Vehicular headlight

Abstract

To provide a vehicular headlight which can form a light distribution pattern having favorable visibility, and which can suppress illuminance of a low beam light distribution pattern in the vicinity of a cut-off line becoming low.SOLUTION: A vehicular headlight 10 is mounted on a vehicle 1, and forms a light distribution pattern including a low beam light distribution pattern PL. The vehicular headlight 10 includes: a first irradiation part for radiating a first light distribution pattern P10 which is part of the low beam light distribution pattern PL; and a second irradiation part for radiating a second light distribution pattern P20 which is part of the low beam light distribution pattern PL and in which at least part is above the first light distribution pattern P10. A first G value G1 at an upper end of the first light distribution pattern P10 is equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35, and a second G value G2 at an upper end of the second light distribution pattern P20 is equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle lamp that can obtain an easily visible low beam light distribution pattern while appropriately blurring the light-dark boundary of the cutoff line and preventing the G value from exceeding the legal standard value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-262755 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] While there is a need to form an easy-to-see low-beam light distribution pattern by blurring the cutoff line, as in Patent Document 1, there is also a need to increase the illuminance of the low-beam light distribution pattern near the cutoff line to a certain extent. However, if the illuminance of the low-beam light distribution pattern near the cutoff line is increased too much, it becomes difficult to blur the cutoff line, so conventional vehicle headlamps have room for improvement in terms of achieving both goals.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a vehicle headlamp that can form a light distribution pattern with good visibility and can prevent the illuminance of the low-beam light distribution pattern from becoming low near the cut-off line. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle headlamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A vehicle headlamp that is mounted on a vehicle and forms a light distribution pattern including a low beam light distribution pattern, a first illuminating unit that irradiates a first light distribution pattern that is a part of the low beam light distribution pattern; a second illumination unit that illuminates a second light distribution pattern that is a part of the low-beam light distribution pattern and at least a part of which is located above the first light distribution pattern, a first G value at an upper end of the first light distribution pattern is equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35; The second G value at the upper end of the second light distribution pattern is equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the first G value at the upper end of the first light distribution pattern formed by the first irradiating unit is 0.25 or more and 0.35 or less, and the second G value at the upper end of the second light distribution pattern formed by the second irradiating unit is 0.25 or more and 0.35 or less. A light distribution pattern with such illuminance is moderately blurred overall, with no clear difference in brightness, so it is unlikely to cause discomfort to a viewer of the light distribution pattern. Therefore, the visibility of the low-beam light distribution pattern formed by the vehicle headlamp according to the above configuration is good. Furthermore, because at least a portion of the second light distribution pattern is located above the first light distribution pattern, the low-beam light distribution pattern can be prevented from becoming unnecessarily dark. Therefore, the vehicle headlamp according to the above configuration can form a light distribution pattern with good visibility and prevent the illuminance of the low-beam light distribution pattern from becoming low near the cut-off line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle headlamp that can form a light distribution pattern with good visibility and can prevent the illuminance of the low beam light distribution pattern from becoming low near the cut-off line. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 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 this embodiment). [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system configuration including a vehicle headlamp according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle headlamp according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating each light distribution pattern emitted by a vehicle headlamp. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a low beam light distribution pattern when the low beam is turned on. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a high beam light distribution pattern when the high beam is turned on. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the cutoff line is blurred. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a system configuration including a vehicle headlamp according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle headlamp according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0011] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, for the sake of convenience, the terms "left-right direction," "up-down direction," and "front-rear direction" may be referred to as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 1 illustrated in FIG. 1. Here, the "left-right direction" is a direction that includes the "left direction" and the "right direction," and is also the width direction of the vehicle 1. The "up-down direction" is a direction that includes the "upward direction" and the "downward direction." The "front-rear direction" is a direction that includes the "forward direction" and the "rearward direction." The front-rear direction is a direction that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction. Note that in each figure, the symbol U shown in the figure indicates the upward direction. The symbol D indicates the downward direction. The symbol F indicates the forward direction. The symbol B indicates the rearward direction. The symbol L indicates the leftward direction. The symbol R indicates the rightward direction.

[0012] (First embodiment) First, a vehicle headlamp 10 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 1 equipped with the vehicle headlamp 10. Figure 2 is a block diagram of a system configuration including the vehicle headlamp 10. The vehicle 1 is, for example, a vehicle (automobile) that can run in a manual driving mode and / or an automatic driving mode.

[0013] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle 1 includes a vehicle headlamp 10, a steering device 20, a camera 30, a light switch 40, and a vehicle control unit 50. The vehicle headlamp 10 is configured to form a low-beam light distribution pattern PL (see FIG. 5) and a high-beam light distribution pattern PH (see FIG. 6). As illustrated in FIG. 1, the vehicle headlamp 10 is mounted on each of the front right and front left sides of the vehicle 1. The steering device 20 is provided, for example, inside the vehicle 1. The camera 30 is located, for example, near the windshield. The camera 30 is located, in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1), between the vehicle headlamp 10 located on the front right side of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle headlamp 10 located on the front left side of the vehicle 1. The light switch 40 is provided, for example, near the steering device 20.

[0014] As illustrated in Fig. 2, the vehicle headlamp 10 includes a lamp control unit 60, a first optical unit 70 (an example of a first irradiation unit), a second optical unit 80 (an example of a second irradiation unit), and a third optical unit 90 (an example of a third irradiation unit). As illustrated in Fig. 3, the vehicle headlamp 10 includes a lamp body 11 having an opening in front of the vehicle headlamp 10, and a translucent outer cover 12 that covers the opening of the lamp body 11. The lamp body 11 and the outer cover 12 form a lamp chamber 13, which accommodates the lamp control unit 60, the first optical unit 70, the second optical unit 80, and the third optical unit 90.

[0015] Returning to Fig. 2, the following will explain the steering device 20. The steering device 20 is configured with, for example, a steering wheel.

[0016] The camera 30 is a camera including an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 30 acquires imaging data by capturing an image of the periphery of the vehicle 1 (for example, the area in front of the vehicle 1). The camera 30 outputs the imaging data to the vehicle control unit 50.

[0017] The light switch 40 is configured to, for example, switch the vehicle headlight 10 ON / OFF or switch the light distribution pattern to be emitted in response to an operation by the driver of the vehicle 1. The driver of the vehicle 1 can select whether to emit a low beam light distribution pattern PL or a high beam light distribution pattern PH by operating the light switch 40. When the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the light switch 40, the light switch 40 generates an instruction signal for emitting a light distribution pattern corresponding to the operation and transmits the instruction signal to the vehicle control unit 50.

[0018] The vehicle control unit 50 is configured to control the running of the vehicle 1. The vehicle control unit 50 is configured, for example, by at least one electronic control unit (ECU). The electronic control unit includes, for example, a computer system including one or more processors and one or more memories, and an electronic circuit configured by active elements such as transistors and passive elements.

[0019] The vehicle control unit 50 is configured to perform image analysis of the image data output from the camera 30. The vehicle control unit 50 generates surrounding environment information indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 from the image data. The surrounding environment information includes, for example, position information of objects located ahead of the vehicle 1 (oncoming vehicles, vehicles ahead, signs, etc.). The position information is, for example, angular coordinates that represent the angle of the orientation of the object as seen from the vehicle 1. The vehicle control unit 50 transmits the surrounding environment information to the lamp control unit 60.

[0020] The vehicle control unit 50 transmits a control signal for controlling the vehicle headlamp 10 to the lamp control unit 60 based on an instruction signal from the light switch 40, surrounding environment information, and the like. For example, when the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the light switch 40 to emit a low-beam light distribution pattern PL, the vehicle control unit 50 receives an instruction signal for emitting the low-beam light distribution pattern PL from the light switch 40 and transmits a control signal based on the instruction signal to the lamp control unit 60. For example, when the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the light switch 40 to emit a high-beam light distribution pattern PH (e.g., an ADB light distribution pattern), the vehicle control unit 50 receives an instruction signal for emitting the high-beam light distribution pattern PH from the light switch 40 and transmits a control signal based on the instruction signal and surrounding environment information to the lamp control unit 60. The vehicle control unit 50 calculates a non-illuminated region of the ADB light distribution pattern (described later) based on the surrounding environment information.

[0021] The lamp control unit 60 may have the same hardware configuration as the vehicle control unit 50. The lamp 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 a control signal received from the vehicle control unit 50.

[0022] The first optical unit 70 emits a first light distribution pattern P10 (see FIG. 5), which is a part of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL. The first light distribution pattern P10 will be described in detail later. As illustrated in FIG. 3, 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 formed of, 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 having a convex front surface and a flat rear surface. The projection lens 73 is formed of, for example, a light-transmitting material such as a transparent resin such as acrylic. The projection lens 73 is configured to project the light reflected by the reflector 72 to a region in front of the vehicle 1.

[0023] The second optical unit 80 emits a second light distribution pattern P20 (see FIG. 5), which is a part of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL. The second light distribution pattern P20 will be described in detail later. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the second optical unit 80 includes a light source configured, for example, by an LED array. The LED array is a light source in which, for example, 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 second optical unit 80 can be changed independently of each other. In this case, the vehicle headlamp 10 can use the lamp control unit 60 to perform ON / OFF control and brightness adjustment for each of the micro LED light-emitting elements included in the second optical unit 80.

[0024] The third optical unit 90 is capable of irradiating light onto an area including at least an area above the cutoff line of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL, and is capable of dimming any area therein. In this specification, the term "dimming" includes blocking at least a portion of the light emitted from the third optical unit 90 and weakening the intensity of the light emitted from the third optical unit 90. The third optical unit 90 is capable of irradiating, for example, a third light distribution pattern P30 (see FIG. 6 ), which is an ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam) light distribution pattern. The ADB light distribution pattern is a light distribution pattern that does not irradiate light onto an area where an object, such as a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, is present, among high-beam light distribution patterns, and changes the non-irradiated area depending on the presence and position of the object.

[0025] The third optical unit 90 includes a light source 91 and a projection lens 92. The light source 91 may be composed of, 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 91 can be changed independently of each other. That is, in the vehicle headlamp 10, the lamp control unit 60 can perform ON / OFF control and brightness adjustment for each of the micro LED light-emitting elements included in the light source 91. The projection lens 92 may have a configuration similar to that of the projection lens 73, for example.

[0026] Here, with reference to FIG. 4, a first light distribution pattern P10 emitted from the first optical unit 70, a second light distribution pattern P20 emitted from the second optical unit 80, and a third light distribution pattern P30 emitted from the third optical unit 90 will be described. Note that in this embodiment, a case where the vehicle 1 is traveling in the right-hand lane will be described. The first light distribution pattern P10, the second light distribution pattern P20, and the third light distribution pattern P30 illustrated in FIG. 4 are shown projected onto a virtual vertical screen at a predetermined position ahead of the vehicle 1 (for example, a position 25 m ahead of the vehicle 1). Note that the light distribution patterns illustrated in the following figures are also shown projected onto a virtual vertical screen at a predetermined position ahead of the vehicle 1. Also illustrated in FIG. 4 are a line VV indicating the vertical direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 4) of the center of the illumination range of the vehicle headlamp 10, and a line HH extending horizontally (the left-right direction in FIG. 4) perpendicular to the line VV. In the subsequent drawings illustrating light distribution patterns, a line VV indicating the vertical direction at the center of the illumination range of the vehicle headlamp 10 and a line HH perpendicular to the line VV and extending horizontally are also shown.

[0027] 4, the first light distribution pattern P10 is irradiated onto a first illumination region R1 (a region hatched with diagonal lines slanting downward to the right in FIG. 4) that extends in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) of the vehicle 1. The first light distribution pattern P10 is irradiated onto the HH line or below the HH line.

[0028] The upper end of the first light distribution pattern P10 has three upper end portions located at different vertical positions. When the first light distribution pattern P10 is divided horizontally into a central region located near the VV line, a left region located to the left of the central region, and a right region located to the right of the central region, the upper ends of the left and right regions extend linearly in the horizontal direction. The vertical position of the upper end portion P13 of the left region of the first light distribution pattern P10 is equal to the vertical position of the upper end portion P14 of the right region of the first light distribution pattern P10. The central region of the first light distribution pattern P10 includes upper end portions P11 and P12 located at different vertical positions. Both the upper end portions P11 and P12 of the central region of the first light distribution pattern P10 are located below the HH line.

[0029] Of the upper end of the first light distribution pattern P10, upper end portions P11 and P12 located near the VV line are positioned lower than other portions (for example, upper end portion P13). The upper end portion P11 is positioned to the left (on the oncoming lane side) of the upper end portion P12. The upper end portion P11 is positioned lower than the upper end portion P12.

[0030] A cutoff line CL10 is formed at the upper end of the central region of the first light distribution pattern P10. The cutoff line CL10 is composed of an upper end portion P11 extending horizontally, an upper end portion P12 located higher than the upper end portion P11 and extending horizontally, and a portion extending diagonally upward to the right connecting the upper end portion P11 and the upper end portion P12. The upper end portion P12 intersects with the VV line.

[0031] The second light distribution pattern P20 is irradiated onto a second irradiation region R2 (the area hatched with vertical lines in FIG. 4) that includes an area above at least a part of the upper end of the first irradiation region R1. A part of the second light distribution pattern P20 overlaps with a central portion CP of the first light distribution pattern P10 in the left-right direction. The central portion CP is a portion of the first light distribution pattern P10 near line VV.

[0032] The second light distribution pattern P20 includes a first portion P21 closer to the vehicle's lane than the VV line and a second portion P22 to the left of the VV line (toward the oncoming lane). The upper end of the second light distribution pattern P20 has a shape in which its central portion (specifically, the portion near the VV line and located to the left of the VV line (toward the oncoming lane)) is recessed downward. That is, of the upper end of the second portion P22, a portion P211 near the VV line is located lower than other portions (for example, portion P212). Specifically, the upper end of the second portion P22 includes a portion P211 near the VV line and a portion P212 located to the left of portion P211. The portion P211 is located lower than the portion P212. The portion P212 and the upper end of the first portion P21 of the second light distribution pattern P20 closer to the vehicle's lane than the VV line are positioned vertically equal to each other.

[0033] The second light distribution pattern P20 overlaps with the cutoff line CL10 of the first light distribution pattern P10. In this embodiment, the overlapping portion between the first light distribution pattern P10 and the second light distribution pattern P20 is referred to as an overlapping portion P100 (the portion indicated by both diagonal hatching slanting downward to the right and vertical hatching in FIG. 5). In this embodiment, the cutoff line CL20 of the second light distribution pattern P20 overlaps with the cutoff line CL10 of the first light distribution pattern P10, or is located above the cutoff line CL10.

[0034] The third light distribution pattern P30, together with the first light distribution pattern P10, forms a so-called high-beam light distribution pattern. The third light distribution pattern P30 is irradiated by the third optical unit 90 onto a third irradiation region R3 (the area hatched with diagonal lines slanting upward to the right in FIG. 4) that includes at least a region above the cutoff line CL1 (see FIG. 6) of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL. In this embodiment, the third optical unit 90 irradiates an ADB light distribution pattern. Therefore, any region in the third light distribution pattern P30 can be dimmed.

[0035] Next, with reference to Figures 5 and 6, a low beam light distribution pattern PL emitted from the vehicle headlamp 10 when the low beam is on and a high beam light distribution pattern PH emitted from the vehicle headlamp 10 when the high beam is on will be described. Note that "when the low beam is on" refers to when the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the light switch 40 to emit the low beam light distribution pattern PL. "When the high beam is on" refers to when the driver of the vehicle 1 operates the light switch 40 to emit the high beam light distribution pattern PH. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the light distribution pattern PL when the low beam is on. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the light distribution pattern PH when the high beam is on. Note that the high beam light distribution pattern PH emitted in this embodiment is an ADB light distribution pattern.

[0036] 5, when the low beam is on, the vehicle headlamp 10 turns on the first optical unit 70 and the second optical unit 80 to emit a low-beam light distribution pattern PL consisting of a first light distribution pattern P10 and a second light distribution pattern P20. An overlapping portion P100 where the first light distribution pattern P10 and the second light distribution pattern P20 overlap is brighter than a portion irradiated with only the first light distribution pattern P10 or the second light distribution pattern P20 and a portion irradiated with neither the first light distribution pattern P10 nor the second light distribution pattern P20. In addition, the cutoff line CL1 of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL becomes the cutoff line CL10 of the first light distribution pattern P10 or the cutoff line CL20 of the second light distribution pattern P20.

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 6, when the high beam is on, the vehicle headlamp 10 turns on the first optical unit 70 and the third optical unit 90 to emit a high beam distribution pattern PH consisting of a first light distribution pattern P10 and a third light distribution pattern P30.

[0038] In the example shown in FIG. 6, a vehicle in front 1B is present in front of the vehicle 1, so the camera 30 outputs image capture data relating to the vehicle in front 1B to the vehicle control unit 50. The vehicle control unit 50 generates surrounding environment information including position information of the vehicle in front 1B from the image capture data output from the camera 30, and transmits the surrounding environment information to the lamp control unit 60. Based on the surrounding environment information received from the vehicle control unit 50, the lamp control unit 60 controls the third optical unit 90 so that light is not emitted toward the vehicle in front 1B. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the area around the vehicle in front 1B is shaded.

[0039] Next, the degree of blurring of the cutoff line CL1 will be described. The degree of blurring of the cutoff line CL1 can be expressed by a luminance gradient. In this embodiment, the degree of blurring of the cutoff line CL1 will be described using a G value, which is a numerical value representing the luminance gradient. Here, with reference to FIG. 7, the luminance gradient in the cutoff line CL1 of the low beam light distribution pattern PL according to this embodiment will be described using a first G value G1 and a second G value G2.

[0040] Position P1 in FIG. 7 is a reference position for measuring the luminance gradient of the cutoff line CL10 of the first light distribution pattern P10. Position P2 in FIG. 7 is a reference position for measuring the luminance gradient of the cutoff line CL20 of the second light distribution pattern P20. Positions P1 and P2 are any positions located on line HH within a range from an angle θ1 to the right of the front of the vehicle headlamp 10 and an angle θ2 to the left of the angle θ1 in the horizontal direction. A first G value G1, which is the luminance gradient at position P1, is calculated using the following formula (1). E(a1) represents the illuminance at position P1. E(a1+0.1) represents the illuminance at a position 0.1 degrees vertically upward from position P1. G1=logE(a1)-logE(a1+0.1)...Equation (1)

[0041] The second G value G2, which is the luminance gradient at position P2, is calculated using the following formula (2): where E(a2) represents the illuminance at position P2, and E(a2+0.1) represents the illuminance at a position 0.1 degrees vertically above position P2. G2=logE(a2)-logE(a2+0.1)...Equation (2)

[0042] In this embodiment, the first G value G1 calculated using the above formula (1) is equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35. Furthermore, the second G value G2 calculated using the above formula (2) is equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35. Note that, in this embodiment, the second G value G2 is equal to or less than the first G value G1. Therefore, the G value of the cutoff line CL1 of the low beam distribution pattern PL is equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35. On the other hand, since a typical low beam distribution pattern is formed by blocking a portion of light, the difference between brightness and darkness of the cutoff line is usually clear, and the G value of the cutoff line of a typical low beam distribution pattern is approximately 0.4. Therefore, the cutoff line CL1 of the low beam distribution pattern PL according to this embodiment, which has a G value of less than 0.4 (specifically, equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35), appears blurred compared to the cutoff lines of a typical low beam distribution pattern.

[0043] Furthermore, the lower the G value in the cutoff line of the low-beam light distribution pattern, the darker the upper end of the low-beam light distribution pattern, but the illuminance of the overlapping portion P100 where the first light distribution pattern P10 and the second light distribution pattern P20 overlap is relatively high. Therefore, in the low-beam light distribution pattern PL, the cutoff line CL1 is appropriately blurred, and the overlapping portion P100 of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL, which requires high visibility, is bright.

[0044] While there is a need to form an easy-to-see low-beam light distribution pattern by blurring the cutoff line, there is also a need to increase the illuminance of the low-beam light distribution pattern near the cutoff line to a certain extent. However, if the illuminance of the low-beam light distribution pattern near the cutoff line is increased too much, it becomes difficult to blur the cutoff line, so conventional vehicle headlamps have room for improvement in terms of achieving both goals.

[0045] In the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above configuration, the first G value G1 at the upper end of the first light distribution pattern P10 formed by the first optical unit 70 is 0.25 or more and 0.35 or less, and the second G value G2 at the upper end of the second light distribution pattern P20 formed by the second optical unit 80 is 0.25 or more and 0.35 or less. A light distribution pattern with such illuminance is moderately blurred overall, and the difference in brightness is not clearly defined, so that the viewer of the light distribution pattern is unlikely to feel uncomfortable. Therefore, the visibility of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL formed by the vehicle headlamp 10 is good. Furthermore, because at least a portion of the second light distribution pattern P20 is located above the first light distribution pattern P10, the low-beam light distribution pattern PL is prevented from becoming unnecessarily dark. Therefore, the vehicle headlamp 10 can form a light distribution pattern with good visibility and can prevent the illuminance of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL from becoming low near the cutoff line CL1 of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL.

[0046] Furthermore, with the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above configuration, a part of the second light distribution pattern P20 overlaps with a central portion CP of the first light distribution pattern P10 in the left-right direction, so the central portion CP is bright. Therefore, with the vehicle headlamp 10, the visibility of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL can be improved.

[0047] Furthermore, according to the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above configuration, the second light distribution pattern P20 overlaps with the cutoff line CL10 of the first light distribution pattern P10, so an overlapping portion P100 where the first light distribution pattern P10 and the second light distribution pattern P20 overlap is bright. On the other hand, the G value of the low beam light distribution pattern PL is the first G value G1 of the first light distribution pattern P10 or the second G value G2 of the second light distribution pattern P20, so the driver is less likely to feel uncomfortable.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above-described configuration, the second light distribution pattern P20 includes a first portion P21 on the own lane side of the VV line and a second portion P22 on the oncoming lane side of the VV line, so that the low beam light distribution pattern PL illuminated by the vehicle headlamp 10 has high road surface performance.

[0049] Furthermore, with the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above configuration, the portion of the upper end of the second portion P22 included in the second light distribution pattern P20 near the VV line is positioned lower than the other portions. Therefore, with the vehicle headlamp 10, it is possible to prevent the low beam distribution pattern PL from becoming darker than necessary, and to emit a low beam distribution pattern PL that is less likely to cause glare to oncoming vehicles.

[0050] Furthermore, with the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above configuration, the second G value G2 is equal to or smaller than the first G value G1, so that the difference in brightness between the region illuminated with the light distribution pattern and the region not illuminated with the light distribution pattern that is positioned above the second light distribution pattern P20 can be made relatively small. Therefore, with the vehicle headlamp 10, it is possible to illuminate a low-beam light distribution pattern PL that is less likely to cause discomfort to a viewer of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL.

[0051] Furthermore, with the vehicle headlamp 10 having the above configuration, the first optical unit 70 and the third optical unit 90 are illuminated when the high beam is on. The first optical unit 70 and the second optical unit 80 are illuminated when the low beam is on. That is, the second optical unit 80 is illuminated when the low beam is on but is off when the high beam is on. Because the on / off state of the second optical unit 80 does not depend on the on / off state of the first optical unit 70, the vehicle headlamp 10 can form a light distribution pattern appropriate for the situation. Furthermore, the first G value G1 of the first light distribution pattern P10 is between 0.25 and 0.35, and the first light distribution pattern P10 is moderately blurred overall, so the boundary between the first light distribution pattern P10 and the third light distribution pattern P30 illuminated by the third optical unit 90 is not clearly defined. Therefore, the vehicle headlamp 10 can form a light distribution pattern with good visibility even when the high beam is on and the first optical unit 70 is illuminated.

[0052] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4, 8, and 9. In this embodiment, the same parts as in the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals, and descriptions of overlapping parts will be omitted as appropriate. As illustrated in Figure 8, a vehicle 1A according to this embodiment differs from the vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment in that it is equipped with a vehicle headlamp 10A instead of the vehicle headlamp 10. In this embodiment, too, the vehicle 1 is assumed to be traveling in the right lane.

[0053] 8, the vehicle headlamp 10A includes a lamp control unit 60, a first optical unit 70, and a second optical unit 80A. The second optical unit 80A according to the present embodiment has the functions of the second optical unit 80 according to the first embodiment and the functions of the third optical unit 90 according to the first embodiment. That is, in the present embodiment, the second optical unit 80 according to the first embodiment and the third optical unit 90 according to the first embodiment are integrated into a common optical unit (the second optical unit 80A). Therefore, in the present embodiment, the second optical unit 80A is an example of both the second irradiating unit and the third irradiating unit.

[0054] 9, the vehicle headlamp 10A includes a lamp body 11A having an opening in front of the vehicle headlamp 10A, and a light-transmitting outer cover 12A that covers the opening of the lamp body 11A. A lamp control unit 60, a first optical unit 70, and a second optical unit 80A are housed within a lamp chamber 13A formed by the lamp body 11A and the outer cover 12A.

[0055] The second optical unit 80A includes a light source 101 and a projection lens 102. The light source 101 may be configured, for example, as an LED array including a plurality of micro LED light-emitting elements. When the light source 101 is configured as 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 lamp control unit 60 can perform ON / OFF control and brightness adjustment for each of the micro LED light-emitting elements included in the light source 101.

[0056] The projection lens 102 may have a configuration similar to that of the projection lens 73, for example.

[0057] The second optical unit 80A can emit a second light distribution pattern P20 and a third light distribution pattern P30 illustrated in FIG.

[0058] The low beam light distribution pattern when the low beam is turned on in this embodiment is the same as the low beam light distribution pattern when the low beam is turned on in the first embodiment, that is, the low beam light distribution pattern PL illustrated in FIG.

[0059] The high beam light distribution pattern when the high beam is turned on in this embodiment is the same as the high beam light distribution pattern when the high beam is turned on in the first embodiment, that is, the high beam light distribution pattern PH illustrated in FIG.

[0060] The vehicle headlamp 10A according to this embodiment also provides the same effects as the vehicle headlamp 10 according to the first embodiment.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of the present embodiments. The present embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible 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 equivalents.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the case where the vehicle 1, 1A is traveling in the right lane has been described, but the present disclosure can also be applied to the case where the vehicle 1, 1A is traveling in the left lane.

[0063] In the above embodiment, a case where the vehicle 1B in front is in front of the vehicle 1, 1A has been described, but the present disclosure can also be applied to a case where an oncoming vehicle is in front of the vehicle 1, 1A.

[0064] In the first embodiment, the vehicle headlamp 10 may include a single optical unit that can realize 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 configured as a common optical unit, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0065] In the first embodiment, the vehicle headlamp 10 may 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. The vehicle headlamp 10 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 parts can be reduced.

[0066] In the above-described embodiments, the first optical unit 70, the second optical unit 80, 80A, the third optical unit 90, and the optical unit 170 may be configured by, for example, at least one light source, a movable mirror, and an optical system including lenses, mirrors, etc. The movable mirror may be configured by, for example, a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) such as a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) mirror or a rotating blade mirror.

[0067] In the above embodiment, the lamp control unit 60 is provided in the vehicle headlamp 10, 10A, but the lamp control unit 60 may be provided in the vehicle 1, 1A instead of the vehicle headlamp 10, 10A. In other words, the lamp control unit 60 may be integrated into the vehicle control unit 50.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the camera 30 is provided on the vehicle 1, 1A, but the camera 30 may be provided on the vehicle headlamp 10, 10A instead of the vehicle 1, 1A.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the second G value is equal to or less than the first G value, but the second G value may be greater than the first G value. Also, the first G value and the second G value may be the same value.

[0070] In the above embodiment, a portion of the second light distribution pattern P20 overlaps with the central portion CP of the first light distribution pattern P10 in the left-right direction, but the entire second light distribution pattern P20 may overlap with the central portion CP of the first light distribution pattern P10 in the left-right direction.

[0071] As described above, the present specification discloses the following: (1) A vehicle headlamp that is mounted on a vehicle and forms a light distribution pattern including a low beam light distribution pattern, a first illuminating unit that irradiates a first light distribution pattern that is a part of the low beam light distribution pattern; a second illumination unit that illuminates a second light distribution pattern that is a part of the low-beam light distribution pattern and at least a part of which is located above the first light distribution pattern, a first G value at an upper end of the first light distribution pattern is equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35; A vehicle headlamp, wherein a second G value at an upper end of the second light distribution pattern is 0.25 or more and 0.35 or less. (2) The vehicle headlamp according to (1), wherein at least a portion of the second light distribution pattern overlaps with a central portion of the first light distribution pattern in the left-right direction. (3) The vehicle headlamp according to (1) or (2), wherein the second light distribution pattern overlaps with a cutoff line of the first light distribution pattern. (4) A vehicle headlamp described in any one of (1) to (3), wherein the second light distribution pattern includes a first portion on the vehicle lane side of the VV line and a second portion on the oncoming lane side of the VV line. (5) The vehicle headlamp according to (4), wherein the portion of the upper end of the second portion near the VV line is positioned lower than the other portions. (6) The vehicle headlamp according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the second G value is equal to or less than the first G value. (7) A third irradiating unit is further provided that can irradiate light to an area including at least an area above the cutoff line of the low beam distribution pattern and can dim any area therein, When a high beam is turned on, the first irradiation unit and the third irradiation unit are turned on, or the first irradiation unit and the third irradiation unit are turned on while the second irradiation unit is dimmed, The vehicle headlamp according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the first irradiating portion and the second irradiating portion are lit when a low beam is lit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1,1A:Vehicle 1B: Front car 10, 10A: Vehicle headlights 11, 11A: Lamp body 12, 12A: Outer cover 13,13A:Light room 20: Steering gear 30: Camera 40: Light switch 50: Vehicle control unit 60: Lamp control unit 70: First optical unit 71,91,101:Light source 72: Reflector 73, 92, 102: Projection lens 80, 80A: Second optical unit 90: Third optical unit 170: Optical unit CL1: Cut-off line for low beam light distribution pattern CL10: Cut-off line of the first light distribution pattern CL20: Cut-off line for the second light distribution pattern CP: central part G1: First G value G2: Second G value PH: High beam light distribution pattern PL: Low beam light distribution pattern P1,P2:Position P10: First light distribution pattern P11,P12,P13,P14: Upper end part P21:First part P22:Second part P20: Second light distribution pattern P30: Third light distribution pattern P100: Overlapping part R1: First irradiation area R2: Second irradiation area R3: Third irradiation area θ1, θ2: Angle

Claims

1. A vehicle headlamp that is mounted on a vehicle and forms a light distribution pattern including a low beam light distribution pattern, a first illuminating unit that irradiates a first light distribution pattern that is a part of the low beam light distribution pattern; a second illumination unit that illuminates a second light distribution pattern that is a part of the low-beam light distribution pattern and at least a part of which is located above the first light distribution pattern, a first G value at an upper end of the first light distribution pattern is equal to or greater than 0.25 and equal to or less than 0.35; A vehicle headlamp, wherein a second G value at an upper end of the second light distribution pattern is 0.25 or more and 0.35 or less.

2. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the second light distribution pattern overlaps with a central portion of the first light distribution pattern in the left-right direction.

3. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second light distribution pattern overlaps with a cutoff line of the first light distribution pattern.

4. 3. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the second light distribution pattern includes a first portion on the own vehicle lane side of a V-V line and a second portion on the oncoming vehicle lane side of the V-V line.

5. 5. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 4, wherein a portion of an upper end of the second portion near the line VV is positioned lower than other portions.

6. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second G value is equal to or less than the first G value.

7. Further provided is a third irradiating unit capable of irradiating light to an area including at least an area above the cutoff line of the low beam distribution pattern and capable of dimming any area therein, When a high beam is turned on, the first irradiation unit and the third irradiation unit are turned on, or the first irradiation unit and the third irradiation unit are turned on while the second irradiation unit is dimmed, The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first irradiating portion and the second irradiating portion are lit when a low beam is lit.

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