Vehicle lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016347236-A1
Application number	US-201515113985-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 13, 2015
Priority date	Feb 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle lamp is configured to form a predetermined light distribution pattern (such as a high-beam light distribution pattern) in which a plurality of irradiation patterns each provided with a non-irradiation region is superimposed. The vehicle lamp prevents an area of a common non-irradiation region from decreasing even if the non-irradiation regions formed in the plurality of respective irradiation patterns are displaced from each other. As a result, glare light is prevented from occurring to an irradiation-prohibited object. In the vehicle lamp configured to form the predetermined light distribution pattern in which the plurality of irradiation patterns each provided with the non-irradiation region is superimposed, the plurality of irradiation patterns is superimposed so that the non-irradiation regions are superimposed to form the common non-irradiation region, and the non-irradiation regions formed in the plurality of respective irradiation patterns have sizes different from each other.

First claim

1 . A vehicle lamp that forms a predetermined light distribution pattern in which a plurality of irradiation patterns each provided with a non-irradiation region is superimposed,
wherein the plurality of irradiation patterns are superimposed so that the non-irradiation regions are superimposed to form a common non-irradiation region, and sizes of the non-irradiation regions formed in the plurality of respective irradiation patterns are different from each other.

2 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , further comprising:
irradiation-prohibited object detecting unit configured to detect an irradiation-prohibited object ahead of a vehicle, wherein the non-irradiation region is formed in a region corresponding to the irradiation-prohibited object, detected by the irradiation-prohibited object detecting means, in each of the plurality of irradiation patterns.

3 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of respective irradiation patterns is different from each other in size, and has higher light intensity as a size thereof decreases.

4 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 3 ,
wherein the non-irradiation region formed in each of the plurality of irradiation patterns decreases in size as the irradiation pattern provided with the non-irradiation region decreases in size.

5 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the non-irradiation region in each of the plurality of irradiation patterns has a similar shape.

6 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first lamp unit that is arranged on left of a vehicle front to form at least one of the plurality of irradiation patterns; and a second lamp unit that is arranged on right of the vehicle front to form at least one of the plurality of irradiation patterns.

7 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of excitation light sources; a plurality of light polarizers that is provided corresponding to the plurality of excitation light sources, and each of which includes a mirror unit that two-dimensionally scans an excitation light incident from the corresponding one of the plurality of excitation light sources in a horizontal direction and vertical direction; a wavelength converter that includes a plurality of scan regions provided corresponding to the plurality of light polarizers, and in which light intensity distributions corresponding to the plurality of respective irradiation patterns are formed in the plurality of corresponding scan regions by drawing a two-dimensional image in the corresponding one of the plurality of scan regions with the excitation light that is two-dimensionally scanned in the horizontal direction and vertical direction by the mirror unit of each of the plurality of light polarizers; and an optical system that projects the light intensity distributions formed in the plurality of respective scan regions to form the predetermined light distribution pattern.

8 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 ,
wherein the plurality of excitation light sources is a semiconductor light emission element that emits the excitation light, or an emission end face of an optical fiber for emitting the excitation light.

9 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 ,
wherein the plurality of irradiation patterns includes a first irradiation pattern provided with a first non-irradiation region, a second irradiation pattern provided with a second non-irradiation region, and a third irradiation pattern provided with a third non-irradiation region, the first irradiation pattern, the second irradiation pattern, and the third irradiation pattern are superimposed so that the first non-irradiation region, the second non-irradiation region, and the third non-irradiation region are superimposed to form a common non-irradiation region, the plurality of light polarizers includes a first light polarizer, a second light polarizer, and a third light polarizer, the plurality of scan regions includes a first scan region, a second scan region that is smaller than the first scan region in size and that is superimposed on the first scan region, and a third scan region that is smaller than the second scan region in size and that is superimposed on the second scan region, the first light polarizer forms a first light intensity distribution corresponding to the first irradiation pattern in the first scan region by drawing a first two-dimensional image in the first scan region with the excitation light that is two-dimensionally scanned in the horizontal direction and vertical direction by the mirror unit of the first light polarizer, the second light polarizer forms a second light intensity distribution higher than the first light intensity distribution in light intensity, corresponding to the second irradiation pattern, in the second scan region by drawing a second two-dimensional image in the second scan region, while the second two-dimensional image overlaps with a part of the first two-dimensional image, with the excitation light that is two-dimensionally scanned in the horizontal direction and vertical direction by the mirror unit of the second light polarizer, and the third light polarizer forms a third light intensity distribution higher than the second light intensity distribution in light intensity, corresponding to the third irradiation pattern, in the third scan region by drawing a third two-dimensional image in the third scan region, while the third two-dimensional image overlaps with a part of the first and second two-dimensional images, with the excitation light that is two-dimensionally scanned in the horizontal direction and vertical direction by the mirror unit of the third light polarizer.

10 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 ,
wherein the optical system, the wavelength converter, and the plurality of light polarizers, are arranged along a reference axis, in the order described, the plurality of excitation light sources are arranged so as to surround the reference axis in an inclined posture to allow the excitation light of each of the excitation light sources to travel backward as well as toward the reference axis, and the plurality of light polarizers is arranged closer to the reference axis than the plurality of excitation light sources, as well as is arranged so as to surround the reference axis, to allow the mirror unit of each of the light polarizers to receive an excitation light from the corresponding one of the plurality of excitation light sources, as well as to allow the excitation light as a reflected light from the mirror unit to travel to the corresponding one of the plurality of scan regions.

11 . The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a plurality of reflection surfaces provided corresponding to the plurality of excitation light sources, wherein the optical system, the wavelength converter, and the plurality of light polarizers, are arranged along reference axis, in the order described, the plurality of excitation light sources are arranged so as to surround the reference axis in an inclined posture to allow the excitation light of each of the excitation light sources to travel forward as well as toward the reference axis, the plurality of reflection surfaces is arranged closer to the reference axis than the plurality of excitation light sources, as well as is arranged so as to surround the reference axis in an inclined posture to allow each of the plurality of reflection surfaces to receive an excitation light from the corresponding one of the plurality of excitation light sources, as well as allow the excitation light as a reflected light from each of the reflection surfaces to travel backward as well as

Assignees

• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yatsuda Yasushi
• Hirasawa Hiroshi
• Sato Masanori

Classifications

• F21S41/663

  by switching light sources (by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162) · CPC title

• B60Q1/0023

  the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera · CPC title

• F21S41/295

  specially adapted to projection lenses · CPC title

• B60Q1/085 Primary

  due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers (B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence) · CPC title

• F21S41/19

  Attachment of light sources or lamp holders (achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657) · CPC title