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EP-4332432-B1 - LIGHT EMITTING APPARATUS, LIGHT SOURCE UNIT, AND VEHICLE

EP4332432B1EP 4332432 B1EP4332432 B1EP 4332432B1EP-4332432-B1

Inventors

  • KANAYAMA, YOSHIHIKO
  • AKIE, Toshinao
  • Kimoto, Ryohei
  • UCHIDA, MITSUHIRO
  • YOSHIDA, TAKAO
  • MURAI, TOSHIAKI
  • OGATA, TOMOYUKI

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220329

Claims (14)

  1. A light emitting apparatus that is supported by a second support (220) supported by a first support (210) laterally relative to the first support (210) alongside an imaging apparatus (190) and that emits light to be detected by the imaging apparatus (190), the light emitting apparatus comprising: a light source (120) that emits the light; a lens (130) on which the light emitted from the light source (120) is incident and that transmits the light incident on the lens (130); a screen (510) disposed between the light source (120) and the lens (130); and a substrate (140) including a placement surface (141) on which the light source (120) is placed, wherein out of the light emitted from the light source (120), an amount of light traveling to a part of the lens (130) located adjacent to the first support (210) is less than an amount of light traveling to a part of the lens (130) located away from the first support (210); the first support (210) is a body portion of a vehicle, the second support (220) is a side mirror, and the imaging apparatus (190) is a camera; the screen (510) at least partially absorbs, reflects, or diffuses the light traveling to the part of the lens (130) located adjacent to the first support (210) out of the light emitted from the light source (120); the screen (510) includes a light shield disposed between the lens (130) and the light source (120) at a position closer to the first support (210) than the light source (120) is to at least partially absorb, reflect, or diffuse the light traveling to the part of the lens (130) located adjacent to the first support (210) out of the light emitted from the light source (120); and characterized in that the screen (510) further includes a flat portion (530) placed on the placement surface (141) between the lens (130) and the placement surface (141).
  2. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in plan view of the placement surface (141), the light shield extends continuously from a position at least partially overlapping the light source (120) to a position between the light source (120) and the first support (210).
  3. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein out of light traveling to a part of the lens (130) located adjacent to the vehicle, the light shield absorbs, reflects, or diffuses more light traveling backward in a direction of travel of the vehicle relative to the light source (120) than light traveling forward in the direction of travel of the vehicle relative to the light source (120).
  4. The light emitting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the screen (510) includes polycarbonate.
  5. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the screen (510) is an electronic component disposed on the substrate (140).
  6. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a heat sink on which the substrate (140) is placed, wherein the screen (510) is a part of the heat sink and passes through the substrate (140) to be disposed between the light source (120) and the lens (130).
  7. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source (120) includes: a light emitter that emits the light; and a light emitter lens (130) on which the light emitted from the light emitter is incident and that transmits the light incident on the light emitter lens (130) to the lens (130), wherein a surface of the light emitter lens (130) located adjacent to the first support (210) is a flat surface inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light emitted from the light emitter or a curved surface protruding toward the light emitter.
  8. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate (140) is disposed with a direction normal to a main surface of the substrate (140) pointing away from the first support (210), the light source (120) being placed on the main surface.
  9. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: a protrusion (i) on the lens (130) and protruding to the substrate (140) to be in contact with the substrate (140) or (ii) on the substrate (140) and protruding to the lens (130) to be in contact with the lens (130), wherein the protrusion is provided on the substrate (140) or the lens (130) at a position located away from the first support (210).
  10. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light source (120) includes: a light emitter that emits the light; and a mounting substrate (140) on which the light emitter is placed, wherein the mounting substrate (140) is disposed with a direction normal to a mounting surface of the mounting substrate (140) pointing away from the first support (210), the light emitter being placed on the mounting surface.
  11. The light emitting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: adhesive portions disposed between the light source (120) and the substrate (140) to bond the light source (120) and the substrate (140) together, wherein the adhesive portions include a first adhesive portion located adjacent to the first support (210) and a second adhesive portion located away from the first support (210), and a width of the first adhesive portion from the substrate (140) to the light source (120) is greater than a width of the second adhesive portion.
  12. The light emitting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the light source (120) emits the light that is near-infrared light.
  13. A light source (120) unit comprising: the light emitting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12; and the imaging apparatus (190).
  14. A vehicle comprising: the light source (120) unit according to claim 13; wherein the light emitting apparatus is attached to the side mirror to emit the light to a road surface, and the imaging apparatus (190) detects the light reflected from the road surface to create an image of the road surface.

Description

[Technical Field] The present invention relates to light emitting apparatuses, light source units, and mobile bodies. [Background Art] Light emitting apparatuses have been provided for vehicles that are an example of a mobile body to emit light to road surfaces around the vehicles (for example, see Patent Literature (PTL) 1). For example, PTL 1 discloses a lighting apparatus that is an example of light emitting apparatus provided for a side mirror to illuminate where driver's feet are put outside a vehicle. PTL 2 describes a light source unit including a housing, a light source which is housed in the housing and irradiates downward with light, and a lens which covers a lower side of the light source and is arranged on the housing. The lens has a protrusion part which is arranged on an inner surface positioned on a vehicle side than an optical axis of illumination light, which the light source irradiates when the light source unit is arranged on a vehicle, and protrudes to a light source side. The protrusion part includes a first surface where a normal direction faces the vehicle side and a second surface where a normal direction faces the light source side. An angle formed by the optical axis and the first surface is larger than an angle formed by the optical axis and the second surface. PTL 3 describes a light source unit including a substrate, an infrared light source mounted on the substrate, a housing which houses the infrared light source, and a lens which covers the infrared light source and transmits infrared light which the infrared light source irradiates. The lens is in contact with the substrate at an end edge and is arranged so as to separate from the infrared light source. [Citation List] [Patent Literature] [PTL 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-71386[PTL 2] JP 2020 019303 A[PTL 3] JP 2020 019304 A [Summary of Invention] [Technical Problem] For example, in addition to the light emitting apparatus that emits light, the side mirror may be provided with an imaging apparatus that images road surfaces. The imaging apparatus of this type detects reflected light resulting from the light emitted from the light emitting apparatus and reflected from the road surfaces, obstacles, or the like to create images of the road surfaces. Here, when the imaging apparatus detects an excessive amount of light, halation appears in images created by the imaging apparatus. The present invention provides a light emitting apparatus and the like that can prevent halation from appearing in images created by an imaging apparatus. [Solution to Problem] The invention is defined by the appended claims. In particular, a light emitting apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is supported by a second support supported by a first support laterally relative to the first support alongside an imaging apparatus, and emits light to be detected by the imaging apparatus. The light emitting apparatus includes a light source that emits the light and a lens on which the light emitted from the light source is incident and that transmits the light incident on the lens. The lens includes a part provided with a dimmer that at least partially reduces light to be emitted to the first support out of the light incident on the lens. Moreover, a light emitting apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is supported by a second support supported by a first support laterally relative to the first support alongside an imaging apparatus, and emits light to be detected by the imaging apparatus. The light emitting apparatus includes a light source that emits the light, a lens on which the light emitted from the light source is incident and that transmits the light incident on the lens, and a dimmer that at least partially reflects or diffuses light traveling to the first support out of the light transmitted through the lens. Moreover, a light emitting apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention is supported by a second support supported by a first support laterally relative to the first support alongside an imaging apparatus, and emits light to be detected by the imaging apparatus. The light emitting apparatus includes a light source that emits the light and a lens on which the light emitted from the light source is incident and that transmits the light incident on the lens. Out of the light emitted from the light source, the amount of light traveling to a part of the lens located adjacent to the first support is less than the amount of light traveling to a part of the lens located away from the first support. Moreover, a light source unit according to an aspect of the present invention includes the light emitting apparatus described above and the imaging apparatus described above. Moreover, a mobile body according to an aspect of the present invention includes the above-described light source unit, a body portion that is the above-described first support, and a side mir