Light source unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10724692-B2
Application number	US-201716077687-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2017
Priority date	Feb 15, 2016
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A light source unit includes a light distribution lens configured to guide light emitted from an LED disposed behind the light distribution lens, and a reflector arranged to surround the light distribution lens. Illuminance unevenness can be more suitably reduced, and effective light is not blocked even if a pinhole device is used for glare prevention, thereby avoiding illuminance unevenness and illuminance reductions. The light distribution lens has a columnar part that extends in the optical axis direction, and a conical recess is formed in the distal end of the columnar part. The conical recess is constituted by a reflective surface that fully reflects, in the circumferential direction, light incident on the light distribution lens. The reflector reflects light emitted from a cylindrical side surface of the columnar part such that the reflected light becomes converging light.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light source unit comprising:
a light distribution lens configured to guide light emitted from an LED disposed behind the light distribution lens;
a reflector arranged to surround the light distribution lens; and
a glare prevention member disposed in front of the light distribution lens to prevent glare caused by light reflected by the reflector,
the light distribution lens having a columnar part that extends in an optical axis direction, and a conical recess formed at a front end of the columnar part,
the conical recess being constituted by a reflecting surface that totally and entirely reflects light, which is incident to the light distribution lens from the LED, in a lateral direction thereof,
the reflector configured to reflect the light, which exits from a cylindrical side wall of the columnar part, such that the reflected light becomes converging light, and
the glare prevention member having an opening that allows an entirety of the converging light to pass through the opening.

2. The light source unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the cylindrical side wall of the columnar part has a decreasing diameter toward the front end of the columnar part.

3. The light source unit according to claim 2 , wherein
the light distribution lens has the columnar part and a planar part, and the reflector is attached to the planar part.

4. The light source unit according to claim 2 , wherein
a rear face of the light distribution lens has a light incident surface that is convex toward the LED.

5. The light source unit according to claim 4 , wherein
an annular groove is provided around the light incident surface, and an outer annular surface of the annular groove is constituted by an inclined plane.

6. The light source unit according to claim 5 , wherein
the annular groove reduces an amount of light that directly proceeds to a light reflecting surface of the reflector from the LED without passing through the conical recess.

7. The light source unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the light distribution lens has the columnar part and a planar part, and the reflector is attached to the planar part.

8. The light source unit according to claim 7 , wherein a rear face of the light distribution lens has a light incident surface that is convex toward the LED.

9. The light source unit according to claim 8 , wherein
an annular groove is provided around the light incident surface, and an outer annular surface of the annular groove is constituted by an inclined plane.

10. The light source unit according to claim 9 , wherein
the annular groove reduces an amount of light that directly proceeds to a light reflecting surface of the reflector from the LED without passing through the conical recess.

11. The light source unit according to claim 1 , wherein
a rear face of the light distribution lens has a light incident surface that is convex toward the LED.

12. The light source unit according to claim 11 , wherein
an annular groove is provided around the light incident surface, and an outer annular surface of the annular groove is constituted by an inclined plane.

13. The light source unit according to claim 11 , wherein a diameter of the light incident surface is smaller than a diameter of an opening of the conical recess.

14. The light source unit according to claim 12 , wherein
the annular groove reduces an amount of light that directly proceeds to a light reflecting surface of the reflector from the LED without passing through the conical recess.

15. The light source unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the reflector includes an elliptical mirror.

16. The light source unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the light reflected by the reflector converges at a focal point of the reflector, and spreads and reaches at a target surface to be irradiated with the light of the light source unit.

17. The light source unit according to claim 1 , wherein
the light glare prevention member is a pinhole device that has a pinhole such that the entirety of the converging light passes through the pinhole.

18. The light source unit according to claim 17 , wherein
the converging light converges at a focal point of the reflector after passing through the pinhole, and the light spreads and reaches at a target surface to be irradiated with the light of the light source unit.

19. The light source unit according to claim 1 , wherein
a focal point of the reflector is present between the glare prevention member and an object to be irradiated with the light having passed through the glare prevention member.

Assignees

• Ushio Electric Inc

Inventors

• Dodo Yukitaka
• Ono Koji
• Shimomura Shinji
• Shibagaki Ichiro

Classifications

• F21V13/04

  the elements being reflectors and refractors {(for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40)} · CPC title

• G02B27/0977

  Reflective elements · CPC title

• F21K9/69 Primary

  Details of refractors forming part of the light source · CPC title

• G02B27/0955

  Lenses (lenses per se G02B3/00) · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title