Light irradiation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11493365-B2
Application number	US-201817270435-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2018
Priority date	Aug 28, 2018
Publication date	Nov 8, 2022
Grant date	Nov 8, 2022

Abstract

A light irradiation device includes a light source, an optical member and a sensor. The light source emits light. The optical member is supported so as to rotate around a rotation axis and includes a prism part that emits detection light based on the light. The sensor receives the detection light and detects a light amount of the detection light. The light amount of the detection light received by the sensor changes depending on a position of the optical member in a rotation direction when the optical member rotates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light irradiation device comprising:
a light source that emits light along an optical axis;
an optical member that is supported so as to rotate around a rotation axis and includes a first prism part that emits first detection light based on the light, the rotation axis and the optical axis being a same axis; and
a sensor that receives the first detection light and detects a light amount of the first detection light,
wherein the first prism part is arranged in an outer circumferential part of the optical member around the rotation axis,
the light amount of the first detection light received by the sensor changes depending on a position of the optical member in a rotation direction when the optical member rotates, and
the first prism part emits the first detection light outward in a radial direction centering at the rotation axis of the optical member.

2. The light irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the first prism part deflects the light entering the first prism part and emits the deflected light as the first detection light.

3. The light irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first prism part has a first surface that allows the light to enter and a second surface that is arranged to face the first surface, and
the second surface reflects the entered light outward in a radial direction centering at the rotation axis of the optical member.

4. The light irradiation device according to claim 3 , wherein
the second surface is further configured to transmit irradiation light based on the light.

5. The light irradiation device according to claim 4 , wherein
the irradiation light is inclined with respect to the rotation axis depending on the position of the optical member in the rotation direction when the optical member rotates.

6. The light irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical member includes a light guide part that guides the first detection light to a photoreception part of the sensor.

7. The light irradiation device according to claim 6 , wherein
the light guide part includes a first light emission end part and a second light emission end part arranged side by side in the rotation direction of the optical member,
the first detection light includes second detection light and third detection light,
the first light emission end part emits the second detection light,
the second light emission end part emits the third detection light, and
the sensor detects the light amount of the first detection light based on whether the first detection light is received or not and reception of at least the second detection light or the third detection light.

8. The light irradiation device according to claim 7 , wherein the light amount of the second detection light and the light amount of the third detection light are equal to each other.

9. The light irradiation device according to claim 7 , wherein the light amount of the second detection light and the light amount of the third detection light are different from each other.

10. The light irradiation device according to claim 6 , wherein the light guide part has a rod shape.

11. The light irradiation device according to claim 6 , wherein a cross section of the light guide part is a circular shape.

12. The light irradiation device according to claim 6 , wherein the first detection light is reflected by a side face of the light guide part.

13. The light irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical member includes a second prism part that emits irradiation light based on the fight, and
the second prism part changes light distribution of the irradiation light depending on the position of the optical member in the rotation direction when the optical member rotates.

14. The light irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical member includes a second prism part that emits irradiation light in a direction parallel to the rotation axis.

15. The light irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the first prism part includes at least two emission surfaces to emit the first detection light.

16. The light irradiation device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical member is configured to rotate with respect to the light source.

17. A light irradiation device comprising:
a light source that emits light;
an optical member that is supported so as to rotate around a rotation axis and includes a first prism part that emits first detection light based on the light; and
a sensor that receives the first detection light and detects a light amount of the first detection light,
wherein the first prism part is arranged in an outer circumferential part of the optical member around the rotation axis,
the light amount of the first detection light received by the sensor changes depending on a position of the optical member in a rotation direction when the optical member rotates,
the first prism part has a first surface that allows the light to enter and a second surface that is arranged to face the first surface,
the second surface reflects the entered light outward in a radial direction centering at the rotation axis of the optical member,
the optical member includes a light guide part that guides the first detection light to a photoreception part of the sensor,
the light guide part includes a first light emission end part and a second light emission end part arranged side by side in the rotation direction of the optical member,
the first detection light includes second detection light and third detection light,
the first light emission end part emits the second detection light,
the second light emission end part emits the third detection light,
the sensor detects the light amount of the first detection light based on whether the first detection light is received or not and reception of at least the second detection light or the third detection light,
the optical member includes a second prism part that emits irradiation light based on the light, and
the second prism part changes light distribution of the irradiation light depending on the position of the optical member in the rotation direction when the optical member rotates.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Electric Corp

Inventors

• Heishi Akinori
• Oshima Ritsuya
• SUWA Masashige

Classifications

• G01D5/34 Primary

  the beams of light being detected by photocells · CPC title

• F21S41/63

  by acting on refractors, filters or transparent cover plates · CPC title

• F21S41/20

  characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters · CPC title

• F21V14/06

  by movement of refractors {(in vehicle head lamps F21S41/635)} · CPC title

• F21S41/635 Primary

  by moving refractors, filters or transparent cover plates · CPC title