JP7197399B2 - lighting unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lamp unit having a projection lens.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a lighting unit configured to irradiate light from a light source forward through a projection lens.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200001 describes a configuration of a projection lens in such a lamp unit, in which a plurality of lenses are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction of the unit.

In the lamp unit described in "Patent Document 1", a plurality of lenses are supported by a common lens holder. At this time, the plurality of lenses are supported by a stepped lens support portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lens holder and by a sleeve arranged to contact the outer peripheral flange portion of another lens. ing.

JP 2018-14256 A

In the lamp unit described in the above-mentioned "Patent Document 1", since a plurality of lenses are supported by separate lens supporting portions and sleeves formed in a stepped manner, the accuracy of the positional relationship between the lenses is sufficiently ensured. not easy to do.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances. An object of the present invention is to provide a lamp unit that can improve accuracy.

The present invention is intended to achieve the above object by devising a structure for supporting a plurality of lenses to a lens holder.

That is, the lamp unit according to the present invention is
In a lighting unit configured to irradiate light from a light source toward the front of the unit via a projection lens,
The projection lens comprises first and second lenses arranged side by side in the front-rear direction of the unit ,
The first and second lenses are supported by a common lens holder,
First and second positioning pins extending in the unit front-rear direction are formed at two circumferential locations on a first end surface of the lens holder in the unit front-rear direction,
The first and second lenses are each formed with first and second engaging portions that engage with the first and second positioning pins.

The above-mentioned "lamp unit" may be configured such that the light emitted from the light source is directly incident on the projection lens, or it is configured such that the light emitted from the light source is incident on the projection lens via another optical member. may

The specific shape, material, etc. of each of the "first and second lenses" are not particularly limited.

The specific shape, material, etc. of the above-mentioned "lens holder" are not particularly limited.

The "first end face" may be the front end face or the rear end face of the lens holder.

As long as the "first and second positioning pins" are formed at two locations in the circumferential direction on the first end surface of the lens holder, the specific formation positions are not particularly limited. Further, the above-mentioned "first and second positioning pins" may be formed integrally with the lens holder, or a part of a member formed separately from the lens holder may be embedded in the lens holder. may be formed.

The specific shape of the "first and second engaging portions" is not particularly limited as long as they are configured to engage with the first and second positioning pins.

The lamp unit according to the present invention has the first and second lenses arranged side by side in the front-rear direction of the unit as its projection lenses. First and second positioning pins extending in the front-rear direction of the unit are formed at two locations in the circumferential direction of the lens. Since the first and second engaging portions are formed, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, each of the first and second lenses is positioned within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection lens by engaging the first and second engaging portions with the first and second positioning pins of the lens holder. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the positional relationship between the first and second lenses in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection lens.

As described above, according to the present invention, in a lamp unit having a projection lens, even if the projection lens is composed of a plurality of lenses, the accuracy of the positional relationship between the lenses can be improved.

Moreover, by adopting such a configuration, it is not necessary to form a stepped lens supporting portion on the inner peripheral surface of the lens holder, thereby making it possible to reduce the outer diameter of the lens holder.

In the above configuration, each of the first and second lenses further includes a positioning hole in which the first engaging portion engages with the first positioning pin, and a second engaging portion engages with the second positioning pin. If it is configured with matching positioning grooves, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, each of the first and second lenses is positioned in the translational direction within a plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the projection lens by engagement between the positioning hole and the first positioning pin, and then the positioning groove and the second lens are positioned. Rotational positioning around the first positioning pin is achieved by engagement with the two positioning pins, so that even if the distance between the first and second positioning pins is not strictly controlled, the optical axis of the projection lens can be positioned. It is possible to improve the positional accuracy of the first and second lenses in the orthogonal direction.

In the above configuration, each of the first and second positioning pins is a stepped pin having a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion formed stepwise, and the first and second positioning pins are formed on the first lens. The second engaging portion engages with the small diameter portions of the first and second positioning pins, and the first and second engaging portions formed on the second lens engage with the large diameter portions of the first and second positioning pins. The engagement configuration facilitates dimensional control when forming the first and second positioning pins.

In the above configuration, lens supporting portions for supporting the second lens are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the first end surface of the lens holder, and outer peripheral flange portions are formed on each of the first and second lenses. In addition, the first lens is arranged with its outer peripheral flange portion in contact with the outer peripheral flange portion of the second lens, and the second lens has its outer peripheral flange portion supported by the lens holder. By arranging the first and second lenses in contact with each other, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the positional relationship between the first and second lenses also in the unit front-rear direction.

In the above configuration, the projection lens further includes a third lens supported by the lens holder while being arranged side by side with the first and second lenses in the front-rear direction of the unit, In the lens holder, third and fourth positioning pins are formed at two locations in the circumferential direction on the second end face opposite to the first end face, and the third lens is provided with third and fourth positioning pins that engage with the third and fourth positioning pins. and the fourth engaging portion, it is possible to secure the accuracy of the positional relationship between the first and second lenses and the third lens without enlarging the outer diameter shape of the lens holder.

In the above configuration, the lamp unit according to the present invention further includes a spatial light modulator that reflects the light emitted from the light source toward the projection lens, or a micro LED that emits direct light toward the projection lens as the light source. In the case of a configuration with an array, it is important to improve the positional accuracy between the spatial light modulator or micro LED array and the projection lens in order to fully demonstrate the optical function of the lamp unit. , it is particularly effective to employ the configuration of the present invention.

The specific configuration of the "spatial light modulator" is not particularly limited as long as it can control the spatial distribution of the reflected light when reflecting the light from the light source. Instead, for example, a digital micromirror, a reflective liquid crystal, or the like can be employed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional side view showing a vehicle lamp including a lamp unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Perspective view showing the lamp unit Plan view showing the lamp unit Front view showing the lens-side sub-assembly of the lamp unit taken out VV line sectional view of FIG. A perspective view showing the disassembled lens-side sub-assembly. 5, (a) is a detailed view of VIIa section of FIG. 5, (b) is a detailed view of VIIb section of FIG. 5, (c) is a detailed view of VIIc section of FIG. 5, and (d) is a detailed view of VIId in Fig. 5 (a) is a front view showing an enlarged main part of the lens-side sub-assembly, and (b) is a view similar to (a) showing a modification of the above embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a vehicle lamp 100 including a lamp unit 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view showing the lamp unit 10, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the lamp unit 10. As shown in FIG.

In these figures, the direction indicated by X is the "front of the unit", the direction indicated by Y is the "left direction" perpendicular to the "front of the unit" ("right direction" when viewed from the front of the unit), and the direction indicated by Z. is the "upward direction". The same applies to figures other than these.

A vehicle lamp 100 is a headlamp provided at the front end of a vehicle. It is housed in a state in which the optical axis has been adjusted so as to match the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

The lamp unit 10 includes a spatial light modulation unit 20 , a light source side sub-assembly 50 and a lens side sub-assembly 70 . The lamp unit 10 is supported by the lamp body 102 via a mounting structure (not shown) at a bracket 40 forming part of the spatial light modulation unit 20 .

The spatial light modulation unit 20 includes a spatial light modulator 30, a support substrate 22 arranged on the unit rear side of the spatial light modulator 30, and a heat sink 24 arranged on the unit rear side of the support substrate 22. , and a bracket 40 arranged on the unit front side of the spatial light modulator 30 .

The bracket 40 is a member made of metal, and includes a vertical surface portion 40A extending along a vertical plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the unit, and a horizontal surface portion extending substantially along the horizontal surface toward the front of the unit from the lower edge of the vertical surface portion 40A. 40B.

The light source side sub-assembly 50 includes a pair of left and right light sources (specifically, light emitting diodes) 52 mounted on a substrate 56 and a reflector 54 that reflects the light emitted from the light sources 52 toward the spatial light modulation unit 20. , and a base member 60 for supporting them, and the base member 60 is supported by the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 . At this time, the reflecting surface of the reflector 54 is configured to converge the emitted light from each light source 52 near the rear focal point F (see FIG. 1) of the projection lens 72 .

The lens-side sub-assembly 70 includes a projection lens 72 having an optical axis Ax extending in the longitudinal direction of the unit, and a lens holder 74 for supporting the projection lens 72. Supported.

A heat sink 80 for dissipating heat generated by lighting of each light source 52 and a heat dissipation fan 82 are arranged on the unit front side of the light source side sub-assembly 50 and on the lower side of the lens side sub-assembly 70. . The heat sink 80 is connected to the heat transfer plate 62 of the light source side sub-assembly 50 via a heat transfer plate 84 and a pair of left and right heat pipes 86 .

The lighting unit 10 irradiates the light from each light source 52 reflected by the reflector 54 toward the front of the unit via the spatial light modulator 30 and the projection lens 72, thereby producing various light distribution patterns (e.g., low beam A light distribution pattern for high beams, a light distribution pattern for high beams, a light distribution pattern that changes according to vehicle running conditions, and a light distribution pattern that draws characters, symbols, etc. on the road surface in front of the vehicle, etc.) can be formed with high accuracy. there is

The spatial light modulator 30 is a digital micromirror device (DMD) and includes a reflection control section 30A in which a plurality of reflective elements (specifically, hundreds of thousands of micromirrors) are arranged in a matrix. , the reflection control unit 30A is positioned on the vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax at the rear focal point F of the projection lens 72. As shown in FIG. The spatial light modulator 30 controls the angles of the reflecting surfaces of the plurality of reflecting elements forming the reflection control section 30A so that the left and right light beams reflected by the reflector 54 reach the respective reflecting elements. light from the light source 52 toward the projection lens 72 (the direction indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1) or the direction away from the projection lens 72 (the direction indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1). and reflect it.

The support substrate 22 is arranged to extend along a vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax, and has a conductive pattern (not shown) formed on its front surface. The spatial light modulator 30 is electrically connected to the support substrate 22 through the socket 26. As shown in FIG.

The spatial light modulation unit 20 has a configuration in which the spatial light modulator 30 is supported by the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the heat sink 24 from both sides in the unit front-rear direction. A plate-like member 32 and a gasket 34 are arranged between the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40 and the spatial light modulator 30, and a translucent cover 36 is supported on the vertical surface portion 40A of the bracket 40. FIG.

Next, a specific configuration of the lens-side sub-assembly 70 will be described.

4 is a front view showing the lens-side sub-assembly 70 taken out from the lamp unit 10, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the lens-side sub-assembly 70. As shown in FIG.

As shown in these figures, the projection lens 72 is composed of first, second and third lenses 72A, 72B and 72C arranged side by side in the unit front-rear direction on the optical axis Ax.

The first lens 72A positioned closest to the front of the unit is configured as a plano-convex lens bulging toward the front of the unit. The third lens 72C located at is configured as a biconvex lens.

All of the first to third lenses 72A to 72C are made of resin. Specifically, the first and third lenses 72A and 72C are made of acrylic resin, and the second lens 72B is made of polycarbonate resin.

The first to third lenses 72A to 72C are configured such that their upper ends are cut slightly along the horizontal plane and their lower portions are cut relatively large along the horizontal plane. The first to third lenses 72A to 72C are supported by a common lens holder 74 at their outer peripheral portions (this will be described later).

The lens holder 74 is a member made of metal (for example, made of die-cast aluminum), and includes a holder main body 74A formed so as to surround the projection lens 72 in a cylindrical shape, and left and right sides from the lower end of the outer peripheral surface of the holder main body 74A. and a pair of left and right leg portions 74B formed so as to protrude outward.

A first metal fitting 76A is attached to the holder body 74A from the front side of the unit and a second metal fitting 76B is attached from the rear side of the unit, thereby fixing the first to third lenses 72A to 72C to the holder body 74A. (This will also be described later).

The pair of left and right leg portions 74B are formed such that their tip portions extend along the horizontal plane. A pair of front and rear elongated holes 74Ba (see FIG. 6) extending in the unit front-rear direction is formed at the tip of each leg 74B. The lens holder 74 is fixed to the bracket 40 in a state in which the position in the unit front-rear direction is finely adjusted by screwing the lens holder 74 to the horizontal surface portion 40B of the bracket 40 through these elongated holes 74Ba.

A pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Ac, 72Bc, and 72Cc are formed on the outer peripheral edge portions of the first, second, and third lenses 72A, 72B, and 72C that constitute the projection lens 72, respectively.

Each of the outer peripheral flange portions 72Ac to 72Cc is formed so as to extend with a constant width along the outer peripheral edge portion of each of the first to third lenses 72A to 72C, and protrudes in a flat plate shape in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis Ax. there is At that time, in the second lens 72B configured as a double concave lens, a pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Bc are formed at the front end position of the outer peripheral surface thereof.

The first and second lenses 72A and 72B are supported by the front end surface 74Aa of the holder main body 74A in a state in which the pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Ac and 72Bc are overlapped with respect to the lens holder 74. The 3-lens 72C is supported by the rear end surface 74Ab of the holder main body 74A at a pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Cc.

The holder main body 74A has first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2 extending toward the front of the unit at two locations in the circumferential direction on the front end surface 74Aa, and at two locations in the circumferential direction on the rear end surface 74Ab. , and third and fourth positioning pins 74A3 and 74A4 extending toward the rear of the unit.

The first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2 are positioned on the horizontal plane including the optical axis Ax on both left and right sides of the optical axis Ax, and the third and fourth positioning pins 74A3 and 74A4 are also positioned on both left and right sides of the optical axis Ax. , is located on a horizontal plane including the optical axis Ax.

7A and 7B are detailed views of the main part of FIG. 5, FIG. 7A is a detailed view of VIIa part of FIG. 5, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7(d) is a detailed view of VIId of FIG. FIG. 8(a) is a front view showing an enlarged main part of the lens side sub-assembly 70. FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 7A and 8A, the first positioning pin 74A1 located on the right side (on the left side when viewed from the front of the lamp unit) of the front end surface 74Aa of the holder main body 74A is located on the tip side of the small diameter portion 74A1A. The large-diameter portion 74A1B on the base end side is composed of a stepped pin formed stepwise. At that time, both the small diameter portion 74A1A and the large diameter portion 74A1B are formed to have a circular cross section and are slightly tapered, and the connection portion thereof is formed in a conical shape. Further, the tip surface of the small diameter portion 74A1A has a surface shape close to a spherical surface.

As shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 8(a), the second positioning pin 74A2 located on the left side of the front end face 74Aa of the holder body 74A also has a small diameter portion 74A2A and a large diameter portion 74A2B formed stepwise. It consists of a stepped pin. The specific shape of the second positioning pin 74A2 is the same as that of the first positioning pin 74A1.

As shown in FIGS. 7(c) and 7(d), the third and fourth positioning pins 74A3 and 74A4 each have a circular cross section and are formed to be slightly tapered, and their tip surfaces are spherical. It has a surface shape close to

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 8A, a first engagement portion 72A1 that engages with a first positioning pin 74A1 is formed on the right outer peripheral flange portion 72Ac of the first lens 72A. ing.

The first engaging portion 72A1 is formed of a substantially cylindrical positioning hole that engages with the small diameter portion 74A1A of the first positioning pin 74A1. At this time, the first engaging portion 72A1 is formed such that the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the rear of the unit, and the inner diameter of the rear end edge is the same as the base end portion of the small diameter portion 74A1A of the first positioning pin 74A1. It is set to approximately the same value as the outer diameter.

As shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 8(a), a second engaging portion 72A2 that engages with a second positioning pin 74A2 is formed on the left outer peripheral flange portion 72Ac of the first lens 72A. .

The second engaging portion 72A2 is formed of a positioning groove that engages with the small diameter portion 74A2A of the second positioning pin 74A2. At this time, the second engaging portion 72A2 is formed to extend leftward from a position on the right side of the small diameter portion 74A2A, and is formed so that the vertical width gradually narrows toward the rear of the unit. ing. The vertical width of the rear edge of the second engaging portion 72A2 is set to substantially the same value as the outer diameter of the base end portion of the small diameter portion 74A2A of the second positioning pin 74A2.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, a first engaging portion 72B1 that engages with the first positioning pin 74A1 is formed on the right outer peripheral flange portion 72Bc of the second lens 72B.

The first engaging portion 72B1 is formed of a substantially cylindrical positioning hole that engages with the large diameter portion 74A1B of the first positioning pin 74A1. At this time, the first engaging portion 72B1 is formed such that the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the rear of the unit, and the inner diameter of the rear edge is the same as the base end portion of the large diameter portion 74A1B of the first positioning pin 74A1. It is set to approximately the same value as the outer diameter of the neighboring portion.

As shown in FIG. 7B, a second engaging portion 72B2 that engages with the second positioning pin 74A2 is formed on the left outer peripheral flange portion 72Bc of the second lens 72B.

The second engaging portion 72B2 is formed of a positioning groove that engages with the large diameter portion 74A2B of the second positioning pin 74A2. At this time, the second engaging portion 72B2 is formed to extend leftward from a position on the right side of the large diameter portion 74A2B, and is formed so that the vertical width gradually narrows toward the rear of the unit. It is The vertical width of the rear edge of the second engaging portion 72B2 is set to substantially the same value as the outer diameter of the portion near the base end of the large diameter portion 74A2B of the second positioning pin 74A2.

As shown in FIG. 7C, a third engaging portion 72C3 that engages with the third positioning pin 74A3 is formed on the right outer peripheral flange portion 72Cc of the third lens 72C.

The third engaging portion 72C3 is composed of a substantially cylindrical positioning hole that engages with the third positioning pin 74A3. At this time, the third engaging portion 72C3 is formed such that the inner diameter gradually decreases toward the front of the unit, and the inner diameter of the front edge of the third engaging portion 72C3 is equal to the outer diameter of the portion near the base end of the third positioning pin 74A3. is set to approximately the same value as

As shown in FIG. 7D, a fourth engaging portion 72C4 that engages with the fourth positioning pin 74A4 is formed on the left outer peripheral flange portion 72C of the third lens 72C.

The fourth engaging portion 72C4 is formed of a positioning groove that engages with the fourth positioning pin 74A4. At this time, the fourth engaging portion 72C4 is formed to extend leftward from a position on the right side of the fourth positioning pin 74A4 so that the vertical width gradually narrows toward the front of the unit. formed. The vertical width of the front edge of the fourth engaging portion 72C4 is set to substantially the same value as the outer diameter of the portion near the base end of the fourth positioning pin 74A4.

The front end face 74Aa of the holder main body 74A is formed in a state where the peripheral regions of the first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2 are recessed. Further, the rear end surface 74Ab of the holder main body 74A is formed in a recessed state around the third and fourth positioning pins 74A3 and 74A4.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the holder main body 74A of the lens holder 74 supports the second lens 72B at a plurality of circumferential locations (specifically, three locations on each of the left and right sides) on the front end surface 74Aa of the lens holder 74. A lens support portion 74Aa1 is formed for this purpose.

Each lens supporting portion 74Aa1 is formed on the front end surface 74Aa of the holder main body 74A so as to protrude toward the front side of the unit, and the end surface thereof is positioned on the same vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax.

As also shown in FIG. 6, the second lens 72B is arranged in a state in which the pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Bc are in contact with the three pairs of left and right lens support portions 74Aa1. Further, the first lens 72A is arranged in a state in which the pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Ac are in contact with the pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Bc of the second lens 72B.

The first metal fitting 76A is arranged in contact with the pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Ac of the first lens 72A from the front side of the unit. Positioning is performed with respect to the unit front-rear direction.

On the other hand, in the holder main body 74A of the lens holder 74, lens supporting portions 74Ab1 for supporting the third lens 72C are formed at a plurality of locations (specifically, three locations on each of the left and right sides) in the circumferential direction on the rear end surface 74Ab. It is

Each lens supporting portion 74Ab1 is formed on the rear end surface 74Ab of the holder main body 74A so as to protrude rearward of the unit, and the front end surface thereof is positioned on the same vertical plane perpendicular to the optical axis Ax.

The third lens 72C is disposed in a state in which the pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Cc are in contact with the three pairs of left and right lens support portions 74Ab1.

The second metal fitting 76B is arranged in contact with the pair of left and right outer peripheral flange portions 72Cc of the third lens 72C from the unit rear side, thereby positioning the third lens 72C in the unit front-rear direction. It is designed to

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the holder main body 74A of the lens holder 74 has a pair of front and rear openings 74Ac formed in the upper and lower walls thereof. Each opening 74Ac has a substantially oblong rectangular opening shape.

The first and second metal fittings 76A, 76B are formed by bending a metal plate.

The first metal fitting 76A is formed in the shape of a frame so as to surround the first lens 72A in a vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax. A flange portion 76Aa is formed. The distance between the pair of upper and lower flange portions 76Aa is set to substantially the same value as the height dimension of the holder main body 74A. Each flange portion 76Aa is formed with a cut-and-raised portion 76Ab cut and raised on the optical axis Ax side. A base end portion of each flange portion 76Aa is formed in a corrugated plate shape.

Then, the outer peripheral flange portion 72Bc of the second lens 72B is brought into contact with the lens supporting portion 74Aa1 formed on the front end surface 74Aa of the holder main body 74A, and the outer peripheral flange portion 72Bc of the second lens 72B is pressed against the outer peripheral flange portion 72Bc of the first lens 72A. With the flange portion 72Ac in contact and the first metal fitting 76A in contact with the outer peripheral flange portion 72Ac of the first lens 72A from the front side of the unit, the pair of upper and lower cut-and-raised portions 76Ab are engaged. The first and second lenses 72A and 72B are assembled to the lens holder 74 by engaging with the openings 74Ac located on the front side of the unit in the upper and lower walls of the holder main body 74A. there is

During this assembly, the first metal fitting 76A presses the first and second lenses 72A and 72B toward the lens holder 74 by elastically deforming the base ends of the corrugated flanges 76Aa. As a result, each cut-and-raised portion 76Ab is reliably locked to each opening 74Ac.

A pair of left and right notch portions 76Ac are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first metal fitting 76A, so that the tips of the first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2 are aligned with the first metal fitting 76A during assembly. Interference with the 1 fitting 76A is prevented in advance.

On the other hand, the second metal fitting 76B is formed in a frame shape so as to surround the third lens 72C in a vertical plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax, and has upper and lower ends extending substantially horizontally toward the front of the unit. A pair of flange portions 76Ba are formed.

Also in this second metal fitting 76B, each flange portion 76Ba is formed with a cut-and-raised portion 76Bb that is cut and raised on the optical axis Ax side, and the base end portion of each flange portion 76Ba is formed in a corrugated plate shape. there is A pair of left and right notch portions 76Bc are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the second metal fitting 76B to prevent interference with the third and fourth positioning pins 74A3 and 74A4.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The lamp unit 10 according to the present embodiment has first and second lenses 72A and 72B arranged side by side in the front-rear direction of the unit as the projection lens 72. First and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2 extending in the unit front-rear direction are formed at two circumferential locations on the front end surface 74Aa (the first end surface in the unit front-rear direction), while the first and second lenses 72A are formed. , 72B are formed with first and second engaging portions 72A1, 72A2, 72B1, 72B2 that engage with the first and second positioning pins 74A1, 74A2, respectively, so that the following effects can be achieved. Obtainable.

That is, each of the first and second lenses 72A, 72B has its first and second engaging portions 72A1, 72A2, 72B1, 72B engaged with the first and second positioning pins 74A1, 74A2 of the lens holder 74. Positioning is performed within a plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax of the projection lens 72, so that the positional relationship accuracy of the first and second lenses 72A and 72B can be improved with respect to the direction orthogonal to the optical axis Ax of the projection lens 72. can.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the lamp unit 10 having the projection lens 72, even if the projection lens 72 is composed of a plurality of lenses, the accuracy of the positional relationship between the lenses can be improved. can.

In particular, the lamp unit 10 according to the present embodiment has a configuration including the spatial light modulator 30 that reflects the light emitted from the light source 52 toward the projection lens 72. The spatial light modulator 30 and the projection lens Since increasing the accuracy of the positional relationship with 72 is important for sufficiently exhibiting the optical function of the lamp unit 10, adopting the configuration of this embodiment is particularly effective.

Moreover, by adopting the configuration of this embodiment, it is not necessary to form a stepped lens supporting portion on the inner peripheral surface of the lens holder 74, so that the outer diameter of the lens holder 74 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, each of the first and second lenses 72A and 72B is configured such that the first engaging portions 72A1 and 72B1 are formed of positioning holes that engage with the first positioning pins 74A1, and the second lenses 72A and 72B Since the engaging portions 72A2 and 72B2 are configured by positioning grooves that engage with the second positioning pin 74A2, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, each of the first and second lenses 72A, 72B has a plane orthogonal to the optical axis Ax of the projection lens 72 by engagement between the first engaging portions 72A1, 72B1 as positioning holes and the first positioning pin 74A1. After positioning in the translational direction is achieved inside, positioning in the rotational direction about the first positioning pin 74A1 is achieved by engaging the second engaging portions 72A2 and 72B2 as the positioning grooves with the second positioning pin 74A2. Therefore, the positions of the first and second lenses 72A and 72B with respect to the direction orthogonal to the optical axis Ax of the projection lens 72 can be determined without strictly controlling the distance between the first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2. Relation accuracy can be improved.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, each of the first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2 is a stepped pin in which small diameter portions 74A1A and 74A2A and large diameter portions 74A1B and 74A2B are formed stepwise, Further, the first and second engaging portions 72A1 and 72A2 formed on the first lens 72A engage with the small diameter portions 74A1A and 74A2A of the first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2, and the second lens 72B are engaged with the large diameter portions 74A1B and 74A2B of the first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2. It is possible to easily manage dimensions when forming 74A2.

Further, in this embodiment, lens support portions 74Aa1 for supporting the second lens 72B are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction on the front end surface 74Aa of the lens holder 74, and the first and second lenses 72A and 72B Peripheral flange portions 72Ac and 72Bc are formed respectively, and the first lens 72A is arranged with the outer peripheral flange portion 72Ac in contact with the outer peripheral flange portion 72Bc of the second lens 72B. Since the second lens 72Bc is arranged with the outer peripheral flange portion 72Bc in contact with the lens support portion 74Aa1 of the lens holder 74, the accuracy of the positional relationship between the first and second lenses 72A and 72B in the unit front-rear direction is high. can increase

Further, in this embodiment, as the projection lens 72, a third lens 72C supported by the lens holder 74 is provided in a state of being arranged side by side with the first and second lenses 72A and 72B in the front-rear direction of the unit. In addition, third and fourth positioning pins 74A3 and 74A4 are formed at two locations in the circumferential direction on the rear end surface 74Ab (the second end surface opposite to the first end surface) of the lens holder 74. Since the third and fourth engaging portions 72C3 and 72C4 that engage with the third and fourth positioning pins 74A3 and 74A4 are formed on the lens 72C, the first Also, the accuracy of the positional relationship between the second lenses 72A, 72B and the third lens 72C can be ensured.

In the above embodiment, each of the first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2 has been described as a stepped pin. It is possible.

In the above embodiment, the outer peripheral flange portion 72Ac of the first lens 72A and the outer peripheral flange portion 72Bc of the second lens 72B are described as being in direct contact with each other. It is also possible to adopt

In the above embodiment, a plurality of lenses (that is, the first and second lenses 72A and 72B) are supported on the front end surface 74Aa of the lens holder 74, while a single lens (that is, Although the third lens 72C) has been described as being supported, the rear end surface 74Ab of the lens holder 74 may also be configured to support a plurality of lenses (for example, a total of four lenses, two each in the front and rear). is also possible. In this case, by adopting a lens support structure similar to that of the front end surface 74Aa also in this rear end surface 74Ab, it is possible to obtain the same effect.

In the above embodiment, the vehicle lamp 100 is a headlamp provided at the front end of the vehicle, and the lamp unit 10 is accommodated in the lamp chamber. A configuration in which the lamp unit 10 is applied to the lamp for drawing the road surface installed at the bumper position on the lower side, or a configuration in which the lamp unit 10 is applied to the lamp for drawing the road surface installed at the rear end of the vehicle body can also be used. It is possible.

In the above embodiment, the lamp unit 10 is described as a vehicle-mounted lamp unit, but it can also be used for applications other than vehicle-mounted.

Next, a modified example of the above embodiment will be described.

FIG. 8(b) is a view similar to FIG. 8(a), showing the main part of the lens-side sub-assembly 170 according to this modified example.

The basic configuration of this modification is the same as that of the above embodiment, but the configuration of the first and second lenses 172A and 172B is partially different from that of the above embodiment.

That is, in the first lens 172A of this modified example as well, a first engaging portion 172A1 that engages with the first positioning pin 74A1 of the lens holder 74 is provided on the outer peripheral flange portion 172Ac on the right side (the left side when viewed from the front of the lamp unit). A second engaging portion 172A2 that engages with the second positioning pin 74A2 of the lens holder 74 is formed on the left outer peripheral flange portion 172Ac. are formed of positioning grooves, which is different from the above embodiment.

Specifically, the second engaging portion 172A2 is formed to extend leftward from a position on the right side of the small diameter portion 74A2A of the second positioning pin 74A2, like the second engaging portion 72A2 of the above embodiment. However, the position of the right edge is set closer to the small diameter portion 74A2A of the second positioning pin 74A2 than in the above embodiment.

The second engaging portion 172A2 is formed such that its vertical width gradually narrows toward the rear of the unit, and the vertical width of its rear edge is the same as the base end portion of the small diameter portion 74A2A of the second positioning pin 74A2. It is the same as the case of the above-described embodiment in that it is set to substantially the same value as the outer diameter.

On the other hand, the first engaging portion 172A1 has a shape symmetrical to the second engaging portion 172A2 with respect to the vertical plane including the optical axis Ax.

As a result, the first lens 172A of this modified example can move vertically and horizontally with respect to the lens holder 74, even though the first and second engaging portions 172A1 and 172A2 are both formed of positioning grooves. is maintained in a sufficiently well-positioned state.

Regarding the above points, the second lens 172B has the same configuration as the first lens 172A.

Even when the configuration of this modified example is employed, it is possible to increase the accuracy of the positional relationship between the first and second lenses 172A and 172B with respect to the direction perpendicular to the optical axis Ax.

Moreover, when the configuration of this modified example is employed, it is necessary to strictly manage the spacing between the first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2 compared to the case of the above-described embodiment. Since both the first and second engaging portions 172A1 and 172A2 are formed by positioning grooves, they can be easily engaged with the first and second positioning pins 74A1 and 74A2, thereby allowing the lens holder 74 to engage with the first and second engaging portions 172A1 and 172A2. 1 lens 172A can be easily mounted. In this respect, the same applies to the second lens 172B.

It should be noted that the numerical values shown as specifications in the above-described embodiment and its modification are merely examples, and it goes without saying that these values may be set to different values as appropriate.

Moreover, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments and modifications thereof, and configurations with various other modifications can be employed.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 lamp unit 20 spatial light modulation unit 22 support substrate 24 heat sink 26 socket 30 spatial light modulator 30A reflection control section 32 plate member 34 gasket 36 translucent cover 40 bracket 40A vertical surface portion 40B horizontal surface portion 50 light source side sub-assembly 52 light source 54 Reflector 56 Substrate 60 Base member 62, 84 Heat transfer plate 70, 170 Lens-side sub-assembly 72 Projection lens 72A, 172A First lens 72Ac, 72Bc, 72Cc, 172Ac Peripheral flange 72A1, 72B1, 172A1 First engaging part 72A2, 72B2, 172A2 Second engaging portion 72B, 172B Second lens 72C Third lens 72C3 Third engaging portion 72C4 Fourth engaging portion 74 Lens holder 74A Holder body 74Aa Front end surface (first end surface)
74Aa1, 74Ab1 Lens support portion 74Ab Rear end surface (second end surface)
74Ac Opening 74A1 First positioning pin 74A1A, 74A2A Small diameter portion 74A1B, 74A2B Large diameter portion 74A2 Second positioning pin 74A3 Third positioning pin 74A4 Fourth positioning pin 74B Leg portion 74Ba Long hole 76A First metal fitting 76Aa, 76Ba Flange portion 76Ab , 76Bb Cut-and-raised portion 76Ac, 76Bc Notch portion 76B Second metal fitting 80 Heat sink 82 Radiation fan 86 Heat pipe 100 Vehicle lamp 102 Lamp body 104 Translucent cover Ax Optical axis F Rear focus

Claims (6)

In a lighting unit configured to irradiate light from a light source toward the front of the unit via a projection lens,
The projection lens comprises first and second lenses arranged side by side in the front-rear direction of the unit,
The first and second lenses are supported by a common lens holder,
First and second positioning pins extending in the unit front-rear direction are formed at two circumferential locations on a first end surface of the lens holder in the unit front-rear direction,
A lighting unit, wherein the first and second lenses are formed with first and second engaging portions that engage with the first and second positioning pins, respectively. The first engaging portion is configured by a positioning hole that engages with the first positioning pin,
2. The lamp unit according to claim 1, wherein the second engaging portion is formed of a positioning groove that engages with the second positioning pin. Each of the first and second positioning pins is a stepped pin having a small diameter portion and a large diameter portion formed in a stepped manner,
The first and second engaging portions formed on the first lens are engaged with the small diameter portions of the first and second positioning pins,
3. The lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first and second engaging portions formed on the second lens are engaged with the large-diameter portions of the first and second positioning pins. unit. lens support portions for supporting the second lens are formed at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction of the first end surface of the lens holder;
Each of the first and second lenses has an outer peripheral flange,
The first lens is arranged with an outer peripheral flange portion of the first lens in contact with an outer peripheral flange portion of the second lens,
4. The lamp unit according to claim 1, wherein the second lens is arranged with an outer peripheral flange portion of the second lens in contact with the lens support portion. The projection lens includes a third lens supported by the lens holder while being arranged side by side with the first and second lenses in the unit front-rear direction,
third and fourth positioning pins extending in the front-rear direction of the unit are formed at two locations in the circumferential direction on a second end face of the lens holder opposite to the first end face,
5. The lamp unit according to claim 1, wherein the third lens is formed with third and fourth engaging portions that engage with the third and fourth positioning pins. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a spatial light modulator for reflecting light emitted from the light source toward the projection lens, or a micro LED array as the light source for direct light toward the projection lens. 5. The lamp unit according to any one of 1 to 5.

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