Vehicle lamp projection device, vehicle lamp and vehicle

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a vehicle lamp projection device, a vehicle lamp and a vehicle. The vehicle lamp projection device comprises a light source unit, a reflector unit and an image generation unit. The reflector unit is located between the light source unit and the image generation unit, the reflector unit comprises at least two curved surface reflectors, the reflector unit is of an integral structure formed by splicing the at least two curved surface reflectors, and the reflector unit is used for receiving light beams generated by the light source unit and reflecting the light beams generated by the light source unit to the image generation unit. According to the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the invention, the problem that the uniformity of a projection picture of a car lamp DLP projection device adopting a single light bead in the related technology is relatively poor is solved, and the uniformity of the projection picture is remarkably improved, so that the use experience of a user is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of optical display technologies, and in particular, to a vehicle headlight projection device, a vehicle headlight, and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] With the development of projection technologies, digital light processing technology based on digital micromirror device DMD, that is, DLP technology, has been increasingly widely applied in the automotive field. DLP technology can be applied in the head-up display device of a vehicle or in vehicle headlights. Vehicle headlights based on DLP technology can project different patterns according to the customized requirements of manufacturers or user needs.

[0003] In related technologies, due to the usage requirements of vehicle headlights, the lighting device therein is required to have a high luminous flux output. Therefore, a single high-input lamp bead is usually adopted to achieve projection based on DLP technology. However, in this method, the energy is relatively high near the optical axis of the single lamp bead, and the energy in the area deviating from the optical axis is relatively low, which may lead to poor uniformity of the projected image, affecting the pattern projection effect and thus the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a vehicle headlight projection device, a vehicle headlight, and a vehicle to solve the problem of poor uniformity of the projected image of a vehicle headlight DLP projection device using a single lamp bead in related technologies.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a vehicle headlight projection device, which includes:

[0006] The vehicle headlight projection device includes:

[0007] A light source unit, a mirror unit, and an image generation unit;

[0008] The mirror unit is located between the light source unit and the image generation unit.

[0009] The mirror unit includes at least two curved mirrors, and the mirror unit is an integral structure formed by splicing at least two curved mirrors. The mirror unit is configured to receive the light beam generated by the light source unit and reflect the light beam generated by the light source unit onto the image generation unit.

[0010] Wherein, the distances between the light source unit, the mirror unit, and the image generation unit satisfy:

[0011]

[0012] Wherein, t is the central distance from the light source unit to the mirror unit, and s is the central distance from the mirror unit to the image generation unit.

[0013] Optionally, at least two curved mirrors are connected to each other.

[0014] Optionally, at least two curved mirrors are all free-form mirrors.

[0015] Optionally, the light source unit and the mirror unit are respectively located on both sides of the optical axis of the image generation unit.

[0016] Optionally, there are at least three point light sources, which are linearly distributed or arrayed; the distribution positions of the collimating optical modules correspond to the point light sources.

[0017] Optionally, the light source unit includes a collimating optical module and at least one point light source, and the collimating optical module is located between the point light source and the mirror unit.

[0018] Optionally, if there are at least two collimating optical modules, the optical axes of the collimating optical modules are parallel to each other.

[0019] Optionally, the number of collimating optical modules corresponds to the number of point light sources; the number of point light sources is less than or equal to the number of curved mirrors.

[0020] Optionally, the distance from the collimating optical module to the mirror unit satisfies:

[0021]

[0022] where t is the distance from the collimating optical module to the mirror unit, and s is the distance from the center of the mirror unit to the image generation unit.

[0023] Optionally, the sizes of the collimating optical module and the mirror unit satisfy:

[0024] 0.4 ≤ (h + 2t×tanθ) / H ≤ 1;

[0025] where θ is the light divergence angle of the collimating optical module, h is the total width of the collimating optical module, and H is the total width of the mirror unit.

[0026] Optionally, θ ranges from 3° to 10°, t ranges from 20 mm to 50 mm, h ranges from 15 mm to 60 mm, and H ranges from 22 mm to 75 mm.

[0027] Optionally, the side of the image generation unit adjacent to the mirror unit is a rectangular plane and satisfies:

[0028]

[0029] where n is the number of optical axes of the mirror unit, d is the optical axis distance between two edge curved mirrors in the mirror unit, s is the distance from the center of the image generation unit to the center of the mirror unit, L is the width of the image generation unit, and the edge curved mirror is used to represent the curved mirror with the farthest distance from the center of the mirror unit.

[0030] Optionally, if there are at least three curved mirrors in the mirror unit, the center curvature radius of at least one curved mirror is different from that of the other curved mirrors.

[0031] Optionally, the number of curved mirrors in the mirror unit is odd.

[0032] Optionally, the center curvature radius of the curved mirror satisfies:

[0033]

[0034] wherein, R0 is the center curvature radius of the curved mirror located at the center of the mirror unit, and Re is the center curvature radius of the curved mirror with the farthest center distance from the center of the mirror unit.

[0035] Optionally, the number of curved mirrors in the mirror unit is even, the center curvature radii of the two curved mirrors with the closest center distance to the center of the mirror unit are the same, and the center curvature radii of the two curved mirrors with the farthest center distance from the center of the mirror unit are the same.

[0036] Optionally, the center curvature radius of the curved mirror satisfies:

[0037]

[0038] wherein, R1 are respectively the center curvature radii of the two curved mirrors with the closest center distance to the center of the mirror unit, and Re is the center curvature radius of the two curved mirrors with the farthest center distance from the center of the mirror unit.

[0039] Optionally, if the number of curved mirrors in the mirror unit is at least four, the optical axis spacing of each curved mirror satisfies:

[0040]

[0041] wherein, n is the number of optical axes of the mirror unit, d1 is the optical axis spacing of the two curved mirrors with the closest center distance to the center of the mirror unit, and d2 is the optical axis spacing of the two curved mirrors with the farthest center distance from the center of the mirror unit.

[0042] Optionally, the vehicle lamp projection device further includes a projection unit; the image generation unit is configured to reflect the light beam projected by the mirror unit to the projection unit.

[0043] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a vehicle lamp, in which a vehicle lamp projection device as in any embodiment of the first aspect of the present disclosure is provided.

[0044] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a vehicle, in which a vehicle lamp as in any embodiment of the second aspect of the present disclosure is provided.

[0045] The vehicle lamp projection device, vehicle lamp, and vehicle provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure set a mirror unit including a plurality of curved mirrors, and set the optical axes of the curved mirrors between the light source unit and the image generation unit, so as to integrate and reflect the light beams emitted by the light source unit to the image generation unit. Thus, by using the characteristic that the optical axis positions of different curved mirrors are different, the light beams emitted by the light source unit are respectively projected to different positions of the image generation unit, thereby realizing the uniform illumination of the image generation unit and controlling the illumination distribution on the image generation unit, and further ensuring the uniformity of the image reflected from the image generation unit to the projection unit and the uniformity of the picture projected by the projection unit into the external environment, thereby improving the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and form a part of the specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0047] Figure 1a is an application scenario diagram of a vehicle lamp projection device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 1b is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle lamp projection device in the prior art;

[0049] Figure 1c is another schematic structural diagram of a vehicle lamp projection device in the prior art;

[0050] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle lamp projection device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle lamp projection device provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0052] Figure 4 is Figure 3 another schematic structural diagram of the vehicle lamp projection device provided by the embodiment shown;

[0053] Figure 5 is Figure 3 a schematic diagram of the dimensional relationship between the mirror unit and the light source unit in the vehicle lamp projection device provided by the embodiment shown;

[0054] Figure 6 is Figure 3 a schematic diagram of the cooperation relationship between the mirror unit and the image generation unit in the vehicle lamp projection device provided by the embodiment shown;

[0055] Figure 7 For Figure 3 Another schematic diagram showing the cooperation relationship between the mirror unit and the image generation unit in the headlight projection device provided by the embodiment shown;

[0056] Figure 8 For Figure 3 Another schematic diagram showing the cooperation relationship between the mirror unit and the image generation unit in the headlight projection device provided by the embodiment shown;

[0057] Figure 9 For Figure 3 Another schematic diagram of the structure of the headlight projection device provided by the embodiment shown;

[0058] Figure 10 For Figure 3 Another schematic diagram of the structure of the headlight projection device provided by the embodiment shown;

[0059] Figure 11 For Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the light speed energy distribution on the image generation unit provided by the embodiment shown;

[0060] Figure 12 For Figure 3 Energy distribution diagram of the projection image provided by the embodiment shown.

[0061] Among them, 200, headlight projection device;

[0062] 210, light source unit, 211, point light source, 212, collimating optical module, 220, mirror unit, 221, curved mirror, 230, image generation unit, 240, projection unit.

[0063] Through the above-mentioned drawings, the clear embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown, and there will be more detailed descriptions hereinafter. These drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the concept of the present disclosure in any way, but to illustrate the concept of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. Detailed implementation manners

[0064] Here, the exemplary embodiments will be described in detail, and the examples are shown in the drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The implementation manners described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all the implementation manners consistent with the present disclosure. On the contrary, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0065] The following uses specific embodiments to elaborate in detail on the technical solutions of the present disclosure and how the technical solutions of the present disclosure solve the above technical problems. The following several specific embodiments can be combined with each other, and the same or similar concepts or processes may not be repeated in some embodiments. The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0066] With the development of projection technology, digital light processing technology based on digital micromirror device DMD, that is, DLP technology, has been increasingly widely used in the automotive field. DLP technology can be applied to the head-up display device of a vehicle or used in the vehicle's headlights (such as front headlights, taillights, side lights, etc.). The headlights based on DLP technology can project different patterns input by users or pre-configured by manufacturers onto the area in front of, behind, or around the vehicle according to the customized requirements of the manufacturer or user needs.

[0067] In the related art, due to the usage requirements of the headlights, it is necessary for the lighting device therein to have a high luminous flux output. Therefore, a single high-input lamp bead is usually used to achieve projection based on DLP technology. However, this method is prone to having a high energy near the optical axis of the single light bead and a low energy in the area deviating from the optical axis, resulting in poor uniformity of the projected image, affecting the pattern projection effect, and thus affecting the user experience. Another method is to use a light guide column, a compound eye structure, etc. to achieve uniform projection. However, there are many optical elements involved in such solutions, the cost is high, it is not conducive to the miniaturization design of the overall solution, and the practicability is relatively limited.

[0068] To solve this problem, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a headlight projection device. By arranging a mirror unit between the light source unit and the image generation unit, the light beam of the light source unit is integrally reflected by multiple curved mirrors, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the illuminance on the image generation unit, and further ensuring the uniformity of the projection image projected onto the outside of the vehicle through the projection unit, thus significantly improving the headlight projection effect.

[0069] The application scenarios of the embodiments of the present disclosure are explained below:

[0070] Figure 1a This is an application scenario diagram of the headlight projection device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure. As Figure 1a shown, the vehicle's headlight 100 will project the image pre-customized by the user into the external environment 120, such as on the road, through the headlight projection device 110, so as to achieve functions such as personalized lighting and signal indication.

[0071] Figure 1bIt is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle headlight projection device in the prior art. In the existing vehicle headlight projection device 110, light is usually projected from a single lamp bead 111 onto a reflector 112, and then projected from the reflector 112 onto an image generation unit 113. The image is then projected into a projection unit 114 through the image generation unit 113 to achieve the projection of the vehicle headlight. In such a scheme, the energy of the projected image will be concentrated at the position where the optical axis of the reflector 112 is located. The farther away from the optical axis, the lower the energy, and the image uniformity is poor.

[0072] Figure 1c It is another schematic structural diagram of a vehicle headlight projection device in the prior art. Based on the scheme of a single lamp bead 111, there is also a scheme in the existing vehicle headlight projection device 110 to increase the number of lamp beads 111, but it still cannot solve the problem that after refraction by the reflector 112, the energy of the finally obtained projected image will be concentrated at the position where the optical axis of the reflector 112 is located.

[0073] It should be noted that Figures 1a to 1c In the illustrated scenario, only one example of the vehicle headlight, the vehicle headlight projection device, and the external environment is used for illustrative purposes, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. That is to say, the number of vehicle headlights, vehicle headlight projection devices, and external environments can be arbitrary.

[0074] The vehicle headlight projection device provided by the present disclosure will be described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0075] Figure 2 It is a top view of a vehicle headlight projection device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure. As Figure 2 shown, the vehicle headlight projection device 200 provided in this embodiment includes:

[0076] A light source unit 210, a reflector unit 220, and an image generation unit 230;

[0077] The reflector unit 220 is located between the light source unit 210 and the image generation unit 230. The reflector unit 220 includes at least two curved reflectors 221; the reflector unit 220 is an integral structure formed by splicing at least two curved reflectors 221. The reflector unit 220 is used to receive the light beam generated by the light source unit 210 and reflect the light beam generated by the light source unit 210 onto the image generation unit 230; wherein, the distances between the light source unit 210, the reflector unit 220, and the image generation unit 230 satisfy:

[0078]

[0079] wherein, t is the central distance from the light source unit 210 to the reflector unit 220, and s is the distance from the center of the reflector unit 220 to the image generation unit 230.

[0080] Specifically, the headlight projection device 200 is a device inside the headlight that projects the image to be projected generated by the image generation unit 230 onto the external environment. That is to say, the headlight projection device 200 is usually just a part inside the headlight. When the headlight projection device 200 is not activated, the headlight can also project light beams outward through the internal light source to perform functions such as lighting and sending prompt signals (such as the prompt function of the turn signal).

[0081] The light source unit 210 is used to generate the light beams required for projection. The light source unit 210 may include one or more light sources. The light beams generated by the light source unit 210 will be projected onto the mirror unit 220, and then the multiple area mirrors 221 in the mirror unit 220 will project the light beams to different positions of the image generation unit 230 respectively, so as to equalize the illuminance distribution on the image generation unit 230 and avoid the situation of Poisson distribution of illuminance (that is, the brightness is higher at the position close to the optical axis of the light beam and lower at the position deviating from the optical axis of the light beam), resulting in insufficient quality of the projected image.

[0082] According to the different positions of the light sources in the light source unit 210, the mirror unit 220 will correspondingly adjust the positions of the curved mirrors 221 therein, and combine the positions of the light source unit 210 and the image generation unit 230 to adjust its own angle, so as to ensure that each light source has at least one curved mirror 221 to reflect its corresponding light beam onto the image generation unit 230.

[0083] Since it is necessary to reflect the light beams emitted by the light source unit 210 to different positions of the image generation unit 230, therefore, the center curvature radii of the different curved mirrors 221 in the mirror unit 220 may be different (that is, a stepped change is formed between the center curvature radii of the different curved mirrors 221, so it is the mirror unit 220).

[0084] The image generation unit 230 is used to generate the image to be projected. The light rays passing through the mirror unit 220 irradiate onto the image generation unit 230 to reflect the image displayed on the image generation unit 230 to the outside, or project it to the outside through a specific structure (to enhance the projection distance, light intensity, overall brightness, etc.). The role of the mirror unit 220 is to "illuminate" the side of the image generation unit 230 that displays the image, and then the image generation unit 230 reflects the "illuminated" image to the outside.

[0085] The image generation unit 230 can select an image display chip based on DMD technology. At this time, the image generation unit 230 is installed on the corresponding circuit board to control the image to be projected generated by the image generation unit 230.

[0086] The distances among the light source unit 210, the mirror unit 220, and the image generation unit 230 need to be controlled within a set range (such as the ratio range in the above formula. For example, the specific values can be 0.6, 1.9, 2.5, all of which can achieve this effect) to ensure that the mirror unit 220 can effectively reflect the light beam in the light source unit 210 onto the image generation unit 230 and control the overall size of the vehicle headlight projection device 200 to meet the requirement of miniaturization of the vehicle corresponding to the headlight projection device 200.

[0087] The headlight projection device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure sets a mirror unit including a plurality of curved mirrors, and sets the optical axis of the curved mirror between the light source unit and the image generation unit to integrate and reflect the light beam emitted by the light source unit to the image generation unit. Thus, by using the characteristic that the optical axis positions of different curved mirrors are different, the light beam emitted by the light source unit is respectively projected to different positions of the image generation unit, thereby realizing the uniform illumination of the light projected onto the image generation unit and controlling the illumination distribution on the image generation unit, and further ensuring the uniformity of the image reflected from the image generation unit to the projection unit and the uniformity of the picture projected by the projection unit into the external environment, thereby improving the user experience.

[0088] Figure 3 FIG. is a schematic structural diagram of a headlight projection device provided by another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 is Figure 3 a schematic diagram showing the cooperation relationship between the mirror unit and the image generation unit in the shown headlight projection device. Figure 6 is Figure 3 another schematic diagram showing the cooperation relationship between the mirror unit and the image generation unit in the shown headlight projection device. As shown in combination with Figures 3 to 6 shown, on the basis of the embodiment shown in Figure 2 the headlight projection device provided by this embodiment further includes:

[0089] At least two curved mirrors 221 are connected to each other; at least two curved mirrors 221 are all free-form mirrors.

[0090] The light source unit 210 and the mirror unit 220 are respectively located on both sides of the optical axis of the image generation unit 230.

[0091] The light source unit 210 includes a collimating optical module 212 and at least one point light source 211, and the collimating optical module 212 is located between the point light source 211 and the mirror unit 220.

[0092] If there are at least two collimating optical modules 212, the optical axes of the collimating optical modules 212 are parallel to each other.

[0093] Specifically, at least two curved mirrors 221 are connected to each other, that is, the curved mirrors 221 are in close contact with each other without gaps. The specific connection method can be that the curved mirrors 221 are spliced with each other, or multiple curved mirrors 221 are obtained by integral molding (that is, the whole integrally molded structure includes multiple curved surfaces), or a combination of different connection methods can be used, such as multiple integrally molded structures (for example, each integrally molded structure includes two curved surfaces) are spliced with each other to form the mirror unit 220. Thus, it is beneficial to separately design the curvatures of the edge region and the central region of each curved mirror 221, so that the illuminance of the edge region is higher than that of the central region, to meet the different requirements for the light received in different regions of the mirror unit 220, and finally achieve the uniform illuminance of the whole mirror unit 220, thereby ensuring the overall imaging effect.

[0094] The curved surface of each curved mirror 221 in the mirror unit 220 is a free-form surface to correct the light rays of the light beams emitted by the light source units 210 at different positions, and finally achieve the uniformity of the light spots reflected onto the image generation unit 230.

[0095] By defining the relative positions between the mirror unit 220, the image generation unit 230, and the light source unit 210, it is convenient to miniaturize the vehicle headlight projection device 200, especially when the vehicle headlight projection device 200 is used in vehicle headlights. At the same time, it is beneficial to achieve the brightness uniformity of the patterns projected by the vehicle headlight projection device 200 and prevent interference between modules.

[0096] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, there are at least three point light sources 211, and the point light sources 211 are linearly distributed, or the point light sources 211 are arrayed; the distribution position of the collimating optical module 212 corresponds to the point light source 212.

[0097] Specifically, when the number of point light sources 211 in the light source unit 210 is relatively large, such as three, four or more, the point light sources 211 can be configured with corresponding distribution methods according to requirements, such as being linearly distributed, arrayed according to the vertex positions of a triangle / square / regular polygon, or other distribution methods, to adapt to occasions with size requirements for the vehicle headlight projection device (for example, if there is a width limit for the structure of the light source unit 210 of the vehicle headlight projection device, it can be linearly distributed; if there is a maximum length limit, it can be arrayed or other distribution methods).

[0098] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the optical axes of a plurality of curved mirrors 221 are set to be parallel. The parallel optical axes here refer to the arrangement of at least two curved mirrors 221. By setting the optical axes of the plurality of curved mirrors 221 to be parallel, it is convenient to adjust the position of the light beam of the light source unit 210 they converge, so that the light beam is more evenly distributed on the image generation unit 230.

[0099] The collimating optical module 212 is used to converge the light rays of the point light source 211 into a light beam directed at the curved mirror 221.

[0100] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the collimating optical module 212 can be a collimating optical lens, a barrel collimating optical structure, or other devices that can directly achieve beam integration, or a combination of multiple lenses such as a condenser lens, a color filter, and a shaping lens, which is not limited here.

[0101] By making the optical axes of the collimating optical modules 212 parallel to each other, the light rays of the point light source 211 are projected onto the corresponding curved mirror 221.

[0102] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the point light source 211 can be an LED lamp bead or other types of lamp beads to ensure its illuminance and controllability while controlling the volume of the point light source 211.

[0103] Optionally, as Figure 4 shown, the number of collimating optical modules 212 corresponds to the number of point light sources 211; the number of point light sources 211 is less than or equal to the number of curved mirrors 221. The distance from the collimating optical module 212 to the mirror unit 220 (the corresponding curved mirror 221 therein) satisfies:

[0104]

[0105] where t is the distance from the collimating optical module 212 to the mirror unit 220, and s is the distance from the center of the mirror unit 220 to the image generation unit 230.

[0106] Specifically, each point light source 211 is configured with a corresponding collimating optical module 212 to integrate the light rays emitted by the point light source 211 into a light beam directed at the curved mirror 221.

[0107] The number of point light sources 211 can be less than the number of curved mirrors 211. In this case, the light rays of the same point light source 211 can be reflected by multiple curved mirrors 221, as Figure 4As shown, it is a schematic structural diagram of a vehicle headlight projection device with a single point light source cooperating with three curved mirrors. Among them, there is only one point light source 211, and there are three corresponding curved mirrors 221 to reflect the light beam of the point light source 211 to different positions on the image generation unit 230 through the three curved mirrors 221, so that the light illuminance on the image generation unit 230 is evenly distributed.

[0108] By combining multiple curved mirrors 221, the light beam output by the collimating optical module 212 can form multiple Gaussian-distributed light beams after passing through the multiple curved mirrors 221. These Gaussian light beams are superimposed on the image generation unit 230, and a uniform energy distribution can be formed, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the output projection image.

[0109] As Figure 4 shown, the ratio of the distance t from the collimating optical module 212 to the mirror unit 220 to the distance s from the center of the mirror unit 220 to the image generation unit 230 needs to be controlled within a set range. By controlling the relative distances of the collimating optical module 212, the mirror unit 220, and the image generation unit 230, the overall volume of these structures can be controlled, facilitating assembly and miniaturization. If the relative distance is too far, the volume of the entire vehicle headlight projection device 200 will be too large. If the relative distance is too close, the light rays of different point light sources 211 are likely to interfere with each other, making the assembly of the overall structure too difficult. Exemplarily, t / s can be 0.8, 0.9, 1.8, all of which can achieve the above effects.

[0110] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the relative distances of the collimating optical module 212, the mirror unit 220, and the image generation unit 230 preferably satisfy:

[0111]

[0112] By further restricting their relative distances, the convenience of assembling each structure is better ensured. Optionally, the sizes of the collimating optical module 212 and the mirror unit 220 satisfy:

[0113] 0.4 ≤ (h + 2t × tanθ) / H ≤ 1;

[0114] where θ is the light divergence angle of the collimating optical module 212, h is the total width of the collimating optical module 212, and H is the total width of the mirror unit 220. The value of θ can be 3° to 10°, t is 20 mm to 50 mm, h is 15 mm to 60 mm, and H is 22 mm to 75 mm.

[0115] Specifically, as Figure 5As shown, h + 2t×tanθ is the total width of the light beam (or light spot) projected onto the mirror unit, and (h + 2t×tanθ) / H is the ratio of the total width of the light beam to the total width of the mirror unit 220.

[0116] By setting the overall size of the mirror unit 220 to be larger than the light spot output by the collimating optical module 212, the mirror unit 220 can reflect more light onto the image generation unit 230, improving the overall light efficiency of the vehicle headlight projection device 200. Specifically, the improvement in light efficiency can be as high as 30 - 40%.

[0117] Exemplarily, in one solution, H is 26 mm, h is 20 mm, t is 42 mm, and θ is 3°. At this time, the calculated value of (h + 2t×tanθ) / H is 0.86, meeting the requirements of the above formula; in another solution, H is 60 mm, h is 45 mm, t is 45 mm, and θ is 6°. At this time, the calculated value of (h + 2t×tanθ) / H is 0.91, also meeting the requirements of the above formula; in yet another solution, H is 45 mm, h is 16 mm, t is 40 mm, and θ is 8°. At this time, the calculated value of (h + 2t×tanθ) / H is 0.6, also meeting the requirements of the above formula.

[0118] Optionally, one side of the image generation unit 230 adjacent to the mirror unit 220 is a rectangular plane and satisfies:

[0119]

[0120] where n is the number of optical axes of the mirror unit 220, d is the distance between the optical axes of the two edge curved surface mirrors 221 in the mirror unit 220, s is the distance from the center of the image generation unit 230 to the center of the mirror unit 220, L is the width of the image generation unit 230, and the edge curved surface mirror 221 is used to represent the curved surface mirror 221 with the farthest distance from the center of the mirror unit 220.

[0121] Specifically, as Figures 6 to 8 shown, these several figures are all schematic diagrams of the cooperation relationship between the mirror unit and the image generation unit in the vehicle headlight projection device. Among them, Figure 6 the mirror unit 220 in Figure 7 contains three curved surface mirrors 221, and the number of its optical axes n is 3, Figure 8 contains five curved surface mirrors 221, so the number of its optical axes n is 5,

[0122] By controlling the number of optical axes (i.e., the number of curved mirrors 221) and the spacing in the mirror unit 220, it is ensured that the incident angle of the edge curved mirror 221 in the mirror unit 220 with respect to the image generation unit 230 and the optical axis spacing of the light beam projected from the curved mirror 221 onto the image generation unit 230 are within a reasonable range. Furthermore, light can effectively enter the projection unit 240, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the projected image output by the projection unit 240. At the same time, ensuring a reasonable optical axis angle of the light beam projected onto the image generation unit 230 is conducive to achieving a high luminous flux and ensuring the brightness of the projected image.

[0123] Exemplarily, The value of can be 0.35, 1, 1.2, 1.65, all of which can ensure the luminous flux and the brightness of the projected image.

[0124] Preferably, The preferred range of is 0.4 to 1.5, within which better technical effects can be achieved in terms of increasing the luminous flux and ensuring the brightness of the projected image.

[0125] Optionally, if there are at least three curved mirrors 221 in the mirror unit 220, then the central curvature radius of at least one curved mirror 221 is different from that of the other curved mirrors 221.

[0126] Specifically, as Figures 6 to 8 , by setting the central curvature radii of different curved mirrors 221 in the mirror unit 220 to different values ( Figure 6 and Figure 7 There are two different central curvature radii, R0 and Re, in. Among them, R0 is the central curvature radius of the middle curved mirror 221, and Re is the central curvature radius of the edge curved mirror 221. Figure 8 In, R1 is the central curvature radius of one of the two curved mirrors 221 closest to the center of the mirror unit 220. Since the central curvature radii of these two curved mirrors 221 are the same, only one is used for representation), it is beneficial to achieve customized projection requirements with a low central illuminance and a high edge illuminance of the projected image (i.e., making the light beam and its energy projected onto the image generation unit 230 more concentrated on the edge of the image generation unit 230) by configuring different central curvature radius values.

[0127] Optionally, if the number of curved mirrors 221 in the mirror unit 220 is an odd number.

[0128] The central curvature radius of the curved mirror 221 satisfies:

[0129]

[0130] Among them, R0 is the central curvature radius of the curved mirror 221 located at the center of the mirror unit 220, and Re is the central curvature radius of the curved mirror 221 with the farthest central distance from the mirror unit 220.

[0131] Specifically, by making the central curvature radius corresponding to the middle curved mirror 221 larger (as Figure 6 shown, that is, R0 is greater than Re), the light spot irradiated to the center of the image generation unit 230 is made larger, and the energy is more dispersed and lower. While the central curvature radius of the curved mirror 221 at the edge is smaller, so that the light spot irradiated on the edge of the image generation unit 230 is smaller and the energy is more concentrated. After superposition, a projection effect with low central illuminance and high edge illuminance can be formed.

[0132] Optionally, if the number of the curved mirrors 221 of the mirror unit 220 is an even number. The central curvature radii of the two curved mirrors 221 with the closest central distance to the mirror unit 220 are the same, and the central curvature radii of the two curved mirrors 221 with the farthest central distance from the mirror unit 220 are the same.

[0133] The central curvature radius of the curved mirror 221 satisfies:

[0134]

[0135] Among them, R1 is the central curvature radius of the two curved mirrors 221 with the closest central distance to the mirror unit 220, and Re is the central curvature radius of the two curved mirrors 221 with the farthest central distance from the mirror unit 220.

[0136] Specifically, as Figure 7 shown, when the number of the curved mirrors 221 is an even number, the curved mirrors 221 relative to the center of the mirror unit 220 need to be set in a symmetric structure. At this time, the central curvature radii of the curved mirrors 221 at the relative positions are the same to ensure the uniformity and symmetry of the light spot distribution projected onto the image generation unit 230, and further ensure the uniformity of the projection image brightness.

[0137] Optionally, if the number of the curved mirrors 221 of the mirror unit 220 is at least four, the optical axis spacings of the respective curved mirrors 221 satisfy:

[0138]

[0139] Among them, n is the number of optical axes of the mirror unit 220, d1 is the optical axis spacing of the two curved mirrors 221 with the closest central distance to the mirror unit 220, and d2 is the optical axis spacing of the two curved mirrors 221 with the farthest central distance from the mirror unit 220.

[0140] Specifically, as Figure 7 shown, by setting a larger optical axis spacing for the curved mirror 221 in the middle region, it helps to make the energy projected onto the middle part of the image generation unit 230 more dispersed and lower (as Figure 11 shown, which is a schematic diagram of the light speed energy distribution on the image generation unit. From Figure 11 , the energy distribution on the image generation unit 230 is relatively balanced, as Figure 12 shown, which is an energy distribution diagram of the projected image. Through the cooperation of the image generation unit 230 and the projection unit 240, the energy of the projected image is made as evenly distributed as possible), correspondingly, by making the optical axis spacing of the curved mirror 221 in the edge region small, it can make the energy projected onto the image generation unit 230 through these curved mirrors 221 more concentrated. After superposition, it also helps to form a projection effect with low central illuminance and high edge illuminance, thereby ensuring the uniformity of the projected image. Preferably, the value of the above formula is between 1 and 1.5, which has a better effect in ensuring the edge illuminance and the uniformity of the projected image.

[0141] Optionally, the vehicle headlight projection device 200 further includes a projection unit 240;

[0142] The image generation unit 230 is configured to reflect the light beam projected by the mirror unit 220 to the projection unit 240.

[0143] Specifically, the projection unit 240 is configured to receive the light beam reflected by the image generation unit 230 and project the image to be projected therein onto the external environment. By providing the projection unit 240, the projection distance, light intensity, and overall brightness of the vehicle headlight projection device 200 when projecting the projection screen onto the external can be enhanced.

[0144] The projection unit 240 may be a projection lens or a lens combination, and no limitation is made here.

[0145] The following are some examples of vehicle headlight projection devices provided based on the above description:

[0146] First, referring to Figure 3 , in this example, the number of point light sources 211 is 3, and the number of curved mirrors 211 is 3. At this time, the distance t between the collimating optical module 212 and the curved mirror 211 is 45 mm, and the distance s between the curved mirror 211 and the image generation unit 230 is 32 mm. Then there is:

[0147]

[0148] Obviously, the relative distance requirements among the foregoing light source unit 210, mirror unit 220, and image generation unit 230 are satisfied.

[0149] Furthermore, in combination with Figure 6 , if the width L of the image generation unit 230 is 12 mm and the distance d between the edge curved surface mirrors 221 is 30 mm, then:

[0150]

[0151] It also meets the relative size requirements of the aforementioned image production unit 230 and the mirror unit 220.

[0152] Meanwhile, if the central curvature radius R0 of the middle curved surface mirror 221 is 280 mm and the central curvature radius Re of the edge curved surface mirror 221 is 43 mm, then:

[0153]

[0154] It also meets the central curvature radius requirements between the aforementioned different curved surface mirrors 221.

[0155] Thus, the vehicle headlight projection device provided in this example obviously meets the limitations in the aforementioned description and can ensure the uniformity of the energy distribution of the generated projection image.

[0156] Secondly, referring to Figure 4 and Figure 6 , in this example, the number of point light sources 211 is 1 and the number of curved surface mirrors 221 is 3. At this time, the distance t between the collimating optical module 212 and the curved surface mirror 211 is 42 mm, and the distance s between the curved surface mirror 211 and the image generation unit 230 is 32 mm, then:

[0157]

[0158] Obviously, it meets the relative distance requirements among the aforementioned light source unit 210, mirror unit 220, and image generation unit 230.

[0159] Furthermore, in combination with Figure 6 , if the width L of the image generation unit 230 is 12 mm and the distance d between the edge curved surface mirrors 221 is 24 mm, then:

[0160]

[0161] It also meets the relative size requirements of the aforementioned image production unit 230 and the mirror unit 220.

[0162] Thus, the vehicle headlight projection device provided in this example obviously meets the limitations in the aforementioned description. Compared with the vehicle headlight projection device in the previous example, the number of point light sources 211 is reduced, making the overall structural size relatively smaller (such as the value of the distance d between the edge curved surface mirrors 221 is smaller), and it can also ensure the uniformity of the energy distribution of the generated projection image.

[0163] Again, referring to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , in this example, the number of point light sources 211 is 2, and the number of curved mirrors 211 is 4. At this time, the distance t between the collimating optical module 212 and the curved mirror 211 is 40 mm, and the distance s between the curved mirror 211 and the image generation unit 230 is 32 mm. Then:

[0164]

[0165] Obviously, it meets the relative distance requirements among the aforementioned light source unit 210, mirror unit 220, and image generation unit 230.

[0166] Furthermore, in combination with Figure 8 , the width L of the image generation unit 230 is 12 mm, and the distance d between the edge curved mirrors 221 is 36 mm. Then:

[0167]

[0168] It also meets the relative size requirements between the aforementioned image generation unit 230 and mirror unit 220.

[0169] At the same time, the center curvature radius R1 of the two middle curved mirrors 221 is 186 mm, and the center curvature radius Re of the edge curved mirrors 221 is 68 mm. Then:

[0170]

[0171] It also meets the center curvature radius requirements between the aforementioned different curved mirrors 221.

[0172] At the same time, the optical axis distance d1 between the two middle curved mirrors 221 is 14 mm, and the optical axis distance d2 between the edge curved mirrors 221 is 33 mm. Then:

[0173]

[0174] It also meets the optical axis distance requirements between the aforementioned different curved mirrors 221.

[0175] Finally, referring to Figure 10, in this example, a solution with a relatively large number of point light sources 211 and curved mirrors 211 is schematically shown. Here, the number of point light sources 211 is 4, and the number of curved mirrors 211 is 5. At this time, the overall size of the vehicle headlamp projection device is larger than that in the previous example, but it can provide more sufficient brightness, enabling the vehicle headlamp projection device to project the image to be projected generated by the image generation unit 230 to a farther position, and thus the vehicle headlamp projection device has a larger applicable range. The specific numerical values of its size can be adjusted according to the foregoing formula and actual situation, and will not be specifically given in this example.

[0176] Thus, the vehicle headlamp projection device provided in this example clearly meets the limitations in the foregoing description. Compared with the vehicle headlamp projection device in the previous example, each point light source 211 has two corresponding curved mirrors 221 mainly used for reflecting its light beam. At this time, the optical axes between the two curved mirrors 221 corresponding to each point light source 211 are parallel to each other, so as to ensure the uniformity of the distribution of the light beam of each point light source 211 on the image generation unit 230 and the uniformity of the energy distribution of the finally generated projection image, achieving a balance in both aspects.

[0177] The vehicle headlamp projection device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes a light source unit composed of a mirror unit including a plurality of curved mirrors, a plurality of point light sources, and a collimating optical module, and controls the distances between the various structures and the central curvature radii of the respective curved mirrors, thereby ensuring the overall easy assembly of the vehicle headlamp projection device and the brightness uniformity of the output projection screen. At the same time, the distances between the various structures and the central curvature radii of the curved mirrors can also be configured according to requirements to meet the customized projection needs of different users, thereby improving the user experience.

[0178] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle headlamp is further provided, and the vehicle headlamp includes the above-mentioned vehicle headlamp projection device.

[0179] Specifically, the vehicle headlamp can be a lamp at any position on the vehicle, such as a headlamp, a roof lamp, a side lamp, a bottom lamp, a taillight, an interior lamp, etc., and the function of image projection can be realized by configuring the vehicle headlamp projection device.

[0180] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle is further provided, which includes the vehicle headlamp involved in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0181] Specifically, by configuring the vehicle headlamp with the foregoing vehicle headlamp projection device, the vehicle can project a set image in the external environment or inside the vehicle according to user needs and ensure the uniformity of the projection image, thereby significantly improving the user experience.

[0182] In several embodiments provided by the present disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed devices and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of modules is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple modules or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the displayed or discussed coupling or direct coupling or communication connection between each other can be through some interfaces. The indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or modules can be in electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0183] Those skilled in the art will readily conceive of other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the disclosure herein. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common general knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field not disclosed herein. The specification and embodiments are only regarded as exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are pointed out by the following claims.

[0184] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exact structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present disclosure is only limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp projection device, characterized in that, The headlight projection device includes: a light source unit, a mirror unit, and an image generation unit; The mirror unit is located between the light source unit and the image generation unit, The mirror unit includes at least two curved mirrors, and the mirror unit is an integral structure formed by splicing the at least two curved mirrors. The mirror unit is used to receive the light beam generated by the light source unit and reflect the light beam generated by the light source unit onto the image generation unit; Among them, the distances between the light source unit, the mirror unit, and the image generation unit satisfy: Among them, t is the central distance from the light source unit to the mirror unit, and s is the distance from the center of the mirror unit to the image generation unit.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein, The at least two curved mirrors are connected to each other.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein The at least two curved mirrors are both free-form mirrors.

4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that The light source unit and the mirror unit are respectively located on both sides of the optical axis of the image generation unit.

5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light source unit includes a collimating optical module and at least one point light source, and the collimating optical module is located between the point light source and the mirror unit.

6. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that There are at least three point light sources, and the point light sources are linearly distributed, or the point light sources are arrayed; The distribution position of the collimating optical module corresponds to that of the point light source.

7. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that, If there are at least two collimating optical modules, the optical axes of the collimating optical modules are parallel to each other.

8. The device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The number of the collimating optical modules corresponds to the number of the point light sources; The number of the point light sources is less than or equal to the number of the curved mirrors.

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The distance from the collimating optical module to the mirror unit satisfies: Among them, t is the optical axis distance from the collimating optical module to the mirror unit, and s is the optical axis distance from the center of the mirror unit to the image generation unit.

10. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sizes of the collimating optical module and the mirror unit satisfy: 0.4 ≤ (h + 2t×tanθ) / H ≤ 1; Among them, θ is the light divergence angle of the collimating optical module, h is the total width of the collimating optical module, and H is the total width of the mirror unit.

11. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that The value of θ ranges from 3° to 10°, t ranges from 20 mm to 50 mm, h ranges from 15 mm to 60 mm, and H ranges from 22 mm to 75 mm.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein One side of the image generation unit adjacent to the mirror unit is a rectangular plane, and satisfies: Among them, n is the number of the optical axes of the mirror unit, d is the optical axis distance between two edge curved mirrors in the mirror unit, s is the optical axis distance from the center of the image generation unit to the center of the mirror unit, L is the width of the image generation unit, and the edge curved mirror is used to represent the curved mirror with the farthest center distance from the center of the mirror unit.

13. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, If there are at least three curved mirrors in the mirror unit, the center curvature radius of at least one curved mirror is different from that of other curved mirrors.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein The number of the curved mirrors in the mirror unit is odd.

15. The device according to claim 14, characterized in that, The center curvature radius of the curved mirror satisfies: Among them, R0 is the center curvature radius of the curved mirror located at the center of the mirror unit, and Re is the center curvature radius of the curved mirror with the farthest center distance from the center of the mirror unit.

16. The device according to claim 13, wherein The number of curved mirrors in the mirror unit is an even number. The center curvature radii of the two curved mirrors closest to the center of the mirror unit are the same, and the center curvature radii of the two curved mirrors farthest from the center of the mirror unit are the same.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein The center curvature radius of the curved mirror satisfies: wherein, R1 is the center curvature radius of the two curved mirrors closest to the center of the mirror unit, and Re is the center curvature radius of the two curved mirrors farthest from the center of the mirror unit.

18. The device according to claim 16, characterized in that, If the number of curved mirrors in the mirror unit is at least four, the optical axis spacing of each curved mirror satisfies: wherein, n is the number of optical axes of the mirror unit, d1 is the optical axis spacing of the two curved mirrors closest to the center of the mirror unit, and d2 is the optical axis spacing of the two curved mirrors farthest from the center of the mirror unit.

19. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that, The vehicle headlight projection device further includes a projection unit; The image generation unit is configured to reflect the light beam projected by the mirror unit to the projection unit.

20. A vehicle lamp, characterized in that, The vehicle headlight is provided with the vehicle headlight projection device according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. A vehicle, characterized in that, The vehicle is provided with the vehicle headlight according to claim 20.

Images