JP2015153577A - vehicle lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To give a reflector a sense of unity and suppress occurrence of so-called point lighting.SOLUTION: A vehicle lamp 10R comprises: a light guide rod 30 that includes, on one end, a light source 20 and an incident portion extending from one end to the other end in the form of a rod and facing the light source 20, that includes a total reflection surface on circumferential surfaces for totally reflecting light emitted from the light source 20 and incident on the incident portion and guiding the light from one end to the other end, and that includes an emission surface 33 provided on one side surface out of the circumferential surfaces for emitting the light guided by the total reflection surface; and a reflector 40 reflecting the light emitted from the emission surface 33 forward. The reflector 40 includes a reflection surface 41 of a columnar concave shape obtained by moving a concave curve having a light guide rod 30 side as a center of curvature along a center line of the light guide rod 30 in a cross section crossing the center line of the light guide rod 30.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp.

The vehicular lamp is attached to the vehicle. The vehicle is streamlined, the surface of the vehicle is rounded, and the vehicular lamp needs to be designed according to the shape of the vehicle.
On the other hand, as a vehicular lamp, there is a reflector type lamp (for example, see Patent Document 1). The reflector type lamp has a light source and a reflector disposed behind the light source. The reflector generally has a reflective surface shaped based on a paraboloid.

JP 2000-294010 A JP 2007-276726 A

By the way, if the reflector-type lamp is designed to be long along the surface of the vehicle, it is necessary to connect the reflectors in such a manner that a plurality of reflectors are arranged along the longitudinal direction, and to provide a light source for each of the reflectors. . If it does so, while a boundary line will appear in the connection part of a reflector and a reflector, these reflectors will be arranged gradually according to the shape of the surface of vehicles. Therefore, these reflectors lack a sense of unity. In addition, when a plurality of light sources emit light, so-called flashing occurs for each reflector, and the appearance of the lamp is not good. Here, “lighted” means that a part of the reflector appears to shine more strongly than the other part.
Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to give the reflector a sense of unity and suppress the occurrence of so-called flashing.

  In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 includes a light source and an incident portion that extends in a rod shape from one end to the other end and faces the light source at the one end. The peripheral surface has a total reflection surface that totally reflects light incident on the part and guides the light from the one end to the other end, and an output surface that emits light guided by the total reflection surface is one of the peripheral surfaces. A light guide rod on a side surface and a reflector that reflects light emitted from the light exit surface forward, and the reflector has a curvature on the side of the light guide rod in a cross section that intersects a center line of the light guide rod. A vehicular lamp characterized in that a front surface has a columnar concave reflection surface obtained by moving a concave curve at the center along the center line of the light guide rod.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the light guide bar is curved along the surface of the vehicle.

  The invention according to claim 3 further includes a lamp unit provided on the rear side of the reflector, and the reflector has a transparent window that transmits light from the rear surface to the front surface of the reflector, and is emitted by the lamp unit. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the emitted light passes through the translucent window.

  In the invention according to claim 4, a signal indicated by lighting one of the light source and the lamp unit indicates a rear part of the vehicle, and a signal indicated by lighting both the light source and the lamp unit is The vehicular lamp according to claim 3, wherein the vehicular lamp is braked.

According to the present invention, the light emitted by the light source is taken into the light guide rod, and the light is emitted from the light exit surface of the light guide rod, so that the light guide rod can be regarded as a linear light source and reflected by the reflector. Since the surface has a columnar concave shape with the light guide rod side as the center line, the intensity distribution along the reflection surface of the light reflected by the reflection surface is averaged. Therefore, it can be prevented that a part of the reflecting surface appears to shine more strongly than the other parts (so-called shining).
Further, since the reflecting surface is a columnar concave shape and is not stepped, the reflecting surface becomes a smooth curved surface, and the reflector appears to have a sense of unity. Therefore, the design of the vehicle lamp is good.

It is a rear view of a vehicle. It is a perspective view of the vehicular lamp attached to the rear part of the vehicle. It is a horizontal sectional view of the vehicular lamp. It is a horizontal sectional view of the vehicular lamp with a part changed from the vehicular lamp. It is a perspective view of the vehicle lamp with the point which changed partially from the said vehicle lamp. It is a horizontal sectional view of the vehicular lamp shown in FIG.

  EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated using drawing. However, since the embodiments described below are provided with various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples. Absent.

  FIG. 1 is a rear view of a vehicle to which vehicle lamps 10R and 10L according to an embodiment of the present invention are attached.

The vehicle 1 is streamlined, and the rear portion of the vehicle 1 is rounded in a convex shape. Specifically, when the vehicle 1 is viewed from behind, the right edge 2R of the rear portion of the vehicle 1 does not extend up and down in a straight line, but the edge 2R curves to the right. The left edge 2L of the rear portion of the vehicle 1 is curved in a convex shape to the left.
The vehicular lamp 10 </ b> R is attached to the right side portion of the rear portion of the vehicle 1 with its front face directed toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The left vehicular lamp 10L paired with the vehicular lamp 10R is obtained by horizontally inverting the vehicular lamp 10R. Therefore, description of the vehicle lamp 10L is omitted.

  Hereinafter, the front / rear, left / right, and upper / lower directions are not based on the vehicle direction but based on the direction of the vehicle lamp 10R. That is, the optical axis of the vehicular lamp 10R extends forward from the vehicular lamp 10R, and the direction in which the optical axis extends is “front”.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the interior of the vehicular lamp 10R. FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the vehicular lamp 10R.
This vehicular lamp 10R includes a plurality of light sources 20, a light guide rod 30, a reflector 40, a lamp unit 60, and the like. Further, the vehicle lamp 10R includes an outer lens (a transparent transparent cover or a transparent cover with a lens cut) and a housing, and the light source 20, the light guide rod 30, the reflector 40, and the lamp unit 60 shown in FIG. Is housed in. A front surface of the housing is opened, and an outer lens is attached to the front end portion of the housing so as to close the opening.

  The light guide bar 30 extends vertically. The light guide rod 30 is not formed in a straight line, but is curved along the surface of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the light guide rod 30 is curved along the rear edge 2 </ b> R of the vehicle 1. That is, the light guide bar 30 is curved so as to be convex to the side.

  The plurality of light sources 20 are arranged so as to face the upper end and the lower end of the light guide rod 30, respectively. Note that the light source 20 may be disposed opposite to either the upper end or the lower end of the light guide rod 30.

  The light source 20 is a light emitting diode, an inorganic electroluminescent element, an organic electroluminescent element, a laser diode, or other semiconductor light emitting element. The light source 20 has directivity, and the optical axis of the light source 20 extends from the light source 20 to the direction in which the light source 20 is directed. The optical axis of the light source 20 intersects the upper end or the lower end of the light guide bar 30. Therefore, light emitted by the upper and lower light sources 20 is incident on the upper end and the lower end of the light guide rod 30, respectively, and the light is taken into the light guide rod 30 through the upper end or the lower end of the light guide rod 30. The light guide rod 30 has a total reflection surface on its peripheral surface, and light taken into the light guide rod 30 from the upper end of the light guide rod 30 is totally reflected by the peripheral surface of the light guide rod 30, but on the opposite side. Guided toward the lower end of Light taken into the light guide rod 30 from the lower end of the light guide rod 30 is guided toward the upper end of the light guide rod 30.

  A diffuse reflection portion 32 is formed on the side surface 31 of the light guide rod 30. The side surface 31 is a convex side surface of the light guide rod 30. When the surface 33 opposite to the side surface 31 is an exit surface, and the light guided by the light guide rod 30 is diffusely reflected by the diffuse reflection part of the side surface 31, it is critical among the light incident on the exit surface 33. A component less than a corner is emitted from the light exit surface 33 to the outside of the light guide rod 30.

  The light guide bar 30 is disposed on the back side of the extension 50. Therefore, the light guide rod 30 is hidden behind the extension 50 when the vehicle lamp 10R is viewed from the front. A groove 51 is formed on the side surface of the extension 50. The groove 51 extends vertically along the light guide rod 30. The light guide bar 30 is disposed in the vicinity of the groove 51, and the concave side surface 33 of the light guide bar 30 faces the groove 51. Therefore, the light emitted from the side surface 33 of the light guide rod 30 passes through the groove 51. It is preferable that the intensity distribution of the light emitted from the side surface 33 of the light guide rod 30 is uniform.

  The groove 51 is a space. However, a transparent material may be fitted or filled in the groove 51. Further, the half mirror may be fitted or filled in the groove 51. If the half mirror is provided in the groove 51, the light guide rod 30 cannot be viewed from the front of the vehicle lamp 10R, so that the design of the vehicle lamp 10R is improved. In addition, the half mirror can prevent the light guide bar 30 from being reflected on a reflection surface 41 described later.

  The reflector 40 is connected to the rear end portion of the extension 50, and the reflector 40 extends laterally from the rear end portion of the extension 50. A metal reflecting film 43 grown by vapor deposition (evaporation or sputtering) or plating is formed on the front surface of the reflector 40, so that a concave reflecting surface 41 is formed on the front surface of the reflector 40. The reflecting surface 41 is a columnar reflecting surface. That is, the reflecting surface 41 is a concave curve (for example, guided in the cross section) whose center of curvature is the light guide bar 30 side in a cross section orthogonal to the center line of the light guide bar 30 (or a horizontal cross section intersecting the center line). A column surface (column surface) obtained by moving (for example, parallel movement) a parabola focusing on the light rod 30 or its vicinity or a free curve based on the parabola along the center line of the light guide rod 30. Shaped free-form surface). Therefore, the reflective surface 41 has a reference line (for example, a focal line), and the reference line extends so as to be along the center line of the light guide bar 30, and the reference line is the side surface 32 of the light guide bar 30 or its Located in the vicinity.

  The light emitted from the side surface 32 of the light guide bar 30 is reflected forward by the reflecting surface 41, and the reflected light is spatially distributed. The light distribution of the reflected light by the reflection surface 41 is based on the shape of the reflection surface 41, and the light distribution satisfies the light distribution standard of the vehicular lamp (particularly a signal lamp). For example, the light distribution of the light reflected by the reflecting surface 41 satisfies a light distribution standard of a tail lamp, a stop lamp, a turn signal lamp, or a back lamp. If the light source 20 is a white light source and the light guide bar 30 is colorless and transparent, the light reflected by the reflecting surface 41 is white light. If the light source 20 is a white light source and the light guide bar 30 is colored and transparent, the color of the light reflected by the reflecting surface 41 follows the color of the light guide bar 30. If the light source 20 is a colored light source and the light guide rod 30 is colorless and transparent, the color of light reflected by the reflecting surface 41 follows the color of the light source 20.

  Instead of adopting a configuration in which a plurality of light sources are arranged in a line along the light guide rod 30 with an interval between them, the light source 20 and the light guide rod 30 are used in the embodiment of the present invention. If a configuration in which a plurality of light sources are arranged at intervals between them instead of the light source 20 and the light guide rod 30, the reflecting surface 41 needs to be a complex curved surface. That is, it is necessary to divide the reflecting surface 41 into a plurality of regions for each of a plurality of light sources and to design the shape of the surface for each region. Then, when a plurality of light sources are used in place of the light source 20 and the light guide rod 30, the reflection surface 41 appears to be divided in stages up and down, and the appearance of the lamp is not good. However, in the embodiment of the present invention, since the light source 20 and the light guide rod 30 are used, the shape of the reflecting surface 41 can be designed as a single surface, and the reflecting surface 41 is smoothly connected to the curved surface. Thus, the boundary of the region does not appear on the reflection surface 41. Therefore, the appearance of the vehicular lamp 10R is good.

  Moreover, since the light guide rod 30 is used, the intensity distribution along the reflection surface 41 of the light reflected by the reflection surface 41 is averaged. Therefore, it is possible to prevent so-called spotlight of the reflection surface 41, that is, a part of the reflection surface 41 looks brighter than other portions.

  The lamp unit 60 irradiates light from the back of the reflector 40 to the front of the reflector 40. The reflector 40 is formed with a plurality of light transmitting windows 44 through which light emitted by the lamp unit 60 passes. The translucent window 44 is a through hole penetrating from the front surface to the rear surface of the reflector 40, and a transparent material may be fitted or filled in the through hole. These translucent windows 44 are arranged vertically.

  The lamp unit 60 includes a plurality of second light sources 61 and a plurality of light guides 62. The light guide 62 is made of a transparent material, and the skeleton of the light guide 62 has a plate shape. The light guide 62 is disposed on the back side of the reflector 40, a part of the front side of the light guide 62 is fitted into the light transmission window 44, and the front end surface 62 b of the light guide 62 is directed forward through the light transmission window 44. ing. A front end surface 62b of the light guide 62 is an emission surface. The rear end surface of the light guide 62 is a light incident side surface, and an incident portion 62 a is provided on the rear end surface of the light guide 62. The upper and lower end surfaces and the left and right side surfaces of the light guide 62 are total reflection surfaces.

  The second light source 61 is disposed opposite to the incident part 62a. The second light source 61 is a light emitting diode, an inorganic electroluminescent element, an organic electroluminescent element, a laser diode, or other semiconductor light emitting element. The light emitted by the second light source 61 is taken into the light guide 62 by the incident part 62a, and is made close to parallel light by the refraction and condensing action of the incident part 62a. The light guided by the light guide 62 from the incident portion 62 a to the exit surface 62 b is totally reflected by the upper and lower end surfaces and the left and right side surfaces of the light guide 62 of the light guide 62. The light thus guided to the emission surface 62b is emitted from the emission surface 62b to the front of the light guide 62.

  The second light source 61 and the light source 20 may independently emit light separately or may emit light simultaneously in conjunction with each other. Further, when the vehicular lamp 10R is a signal lamp, it is indicated by a signal indicated by the light source 20 emitting light and the second light source 61 not emitting light, and by the second light source 61 emitting light without the light source 20 emitting light. The signal and the signal indicated by both the light source 20 and the second light source 61 emitting light may be the same or different. For example, a signal indicated by one of the light source 20 and the second light source 61 emitting light indicates the rear part of the vehicle (the vehicle lamp 10R is lit as a so-called tail lamp). A signal indicated by both of them emitting light indicates braking of the vehicle (the vehicular lamp 10R is lit as a so-called brake lamp).

  The lamp unit 60 composed of the second light source 61 and the light guide 62 is independent of the reflection surface 41 of the reflector 40, and the light of the lamp unit 60 is not reflected by the reflection surface 41. Therefore, the reflective surface 41 can be designed without considering the lamp unit 60 in the optical design of the reflective surface 41, and the reflective surface 41 can be optically designed as a dedicated reflective surface for the light guide 62. Therefore, the light reflected by the reflecting surface 41 can be more appropriately distributed.

  When the vehicular lamp 10R is viewed from the front, the region that appears to shine by the light emission of the second light source 61 (the exit surface 62b of the light guide 62) is included in the region that appears to shine by the light emission of the light source 20 (reflection surface 41). Looks like it is. In other words, the region that appears bright by the light emission of the second light source 61 is not far apart from the region that appears bright by the light emission of the light source 20. Therefore, a novel design can be provided.

  The light emitted from the exit surface 33 of the light guide rod 30 when the light source 20 is turned on is also surface-reflected by the exit surface 62 b of the light guide 62. Therefore, even if the translucent window 44 is formed in the reflector 40, the exit surface 62 b of the light guide 62 supplements the reflecting surface 41 of the reflector 40. Therefore, when the light source 20 is turned on and the second light source 61 is not turned on, the light transmission window 44 can be prevented from becoming dark.

[Modification 1]
As shown in FIG. 4, the light transmission window may not be formed on the reflector 40, and the metal reflection film 43 may be formed on the entire front surface of the reflector 40. In this case, no lamp unit is provided on the rear side of the reflector 40.

[Modification 2]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the reflector 40 may also serve as a light guide. That is, the main body 42 of the reflector 40 is made of a transparent resin material, and the main body 42 is used as a light guide. As in the case shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the front surface of the main body 42 has a curvature on the light guide rod 30 side in a cross section orthogonal to the center line of the light guide rod 30 (or a horizontal cross section intersecting the center line). A concave curve (for example, a parabola focusing on the light guide rod 30 or its vicinity in the cross section or a free curve based on the parabola in the cross section) is moved along the center line of the light guide rod 30 (for example, parallel movement). ) Is a column surface (columnar free-form curved surface). The curvature of the concave curve here does not need to be uniform, and when the concave curve is moved along the center line of the light guide rod 30, the curvature of the concave curve may change.
The reflective surface 41 is configured by forming a metal reflective film 43 on the front surface of the main body 42.

  The metal reflective film 43 is not formed on the entire front surface of the main body 42, but a plurality of openings 43a are formed in the metal reflective film 43, and a part of the front surface of the main body 42 is exposed through the openings 43a. The position where the opening 43a is formed is the position where the transparent window 44 is formed as shown in FIGS.

  The main body portion 42 has a curved plate shape, and the rear surface of the main body portion 42 is substantially parallel to the front surface of the main body portion 42. Therefore, the transparent main body 42 functions as a light guide plate. By forming a plurality of recesses 42a on the rear surface of the main body 42, a cylindrical reflection surface (second reflection surface) 42b is formed on the bottom of the recess 42a. These cylindrical reflection surfaces 42b are formed at positions facing the openings 43a. The generatrix of the cylindrical reflecting surface 42b extends in the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6). The cylindrical reflection surface 42 b is a columnar convex surface when viewed from the outside of the main body portion 42, and is a columnar concave surface when viewed from the inside of the main body portion 42. The center line of curvature of the cylindrical reflection surface 42b is closer to the side end surface 42c of the main body 42 than the cylindrical reflection surface 42b.

  The side end surface 42c of the main body 42 is an incident surface, and the second light source 61 is disposed to face the side end surface 42c. The light emitted by the second light source 61 enters the side end face 42 c of the main body (light guide plate) 42 and is taken into the main body 42. The light taken into the main body 42 is guided toward the opposite side. The light traveling inside the main body 42 is reflected toward the opening 43a by the cylindrical reflection surface 42b. However, since the light is the cylindrical reflection surface 42b, the reflected light is reflected from the front surface of the main body 42 (particularly the region inside the opening 43a). ) Is incident below the critical angle. Then, the light reflected by the cylindrical reflecting surface 42b is emitted forward from the front surface of the main body 42 in the opening 43a.

  When an example of the signal indicated by the vehicle signal lamp 10R is given, the signal indicated by one of the light source 20 and the second light source 61 emitting light indicates the rear of the vehicle, and both the light source 20 and the second light source 61 are The signal indicated by the light emission indicates vehicle braking.

10R, 10L Vehicle lamp 6 Lamp unit 20 Light source 30 Light guide rod 33 Output surface 40 Reflector 41 Reflective surface 42 Main body portion 42b Cylindrical reflective surface (second reflective surface)
43 Metal Reflective Film 43a Opening 44 Translucent Window 61 Second Light Source 62 Light Guide

Claims (6)

A light source;
The one end has an incident part facing the light source at one end and extends from one end to the other end, and guides the light emitted from the light source and incident on the incident part from the one end to the other end. A light guide rod having a total reflection surface on the peripheral surface and having an output surface on one side of the peripheral surface for emitting light guided by the total reflection surface;
A reflector that reflects the light emitted by the emission surface forward,
The reflector has a columnar concave shape obtained by moving along a center line of the light guide rod along a concave curve having the light guide rod side as a center of curvature in a cross section intersecting the center line of the light guide rod. A vehicular lamp having a reflecting surface on the front surface. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the light guide bar is curved along the surface of the vehicle. Further comprising a lamp unit provided on the rear side of the reflector,
The reflector has a light-transmitting window that transmits light from the rear surface to the front surface of the reflector;
The vehicular lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the light emitted by the lamp unit passes through the translucent window. A signal indicated by lighting one of the light source and the lamp unit indicates a rear part of the vehicle,
4. The vehicular lamp according to claim 3, wherein a signal indicated when both the light source and the lamp unit are turned on indicates braking of the vehicle. A second light source,
The reflector has a columnar concave surface obtained by moving a concave curve with the light guide bar side as a center of curvature along the center line of the light guide bar in the cross section intersecting the center line of the light guide bar. A main body part as a transparent light guide plate, and a reflective film that forms the reflective surface by being formed on the front surface of the main body part,
A side end surface of the main body portion on the light guide rod side is an incident surface, and light emitted by the second light source is taken into the main body portion through the incident portion when the second light source faces the incident surface. A part of the front surface of the main body is exposed through the opening by forming an opening in the reflective film, and a second reflective surface is formed at a position facing the opening of the rear surface of the main body, The second reflection surface reflects light toward the opening so that the light taken into the main body is incident on the front surface of the main body in the opening so as to be less than a critical angle. The vehicular lamp according to 1 or 2. A signal indicated by one of the light source and the second light source emitting light indicates a rear part of the vehicle,
6. The vehicular lamp according to claim 5, wherein a signal indicated by both the light source and the second light source being turned on indicates braking of the vehicle.

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