Lamp unit of vehicle headlamp

• US 20070201241A1
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Published: 08/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Komatsu, Motohiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,500,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/545
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/148 the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/153 arranged in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/155 Surface emitters, e.g. organic light emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/323 the reflector having two perpendicular cross sections having regular geometrical curves of a distinct nature
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/43 characterised by the shape thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp characterized in a lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp includes a projecting lens arranged on an optical axis extended in a front and rear direction of a vehicle, a first light emitting element arranged on a rear side of a rear side focal point of the projecting lens, and a reflector for reflecting light from the first light emitting element to a front side to be proximate to an optical axis. A vicinity of a rear side focal face of the projecting lens is arranged with a plurality of second light emitting elements for emitting light to the projecting lens.

Claims

1. A lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp comprising:

a projecting lens arranged on an optical axis extended in a front and rear direction of a vehicle,

a first light emitting element arranged on a rear side of a rear side focal point of the projecting lens, and

a reflector for reflecting light from the first light emitting element to a front side proximate to an optical axis;

wherein a vicinity of a rear side focal face of the projecting lens is arranged with a plurality of second light emitting elements for emitting light to the projecting lens.

2. The lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second light emitting elements are arranged at positions remote from the rear side focal face of the projecting lens.

3. The lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second light emitting elements are arranged to be contiguous to each other in a horizontal direction.

4. The lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein a shade for shielding a portion of light reflected from the reflector is arranged between the projecting lens and the reflector such that an upper end edge of the shade passes the rear side focal point of the projecting lens.

5. The lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp according to claim 4, wherein the shade is constituted as a mirror member including an upward directed mirror face extended from the upper end edge of the shade in a rear direction.

6. The lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of second light emitting elements are arranged on an upper side of the optical axis and on a front side of the rear side focal face of the projecting lens.

7. The lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp according to claim 5, wherein the mirror member includes a downward directed inclined face extended from a front end edge of the upward directed mirror face of the mirror member in the rear direction to a skewed lower side;

wherein the plurality of second light emitting elements are arranged on a rear side of the rear side focal face of the projecting lens and at a lower vicinity of the downward directed inclined face.

8. The lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp according to claim 7, wherein the downward directed inclined face of the mirror member is constituted as a mirror face.

9. The lamp unit of a vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second light emitting elements are supported by a common metal made member.