CN114543047A - Projection device, anti-fog and anti-fog method thereof, lighting device and transportation tool - Google Patents

Abstract

The application relates to a projection device, an anti-fog and defogging method thereof, an illumination device and a transportation tool. The projection device comprises a light-emitting component, a light-transmitting component and a box body; the box body supports, positions and at least partially accommodates the light-emitting component and the light-transmitting component, light emitted by the light-emitting component is projected to the external environment through the light-transmitting component, and the light-emitting component is provided with a heat dissipation module for at least partially guiding out heat generated by the light-emitting component during working; the heat dissipation module is provided with at least one heat transmission pipeline, and heat generated by the light emitting component can be at least partially transmitted to at least partial region of the light transmitting component through the heat transmission pipeline. According to the application, a feasible scheme with high efficiency and economy is provided for the anti-fog and defogging problems of the projection device. Correspondingly, the application also provides a method for preventing fog and defogging for the projection device, a lighting device comprising the projection device and a transportation tool.

Description

Projection device, anti-fog and anti-fog method thereof, lighting device and transportation tool

Technical Field

The invention relates to a projection device, in particular to a projection device with anti-fog and defogging functions. The invention further relates to a method for preventing fogging and defogging a projection device, a lighting device comprising the projection device, and a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising the projection device or comprising the lighting device.

Background

An optical projection device is a device for projecting light to a specific area to realize illumination and/or form patterns or images, and is applied to various indoor and outdoor occasions to meet different requirements of people on illumination, light decoration, light and shadow information transmission and the like. The design of the projection device (in particular of its light-emitting and light-transmitting components) has to be adapted to the respective environmental conditions and the function of use.

With the rapid development of the automobile industry, the automobile lighting lamp puts more and higher requirements on the design of the projection device. In particular, the current advanced headlamp systems have been able to implement the function of adjusting the light pattern in a variety of ways according to various complex road environments, and perform intelligent lighting actions such as multi-road mode switching, intelligent follow-up steering, automatic identification of glare-free high beams for oncoming vehicles, road sign identification, pedestrian warning, and the like. Meanwhile, people pursue comfort and easy controllability, and meanwhile, the overall safety, energy conservation and environmental protection requirements of the vehicle are more and more emphasized. For this reason, safety and energy saving and environmental protection of a lighting device for a vehicle, i.e., a lamp, are also increasingly emphasized. Generally, a vehicle lamp includes a headlight or a head lamp, a fog lamp, a direction indicator lamp, which are disposed at a front portion of the vehicle, and a direction indicator lamp, a brake lamp, a rear tail lamp, and a back-up lamp, which are disposed at a rear portion of the vehicle. These lamps emit light emitted from the lamps to the front and rear of the vehicle, respectively, to ensure the driver's visual field under conditions of poor visibility such as night driving or thunderstorm, or to indicate to the driver of another vehicle the state of the vehicle such as direction change, braking, or reversing.

The vehicle lamp may have various types of light sources, such as a white light source, an RGB monochromatic light source, etc. (classified by color type) and/or an LED light source, a halogen light source, a xenon light source or a laser light source (classified by light type). Because the LED light source has many advantages such as low power consumption and long service life, an LED lamp (i.e., a light emitting diode lamp) is currently used in most vehicles, which is a solid-state semiconductor device capable of converting electric energy into visible light, and directly converts electricity into light. However, the light emitting efficiency of the existing vehicle lamp for vehicle is still low, for example, the light emitting efficiency of the vehicle LED lamp is generally about 30-35%, which means that 65-70% of energy is converted into heat, so that the LED generates a high temperature rise. At present, novel headlamps on the market are diversified, and the requirements on the lighting effect of an LED light source in the types of the headlamps represented by Micro LEDs, Matrix LEDs, Dled and the like are higher and higher, which means that the heating power of lamp beads is higher and higher, the temperature rise is higher and higher, and the requirements on the temperature resistance of the LED lamp beads are also higher and higher.

As shown in fig. 1, in order to ensure that the light source 7 (especially, the LED light source) continuously operates at a safe junction temperature, the heat dissipation structure 6 is usually used in combination with the heat dissipation fan 8 to conduct a large amount of heat to the air so as to reduce the temperature of the light source 7. However, even if the heat dissipating structure 6 and the fan 8 conduct a large amount of heat to the air during operation of the vehicle lamp, the remaining heat heats the air containing moisture inside the vehicle lamp and gradually conducts to the lens module 4 of the vehicle lamp supported on the case 5. At this time, the lenses of the lens module 4, especially the outer side 1 of the outer end lens, are still at a low ambient temperature, and when the heated air encounters the cold outer end lens 2, water vapor is condensed on the inner side 3 of the outer end lens and needs to be dissipated for a long time, or when extreme bad weather such as snow/frost and the like occurs, water mist is also generated on the lenses of the lens module 4, especially on the outer side 1 of the outer end lens. The lens attached with water mist may reduce the brightness of the vehicle lamp, thereby affecting the cut-off line edge sharpness and the light pattern. If under the darker environment of external brightness, this can consequently influence the discernment ability in the place ahead field of vision at the driver in-process of driving a vehicle, can't effectively avoid the dangerous situation in road surface to easily cause the potential safety hazard. In addition, the above-mentioned water mist phenomenon in the lamp causes a light clouding phenomenon, which constitutes a cause of hindering safe driving of the driver, and also shortens the life of the lamp components.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a projection device that overcomes at least some of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and in particular to provide an efficient and economically feasible solution to the problem of fog and fog prevention in projection devices. In particular, the present invention is intended to provide an improved projection device, a method for anti-fogging and defogging a projection device, an illumination device, and a transportation vehicle.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a projection apparatus comprising: the light-emitting component, the light-transmitting component and the box body are arranged on the box body; the box body supports, positions and at least partially accommodates the light-emitting component and the light-transmitting component, light emitted by the light-emitting component is projected into an external environment through the light-transmitting component, and the light-emitting component is provided with a heat dissipation module which is used for at least partially guiding out heat generated by the light-emitting component during working; the heat dissipation module is provided with at least one heat transmission pipeline, and heat generated by the light emitting component can be at least partially transmitted to at least partial region of the light transmitting component through the heat transmission pipeline.

In the present application, the term "heat transfer line" is to be understood broadly as a channel or path that can transfer heat and that can be configured in a flexible manner in various ways. In some embodiments, the heat transfer conduit may be configured as a continuous conduit, for example, the heat transfer conduit may be configured as an air duct for directing the flow of an air stream. In other exemplary embodiments, the heat transfer line can also be designed as a "discontinuous" channel, for example, in which there can be at least one discontinuity, for example an intermediate reservoir connected between different line sections, etc., so that heat from an upstream first line section can be transferred directly or in a controlled manner to the intermediate reservoir, and heat stored in the intermediate reservoir can also be transferred directly or in a controlled manner to a downstream second line section. In summary, the heat transfer pipe of the projection apparatus according to the present invention should be broadly understood and is not limited to the embodiments by way of limitation.

In the present application, at least some regions of the light transmissive member may include any region that may generate water mist that may affect the optical performance and/or lifetime of the projection device. For example, at least a partial region of the light transmissive component may comprise at least a partial region of a lens module. When the lens module comprises one or more lenses, the heat transfer conduit may lead to at least one lens of the lens module, so that the at least one lens can be heated by the heat transferred via the heat transfer conduit, thereby preventing and/or eliminating the formation of water mist on the at least one lens. It is particularly advantageous that the heat transfer conduit may lead to an (outermost) outer end lens of the lens module, so that the outer end lens, which is at the light exit end of the projection device and is bordered by the external environment, can be heated by heat transferred via the heat transfer conduit, i.e. the outer surface of the outer end lens is placed directly in the external environment, so that water mist is more easily formed than the other lenses of the lens module.

The heat transfer line may extend from the heat dissipation module to the at least part of the region of the light transmissive component, for example to one or more lenses of a lens module, so that a hot air flow may blow over the front region of the lens to heat, in particular to preheat, the respective lens. When the hot air in the vehicle lamp is conducted to the interior of the vehicle lamp lens module, the temperature difference between the lens and the hot air is smaller because the corresponding lens is heated, so that the fogging probability of the corresponding lens is reduced; even if the lens and the hot air have temperature difference, the inner side surface of the lens is slightly fogged, the hot air blown out from the heat transmission pipeline can continuously heat the lens, and the water vapor can be rapidly evaporated and disappear after absorbing heat. Because the heat required by the heating lens is the heat which needs to be led out by the light source module, an additional heat source is not needed, the function of waste utilization is achieved, and meanwhile, water vapor is eliminated.

In some embodiments, the light emitting assembly includes one or more light source modules.

In some embodiments, the light source module may include a white light source, an RGB monochromatic light source, or any combination thereof (classified by color type). And/or, the light source module may include an LED light source, a halogen light source, a xenon light source, or a laser light source (classified by light emitting type).

In some embodiments, the light transmissive component comprises a lens module consisting of one or more lenses, the heat transfer conduit leading to at least one lens of the lens module so as to be able to heat the at least one lens with heat transferred via the heat transfer conduit.

In some embodiments, the heat transfer conduit extends to a region between the first lens and the second lens of the lens module so as to be able to heat the first lens and the second lens simultaneously with heat transferred via the heat transfer conduit. The first and second lenses, particularly, the two lenses in the lens module close to the external environment, it is understood that the lenses close to or bordering on the external environment are more prone to cause condensation/generation of water mist on the surface thereof due to temperature difference.

In some embodiments, the lens module has an outer end lens at the light exit end of the projection device and bordering the external environment, and the heat transfer pipe leads to the outer end lens.

In some embodiments, the heat dissipation module includes a heat dissipation structure for conducting away heat generated by the light emitting assembly and a fan for creating at least one airflow that carries heat dissipated by the heat dissipation structure.

In some embodiments, the heat dissipation structure includes: a finned radiator; a needle-shaped heat sink; a thermoelectric refrigeration heat sink; a vapor plate heat sink; and/or a heat pipe heat sink.

In some embodiments, the fan comprises: a mixed flow fan; a centrifugal fan; a cross-flow fan; and/or an axial fan.

In some embodiments, the heat transfer conduit is configured as an air duct for directing the flow of an air stream.

In some embodiments, the air duct is configured to at least partially direct an airflow blown by the fan to the at least partial region of the light transmissive member.

In some embodiments, the at least partial region comprises an outer end lens of the light transmissive component.

In some embodiments, the heat transfer line comprises: at least one first pipeline extending from a first side of the heat dissipation structure to the at least partial region of the light transmissive component; and/or at least one second pipeline, wherein the second pipeline extends from the second side of the heat dissipation structure to the at least partial region of the light-transmitting component.

In some embodiments, the first and second conduits each lead to a different region of the light transmissive component.

In some embodiments, the heat dissipation module is equipped with an operating unit, which is designed to control the heat flow in the heat transport line.

In some embodiments, the heat transfer line is equipped with a switching element that can switch on or off the heat flow in the heat transfer line by the control of the control unit. According to a further alternative embodiment, the switching element can increase or decrease the heat flux in the heat transfer line by means of a control of the control unit.

In some embodiments, the control unit can control the switch element according to the ambient temperature of the projection device and/or the device temperature of the projection device itself, so as to adjust the heat circulation in the heat transmission pipeline according to the actual requirement, for example, to realize the on-off operation or flow regulation of the heat transmission pipeline.

In some embodiments, the switching element may be configured as a switching valve. Alternatively, in an alternative embodiment, the switching element can be designed as a flow control valve. The flow regulating valve may be arranged to continuously adjust the heat flux between 0 (i.e. the "fully closed" state of the valve) and a maximum value (i.e. the "fully open" state of the valve).

In some embodiments, the manipulation unit controls the switching element to turn on the heat circulation in the heat transfer line when a temperature difference between an ambient temperature and an equipment temperature is greater than a first predetermined value, and controls the switching element to turn off the heat circulation in the heat transfer line when the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the equipment temperature is less than the first predetermined value or less than a second predetermined value; and/or when the ambient temperature is lower than a preset value, the control unit controls the switch element to open the heat circulation in the heat transmission pipeline. Or, in an alternative embodiment, the manipulation unit controls the switching element to increase the heat flux in the heat transfer line when the difference between the ambient temperature and the plant temperature is greater than a first predetermined value, and controls the switching element to decrease the heat flux in the heat transfer line when the difference between the ambient temperature and the plant temperature is less than the first predetermined value or less than a second predetermined value; and/or, when the ambient temperature is lower than a preset value, the control unit controls the switch element to increase the heat flux in the heat transmission pipeline.

In some embodiments, the projection device is provided with a first temperature sensor arranged for detecting the ambient temperature at or outside the at least partial region of the light-transmitting component; and/or the projection device is provided with a second temperature sensor arranged for detecting the device temperature inside the cabinet or inside the at least partial area of the light-transmitting component.

Considering that the outermost component of the light-transmitting component (such as the outer end lens or the first lens of the lens module) is an area prone to form water mist due to temperature difference, the temperatures of the inner side and the outer side of the component are respectively used as the "device temperature" and the "ambient temperature" to control, so that the operation of the anti-fog and defogging mechanism is more targeted and more efficient. Of course, the arrangement of the sensors should also take into full account the feasibility and rationality of the structural arrangement of the relevant components. Here, in order to detect the ambient temperature, for example, the first temperature sensor may be provided at a lens barrel end surface or inner and outer side walls of the light transmission member near the outside of the (most) outer end lens; alternatively, the main body of the first temperature sensor may be disposed at any position inside the (outermost) end lens of the light-transmitting component, but the sensing probe extends outward and is conducted with the external environment. Preferably, the first temperature sensor is arranged in a non-light-transmission area inside the (outermost) outer end lens or on the inner side wall of the lens barrel close to the inside of the (outermost) outer end lens. For detecting the device temperature, the body of the second temperature sensor may be arranged outside the (outermost) end lens, for example, but with the probe projecting inside the lens; alternatively, the second temperature sensor may be arranged at any position inside the (outermost) outer end lens, optimally close to the inside of the (outermost) outer end lens.

In some embodiments, the projection device includes an image generation module that causes light emitted by the light emitting assembly to be projected into the external environment through the light transmissive assembly in corresponding light patterns or pixels. The image generation module may include a matrix LED or an imaging chip (such as a DMD or a MEMS).

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for preventing fog and fog in a projection apparatus, the projection apparatus includes a light-emitting component, a light-transmitting component, and a box at least partially accommodating the light-emitting component and the light-transmitting component, the light-emitting component is provided with a heat dissipation module for at least partially dissipating heat generated by the light-emitting component during operation; the light-transmitting component is characterized in that heat generated by the light-emitting component is transmitted to at least one partial area of the light-transmitting component through at least one heat transmission pipeline, and the at least partial area of the light-transmitting component is heated by the heat so as to prevent water mist from forming and/or eliminate water mist.

In some embodiments, the method comprises:

detecting an ambient temperature of the projection device at or outside the at least partial area of the light transmissive component;

detecting the equipment temperature of the projection device in the box body or at the inner side of at least part of the area of the light-transmitting component;

controlling the heat circulation in the heat transfer line according to the ambient temperature and the equipment temperature.

In some embodiments, a switching element is used to regulate the heat circulation in the heat transfer line based on the ambient temperature and the device temperature.

In some embodiments, the switching element is controlled to turn on or increase heat circulation in the heat transfer line when the difference between the ambient temperature and the device temperature is greater than a first predetermined value, and to turn off or decrease heat circulation in the heat transfer line when the difference between the ambient temperature and the device temperature is less than the first predetermined value or less than a second predetermined value; and/or when the ambient temperature is lower than a preset value, controlling the switch element to open or enhance the heat circulation in the heat transmission pipeline.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an illumination device, comprising the projection device according to some embodiments of the present invention, wherein the light emitted from the light emitting component is projected to the external environment through the light transmission component for illumination.

In some embodiments, the lighting device may be configured as an exterior lighting device suitable for use with a vehicle. In particular, the lighting device is designed as a headlight of a vehicle. In the embodiment of the projection apparatus including the image generating module, an advanced vehicle intelligent pixel headlight system can be particularly implemented, which allows various light type adjustment functions according to various complex road environments to perform intelligent lighting actions such as multi-road mode switching, intelligent follow-up steering, automatic identification of glare-free high beams for oncoming vehicles, road sign identification, pedestrian warning, etc., and this function not only helps driving safety, but also intuitively improves the technological feeling of vehicles, and is even in accordance with the current driving assistance/automatic driving technology trend.

In some preferred embodiments, the lighting device has an inner cover, and the heat transfer pipe is shielded from being exposed to the outside by the inner cover so as not to affect the appearance of the lamp

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a vehicle comprising a projection device or an illumination device according to some embodiments of the invention. The vehicle may be a land vehicle, a water vehicle or an air vehicle. The vehicle may be a manned vehicle or an unmanned vehicle, such as an unmanned automobile, an unmanned airplane, or the like.

It goes without saying that the features and advantages of the projection device provided according to the first aspect of the invention also apply to the method for preventing and defogging of a projection device provided according to the second aspect of the invention, to the illumination device provided according to the third aspect of the invention, and to the vehicle provided according to the fourth aspect of the invention.

Drawings

In which some exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. The embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. It is also noted that for purposes of clarity of illustration, certain features are not necessarily drawn to scale in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a known illumination device, including a projection device;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an illumination device according to a first embodiment of the invention, comprising a projection device;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an illumination device according to a second embodiment of the invention, comprising a projection device;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an illumination device according to a third embodiment of the invention, comprising a projection device;

FIGS. 5a and 5b are schematic views of a lighting device including a projection device and equipped with an automatic defogging control system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, wherein FIGS. 5a and 5b illustrate operation states of a heat transfer pipeline during on/off operation, respectively;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary flow chart for feedback adjustment of an automatic defogging control system in a method for defogging and defogging a projection device according to the present invention;

FIGS. 7a and 7b illustrate a variation of a lighting device equipped with an automatic defogging control system;

fig. 8a and 8b show a further variant of a lighting device equipped with an automatic defogging control system.

Detailed Description

The following description is provided to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention so that those skilled in the art can implement the present invention. The preferred embodiments in the following description are given by way of example only, and other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art. The principles of the invention, as defined in the following description, may be applied to other embodiments, variations, modifications, equivalents, and other technical solutions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, it is noted that a feature, structure, or characteristic described herein in connection with one embodiment is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiment, nor is it intended to be mutually exclusive of other embodiments, as those skilled in the art will recognize various combinations of features of different embodiments as may be contemplated within the scope of the appended claims.

The terms first, second and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between different objects and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential order. Furthermore, the terms "comprising"/"including" and "having," and any variant thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of steps or elements is not limited to only those steps or elements listed, but may alternatively include other steps or elements not listed, or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. In the description of the present application, the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, which are merely for convenience in describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not mean that the corresponding device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus the above terms should not be construed as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "a" and "an" should be interpreted as "at least one" or "one or more," i.e., the number of an element can be one in one embodiment and the number of the element can be plural in another embodiment, i.e., the terms "a" and "an" should not be interpreted as limiting the number.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art and may be specifically interpreted based on their context within the context of the description of the relevant art.

The projection device/illumination device according to the invention can be applied in various technical fields, and is suitable for illumination purposes of different scenes. The following embodiments describe in detail the projection device/illumination device according to the present invention by taking a vehicle lamp (particularly, a vehicle headlamp) as an example without limitation. However, it is to be understood that the projection/lighting arrangement according to the invention may also be applied to any outdoor lighting installation, such as road lighting, building facade lighting, landscape lighting, etc. In addition, the projection device/illumination device of the present invention can be configured to be suitable for indoor illumination, such as indoor pool illumination, bathing spot illumination, water amusement park illumination, home illumination, decorative illumination, and the like, particularly for environments prone to fogging.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a lighting device configured as a vehicle lamp, in particular as a vehicle headlamp, according to a first embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 2, the vehicle lamp may include a light emitting assembly, a light transmitting assembly, and a case.

The light emitting assembly may include one or more light source modules. Because LED light sources have many advantages such as low power consumption and long service life, LED lamps (i.e., light emitting diode lamps) are mostly used in vehicles at present. To this end, some embodiments according to the invention are explained with LED light sources as an example. However, it should be understood that the vehicle lamp may comprise other types of light sources capable of emitting light, such as a halogen light source, a xenon light source, a laser light source, etc., which may be a white light source or an RGB monochromatic light source, in terms of their light emission colors.

The light transmissive assembly may include a lens module formed of one or more lenses through which light emitted by the light emitting assembly is projected into the external environment for illumination. The one or more lenses may be used to optically process light emitted by the light emitting assembly to change the optical image projected by the vehicle lamp, for example to magnify and/or optimize the quality of the image generated by the imaging chip. It should be understood that the number, type, and arrangement of lenses of the lens module may be various and may be adaptively arranged based on an optical design.

The housing may be configured to support, position, and at least partially house the light emitting assembly and the light transmissive assembly. The housing may be constructed of plastic and/or metal material.

In addition, in order to ensure that the lighting assembly continues to operate at a safe temperature, the lighting assembly may be provided with a heat sink module for at least partially dissipating heat generated by the operation of the lighting assembly. As shown in fig. 2, the heat dissipation module may include a heat dissipation structure that may be used to conduct away heat generated by the light emitting assembly and a fan that may be used to create at least one airflow that carries the heat dissipated by the heat dissipation structure.

The heat dissipation structure may be configured as any suitable type of heat sink, which may be designed for heat dissipation of a high-power light source for high-temperature heat dissipation of the light source. The heat sink is sized to ensure that the light source does not exceed its ultimate operating temperature (e.g., the upper junction temperature limit of the LED) while ensuring that the light source is not damaged. In some embodiments of the present invention, the heat dissipation structure may include, for example: finned radiators, pin radiators, thermoelectric refrigeration radiators, vapor plate radiators, and/or heat pipe radiators, among others.

The fan cooperating with the heat dissipating structure may be configured as any suitable type of fan that may be used to dissipate heat from the heat sink. In addition, the fan can also strengthen convection heat transfer, promote the hot gas flow to flow, provide the power of hot gas flow backward flow in the radiator. In some embodiments of the invention, the fan may include, for example, a mixed flow fan, a centrifugal fan, a crossflow blower, and/or an axial flow fan, among others.

However, even if the heat dissipation module can conduct a large amount of heat to the air during operation of the vehicle lamp, the remaining heat heats the air inside the vehicle lamp and gradually conducts to the lens module 4 of the vehicle lamp supported on the case 5. At this time, the lens of the lens module 4, especially the outer side 1 of the outer end lens, is still at a low ambient temperature, and heated air meets the cold outer end lens 2, so that water vapor is condensed on the inner side 3 of the outer end lens and needs to be dissipated for a long time. In addition, when extreme bad weather such as snow/frost is encountered, the lens of the lens module 4, especially the outer side 1 of the outer end lens, generates fog. The lens attached with water mist may reduce the brightness of the vehicle lamp, thereby affecting the cut-off line edge sharpness and the light pattern. If under the darker environment of external brightness, this can consequently influence the discernment ability in the place ahead field of vision at the driver in-process of driving a vehicle, can't effectively avoid the dangerous situation in road surface to easily cause the potential safety hazard. In addition, the above-mentioned water mist phenomenon in the lamp causes a light clouding phenomenon, which constitutes a cause of hindering safe driving of the driver, and also shortens the life of the lamp components.

In order to overcome at least one of the above technical problems, the heat sink module of the projection device/illumination device according to the present invention is additionally provided with at least one heat transfer pipe, through which heat generated by the light emitting assembly can be at least partially transferred to at least a partial region of the light transmissive assembly. Additionally or alternatively, the projection device/illumination device may have an inner cover, the heat transport line being shielded from exposure by the inner cover.

In the present application, a heat transfer line is to be understood as a channel or path through which heat can be transferred, which can be designed in a flexible manner in many ways. In some embodiments, the heat transfer conduit may be configured as a continuous conduit, such as in the embodiment of FIG. 2, which may be configured as an air duct for directing the flow of an air stream. In other exemplary embodiments, the heat transfer line can also be designed as a "discontinuous" channel, for example, in which there can be at least one discontinuity, for example an intermediate reservoir connected between different line sections, so that heat from an upstream first line section can be transferred directly or in a controlled manner to the intermediate reservoir, and heat stored in the intermediate reservoir can also be transferred directly or in a controlled manner to a downstream second line section. In summary, the heat transfer pipe of the projection apparatus according to the present invention should be broadly understood and is not limited to the embodiments by way of limitation.

In the present application, at least some areas of the light transmissive member may include any area that may generate water mist that may affect the optical performance and/or lifetime of the projection device/illuminator. For example, at least a partial region of the light transmissive component may comprise at least a partial region of a lens module. When the lens module comprises one or more lenses, the heat transfer conduit may lead to at least one lens of the lens module, so that the at least one lens can be heated by the heat transferred via the heat transfer conduit, thereby preventing and/or eliminating the formation of water mist on the at least one lens. It is particularly advantageous that the heat transfer conduit may lead to an (outermost) outer end lens of the lens module (as shown in fig. 2, only one lens, i.e. the outer end lens, is shown in fig. 2) in order to be able to heat the outer end lens, which is at the light exit end of the projection device and bordering on the external environment, by means of heat transferred via the heat transfer conduit, i.e. the outer surface of the outer end lens is placed directly in the external environment, so that water mist is more easily formed than the other lenses of the lens module.

The operation mode of the vehicle lamp with the water mist preventing and removing functions will be described in detail with reference to fig. 2. At least one air duct 9, 10 for guiding the air flow is connected to the heat dissipation structure 6. Under the action of the fan 8, the first air duct 9 extends from the first side of the heat dissipation structure to the at least a partial region of the light-transmitting component, for example, to a corresponding position on the peripheral side of the outer end lens 2, and the second air duct 10 extends from the second side of the heat dissipation structure to the at least a partial region of the light-transmitting component, for example, to a corresponding position on the peripheral side of the outer end lens 2, so that the hot air flow can blow the front end region of the lens to heat, especially to heat in advance, the outer end lens 2 of the lens, and the trend of heat transmission is schematically indicated by hollow arrows in the figure. When the hot air in the car lamp is conducted to the inside of the car lamp lens module 4, because the outer end lens 2 is heated, the temperature difference between the temperature of the outer end lens 2 and the temperature of the hot air is smaller, so that the probability of fogging of the lens module, particularly the outer end lens, is reduced; even if there is the temperature difference because outer end lens 2 and hot-air, the 3 surperficial fog on the outer end lens medial surface a small amount, the hot-air that blows out in tuber pipe 9, 10 can constantly heat outer end lens, and steam absorbs the heat after, can evaporate rapidly and disappear. Because the heat required for heating the outer end lens 2 is the heat which needs to be LED out by the high-power LED light source 7, an additional heat source is not needed, the function of waste utilization is achieved, and meanwhile, water vapor is eliminated. In addition, the inner covers of the vehicle lamps are ubiquitous, so that the air ducts 9 and 10 can be shielded by the inner covers from being exposed to the outside, and thus only the exposed outer end lens can be seen from the outside without affecting the appearance of the vehicle lamps. It will be appreciated that the size and shape of the ducts 9, 10 can be flexibly adjusted to the internal volume of the vehicle lamp without increasing the internal volume of the vehicle lamp.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a lighting device configured as a vehicle lamp according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 3, the vehicle lamp may include a light emitting assembly, a light transmitting assembly, a case, a heat dissipating structure, a fan, and a heat transfer pipe. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the heat transfer line is configured as an air duct which can lead from the upper or lower side of the heat dissipation structure 6 to the lens module 4 of the light-transmitting member. As shown in fig. 3, the air duct is connected to the upper side of the heat dissipating structure 6. Under the action of the fan 8, the air duct 9 may extend from the upper side of the heat dissipation structure 6 to at least the partial region of the light transmission component, for example, to the upper side of the peripheral side of the outer end lens 2, so that the hot air flow can blow the front end region of the lens to heat, especially to heat the outer end lens 2 of the lens in advance, and the trend of heat transmission is schematically indicated by hollow arrows in the figure. When the hot air in the car lamp is conducted to the inside of the car lamp lens module 4, because the outer end lens 2 is heated, the temperature difference between the outer end lens 2 and the hot air is smaller, so that the probability of fogging of the lens module 4, especially the outer end lens 2, is reduced; even if there is the temperature difference because outer end lens 2 and hot-air, the 3 surperficial fog on the outer end lens medial surface a small amount, the hot-air that blows out in the tuber pipe 9 also can constantly heat outer end lens, and steam absorbs the heat after, can evaporate rapidly and disappear. Because the heat required for heating the outer end lens 2 is the heat which needs to be LED out by the high-power LED light source 7, an additional heat source is not needed, the function of waste utilization is achieved, and meanwhile, water vapor is eliminated.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a lighting device configured as a vehicle lamp according to a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 4, the vehicle lamp may include a light emitting assembly, a light transmitting assembly, a case, a heat dissipating structure, a fan, and a heat transfer pipe. In the present embodiment, the light-transmitting assembly may include a lens module 4 composed of a plurality of lenses that are capable of optically processing the light emitted by the light-emitting assemblies, respectively, so as to change the optical image projected by the vehicle lamp, for example, to magnify and/or optimize the quality of the image generated by the imaging chip. It should be understood that the number, type, and arrangement of lenses of the lens module may be various and may be adaptively arranged based on an optical design.

In the present embodiment, four lenses arranged in sequence from the inside to the outside are exemplarily shown. At least one air duct 9, 10 for guiding the air flow is connected to the heat dissipation structure 6. Under the action of the fan 8, the air ducts 9, 10 may extend from the heat dissipating structure to said at least partial region of the light transmissive assembly. In fig. 4, as similar to the first and second embodiments, the first air duct 9 extends from the first side of the heat dissipation structure to at least a part of the light-transmitting component, for example, to a corresponding position on the peripheral side of the outer end lens 2, and the second air duct 10 extends from the second side of the heat dissipation structure to at least a part of the light-transmitting component, for example, to a corresponding position on the peripheral side of the outer end lens 2, so that the hot air flow can blow the front end region of the lens to heat, especially to heat in advance, the lens outer end lens 2, and the trend of heat transmission is schematically indicated by hollow arrows. It will be appreciated that the at least part of the region of the light transmissive member may be any region of the light transmissive member where water mist may form. These areas where water mist may form may be any lens of the lens module, for example the lens near the outer end lens 2. In some embodiments, the heat transfer pipe may extend to a region between the first lens and the second lens of the lens module so as to be able to heat the first lens and the second lens simultaneously using heat transferred via the heat transfer pipe, wherein the first lens and the second lens may be any two adjacent lenses in the lens. When the hot air inside the vehicle lamp is conducted to the inside of the vehicle lamp lens module 4, because the first lens and the second lens are heated, the temperature difference between the first lens and the second lens and the temperature difference between the hot air is small, so that the probability of fogging of the first lens and the second lens is reduced; even if the surfaces of the first lens and the second lens are slightly fogged because of the temperature difference between the first lens and the hot air and the second lens, the hot air blown out of the air ducts 9 and 10 can continuously heat the first lens and the second lens, and the water vapor can be rapidly evaporated and disappear after absorbing heat. The first and second lenses, particularly the two lenses in the lens module near the external environment, can be understood that the lenses near or bordering the external environment are more prone to moisture condensation/water mist generation on their surfaces due to temperature differences. In the anti-fog or defogging process, the heat required by the heating lens is the heat which needs to be LED out by the high-power LED light source 7, so that an additional heat source is not needed, the function of waste utilization is achieved, and meanwhile, water vapor is eliminated.

Fig. 5a and 5b are schematic views of a lighting device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, which is provided with an automatic defogging control system, in which fig. 5a the heat transfer in the heat transfer pipe is in an on state, and fig. 5b the heat transfer in the heat transfer pipe is in an off state, and the trend of the heat transfer is schematically indicated by hollow arrows. As shown in fig. 5a and 5b, the lamp for a vehicle may include a light emitting assembly, a light transmitting assembly, a case, a heat dissipating structure, a fan, and a heat transfer pipe. The fourth exemplary embodiment differs from the first, second and third exemplary embodiments in that an automatic control system is additionally associated with the vehicle lamp, which automatic control system comprises an operating unit associated with the heat sink module, a switching element associated with the heat transfer line, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature. In particular, the heat dissipation module of the vehicle lamp can be equipped with an operating unit which is designed to control the heat flow in the heat transfer line. Accordingly, the heat transfer line can be equipped with a switching element which can switch the heat flow in the heat transfer line on or off by control of the control unit. The control unit can control the on-off of the switch element according to the ambient temperature of the projection device/lighting device and/or the equipment temperature of the projection device/lighting device so as to realize the automatic defogging effect. For this purpose, the vehicle lamp may also be provided with a corresponding first temperature sensor which is provided for detecting the ambient temperature at or outside the at least partial region of the light-transmitting component. Alternatively or additionally, the vehicle lamp may also be provided with a corresponding second temperature sensor arranged for detecting the device temperature inside the housing or inside the at least partial region of the light-transmitting component. When the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the equipment temperature is larger than a first preset value, the control unit controls the switch element to turn on the heat circulation in the heat transmission pipeline, and when the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the equipment temperature is smaller than the first preset value or smaller than a second preset value, the control unit controls the switch element to turn off the heat circulation in the heat transmission pipeline. Here, the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value may be the same or different, for example, when the temperature difference is greater than 10 ℃ (for example, the real-time temperature difference is 15 ℃), the heat circulation in the heat transmission pipeline is turned on, and when the temperature difference is reduced to below 10 degrees, the heat circulation is turned off; but it is also possible to keep the heat flow on until the temperature difference is below 3 c and then turn off (the latter setting can, in comparison, reduce the frequency of switching actions, which is advantageous in this respect). It may also be provided that: when the ambient temperature is lower than a predetermined value, the control unit controls the switch element to open the heat circulation in the heat transfer pipeline, so that the lens module (particularly the outer end lens) is heated immediately when the vehicle starts to work, for example, in low-temperature weather conditions, and the surface of the lens module is prevented from being fogged in advance. It should be understood that temperature sensors may be integrated within the projection device/illumination device in order to detect the corresponding temperatures. In other embodiments, the temperature sensor may also be mounted externally to the projection device/lighting device, for example in other components of the vehicle. For this purpose, the control can be carried out using a temperature sensor which is installed in the vehicle, so that the costs are more favorable.

The operation mode of the vehicle lamp with the function of preventing and removing water mist is described in detail with continued reference to fig. 5a and 5 b. At least one air duct 9, 10 for guiding the air flow is connected to the heat dissipation structure 6. Under the action of the fan 8, the air ducts 9, 10 may extend from the heat dissipating structure to said at least part of the light transmitting member, e.g. the outer end lens 2. The temperature detecting chip 11 functioning as a temperature sensor can monitor the temperature condition of at least a partial region (for example, the outer end lens 2) of the light-transmitting component in real time, and transmit the detected temperature signal to the central processing unit serving as a control module so as to automatically adjust the on/off of the switching elements 12 and 13 of the air duct.

When the vehicle starts to work after being started, the temperature detection chip 11 detects that the outer-end lens 2 of the lens is low in temperature, or the environmental temperature is lower than a preset value, then the control module can send a control instruction so as to prompt the switch elements 12 and 13 of the air pipe to be switched on, so that the hot air flow can blow the front end of the lens to heat the outer-end lens 2 of the lens in advance. When the hot air inside the vehicle lamp is conducted to the inside of the lens module 4 for vehicle lamp, the outer end lens 2 has been heated, and the temperature difference between the temperature of the outer end lens 2 and the temperature of the hot air is small, so that the probability of fogging of the lens module, particularly the outer end lens 2, is reduced and at the same time the water fogging can be removed. When the temperature detecting chip 11 detects that the temperature difference between the temperature of the lens 2 at the outer end of the lens and the temperature inside the box body is smaller than a predetermined value, for example, when the temperature of the lens 2 at the outer end is consistent with the temperature inside the box body (for the automotive headlamp, generally 70 ℃ to 80 ℃), the control module can send a control command so as to cause the switch elements 12 and 13 of the air duct to enter an off state. Heat can thereby be removed from the side walls of the ducts 9, 10. In the system, the heat transfer demisting principle is the same as that of the above embodiments, the heat required by the outer end lens 2 is the heat which needs to be LED out by the LED light source 7, no additional heat source is needed, the function of waste utilization is achieved, and meanwhile, the water vapor is eliminated. It should be understood that the switching elements 12, 13 of the air ducts are not limited to the positions on the air ducts 9, 10 in the drawings, and may be extended at other positions, which are not described in detail herein. Furthermore, it should be understood that the number of air ducts and the number and type of the opening and closing elements 12, 13 of the air ducts installed therein may be varied, and are not limited to the current embodiment and will not be described herein.

Furthermore, another aspect according to the present invention relates to a method for preventing fog and fog in a projection device, which may include: heat generated by the light emitting assembly is transferred to at least a portion of the light transmissive assembly via at least one heat transfer conduit, and the heat is utilized to heat the at least a portion of the light transmissive assembly to prevent and/or eliminate water mist.

When the projection/illumination device is provided with an automatic control system, the method may further comprise:

detecting an ambient temperature of the projection device/illumination device at or outside of said at least partial area of the light transmissive component;

detecting the equipment temperature of the projection device/illumination device in the box body or in the inner side of at least partial area of the light-transmitting component;

controlling the heat circulation in the heat transfer line according to the ambient temperature and the equipment temperature.

Additionally or alternatively, the method may further comprise: the heat circulation in the heat transfer line is regulated by means of a switching element.

Additionally or alternatively, the method may further comprise:

when the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the equipment temperature is larger than a first preset value, controlling the switch element to switch on or enhance the heat circulation in the heat transmission pipeline, and when the temperature difference between the ambient temperature and the equipment temperature is smaller than the first preset value or smaller than a second preset value, controlling the switch element to switch off or attenuate the heat circulation in the heat transmission pipeline; and/or

When the ambient temperature is lower than a predetermined value, the switching element is controlled to open or enhance the heat flow in the heat transfer pipe, in such a manner that, for example, in a case of low-temperature weather, when the vehicle starts to operate after starting, the heating of the lens module (particularly, the outer end lens) is performed immediately, and the surface fogging thereof is prevented in advance.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary flow chart for feedback adjustment of an automatic defogging control system in a method for defogging and defogging a projection device according to the present invention. Therefore, the anti-fog and defogging method has an automatic control function. Accordingly, as shown in fig. 6, the anti-fog and defogging method may include the following steps: the temperature detection chip 11 detects temperature data representing the temperature of the outer end lens, which may correspond to the current external ambient temperature; transmitting the temperature data to a central processing unit, wherein a data processing program is established in advance in the central processing unit so as to analyze data; the central processing unit can judge whether the switch element of the air pipe needs to be controlled or not based on the received temperature data so as to control and adjust the heat transfer of the air pipe, realize the stability of the outer end lens and good defogging effect and delay the aging of the vehicle lamp parts at high temperature.

According to one or more embodiments of the projection device/illumination device and the method for preventing fog and defogging for the projection device, at least one of the following advantages can be realized:

first, water mist can be removed controllably and/or automatically:

secondly, the temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the related lens is reduced by heating the light-transmitting component, particularly the lens of the lens module, such as the outer end lens, so that the fogging risk is reduced, and the safety coefficient of a driver driving an automobile at night/in a poor vision environment is improved;

thirdly, the waste energy of the heat dissipation system is reasonably utilized, the waste heat to be discharged by the radiator is used for heating the lens, the waste utilization effect is achieved, and an additional heat source is not needed to be added for heating and demisting;

fourth, the heat dissipation capability during the start-up phase of the projection device/illumination device (e.g., vehicle lamp) is improved: when the projection device/the lighting device is just started, the temperature of the light source rises greatly within a short time, and in the process of conducting heat through the heat transmission pipeline, the low-temperature lens is equivalent to a cold exchange system for water cooling and heat dissipation, so that the heat dissipation capacity is enhanced, and the risk of damage to the light source caused by rapid temperature rise within a short time is reduced;

fifth, the light transmissive component, particularly the lens of the lens module, such as the outer end lens, can be protected: because the outer end lens is heated or preheated by the heat in the heat transmission pipeline, the temperature difference between the inner surface and the outer surface of the lens is reduced, and the risk of overlarge stress in the lens caused by cold and hot impact of the lens is reduced;

sixth, the heating system is controllable, improving the projector/illuminator life: the temperature condition is monitored in real time through the feedback adjusting module, and the control module controls the opening/closing of the heat transmission pipeline according to the temperature detection result, so that the condition that the lens of the projection device/the illuminating device is accelerated to age due to long-time continuous heating is avoided;

seventhly, the size and the shape of the installed heat transmission pipeline can be flexibly adjusted according to the internal volume of the projection device/the illumination device, and the internal volume of the projection device/the illumination device cannot be increased;

eighth, the projection apparatus/lighting apparatus (e.g., a car lamp) generally has an inner cover, and the heat transfer pipe according to the present invention can be shielded by the inner cover, so that only the exposed outer end lens can be seen from the outside, and thus the appearance of the projection apparatus/lighting apparatus is not affected, and the function is ensured without affecting the appearance.

Within the framework of the basic idea of the invention different combinations of the individual features of different embodiments can be considered. In particular, based on the system configuration and the automatic control principle of the above-described lighting device with respect to the anti-fog and defogging functions, various modified designs can be implemented, such as: fig. 7a and 7b show a variant of the lighting device equipped with an automatic defogging control system, in which, similarly to the second embodiment, a single-sided air duct 9 is mounted/constructed on the heat dissipation structure 6, and the air duct is equipped with a switch element 12 for controlling the on and off of the heat circulation therein, wherein the trend of the heat transmission is schematically indicated by hollow arrows, and the specific configuration and operation manner can be referred to the above description of the second embodiment and the fourth embodiment; fig. 8a and 8b show a further variant of a lighting device equipped with an automatic defogging control system, similar to the first, third and fourth embodiments, in which double- sided air ducts 9, 10 are mounted/constructed on the heat dissipation structure, wherein only the lower air duct 9 is equipped with a switching element 12 for controlling the on and off of the heat circulation therein, the direction of heat transfer is schematically indicated by hollow arrows in the figures, and the specific configuration and operation manner can be referred to the above description for the first, third and fourth embodiments.

It is worth mentioning that different types of switch elements and/or operation modes may be used to control the heat flow in the heat transfer pipeline (e.g. the air duct) within the scope of the present invention according to the actual needs. In this respect, in addition to the on-off operation of heat transfer which can be performed using a switching valve as the switching element, the magnitude of the heat flux can be adjusted (preferably continuously adjusted) using a flow rate adjusting valve as the switching element, thereby enabling adaptation to different antifogging and defogging requirements.

Although the exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all changes and modifications are encompassed within the scope of the present invention.

The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is illustrative of the principles of the technology employed. It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the scope of the invention as referred to in the present application is not limited to the embodiments with a specific combination of the above-mentioned features, but also covers other embodiments with any combination of the above-mentioned features or their equivalents without departing from the inventive concept. For example, the above features may be replaced with (but not limited to) features having similar functions disclosed in the present application.

Claims (10)

1. A projection device, comprising:

a light emitting assembly;

a light transmissive component; and

a box body;

the box body supports, positions and at least partially accommodates the light-emitting component and the light-transmitting component, light emitted by the light-emitting component is projected to the external environment through the light-transmitting component, and the light-emitting component is provided with a heat dissipation module for at least partially guiding out heat generated by the light-emitting component during working;

the light-transmitting component is characterized in that the heat dissipation module is provided with at least one heat transmission pipeline, and heat generated by the light-emitting component can be at least partially transmitted to at least partial region of the light-transmitting component through the heat transmission pipeline.

2. The projection device of claim 1, wherein the light transmissive component comprises a lens module comprising one or more lenses, and wherein the heat transfer conduit leads to at least one lens of the lens module such that the at least one lens can be heated by heat transferred via the heat transfer conduit.

3. The projection device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat dissipation module comprises a heat dissipation structure for conducting away heat generated by the light emitting assembly and a fan for creating at least one airflow that carries heat dissipated by the heat dissipation structure.

4. A projection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the heat sink module is provided with a control unit configured to control the heat flow in the heat transport conduit.

5. The projection apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the heat transport pipe is provided with a switching element capable of turning on or off the heat circulation in the heat transport pipe by the control of the manipulation unit.

6. The projection device according to claim 4, wherein the heat transport conduit is provided with a switching element that can increase or decrease the heat flux in the heat transport conduit by control of the manipulation unit.

7. The projection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the projection apparatus comprises an image generation module, and the image generation module causes the light emitted by the light emitting component to be projected to the external environment through the light transmission component in a corresponding light pattern or pixel.

8. A method for antifogging and defogging a projection device comprises a light-emitting component, a light-transmitting component and a box body at least partially accommodating the light-emitting component and the light-transmitting component, wherein the light-emitting component is provided with a heat dissipation module for at least partially guiding out heat generated by the light-emitting component during working;

the light-transmitting component is characterized in that heat generated by the light-emitting component is transmitted to at least one partial area of the light-transmitting component through at least one heat transmission pipeline, and the at least partial area of the light-transmitting component is heated by the heat so as to prevent water mist from forming and/or eliminate water mist.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method comprises:

detecting an ambient temperature of the projection device at or outside the at least partial area of the light transmissive component;

detecting the equipment temperature of the projection device in the box body or at the inner side of the at least partial region of the light-transmitting component;

controlling the heat circulation in the heat transfer line according to the ambient temperature and the equipment temperature.

10. An illumination device, comprising the projection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the light emitted from the light-emitting component is projected to the external environment through the light-transmitting component for illumination.

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