Light emitting device

Abstract

A light-emitting device (1) is provided with: a light source unit (10) that emits light; a bottomed cylindrical lens (11) on which the light emitted by the light source unit (10) is incident and which emits the incident light; and a structural member (12) to which the light source unit (10) is attached. The lens (11) is provided with: a light projection unit (110) which has a bottomed cylindrical bottom and emits light; a wall part (114) which is a cylinder part having a bottomed cylinder shape and which rises from the outer periphery of the light projection part (110); and a position fixing part (116) for fixing the structural member (12) to the lens (11). The position fixing part (116) is disposed at a position overlapping the light projecting part (110) when the light projecting part (110) is viewed in a plane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to light-emitting devices. Background Technology

[0002] In the past, vehicle lighting devices have been designed as light-emitting devices that are configured on a car, which is a moving body, and illuminate the side of the car (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle lighting device comprising: a light source unit having an illumination lens for emitting light; a lamp housing housing the light source unit; and a light-transmitting cover integrally formed with the lamp housing. A light-transmitting arch is formed at the center of the light-transmitting cover, and the lens portion of the illumination lens is positioned facing the light-transmitting cover. The light source unit is mounted within the lamp housing via support bosses formed at the four corners of the inner side of the lamp housing and screws. The vehicle lighting device is mounted facing an opening in the vehicle's rearview mirror via mounting pieces integrally formed at the four corners of the lamp housing and screws.

[0004] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-17228 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The problem that the invention aims to solve However, in order to suppress the size of the vehicle lighting device protruding from the outer surface of the vehicle, the vehicle lighting device described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that the lamp housing inside the vehicle becomes large. In particular, in the plan view, the lamp housing is larger than the top of the light-transmitting arch, and the supporting boss is formed on the outside of the top of the light-transmitting arch, so there is a problem that the vehicle lighting device becomes larger in the direction of expansion in the plan view.

[0006] This disclosure is made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a smaller light-emitting device.

[0007] Methods for solving problems One aspect of the light-emitting device disclosed herein includes: a light source portion that emits light; a lens with a bottom cylindrical shape that receives and emits the light emitted by the light source portion; and a structural member for mounting the light source portion. The lens has: a light-projecting portion, which is the bottom of the bottom cylindrical shape, that emits the light; a wall portion, which is the cylindrical portion of the bottom cylindrical shape, that extends from the outer periphery of the light-projecting portion; and a position-fixing portion that fixes the structural member to the lens, the position-fixing portion being positioned at a position overlapping the light-projecting portion when the light-projecting portion is viewed in a plane.

[0008] Invention Effects According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide smaller light-emitting devices. Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the movable body according to Embodiment 1.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the light-emitting device according to Embodiment 1.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the light-emitting device according to Embodiment 1.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lens in Embodiment 1 as viewed from above.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lens in Embodiment 2 as viewed from above.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lens in Embodiment 3 as viewed from above. Detailed Implementation

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments described below are general or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, arrangement positions of constituent elements, and connection methods shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Additionally, constituent elements in the following embodiments that are not described in the independent claims representing the highest-level concept are described as arbitrary constituent elements. In the description of each embodiment, structures identical to those in the embodiments described above are omitted.

[0016] Furthermore, the figures are schematic diagrams and not necessarily strictly representations. Each figure is a schematic diagram with appropriate emphasis, omissions, and ratio adjustments for illustrating the invention, and may sometimes differ from the actual shape, positional relationships, and ratios. Additionally, in this embodiment, the term "consistent" includes subtle differences such as manufacturing errors. Specifically, the term "consistent" is used even when there is a difference of 0% to 10% in dimensions.

[0017] In addition, in the following embodiments, orthogonal coordinates of the three axes X, Y, and Z are sometimes recorded.

[0018] (Implementation Method 1) Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the movable body 2 in Embodiment 1. (As shown...) Figure 1 As shown, the movable body 2 has a first support body 20 and a second support body 21.

[0019] The first support 20 is, for example, the body of a car or motorcycle. The second support 21 is, for example, a rearview mirror, and is disposed to the side of the first support 20. The second support 21 protrudes from the first support 20. A light-emitting device 1 and a camera device 3 are provided on the second support 21. In the following description, the direction perpendicular to the road surface is defined as the vertical direction, i.e., the Z-axis direction.

[0020] The light-emitting device 1 is a device that illuminates light for detection by the camera device 3. More specifically, the light-emitting device 1 is mounted downwards on the second support 21 so as to illuminate the road surface. The light illuminated by the light-emitting device 1 is, for example, near-infrared light with a wavelength of approximately 700 nm to 2500 nm. More specifically, the light illuminated by the light-emitting device 1 is near-infrared light with a half-width converged in the range of 700 nm to 2500 nm, a half-width that can converge in the range of 900 nm to 1000 nm, and a peak value that can converge in the range of 900 nm to 1000 nm. However, the light illuminated by the light-emitting device 1 can be any light that can be detected by the camera device 3, for example, it can also be light in the visible light region.

[0021] The camera device 3 is a device for photographing the road surface surrounding the moving body 2, such as a camera. The camera device 3 receives reflected light from the road surface, including near-infrared light emitted by the light-emitting device 1. According to this structure, the camera device 3 is able to acquire information related to the road surface.

[0022] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the light-emitting device 1 and the camera device 3 are disposed on the second support 21, but this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the light-emitting device 1 and the camera device 3 may also be disposed on the first support 20.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the light-emitting device 1 according to Embodiment 1. (As shown...) Figure 2 As shown, the light-emitting device 1 includes a light source 10 that emits near-infrared light, a lens 11 with a bottom cylinder shape containing the light source 10, and a pad 13.

[0024] The light source 10 is built into the lens 11 and emits near-infrared light. The near-infrared light emitted by the light source 10 passes through the lens 11 and becomes the near-infrared light irradiated by the light-emitting device 1. The light source 10 is, for example, an LED (light-emitting diode) that emits near-infrared light. At this time, the light source 10 uses power supplied from an external wiring (not shown) connected to the connector 123 to emit near-infrared light.

[0025] Lens 11 is an optical component that irradiates near-infrared light emitted from light source 10 onto a defined road surface area, and also serves as the housing of the light-emitting device 1 containing light source 10. More specifically, lens 11 is generally cylindrical with a bottom, having a cylindrical portion and a bottom. In Embodiment 1, lens 11 is cylindrical with a bottom, having a cylindrical portion and a bottom covering the opening of the cylindrical portion. Furthermore, lens 11 is made of a resin with a transmittance of 80% or more for the near-infrared light component at least 900 nm, such as acrylic resin. In this case, when the wavelength of visible light is set to 400 nm to 780 nm, the visible light transmittance of lens 11 is 10% or less, thus suppressing the view of the internal structure of lens 11 from the outside and preventing aesthetic damage. In addition, the transmittance of the wavelength component above 900 nm in the near-infrared light band of lens 11 can also be 90% or more.

[0026] The lens 11 includes: a light-projecting portion 110, which is the bottom of the lens 11 in the shape of a bottomed cylinder, irradiating near-infrared light emitted by the light source portion 10; a wall portion 114, which is the cylindrical portion of the lens 11 in the shape of a bottomed cylinder, rising from the outer periphery of the light-projecting portion 110; and a locking portion 115, provided on the wall portion 114, for locking and fixing the light-emitting device 1 to the second support body 21. By providing multiple locking portions 115 on the wall portion 114, the light-emitting device 1 is more securely locked and fixed to the second support body 21. In Embodiment 1, the lens 11 is provided with three locking portions 115.

[0027] The pad 13 is a cushioning material provided on the outer peripheral side of the projection section 110. The outer peripheral side of the pad 13 coincides with the outer peripheral side of the wall section 114. The pad 13 is, for example, an elastic sponge. The lens 11 contacts the second support 21 via the pad 13, thereby the pad 13 can suppress abnormal noise caused by the vibration of the second support 21 and the light-emitting device 1. In addition, the pad 13 can also be an elastomer with rubber elasticity or the like.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the light-emitting device 1 according to Embodiment 1. Figure 3 As shown, the light-projecting part 110 has an outer lens surface 111, an inner lens surface 112, a scattering surface 113, and a position fixing part 116. A structural component 12 is fixed in the light-projecting part 110.

[0029] The outer lens surface 111 is the surface on the outer bottom surface of lens 11 that emits near-infrared light. The outer lens surface 111 is approximately spherical.

[0030] The inner lens surface 112 is the surface located at the center of the inner bottom surface of the lens 11, which is the surface in which near-infrared light emitted from the light source 10 can be directly incident. Near-infrared light incident on the inner lens surface 112 is irradiated from the outer lens surface 111 through the interior of the projection section 110.

[0031] The scattering surface 113 is a surface located on the inner bottom surface of the lens 11, outside the inner lens surface 112, in which near-infrared light emitted from the light source 10 can be directly incident. The scattering surface 113 is a surface with undulations. Therefore, near-infrared light incident on the scattering surface 113 is scattered by the scattering surface 113 and hardly shines from the outer lens surface 111.

[0032] The positioning fixing part 116 is a component used to fix the structural member 12 to the lens 11. The positioning fixing part 116 is, for example, a post provided on the inner bottom surface of the lens 11, penetrating a hole provided in the structural member 12. Furthermore, with the positioning fixing part 116 penetrating the hole in the structural member 12, the structural member 12 can be fixed to the lens 11 by thermally riveting the front end of the positioning fixing part 116. More specifically, the positioning fixing part 116 penetrates holes provided in the substrate 120, the heat-conducting sheet 121, and the heat sink 122 in the structural member 12. At this time, the positioning fixing part 116 is positioned at a position overlapping the light-emitting part 110 when viewed from the Z-axis direction. In particular, in this embodiment, the positioning fixing part 116 is positioned inside the light-emitting part 110 rather than on the outside. According to this structure, the light-emitting device 1 can suppress the magnitude in the XY plane direction.

[0033] Furthermore, to stabilize the structural component 12, multiple position fixing parts 116 can be provided. In Embodiment 1, two position fixing parts 116 are arranged opposite each other at positions separated by the center of the lens 11. With this structure, the distance between the position fixing parts 116 can be increased, thus allowing for more stable fixation of the structural component 12.

[0034] The structural component 12 includes a substrate 120, a heat-conducting plate 121, a heat sink 122, a connector 123, and a light-shielding member 124. Alternatively, not all of these structural components 12 may be provided. For example, the heat-conducting plate 121 and the heat sink 122 may be omitted.

[0035] The substrate 120 is a circuit board on one side of which the light source unit 10 is fixed, and a lighting circuit for lighting up the light source unit 10 is mounted thereon.

[0036] The heat-conducting sheet 121 is attached to the side of the substrate 120 opposite to the side of the fixed light source section 10. The heat-conducting sheet 121 is, for example, a sheet made of metal with high thermal conductivity, which can efficiently dissipate the heat emitted by the light source section 10.

[0037] The heat sink 122 is a component that dissipates the heat emitted by the light source section 10 through the heat-conducting plate 121.

[0038] Connector 123 is a terminal capable of connecting external wiring. The light source 10 is illuminated by power supplied from the outside via connector 123.

[0039] The light-shielding member 124 is a component that covers a portion of the inner lens surface 112 in the near-infrared light emitted from the light source unit 10. It is a cover that blocks a portion of the near-infrared light emitted from the light source unit 10 in a manner that causes it to enter the inner lens surface 112. By means of the light-shielding member 124, the emission of near-infrared light toward the first support 20 of the moving body 2 is suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the halo effect caused by the near-infrared light reflected by the first support 20 entering the imaging device 3.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of lens 11 in Embodiment 1 as viewed from above. (As shown) Figure 4 As shown, on the bottom inner side of lens 11, starting from the center, an inner lens surface 112, a scattering surface 113, and a middle surface 117 are arranged in sequence.

[0041] The inner lens surface 112 is located at the center of the inner bottom surface of the lens 11 and is an elongated lens surface in a predetermined direction. With this structure, the light-emitting device 1 can irradiate near-infrared light to the side of the first support 20 without omission. Furthermore, a scattering surface 113 is located on the outer periphery of the inner lens surface 112, and the outer periphery of the scattering surface 113 is a circle with the same center as the inner bottom surface of the lens 11.

[0042] Here, the surface on which the near-infrared light emitted from the light source 10 is incident is referred to as the incident region X. In Embodiment 1, the incident region X is the region formed by adding the inner lens surface 112 and the scattering surface 113. In this case, the surface between the incident region X and the wall portion 114 is called the intermediate surface 117. The near-infrared light emitted from the light source 10 hardly incidents on the intermediate surface 117.

[0043] The positioning part 116 is disposed on the middle surface 117. According to this structure, the influence of the positioning part 116 on the near-infrared light irradiated from the outer lens surface 111 can be suppressed.

[0044] As described above, the light-emitting device 1 of Embodiment 1 includes: a light source 10 that emits light; a lens 11 with a bottom cylindrical shape that receives and emits the light emitted from the light source 10; and a structural member 12 for mounting the light source 10. The lens 11 includes: a light-projecting portion 110 with a bottom cylindrical shape that emits light; a wall portion 114 with a bottom cylindrical shape that extends from the outer periphery of the light-projecting portion 110; and a position-fixing portion 116 that fixes the structural member 12 to the lens 11. The position-fixing portion 116 is positioned at a position overlapping the light-projecting portion 110 when viewed in a plane.

[0045] According to this structure, the position fixing part 116 that fixes the structural component 12 to the lens 11 is arranged at a position that overlaps with the projection part 110 when the projection part 110 is viewed in plane. Therefore, the light-emitting device 1 can suppress the expansion in the XY plane direction and thus miniaturize the light-emitting device 1.

[0046] In addition, the projection section 110 has an incident area X, which serves as the area where light is incident. A positioning part 116 is formed between the incident area X and the wall part 114 in the projection section 110.

[0047] According to this structure, the position fixing part 116 can suppress the influence on the near-infrared light irradiated from the outer lens surface 111.

[0048] Furthermore, the visible light transmittance of lens 11 is less than 10%, while the infrared transmittance is more than 80%. Based on this structure, lens 11 can transmit near-infrared light while suppressing the transmission of visible light. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the internal structure and features of lens 11 from being seen from the outside, thus preserving its aesthetic appeal.

[0049] In addition, the light-emitting device 1 has a pad 13 surrounding the outer periphery of the light-emitting part 110. The outer peripheral side of the pad 13 is consistent with the outer peripheral side of the wall part 114.

[0050] According to this structure, the light-emitting device 1 can suppress the expansion in the XY plane direction, thereby miniaturizing the light-emitting device 1.

[0051] In addition, the light-emitting device 1 is supported by a movable body 2 equipped with a camera device 3, and emits light for detection by the camera device 3.

[0052] Based on this structure, the camera device 3 is able to acquire information related to the road surface.

[0053] (Implementation Method 2) Next, the light-emitting device 1 of Embodiment 2 will be described.

[0054] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of lens 11 in Embodiment 2 as viewed from above. (As shown) Figure 5 As shown, the position fixing part 116 is disposed on the scattering surface 113. According to this structure, the position fixing part 116 can suppress the influence on near-infrared light irradiated from the outer lens surface 111. In addition, since the position fixing part 116 is not provided on the intermediate surface 117, the intermediate surface 117 can be narrowed, further suppressing the expansion of the lens 11 in the XY plane direction.

[0055] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the scattering surface 113 is wider near both ends of the inner lens surface 112 in the short side direction and narrower near both ends of the inner lens surface 112 in the long side direction. Therefore, the positioning part 116 is disposed near both ends of the inner lens surface 112 in the short side direction. According to this structure, the positioning part 116 can be easily formed.

[0056] (Implementation Method 3) Next, the light-emitting device 1 of Embodiment 3 will be described.

[0057] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of lens 11 in Embodiment 3 as viewed from above. (As shown) Figure 6 As shown, the area covered by the light-shielding member 124 is designated as the light-shielding area Y. At this time, the position fixing part 116a is disposed in the light-shielding area Y. Additionally, the position fixing part 116b is disposed on the intermediate surface 117. According to this structure, the position fixing part 116 can suppress the influence on near-infrared light irradiated from the outer lens surface 111.

[0058] (Variation example) The light-emitting device 1 of the above embodiments has been described, but the light-emitting device 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

[0059] For example, more than three positioning portions 116 may be formed. In this case, the spacing between the positioning portions 116 in the circumferential direction of the lens 11 may also be equal. According to this structure, the lens 11 can more stably fix the structural component 12.

[0060] Furthermore, the multiple position fixing parts 116 may also have at least one combination of different sizes. Alternatively, the spacing between adjacent position fixing parts 116 in the circumferential direction of the lens 11 may also have at least one combination of different spacings. According to this structure, the lens 11 can suppress misassembly of the structural components 12.

[0061] Alternatively, the positioning unit 116 can be configured to span different regions. For example, the positioning unit 116 can also be configured to span the scattering surface 113 and the intermediate surface 117.

[0062] Alternatively, the multiple positioning parts 116 can be disposed in different regions. For example, one of the positioning parts 116 can be disposed on the scattering surface 113, and the other on the intermediate surface 117.

[0063] Alternatively, the lens 11 may not have the pad 13, and the outer peripheral side of the projection part 110 may be consistent with the outer peripheral side of the wall part 114.

[0064] According to this structure, the light-emitting device 1 can suppress the expansion in the XY plane direction, thereby miniaturizing the light-emitting device 1.

[0065] Furthermore, this disclosure also includes various modifications conceived by those skilled in the art to the above embodiments, and methods of arbitrarily combining the constituent elements and functions of the embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention. Additionally, schemes formed by arbitrarily combining two or more claims from the multiple claims recited in the claims of this application, to the extent that they are not technically contradictory, are also included in this invention. For example, when a claim in the form of reference recited in the claims of this application is set as a multiple claim or multiple reference multiple claim by referencing all superior claims to the extent that they are not technically contradictory, the combination of all claims included in such multiple claims or multiple reference multiple claims is also included in this invention.

[0066] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1. Light-emitting device 10. Light Source Section 11 Lenses 110 Light Projection Department 111 Outer lens surface 112 Inner lens surface 113 Scattering surface 114 Wall section 115 Locking Part Position fixing parts 116, 116a, 116b 117 Intermediate surface 12 Structural Components 120 substrate 121 Thermal Conductive Sheet 122 Radiator 123 Connector 124 Light-shielding components 13 Padding 2. Moving bodies 20 First Support Body 21 Second Support 3. Camera device

Claims

1. A light emitting device, comprising: Possessing: a light source section that emits light; a lens of a bottomed cylindrical shape that is to be irradiated with the light emitted by the light source section and that emits the light that is irradiated; and a structural member for mounting the light source section, the lens has a light projecting section that is a bottom of the bottomed cylindrical shape and that emits the light, a wall section that is a cylindrical section of the bottomed cylindrical shape and that stands from an outer periphery of the light projecting section, and a position fixing section that fixes the structural member to the lens, the position fixing section is disposed at a position that overlaps the light projecting section when the light projecting section is planarly observed.

2. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light projecting section has an irradiation region that is a region in which the light is irradiated, the position fixing section is formed between the irradiation region and the wall section in the light projecting section.

3. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the lens has: an inner lens surface that is capable of emitting the light to an outer side of the lens when the light is irradiated; and a scattering surface that is disposed in a manner of surrounding the inner lens surface and that scatters the light when the light is irradiated, the position fixing section is formed in the scattering surface.

4. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the structural member has: a substrate that is to fix the light source section; and a light shielding member that is disposed between the substrate and the lens and that shields a part of the light that is irradiated to the lens, at least a part of the position fixing section overlaps the light shielding member when the substrate is planarly observed.

5. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein a visible light transmittance of the lens is 10% or less, and an infrared ray transmittance is 80% or more.

6. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting device has a gasket that surrounds an outer periphery of the light projecting section, an outer peripheral side surface of the gasket coincides with an outer peripheral side surface of the wall section.

7. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the lens has a light projecting surface that emits the light that is irradiated, an outer peripheral side surface of the light projecting section coincides with an outer peripheral side surface of the wall section.

8. The light emitting device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is supported by a mobile body that is provided with an imaging device, and emits the light that is to be detected by the imaging device.

Images