Infrared projector for vehicle

• US 7,527,405 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2005
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Tatsukawa, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi; Ali
• Assistant Examiner(s): DZIERZYNSKI, EVAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/274,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 362/538, 362/543, 362/545, 362/231, 362/228, 362/230, 362/240, 362/244, 362/544, 250/330
• US Class Current: 362/538
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/13 Ultraviolet light; Infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An infrared projector for a vehicle using a semiconductor light-emitting element that prevents a lens from becoming reddish by a red light component generated with infrared rays

• • includes: a semiconductor light-emitting element for generating infrared rays and a red light component; and a lens for irradiating in a forward direction the infrared rays and the red light component from said semiconductor light-emitting element. The infrared projector for a vehicle further includes a light source for generating white light and emitting the white light from the light source incident on the lens. Use of scattered light reduces the influence of a red light component passing through the lens.

Claims

1. An infrared projector for a vehicle comprising:

a semiconductor light-emitting element operable to generate infrared rays and a red light component; and

a lens configured to irradiate in a forward direction the infrared rays and the red light component from said semiconductor light-emitting element;

wherein said infrared projector for a vehicle further comprises a light source operable to emit white light, disposed at an oblique side of a back surface of the lens,

wherein said infrared projector is configured to emit the white light from the light source incident on the lens as scattered light, and

wherein all the white light emitted by the light source makes an acute angle with an incident surface of the lens.

2. The infrared projector for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a light-emitting diode.

3. The infrared projector for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the lens is a Fresnel lens.

4. The infrared projector for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a second semiconductor light-emitting element operable to generate infrared rays and a red light component; and

a second lens configured to irradiate in a forward direction the infrared rays and the red light component from said second semiconductor light-emitting element,

wherein the light source generates scattered light for the lens and the second lens.

5. The infrared projector for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second semiconductor light-emitting element operable to generate infrared rays and a red light component; and

a second lens configured to irradiate in a forward direction the infrared rays and the red light component from said second semiconductor light-emitting element,

wherein the light source generates scattered light for the second lens.

6. The infrared projector for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the lens is a Fresnel lens.

7. The infrared projector for a vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising:

a second semiconductor light-emitting element operable to generate infrared rays and a red light component; and

a second lens configured to irradiate in a forward direction the infrared rays and the red light component from said second semiconductor light-emitting element,

wherein the light source generates scattered light for the second lens.

8. The infrared projector for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second semiconductor light-emitting element operable to generate infrared rays and a red light component; and

a second lens configured to irradiate in a forward direction the infrared rays and the red light component from said second semiconductor light-emitting element,

wherein the light source generates scattered light for the second lens.

9. The infrared projector for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the light source is an electroluminescent (EL) element.

10. An infrared projector for a vehicle comprising:

a semiconductor light-emitting element operable to generate infrared rays and a red light component; and

a lens configured to irradiate in a forward direction the infrared rays and the red light component from said semiconductor light-emitting element;

wherein said infrared projector for a vehicle further comprises a light source operable to emit white light disposed below the lens, and

wherein said infrared projector is configured to emit the white light from the light source incident on the lens as scattered light wherein all the white light emitted by the light source makes an acute angle with an incident surface of the lens.

11. An infrared projector for a vehicle comprising:

an infrared light-emitting light source for generating infrared rays;

a lens body comprising a lens that transmits the infrared rays in a forward direction; and

a white light-emitting light source operable to emit white light, disposed at an oblique side of a back surface of the lens,

wherein the white light is emitted incident on the lens as scattered light, and

wherein all the white light emitted by the light source makes an acute angle with an incident surface of the lens.

12. The infrared projector for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein the white light-emitting light source is a light-emitting diode.

13. The infrared projector for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein the front surface of the lens comprises a Fresnel lens.

14. The infrared projector for a vehicle of claim 11, wherein the lens body is formed in an L-shaped channel having a front surface and a base, and the white light-emitting light source is attached to the base of the lens body.

15. The infrared projector for a vehicle of claim 14, wherein the white light-emitting light source is disposed on the base of the lens body so as to emit white light incident on the front surface of the lens at a small angle from an oblique side thereof.

16. The infrared projector for a vehicle of claim 14, wherein the front surface of the lens comprises a plurality of Fresnel lenses.

17. The infrared projector for a vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of infrared light-emitting light sources arranged respectively at about a focal position corresponding to each of the plurality of Fresnel lenses, and the white light-emitting light source emits scattered light through each of the plurality of Fresnel lenses.