Projection optical instrument and headlight device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10495281-B2
Application number	US-201615757907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2016
Priority date	Nov 9, 2015
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A projection optical instrument includes a light source unit, a projection optical member and a support part. The light source unit emits light. The projection optical member transforms the light emitted from the light source unit into projection light. The support part supports the projection optical member to be movable with respect to the light source unit in at least one direction orthogonal to an optical axis direction of the light source unit. When vibration is applied to at least one of the light source unit and the projection optical member, the projection optical member accordingly vibrates with respect to the light source unit in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction of the light source unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A projection optical instrument comprising:
a light source unit that emits light;
a projection optical member that transforms the light emitted from the light source unit into projection light; and
a support part that supports the projection optical member to be movable with respect to the light source unit in at least one direction orthogonal to an optical axis direction of the light source unit,
wherein when vibration is applied to at least one of the light source unit and the projection optical member, the projection optical member accordingly vibrates with respect to the light source unit in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction of the light source unit,
the support part includes a bend part that bends in a first direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction and in a second direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction and the first direction, and thereby the bend part moves the projection optical member with respect to the light source unit, and
a first spring constant of the bend part regarding the bending in the first direction and a second spring constant of the bend part regarding the bending in the second direction differ from each other.

2. The projection optical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the bend part is in a pillar shape.

3. The projection optical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the bend part includes a leaf spring that is long in the optical axis direction.

4. The projection optical instrument according to claim 3 , wherein
the leaf spring of the bend part includes a first leaf spring and a second leaf spring,
a bending direction of the first leaf spring is the first direction, and
a bending direction of the second leaf spring is the second direction.

5. The projection optical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein
the projection optical member includes a heat radiation part that reduces heat generated in the projection optical member, and
the heat radiation part has an opening through which the light emitted from the light source unit passes.

6. The projection optical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein the projection optical member is a fluorescent body that emits fluorescent light in response to the light emitted from the light source unit as excitation light.

7. The projection optical instrument according to claim 1 , further comprising a vibration application unit that applies the vibration to at least one of the light source unit and the projection optical member.

8. The projection optical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein a direction of the vibration applied to the light source unit or the projection optical member is a direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction.

9. The projection optical instrument according to claim 1 , wherein directions of the vibration applied to the light source unit or the projection optical member are two directions orthogonal to the optical axis direction, the two directions being orthogonal to each other.

10. A headlight device used for a vehicle, comprising the projection optical instrument according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Yamazumi Mitsuhiro
• Michimori Atsushi
• Yokoyama Eiji

Classifications

• F21S41/657 Primary

  by moving light sources · CPC title

• F21S41/176

  Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element · CPC title

• F21S41/00

  Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps (reversing lights F21S43/00) · CPC title

• F21V29/67 Primary

  characterised by the arrangement of fans · CPC title

• F21S41/32

  Optical layout thereof · CPC title