Headlight module and headlight device

• US 9,945,528 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Suwa, Masashige, Oshima, Ritsuya, Kojima, Kuniko, Kuwata, Muneharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Han, Jason Moon
• Application Number:
  US15/037,533
• Publication Number:
  US 20160290583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 362473-476, 362511, 362520-522, 362538, 362551, 362555
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/12 due to steering position
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/136 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 45/4151 for sensing lateral inclination of the cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/024 Switching between high and low beam arrangement of switches B62J6/16
• 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 41/24 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/255 Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/285 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/322 the reflector using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/43 characterised by the shape thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/635 by moving refractors, filters or transparent cover plates
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A headlight module includes a light source, a light guide element, and a projection optical element. The light source emits light. The light guide element has a reflecting surface for reflecting light emitted from the light source and an emitting surface for emitting light reflected by the reflecting surface. The projection optical element projects light emitted from the emitting surface. In a direction of an optical axis of the projection optical element, an end portion on the emitting surface side of the reflecting surface includes a point located at a focal position of the projection optical element.

Claims

1. A headlight module comprising:

a light source for emitting light;

a condensing element for concentrating light emitted from the light source;

a light guide element having an incident surface for receiving light emitted from the condensing element and a reflecting surface for reflecting the received light; and

a projection optical element for projecting light reflected by the reflecting surface,

wherein the incident surface has positive refractive power or negative refractive power,

wherein a condensing function of the condensing element and the incident surface forms a shape of a first light distribution pattern,

wherein the reflecting surface superposes light that enters through the incident surface and is reflected at the reflecting surface and light that enters through the incident surface and is not reflected at the reflecting surface on a plane passing through a focal point of the projection optical element and being perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection optical element, thereby forming a high luminous intensity region on the plane,

wherein the high luminous intensity region is formed in a region of the first light distribution pattern, and

wherein the projection optical element projects, as a second light distribution pattern, the first light distribution pattern formed on the plane.

2. The headlight module of claim 1, wherein in a light beam entering the light guide element from the condensing element, in a normal direction of the reflecting surface, a focal length of the condensing element with respect to a first light ray at an end on a front surface side of the reflecting surface is longer than a focal length of the condensing element with respect to a second light ray at an end on a side opposite to the first light ray.

3. The headlight module of claim 1, wherein an end portion of the reflecting surface in a direction in which the received light travels in the light guide element includes a point located at a position of the focal point of the projection optical element in a direction of the optical axis of the projection optical element.

4. The headlight module of claim 3, wherein the light guide element has an emitting surface for emitting the reflected light, and

wherein the end portion is located on the emitting surface.

5. The headlight module of claim 1, wherein the light source is a solid-state light source having directivity.

6. The headlight module of claim 5, wherein the projection optical element projects a shape of a light emitting surface of the light source.

7. The headlight module of claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface is inclined so that an optical path in the light guide element becomes wider in a direction in which the received light travels in the light guide element.

8. A headlight device comprising the headlight module of claim 1.

9. A headlight module comprising:

a light source for emitting light;

a light guide element having an incident surface for receiving light emitted from the light source and a reflecting surface for reflecting the received light; and

a projection optical element for projecting light reflected by the reflecting surface,

wherein the incident surface has positive refractive power,

wherein the incident surface forms a shape of a first light distribution pattern by changing a divergence angle of light entering through the incident surface,

wherein the reflecting surface superposes light that enters through the incident surface and is reflected at the reflecting surface and light that enters through the incident surface and is not reflected at the reflecting surface on a plane passing through a focal point of the projection optical element and being perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection optical element, thereby forming a high luminous intensity region on the plane,

wherein the high luminous intensity region is formed in a region of the first light distribution pattern, and

wherein the projection optical element projects, as a second light distribution pattern, the first light distribution pattern formed on the plane.

10. The headlight module of claim 9, wherein when viewed in a first plane that is a plane parallel to a direction in which the light guide element emits light and perpendicular to the reflecting surface, the incident surface has positive refractive power.

11. The headlight module of claim 10, wherein the incident surface has a first focal point in the first plane, and

wherein when viewed in a second plane that is a plane parallel to the direction in which the light guide element emits light and perpendicular to the first plane, the incident surface has positive refractive power so as to have a second focal point at a position different from the first focal point in the direction in which the light guide element emits light.

12. The headlight module of claim 10, wherein when viewed in a second plane that is a plane parallel to the direction in which the light guide element emits light and perpendicular to the first plane, the incident surface has negative refractive power.

13. The headlight module of claim 9, further comprising a condensing element for concentrating light emitted from the light source,

wherein in a light beam entering the light guide element from the condensing element, in a normal direction of the reflecting surface, a focal length of the condensing element with respect to a first light ray at an end on a front surface side of the reflecting surface is longer than a focal length of the condensing element with respect to a second light ray at an end on a side opposite to the first light ray.

14. The headlight module of claim 9, wherein an end portion of the reflecting surface in a direction in which the received light travels in the light guide element includes a point located at a position of the focal point of the projection optical element in a direction of the optical axis of the projection optical element.

15. The headlight module of claim 14, wherein the light guide element has an emitting surface for emitting the reflected light, and

wherein the end portion is located on the emitting surface.

16. The headlight module of claim 9, wherein the light source is a solid-state light source having directivity.

17. The headlight module of claim 16, wherein the projection optical element projects a shape of a light emitting surface of the light source.

18. The headlight module of claim 9, wherein the reflecting surface is inclined so that an optical path in the light guide element becomes wider in a direction in which the received light travels in the light guide element.

19. A headlight device comprising the headlight module of claim 9.