure 16 . Figure 16The position P10 in [the figure] is the reference position when measuring the luminance gradient. The position P10 is within the range that is to the right of the front face of the vehicle headlamp in the horizontal direction, to the right of the angle θ10 and to the left of the angle θ20, and is at an arbitrary position on the H-H line. The luminance gradient g10 at the position P10 is obtained using the following formula (3). It should be noted that E(b) represents the illuminance at the position P10. E(b + 0.1) represents the illuminance at the position where the vertical angular position is 0.1 degrees upward from the position P10. It should be noted that, in Figure 16 In the example shown, the low beam light distribution pattern PL100 is irradiated at the position P10, and no light is irradiated at the position 0.1 degrees upward from the position P10.

[0119] g10 = logE(b) - logE(b + 0.1) … Formula (3)

[0120] Next, with reference to Figure 17 the luminance gradient G10 in the cut-off line CL10 of the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 where the first part P110 is darker than the second part P120 will be described. Figure 17 represents Figure 14 the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 shown. It should be noted that, in Figure 17 in order to show that the brightness of the first part P110 and the second part P120 is different, different hatching lines are marked on the first part P110 and the second part P120. In addition, the brightness of the second part P120 is the same as the brightness of the low beam light distribution pattern PL100 shown in Figure 16 . It should be noted that Figure 17 the position P10 in [the figure] is the same position as the position P10 in Figure 16 . The luminance gradient G10 at the position P10 is obtained using the following formula (4).

[0121] G10 = logE(b) - logE(b + 0.1) … Formula (4)

[0122] In Figure 17 , the position P10 is included in the first part P110. The first part P110 is darker than the second part P120. The area 0.1 degrees upward from the first part P110 is a non-irradiated light area, so it is darker than the first part P110 and the second part P120. Therefore, the area upward from the first part P110, the first part P110, and the second part P120 become darker in sequence.

[0123] In this way, at the position P10, Figure 16 the luminance gradient g10 represents the degree of change from the brightness of the low beam light distribution pattern PL100 to the non-irradiated light state. In contrast, Figure 17The brightness gradient G10 represents the degree of change in brightness from the brightness of the first part P110, which is darker than the low beam light distribution pattern PL100, to the state where no light is irradiated. That is, the brightness gradient G10 is smaller than the brightness gradient g10. The smaller the brightness gradient, the smaller the brightness difference of the cut-off line CL10. Therefore, Figure 17 the brightness difference on the right side of the cut-off line CL10 in the example shown in Figure 16 is smaller than the brightness difference of the cut-off line CL10 in the example shown in Figure 16 . Therefore, the cut-off line CL10 in the example shown in Figure 17 is clear, while the right side of the cut-off line CL10 in the example shown in

[0124] is blurred. In this way, regarding "whether the cut-off line formed when irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern is blurred compared to at least a part of the cut-off line formed when irradiating the ADB light distribution pattern" described in the present disclosure, it can be determined by comparing the brightness gradients using the above formulas (3) and (4) for positions near the cut-off line for the low beam light distribution pattern and the ADB light distribution pattern respectively.

[0125] In the headlamp 10B for a vehicle having the above structure, the cut-off line CL10 formed when irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 is blurred compared to a part of the cut-off line CL10 formed when irradiating the high beam light distribution pattern PH10 (ADB light distribution pattern). Therefore, when irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern PL10, a blurred cut-off line CL10 is formed, and the visual recognition is excellent. In addition, even when the installation height of the vehicle 1B becomes higher and the installation height of the interior rearview mirror of the preceding vehicle 1D is close to the height of the cut-off line CL10, since the ADB light distribution pattern is irradiated in the presence of the preceding vehicle 1D, glare is not caused to the preceding vehicle 1D.

[0126] In addition, in the headlamp 10B for a vehicle having the above structure, the optical unit 170 irradiates light to an irradiation area composed of a plurality of areas whose lighting states can be changed independently of each other in any region. Therefore, with the headlamp 10B for a vehicle, the low beam light distribution pattern PL10 and the high beam light distribution pattern PH10 (ADB light distribution pattern) can be changed densely.

[0127] In addition, in the headlamp 10B for a vehicle having the above structure, since it has a single optical unit 170, the number of components can be reduced.

[0128] In addition, in the headlamp 10B for a vehicle having the above structure, since the optical unit 170 is composed of an LED array, the lighting states of a plurality of areas in the irradiation area of the optical unit 170 can be changed with high precision.

[0129] In addition, in the headlamp 10B for a vehicle having the above-described structure, the low-beam light distribution pattern PL10 and the high-beam light distribution pattern PH10 (ADB light distribution pattern) are formed by being divided into a plurality of irradiation regions. Therefore, according to the headlamp 10B for a vehicle, the low-beam light distribution pattern PL10 and the high-beam light distribution pattern PH10 can be changed densely.

[0130] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. However, it is obvious that the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be construed in a limiting manner by the description of the present embodiment. Those skilled in the art should understand that the present embodiment is only an example, and various changes in the embodiments can be made within the scope of the disclosure described in the claims. The technical scope of the present disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the disclosure described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

[0131] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the vehicles 1, 1A, and 1B travel in the right lane has been described. However, the present disclosure can also be applied to the case where the vehicles 1, 1A, and 1B travel in the left lane.

[0132] In the above-described embodiment, the case where there are preceding vehicles 1C and 1D in front of the vehicles 1, 1A, and 1B has been described. However, the present disclosure can also be applied to the case where there is an oncoming vehicle in front of the vehicles 1, 1A, and 1B.

[0133] In the first embodiment, each modification of the first embodiment, and the second embodiment, the headlamps 10 and 10A for a vehicle may also include a single optical unit capable of realizing the functions of the first optical unit 70, the second optical unit 80, and the third optical unit 90. In this case, the first optical unit 70, the second optical unit 80, and the third optical unit 90 can be constituted by a common optical unit, and thus the number of components can be reduced.

[0134] In the first embodiment, each modification of the first embodiment, and the second embodiment, the headlamps 10 and 10A for a vehicle may also include the second optical unit 80 and an optical unit capable of realizing the functions of the first optical unit 70 and the third optical unit 90. In addition, the headlamps 10 and 10A for a vehicle may also include the third optical unit 90 and an optical unit capable of realizing the functions of the first optical unit 70 and the second optical unit 80. In these cases, the number of components can be reduced.

[0135] In the above-described embodiments, the first optical unit 70, the second optical unit 80, the third optical units 90, 90A, and the optical unit 170 may also be constituted by an optical system such as at least one light source, a driving mirror, a lens, a reflecting mirror, etc. The driving mirror may also be constituted by a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) such as a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) mirror or a rotating vane mirror, for example.

[0136] In the first embodiment, each modification of the first embodiment, and the second embodiment, the third light distribution pattern P13 overlaps with a part of the cut-off line CL, but it may also overlap with the entire cut-off line CL.

[0137] In the above-described embodiments, the headlight control unit 60 is provided in the vehicle headlights 10, 10A, 10B, but the headlight control unit 60 may not be provided in the vehicle headlights 10, 10A, 10B and may be provided in the vehicles 1, 1A, 1B. In other words, the headlight control unit 60 may also be integrated into the vehicle control unit 50.

[0138] In the above-described embodiments, the camera 30 is provided in the vehicles 1, 1A, 1B, but the camera 30 may not be provided in the vehicles 1, 1A, 1B and may be provided in the vehicle headlights 10, 10A, 10B.

[0139] In the second embodiment, as Figure 10 shown by the dashed line, the third optical unit 90A may also include a driving unit 92A. The driving unit 92A may have the same structure as the driving unit 92, for example. When the driving unit 92A is a rotary actuator controlled by the headlight control unit 60, for example, the driving unit 92A can displace the orientation of the third optical unit 90A in the horizontal direction ( Figure 1 the left-right direction in Figure 1 ). When the driving unit 92A is a leveling actuator controlled by the headlight control unit 60, for example, the driving unit 92A can displace the orientation of the third optical unit 90A in the vertical direction ( Figure 1 the up-down direction in

[0140] ). It should be noted that the driving unit 92A may also include a rotary actuator and a leveling actuator. In this way, since the driving unit 92A can move the irradiation area of the third optical unit 90A in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction, the third optical unit 90A can change the irradiation area of light in the horizontal direction and / or the vertical direction by the driving unit 92A. In the third embodiment, the vehicle headlight 10B includes a single optical unit 170, but it may also include a plurality of optical units.

[0141] In the third embodiment, the cut-off line CL10 formed when irradiating the low-beam light distribution pattern PL10 is blurred in part compared to the cut-off line CL10 formed when irradiating the high-beam light distribution pattern PH10, but it may also be more blurred than the cut-off line CL10 formed when irradiating the high-beam light distribution pattern PH10.

[0142] In the third embodiment, the entire area of the second part P120 of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL10 has a uniform brightness, but the second part P120 may also be brightest at the inflection point and become darker as it moves away from the inflection point.

[0143] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-212014 filed on December 28, 2022 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-212015 filed on December 28, 2022, and these are incorporated herein by reference.

[0144] As described above, the following matters are disclosed in this specification.

[0145] (1) A vehicle headlamp, comprising: a first optical unit that irradiates light to a cut-off line and a region including at least a region below the cut-off line; a second optical unit that can irradiate light to a region including at least a region above the cut-off line and can dim any region therein; a third optical unit that irradiates light so as to overlap at least a part of the cut-off line, wherein when the high beam is lit, the first optical unit and the second optical unit are lit, and when the low beam is lit, the first optical unit and the third optical unit are lit.

[0146] (2) The vehicle headlamp according to (1), wherein the cut-off line formed when the first optical unit and the third optical unit are lit is more blurred than the cut-off line formed when only the first optical unit is lit.

[0147] (3) The vehicle headlamp according to (1) or (2), wherein the third optical unit can change the light irradiation region.

[0148] (4) The vehicle headlamp according to (3), further comprising a drive unit that moves the irradiation region of the third optical unit in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction.

[0149] (5) The vehicle headlamp according to (3), wherein the irradiation region of the third optical unit is divided into a plurality of regions in which the lighting states of arbitrary regions can be changed independently of each other.

[0150] (6) The vehicle headlamp according to (5), wherein the third optical unit is composed of an LED array.

[0151] (7)The headlamp for a vehicle according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein at least two of the first optical unit, the second optical unit, and the third optical unit are constituted by a common optical unit.

[0152] (8)The headlamp for a vehicle according to (7), wherein the second optical unit and the third optical unit are constituted by a common optical unit.

[0153] (9)A headlamp for a vehicle capable of irradiating an ADB light distribution pattern and a low beam light distribution pattern, wherein the cut-off line formed when irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern is at least partially blurred compared to the cut-off line formed when irradiating the ADB light distribution pattern.

[0154] (10)The headlamp for a vehicle according to (9), wherein an optical unit that irradiates light to an irradiation area is provided, and the irradiation area is constituted by a plurality of areas whose lighting states can be changed independently of each other.

[0155] (11)The headlamp for a vehicle according to (10), wherein the headlamp for a vehicle is provided with a single one of the optical units.

[0156] (12)The headlamp for a vehicle according to (10) or (11), wherein the optical unit is constituted by an LED array.

[0157] (13)The headlamp for a vehicle according to any one of (9) to (12), wherein the low beam light distribution pattern and the ADB light distribution pattern are formed by being divided into a plurality of irradiation areas.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlamp, comprising: a first optical unit that irradiates light to a cut-off line and an area including at least an area below the cut-off line; a second optical unit that can irradiate light to an area including at least an area above the cut-off line and can dim any area therein; a third optical unit that irradiates light in a manner overlapping at least a part of the cut-off line, characterized in that, when the high beam is lit, the first optical unit and the second optical unit are lit, when the low beam is lit, the first optical unit and the third optical unit are lit.

2. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, the cut-off line formed when the first optical unit and the third optical unit are lit is blurrier than the cut-off line formed only when the first optical unit is lit.

3. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the third optical unit can change the light irradiation area.

4. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 3, characterized in that, it is provided with a driving part for moving the irradiation area of the third optical unit in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction.

5. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 3, characterized in that, the irradiation area of the third optical unit is divided into a plurality of areas in which arbitrary areas can independently change the lighting state.

6. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 5, characterized in that, the third optical unit is composed of an LED array.

7. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, at least two of the first optical unit, the second optical unit, and the third optical unit are composed of a shared optical unit.

8. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 7, characterized in that, the second optical unit and the third optical unit are composed of a shared optical unit.

9. A vehicle headlamp capable of irradiating an ADB light distribution pattern and a low beam light distribution pattern, characterized in that, the cut-off line formed when irradiating the low beam light distribution pattern is blurrier than at least a part of the cut-off line formed when irradiating the ADB light distribution pattern.

10. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 9, characterized in that, it is provided with an optical unit that irradiates light to an irradiation area, and the irradiation area is composed of a plurality of areas in which arbitrary areas can independently change the lighting state.

11. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 10, characterized in that, the vehicle headlamp is provided with a single said optical unit.

12. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that, the optical unit is composed of an LED array.

13. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that, the low beam light distribution pattern and the ADB light distribution pattern are formed by being divided into a plurality of irradiation areas.

Images