Vehicle lenses, vehicle lamp units, vehicle headlights

Abstract

To provide a vehicle lens which does not attenuate light distribution efficiency even if strength is reinforced.SOLUTION: Since a vehicle lens is constituted such that attachment parts are integrally arranged at both ends of twelve pieces of control parts 10 which are aligned in one row, and reinforcement parts are bridged to the attachment parts, and integrally arranged thereat, the strength of the control parts 10 can be reinforced by the reinforcement parts via the attachment parts. Since the vehicle lens is constituted such that spaces 131 are formed between the control parts 10 and the reinforcement parts, and extension emission faces 130U extending from first emission faces 13 are arranged at a part of the control parts 10 on the space 131 side, light in the control parts 10 being loss light L3 can be emitted as emission light L4, and the light distribution efficiency of the control parts 10 is not attenuated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lens. The present invention also relates to a vehicle lamp unit provided with the vehicle lens and a vehicle headlamp (headlamp).

Background Art

[0002] Examples of vehicle lenses, vehicle lamp units provided with vehicle lenses, and vehicle headlamps include those shown in Patent Document 1 below. Patent Document 1 will be described below.

[0003] The vehicle headlamp of Patent Document 1 includes a lamp body and a front cover that form a lamp chamber, and an optical unit housed in the lamp chamber. The optical unit is a vehicle lamp unit that irradiates a variable high beam, and controls the shape of the light distribution pattern for the high beam to change according to the presence of a vehicle ahead.

[0004] The optical unit includes a light source and a condenser lens that is a vehicle lens. The light source has eight LEDs that illuminate a region including the H-H line of the light distribution pattern for the high beam, and two LEDs that illuminate a region above the H-H line. The condenser lens is an optical control unit that controls the light incident from the back side and emits it from the front side, and has eight lens portions corresponding to the eight LEDs, two dome-shaped lens portions corresponding to the two LEDs, and a plate-shaped base adjacent to the lens portions.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Today, vehicle headlights and optical units are being miniaturized. Consequently, the light-gathering lenses provided in vehicle headlights and optical units are also being miniaturized. In this case, the dimensions of the light-gathering lens described in Patent Document 1 are that the diameter of the eight lens sections is 1 to 2 mm, the diameter of the two dome-shaped lens sections is 2 to 4 mm, and the thickness of the plate-shaped base is 1 to 5 mm.

[0007] As a result, the eight elongated lens sections alone have low strength, and the eight lens sections may break due to the handling stress during the assembly process of vehicle headlights and optical units. Therefore, the condensing lens described in Patent Document 1 reinforces the strength of the condensing lens by integrally providing a plate-shaped base adjacent to the eight lens sections.

[0008] However, since the condensing lens described in Patent Document 1 has a plate-shaped base integrally attached adjacent to eight lens portions, some of the light incident on the eight lens portions enters the plate-shaped base and is lost, which can result in a decrease in the light distribution efficiency of the eight lens portions.

[0009] Thus, in vehicle lenses, it is important to ensure that even when reinforcing strength, the light distribution efficiency is not reduced.

[0010] The problem this invention aims to solve is to provide a vehicle lens that does not reduce light distribution efficiency even when its strength is reinforced.

[0011] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a vehicle lamp unit and a vehicle headlight equipped with a vehicle lens that does not reduce light distribution efficiency even when its strength is reinforced. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The vehicle lens of this invention is characterized in that it is arranged in a row and comprises a plurality of control units that control the light from a plurality of light-emitting elements, a mounting portion provided at least at one end of the plurality of control units and attached to a mounting member, and a reinforcing portion provided on the mounting portion and arranged along the plurality of control units to reinforce the strength of the vehicle lens, with a space provided between the plurality of control units and the reinforcing portion.

[0013] In the vehicle lens of this invention, it is preferable that each of the plurality of control units has at least an emission surface, and that a portion of the plurality of control units on the space side is provided with an extended emission surface that extends from the emission surface.

[0014] In the vehicle lens of this invention, each of the multiple control units has an incident surface that receives light from a nearby light-emitting element as incident light, and it is preferable that the incident surface has a first incident surface and a second incident surface located below the first incident surface, the first incident surface is inclined toward the light-emitting element as it goes upwards, and the second incident surface protrudes toward the light-emitting element more than the first incident surface.

[0015] In the vehicle lens of this invention, each of the multiple control units preferably has an output surface that emits incident light from a first incident surface as output light, a first output surface, an extended output surface that emits incident light from a first incident surface as output light, a reflective surface and an extended reflective surface that reflect incident light from a second incident surface as reflected light, and a second output surface that emits reflected light from the reflective surface and the extended reflective surface as output light, wherein the extended reflective surface is provided on each of the multiple control units as an extension from the reflective surface.

[0016] In the vehicle lens of this invention, it is preferable that the plurality of control units have an elongated shape in the direction of arrangement, the mounting portion and the reinforcing portion each have a thin plate shape with a plate surface, the mounting portion is integrally provided at both ends of the plurality of control units, and the reinforcing portion is integrally provided by being attached to the mounting portion at both ends.

[0017] The vehicle lamp unit of this invention comprises a light source having a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a row from left to right, a first lens which is a vehicle lens of this invention positioned in close proximity to the light source, a second lens positioned in front of the light source and the first lens, and a mounting member to which the light source, the first lens and the second lens are attached, wherein a plurality of control units of the first lens are arranged in a row from left to right in a one-to-one ratio with respect to the plurality of light-emitting elements, and the control units cause the light from the plurality of light-emitting elements to be emitted as emitted light toward the second lens, and the second lens causes the emitted light from the plurality of control units to be emitted as a plurality of light distribution patterns.

[0018] In the vehicle lamp unit of this invention, it is preferable that the light source has a substrate on which a plurality of light-emitting elements are mounted on the front surface and whose rear surface is in close contact with the front surface of the mounting member, the rear surface of the mounting portion of the first lens is in close contact with the front surface of the substrate, and the plurality of control units are arranged in close proximity to the plurality of light-emitting elements and are in a non-contact state with respect to the front surface of the substrate.

[0019] In the vehicle lamp unit of this invention, it is preferable that the rear surface of the reinforcing portion of the first lens is in close contact with the front surface of the substrate.

[0020] The vehicle headlight of this invention is characterized by comprising a lamp housing and a lamp lens that form a lamp chamber, and a vehicle lamp unit of this invention disposed within the lamp chamber. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] The vehicle lens of this invention does not reduce light distribution efficiency even when its strength is reinforced.

[0022] Furthermore, the vehicle lamp unit and vehicle headlight of this invention do not reduce the light distribution efficiency of the vehicle lens even when the strength of the vehicle lens is reinforced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0023] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view (vertical sectional view) of a vehicle headlamp showing an embodiment of a vehicle lens, a vehicle lamp unit, and a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a vehicle lamp unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of a vehicle lamp unit. (A) is an exploded perspective view of the whole. (B) is a perspective view showing 12 light-emitting elements (LED array) of a light source (an enlarged perspective view of part B in (A)). [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view (vertical sectional view) showing a light source, a first lens, and a second lens. [Figure 5] FIG. 12 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view (vertical sectional view) showing the control section of the first lens. [Figure 6] FIG. 15 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view (vertical sectional view) showing a light source and a first lens. [Figure 7] FIG. 18 is an enlarged perspective view showing the first lens. [Figure 8] FIG. 21 is a partially enlarged perspective view (an enlarged perspective view of part VIII in FIG. 18) showing the first emission surface, the second emission surface, and the control surface of the control section of the first lens. [Figure 9] FIG. 24 is a partially enlarged perspective view (a view in the direction of arrow IX in FIG. 21) showing the first incident surface, the second incident surface, and the reflection surface of the control section of the first lens. [Figure 10] FIG. 27 is an explanatory view showing the difference in light distribution efficiency between a vehicle lens embodying the present invention and a vehicle lens not embodying the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment (example) of a vehicle lens, vehicle lamp unit, and vehicle headlight according to this invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this specification and the attached claims, front, rear, top, bottom, left, and right refer to the front, rear, top, bottom, left, and right when the vehicle lens, vehicle lamp unit, and vehicle headlight according to this invention are installed on a vehicle. Furthermore, since the drawings are schematic diagrams, the main components are shown, the illustration of components other than the main components is omitted, and some hatching is omitted.

[0025] (Description of the configuration of the embodiment) The configurations of the vehicle lens 1 (hereinafter referred to as "first lens 1"), the vehicle lamp unit 1U (hereinafter referred to as "lamp unit 1U"), and the vehicle headlight 100 (hereinafter referred to as "vehicle headlight 100") according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0026] (Description of vehicle headlight 100) The vehicle headlights 100 are mounted on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle (not shown). The left vehicle headlight 100 illuminates the front of the vehicle with a left high beam pattern (not shown). On the other hand, the right vehicle headlight 100 illuminates the front of the vehicle with a right high beam pattern (not shown).

[0027] The high beam pattern on the left and the high beam pattern on the right are superimposed to form the overall high beam pattern (not shown). The overall high beam pattern is a wide high beam pattern that illuminates a wide area from the near front of the vehicle to the far distance, and illuminates with high luminosity.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle headlight 100 comprises a lamp housing 101, a lamp lens 102, a lamp unit 1U, and a control device (not shown).

[0029] The lamp housing 101 is made of a light-opaque resin material. The lamp lens 102 is made of a light-transmitting resin material. The lamp lens 102 is an outer lens or outer cover. The surface of the lamp lens 102 (the surface opposite to the surface facing the lamp chamber 103 described later) is shaped to conform to the design surface of the vehicle. The lamp housing 101 and the lamp lens 102 form the lamp chamber 103. Inside the lamp chamber 103 are the lamp unit 1U and the inner panel (inner housing) 104.

[0030] The lamp unit 1U and inner panel 104 are attached to the lamp housing 101 via frame members and bracket members (not shown). The inner panel 104 is positioned between the lamp lens 102 and the lamp unit 1U. The inner panel 104 is provided with an opening 105. The second lens 2 of the lamp unit 1U, described later, is positioned in the opening 105.

[0031] (Description of the control device) The control device is not shown in the diagram, but it is installed in the vehicle. The control device includes a detection unit, a detection control unit, and a light on / off control unit.

[0032] The detection unit consists of, for example, an imaging device (camera) located in the center of the upper edge of the vehicle's front windshield, and a millimeter-wave radar located in the center of the vehicle's front grille.

[0033] The imaging device captures images including oncoming and preceding vehicles relative to the vehicle itself. The millimeter-wave radar measures the distance to oncoming and preceding vehicles relative to the vehicle itself. The detection unit outputs the detection signal to the detection control unit via an interface.

[0034] The detection control unit is an ECU for detection control and includes an arithmetic control electronic device such as an MPU or CPU, and a memory electronic device such as RAM or ROM. The detection control unit calculates the position and distance of oncoming and preceding vehicles based on detection signals from the detection unit by having the arithmetic control electronic device execute a predetermined program stored in the memory electronic device, and outputs the calculated signals to the on / off control unit via an interface.

[0035] The on / off control unit is an ECU for on / off control and includes an arithmetic control electronic device such as an MPU or CPU, and a memory electronic device such as RAM or ROM. The on / off control unit controls the on / off, increasing / decreasing brightness, and other functions of the multiple light-emitting elements 30 described below, in this example, 12 elements, based on arithmetic signals from the detection control unit, by having the arithmetic control electronic device execute a predetermined program stored in the memory electronic device.

[0036] (Description of Lamp Unit 1U) As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the lamp unit 1U comprises a first lens 1, a second lens 2, a light source 3, and a lens holder 4 and a heat sink 5 as mounting members. The lamp unit 1U projects the aforementioned high beam light distribution pattern forward of the vehicle.

[0037] Lamp unit 1U is a variable-beam lamp unit, specifically an ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam) type lamp unit. When there are no vehicles ahead, such as oncoming or preceding vehicles, lamp unit 1U illuminates with the entire high-beam light distribution pattern. On the other hand, when there is a vehicle ahead, lamp unit 1U controls the area where the vehicle is located so that it is darker than the surrounding area.

[0038] In other words, the lamp unit 1U changes the overall high beam light distribution pattern by controlling the on / off, increasing / decreasing, and dimming of the 12 light-emitting elements 30 of the light source 3 using a control device, thereby turning off or dimming the partial light distribution pattern (not shown) where a vehicle is located in front.

[0039] (Explanation of Light Source 3) As shown in Figures 3, 4, 6, and 10, the light source 3 has multiple light-emitting elements 30, in this example 12 elements, and a substrate 31.

[0040] In this example, the 12 light-emitting elements 30 form an LED array and are arranged in a horizontal row from left to right at the top of the front surface of the substrate 31. The light-emitting surfaces of the 12 light-emitting elements 30 are rectangular in shape. The on / off, intensification, and dimming of the 12 light-emitting elements 30 are controlled by the control device described above.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6, light (emitted light) L1, L1D, and L1U are emitted from the light-emitting surfaces of the 12 light-emitting elements 30. This light L1, L1D, and L1U is part of the light emitted in a Lambertsian pattern from the light-emitting surfaces of the 12 light-emitting elements 30. As shown in Figure 6, the light L1, L1D, and L1U from the light-emitting elements 30 are emitted over a wide area in front of the vehicle, both vertically and horizontally. Of the light L1, L1D, and L1U from the light-emitting elements 30, the light in the central part is denoted as "L1", the light in the lower part as "L1D", and the light in the upper part as "L1U". The symbol "32" indicates the center of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element 30.

[0042] The substrate 31 has a rectangular, thin plate shape. Twelve light-emitting elements 30, electronic components, and electronic circuits are mounted on the front surface of the substrate 31. At both the left and right ends of the upper part of the substrate 31, on either side of the twelve light-emitting elements 30, there are circular through-holes 310 through which the screws 6 pass and small circular through-holes 311 for positioning, respectively.

[0043] The substrate 31 is attached to the heat sink 5 together with the first lens 1 by screws 6. The rear surface of the substrate 31 is in close contact with the front surface of the mounting portion 50 of the heat sink 5. Heat generated in the light-emitting element 30 is transferred to the heat sink 5 via the substrate 31.

[0044] (Explanation of Lens 1) As shown in Figures 3 to 9, the first lens 1 is positioned close to the light source 3. As described above, the first lens 1 is attached to the heat sink 5 together with the light source 3 by fastening it with screws 6.

[0045] The first lens 1 comprises multiple control units 10, in this example 12 units, left and right mounting parts 110, and reinforcing parts 120. In this example, the first lens 1 is made of a light-transmitting resin or glass.

[0046] (Description of the control unit 10) The twelve control units 10 are arranged in a horizontal line on the left and right sides in a one-to-one ratio with the twelve light-emitting elements 30. The twelve control units 10 control the light L1 and L1D from the twelve light-emitting elements 30 by refraction and total internal reflection to focus (concentrate, concentrate) and emit the light L2 and L4 towards the second lens 2. A space 131 is provided between the twelve control units 10 and the reinforcing section 120. This space 131 is a gap surrounded by the twelve control units 10, the left and right mounting sections 110, and the reinforcing section 120.

[0047] The control unit 10 has a first incident surface 11, a second incident surface 12, a first exit surface 13, a second exit surface 14, a reflecting surface 15, an extended exit surface 130U, and an extended reflecting surface 130D. The first incident surface 11, the first exit surface 13, and the extended exit surface 130U are paired and constitute a main control unit that emits the light L1 from the central portion of the light-emitting element 30 toward the second lens 2. The second incident surface 12, the second exit surface 14, the reflecting surface 15, and the extended reflecting surface 130D are paired and constitute an additional control unit (auxiliary control unit) of an additional lens section (auxiliary lens section) that effectively utilizes the light L1D from the lower portion of the light-emitting element 30 that does not enter the first incident surface 11.

[0048] The first incident surface 11 is composed of a free-form surface (the surface between points A1 and A2 in Figure 5) and is positioned in front of the light-emitting element 30. The focal point F of the first incident surface 11 is located at or near the center 32 of the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element 30. The first incident surface 11 receives the light L1 from the central portion of the adjacent light-emitting element 30. The first incident surface 11 is inclined towards the light-emitting element 30 as it moves upward, capturing a portion of the light L1U from the upper part of the light-emitting element 30 and receiving it as incident light. The light L1D from the lower part of the light-emitting element 30 and the remaining portion of the light L1U from the upper part of the light-emitting element 30 do not enter the first incident surface 11. In this example, the width dimension between the first incident surface 11 and the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element 30 is approximately 0.5 mm.

[0049] The second incident surface 12 is composed of a free-form surface (a free-concave surface; the surface between points A2 and A3 in Figure 5) and is positioned diagonally downward in front of the light-emitting element 30. The second incident surface 12 protrudes further towards the light-emitting element 30 than the first incident surface 11. The second incident surface 12 receives the light L1D from the lower portion of the light-emitting element 30 that does not enter the first incident surface 11.

[0050] The first emission surface 13 is composed of a free-form surface (a free convex surface; the surface between points A6 and A7 in Figure 5) and is positioned in front of the first incident surface 11. The first emission surface 13 causes the incident light that enters from the first incident surface 11 to be emitted as emission light L2 to the second lens 2. The vertical width dimension T1 of the first emission surface 13 is approximately 2.5 mm in this example. Although not shown in the figure, the horizontal width dimension of the first emission surface 13 is approximately the same as the vertical width dimension T1, which is also approximately 2.5 mm in this example.

[0051] The extended emission surface 130U is provided integrally with the first emission surface 13, extending from it, in a portion of the space 131 side of the 12 control units 10. The extended emission surface 130U causes the incident light (light in the control unit 10 that becomes loss light L3 (see dashed arrow in Figure 10)) incident light incident from the first incident surface 11 to be emitted as emission light L4 to the second lens 2. In this example, the extended emission surface 130U is formed from the same curved surface as the first emission surface 13. However, in this invention, the extended emission surface 130U may be formed from a surface separate from the first emission surface 13.

[0052] The reflective surface 15 is composed of a free-form surface (the surface between points A3 and A4 in Figure 5) and is positioned diagonally below and in front of the second incident surface 12. The reflective surface 15 reflects the incident light that enters from the second incident surface 12 as reflected light to the second exit surface 14.

[0053] The extended reflective surface 130D is provided integrally with the 12 control units 10, extending from the reflective surface 15. The extended reflective surface 130D reflects the incident light (the light in the control unit 10 that becomes the lost light L3 (see the dashed arrow in Figure 10)) incident light from the second incident surface 12 to the second output surface 14 as reflected light. In this example, the extended reflective surface 130D is formed from the same curved surface as the reflective surface 15. However, in this invention, the extended reflective surface 130D may be formed from a surface separate from the reflective surface 15.

[0054] The second emission surface 14 is composed of a free-form surface (the surface between points A4 and A5 in Figure 5) and is positioned in front of the reflective surface 15 and the extended reflective surface 130D. The second emission surface 14 emits the reflected light from the reflective surface 15 and the extended reflective surface 130D as emitted light L2 and L4 to the second lens 2. The vertical width dimension T2 of the second emission surface 14 is approximately 1 mm in this example.

[0055] Furthermore, a connecting surface (the surface between points A1 and A7 in Figure 5) is formed between the first incident surface 11 and the first exit surface 13. Also, a connecting surface (the surface between points A5 and A6 in Figure 5) is formed between the first exit surface 13 and the second exit surface 14.

[0056] The twelve control units 10, arranged in a row, have an elongated shape. Furthermore, when the first lens 1 is attached to the heat sink 5 together with the light source 3, the twelve control units 10 are positioned close to the twelve light-emitting elements 30 and are not in contact with the front surface of the substrate 31.

[0057] (Explanation of mounting part 110) The mounting portion 110 has a plate shape with thickness perpendicular to the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element 30. That is, the mounting portion 110 has a thin plate shape with a plate surface. The mounting portions 110 are integrally provided at both the left and right ends of each of the 12 control units 10. The left and right mounting portions 110 are provided with a circular through-hole 111 through which the screw 6 passes and a circular small through-hole 112 for positioning, corresponding to the through-hole 310 and small through-hole 311 of the substrate 31, respectively. The mounting portion 110 is attached to the heat sink 5 together with the substrate 31 of the light source 3 by fastening it with the screw 6. The rear surface of the mounting portion 110 is in close contact with the front surface of the substrate 31.

[0058] (Explanation of reinforcement section 120) The reinforcing portion 120, like the mounting portion 110, has a plate shape with thickness perpendicular to the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element 30. That is, the reinforcing portion 120, like the mounting portion 110, has a thin plate shape with a plate surface. The reinforcing portion 120 is integrally provided by being attached to the upper ends of the mounting portions 110 at both the left and right ends. The reinforcing portion 120 is positioned above the 12 control units 10, along the 12 control units 10, and reinforces (increases or improves) the strength of the first lens 1. As the mounting portion 110 is attached to the heat sink 5, the rear surface of the reinforcing portion 120 is in close contact with the front surface of the substrate 31.

[0059] (Explanation of Lens 2) The second lens 2 is positioned in front of the light source 3 and the first lens 1, as shown in Figures 1 to 4. The second lens 2 is held in a lens holder 4 and is attached to the heat sink 5 via the lens holder 4.

[0060] In this example, the second lens 2 is made of a light-transmitting resin or glass. The second lens 2 has an incident surface 20 and an exit surface 21 that are free-form surfaces (free convex surfaces). The second lens 2 is a projection lens that refracts the light L2 and L4 emitted from the 12 control units 10 of the first lens 1, causing it to enter through the incident surface 20 and project out through the exit surface 21 as multiple light distribution patterns (partial light distribution patterns), in this example, 12 patterns.

[0061] The upper and lower ends of the second lens 2 are largely removed, and the vertical width dimension T3 of the second lens 2 is approximately 15 mm in this example. That is, the vertical width dimension T3 of the incident surface 20 and the exit surface 21 of the second lens 2 is small, approximately 15 mm. On the other hand, the left and right ends of the second lens 2 are removed to a smaller extent compared to the upper and lower ends. As a result, the front view shape of the second lens 2 is a horizontally elongated rectangle.

[0062] A retaining projection 22 is integrally provided at the center of both the upper and lower ends of the second lens 2, on the side facing the incident surface 20. A retaining hole 23 is provided in the retaining projection 22.

[0063] (Description of lens holder 4) In this example, the lens holder 4 is made of a light-opaque material made of resin or metal. The lens holder 4 is attached to the heat sink 5 while holding the second lens 2. The lens holder 4 shields (blocks) light other than the light L2 and L4 emitted from the first lens 1 (stray light, for example, the light L1U from the upper part of the light-emitting element 30) so that it does not emit from the lamp lens 102.

[0064] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the lens holder 4 has a mounting plate portion 40 and a retaining frame portion 41. The mounting plate portion 40 is gate-shaped, with an opening from the center to the bottom. Circular through holes 42 for screws 60 are provided at both the upper and lower ends on both the left and right sides of the mounting plate portion 40. Small circular through holes 43 for positioning are provided in the middle of both the left and right sides of the mounting plate portion 40.

[0065] The retaining frame portion 41 is integrally provided with the central part of the front surface of the mounting plate portion 40. The retaining frame portion 41 is welded to the second lens 2 and has a rectangular space that is horizontally elongated when viewed from the front. The space of the retaining frame portion 41 and the opening of the mounting plate portion 40 are in communication. Retaining pins 44 are provided on both the upper and lower sides of the retaining frame portion 41, corresponding to the retaining holes 23 of the second lens 2.

[0066] (Explanation of Heatsink 5) The heat sink 5 is made of a material with high thermal conductivity, in this example, a die-cast aluminum material. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the heat sink 5 is made of an integrated structure consisting of a plate-shaped mounting portion 50 and a fin-shaped heat dissipation portion 51.

[0067] The first lens 1 and the light source 3 are attached to the front of the mounting section 50 by fastening them together, and a lens holder 4 for holding the second lens 2 is also attached. A heat dissipation section 51 is integrally provided on the rear surface of the mounting section 50. In this example, the multiple fins of the heat dissipation section 51 are parallel or nearly parallel in the left-right direction. The multiple fins of the heat dissipation section 51 may also be parallel or nearly parallel in the up-down direction.

[0068] Mounting holes (screw holes) 52 into which screws 6 are screwed and first positioning pins 53 for positioning are provided approximately in the middle of both the left and right sides of the front surface of the mounting portion 50, corresponding to the through holes 111 of the first lens 1 and the through holes 310 of the substrate 31, and the small through holes 112 of the first lens 1 and the small through holes 311 of the substrate 31, respectively.

[0069] Furthermore, on both the left and right sides of the front surface of the mounting portion 50, mounting boss portions 54 into which the screw 60 is screwed, and second positioning pins 55 for positioning are provided, corresponding to the through-hole 42 and small through-hole 311 of the lens holder 4, respectively.

[0070] A fan unit (not shown) may be attached to the heatsink 5. The fan unit cools the heatsink 5 from the heat generated in the light-emitting element 30 by forcibly and directly blowing air onto the heatsink 5.

[0071] (Instructions for assembling the 1U lamp unit) First, the small through-hole 311 of the substrate 31 is fitted onto the first positioning pin 53 of the heat sink 5 to temporarily fasten the substrate 31 to the heat sink 5. Next, the small through-hole 112 of the first lens 1 is fitted onto the first positioning pin 53 of the heat sink 5, which protrudes from the small through-hole 311 of the substrate 31, to temporarily fasten the first lens 1 to the substrate 31 and the heat sink 5. Then, the screw 6 is passed through the through-hole 111 of the first lens 1 and the through-hole 310 of the substrate 31 and screwed into the mounting hole 52 of the heat sink 5. In this way, the first lens 1 and the substrate 31 of the light source 3 are attached to the heat sink 5 by screw 6 in a shared fastening manner.

[0072] Next, the portion of the second lens 2 on the incident surface 20 side is inserted into the holding frame portion 41 of the lens holder 4, and the inner surface of the holding hole 23 of the second lens 2 is welded to the outer surface of the holding pin 44 of the lens holder 4, thereby holding the second lens 2 in the lens holder 4. Next, the small through-hole 43 of the lens holder 4 is fitted onto the second positioning pin 55 of the heat sink 5 to temporarily fasten the lens holder 4 to the heat sink 5. Then, the screw 60 is passed through the through-hole 42 of the lens holder 4 and screwed into the mounting boss portion 54 of the heat sink 5. In this way, the second lens 2 held in the lens holder 4 and the lens holder 4 are attached to the heat sink 5 by the screw 60.

[0073] This completes the assembly of the lamp unit 1U. The first lens 1 is attached to the substrate 31 and heat sink 5 of the light source 3, which serve as mounting components. The second lens 2 is attached to the lens holder 4 and heat sink 5, which also serve as mounting components.

[0074] (Description of the operation of the embodiment) The vehicle lens 1, the vehicle lamp unit 1U, and the vehicle headlight 100 according to this embodiment have the configurations described above, and their operation will be explained below.

[0075] The 12 light-emitting elements 30 of the light source 3 are turned on to emit light. As a result, light L1, L1D, and L1U are emitted from the light-emitting surfaces of the light-emitting elements 30 (see Figure 6). A portion of the light L1 from the central part and a portion of the light L1U from the upper part of the light-emitting elements 30 are incident on the first incident surface 11 of the 12 control units 10 of the first lens 1. The light L1D from the lower part of the light-emitting elements 30 is incident on the second incident surface 12 of the first lens 1. The remaining portion of the light L1U from the upper part of the light-emitting elements 30 is not incident on the first lens 1.

[0076] Light incident on the first incident surface 11 is emitted as emitted light L2 and L4 from the first exit surface 13 and the extended exit surface 130U of the first lens 1 (see Figure 10). Similarly, light incident on the second incident surface 12 is reflected by the reflective surface 15 and the extended reflective surface 130D and emitted as emitted light L2 and L4 from the second exit surface 14 of the first lens 1 (see Figure 10).

[0077] As shown in Figure 4, the emitted light L2 and L4 from the first emission surface 13 and the second emission surface 14 respectively enter the incident surface 20 of the second lens 2. The light that enters the incident surface 20 is emitted as a partial light distribution pattern, passing through the lamp lens 102 from the emission surface 21 of the second lens 2 and illuminating the outside (in front of the vehicle).

[0078] In this case, if there are no vehicles ahead, such as oncoming or preceding vehicles, all 12 light-emitting elements 30 light up, so 12 partial light distribution patterns are projected in front of the vehicle. On the other hand, when the control unit's detection unit detects a vehicle ahead, such as an oncoming or preceding vehicle, the light-emitting elements 30 corresponding to the partial light distribution pattern where the vehicle is present are turned off and dimmed. As a result, the partial light distribution pattern in the area where the vehicle is present becomes darker than the partial light distribution pattern in the surrounding area where the vehicle is not present, thus preventing glare on the vehicle ahead.

[0079] The heat generated in the light-emitting element 30 is released to the outside via the substrate 31 and the heat sink 5. Furthermore, if a fan unit is installed, the heat sink 5 is cooled by forced air cooling provided by the fan unit.

[0080] (Description of the effects of the embodiment) The vehicle lens 1, vehicle lamp unit 1U, and vehicle headlight 100 according to this embodiment have the configuration and operation described above, and their effects will be explained below.

[0081] In this embodiment, the vehicle lens 1 has mounting portions 110 integrally provided at both ends of 12 control units 10 arranged in a row, and a reinforcing portion 120 is attached integrally to the mounting portions 110, with the reinforcing portion 120 positioned parallel to the control units 10. Therefore, the strength of the vehicle lens 1 (first lens 1) can be reinforced (increased or improved) by the reinforcing portion 120.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle lens 1 has an extended emission surface 130U, which extends from the first emission surface 13, integrally provided on a part of the space 131 side of the 12 control units 10. Therefore, the incident light (light in the control unit 10 that becomes lost light L3 (see dashed arrow in Figure 10)) that enters from the first incident surface 11 can be emitted to the second lens 2 as emitted light L4.

[0083] As a result, even if the strength of the vehicle lens 1 (first lens 1) is reinforced by the reinforcing portion 120 in this embodiment, the reinforcing portion 120 does not attenuate the light distribution efficiency of the control unit 10.

[0084] Here, the difference in light distribution efficiency between a vehicle lens 1 that implements this invention and a vehicle lens that does not implement this invention (for example, the condensing lens of Patent Document 1) will be explained with reference to Figure 10. In Figure 10, the same reference numerals as in Figure 6 are used for the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment. Also, in Figure 10, the reference numerals for the "control unit" and "reinforcement unit" of the vehicle lens that does not implement this invention are "10A" and "120A".

[0085] As shown in Figure 10, a vehicle lens that does not implement this invention has upper and lower reinforcing parts 120A directly adjacent to and integrally provided on both the upper and lower sides of the control unit 10A. As a result, a portion of the surface of the upper first emission surface 13 of the control unit 10A (the surface between points B1 and A7 in Figure 10) becomes integrated with the upper reinforcing part 120A, and a portion of the surface of the lower reflective surface 15 of the control unit 10A (the surface between points B2 and A4 in Figure 10) becomes integrated with the lower reinforcing part 120A.

[0086] Therefore, a portion of the light in the control unit 10A (see dashed arrow) enters the reinforcing section 120A through the integrated surface (the surface between points B1 and A7 in Figure 10) and (the surface between points B2 and A4 in Figure 10), and exits from the reinforcing section 120A in a direction other than the second lens 2, becoming lost light L3 (see dashed arrow in Figure 10). This lost light L3 does not enter the second lens 2 and is not effectively utilized. As a result, while a vehicle lens that does not implement this invention can have its strength reinforced by the reinforcing section 120A, the reinforcing section 120A attenuates the light distribution efficiency of the control unit 10A.

[0087] In contrast, the vehicle lens 1 implementing this invention has a space 131 provided in the upper and lower reinforcing parts 120A which are integrally adjacent to the upper and lower parts of the control unit 10A, and an extended emission surface 130U and an extended reflection surface 130D are provided in a part of the control unit 10A on the side of the space 131. As a result, the vehicle lens 1 implementing this invention has the surface that was integral with the upper reinforcing part 120A (the surface between point B1 and point A7 in Figure 10) as the extended emission surface 130U (see the dashed line in Figure 10), and the surface that was integral with the lower reinforcing part 120A (the surface between point B2 and point A4 in Figure 10) as the extended reflection surface 130D (see the dashed line in Figure 10). Furthermore, the extended emission surface 130U (the surface between points B1 and A7 in Figure 10) is a part of the first emission surface 13 (the surface between points A6 and A7 in Figure 5), and is an extended surface of the first emission surface 13. Also, the extended reflection surface 130D (the surface between points B2 and A4 in Figure 10) is a part of the reflection surface 15 (the surface between points A3 and A4 in Figure 10), and is an extended surface of the reflection surface 15.

[0088] Therefore, in the vehicle lens 1 implementing this invention, a portion of the light in the control unit 10A, which becomes lost light L3 (see dashed arrow in Figure 10), is emitted from the extended emission surface 130U (part of the first emission surface 13) as emitted light L4 to the second lens 2, and is also reflected by the extended reflective surface 130D (part of the reflective surface 15) and emitted from the second emission surface 14 as emitted light L4 to the second lens 2. As a result, the vehicle lens 1 implementing this invention can effectively utilize the lost light L3 as emitted light L4, so the strength of the vehicle lens 1 (first lens 1) can be reinforced by the reinforcing part 120, and moreover, the reinforcing part 120 does not attenuate the light distribution efficiency of the control unit 10.

[0089] In the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment, the first incident surfaces 11 of the 12 control units 10 are inclined toward the light-emitting element 30 as they move upward, so that a portion of the light L1U from the upper part of the light-emitting element 30 can be captured and incident. As a result, the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment can effectively utilize a portion of the light L1U from the upper part of the light-emitting element 30.

[0090] Furthermore, in the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment, the second incident surface 12 of the 12 control units 10 is positioned below the first incident surface 11 and protrudes toward the light-emitting element 30 from the first incident surface 11, so that it can capture and incident the light L1D from the lower portion of the light-emitting element 30. As a result, the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment can effectively utilize the light L1D from the lower portion of the light-emitting element 30.

[0091] In the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment, the twelve control units 10 have an elongated shape in the direction of arrangement, and the mounting portion 110 and the reinforcing portion 120 each have a plate shape having a plate thickness perpendicular to the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element 30, that is, a thin plate shape having a plate surface, the mounting portion 110 is integrally provided at both the left and right ends of the twelve control units 10, and the reinforcing portion 120 is integrally provided by being attached to the mounting portion 110 at both the left and right ends.

[0092] As a result, even if the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment is miniaturized and the 12 control units 10 have an elongated shape, for example, with a vertical width of about 3.5 mm, a front-to-back width of about 2 mm, and a left-to-right length of about 30 mm, the strength of the vehicle lens 1 (first lens 1) can be reinforced by the reinforcing part 120 that spans the two mounting parts 110.

[0093] Furthermore, the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment does not attenuate the light distribution efficiency of the 12 control units 10 due to the space 131 and control surface 130 provided between the 12 control units 10 and the reinforcing portion 120. Thus, the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment has a reinforcing portion 120 that reinforces the strength of the 12 control units 10, and moreover, the reinforcing portion 120 is provided in a shape and position that does not attenuate the light distribution efficiency of the 12 control units 10.

[0094] The vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment comprises a light source 3 having 12 light-emitting elements 30 arranged in a row from left to right, a first lens 1 which is the vehicle lens 1 according to this embodiment and is positioned in close proximity to the light source 3, a second lens 2 positioned in front of the light source 3 and the first lens 1, and a lens holder 4 and a heat sink 5 which serve as mounting members to which the light source 3, the mounting portion 110 of the first lens 1 and the second lens 2 are attached.

[0095] As a result, the vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment can reinforce the strength of the vehicle lens 1 (first lens 1) with the reinforcing portion 120, and moreover, does not attenuate the light distribution efficiency of the 12 control units 10 of the first lens 1.

[0096] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle lamp unit 1U has 12 control units 10 of the first lens 1 arranged in a one-to-one ratio on the left and right sides of the 12 light-emitting elements 30, so that the light L1 and L1D from the 12 light-emitting elements 30 can be effectively utilized.

[0097] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment, the twelve control units 10 of the first lens 1 cause a portion of the light L1 and L1D emitted in a Lambertsian pattern from the twelve light-emitting elements 30 to be emitted as emitted light L2 and L4 to the second lens 2. As a result, even if the vertical width of the incident surface 20 of the second lens 2 is small, approximately 15 mm, the vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment can cause the Lambertsian light L1 and L1D from the twelve light-emitting elements 30 to be incident on the incident surface 20 of the second lens 2 as emitted light L2 and L4 via the first lens 1.

[0098] As a result, in the vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment, even if the vertical width of the emission surface 21 of the second lens 2 is small, approximately 15 mm, the second lens 2 can emit the light L2 and L4 emitted from the 12 control units 10 as 12 light distribution patterns.

[0099] In the vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment, the light source 3 has a substrate 31 on which 12 light-emitting elements 30 are mounted on the front surface and whose rear surface is in close contact with the front surface of the heat sink 5, the rear surface of the mounting portion 110 of the first lens 1 is in close contact with the front surface of the substrate 31, and 12 control units 10 are arranged in close proximity to the 12 light-emitting elements 30 and are not in contact with the front surface of the substrate 31.

[0100] As a result, even if the rear surface of the mounting portion 110 of the first lens 1 is attached to the front surface of the substrate 31 of the light source 3, the vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment can be miniaturized because the 12 control units 10 of the first lens 1 can be positioned close to the 12 light-emitting elements 30 of the light source 3 without contacting the front surface of the substrate 31 of the light source 3. This allows the vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment to reduce the vertical width of the emission surface 21 of the second lens 2, thereby enabling a novel design and appearance for the emission surface 21 of the second lens 2.

[0101] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment, since the rear surface of the substrate 31 of the light source 3 is in close contact with the front surface of the heat sink 5, the heat generated in the 12 light-emitting elements 30 of the light source 3 can be released to the outside through the substrate 31 and the heat sink 5.

[0102] In the vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment, since the rear surface of the reinforcing portion 120 of the first lens 1 is in close contact with the front surface of the substrate 31, the strength of the reinforcing portion 120 is reinforced by the substrate 31, and the strength of the vehicle lens 1 (first lens 1) is reinforced (increased, improved).

[0103] The vehicle headlight 100 according to this embodiment comprises a lamp housing 101 and a lamp lens 102 that form a lamp chamber 103, and a vehicle lamp unit 1U according to this embodiment that is disposed within the lamp chamber 103. As a result, the vehicle headlight 100 according to this embodiment can project multiple partial light distribution patterns forward of the vehicle from the emission surface 21 of the second lens 2, which has a small vertical width, of the vehicle lamp unit 1U. This allows the vehicle headlight 100 according to this embodiment to obtain a novel design and appearance of the emission surface 21 of the second lens 2, which has a small vertical width, and a novel design and appearance of the light-emitting surface of this emission surface 21 via the lamp lens 102.

[0104] (Explanation of examples other than the embodiment) In the above embodiment, the number of control units 10 and light-emitting elements 30 is 12. However, in this invention, the number of control units 10 and light-emitting elements 30 may be more than 12, as long as there are multiple units. Incidentally, a number of 10 to 14 is preferred.

[0105] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example is described in which a lamp unit 1U that emits a high-beam light distribution pattern is arranged inside the lamp chamber 103. However, in this invention, in addition to the lamp unit 1U that emits a high-beam light distribution pattern, other lamp units that emit a low-beam light distribution pattern, or daytime running lamps, etc., may be arranged inside the lamp chamber 103.

[0106] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a second incident surface 12, a second exit surface 14, and a reflective surface 15 are provided below the first incident surface 11 and the first exit surface 13. However, in this invention, it is not necessary to provide the second incident surface 12, the second exit surface 14, and the reflective surface 15 below the first incident surface 11 and the first exit surface 13, or the second incident surface 12, the second exit surface 14, and the reflective surface 15 may be provided above and below the first incident surface 11 and the first exit surface 13, respectively.

[0107] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the mounting portion 110 is provided at both the left and right ends of the 12 control units 10. However, in this invention, the mounting portion 110 may be provided at either the left or right end of the 12 control units 10.

[0108] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the reinforcing portion 120 is positioned above the 12 control units 10. However, in this invention, the reinforcing portion 120 may be positioned below the 12 control units 10, or both above and below them.

[0109] This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1U Vehicle Lamp Unit 1. First lens 10 Control Unit 11 First entrance plane 12 Second entrance plane 13. First launch area 14. Second launch area 15 Reflective surface 110 Mounting part 111 Through-hole 112 Small perforations 120 Reinforcement section 130D Extended Reflective Surface 130U extended exit surface 131 Space 2. Second lens 20 Entrance plane 21 Ejection surface 22 Retaining protrusion 23 Retaining hole 3 light source 30 light-emitting elements 31 circuit boards 310 Through-hole 311 Small perforations 32 Center of the light-emitting surface 4 Lens holder 40 Mounting plate section 41 Retaining frame section 42 Throughpores 43 Small perforations 44 retaining pins 5 Heatsink 50 Mounting part 51 Heat dissipation part 52 First positioning pin 53 mounting holes 54 Second positioning pin 55 Mounting boss section 6 Screws 60 Screw 100 Vehicle headlights 101 Lamp Housing 102 Lamp Lens 103 Light room 104 Inner Panel 105 Opening F focus Light from the central part of the L1 light-emitting element 30 Light from the lower portion of the L1D light-emitting element 30 Light from the upper portion of the L1U light-emitting element 30 L2 output light L3 loss light L4 Emitted Light T1 Dimensions T2 dimensions T3 dimensions

Claims

1. It is arranged in a row and consists of multiple control units that control the light from each of the multiple light-emitting elements, A mounting portion is provided at at least one end of the multiple control units and is attached to a mounting member, A reinforcing portion is provided on the mounting portion and arranged along a plurality of the control units, and reinforces the strength of the vehicle lens, Equipped with, A space is provided between the multiple control units and the reinforcing unit. The control unit, the mounting portion, and the reinforcing portion are integrally formed. A vehicle lens characterized by the following features.

2. Each of the multiple control units has at least an emission surface, Among the multiple control units, a portion on the space side is provided with an extended discharge surface that extends from the discharge surface. The vehicle lens according to feature 1.

3. Each of the multiple control units has an incident surface that receives light from a nearby light-emitting element as incident light. The incident surface comprises a first incident surface and a second incident surface located below the first incident surface. The first incident surface is inclined toward the light-emitting element as it goes upwards. The second incident surface protrudes toward the light-emitting element side more than the first incident surface. The vehicle lens according to feature 2.

4. Each of the multiple control units is, The output surface that emits incident light from the first incident surface as output light, the first output surface and The extended emission surface emits incident light from the first incidence surface as emitted light, A reflective surface and an extended reflective surface that reflect the incident light from the second incident surface as reflected light, A second emission surface that emits reflected light from the aforementioned reflective surface and the aforementioned extended reflective surface as emitted light, It has, The extended reflective surface is provided on multiple control units, extending from the reflective surface. The vehicle lens according to feature 3.

5. A light source having multiple light-emitting elements arranged in a single row from left to right, A first lens, which is a vehicle lens according to any one of claims 1 to 4, is positioned in close proximity to the light source, The light source and the second lens positioned in front of the first lens, The light source, the first lens and the second lens are attached to a mounting member, Equipped with, The multiple control units of the first lens are arranged in a one-to-one ratio in a row from left to right with respect to the multiple light-emitting elements, and they cause the light from the multiple light-emitting elements to be emitted towards the second lens. The second lens causes the emitted light from the multiple control units to be emitted as multiple light distribution patterns. A vehicle lamp unit characterized by the following features.

6. The light source has a substrate on which a plurality of the light-emitting elements are mounted on the front surface and whose rear surface is in close contact with the front surface of the mounting member. The rear surface of the mounting portion of the first lens is in close contact with the front surface of the substrate. The multiple control units are positioned in close proximity to the multiple light-emitting elements and are in a non-contact state with respect to the front surface of the substrate. The vehicle lamp unit according to claim 5.

7. The rear surface of the reinforcing portion of the first lens is in close contact with the front surface of the substrate. The vehicle lamp unit according to feature 6.

8. A lamp housing and lamp lens that form the lamp chamber, A vehicle lamp unit according to claim 6 or 7, disposed within the lamp chamber, Equipped with, A vehicle headlight characterized by the following features.

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