# US 12,215,835 B2 · Headlight module and headlight device

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- Number: US 12,215,835 B2
- Document ID: US12215835B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/286,368
- Filed: 2021-04-22
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-22
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Applicants: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
- Inventors: Tomohide Morimoto; Masashige Suwa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12215835B2

## CPC

- F21S 41/365: successively reflecting the light
- F21S 41/148: the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
- F21S 41/24: Light guides
- F21S 41/321: {the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated}
- F21S 41/322: {the reflector using total internal reflection}
- F21W 2102/135: the light having cut-off lines, i.e. clear borderlines between emitted regions and dark regions
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS

## Abstract

A headlight module includes a light source to emit light; and a light guide projection optical element including an incidence surface to condense the light, thereby forming a first light, a first reflecting surface to reflect partial light as part of the first light, thereby forming light in a first light distribution pattern having a cutoff line from light other than the partial light, and a second reflecting surface inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light source so as to be farther from the optical axis as a distance from the light source along the optical axis increases. The second reflecting surface forms light in a second light distribution pattern by reflecting second light formed of the partial light reflected by the first reflecting surface and adds the light in the second light distribution pattern to the light in the first light distribution pattern.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A headlight module comprising:
a light source to emit light; and
a light guide projection optical element including
an incidence surface to condense the light, thereby forming a first light,
a first reflecting surface to reflect partial light as part of the first light, thereby forming light in a first light distribution pattern having a cutoff line from light other than the partial light, and
a second reflecting surface inclined with respect to an optical axis of the light source so as to be farther from the optical axis as a distance from the light source along the optical axis increases,
wherein the second reflecting surface forms light in a second light distribution pattern by reflecting second light formed of the partial light reflected by the first reflecting surface and adds the light in the second light distribution pattern to the light in the first light distribution pattern,
the first reflecting surface includes a cutoff line formation part that forms the cutoff line by not reflecting the light other than the partial light, and
the partial light is reflected at a position on the first reflecting surface different from the cutoff line formation part.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The headlight module according to claim 1, wherein the second reflecting surface is arranged to face the first reflecting surface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A headlight device comprising one or more headlight modules according to claim 2.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The headlight module according to claim 1, wherein
the second light distribution pattern does not have the cutoff line.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

A headlight device comprising one or more headlight modules according to claim 4.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A headlight device comprising one or more headlight modules according to claim 1.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The headlight module according to claim 1, wherein the light guide projection optical element further includes a third reflecting surface having a focal position thereof in a vicinity of the cutoff line formation part to reflect the light in the first light distribution pattern.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The headlight module according to claim 7, wherein the light guide projection optical element further includes a fourth reflecting surface to reflect the light in the second light distribution pattern.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A headlight device comprising one or more headlight modules according to claim 7.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The headlight module according to claim 8, wherein the third reflecting surface and the fourth reflecting surface are formed by curved surfaces that are formed with concave surfaces facing the first reflecting surface and the second reflecting surface respectively.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

A headlight device comprising one or more headlight modules according to claim 8.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The headlight module according to claim 10, wherein a curvature of the fourth reflecting surface differs from a curvature of the third reflecting surface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

A headlight device comprising one or more headlight modules according to claim 10.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The headlight module according to claim 12, wherein the curvature of the fourth reflecting surface is smaller than the curvature of the third reflecting surface.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

A headlight device comprising one or more headlight modules according to claim 12.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

A headlight device comprising one or more headlight modules according to claim 14.