Lamp unit, vehicular lamp system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10408409-B2
Application number	US-201815966720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2018
Priority date	May 11, 2017
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

To achieve a high-quality light distribution pattern in a lamp unit used in a vehicular lamp system that selectively irradiates the front of a vehicle. The unit includes a light source, an optical shutter device, and an optical system where the optical shutter device has a first liquid crystal device having first light modulation areas and a second liquid crystal device having second light modulating areas. The first light modulation areas are arranged with a gap at least in a first direction and the second light modulation areas are arranged with a gap at least in the first direction. The first liquid crystal device and the second liquid crystal device overlap with each other such that, in a plan view, the first light modulation areas and the second light modulation areas are arranged complementarily to each other without forming a gap between the two modulation areas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lamp unit used in a vehicular lamp system that selectively irradiates surroundings of a vehicle comprising:
a light source, an optical shutter device that modulates light emitted from the light source, and an optical system that forms a light image that passes through the optical shutter device;
wherein the optical shutter device has a first liquid crystal device having a plurality of first light modulation areas and a second liquid crystal device having a plurality of second light modulating areas;
wherein the plurality of first light modulation areas are arranged with a gap at least in a first direction and the plurality of second light modulation areas are arranged with a gap at least in the first direction; and
wherein the first liquid crystal device and the second liquid crystal device overlap with each other such that, in a plan view, the plurality of first light modulation areas and the plurality of second light modulation areas are arranged complementarily to each other without forming a gap between the adjacent first modulation areas and the second modulation areas.

2. A lamp unit used in a vehicular lamp system that selectively irradiates surroundings of a vehicle comprising:
a light source, an optical shutter device that modulates light emitted from the light source, and an optical system that forms a light image that passes through the optical shutter device;
wherein the optical shutter device has a first liquid crystal device having a plurality of first light modulation areas and a second liquid crystal device having a plurality of second light modulating areas;
wherein the plurality of first light modulation areas are arranged with a gap at least in a first direction and the plurality of second light modulation areas are arranged with a gap at least in the first direction; and
wherein the optical system forms a light image such that, in a plan view, images created by each of the plurality of first light modulation areas and the plurality of second light modulation areas are arranged complementarily to each other without forming a gap between the adjacent first modulation areas and the second modulation areas.

3. The lamp unit according to claim 1 ;
wherein the plurality of first light modulation areas are arranged with gaps provided therebetween along the first direction and a second direction which intersects with the first direction, respectively; and
wherein the plurality of second light modulation areas are arranged with gaps provided therebetween along the first direction and the second direction, respectively.

4. The lamp unit according to claim 2 ,
wherein the plurality of first light modulation areas are arranged with gaps provided therebetween along the first direction and a second direction which intersects with the first direction, respectively; and
wherein the plurality of second light modulation areas are arranged with gaps provided therebetween along the first direction and the second direction, respectively.

5. The lamp unit according to claim 1 ;
wherein the first liquid crystal device and the second liquid crystal device are arranged such that, in a plan view, a portion of each of the first light modulation areas and a portion of each of the second light modulation areas adjacent to the first light modulation area overlap with each other.

6. The lamp unit according to claim 3 ;
wherein the first liquid crystal device and the second liquid crystal device are arranged such that, in a plan view, a portion of each of the first light modulation areas and a portion of each of the second light modulation areas adjacent to the first light modulation area overlap with each other.

7. The lamp unit according to claim 4 ;
wherein the first liquid crystal device and the second liquid crystal device are arranged such that, in a plan view, a portion of each of the first light modulation areas and a portion of each of the second light modulation areas adjacent to the first light modulation area overlap with each other.

8. A vehicular lamp system comprising:
the lamp unit according to claim 1 , and a control unit that controls an operation of the light source and the optical shutter device of the lamp unit.

Assignees

• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohno Masafumi

Classifications

• F21W2102/14

  having vertical cut-off lines; specially adapted for adaptive high beams, i.e. wherein the beam is broader but avoids glaring other road users · CPC title

• F21S41/148

  the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis · CPC title

• F21S41/255

  Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline · CPC title

• B60Q2300/056

  Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind · CPC title

• F21S41/321

  the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated · CPC title