JP2022147959A - Vehicular lighting fixture - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting fixture which can improve appearance of light emission by preventing light emitting unevenness at the time of lighting.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture includes: a plurality of light sources; and a light guide body 3 for guiding light L emitted from the plurality of light sources. The light guide body 3 includes: a plurality of incident parts respectively arranged opposing to the plurality of light sources; a plurality of light guide parts 6 for guiding light L which has entered from the plurality of incident parts toward the same direction with each other; a plurality of reflection parts 7 respectively arranged on the back surface side of the plurality of light guide parts 6; and a plurality of emission parts 8 respectively arranged on the front surface side of the plurality of light guide parts 6. The plurality of light guide parts 6 has a constitution in which ones adjacent to each other are connected in a step-like manner. The plurality of emission parts 8 includes a front surface side step 9b between the ones adjacent to each other, and emission parts 8A at the back sandwiching the front surface side step 9b include an emission surface 8a connected at the front most with respect to a boundary line S of the front surface side step 9b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a combination of a light source such as a light emitting diode (LED) and a rod-shaped or plate-shaped light guide has been known as a vehicle lamp mounted on a vehicle. In such a vehicle lamp, the light emitted from the light source enters from the base end of the light guide and is guided toward the tip of the light guide while being repeatedly reflected inside the light guide. Let In addition, light reflected by a plurality of reflection cuts provided on the back side of the light guide is emitted from the front side of the light guide. Thereby, it is possible to cause the light-emitting portion provided on the front side of the light guide to emit light in a line or in a plane.

Further, some vehicle lamps have a light guide body in which a plurality of rod-shaped light guide portions are connected to each other (for example, see Patent Document 1 below). In a vehicle lamp equipped with such a light guide, the light emitted from the plurality of light sources is guided in the same direction by the plurality of light guides, and the light guides are formed by the plurality of light guides. Light is emitted from a planar light-emitting portion.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-159008

By the way, in the above-described conventional vehicle lamp, a dark portion (uneven light emission) is generated between adjacent portions (borders) of the plurality of light guide portions, which may deteriorate the appearance when the lamp is lit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been proposed in view of such conventional circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle lamp capable of improving the appearance of light emission by preventing uneven light emission during lighting. and

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
[1] a plurality of light sources;
a light guide that guides the light emitted from the plurality of light sources,
the light guide body includes a plurality of incident portions arranged to face the plurality of light sources and for receiving light emitted from the plurality of light sources;
a plurality of light guiding portions for guiding the light incident from the plurality of incident portions in the same direction;
a plurality of reflecting portions arranged on the rear side of each of the plurality of light guide portions to reflect the light guided inside the light guide portion toward the front side of the light guide portion;
a plurality of emitting portions arranged on the front side of the plurality of light guiding portions and emitting the light reflected by the reflecting portion to the outside;
the plurality of light guide sections have a structure in which adjacent ones are connected in a stepped manner,
the plurality of output portions have a front-side step between adjacent ones,
Further, the vehicular lamp is characterized in that the rear emission portion sandwiching the front-side step has an emission surface that is connected to a boundary line of the front-side step at the most front side.
[2] The vehicular lamp according to [1], wherein the light emitting surface forming the rear light emitting portion is connected to the boundary line so as not to form a recess.
[3] The front light guide portion sandwiching the front-side step has a first reflecting surface positioned between the front emission portion sandwiching the front-side step and the boundary line of the front-side step. The vehicle lamp according to the above [1] or [2], characterized by:
[4] the plurality of reflective portions have rear-side steps between adjacent ones;
[ The vehicle lamp according to any one of 1] to [3].
[5] The plurality of light guide portions have a structure in which rear light guide portions are sequentially connected to one side or both sides of the front light guide portion. 1. The vehicle lamp according to item 1.
[6] Any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the output section has a convexly curved output surface in a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the light guide section extends. 1. The vehicle lamp according to 1.
[7] the exit surface that constitutes the front exit portion has a convex shape that is curved in a substantially 1/2 arc shape in a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the light guide portion extends;
The exit surface constituting the rear exit portion has a convex shape curved in an arc shape of approximately 1/8 to 1/4 in a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the light guide portion extends. The vehicle lamp according to [6] above.
[8] Any one of [1] to [5] above, wherein the output section has a flat output surface in a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the light guide section extends. The vehicle lamp described in .
[9] The vehicular lamp according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the reflecting section has a plurality of reflecting cuts arranged in a direction in which the light guiding section extends.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp capable of improving the appearance of light emission by preventing uneven light emission during lighting.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line AA shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line BB shown in FIG. 3; It is a sectional view showing a modification of a light guide. It is a sectional view showing a modification of a light guide. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which three light guide portions of a light guide are connected;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings used in the following description, the scale of dimensions may vary depending on the component in order to make it easier to see each component, and the dimensional ratio of each component may not necessarily be the same as the actual do not have.

As one embodiment of the present invention, for example, a vehicle lamp 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be described.
1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the vehicle lamp 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line AA shown in FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main part of the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp along line segment BB shown in FIG.

In the drawings shown below, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set, the X-axis direction is the front-rear direction (length direction) of the vehicle lamp 1, the Y-axis direction is the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle lamp 1, and the Z The axial direction is indicated as the vertical direction (height direction) of the vehicle lamp 1 .

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicular lamp 1 of the present embodiment is a tail lamp that emits red light among rear combination lamps that are symmetrically arranged at both corners on the rear end side of a vehicle (not shown). The present invention is applied.

The tail lamp is arranged inside a lighting body (not shown) that constitutes the rear combination lamp. The lamp body is composed of a housing with an open front surface and a cover lens (outer lens) that covers the opening of the housing.

In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the terms "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper", and "lower" are used when the vehicle lamp 1 is viewed from the front (rear of the vehicle). shall mean the respective directions of Therefore, each direction when the vehicle is viewed from the front (vehicle front) is a direction in which front, rear, left, and right are reversed.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the vehicle lamp 1 includes a plurality of (two in this embodiment) light sources 2 and a guide for guiding the light L emitted from the plurality of light sources 2. a light body 3;

The plurality of light sources 2 are composed of LEDs that emit red light as the light L. As shown in FIG. A plurality of light sources 2 are mounted on the same surface of a circuit board 4 on which a drive circuit for driving the LEDs is provided, and emit light L radially in the same direction.

In this embodiment, the LED (light source 2) is mounted on the circuit board 4 described above. board) are arranged separately, and the mounting board and the circuit board are electrically connected via a wiring cord called a harness to protect the drive circuit from the heat generated by the LED.

As an inner lens, the light guide 3 is made of a light-transmissive member having a substantially flat plate shape as a whole. For the light-transmissive member, a material having a higher refractive index than air, such as transparent resin such as polycarbonate or acrylic, or glass, can be used.

The light guide 3 is arranged to face the plurality of light sources 2 respectively, and has a plurality of incident portions 5 into which the light L emitted from the plurality of light sources 2 is incident, and a plurality of incident portions 5 into which the light L is incident. a plurality of light guide portions 6 for guiding the light L in the same direction; a plurality of reflecting portions 7 for reflecting the reflected light L toward the front side (+X-axis side) of the light guide portion 6; It has a plurality of emitting portions 8 for emitting the light L that has been received to the outside.

The light guide 3 has a plurality of rod-shaped light guides 6 extending in the same direction from the base end facing the light source 2 toward the tip. 6 adjacent to each other are connected in a stepped manner.

Further, the light guide body 3 extends forward from the plurality of light guide portions 6 from a position facing the plurality of light sources 2, and then bends toward the outside (-Y direction) in the vehicle width direction (Y-axis direction). It has a shape extending from the axis side) toward the inside (+Y-axis side).

In the vehicular lamp 1 of the present embodiment, the vehicle width direction (Y-axis direction) is adjusted to the outside (-Y axis The light guide body 3 has a curved shape toward the direction in which the side) recedes. The shape of the light guide 3 is not limited to such a curved shape, and may be a shape inclined toward a direction in which the outer side is retreated from the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

The plurality of incident portions 5 are configured by flat (planar) incident surfaces 5 a facing the respective light sources 2 . On the other hand, the entrance portion 5 is not limited to the shape of the entrance surface 5a described above, and has a shape in which the light L radially emitted from the light source 2 is collimated or condensed and is incident on the inside of the light guide portion 6. may be

For example, the incident part 5 is located in the center of the part facing the light source 2, and has a convex first condensing incident surface on which a part of the light L emitted from the light source 2 is incident, and a first condensing incident surface. A substantially cylindrical second condensing incident surface on which part of the light L emitted from the light source 2 is incident, located on the inner peripheral side of the portion protruding toward the light source 2 from the position surrounding the light incident surface. and a truncated cone-shaped condensing reflecting surface positioned on the outer peripheral side of the projecting portion and reflecting the light L incident from the second condensing incident surface, the first condensing incident surface It is also possible to converge the light L incident from the second condensing incident surface toward the optical axis, and reflect the light L incident from the second condensing incident surface on the condensing reflection surface to converge the light L incident toward the optical axis.

The light guide body 3 has one incident portion 5 for one light source 2, and the light guide portion extending from the incident portion 5 branches into two light guide portions 6. may Further, in this configuration, there is no reflecting portion 7 between the entrance portion 5 and the branched light guide portion 6, and the reflecting portion 7 is provided on the back side of the light guide portion 6 that is branched into two. configuration.

Adjacent ones of the plurality of light guide portions 6 are connected to each other in a stepped manner, so that a rear-side step 9a between the plurality of mutually adjacent reflecting portions 7 on the rear side and a plurality of adjacent ones on the front side are formed. , there is a front side step 9b between the output portions 8 of .

That is, the plurality of light guide portions 6 are separated from the rear light guide portions 6 (hereinafter referred to as "rear light guide portions 6A" as necessary) that sandwich the rear-side step 9a and the front-side step 9b. , and the front light guide portion 6 (hereinafter referred to as “front light guide portion 6B” as needed) are connected to each other.

The plurality of reflection sections 7 have a plurality of reflection cuts 7a arranged in the direction in which the light guide section 6 extends. The plurality of reflection cuts 7a may reflect the light L incident on the back side of the light guide section 6 at an angle that allows the light L to be emitted (transmitted) from the front side of the light guide section 6 to the outside of the light guide section 6. , its shape, size, number, etc. are not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, for example, reflection cuts 7 a having a substantially triangular cross-section that cut the rear surface of the light guide section 6 in the vertical direction are provided side by side in the extending direction of the light guide section 6 .

Further, in this embodiment, the distances between adjacent reflection cuts 7a are equal. On the other hand, the plurality of reflection cuts 7a control the degree of diffusion of the light L emitted from the emission portion 8 according to the shape of the emission portion (the emission portion 8) of the tail lamp, in order to make the emission portion (the emission portion 8) of the tail lamp emit light more uniformly. may Specifically, the vertical length of the plurality of reflection cuts 7a may be gradually increased from the base end side of the light guide portion 6 toward the tip end side. Further, the distance between adjacent reflection cuts 7a may be gradually narrowed from the base end side to the tip end side of the light guide portion 6 .

Note that the vehicle lamp 1 may have a configuration in which a reflector facing the back surface (reflecting portion 7 ) of the light guide 3 is provided. As a result, the light L emitted to the outside from the back side of the light guide 3 can be reflected by the reflector and made to enter the inside from the back side of the light guide 3 again.

The plurality of emitting portions 8 have emitting surfaces 8a for emitting the light L reflected by the plurality of reflection cuts 7a (reflecting portions 7) to the outside of the light guiding portion 6 from the front side of the light guiding portion 6. there is The exit surface 8 a has a convex shape curved in an arc in a cross section (vertical cross section) perpendicular to the extending direction of the light guide section 6 .

The exit surface 8a may be provided with a plurality of diffusion cuts for diffusing the light L emitted from the exit surface 8a to the outside. Diffusion cuts include, for example, lens cuts called flute cuts and fish-eye cuts, and uneven structures formed by knurling, texturing, and the like. Further, by adjusting the shape of the diffusion cut, it is possible to control the degree of diffusion of the light L emitted from the emission surface 8a.

In the vehicle lamp 1 of the present embodiment having the configuration described above, the light L emitted from the plurality of light sources 2 passes through the plurality of light guide portions 6 from the plurality of incidence surfaces 5a (incident portions 5). After entering the inside, the light is guided from the base end side to the tip end side of the plurality of light guide portions 6 . Further, the light L guided inside the plurality of light guide portions 6 is reflected by the plurality of reflection cuts 7a (reflection portions 7), and thus the light L is reflected by the plurality of reflection cuts 7a (reflection portions 7). The light L is emitted to the outside of the light guide portion 6 from the plurality of emission surfaces 8a (the emission portion 8). As a result, it is possible to emit red light from the plurality of emission surfaces 8a (emission portions 8) as the light emission portion of the tail lamp described above.

By the way, the vehicular lamp 1 of the present embodiment has the rear-side step 9a between the plurality of reflecting portions 7 adjacent to each other on the rear side, so that the rear reflecting portions 7 sandwich the rear-side step 9a. (hereinafter referred to as a “rear reflecting portion 7A” if necessary) and a front reflecting portion 7 (hereinafter referred to as a “front reflecting portion 7B” if necessary).

In addition, the vehicle lamp 1 of the present embodiment has the front side step 9b between the plurality of adjacent emission portions 8 on the front side described above, so that the rear emission portions 8 with the front side step 9b interposed therebetween are arranged. (hereinafter referred to as a “rear emission portion 8A” as necessary) and a front emission portion 8 (hereinafter referred to as a “front emission portion 8B” as needed).

In the vehicle lamp 1 of the present embodiment, the front light guide portion 6B has a first reflecting surface 10 located between the front emission portion 8B and the boundary line S of the front side step 9b.

In the vehicle lamp 1 of the present embodiment, the light L incident on the first reflecting surface 10 is reflected, so that the light L guided inside the front light guide portion 6B is efficiently directed to the tip side. The light can be guided, and it is possible to cause the forward emitting portion 8B to emit light more uniformly.

Note that the first reflecting surface 10 can also reflect the light L reflected by the rear reflecting portion 7A toward the front light guide portion 6B.

Further, in the vehicle lamp 1 of the present embodiment, the rear light guide portion 6A has the second reflecting surface 11 located between the rear reflecting portion 7A and the front reflecting portion 7B.

In the vehicular lamp 1 of the present embodiment, by reflecting the light incident on the second reflecting surface 11, the light L guided inside the rear light guide portion 6A is efficiently guided to the tip side. It is possible to make the rear emission part 8A emit light more uniformly.

The second reflecting surface 11 can also reflect the light L reflected by the rear reflecting portion 7A toward the front light guide portion 6B.

In the vehicle lamp 1 of the present embodiment, the rear emission portion 8A has an emission surface 8a connected to the frontmost boundary line S of the front-side step 9b. That is, the output surface 8a is connected to the boundary line S of the front-side step 9b at the most forward position so that the boundary line S is not recessed. On the other hand, if the boundary line S is recessed, the light L is not emitted from that portion, resulting in a dark portion (uneven light emission).

In the present embodiment, the exit surface 8a constituting the rear exit portion 8A has an arc shape of approximately 1/8 to 1/4 (approximately 1/4 in this embodiment) in the vertical cross section of the rear light guide portion 6A. It has a curved convex shape. On the other hand, the output surface 8a that constitutes the front output portion 8B has a convex shape that is curved in a substantially 1/2 arc shape in the vertical cross section of the rear light guide portion 6A. In other words, the output surface 8a constituting the rear output portion 8A may have a convex shape curved in an arc within a range in which the boundary line S is not recessed.

As a result, in the vehicle lamp 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent occurrence of a dark portion (uneven light emission) between adjacent portions (borders) of the plurality of light guide portions 6 . Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to cause the plurality of emitting portions 8 to emit light more uniformly, and to improve the appearance when the lamp is lit.

It should be noted that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.
Specifically, the vehicle lamp 1 to which the present invention is applied may have a configuration in which the first reflecting surface 10 is omitted, as shown in FIG. 5, for example. Note that FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the light guide 3. As shown in FIG.

In this configuration, the exit surface 8a that constitutes the rear exit portion 8A is connected to the frontmost boundary line S of the front-side step 9b so that the boundary line S is not recessed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dark portions (uneven light emission) between adjacent portions (borders) of the plurality of light guide portions 6 .

In the vehicle lamp 1 to which the present invention is applied, for example, as shown in FIG. A configuration having a flat (planar) exit surface 8a may be employed. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the light guide 3. As shown in FIG.

In the case of this configuration as well, since the boundary line S is not recessed, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dark portions (uneven light emission) between the adjacent light guide portions 6 (boundaries). In addition, in this configuration, the width of the exit surface 8a that constitutes the rear exit portion 8A can be increased, so that it is possible to increase the degree of design freedom. It should be noted that the exit surface 8a that constitutes the front exit portion 8B is not limited to a planar shape, and may have the above-described convex shape.

Further, in the light guide body 3, when connecting three or more light guide portions 6, it is possible to adopt a connection structure as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views illustrating the state in which the three light guide portions 6 of the light guide body 3 are connected.

Specifically, in the configuration shown in FIG. 7A, it is possible to have a structure in which two rear light guide portions 6A are sequentially connected to one side of one front light guide portion 6B. That is, when connecting three or more light guide portions 6, the light guide body 3 has two or more light guide portions extending rearward from one side of the frontmost light guide portion 6B. It is possible to have a structure in which 6A are sequentially connected in a stepped manner.

On the other hand, in the configuration shown in FIG. 7B, it is possible to have a structure in which two rear light guide portions 6A are sequentially connected on both sides of one front light guide portion 6B. That is, when connecting three or more light guide portions 6, the light guide body 3 has two or more light guide portions extending rearward from both sides of the frontmost light guide portion 6B. It is possible to have a structure in which 6A are sequentially connected in a stepped manner.

In this way, in the light guide body 3, by connecting three or more light guide portions 6, the light emitting portion of the tail lamp described above can be further expanded, and the degree of design freedom can be enhanced.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the above-described tail lamp is exemplified. ), back lamps, direction indicators (winker lamps), etc., the present invention can be widely applied not only to the above-described rear side vehicle lighting fixtures, but also to front side vehicle lighting fixtures.

Further, for the light source 2, a light-emitting element such as a laser diode (LD) can be used in addition to the above-described LED. Further, the color of the light L emitted by the light source 2 can be appropriately changed according to the application of the vehicle lamp 1, such as white light or orange light, in addition to the red light described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vehicle lamp 2... Light source 3... Light guide 4... Circuit board 5... Incidence part 6... Light guide part 6A... Rear light guide part 6B... Front light guide part 7... Reflection part 7a... Reflection cut 7A... Rear reflection part 7B Front reflection part 8 Output part 8a Output surface 8A Rear output part 8B Front output part 9a Back side step 9b Front side step 10 First reflecting surface 11 Third Reflective surface of 2 S... Boundary line L... Light

Claims (9)

a plurality of light sources;
a light guide that guides the light emitted from the plurality of light sources,
the light guide body includes a plurality of incident portions arranged to face the plurality of light sources and for receiving light emitted from the plurality of light sources;
a plurality of light guiding portions for guiding the light incident from the plurality of incident portions in the same direction;
a plurality of reflecting portions arranged on the rear side of each of the plurality of light guide portions to reflect the light guided inside the light guide portion toward the front side of the light guide portion;
a plurality of emitting portions arranged on the front side of the plurality of light guiding portions and emitting the light reflected by the reflecting portion to the outside;
the plurality of light guide sections have a structure in which adjacent ones are connected in a stepped manner,
the plurality of output portions have a front-side step between adjacent ones,
Further, the vehicular lamp is characterized in that the rear emission portion sandwiching the front-side step has an emission surface that is connected to a boundary line of the front-side step at the most front side. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting surface forming the rear light emitting portion is connected so as not to form a recess on the boundary line. The front light guide section sandwiching the front-side step has a first reflecting surface positioned between the front emission section sandwiching the front-side step and a boundary line of the front-side step. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2. the plurality of reflective portions have a rear-side step between adjacent ones,
3. The rear light guide section sandwiching the back-side step has a second reflecting surface positioned between the rear reflecting section and the front reflecting section sandwiching the back-side step. 4. The vehicle lamp according to any one of 1 to 3. 5. The light guide according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of light guides have a structure in which rear light guides are sequentially connected to one side or both sides of the front light guide. Vehicle lighting fixtures as described. 6. The light emitting section according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting section has a convexly curved light emitting surface in a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the light guide section extends. Vehicle lighting. an exit surface that constitutes the front exit part has a convex shape that is curved in a substantially 1/2 arc shape in a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the light guide part extends,
The exit surface constituting the rear exit portion has a convex shape curved in an arc shape of approximately 1/8 to 1/4 in a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the light guide portion extends. 7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 6. The vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the light emitting portion has a flat light emitting surface in a cross section in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the light guide portion extends. . The vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the reflective portion has a plurality of reflective cuts arranged in a direction in which the light guide portion extends.

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