JP2000195306A - Lamp for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the performance of a type of lamp for vehicles by utilizing positively the adjustability of the shape of an opening of a photoconductive member, and optimizing conditions for forming the light distribution characteristic by the lens cut of a lens or the like, such as making all projected images of the opening from all positions over a reflective surface in the same shape, and overlapping them to provide superior light distribution characteristic in an optimal shape without light unevenness. SOLUTION: A lamp for vehicle 1 is structured, such that at least a part of one end 32a of a photoconductive member 3 has a part (opening) 32c at a slant angle with respect to a center line Z of a reflective surface 2. The advantage of this type of lamp is exhibited by utilizing the flexibility of the shape of the opening 32a of the photoconductive member 3, and optimizing conditions for forming the light distribution characteristic by the lens cut 4a of a lens 4 or the like, such as making all projected images of the opening 32a from all the positions over the reflective surface in the same shape, and overlapping them to provide superior light distribution characteristic in a optimal shape without unevenness.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp, and more particularly, to a light source provided with a light distributor and the like, which propagates light from the light distributor, such as an optical fiber or a light guide. The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp having a configuration in which an output-side end of a conduction unit is used as a light source.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 11 shows an example of a conventional vehicle lamp 90 of this type. A light source 91 having a sufficient amount of light, such as a metal halide discharge lamp, is housed in a case 92 having a mirror-finished inner surface. Then, the other end portion 93b of the photoconductive material 93 formed in a cable shape by, for example, an optical fiber is inserted into the case 92, and light is taken into the photoconductive material 93.

The light captured in this way is:
Conducted inside the photoconductive material 93, one end 93a
It will be emitted with a predetermined emission angle from
If a reflection surface 94 of, for example, a paraboloid of revolution having the one end 93a as a focal point is set in the irradiation range, light radiated from the one end 93a is reflected as parallel rays, Desired light distribution characteristics are obtained by transmitting the parallel light through a lens 95 or the like having a lens cut 95a.

At this time, one end portion 93a of the photoconductive material 93 is formed in a rectangular shape similar to a filament of an incandescent light bulb which has been used as a light source of this kind of lamp, and has a reflecting surface 94a. The nature of the light rays when reflected by is approximated to a conventional light fixture using an incandescent bulb as the light source,
At the time of forming the light distribution characteristic by the lens cut 95a, the technology accumulated up to now can be used.

[0005]

However, the above-described vehicle lamp 90 using the conventional photoconductive member 93 as a light source follows the conventional technology as described above, It did not pursue the specific actions and effects that would be caused by the use of 93, and it was uncertain whether the operation of the photoconductive material 93 was performed under optimal conditions.

[0006]

According to the present invention, as a specific means for solving the above-mentioned conventional problems, one end of a photoconductive material having a light emitting source at the other end is used as a light source. In a vehicle lamp having a reflecting surface provided in an irradiation range of light from a light source, one end of the photoconductive material has a portion provided with an inclination angle at least partially with respect to a center line of the reflecting surface. The object of the present invention is to solve the problem by providing a vehicle lighting device characterized by the following features:

[0007]

Next, the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. Here, in order to facilitate understanding of the operation and effect according to the present invention, first,
The operation of the photoconductive member 3 having one end 3a of the conventional shape will be described. And in this vehicle lamp 1, as shown in FIG.
a (hereinafter, referred to as an opening 3a) is finished as a plane parallel and perpendicular to the center line (optical axis) Z of the reflection surface 2, and when viewed from above, the front end is located at the focal point F2 of the reflection surface 2. They are arranged to match. Although not shown, a light source is provided at the other end of the photoconductive material 3 to supply light into the photoconductive material 3.

The reflecting surface 2 is provided with only a substantially lower half of a rotating parabolic reflecting surface as shown in FIG. 2 in order to obtain a passing beam distribution, and is viewed from the front as shown in FIG. In the state, the one end 3a is at the focal point F of the reflection surface 2.
2 appropriately above, so that the reflected light is directed downward.

FIG. 3 shows the projected image 3o, 3p, 3q of the opening 3a by the reflecting surface 2 at the points (O to R) indicated by reference numerals O, P, Q, R in FIG. And 3
r, and the projected image (3o to 3r) is obtained by disposing the opening 3a above the focal point F2 of the reflecting surface 2.
Are generated below the horizontal line H.

A point O and a point P existing substantially in the horizontal direction of the opening 3a are, as shown in FIG.
The projections 3o and 3p are projected almost horizontally in parallel with the horizontal line H. The projections 3o and 3p are projected horizontally without giving any inclination to the shape of the opening 3a. On the other hand, projected images 3q, 3r projected from points Q and R
As shown in FIG. 3B, is projected at an angle of rotation θ from the horizontal of the respective positions Q and R.
The difference in the size of the projected images (3o to 3r) is due to the characteristics of the reflecting surface 2 which is a paraboloid of revolution.

Therefore, the lens cut 4a to be performed on the lens 4 (see FIG. 1) must be performed in consideration of the shape of the projected image (3o to 3r) at each point (OR).
At this time, if an inclined image such as the projected image 3q or the projected image 3r is generated, complicated design of the lens cut 4a is unavoidable, and a place where light does not reach partially Occurs, there is a possibility that light unevenness occurs in the light distribution characteristics.

Therefore, the inventor of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, as an initial trial product, sets an inclination angle α for correcting the projected images at the points Q and R horizontally in the opening 3 a as described above.
To form an opening 31a. Incidentally, in reality, the point Q and the point R
Since there is an angle difference between the two, the correction was performed using the intermediate point between the two. It should be noted that the points O to R are set at the same positions as those shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows projected images 31 (or) at each point (OR) at this time. First, at points O and P existing substantially in the horizontal direction of the opening 31a. Since the cross-sectional shape of the opening 31a is projected almost as it is, the image shown in FIG.
1o and 31p have substantially the same shape, and therefore, illustration is omitted here.

On the other hand, the projected images 31q and 31r projected from the points Q and R are both long above the horizontal line H as shown in FIG. It was confirmed that the sides were substantially parallel, that is, it was possible to make the projected images 31o and 31p at the points O and P extremely approximate.

However, when the projection images 31q and 31r are examined in detail, the projection image 31q does not emit light upward from the horizontal line H and can be adopted as a low-beam light distribution. In the state shown in the figure, it was confirmed that the light was slightly raised to the left, and the light was generated above the horizontal line H, in other words, upward light.

The present invention has been made through the above-described studies. Based on the above results, the opening is partially formed as shown in FIG. 6 (in this embodiment, the reflecting surface of the opening is used). 2) is defined as a straight line portion 32b that is parallel to or near the center line Z, and the other portions are corrected as shown in FIG.
And the inclined portion 32c formed an opening 32a in a polygonal line shape.

FIG. 7 shows a projected image by the opening 32a,
In particular, the projected image 32 from the points Q and R where the shape is significantly different
q, 32r, and the projection lines 32q, 32r also bend by making the polygonal shape as described above.
In the projected image 32r, a portion that goes upward from the horizontal line H is substantially not present, and the suitability for the low-beam light distribution is further enhanced.

Here, in the present invention, the opening is not limited to the above shape, but may be, for example, an opening 33a in which linear portions 32b are formed at both ends of an inclined portion 32c as shown in FIG. . And the point Q in this case,
FIG. 9 shows the projected images 33q and 33r from the point R, which are generated in parallel with the horizontal line H, and the suitability for the passing beam light distribution is further increased.

With the above arrangement, in the vehicular lamp 1 of the present invention, the projected images generated from the entire surface of the reflection surface 2 are overlapped with the long side of the rectangle substantially horizontal without tilting. Therefore, when light distribution characteristics are formed, diffusion may be appropriately performed in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. In addition, since there is no gap in which light does not reach between the projected images from the respective positions, light distribution characteristics with extremely uniform brightness can be formed without causing light distribution unevenness.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a vehicular lamp 10 employing the structure of the present invention. The vehicular lamp 10 has a first reflecting surface 12 such as a paraboloid of revolution having a light source 11 as a focal point. In addition, a light guide path (photoconductive material) 13 extending to the back surface is provided on the first reflection surface 12, and the opening 13 a of the light guide path 13 is substantially focused outside the first reflection surface 12. A second reflecting surface 14 such as a paraboloid of revolution as a position
Is provided.

The top plate portion 12 of the first reflection surface 12
a and the like, a third reflecting surface 15 such as a spheroid having the light source 11 as a first focal point and the light guide path 13 as a second focal point is provided, and the first reflecting surface 12 is captured. The light from the light source 11 that does not emit light is collected and made to reach the second reflection surface 14 via the light guide path 13, and the second reflection surface 1
The light from No. 4 can be used for illumination to further improve the irradiation efficiency.

At this time, since the light guide 13 is equivalent to the photoconductive material of the present invention, the opening (exit) 13a of the light guide 13 is, for example, as shown in FIG.
It is a polygonal line composed of a straight part and an inclined part, and it is assumed that the optimum light distribution characteristics are obtained as described above. In the drawing, reference numeral 16 denotes a lens, and reference numeral 16a denotes a lens cut applied to the lens 16.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, one end of the photoconductive material has at least a portion provided with an inclination angle with respect to the center line of the reflecting surface. The use of lamps makes it possible to positively utilize the flexibility of the opening of the photoconductive material, and to make the projected images of the opening from all positions on the reflection surface the same shape and superimpose them, such as lens cutting. By optimizing the conditions for forming the light distribution characteristics in such a way as to obtain excellent light distribution characteristics with an ideal shape and no light unevenness, it is extremely excellent in improving the performance of this type of vehicle lamp. It has the effect that it has.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a trial production process of a vehicular lamp according to the present invention as viewed from above.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the same prototype process viewed from the front.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a projected image in the same trial manufacturing process.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a second trial production process of the vehicular lamp according to the present invention when viewed from above.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a projected image in a second trial production process.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the embodiment of the vehicular lamp according to the present invention when viewed from above.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a projection image of the same embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the vehicular lamp according to the present invention when viewed from above.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a projection image of another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the vehicular lamp according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 10 vehicle lamp 2 reflective surface 3 photoconductive material 13a, 32a, 33a opening (one end) 32b linear portion 32c inclined portion 31o-33r projection Image 4, 16 ... Lens 4a, 16a ... Lens cut

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vehicular lamp in which one end of a photoconductive material having a light emitting source at the other end is used as a light source, and a reflection surface is provided in an irradiation area of the light from the light source. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein one end of the vehicle lamp has a portion at least partially inclined with respect to a center line of the reflection surface. 2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicular lamp is provided at an appropriate position on the first reflecting surface of a paraboloid of revolution having the light emitting source as a focal point, and a back surface of the first reflecting surface. At least one light guide path penetrating to the side, a second reflection surface that is a paraboloid of revolution with the focus near the exit of the light guide path, and the first reflection surface is provided at a position where interference is small. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, further comprising a spheroidal third reflecting surface having the light source as a first focus and a second focus near the light guide path.