Projector type vehicle headlamp unit

• US 7,341,366 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke; Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): GIRARDI, VANESSA MARY
• Application Number:
  US11/249,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20060098450A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 362/358, 362/297, 362/509, 362/296, 362/545, 362/539
• US Class Current: 362/538
• 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 41/255 Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/321 the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/334 the reflector consisting of patch like sectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/365 successively reflecting the light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/43 characterised by the shape thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A reflector is constructed by arranging two first reflecting surfaces. The two first reflecting surfaces are arranged by making first focal points F1 of the first reflecting surfaces be alienated from each other, centering on the optical axis Z within an area of an effective diameter R of a convex lens, and making second focal points F2 thereof gradually come close to each other so as to be located inside the two first focal points F1. An LED is formed of two LEDs respectively arranged near the first focal positions, with light emitting points F1 thereof facing one of the two first reflecting surfaces. The obtained light distribution pattern has double quantity of light, and does not have a non-emission part inside thereof, and the combined light of the two LEDs can solve a problem of color irregularity.

Claims

1. A projector type vehicle headlamp unit comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes as light sources;

a reflector which reflects light from the light emitting diodes; and

a convex lens that emits the light reflected by the reflector forward, wherein

the reflector has two first reflecting surfaces arranged in parallel, provided on the upper side at the back of an optical axis of the convex lens, and formed inside of a casing with the front part and the lower part being open as a spheroidal curved surface or a free-form surface based on a spheroid, having a front part and a lower part being open

the two first reflecting surfaces are arranged by making first focal points of the first reflecting surfaces be alienated from each other in the horizontal direction, centering on the optical axis within an area of an effective diameter of the convex lens, and making second focal points thereof gradually come close to each other so as to be located inside of the two first focal points,

the reflector includes a sub-reflector arranged between the convex lens and the light emitting diodes, the sub-reflector having a substantially flat second reflecting surface along the optical axis of the convex lens and a shading function,

the second reflecting surface has a central step formed along the optical axis, and a high-position reflecting surface and a low-position reflecting surface formed on both sides of the central step, and

the light emitting diodes include-two light emitting diodes respectively arranged with positions thereof being shifted from the respective first focal points of the two first reflecting surfaces toward the portions where the high-position reflecting surface is formed.

2. A projector type vehicle headlamp unit comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes as light sources;

a reflector that reflects light from the LED; and

a convex lens that emits the light reflected by the reflector forward, wherein

the reflector has two first reflecting surfaces arranged in parallel, provided on the upper side at the back of an optical axis of the convex lens, and formed inside of a casing with the front part and the lower part being open as a spheroidal curved surface or a free-form surface based on a spheroid, having a front part and a lower part being open,

the two first reflecting surfaces are arranged in parallel by making first focal points of the first reflecting surfaces be alienated from each other in the horizontal direction, centering on the optical axis within an area of an effective diameter of the convex lens, and making second focal points thereof gradually come close to each other so as to be located inside the two first focal points,

the two first reflecting surfaces are arranged by making the two second focal points coincident with each other near the optical axis,

the two first reflecting surfaces have an outer size within the outer diameter of the convex lens,

the reflector includes a sub-reflector arranged between the convex lens and the light emitting diodes, the sub-reflector having a substantially flat second reflecting surface along the optical axis of the convex lens and a shading function,

the second reflecting surface has a central step formed along the optical axis, and a high-position reflecting surface and a low-position reflecting surface formed on both sides of the central step, and

the light emitting diodes include two light emitting diodes respectively arranged with light emitting portions thereof facing the two first reflecting surfaces with the positions thereof being shifted from the respective first focal points of the two first reflecting surfaces toward the portion where the high-position reflecting surface is formed.