# US 9,518,712 B2 · Light projecting device and vehicular headlamp

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- Number: US 9,518,712 B2
- Document ID: US9518712B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/791,082
- Filed: 2015-07-02
- Published: 2015-10-29
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2012-05-24
- Assignees: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Koji Takahashi; Shigetoshi Ito; Yoshiyuki Takahira
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518712B2

## CPC

- F21S 41/143: the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
- F21S 41/145: the main emission direction of the LED being opposite to the main emission direction of the illuminating device
- F21S 41/147: the main emission direction of the LED being angled to the optical axis of the illuminating device
- F21S 41/16: Laser light sources
- F21S 41/176: Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
- F21S 41/25: Projection lenses
- F21S 41/321: {the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated}
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- F21Y 2115/30: Semiconductor lasers
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

A light projecting device of the present invention includes: a light source unit including (i) a laser element for emitting light, (ii) a light converging lens for converging the light emitted from the laser element, and (iii) a light emitting section for emitting light upon receipt of the light converged by the light converging lens; and a reflector for projecting light emitted from the light source unit. The light source unit is provided so as to be attached to or detached from a fixed part to which the light source unit is to be fixed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A light projecting device, comprising:
a light source unit including (i) a plurality of laser elements which emit respective laser beams whose wavelengths are different from each other and (ii) a light converging section for converging the laser beams emitted from the laser elements, wherein the laser beams converged by the light converging section are emitted from a specific part of the light source unit; and
a light projecting section for projecting the laser beams emitted from the light source unit,
the light source unit being attached to a main body of the light projecting device to which the light projecting section is fixed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the laser elements include (i) a laser element which emits a red laser beam, (ii) a laser element which emits a green laser beam, and (iii) a laser element which emits a blue laser beam.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the light source unit further includes a housing section for housing the laser elements and the light converging section, and
the housing section is tightly sealed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the light converging section is a convex lens.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the light source unit further includes a dichroic mirror which reflects the laser beams converged by the light converging section toward the specific part of the light source unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the light projecting section includes a light projecting lens which refracts the laser beams emitted from the light source unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the laser element is sealed in a package.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the housing section is tightly sealed by welding.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the light source unit is provided so as to be located substantially at a focal point of the light projecting section.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the main body of the light projecting device includes a support for supporting the light projecting section, the support having a concave part or a through hole in which the light source unit can be fitted.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The light projecting device as set forth in claim 1, wherein:
the light source unit is attached to the main body of the light projecting device by use of a screw fastening member for fastening the light source unit or a locking member for locking the light source unit.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A vehicular headlamp, comprising a light projecting device as set forth in claim 1.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vehicular headlamp as set forth in claim 12, wherein:
the light projecting section is fixed to a vehicle in which the light projecting device is provided.