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EP-4741227-A1 - PROJECTION DEVICE

EP4741227A1EP 4741227 A1EP4741227 A1EP 4741227A1EP-4741227-A1

Abstract

Provided is a projection device that prevents glare of light emitted from an auxiliary lamp of a vehicle and suppresses a decrease in brightness of a light pattern projected onto a road surface. A projection device (1) mounted on a vehicle to project a light pattern onto a surrounding road surface includes a far distance side projection unit (2, 3) that projects a predetermined far distance side light pattern onto a relatively far position, and a near distance side projection unit (4) that projects a predetermined near distance side light pattern onto a relatively near position. The far distance side projection unit (2, 3) projects, as a light pattern (FOP, COP), the surface shape of a light emitting surface of an LED (12, 13) by a projection lens (22, 23). The near distance side projection unit (4) projects, as a light pattern (NOP), the opening shape of a shade opening (34) opened in a shade (30) that blocks light emitted from an LED (14), by a projection lens (24).

Inventors

  • TANI, KENTARO

Assignees

  • Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240701

Claims (9)

  1. A projection device mounted on a vehicle to project a light pattern onto a surrounding road surface, comprising: a far distance side projection unit that projects a predetermined far distance side light pattern onto a relatively far position; and a near distance side projection unit that projects a predetermined near distance side light pattern onto a relatively near position, wherein the far distance side projection unit is a projection unit that projects, as a light pattern, a surface shape of a light emitting surface of a light source, and the near distance side projection unit is a projection unit that projects, as a light pattern, an opening shape of a shade opening opened in a shade that blocks light emitted from a light source.
  2. The projection device according to claim 1, wherein the far distance side projection unit includes a light source having a light emitting surface in a required shape, and a projection lens that projects light emitted from the light emitting surface, the light emitting surface is disposed on a focal plane of the projection lens, and the projection lens projects, as a light pattern, a surface shape of the light emitting surface.
  3. The projection device according to claim 2, wherein the far distance side projection unit includes a shade that blocks non-pattern light not contributing to a light pattern to be projected.
  4. The projection device according to claim 1, wherein the near distance side projection unit includes a light source that emits light, a primary lens that condenses the light from the light source, a shade having a shade opening through which the light condensed by the primary lens is transmitted, and a projection lens that projects the light having transmitted through the shade opening, and the projection lens projects, as a light pattern, an opening shape of the shade opening.
  5. The projection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the projection device is disposed at a position below a lamp mounted on the vehicle to emit predetermined light, and projects a light pattern in synchronization with light irradiation of the lamp.
  6. The projection device according to claim 5, wherein the lamp is an auxiliary lamp including a turn signal lamp of the vehicle.
  7. The projection device according to claim 5, wherein an upper side portion of a circular lens surface of the projection lens is cut off.
  8. The projection device according to claim 1, wherein the far distance side projection unit includes a far projection unit that projects a far light pattern onto a position farthest from the vehicle, and a center projection unit that projects a center light pattern closer to the vehicle than the far light pattern, and the near distance side projection unit is configured as a near projection unit that projects a near light pattern closer to the vehicle than the center light pattern.
  9. The projection device according to claim 8, wherein each of the far distance side projection unit and the near distance side projection unit is configured such that a projection lens and a shade are integrally formed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a projection device mounted on a vehicle and suitable for projecting and drawing a required light pattern on a road surface of a road. BACKGROUND ART In recent years, for the purpose of achieving traffic safety during traveling of an automobile, there has been proposed a technique of projecting a light pattern onto a road surface around the automobile to enhance an ability to call attention to other vehicles and pedestrians. As a projection device that projects such a light pattern, for example, Patent Literature 1 proposes a technique in which a shade opening having a required shape is disposed on the front side of a light emitting element as a light source and a light pattern formed by the shade opening is projected by a projection lens. Patent Literature 1 also proposes a technique of projecting a plurality of light patterns by one projection device by disposing a plurality of light sources and a plurality of shade openings. CITATION LIST PATENT LITERATURE Patent Literature 1: JP-A-2023-028932 SUMMARY OF INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY INVENTION As shown in a projection device 1 of Fig. 1 as an example, the projection device of this type is often disposed at a position below a front lamp FL of an automobile CAR. In this example, the projection device 1 is disposed at a position near a front bumper of the automobile CAR, and is configured to project a light pattern OP onto a road surface in front of the automobile. By projecting the light pattern OP indicating the traveling direction onto the road surface in front of the automobile CAR, the traveling direction of the automobile is notified to other vehicles, pedestrians, and the like present ahead of or in front of the automobile CAR, which contributes to traffic safety. For example, when a turn signal lamp (auxiliary lamp SL) forming part of a front lamp FL is turned on (blinks), the light pattern OP is projected in synchronization with the turn signal lamp, so that the traveling direction of the automobile can be displayed by light irradiation from the turn signal lamp and the light pattern OP from the projection device 1 and the traffic safety can be enhanced. In a case where the light pattern is projected in synchronization with the lamp in this manner, part of the light emitted from the projection device enters the light irradiation area of the lamp, and this incident light may adversely affect normal light irradiation of the lamp as glare light. Although details will be described later, in the example of Fig. 1, part of the light directed upward among the light projected from the projection device 1 enters, as glare light LG, the light irradiation region of the turn signal lamp SL disposed on the upper side. In order to prevent this glare light, it is conceivable to dispose a light blocking means, such as a hood or a shade, for blocking light not contributing to projection of the light pattern (non-pattern light), particularly light directed to the upper side on which the front lamp FL is disposed, among the light projected from the projection lens, in the projection device. Alternatively, it is also conceivable to reduce upward light among the projection light by making the shape of the projection lens unique, reducing the area of the lens surface of the projection lens, or the like. However, in any case, since part of the projection light is blocked, the amount of light of the projected light pattern is reduced, which causes a decrease in brightness of the light pattern. An object of the present invention is to provide a projection device that prevents glare of light emitted from a lamp and suppresses a decrease in brightness of a projected light pattern. SOLUTION TO PROBLEMS A projection device of the present invention is a projection device mounted on a vehicle to project a light pattern onto a surrounding road surface. The projection device includes a far distance side projection unit that projects a predetermined far distance side light pattern onto a relatively far position, and a near distance side projection unit that projects a predetermined near distance side light pattern onto a relatively near position. Further, the far distance side projection unit is a projection unit that projects, as a light pattern, the surface shape of a light emitting surface of a light source, and the near distance side projection unit is a projection unit that projects, as a light pattern, the opening shape of a shade opening opened in a shade that blocks light emitted from a light source. In the present invention, for example, the far distance side projection unit includes a light source having a light emitting surface in a required shape, and a projection lens that projects light emitted from the light emitting surface, the light emitting surface is disposed on the focal plane of the projection lens, and the projection lens projects, as a light pattern, the surface shape of the light emitting surface. The fa