Vehicle lighting fixtures and vehicle lighting systems

Abstract

To simplify the optical design of a lens or the like of a vehicle lamp or the like.SOLUTION: In a vehicle lamp for irradiating light to the periphery of a vehicle, a first light source 10, a first scanning mirror 12 and a first convergent lens 11 are relatively arranged at an upper side with respect to a second light source 14, a second scanning mirror 16 and a second convergent lens 15 in a vertical direction of the vehicle, and a fluorescent body plate 18 includes a second region relatively located at a lower side with respect to a first region which is relatively located at the upper side in the vertical direction of the vehicle. A first laser beam L1 through the first scanning mirror 12 and the first convergent lens 11 is irradiated to the second region of the fluorescent body plate 18, a second laser beam L2 through the second scanning mirror 16 and the second convergent lens 15 is irradiated to the first region of the fluorescent body plate 18, and light generated from the fluorescent body plate 18 is irradiated by a projection lens 19.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp and a vehicle lamp system. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2017-204453 (Patent Document 1) describes a vehicle headlamp having a plurality of excitation light sources, a phosphor, a scanning mechanism that scans the light emitted from the excitation light sources toward the phosphor, and a projection lens that transmits the light emitted from the phosphor to form a light distribution pattern, in which the irradiation range of the light incident on the phosphor differs for each excitation light source. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-204453 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] One of the objects of a specific aspect of the present disclosure is to facilitate the optical design of lenses and the like in vehicle lighting fixtures and the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] [1] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A vehicle lamp for irradiating light around a vehicle, a first light source that emits a first laser beam; a first scanning mirror that reflects and scans the first laser light; a first lens that transmits the first laser light scanned by the first scanning mirror; a second light source that emits a second laser beam; a second scanning mirror that reflects and scans the second laser light; a second lens that transmits the second laser light scanned by the second scanning mirror; a phosphor plate onto which the first laser light transmitted through the first lens and the second laser light transmitted through the second lens are incident; a projection lens that projects light generated from the phosphor plate; Including, the first light source, the first scanning mirror, and the first lens are disposed relatively above the second light source, the second scanning mirror, and the second lens in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the phosphor plate includes a first region that is relatively upper and a second region that is relatively lower in the vertical direction of the vehicle; the first laser light passing through the first scanning mirror and the first lens is irradiated onto the second region of the phosphor plate, and the second laser light passing through the second scanning mirror and the second lens is irradiated onto the first region of the phosphor plate, a distance of a second optical path from the second scanning mirror to the phosphor plate via the second lens is longer than a distance of a first optical path from the first scanning mirror to the phosphor plate via the first lens; It is a vehicle lighting fixture. [2] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A vehicle lamp for irradiating light around a vehicle, a first light source that emits a first laser beam; a first scanning mirror that reflects and scans the first laser light; a first lens that transmits the first laser light scanned by the first scanning mirror; a second light source that emits a second laser beam; a second scanning mirror that reflects and scans the second laser light; a second lens that transmits the second laser light scanned by the second scanning mirror; a phosphor plate onto which the first laser light transmitted through the first lens and the second laser light transmitted through the second lens are incident; a projection lens that projects light generated from the phosphor plate; Including, the first light source, the first scanning mirror, and the first lens are disposed relatively above the second light source, the second scanning mirror, and the second lens in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the phosphor plate includes a first region that is relatively upper and a second region that is relatively lower in the vertical direction of the vehicle; the first laser light passing through the first scanning mirror and the first lens is irradiated onto the second region of the phosphor plate, and the second laser light passing through the second scanning mirror and the second lens is irradiated onto the first region of the phosphor plate, the first laser light having passed through the first scanning mirror and the first lens and the second laser light having passed through the second scanning mirror and the second lens intersect on the front side of the phosphor plate; It is a vehicle lighting fixture. [ 3 ] One aspect of the vehicle lighting system according to the present disclosure is the above-mentioned [1] or [2] a camera; and a controller that controls operation of the vehicle lamp based on an image of the surroundings of the vehicle captured by the camera.

[0006] According to the above configuration, it is possible to facilitate the optical design of lenses and the like in vehicle lighting fixtures and the like. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a headlamp according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the phosphor plate. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a light distribution pattern formed in front of a vehicle by light emitted from a headlamp. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the distance (optical path length) of the optical path from each scanning mirror to the phosphor plate. [Figure 5] Fig. 5(A) is a diagram schematically showing the distance of the optical path in this embodiment, and Fig. 5(B) is a diagram schematically showing the distance of the optical path in a comparative example. [Figure 6] 6(A) and 6(B) are diagrams that schematically show the configuration of a headlamp according to another embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle lighting system including a headlamp. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a headlamp according to one embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of the headlamp 1. The illustrated headlamp 1 is mounted on a vehicle and emits light forward of the vehicle. The headlamp 1 includes a first light source 10, a first focusing lens 11, a first scanning mirror 12, a first brightness correction lens 13, a second light source 14, a second focusing lens 15, a second scanning mirror 16, a second brightness correction lens 17, a phosphor plate 18, and a projection lens 19. The X direction in the figure corresponds to the front-to-rear direction of the headlamp 1, the Y direction corresponds to the left-to-right direction of the headlamp 1, and the Z direction corresponds to the up-to-down direction of the headlamp 1. When the headlamp 1 is mounted on a vehicle, the X direction in the figure corresponds to the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, the Y direction corresponds to the left-to-right direction of the vehicle, and the Z direction corresponds to the up-to-down direction of the vehicle.

[0009] The first light source 10 is a light source that emits laser light. The laser light emitted from the first light source 10 is visible light such as blue light. The first light source 10 may be equipped with a collimating lens that focuses the laser light. The first light source 10 is arranged on the upper side of the headlamp 1 (upper side in the Z direction in the drawing) relative to the second light source 14. Note that the upper side of the headlamp 1 is synonymous with the relatively upper side in the vertical direction of the vehicle on which the headlamp 1 is mounted, and the lower side of the headlamp 1 is synonymous with the relatively lower side in the vertical direction of the vehicle on which the headlamp 1 is mounted (the same applies hereinafter).

[0010] The first focusing lens 11 is disposed in the traveling direction of the laser light emitted from the first light source 10, and focuses the laser light to make it incident on the first scanning mirror 12. The first focusing lens 11 is disposed on the upper side of the headlamp 1 relative to the second focusing lens 15.

[0011] First scanning mirror 12 is disposed at a position where laser light emitted from first light source 10 and focused by first focusing lens 11 is incident, and reflects and scans this laser light, causing it to be incident on phosphor plate 18. As first scanning mirror 12, for example, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) mirror capable of scanning incident light in two orthogonal directions is preferably used, but is not limited to this. First scanning mirror 12 is disposed on the upper side of headlamp 1 relative to second scanning mirror 16.

[0012] The first brightness correction lens 13 is disposed at a position where the laser light scanned by the first scanning mirror 12 can be incident, and by expanding the scanning width of this laser light, the brightness of the laser light at the phosphor plate 18 is improved. The first brightness correction lens 13 is disposed on the upper side of the headlamp 1 relative to the second brightness correction lens 17. The first brightness correction lens 13 is also disposed on the lower side of the headlamp 1 relative to the first light source 10, the first focusing lens 11, and the first scanning mirror 12, and on the upper side of the headlamp 1 relative to the projection lens 19.

[0013] The second light source 14 is a light source that emits laser light. The laser light emitted from the second light source 14 is visible light such as blue light. The second light source 14 may include a collimating lens that focuses the laser light. The second light source 14 is disposed on the lower side of the headlamp 1 relative to the first light source 10 (the lower side in the drawing in the Z direction).

[0014] The second focusing lens 15 is disposed in the traveling direction of the laser light emitted from the second light source 14, and focuses the laser light to make it incident on the second scanning mirror 16. The second focusing lens 15 is disposed on the lower side of the headlamp 1 relative to the first focusing lens 11.

[0015] Second scanning mirror 16 is disposed at a position where laser light emitted from second light source 14 and focused by second focusing lens 15 is incident, and reflects and scans this laser light, causing it to be incident on phosphor plate 18. As second scanning mirror 16, for example, a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) mirror that can scan incident light in two orthogonal directions is preferably used, but is not limited to this. Second scanning mirror 16 is disposed on the lower side of headlamp 1 relative to first scanning mirror 12.

[0016] The second brightness correction lens 17 is disposed at a position where the laser light scanned by the second scanning mirror 16 can be incident, and by expanding the scanning width of this laser light, the brightness of the laser light at the phosphor plate 18 is improved. The second brightness correction lens 17 is disposed on the lower side of the headlamp 1 relative to the first brightness correction lens 13. The second brightness correction lens 17 is also disposed on the upper side of the headlamp 1 relative to the second light source 14, the second focusing lens 15, and the second scanning mirror 16, and on the lower side of the headlamp 1 relative to the projection lens 19.

[0017] The phosphor plate 18 is a plate-like body containing a phosphor. The phosphor plate 18 is disposed between the first light source 10 and the second light source 14 in the vertical direction of the headlamp 1, and is disposed at a position where the first laser light L1, which has passed from the first light source 10 through the first focusing lens 11, the first scanning mirror 12, and the first brightness correction lens 13, and the second laser light L2, which has passed from the second light source 14 through the second focusing lens 15, the second scanning mirror 16, and the second brightness correction lens 17, are incident on the phosphor plate 18. The phosphor plate 18 contains, for example, a yellow phosphor. When the first laser light L1 and the second laser light L2, which are blue wavelengths, are incident on the phosphor plate 18, the phosphor plate 18 reflects the first laser light L1 and the second laser light L2 and generates yellow light due to the yellow phosphor. This causes white light (quasi-white light) to be emitted from the phosphor plate 18.

[0018] The projection lens 19 is arranged in front of the phosphor plate 18 so that its optical axis a corresponds to approximately the center of the phosphor plate 18, and collects the light emitted from the phosphor plate 18 and projects it forward of the vehicle.

[0019] 2 is a schematic front view of the phosphor plate 18. The phosphor plate 18 has a first region 31 on the upper side in the Z direction and a second region 32 on the lower side in the Z direction, with a central position o in the Y direction and Z direction in the figure sandwiched between them. In this embodiment, the phosphor plate 18 is disposed so that the optical axis a of the projection lens 19 is substantially perpendicular to the phosphor plate 18 at the central position o.

[0020] A second laser beam L2 is emitted from the second light source 14 and passes through the second focusing lens 15, the second scanning mirror 16, and the second brightness correction lens 17 into a first region 31 of the phosphor plate 18. A first laser beam L1 is emitted from the first light source 10 and passes through the first focusing lens 11, the first scanning mirror 12, and the first brightness correction lens 13 into a second region 32 of the phosphor plate 18. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1 , the first laser beam L1 and the second laser beam L2 intersect with each other in front of the phosphor plate 18 when they are irradiated onto the phosphor plate 18.

[0021] 3 is a diagram illustrating a light distribution pattern formed ahead of a vehicle by light emitted from a headlamp. Here, a light distribution pattern formed on a virtual screen assumed to be located, for example, 25 meters ahead of the vehicle is described. Note that this light distribution pattern may be formed using one headlamp 1, or may be formed by combining the light emitted by two headlamps 1.

[0022] As shown in the figure, the light distribution pattern has a high beam HB and a low beam LB. The high beam HB is emitted in a range of approximately +3.8° to approximately -3.6° in the V direction (vertical direction) in the figure, and in a range of approximately ±14.4° in the H direction in the figure. This high beam HB is formed by the first laser light L1 that is irradiated onto the second region 32 of the phosphor plate 18. For example, if it is desired to selectively emit light depending on the situation, such as the presence of another vehicle ahead, such a light distribution pattern can be achieved by switching the first laser light L1 on and off during scanning.

[0023] The low beam LB is irradiated over a range of 0° to approximately -7.5° in the V direction in the figure, and over a range of approximately ±19.4° in the H direction in the figure. Comparing the irradiation range in the H direction, the low beam LB is wider than the high beam HB. Comparing the irradiation range in the V direction, the low beam LB and the high beam HB are almost the same. This low beam LB is formed by the second laser light L2 irradiated onto the first region 31 of the phosphor plate 18. As shown in the figure, the high beam HB partially overlaps the low beam LB. This light distribution pattern is achieved by the lens design of the projection lens 19.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the distance (optical path length) of the optical path from each scanning mirror to the phosphor plate. As shown in the figure, in the headlamp 1 of the present embodiment, the distance Db of the optical path from the second scanning mirror 16 through the second brightness correction lens 17 to the phosphor plate 18 is longer than the distance Dr of the optical path from the first scanning mirror 12 through the first brightness correction lens 13 to the phosphor plate 18 (Dr < Db). This is because, due to the requirements of the external design of the lamp unit 1, it is necessary to make the volume smaller for the upper part of the lamp unit 1 that is exposed outside the vehicle, while such a necessity is lower for the lower part of the lamp unit 1 that can accommodate a part inside the vehicle.

[0025] That is, in the lamp unit 1, it is necessary to make the distance Dr of the optical path from the first scanning mirror 12 and the first brightness correction lens 13, which are relatively arranged on the upper side, to the phosphor plate 18 shorter. On the other hand, for the distance Db of the optical path from the second scanning mirror 16 and the second brightness correction lens 17 to the phosphor plate 18, it is easier to secure a longer distance.

[0026] And in the present embodiment, by using the second laser beam L2 that can set the optical path distance longer and thus widen the light distribution angle, a low beam LB (see FIG. 3) with a relatively wide light distribution range is formed, and by using the first laser beam L1 with a relatively short optical path distance, a high beam HB with a relatively narrow light distribution range is formed. As a result, the requirements for the optical characteristics (for example, lens curvature) required for each of the first brightness correction lens 13 and the second brightness correction lens 17 are relaxed, and the effect that the optical design and manufacture of each lens become easier can be obtained.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first laser light L1 and the second laser light L2 intersect in front of the phosphor plate 18, so that the first laser light L1 traveling relatively from the upper side to the lower side in the headlamp 1 is irradiated onto the second region 32, which is relatively on the lower side of the phosphor plate 18, and the second laser light L2 traveling relatively from the lower side to the upper side in the headlamp 1 is irradiated onto the first region 31, which is relatively on the upper side of the phosphor plate 18. This makes it possible to make the optical path distances Dr and Rb longer than when, for example, the first laser light L1 is irradiated onto the first region 31 of the phosphor plate 18 and the second laser light L2 is irradiated onto the second region 32 of the phosphor plate 18. This allows the distance between the first scanning mirror 12 and the first brightness correction lens 13 to be longer, and the distance between the second scanning mirror 16 and the second brightness correction lens 17 to be longer, so that the area through which each laser light passes through the optical surface for obtaining the brightness improvement effect of each lens is wider, thereby enhancing the brightness correction effect.

[0028] FIG. 5(A) is a diagram schematically illustrating the distance of the optical path in this embodiment. FIG. 5(B) is a diagram schematically illustrating the distance of the optical path in a comparative example. Note that while the optical path is illustrated here as extending from the rotation starting point 16a of the second scanning mirror 16 to the phosphor plate 18 via the second luminance correction lens 17, the same applies to the optical path extending from the rotation starting point of the first scanning mirror 13 to the phosphor plate 18 via the first luminance correction lens 13. As shown in FIG. 5(A), the headlamp 1 of this embodiment can increase the distance between the second scanning mirror 16 and the second luminance correction lens 17. The increased distance compared to the comparative example shown in FIG. 5(B) is indicated as D1 in the figure. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the headlamp 1 of this embodiment can also increase the distance between the second luminance correction lens 17 and the phosphor plate 18. The increased distance compared to the comparative example shown in FIG. 5(B) is indicated as D2 in the figure. Increasing these distances D1 and D2 provides the above-mentioned effects, which in turn makes it easier to design and manufacture the lens.

[0029] Fig. 6(A) is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a headlamp of another embodiment. In the headlamp 1a of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6(A), the first light source 10, the first scanning mirror 12, the first luminance correction lens 13, etc. are arranged relatively higher in the Z direction, and the second light source 14, the second scanning mirror 16, the second luminance correction lens 17, etc. are arranged relatively lower, similarly to the above-described embodiments. Similarly, the third light source 20, the third scanning mirror 22, and the third luminance correction lens 23, which are similarly configured, are arranged relatively leftward in the Y direction in the drawing, and the fourth light source 24, the fourth scanning mirror 26, and the fourth luminance correction lens 27 are arranged relatively rightward in the Y direction in the drawing. Note that focusing lenses are not shown.

[0030] In this headlamp 1a, the laser light that has passed through the first brightness correction lens 13 and the laser light that has passed through the second brightness correction lens 17 are irradiated onto the phosphor plate 18 from above and below, and the laser light that has passed through the third brightness correction lens 23 and the laser light that has passed through the fourth brightness correction lens are irradiated onto the phosphor plate 18 from the left and right. This makes it possible to vary the light distribution pattern that is irradiated ahead of the vehicle through the projection lens 19 in a more versatile manner.

[0031] It is also possible to omit some of the components of the headlamp 1a of the embodiment shown in Fig. 6(A). As an example, Fig. 6(B) shows the configuration of a headlamp 1b of an embodiment in which the first light source 10, the first scanning mirror 12, and the first brightness correction lens 13 are omitted.

[0032] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of a vehicle lighting system including a headlamp. The illustrated vehicle lighting system includes a headlamp 1, a controller 2, and a camera 3. The headlamp 1 can be substituted for the headlamp 1a or 1b described above. This vehicle lighting system detects objects such as preceding vehicles, oncoming vehicles, and pedestrians by performing information processing in the controller 2 using images of the vehicle's surroundings (e.g., the front) captured by the camera 3. The controller 2 dynamically sets illuminated areas and dimmed areas (or non-illuminated areas) within the illumination range of the high beam HB according to the object's position and situation. The controller 2 then controls the operation of the headlamp 1 to achieve a light distribution pattern including the illuminated and dimmed areas. Specifically, the controller 2 controls the timing of turning on and off the first light source 10 and the second light source 14 of the headlamp 1 and the operation of the first scanning mirror 12 and the second scanning mirror 16, thereby achieving a desired light distribution pattern. The controller 2 can be implemented using a computer system equipped with, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc., and capable of executing a predetermined operating program.

[0033] According to the above-described embodiments, the optical design of lenses and the like in headlamps (vehicle lighting devices) and the like can be facilitated.

[0034] It should be noted that the present disclosure is not limited to the contents of the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. For example, in the above-described embodiments, a headlamp is shown as an example of a vehicle lighting fixture, but a similar configuration can also be applied to a lamp that irradiates light in any direction, such as toward the rear or side of the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1: headlamp, 10: first light source, 11: first focusing lens, 12: first scanning mirror, 13: first brightness correction lens, 14: second light source, 15: second focusing lens, 16: second scanning mirror, 17: second brightness correction lens, 18: phosphor plate, 19: projection lens, L1: first laser light, L2: second laser light

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp for irradiating light around a vehicle, a first light source that emits a first laser beam; a first scanning mirror that reflects and scans the first laser light; a first lens that transmits the first laser light scanned by the first scanning mirror; a second light source that emits a second laser beam; a second scanning mirror that reflects and scans the second laser light; a second lens that transmits the second laser light scanned by the second scanning mirror; a phosphor plate onto which the first laser light transmitted through the first lens and the second laser light transmitted through the second lens are incident; a projection lens that projects light generated from the phosphor plate; Including, the first light source, the first scanning mirror, and the first lens are disposed relatively above the second light source, the second scanning mirror, and the second lens in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the phosphor plate includes a first region that is relatively upper in the vertical direction of the vehicle and a second region that is relatively lower in the vertical direction of the vehicle; the first laser light passing through the first scanning mirror and the first lens is irradiated onto the second region of the phosphor plate, and the second laser light passing through the second scanning mirror and the second lens is irradiated onto the first region of the phosphor plate, a distance of a second optical path from the second scanning mirror to the phosphor plate via the second lens is longer than a distance of a first optical path from the first scanning mirror to the phosphor plate via the first lens; Vehicle lighting fixtures.

2. A vehicle lighting fixture for irradiating light around a vehicle, a first light source that emits a first laser beam; a first scanning mirror that reflects and scans the first laser light; a first lens that transmits the first laser light scanned by the first scanning mirror; a second light source that emits a second laser beam; a second scanning mirror that reflects and scans the second laser light; a second lens that transmits the second laser light scanned by the second scanning mirror; a phosphor plate onto which the first laser light transmitted through the first lens and the second laser light transmitted through the second lens are incident; a projection lens that projects light generated from the phosphor plate; Including, the first light source, the first scanning mirror, and the first lens are disposed relatively above the second light source, the second scanning mirror, and the second lens in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the phosphor plate includes a first region that is relatively upper in the vertical direction of the vehicle and a second region that is relatively lower in the vertical direction of the vehicle; the first laser light passing through the first scanning mirror and the first lens is irradiated onto the second region of the phosphor plate, and the second laser light passing through the second scanning mirror and the second lens is irradiated onto the first region of the phosphor plate, the first laser light having passed through the first scanning mirror and the first lens and the second laser light having passed through the second scanning mirror and the second lens intersect on the front side of the phosphor plate; Vehicle lighting fixtures.

3. the light generated from the first region of the phosphor plate is projected by the projection lens relatively downward in the vertical direction around the vehicle, and the light generated from the second region of the phosphor plate is projected by the projection lens relatively upward in the vertical direction around the vehicle.

3. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2.

4. each of the first lens and the second lens is a luminance correction lens; The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the first lens is disposed relatively lower than the first light source and the first scanning mirror in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the second lens is disposed relatively above the second light source and the second scanning mirror in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. a first focusing lens disposed between the first light source and the first scanning mirror; a second focusing lens disposed between the second light source and the second scanning mirror; The vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

7. A vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A camera and a controller that controls an operation of the vehicle lamp based on an image of the surroundings of the vehicle captured by the camera; A vehicle lighting system comprising:

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