JP2000251520A - Lamp for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change an optical path with a simple structure without need of a large power source. SOLUTION: This lamp comprises several reflecting surfaces 3a, 3b having a different focal distance formed on a reflector 3 to reflect light from a valve 2, an opening 7 formed on a boundary part between the reflecting surfaces 3a, 3b, and an optical member 4 which is movable forward and backward with respect to the inside of the reflector 3 through the opening 7 as well as changes a light irradiation pattern when it advances inside the reflector 3. Since an optical pass can be changed only by moving the optical member 4, a simple structured is attained and no large power source is required.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp used for a headlight, an auxiliary lamp, and the like, and more particularly to a vehicle lamp having a function of changing an irradiation state such as an irradiation pattern.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a conventional automobile headlight employs a bulb as a light source and a reflector for reflecting light from the bulb forward. When switching between a low beam and a high beam, the entire angle of the reflector is changed. The light path is changed by changing. When the reflector is not moved, the light path of the beam is changed by moving the valve.

[0003]

However, when the entire reflector is moved, the weight of the reflector is large, so that the power source for the reflector needs to have a large output, and its mechanism needs to be strengthened. . On the other hand, when the valve is moved, it is necessary to position the valve with respect to the reflector with high precision, and not only the components for positioning have high precision, but also the structure therefor is complicated.

Further, in the conventional automobile lamp, the irradiation pattern is switched only between the low beam and the high beam, and it is not possible to change between different types of lamps, for example, switching between the driving lamp and the fog lamp. Have the inconvenience that must be.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and it is possible to easily change an irradiation state without requiring a large power source or moving a light source. It is another object of the present invention to provide an automotive lamp that can be easily operated and can easily change between different types of lamps.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 includes an opening formed in a reflector for reflecting light from a bulb, and an inside of the reflector passing through the opening. And an optical member that changes the irradiation state of the light when it enters the interior of the reflector.

In this invention, when the optical member is retracted from the reflector, it is in a normal irradiation state.
When the optical member advances from the opening to the inside of the reflector, the light irradiation state is changed. For example, when the optical member is a yellow or orange lens or prism, normal white light has these colors, which is the same as when the fog lamp is turned on. Therefore, it is possible to easily change to a different lamp. When the optical member is a lens or the like that tilts the optical path, the optical path is changed, so that switching between a low beam and a high beam can be performed. Therefore, there is no need to tilt the reflector or move the valve, and the switching can be performed with a simple structure and with a small power source.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there are provided a reflector for reflecting light from a bulb, a plurality of reflecting surfaces having different focal lengths, an opening provided at a boundary between the plurality of reflecting surfaces, and the opening. And an optical member that changes the light irradiation pattern when the light enters the reflector and enters the reflector.

In the present invention, when the optical member is retracted from the reflector, the reflection pattern is formed by the reflection surface of the reflector. However, when the optical member advances from the opening to the inside of the reflector, the optical member becomes the reflection surface. To change the reflection pattern. Therefore, for example, when the optical member is a lens that changes the optical path upward, a high beam pattern can be obtained. Therefore, there is no need to tilt the reflector or move the bulb, and the irradiation pattern can be switched with a simple structure and with a small power source.

A third aspect of the present invention is the invention according to the first or second aspect, wherein a turning fulcrum is provided on an outer surface of the reflector, and the optical member draws an arc locus about the turning fulcrum. By rotating, the optical member moves forward and backward with respect to the inside of the reflector.

In the present invention, since the optical member advances and retreats with respect to the reflector by drawing an arc trajectory, the space for the advance and retreat can be small, and the entire lamp does not become large.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is an overall sectional view of the embodiment. The lamp according to this embodiment is applied to a headlight of an automobile, and includes a lamp housing 1 mounted on a vehicle body (not shown) as shown in FIG. , A reflector 3 and an optical member 4.

The lamp housing 1 has an open front surface, and the open front surface is covered by a lens 5.
The bulb 2 is supported by the lamp housing 1 via a socket (not shown) mounted on the rear side of the lamp housing 1.

The reflector 3 reflects light from the bulb 2 toward the front of the lamp. The reflector 3 has a bulb insertion hole 6 formed at the center thereof, and the bulb 2 is inserted from the bulb insertion hole 6 and attached. The reflector 3 has a plurality of reflecting surfaces 3a and 3b having different focal lengths. These reflection surfaces 3a and 3b are substantially paraboloids having a focal point near the bulb 2, that is, reflection surfaces including a free-form surface based on a paraboloid.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, one reflecting surface 3a is provided around the bulb 2 (bulb insertion hole 6) and is a substantially parabolic surface having a large focal length.
The other reflecting surface 3b is provided above the bulb 2 (bulb insertion hole 6), and is a substantially parabolic surface having a small focal length. These reflecting surfaces 3a and 3b act to reflect light from the bulb 2 downward as indicated by arrows A and B in FIG. Thereby, the reflector 3
As a whole, the light from the bulb 2 is reflected as a low beam. The hatched portion in FIG. 2B is the isoluminous curve of the low beam 8.

The reflecting surfaces 3a and 3b of the reflector 3
An opening 7 is formed at the boundary portion (see FIG. 3). The optical member 4 moves into and out of the reflector 3 through the opening 7.

The optical member 4 is a member for changing a light irradiation state and a light irradiation pattern when the optical member 4 enters the inside of the reflector 3. The optical member 4 of this embodiment has a prism 12 that changes an optical path by transmitting light. When the optical member 4 advances into the interior of the reflector 3, the prism 12 acts to refract light reflected from one reflection surface 3a of the reflector 3 upward, as shown by an arrow C in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the optical member 4 having a curved optical surface 10 and a pair of mounting arms 11 integrally formed on both sides of the optical surface 10. Curved optical surface 1
At 0, a prism 12 as shown in FIG. 1 is formed.
The pair of mounting arms 11 are bent in a U-shape, and a rotating hole 13 is formed at each of the bent ends.

The optical member 4 is attached to the rear of the reflector 3. In order to perform this installation, the reflector 3
A fulcrum projection 14 is formed on both sides of the rear outer surface.
The optical member 4 is rotatably attached to the reflector 3 by inserting the fulcrum projection 14 into the rotation hole 13.

The rotation of the optical member 4 is controlled by one of the mounting arms 11.
This is performed by an electromagnetic solenoid 15 connected to. That is, when the electromagnetic solenoid 15 is driven in a state where the optical member 4 is attached to the reflector 3, the optical member 4 rotates in a circular locus around the fulcrum 14 as a rotation axis. Thus, the optical member 4 advances into the reflector 3 through the opening 7 of the reflector 3.

The position D in FIG.
5 is a position where the optical member 4 is retracted from the reflector 3 when stopped, and in this case, the optical member 4 is outside the reflection optical path of the reflector 3 and the low beam 8 shown in FIG.
Is emitted. The position E is a state in which the electromagnetic solenoid 15 is driven. In this case, the optical member 4 is
In the reflected light path. Therefore, the reflector 3
The light reflected from the reflecting surface 3a of the optical member 4
The light is refracted by 2 and becomes upward light indicated by arrow C.
Thereby, as shown by hatching 9 in FIG.
The irradiation pattern is switched to a high beam irradiation pattern that irradiates the upper part, that is, the distant part.

In this embodiment, when the optical member 4 is retracted from the reflector 3, the low beam irradiation pattern is used. However, the optical member 4 is rotated so as to advance into the reflector 3. Thus, it is possible to easily switch to the high beam irradiation pattern.
Therefore, switching between the low beam and the high beam can be performed without tilting the entire reflector 3, so that the switching can be reliably performed even with a small power source, and a strong mechanism is not required. Further, since there is no need to move the valve 2, it is not necessary to position the valve 2 with respect to the reflector 3 with high accuracy.

Since the optical member 4 advances and retreats into the interior of the reflector 3 by rotation, the space required for the advance and retreat may be small. Therefore, the size of the entire lamp does not increase.

Further, in this embodiment, the optical member 4
Can be operated so as to gradually enter the interior of the reflector 3, which makes it possible to gradually change from a light distribution focusing on the irradiation performance to a distant place to a light distribution focusing on the irradiation performance to a near side. Become.

In this embodiment, the irradiation pattern is switched by inserting the optical member 4 into the reflected light path from the reflector 3. However, the optical member 4 is placed in the light path from the bulb 2 to the reflecting surface of the reflector 3. It is also possible to switch the irradiation pattern by inserting. Optical member 4
Is rotated by the electromagnetic solenoid 15, but a motor or other power source may be used.

Further, according to the present invention, not only switching between low beams and high beams, but also switching between different types of lamps can be performed. That is, by using a yellow or orange lens or prism as the optical member 4, the light from the bulb 2 is changed to these colors. This makes it easy to change between the driving lamp and the fog lamp.

[0027]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the optical member is retracted from the reflector, it is in a normal irradiation state, but the optical member advances from the opening to the inside of the reflector. The light irradiation state can be changed. Therefore, there is no need to tilt the reflector or move the bulb, and the irradiation state can be changed with a simple structure and with a small power source.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the optical member advances from the opening to the inside of the reflector, the irradiation pattern by the reflecting surface of the reflector is changed.
There is no need to tilt the reflector or move the bulb, and the irradiation pattern can be switched with a simple structure and with a small power source.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the space for the advance and retreat of the optical member can be small, and the size of the entire lamp does not increase.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention.

2A is an isoluminous curve at the time of a high beam, and FIG. 2B is an isoluminous curve at the time of a low beam.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing attachment of the optical member to a reflector.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the reflector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Bulb 3 Reflector 3a 3b Reflecting surface 4 Optical member 7 Opening 13 Rotating hole 14 Support point projection

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An opening formed in a reflector for reflecting light from a bulb, the light being able to advance and retreat to the interior of the reflector through the opening, and being emitted when entering the interior of the reflector. An optical member for changing an irradiation state of the vehicle. 2. A reflector for reflecting light from a bulb, a plurality of reflecting surfaces having different focal lengths, an opening provided at a boundary between the plurality of reflecting surfaces, and the reflector passing through the opening. And an optical member that is capable of moving back and forth with respect to the inside of the reflector and that changes a light irradiation pattern when the light advances into the interior of the reflector. 3. A rotating fulcrum is provided on an outer surface of the reflector, and the optical member moves in a circular locus around the rotating fulcrum so that the optical member moves forward and backward with respect to the inside of the reflector. Claim 1 characterized by the following:
Or the automotive lamp according to 2.