JP2009140625A - Illumination device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology of an illumination device for a vehicle which uses a light source part of long life, with less calorific value and improved light emission efficiency so that a vehicle of high safety with less fuel consumption is provided. <P>SOLUTION: A case 8A has the function of positioning and fixing a reflective member 8B where a light-emitting diode, as a light source part 37D, is fixed and an optical fiber 29 to specified positions, and is formed from metal or resin. The case 8A fixes the plurality of reflective members 8B and the optical fiber 29, and houses the optical fiber 29 and the light-emitting diode, being the light source part 37D lighting lamps mounted on an automobile 7. In the case 8A, an opening defines a circular or square hollow part 8c in the front part, rear part, or any one part, with the reflective member 8B fixed in the hollow part 8c. The hollow part 8c has a step 8A1, and an outer peripheral surface 8B1 of the reflective member 8B is fitted to the step 8A1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicular illumination device that distributes light from a light source to a predetermined position of a vehicle via an optical fiber.

Conventionally, as an example of this type of vehicle lighting device, there is a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-120425 shown in FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c).
If this is demonstrated, as shown to Fig.4 (a), the light source part 1 will reflect the halogen light bulb 1a of about 35-55 (W), for example, and the reflective mirror for introducing the light from the light bulb into the optical fiber 2 efficiently. 1b, and if necessary, a heat insulating filter 3 is provided between the light bulb 1a and the optical fiber 2, and the light source unit 1 is installed at an appropriate location in the vehicle body 4, and the lens system is provided via the optical fiber 2. Send light to 5. The optical fiber 2 guides the light from the light source unit 1 to the lens system 5 and uses a bundle of a plurality of optical fibers 2 according to the shape and size of the illuminating lamp. The incident port 2 a is reflected by the light source unit 1. It is installed within the light condensing range of the mirror 1b, the irradiation port 2b is installed at the focal position of the lens system 5, and the light from the light source unit 1 is efficiently guided to the lens system 5, that is, each optical fiber 2, 2,. Are bundled and installed within the light condensing range of one light source unit 1, and the irradiation ports 2b, 2b,... Of each optical fiber 2, 2,. In the lamp frame 6 shown in b), the light is separated and branched, and each is installed at the focal position of the lens system 5. As shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the lens system 5 is configured by combining a condenser lens 5a for condensing and a lenticular lens 5b for diffusing left and right.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-120425

Since the conventional technique has the above-described configuration, the following problems existed.
That is, since the halogen light bulb 1a of about 35 to 55 (W), for example, is used for the light source section 1, it is necessary to provide a heat insulating filter 3 between the light source section 1 and the optical fiber 2 with a large amount of heat generation. Due to the unnecessary amount of heat generated by 1a, the engine is excessively driven to generate electric power, so that there is a problem that the fuel consumption of the vehicle is deteriorated.

The vehicular lighting device according to the present invention has been invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has a low calorific value, enhances the light transmission efficiency from the optical fiber, and uses a long-life light source. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular illuminating device with high safety by improving fuel consumption and appropriately emitting light from the illuminating device.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the lamp box of the vehicle, the case is fixed to the cavity formed in the case, and the concave portion is formed on one end surface, and the cylindrical hole portion and the hollow portion are formed on the other end surface. A light source part that is positioned and fixed in the concave part and is formed in the hollow part of the reflective member, and illuminates the reflective layer composed of a flat body and a curved body, and the reflective layer of the reflective member And an optical fiber having a core portion and a clad portion arranged and fixed to each other.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle lighting device, the case is fixed to the cavity formed in the case, and the concave portion is formed on one end surface, and the cylindrical hole portion and the hollow portion are formed on the other end surface. And a light source portion that is positioned and fixed in the concave portion and is formed in the hollow portion of the reflecting member and radiates on the reflecting layer formed of a flat body and a curved body, and is disposed flush with the reflecting layer of the reflecting member A vehicle lamp box composed of a fixed core portion and an optical fiber having a cladding portion is provided in a vehicle body, and the light source portion is connected to a plurality of illumination lamps branched at a predetermined position of the vehicle by branching the optical fiber. The emitted light is irradiated to the plurality of illumination lamps.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle lighting device according to the second aspect, the light source unit is a two-primary color mixed type in which elements emitting light of the two primary colors red and green are integrated on a single substrate. A light emitting diode of three primary colors in which elements emitting light of three primary colors of red, green and blue are integrated on a single substrate, and any of red and green or red, green and blue It is characterized in that the color of a plurality of illumination lamps arranged at predetermined positions of the vehicle is changed by changing the light emission amount of the light emitting diode element.

Since the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, the following effects are obtained.

In other words, it is possible to illuminate lamps arranged at multiple locations of a vehicle using a single light source, thereby achieving energy and resource savings, and using a long-life light source with low power consumption and low calorific value. It can be used for lighting by improving the light transmission efficiency from the light source without using complex optical elements, and the color of the lighting radiated to the outside changes according to the road conditions and the driving conditions of other vehicles while the vehicle is running The optimum illumination conditions can be obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle lighting device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a passenger car as a vehicle. The overall arrangement of a vehicle lighting device according to the present invention and each lamp box installed inside a vehicle, that is, an automobile, and a predetermined position of the vehicle body, that is, the automobile. It is embodiment of this invention which shows the connection relationship with the lamps as each illuminating device made.

The vehicle lighting device according to the present invention is a light source that transmits light to various lamps disposed in each part of a vehicle body, that is, an automobile 7 via optical fibers 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 34A, 35, and 36. Housed lamp boxes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13A, 14, 15 and front left / right turn signals as direction indicators arranged in front left / right corners of the car 7 Lamps 16a and 16b, small lamps 17 and 17 as vehicle width lamps arranged at the front of the automobile 7, head lamps 18 and 18 as headlamps, and a fog lamp 19 as a front fog lamp, 19, left and right side turn signal lamps 20 a and 20 b as direction indicators built in door mirrors 42 and 43 disposed in the hinges of the left and right doors 40 and 41, and the left and right corners behind the automobile 7. Rear left / right turn signal lamps 21a, 21b as arranged direction indicators, left / right brake lamps 22, 22 as brake lights arranged at the rear of the car 7, and fuel supply to the engine stopped The fuel supply stop display lamp 22A for displaying the current state, the left and right tail lamps 23 and 23 as tail lights, the license lamp 24 as number lights, the reverse lamp 25 as reverse lights, and the glove box in the passenger compartment A glove box lamp 26, a room lamp 27 provided on the ceiling of the vehicle interior, a trunk room lamp 28 provided in the luggage storage room at the rear of the automobile 7, and the like.

Next, the connection configuration between the lamp boxes 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 13A and the various lamps described above disposed in each part of the automobile 7 will be described in detail.
The lamp box 8 is connected to the left and right headlamps 18 and 18 via an optical fiber 29. Since the left and right headlamps 18 and 18 are lit by the lamp box 8, only one of the headlamps 18 is not turned off, and the color temperature or color tone of the left and right headlamps 18 and 18 varies. There is no. The next lamp box 9 is connected to the left and right fog lamps 19, 19 via the optical fiber 30, and the left and right fog lamps 19, 19 are lit simultaneously. The next lamp box 10 is connected to the left and right small lamps 17, 17 and the left and right tail lamps 23, 23 and the license lamp 24 via an optical fiber 31, and the left and right small lamps 17, 17 and the left and right tail lamps 23, 23 are connected. And the license lamp 24 are turned on simultaneously.

The next lamp box 11 is connected to the front left turn signal lamp 16a, the left side turn signal lamp 20a and the rear left turn signal lamp 21a via the optical fiber 32, and the front left turn signal lamp 16a, left side. The surface turn signal lamp 20a and the rear left turn signal lamp 21a can be blinked simultaneously by the action of a blinker (not shown) arranged in the automobile 7. The next lamp box 12 is connected to the front right turn signal lamp 16b, the right side turn signal lamp 20b, and the rear right turn signal lamp 21b via the optical fiber 33, and the front right turn signal lamp 16b, right side The turn signal lamp 20b and the rear right turn signal lamp 21b can be blinked simultaneously by the action of a blinker arranged in the automobile 7. Also, the front left / right turn signal lamps 16a, 16b, the left side / right side turn signal lamps 20a, 20b and the rear left / right turn signal lamps 21a, 21b simultaneously flash to function as an emergency flashing indicator lamp. Have

The next lamp box 13 is connected to the left and right brake lamps 22 and 22 via an optical fiber 34, and the left and right brake lamps 22 and 22 can be turned on simultaneously. The next lamp box 14 is connected to the reverse lamp 25 via an optical fiber 35 and lights up when the automobile 7 moves backward. The next lamp box 15 is connected to a glove box lamp 26, a room lamp 27, and a trunk room lamp 28 via an optical fiber 36. The glove box lamp 26 and the trunk room lamp 28 are automatically set when the glove box or the trunk room is opened. The room lamp 27 can be arbitrarily turned on at night by a driver's operation, an operation of opening the left and right doors 40 and 41 of the automobile 7, and the like. The next lamp box 13A is connected to the fuel supply stop display lamp 22A via the optical fiber 34A, and the operation of the fuel supply stop display lamp 22A will be described later.

Next, a description will be given based on the schematic diagram of the lamp box shown in FIG. The lamp boxes 8 to 15 and 13A described above are arranged in an appropriate place such as a room or a bottom portion of the automobile 7, for example, in front of the automobile 7, a central position, or the like. Since the lamp boxes 8 to 15 and 13A have substantially the same configuration, the lamp box 8 shown in FIG. 2 will be described as an example. For example, the lamp box 8 includes a case 8A and a cavity of the case 8A. A reflective member 8B integrally formed with a curved body 8a and a flat body 8b connected to the curved body 8a at its four corners provided adjacent to the inner surface, and the other light source unit 37A disposed inside the reflective member 8B, 37B and a light receiving portion 29A of the optical fiber 29 that takes in light emitted from the one light source portion 37A and the other light source portion 37B. The light source units 37A and 37B and the optical fiber 29 are arranged in two or four groups in FIG. 2, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be increased or decreased depending on the design specifications of the automobile 7. On the other hand, the light 37C emitted from the other light source portions 37A and 37B is reflected by the curved surface 8a and the flat body 8b of the reflecting member 8B, and enters / transmits into the optical fiber 29 from the optical fiber 29 light intake portion 29A, as shown in FIG. It is guided to the left and right headlamps 18, 18 of the automobile 7 shown. As shown in FIG. 2, the lamp box 8 is provided with a plurality of light source portions 37A and 37B as necessary in order to obtain a large amount of light, and optical fibers 29 are arranged at a plurality of locations in the case 8A. On the other hand, the other light source units 37A and 37B use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or high-intensity discharge lamps (HIDs) that are capable of low power consumption and have a long life.
The one and other light source sections 37A and 37B may be configured as a single unit.

Next, a specific configuration example of the lamp box 8 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view showing an example of the lamp box 8 applied to the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention.
Reference numeral 37D denotes a light emitting diode as a single light source unit. The light source unit 37D is fixed to a reflection member 8B described later by an adhesive means, a fixture, or the like. Since the lamps equipped in the automobile 7 connected to the lamp box 8 are the left and right headlamps 18 and 18, the light source portion uses a white light emitting diode. For other lamps, the emission color is appropriately selected according to the application. That is, the front left / right turn signal lamps 16a, 16b, the left side / right side turn signal lamps 20a, 20b and the rear left / right turn signal lamps 21a, 21b use orange light emitting diodes as their light sources. Since the left and right brake lamps 22 and 22 use red light emitting diodes for their light sources, and the fuel supply stop indicator lamp 22A is not stipulated by laws and regulations, for example, green or blue light emitting diodes may be used for their light sources. Good. For example, white or light yellow light emitting diodes are used as the light source portions of the left and right fog lamps 19 and 19. For example, white light emitting diodes are used for the light source units such as the left and right small lamps 17 and 17, the license lamp 24, the reverse lamp 25, the glove box lamp 26, the room lamp 27, and the trunk room lamp 28. The left and right tail lamps 23 and 23 are made of transparent red so that the left and right tail lamps 23 and 23 are the same lamps as the left and right small lamps 17 and 17 and the license lamp 24 as shown in FIG. It is also possible to connect to the box 10.

The white light-emitting diode used in the light source unit 37D such as the headlamp 18 is obtained by covering the blue light-emitting diode with yttrium, aluminum, and garnet phosphors, and the fluorescence emitted from red to green and the fluorescence. A phosphor-type white light emitting diode is used in which the blue light transmitted through the body is mixed to give a white color. In addition, the three primary color mixing that obtains white by mixing the three primary colors by integrating each chip of red, green and blue light emitting diodes, which are the three primary colors of light, on a single substrate and treating it as a pseudo single light source. A white light emitting diode of the type may be used. A phosphor-type white light emitting diode can obtain uniform white light, but has a drawback that the phosphor is deteriorated by heat generation of the blue light emitting diode. On the other hand, the white light emitting diode of the three primary color mixing method has the disadvantage that the color changes depending on the viewing angle and the disadvantage that three drive circuits are required, but the light quantity of the light emitting diode of each color can be freely changed, so any color can be generated. Has the advantages to be obtained. From these viewpoints, an appropriate white light emitting diode is selected as the light source unit 37D.
In FIG. 3, 38 is one lead terminal of the light source unit 37D (light emitting diode), and 39 is the other lead terminal of the light source unit 37D (light emitting diode).

Next, the case 8A of the lamp box 8 shown in FIG. 3 will be described.
In the case 8A, for example, a hollow portion 8c having a substantially circular or quadrangular opening is formed in the front, rear, or any part, and the reflecting member 8B is fixed in the hollow portion 8c. The hollow portion 8c is provided with a step 8A1, and the outer peripheral surface 8B1 of the reflecting member 8B is fitted into the step 8A1. The reflecting member 8B is manufactured by manufacturing means such as resin molding, metal cutting, die casting, and lost wax. The outer shape of the reflecting member 8B is formed, for example, in a substantially cylindrical shape or a rectangular parallelepiped, and has a recess 8B2 for positioning and fixing the light emitting diode as the light source portion 37D on one end face. The other end face of the reflecting member 8B has a cylindrical hole 8B3 having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the optical fiber 29, that is, the outer dimension for fitting the cladding 29b. Further, the hollow portion is provided with a reflective layer 8B4 having a flat body that is flush with the core portion 29a of the optical fiber 29 that abuts against the opening bottom of the cylindrical hole portion 8B3. The reflective layer 8B4 forms a curved body, and forms a hollow curved portion 8B5 as a curved body in which the diameter of the reflective layer 8B4 gradually decreases as the light emitting diode as the light source unit 37D is approached. In the hollow curved portion 8B5, when the light 37C that has spread most among the light emitted from the light emitting diode as the light source portion 37D is incident on the hollow curved portion 8B5, the reflected light 37C reflected by the hollow curved portion 8B5 is reflected by the optical fiber 29. It is formed in a curved shape so as to enter the inside of the core portion 29a, that is, the center side.

Since the reflection layer 8B4 forms the hollow curved portion 8B5, all the light 37C emitted from the light emitting diode as the light source portion 37D is incident on the core portion 29a of the optical fiber 29, so that an efficient vehicle illumination device is constructed. Can do. By providing the hollow curved portion 8B5 in the reflective layer 8B4, it is not necessary to provide a complicated optical element such as a condensing lens between the light emitting diode as the light source unit 37D and the optical fiber 29, and the condensing lens is disposed. It has the advantage that no optical loss due to. Further, the reflective layer 8B4, in which a planar body is partially formed, is preferably subjected to a treatment for efficiently reflecting light on the hollow inner surface. For example, surface treatment by electrolytic plating or electroless plating.

The optical fiber 29 is a glass or plastic optical fiber, and in FIG. 3, a single thick optical fiber is shown. However, a plurality of thin optical fibers may be bundled in a cylindrical shape. Each optical fiber includes an inner core portion 29a having a high refractive index and a cladding portion 29b having a low refractive index surrounding the outer core portion 29a.
Since the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention uses a light emitting diode as the light source unit 37D with less heat generation, a heat insulating filter is unnecessary between the light emitting diode and the optical fiber 29, and is not an expensive glass optical fiber, It is possible to use a plastic optical fiber that is inexpensive and has low heat resistance. The optical fiber 29 divides into two as shown in FIG. 1 and irradiates the left and right headlamps 18 and 18.

The case 8A has a function of positioning and fixing the reflecting member 8B to which the light emitting diode as the light source unit 37D is fixed and the optical fiber 29 at a predetermined position, and is made of metal or resin. The case 8A fixes the plurality of reflecting members 8B and the optical fiber 29, and houses the light emitting diodes and the optical fibers 29 as all the light source portions 37D that irradiate the lamps mounted on the automobile 7.

The specific example of the internal configuration of the lamp box 8 related to the left and right headlamps 18 and 18 has been described in detail above, but the lamp boxes 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 13A, 14, and 15 are substantially the same. It is a configuration.

Further, in the lamp box 8 connected to the left and right headlamps 18 and 18 and the lamp box 9 connected to the left and right fog lamps 19 and 19, the above three primary color mixing type white light-emitting diodes are used to produce light. By changing the color of the left and right headlamps 18 and 18, the functions of the left and right fog lamps 19 and 19 can be added. The left and right fog lamps 19, 19 can be supplemented with a headlamp function. That is, when the vehicle travels in a dense fog, the driver changes the light emission color of the left and right headlamps 18 and 18 from white to light yellow by arbitrarily switching the switch, thereby changing the left and right fog lamps 19 and 19. It is possible to irradiate the front with a brighter amount of light than when only. In addition, when the line-of-sight conditions are good, the left and right fog lamps 19 and 19 are changed from light yellow to white to illuminate the front with a brighter light quantity than when the left and right head lamps 18 and 18 alone are used. can do.

Next, the fuel supply stop display lamp 22A will be described in detail. An automobile adopting an electronically controlled fuel injection system as a fuel supply system for an engine of the automobile 7 releases the accelerator pedal when the engine rotates at, for example, 1200 (rpm) to 1500 (rpm) or more. Then, the program of the electronically controlled fuel injection system automatically stops the fuel supply to the fuel injection device. At this time, since the engine is rotating, the car brake is gradually decelerated by the function of the engine brake, but the brake booster and the like operate, so this fuel supply stop function contributes to improving fuel efficiency when driving on downhill highways. To do. On the other hand, when observing the preceding vehicle from the following vehicle, it can be determined whether the preceding vehicle is cruising at a constant speed by stepping on the accelerator pedal or whether it is slowly decelerating by moving away from the accelerator pedal and coasting. It is difficult, and it is difficult to ensure an appropriate inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle. The fuel supply stop indicator lamp 22A is lit in green or blue, for example, when driving away from the accelerator pedal to indicate that the following vehicle is traveling inertially and alert the rear-end collision prevention. is there.

The lamp box 13A connected to the fuel supply stop display lamp 22A uses, for example, a two-color light emitting type light emitting diode in which green and red light emitting diode chips are integrated on one substrate as the light source unit 37D. By switching between the green and red emission colors, it is possible to add a brake lamp function to the fuel supply stop display lamp 22A. That is, the fuel supply stop display lamp 22A turns off the green and red light-emitting diodes when the accelerator pedal is depressed, turns on the green light-emitting diodes when the vehicle is moving away from the accelerator pedal, and depresses the brake pedal. The green light emitting diode is turned off and the red light emitting diode is turned on to function as a brake lamp. By installing the fuel supply stop display lamp 22A in the upper part or the lower part of the rear window of the automobile 7, an action as a so-called high-mount stop lamp can be achieved.

It is drawing which shows embodiment of the vehicle illuminating device which concerns on this invention, Comprising: It is a top view of a motor vehicle. It is a schematic diagram of the lamp box applied to the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention. It is a horizontal sectional view which shows the specific structural example of the lamp box applied to the vehicle illuminating device which concerns on this invention. It is drawing which shows one example of the vehicular illuminating lamp using the optical fiber in a prior art, (a) is explanatory drawing which shows the optical transmission path by an optical fiber, (b) is a perspective view of a vehicle body, c) is an explanatory diagram showing details of a lens and the like.

Explanation of symbols

7 Car (body)
8 Lamp box 8A Lamp box case 8A1 Lamp box case step 8B Lamp box reflecting member 8B1 Lamp box reflecting member outer peripheral surface 8B2 Lamp box reflecting member recess 8B3 Lamp box reflecting member cylindrical hole 8B4 Lamp Reflective layer 8B5 of the reflecting member of the box Hollow curved portion 8a of the reflecting layer of the reflecting member of the lamp box Curved surface 8b of the reflecting member of the lamp box Planar member 8c of the reflecting member of the lamp box Cavity 9 of the case of the lamp box 9 Lamp box 10 Lamp box 11 Lamp box 12 Lamp box 13 Lamp box 13A Lamp box 14 Lamp box 15 Lamp box 16a Front left turn signal lamp 16b Front right turn signal lamp 17 Small lamp 18 Head Lamp 19 Fog lamp 20a Left side turn signal lamp 20b Right side turn signal lamp 21a Rear left turn signal lamp 21b Rear right turn signal lamp 22 Brake lamp 22A Fuel supply stop display lamp 23 Tail lamp 24 License lamp 25 Reverse lamp 26 Glove box Lamp 27 Room lamp 28 Trunk room lamp 29 Optical fiber 29A Optical fiber light receiving part 29a Optical fiber core part 29b Optical fiber cladding part 30 Optical fiber 31 Optical fiber 32 Optical fiber 33 Optical fiber 34 Optical fiber 34A Optical fiber 35 Optical fiber 36 Optical fiber 37 Light source part (light emitting diode)
37A One light source part 37B The other light source part 37C Light of the light source part 38 One lead terminal 39 of the light source part The other lead terminal 40 of the light source part 40 Left door of the automobile 41 Right door of the automobile

Claims (3)

A case, a reflecting member fixed to a cavity formed in the case and having a recess formed on one end surface and a cylindrical hole and a hollow formed on the other end surface, and a positioning member fixed to the recess and the reflecting member A light source part that is formed in a hollow part of the light source and radiates on a reflection layer composed of a flat body and a curved body, and an optical fiber that includes a core part and a clad part that are arranged and fixed on the reflection layer of the reflection member flush with each other. A featured vehicle lamp box. A case, a reflecting member fixed to a cavity formed in the case and having a recess formed on one end surface and a cylindrical hole and a hollow formed on the other end surface, and a positioning member fixed to the recess and the reflecting member A light source part that illuminates a reflecting layer formed of a flat body and a curved body in a hollow part of the vehicle, and an optical fiber including a core part and a clad part that are arranged and fixed flush with the reflecting layer of the reflecting member. A lamp box is provided in a vehicle body, and the optical fiber is branched and connected to a plurality of illumination lamps disposed at predetermined positions of the vehicle, and the light emitted from the light source unit is irradiated to the plurality of illumination lamps. Vehicle lighting device. The light source unit is a two-primary color mixed type light emitting diode in which elements emitting light of two primary colors of red and green are integrated on a single substrate, or an element emitting light of three primary colors of red, green and blue on a single substrate. A plurality of integrated three-primary color light emitting diodes arranged in a predetermined position of a vehicle by changing the light emission amount of red and green or any light emitting diode of red, green and blue 3. The vehicular illumination device according to claim 2, wherein the color of the lamp is changed.

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