GB2326225A

GB2326225A - A shade for a vehicle lamp

Info

Publication number: GB2326225A
Application number: GB9812320A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tatsuhiko Harada
Original assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 1997-06-09
Filing date: 1998-06-08
Publication date: 1998-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 2018-06-08
Also published as: JPH113603A; GB2326225B; GB9812320D0; DE19825558C2; JP3172692B2; DE19825558A1

Abstract

A vehicle lamp comprises a lamp body, a light source, a lens and a shade. The lamp body is situated on the comer of a vehicle such that the lens extends across part of the front of the vehicle and also along part of the side of the vehicle. The shade is provided in the vicinity of the light source and for preference consists of a cap fitting over the light source with an aperture in the cap through which light is emitted. The purpose of the shade is to ensure that light is only emitted in the direction of the length of the vehicle.

Description

1 2326225 n VEHICLE LAMP The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp

installed in the comer portion of a vehicle body.

The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 9166634, which is incorporated herein by refemce.

Some of the vehicle lamps are often installed in the comer portion of a vehicle body. The lens of such a vehicle lamp is normally formed so that its outer region in the vehicle width direction rounds the rear side (not necessarily the rear side of the vehicle but the rear side of the lamp (the same applies to the following description)); however, the outer region of the lens in the vehicle width direction is formed so as to round the curve backward further than the light emitting part of the light source bulb in some cases depending on the configuration of the vehicle body. In the case where the vehicle lamp has such a lens, there may be a case where it is functionally undesirable to make light from the light source bulb incident on the outer region of the lens in the vehicle width direction.

Consequently, it has heretofore been devised to shade the light directed from a light source bulb 114 to the outer rf gion 11 6a of a lens 116 in the vehicle width direction by providing the shade 120 along the configuration of the lens 116 in the vicinity of the inner surface of the outer region I I 6a of the lens 116 in the vehicle width direction.

With the adoption of a structure with the arrangement of the shade, though the function of light distribution of the lamp becomes satisfied while the lens configuration rounding along the vehicle body is secured. Since the shade 120 is provided in the vicinity of the inner surface of the outer region I I 6a of the lens 116 in the vehicle width 11, direction, however, the inner part inside the lamp remains unobservable cleaAY because the inner part is screened by the shade 120 when the lamp is observed from the outside when the lamp is turned off, the problem is that a feeling of depth is unobtainable from the lamp.

An object of the present invention made in view of the foregoing problems is to provide a vehicle lamp such that the outer region of a lens in the vehicle width direction is 'formed so that the outer region rounds the curve backward further than the light emitting part of a light source bulb and that a feeling of sufficient depth can be given to a person looking at the lamp while the function of light distribution of the lamp is secured.

According to the present invention, there is provided a A vehicle lamp installed in a comer portion of a vehicle body, the vehicle lamp comprising: a lamp body holding a light source bulb therein; a lens formed on the front side of the light source bulb such that its outer region in the vehicle width direction rounds the curve backward further than the light emitting part of light source bulb; and a shade for shading the light directed from the light source bulb to the outer region of the lens in the vehicle width direction, wherein the shade is provided in the vicinity of the light source bulb.

On condition that the aforesaid "shade" is provided in the vicinity of the light source bulb, its shape, a shade mount and the like remain unrestricted. The phrase "the vicinity of the light source bulb" refers to a position closer to the light source bulb than the intermediate position i.e substantially the mid position between the light emitting part of the light source bulb and the outer region of the lens in the vehicle width direction.

With the aforesaid arrangement, though the outer region of the lens in the vehicle width direction rounds the curve backward further than the light emitting part of the light source bulb in the vehicle lamp according to the present invention, a feeling of sufficient depth can be given to a person looking at the lamp while the function of light distribution of the lamp is secured since the shade for shading the light directed from the light source bulb to the aforesaid outer region in the vehicle width direction is provided in the vicinity of the light source bulb (i.e., in the position sufficiently separated from the outer region in the vehicle width direction), and the neatness of external appearance of the lamp is made improvable thereby when the lamp is turned off.

Futhermore, in the vehicle lamp described above, the shade is formed so as to cover the whole periphery of the light source bulb and provided with a cutout window for passing only the light directed from the light source bulb in a predetermined direction therethrough.

Since the light source bulb and a light source bulb mount can be hidden by the shade, the neatness of external appearance of the lamp is made improvable further thereby when the lamp is turned off. If a plurality of kinds of shades with cutout windows different in configuration are prepared, moreover, it is possible to selectively mount a shade fit for the specific function of light distribution required for the lamp. The aforesaid "predetermined direction" is not limited to a particular direction on condition that it is any direction other than the direction of the outer region of the lens in the vehicle width direction.

Still further, the vehicle lamp as described above, a reflective surface for reflecting at least part of the light passed through the cutout window forward is provided in an inner position in the vehicle width direction further than the light source bulb in the lamp body.

Since limited luminous flux can be emitted forward efficiently, the lamp 3 - adaptable as a clearance lamp or the like. At this time, the aforesaid "reflective surface" may directly be formed on the inner surface of the lamp body or otherwise on a reflector formed in the lamp body.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. I is a horizontal sectional view of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the lamp remodeled as a comering lamp; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a single article of shade of the lamp; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of a conventional vehicle lamp.

A lamp 10 according to this embodiment of the invention is a clearance lamp which is installed at the left front end comer portion of a vehicle body and comprises a lamp body 12 substantially L-shaped in cross section, a light source bulb 14 held in the lamp body 12, a lens 16 provided on the front side of the light source bulb 14, a reflector 18 which is provided in the lamp body 12 and used for reflecting light from the light source bulb 14, and a shade 20.

The light source bulb 14 is a wedge base bulb which is fitted into the lamp body 12 from a direction slightly close to the rear inside in the vehicle width direction via a 4 - socket 22.

The lens 16 is curved in such a way that its outer region 16a in the vehicle width direction rounds the curve backward further than the filament (light emitting part) of the light source bulb 14 along the surface corifiguration of the left front end comer of the vehicle body.

The reflector 18 is formed substantially along the configuration of the lamp body 12 and also secured thereto. A bulb inserting hole 18a for inserting the light source bulb 14 is bored substantially in the central portion of the reflector 18.

The shade 20 is, as shown in the form of a single part, formed with a caplike shade body portion 20A for covering the whole periphery of the light source bulb 14 and a mounting leg portion 20B, and secured to the reflector 18 with a screw 24 in the mounting leg portion. The surface of the shade 20 is chrome-plated.

A reinforcing recessed bead 20a extending from the shade body portion 20A up to the mounting leg portion 20B is formed in the rear side portion of the shade body portion 20A.

On the other hand, a substantially rectangular cutout window 20b is formed in the front side portion of the shade body portion 20A. The outer end 20bI of the cutout window 20b in the vehicle width direction is positioned so that it is situated on a straight line inclining at an angle of 300 outward in the vehicle width direction from the center position of the filament 14a of the light source bulb 14 with respect to the longitudinal axis Ax. The formation of the cutout window 20b in the shade body portion 20A permits the only light directed from the light source bulb 14 forward in directions in the predetermined range of angles. In consequence, the light directed to the outer region 16a of the lens 16 in the vehicle width direction is shaded by the shade body portion 20A.

- 5 Although part of the light passed through the cutout window 20b from the light source bulb 14 is incident on the inner surface of the reflector 18, the region (what is in the vicinity of the front side of the bulb inserting hole 18a) where the light passed through a portion close to the inner end 20b2 of the cutout window 20b in the vehicle width direction out of the inner surface of the reflector 18 is incident forms a reflective surface 18b for reflecting the incident light forward.

Although the lamp 10 according to this embodiment of the invention is a 0 clearance lamp, it may also be used as a cornering lamp by replacing part of the arrangement.

More specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the lamp 10 can be made to function as a comering lamp 10' for irradiating a wide range of angles with light from a light source bulb 14' by removing the shade 20 of the lamp 10 and replacing the light source bulb 14 and the socket 22 with the light source bulb 14'and a socket 2T. Incidentally, a reflective surface 18c formed on the rear side of the bulb inserting hole 18a on the inner surface of the reflector 18 can be made to function effectively in this case.

As set forth above in detail, though the outer region 16a of the lens 16 in the vehicle width direction is formed so as to round the curve backward further than the filament 14a of the light source bulb 14, the function of light distribution required for the clearance lamp since the shade 20 for shading the light directed to the outer region 16a of the lens 16 in the vehicle width direction is provided. The shade 20 is provided in the vicinity of the light source bulb 14 (i.e., in the position sufficiently separated from the outer region in the vehicle width direction) at this time to ensure that a feeling of sufficient depth is given to the lamp, whereby the neatness of external appearance of the lamp is made improvable when the lamp is turned off.

6 - According to this embodiment of the invention, moreover, the light source bulb 14 and the socket 22 can be hidden by the shade 20 since the shade 20 is provided so as to cover the whole periphery of the light source bulb 14 and provided with the cutout window 20b for passing only the light directed from le light source bulb 14 in the predetermined direction therethrough, whereby the neatness of external appearance of the lamp is made improvable further when the lamp is turned off. The shade 20 can be made glossy since the surface of the shade 20 according to this embodiment of the invention is chrome-plated, whereby the neatness of external appearance of the lamp is made improvable further when the lamp is turned off. If a plurality of kinds of shades with cutout windows different in configuration are prepared, moreover, it is possible to selectively mount a shade fit for the specific function of light distribution required for the lamp.

According to this embodiment of the invention, moreover, since the reflective surface 18b for reflecting at least part of the light passed through the cutout window 20b forward is provided in the inner position in the vehicle width direction further than the light source bulb 14 of the reflector 18 in the lamp body 12, limited luminous flux can be emitted forward efficiently, and the lamp is adaptable as a clearance lamp or the like.

The lamp 10 according to this embodiment of the invention may be used as not only a clearance lamp but a cornering lamp by replacing part of the arrangement.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp installed in a comer portion of a vehicle body, the vehicle lamp comprising: a lamp body holding a light source bulb therein; a lens formed on the front side of the light source bulb such that its outer region in the vehicle width direction rounds the curve backward further than the light emitting part of light source bulb; and a shade for shading the light directed from the light source bulb to the outer region of the lens in the vehicle width direction, wherein the shade is provided in the vicinity of the light source bulb.

2. The vehicle lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shade is formed so as to cover the whole periphery of the light source bulb and provided with a cutout window for passing only the light directed from the light source bulb in a predetermined direction therethrough.

3 3. The vehicle lamp as claimed in claim 2, wherein a reflective surface for reflecting at least part of the light passed through the cutout window forward is provided in an inner position in the vehicle width direction further than the light source bulb in the lamp body.

4. The vehicle lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein whole surfaces of the shade is chrome-plated.

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5. The vehicle lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shade comprises: a shade body portion formed with a cap-like shade body portion; a mounting leg portion extending from the shade body portion; a reinforcing recessed bead extending from the shade body portion up to the mounting leg portion; and a substantially rectangular cutout window formed in the front side portion of the shade body portion.

6. A shade for a vehicle lamp, comprising: a shade body portion formed with a cap-like shade body portion; a mounting leg portion extending from the shade body portion; a reinforcing recessed bead extending from the shade body portion up to the mounting leg portion; and a substantially rectangular cutout window formed in the front side portion of the shade body portion.

7. The shade as claimed in claim 6, wherein whole surfaces of the shade is chrome-plated.

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