JP2013137914A - Tail light unit for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tail light unit using an LED, made thin and downsized.SOLUTION: A tail light unit has a light source 80 consisting of a first LED group 67 consisting of a plurality of red LEDs and a second LED group 68 consisting of a plurality of white LEDs arranged below the first LED group 67. A reflecting plate 69 is installed which reflects light from the second LED group 68 toward a license plate 49. A light source unit 61 is fitted to a tail light base 53 and an outer lens 52 is fitted to the tail light base 53. The outer lens 52 consists of a central portion 54 facing the light source unit 61 and a surrounding portion 55. The central portion 54 has a top part 71a protruded toward a surrounding portion 55. The surrounding portion 55 of the outer lens 52 extends along the vertical direction of a vehicle, and is arranged close to the top part 71a of the central portion 54 in the front and rear direction of the vehicle.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle taillight unit, and more particularly to a vehicle taillight unit using a light emitting diode (LED) as a light source.

  2. Description of the Related Art A motorcycle having a taillight that uses a plurality of LEDs as light sources is known. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a light dispersion type taillight unit in which light emitter blocks each having a plurality of LEDs mounted on a printed wiring board are arranged at an angle. Patent Document 2 proposes a flat tail light unit in which a large number of LEDs are juxtaposed in a plane.

Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 7-46523 Japanese Patent No. 3009193

  In the taillight unit of Patent Document 1, a plurality of light emitter blocks are provided at an angle to each other and are configured to disperse light. Therefore, the taillight unit needs to be thick, and can be reduced in size and thickness. It becomes difficult. On the other hand, in the taillight unit of Patent Document 2, since the LEDs are arranged on a plane, the LED can be made thinner than that described in Patent Document 1. However, since the LEDs are juxtaposed in the vehicle width direction, the LED tends to be longer in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, it is not easy to downsize the taillight unit. In any taillight unit, if the lighting of the license plate is also taken into consideration, it is necessary to review the arrangement and number of LEDs, and it may be difficult to reduce the size and thickness further. Is an issue.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle taillight unit that solves the above-described problems and aims to reduce the size and thickness of the vehicle and also serves as a license plate for the taillight unit.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle taillight unit (51) having LEDs as light sources (80), wherein the light source (80) includes a plurality of red LEDs mounted on an LED substrate (70). A first LED group (67) and a second LED group (68) composed of a plurality of white LEDs arranged below the first LED group (67). (67) and a license plate (49) disposed between the second LED group (68) and arranged to direct light from the second LED group (68) below the taillight unit (51). The light source unit (61) is configured by the light source (80), the reflective plate (69), and the LED cover (71) that covers the LED substrate (70). The light source unit A tail light base (53) to which the light source (61) is attached, and an outer lens (52) attached to the tail light base (53), the outer lens (52) facing the light source unit (61). A central portion (54) and a peripheral portion (55) extending around the central portion (54), the central portion (54) projecting relative to the peripheral portion (55); A first feature is that the portion (55) is disposed close to the front end (71a) of the LED cover (71) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

  In addition, the present invention has a second feature in that the central portion (54) of the outer lens (52) is a through lens that is not lens-cut.

  In the present invention, the lower lens portion (57) is provided at a position where the outer lens (52) intersects the direction in which the light of the second LED group (68) reflected by the reflector (69) is directed. The third feature is that the lower surface portion (57) is a through lens that is not lens-cut.

  Further, the present invention has a fourth feature in that the LED substrate (70) has a circular or polygonal shape corresponding to the outer shape of the central portion when viewed from the vehicle front-rear direction.

  Further, the present invention has a fifth feature in that the tip portion (71a) of the LED cover (71) has a partial spherical shape protruding outward.

  Further, the present invention includes a power supply part (62) in which the light source unit (61) is coupled to the LED substrate (70), and the power supply part (62) receives a bulb in a bulb type tail light unit. There is a fifth feature in that it has a shape and structure conforming to

  According to the present invention having the first and fifth features, the outer lens of the taillight unit is brought close to the light source unit in the taillight unit to reduce the thickness and size of the taillight unit. A taillight unit suitable for a limited motorcycle can be provided. Also, for example, the red LED can be shared as a tail light and a stop light, and the white LED can be used as a license light, so that the tail light, the stop light, and the license light can be a single light source unit. Therefore, also in this respect, the size can be reduced, and the installation space can be used effectively. In addition, the conventional taillight using a bulb does not require a reflector, which can reduce the cost.

  According to the present invention having the second feature, the central portion of the outer lens is a through lens, and the shape and arrangement pattern of each LED can be clearly seen through the through lens, so that the appearance of a simple outer lens is seen. Compared with the conventional taillight unit, the product appeal can be further improved.

  According to the present invention having the third feature, the light from the second LED group reflected by the reflector passes through the lower surface portion of the outer lens that is a through lens, so that the light from the light source is not attenuated or dispersed. The license plate is irradiated. Furthermore, the white light emitted from the white LED can improve the appearance of the license plate irradiated with the white light and give a high-class feeling.

  According to the present invention having the fourth feature, it is possible to arrange LEDs suitable for a taillight having a circular or polygonal outer shape, and to improve the degree of freedom of design as a lighting device.

  According to the present invention having the sixth feature, the power supply unit of the light source unit can be attached to the socket used in the conventional bulb-type tail light unit. Therefore, the bulb of the conventional tail light unit can be easily converted to an LED, and the bulb and the LED can be compatible.

1 is a left side view of a motorcycle including a tail light unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a right view which shows the external appearance of a taillight unit. It is sectional drawing which looked at the cut surface in the vehicle width direction center part of a taillight unit from the right direction. It is a front view (vehicle rear view) of a taillight unit. It is a front view (vehicle rear view) of the light source unit which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of LED. It is a right view of a light source unit.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle which is a vehicle including a tail light unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings referred to below, the forward direction of the motorcycle is indicated by FR, the upward direction is indicated by UP, and the lateral direction of the vehicle body is indicated by L and R, respectively. In FIG. 1, a motorcycle 1 as a saddle-ride type vehicle has a body frame 2. The vehicle body frame 2 includes a head pipe 3, a main frame 4 having a front end joined to the head pipe 3 and extending obliquely downward and rearward, and a pair of left and right extending rearward from the rear end of the main frame 4. A seat rail 5, a pair of left and right down frames 6 extending obliquely downward and rearward from the rear portion of the main frame 4, and left and right portions extending obliquely downward and rearward from the rear portion of the main frame 4 and connected to the rear end portion of the down frame 6. It has a pair of center frames 7, and a pair of left and right subframes 8 that are respectively passed to the seat rail 5 and the pair of left and right center frames 7.

  A front fork 9 is rotatably attached to the head pipe 3 via a steering shaft (not shown), and a front wheel WF is supported on the front fork 9 by a front wheel shaft 10 provided at a lower end portion thereof. A pair of left and right pivot plates 11 are joined to the center frame 7, and the pivot plate 11 supports a power unit 14 including an engine 12 and a transmission 13 at a front portion thereof and is disposed along a vehicle width direction. The swing arm 16 is supported by 15 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction.

  The upper part of the front fork 9 is connected to a top bridge 17 and a bottom bridge 18 respectively arranged above and below the head pipe 3, and a steering handle 19 is attached to the top bridge 17. A cowl support stay 20 is attached to the top bridge 17 and the bottom bridge 18. The cowl support stay 20 has a front cowl (visor) 21, a meter 22, an inner cowl 23, a winker support stay 24, and a front number plate (license). Plate) 25 is supported.

  A headlight 26 is attached to the cowl support stay 20 via a stay (not shown), and is exposed forward from an opening provided in the front cowl 21. A pair of left and right front winkers 27 are provided at the front of the vehicle via a winker support stay 24, and a front fender 28 that covers the front wheel WF is provided.

  A fuel tank 29 is attached to the main frame 4, and a resin storage box 30 is disposed below the fuel tank 29. The storage box 30 is located between the main frame 4 and the engine 12 and is attached to the lower part of the main frame 4 via a bracket 31. A seat 32 is attached on the seat rail 5, and a grab rail 33 attached to the rear portion of the seat rail 5 is provided behind the seat 32.

  The rear wheel WR is supported by the rear wheel shaft 34 at the rear end portion of the swing arm 16, and the lower end portions of the pair of left and right rear cushions 35 are coupled to the swing arm 16 at positions adjacent to the rear wheel shaft 34. An upper end portion of the rear cushion 35 is connected to the seat rail 5.

  The output of the transmission 13 is transmitted from a drive sprocket (not shown) provided on the transmission output side to a driven sprocket 37 connected to the rear wheel shaft 34 by a drive chain (not shown). The driven sprocket and the drive chain are covered with a chain cover 39.

  An intake pipe 40 and an exhaust pipe 41 are coupled to the engine 12, and an air cleaner 43 is connected to the intake pipe 40 via a carburetor 42. The carburetor 42 is an example of a fuel supply device, and can be replaced with an injector of the fuel injection device. The exhaust pipe 41 includes a muffler 44 at the rear end thereof. A battery 45 that supplies electric power to each electrical component of the vehicle and an ECU 46 that controls the operation of the engine 12 are disposed on the rear side of the air cleaner 43 (on the right side of the vehicle) behind the engine 12.

  A rear fender 47 is provided above the rear wheel WR on the most rearward side of the vehicle. A rear license plate 49 and a pair of left and right rear winkers 50 are disposed behind the rear fender 47, and a taillight, a stoplight, and A tail light unit 51 having a license light function is arranged. A rear side guard member 48 is connected to the subframe 8 via a stay 52.

  The tail light unit 51 will be described in more detail. 2 is a right side view showing the appearance of the tail light unit 51, FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the tail light unit 51 at the center in the vehicle width direction as seen from the right side, and FIG. 4 is a tail light unit. FIG. 51 is a front view of 51 (a vehicle rear view).

  2 to 4, the taillight unit 51 is located on the vehicle rear side, and includes an outer lens 52 that covers the vehicle rear surface and side surfaces, and a taillight base 53 that is coupled to the outer lens 52 on the vehicle front side. A housing 60 is provided, and a light source unit 61 is disposed in the housing 60.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the outer lens 52 has a rectangular shape as viewed from the rear of the vehicle, and has a circular central portion 54 at the center of the rectangle. The central portion 54 protrudes from the central portion 54 toward the vehicle rear side with respect to the peripheral portion 55 extending in the vertical and horizontal directions, and faces the tip portion (vehicle rear end portion) of the light source unit 61. Further, the outer lens 52 includes a peripheral portion 55 and a lower surface portion 57 connected to a lower end portion of a side surface portion 56 extending from the left and right of the peripheral portion 55 to the vehicle front side.

  The peripheral portion 55 and the side surface portion 56 are subjected to lens cutting in order to diffuse light emitted from the light source unit 61. On the other hand, the circular central portion 54 and the lower surface portion 57 are not subjected to lens cutting and are kept through. The overall shape of the outer lens 52 in the vehicle rear view is not limited to the rectangle as shown in FIG. 4, and may be, for example, a circular shape or a horizontally long ellipse concentric with the circular central portion 54.

  A mounting hole 59 is formed in the tail light base 53 so that the power feeding unit 62 of the light source unit 61 can penetrate in the vehicle front-rear direction. The light source unit 61 is attached to the tail light base 53 via a seal member 63. That is, the seal member 63 is configured such that the inner peripheral surface thereof abuts on the outer periphery of the power feeding portion 62 and the outer peripheral surface engages with the inner periphery of the attachment hole 59. A socket 65 having a connection portion 64 for electrically connecting the power supply harness 661 to the front portion of the power supply member 62 in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided. A ground wire 662 is connected to the socket 65.

  The light source unit 61 includes a light source 80 composed of a first LED group 67 and a second LED group 68 each composed of a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes), and a reflecting plate 69. The reflection plate 69 is provided at the boundary between the first LED group 67 located above and the second LED group 68 located below, and the light from the second LED group 68 located below is licensed downward. It has a reflection surface for reflection on the plate 49 side. The first LED group 67, the second LED group 68, and the reflection plate 69 are mounted on the LED substrate 70. The LED substrate 70 covers the first LED group 67, the second LED group 68, and the reflection plate 69, and a transparent LED cover 71 whose end portion (tip portion) 71a near the outer lens 52 is a partial spherical surface is joined. The

  Since the central portion 54 of the outer lens 52 is a through lens, the light LD1 that has exited the first LED group 67 and passed through the central portion 54 is irradiated to the outside without being attenuated or dispersed. In addition, since the lower surface portion 57 of the outer lens 52 is a through lens, the light LD2 that has exited the second LED group 68 and passed through the lower surface portion 57 is applied to the license plate 49 without being attenuated or dispersed.

  The shape of the central portion 54 of the outer lens 52 viewed from the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction is not limited to the circle shown in FIG. 4, but may be a polygon such as a rectangle, a hexagon, or an octagon. The outer shape of the LED substrate 70 viewed from the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction can be circular or polygonal depending on the shape of the central portion 54 of the outer lens 52.

  It is desirable that the socket 65 has the same electrical connection structure as the socket to which the bulb is attached in the conventional bulb type tail light device (that is, the terminal shape or the inner peripheral shape of the cylindrical socket). If the shape of the power supply unit 62 of the light source unit 61 is set so as to fit the socket 65 having such an electrical connection structure, the power supply unit 62 of the light source unit 61 can be connected to the conventional socket 65 as it is. is there.

  In FIG. 3, the inner surface 55a of the peripheral portion 55 of the outer lens 52 is substantially aligned with the tip portion 71a of the LED cover 71 that is a partial spherical surface in the vehicle front-rear direction. The inner surface 55a of the peripheral portion 55 is not limited to a position that is substantially aligned with the tip end portion 71a of the LED cover 71, but may be located in a position that is close to the tip end portion 71a of the LED cover 71 from the vehicle rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction. That's fine.

  Since the circular central portion 54 is made through without lens cut, when the tail light unit 51 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, each LED constituting the first LED group 67 is visually recognized. The value (commercial property) as a product can be improved.

  Further, since the lower surface portion 57 of the outer lens 52 is made transparent, the light from the second LED group 68 reflected by the reflecting plate 69 is positioned below the tail light unit 51 with almost no decrease in illuminance. 49 is irradiated.

  FIG. 5 is a front view (vehicle rear view) of the light source unit 61 showing an arrangement example of LEDs, and FIG. 6 is a right side view of the light source unit 61. 5 and 6, the light source 80 includes a plurality of LEDs disposed on the LED substrate 70. Of the light source 80, the first LED group 67 positioned above is composed of a plurality of LEDs 67a to 67k arranged in three rows in the vertical direction and in four rows in the horizontal direction. The second LED group 68 located below is composed of a plurality of LEDs 68a to 68c arranged in a horizontal row.

  Each LED 67a-67k red LED which comprises the 1st LED group 67 is shared by a taillight and a stoplight. For example, the tail light and the stop light can be selectively used by PWM-controlling the LEDs 67a to 67k constituting the first LED group 67 with a predetermined duty corresponding to each of the tail light and the stop light. On the other hand, the LEDs 68 a to 68 c constituting the second LED group 68 are white LEDs, and are used as license lights for illuminating the license plate 49. In addition, the number of each LED which comprises the 1st LED group 67 and the 2nd LED group 68 should just be plural, and is not restricted to the number shown in FIG.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Motorcycle, 2 ... Body frame, 3 ... Head pipe, 12 ... Engine, 49 ... License plate, 51 ... Tail light unit, 52 ... Outer lens, 53 ... Tail light base, 54 ... Center part, 55 ... Surrounding part, 61 ... Light source unit, 65 ... Socket, 67 ... First LED group, 68 ... Second LED group positioned below, 69 ... Reflector, 70 ... LED substrate, 71 ... LED cover, 80 ... Light source

Claims (6)

In the tail light unit (51) of a vehicle having an LED as a light source (80),
The light source (80) includes a first LED group (67) composed of a plurality of red LEDs mounted on an LED substrate (70), and a plurality of white colors arranged below the first LED group (67). A second LED group (68) consisting of LEDs;
Located between the first LED group (67) and the second LED group (68), the light from the second LED group (68) is positioned below the taillight unit (51). A reflecting plate (69) reflecting toward the license plate (49)
The light source unit (61) is composed of the light source (80), the reflector (69), and the LED cover (71) covering the LED substrate (70).
A tail light base (53) to which the light source unit (61) is attached;
An outer lens (52) attached to the taillight base (53),
The outer lens (52) comprises a central portion (54) facing the light source unit (61) and a peripheral portion (55) extending around the central portion (54).
The central portion (54) projects relative to the surrounding portion (55);
The vehicle tail light unit, wherein the peripheral portion (55) is disposed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle in the vicinity of the tip end portion (71a) of the LED cover (71).   The vehicle taillight unit according to claim 1, wherein the central portion (54) of the outer lens (52) is a through lens that is not cut. The outer lens (52) has a lower surface portion (57) at a position that intersects the direction in which the light of the second LED group (68) reflected by the reflector (69) is directed,
The vehicle taillight unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the lower surface portion (57) is a through lens that is not lens-cut.   4. The vehicle tail according to claim 1, wherein an outer shape of the LED substrate (70) when viewed from the vehicle front-rear direction is a circle or a polygon corresponding to the outer shape of the central portion. Light unit.   The vehicle taillight unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a tip end portion (71a) of the LED cover (71) has a partially spherical shape protruding outward.   The light source unit (61) includes a power feeding part (62) coupled to the LED substrate (70), and the power feeding part (62) is adapted to a socket for receiving a bulb in a bulb type tail light unit. The vehicle taillight unit according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle taillight unit is provided.