JP6383583B2 - Vehicle lighting device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular illumination device including an LED light source.

  Various vehicle lighting devices have been proposed for applications such as brake lamps. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose an illumination device for a vehicle including an LED light source. In the vehicle lighting devices disclosed in these documents, it is intended to realize a wider light emitting region by means of reflecting or guiding light from an LED light source that is a point light source.

  However, it is difficult to sufficiently achieve the enlargement of the light emitting region only by simple reflection or light guide. In addition, with the diversification of vehicle designs in recent years, it is required that the vehicle lighting device also has a more varied appearance.

JP 2004-311662 A JP 2008-84699 A

  The present invention has been conceived under the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicular illumination device capable of expanding a light emitting region. Moreover, this invention makes it the subject to provide the illuminating device for vehicles which can exhibit a more various external appearance.

  The vehicular illumination device provided by the first aspect of the present invention includes an LED light source, an incident portion into which light from the LED light source is incident, and light guided through the interior is emitted forward in the emission direction. The light guide includes a bottom portion that extends in a direction that intersects the emission direction, and a weight-shaped portion that has a cross-sectional shape that increases from the bottom toward the front in the emission direction. The bottom portion is provided with a diffusion light emitting region for emitting light guided from the incident portion while diffusing the light forward in the emission direction.

  The vehicular illumination device provided by the second aspect of the present invention emits an LED light source, an incident portion into which light from the LED light source is incident, and light guided through the interior toward the front in the emission direction. The light guide includes a bottom portion that extends in a direction that intersects the emission direction, and a weight-shaped portion that has a cross-sectional shape that increases from the bottom toward the front in the emission direction. And a reflector member having a weight-shaped reflecting surface that covers the weight-shaped portion from the outside.

  The vehicular illumination device provided by the third aspect of the present invention is an LED light source, an incident portion where light from the LED light source is incident, and light guided inside is emitted forward in the emission direction. The light guide includes a bottom portion that extends in a direction that intersects the emission direction, and a weight-shaped portion that has a cross-sectional shape that increases from the bottom toward the front in the emission direction. The bottom portion is provided with a diffused light emitting region for diffusing the light guided from the incident portion while diffusing light forward in the emission direction, and a weight-shaped reflection that covers the weight-shaped portion from the outside. A reflector member having a surface is provided.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a region emitting light in a planar shape can be realized by the diffused light emitting region, and the light emitting region of the vehicle lighting device can be enlarged. In addition, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to exhibit an appearance as if a three-dimensional light-emitting object is present behind the weight-shaped reflecting surface that is present as a real object in the emission direction. Various appearances can be realized. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the effects of both the first and second aspects described above can be achieved.

  Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description given below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It is a principal part perspective view which shows the illuminating device for vehicles based on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing in alignment with the II-II line of FIG. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the illuminating device for vehicles based on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the illuminating device for vehicles based on 3rd embodiment of this invention. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the illuminating device for vehicles based on 4th embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

  1 and 2 show a vehicular illumination device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle lighting device A1 of the present embodiment includes an LED light source 1, a light guide 2, a reflector member 3, and a cover 4. The main application of the vehicular illumination device A1 includes a brake lamp, but is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various applications such as a vehicle width lamp. 2 corresponds to the front in the emission direction referred to in the present invention. Further, in FIG. 1, the cover 4 is omitted for convenience of understanding.

  The LED light source 1 is a light source of the vehicle illumination device A1, and includes a light source substrate 11 and a plurality of LED chips 12 as shown in FIG.

  The light source substrate 11 is an insulating substrate on which a wiring pattern is formed, for example. In addition, the LED light source 1 is not limited to the structure which has the light source board | substrate 11, What is necessary is just the structure by which the 1 or several LED chip 12 was arrange | positioned as desired.

  The plurality of LED chips 12 are semiconductor elements that each emit light by DC power. When the vehicle lighting device A1 of the present embodiment is used for a brake lamp, the LED chip 12 may be one that emits red light. The plurality of LED chips 12 are arranged in an annular shape on the light source substrate 11. The LED chip 12 may have a single chip configuration called a so-called bare chip, or may have a module type configuration in which the chip is covered with a light-transmitting resin. In this case, the translucent resin may serve as a lens.

  The light guide 2 guides light from the LED light source 1 to a desired path and range. In the present embodiment, the light guide 2 includes a cylindrical portion 21, an incident portion 22, a bottom portion 23, a diffuse light emission region 24, a weight-shaped portion 25, and an emission portion 26. The light guide 2 is made of a transparent material, for example, a transparent acrylic resin.

  The cylindrical portion 21 is a relatively short cylindrical shape whose axis extends in the emission direction, and is, for example, a cylindrical shape or a polygonal cylindrical shape. The incident part 22 is an end face located at one end of the cylindrical part 21 and faces the plurality of LED chips 12 of the LED light source 1. Since the arrangement diameter of the plurality of LED chips 12 and the diameter of the cylindrical portion 21 are substantially the same, light from the plurality of LED chips 12 enters the incident portion 22.

  The bottom portion 23 is a plate-like portion that extends in a direction intersecting the emission direction, and is connected to the other end of the tubular portion 21. In the present embodiment, the bottom 23 extends in a direction perpendicular to the emission direction. The direction in which the bottom 23 spreads with respect to the emission direction can be set as appropriate as long as the effects of the present invention to be described later are achieved. The bottom 23 has a circular shape or a polygonal shape in plan view. A diffuse light emitting region 24 is formed on the bottom 23. The diffuse light emission region 24 is incident on the incident portion 22 and is directed forward in the emission direction while diffusing the light guided in the cylindrical portion 21 and the bottom portion 23. In the present embodiment, the diffuse light emission region 24 is configured by a retroreflective member provided on the rear side of the bottom portion 23 in the emission direction.

  The weight-shaped part 25 is a part whose cross-sectional shape becomes larger from the bottom part 23 toward the front in the emission direction, and has a conical cylinder shape or a polygonal cylinder shape. The size of the rear portion of the weight-shaped portion 25 in the emission direction is substantially the same as that of the bottom portion 23. An end surface located in front of the weight-shaped portion 25 in the emission direction is an emission portion 26. The emission part 26 is a part where the light guided through the weight-shaped part 25 is emitted forward in the emission direction. The emitting portion 26 may have a mirror finish or a so-called textured surface having minute irregularities.

  The reflector member 3 is provided so as to cover the weight-shaped portion 25 of the light guide 2 from the outside, and has a weight-shaped reflecting surface 31 and a flange portion 32.

  The weight-shaped reflective surface 31 is a weight-shaped reflective surface having a cross-sectional shape that increases from the vicinity of the bottom 23 of the light guide 2 toward the front of the light emitting direction in the light emitting direction. The weight-shaped reflecting surface 31 is for reflecting the light emitted from various portions of the light guide 2 and directing it forward in the emission direction. In order to have such a weight-shaped reflecting surface 31, the reflector member 3 is made of, for example, a metal having a high reflectance or a resin provided with a plating layer having a high reflectance. The weight-shaped reflecting surface 31 has a conical shape or a polygonal pyramid shape.

  In the present embodiment, the weight-shaped reflection surface 31 extends forward in the emission direction from the emission part 26 of the light guide 2. In the illustrated configuration, the weight-shaped reflection surface 31 is disposed with a slight gap with respect to the weight-shaped portion 25 of the light guide 2. For example, the gap may be filled with a transparent filler (not shown).

  The collar portion 32 is a portion extending in the horizontal direction in the drawing from the front end in the emission direction of the weight-shaped reflecting surface 31. The collar part 32 can comprise the external appearance reflected circularly by comprising a material suitable for reflection similarly to the weight-shaped reflective surface 31.

  The cover 4 is a member that covers the entire light guide 2 and the reflector member 3 from the front in the vehicle direction, and is made of a resin that transmits light emitted from the light guide 2. When the vehicle lighting device A1 is used as a brake lamp, the cover 4 is typically made of a red transparent resin.

  Next, the operation of the vehicle lighting device A1 will be described.

  According to the present embodiment, the light from the LED light source 1 is guided to a wider area by the light guide 2 having the weight-shaped portion 25 and emitted forward in the emission direction. Also emits light. Since the diffuse light emission region 24 is formed in the bottom 23 that extends in a direction intersecting the emission direction, in particular, a direction perpendicular to the emission direction, for example, as shown in FIG. A region to be formed is formed. Therefore, the light emitting area of the vehicle lighting device A1 can be enlarged.

  In particular, when a retroreflective member is used as the diffused light emitting region 24, the diffused light emitting region 24 diffuses light from the LED light source 1 to form the above-described planar light emitting region. It fulfills the function of reflecting the light coming from the outside of the vehicle on which A1 is mounted in the direction it came. When the vehicle lighting device A1 is used as a brake lamp, the implementation of such a reflection function is required by law. According to the vehicle illumination device A1, it is possible to combine such a region that performs the reflection function and a region that performs the light emitting function, and the vehicle illumination device A1 can be downsized.

  In addition, by providing the reflector member 3 having the weight-shaped reflection surface 31, a part of the light from the light guide 2, particularly the light diffused by the diffused light emitting region 24, is reflected by the weight-shaped reflection surface 31. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when light emitted from a point A that is the left end of the diffuse light emitting region 24 in the drawing is reflected by the weight-shaped reflecting surface 31, it is as if the virtual point A 'Is observed as shining. Next, when the light emitted from the point B is reflected by the weight-shaped reflecting surface 31 on the point A side, it is observed as if the virtual point B ′ and further the virtual point B ″ are shining. As a result, the vehicular illumination device A1 is not limited to the weight-shaped reflection surface 31 that exists as a real object. The appearance is as if a three-dimensional light-emitting object is present behind the weight-shaped reflecting surface 31 in the emission direction. Therefore, according to the vehicular illumination device A1, more various appearances can be realized.

  3 to 5 show other embodiments of the present invention. In these drawings, the same or similar elements as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the above embodiment.

  FIG. 3 shows a vehicular illumination device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the vehicular illumination device A2 of the present embodiment, the configuration of the diffuse light emission region 24 is different from that of the above-described embodiment. The diffuse light emission region 24 of the present embodiment is configured by a textured surface provided in front of the bottom 23 in the emission direction. Even in such an embodiment, it is possible to achieve the expansion of the light emitting area and the diversification of the appearance of the vehicular illumination device A2. In addition to the textured surface, the diffuse light emitting region 24 can appropriately adopt a configuration including a plurality of grooves, a plurality of concave portions, or a plurality of convex portions.

  FIG. 4 shows a vehicular illumination device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the vehicular illumination device A3 of the present embodiment, the configuration of the diffuse light emission region 24 is different from that of the above-described embodiment. The diffuse light emission region 24 of the present embodiment is configured by a textured surface provided behind the bottom 23 in the emission direction. Even in such an embodiment, it is possible to achieve the expansion of the light emitting area and the diversification of the appearance of the vehicle lighting device A3. In addition to the textured surface, the diffuse light emitting region 24 can appropriately adopt a configuration including a plurality of grooves, a plurality of concave portions, or a plurality of convex portions.

  FIG. 5 shows an illumination device for a vehicle based on the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The vehicular illumination device A4 of this embodiment is different from the above-described embodiment in the shape of the light guide 2. The light guide 2 of the present embodiment has a flange portion 27. The flange portion 27 is connected to the front end of the weight-shaped portion 25 in the emission direction, and extends outward in a direction perpendicular to the emission direction. In the present embodiment, the light guided through the weight-shaped portion 25 is emitted in the vicinity of the coupling portion between the weight-shaped portion 25 and the collar portion 27, and this portion serves as the emitting portion 26 in the present embodiment. Even in such an embodiment, it is possible to achieve the expansion of the light emitting area and the diversification of the appearance of the vehicular illumination device A4. Moreover, according to this embodiment, in the state where the LED light source 1 is not lit, it is possible to exhibit an appearance in which the emitting portion 26 is hardly visually recognized.

  The vehicle lighting device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The specific configuration of each part of the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention can be varied in design in various ways.

  If it is a structure provided with the light guide 2 which has the diffuse light emission area | region 24, even if it is not necessarily the structure provided with the reflector member 3 which has the weight-shaped reflective surface 31, it can aim at expansion of a light emission area | region. On the other hand, if it is the structure provided with the reflector member 3 which has the weight-shaped reflective surface 31, even if it is not necessarily the structure which has the diffuse light emission area | region 24, the diversification of an external appearance can be achieved. In addition, the configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the plurality of LED chips 12 are disposed near the outer periphery of the bottom 23. An arranged configuration may be used.

A1 to A4 vehicle lighting device 1 LED light source 11 light source substrate 12 LED chip 2 light guide 21 cylindrical portion 22 incident portion 23 bottom portion 24 diffused light emitting region 25 weight-shaped portion 26 emitting portion 27 flange portion 3 reflector member 31 weight-shaped reflection Surface 32 ridge 4 cover

Claims (2)

An LED light source;
A vehicle lighting device comprising: an incident portion into which light from the LED light source is incident; and a light guide having an emission portion in which light guided inside is emitted forward in the emission direction,
The LED light source has a light source substrate and a plurality of LED chips arranged in an annular shape on the light source substrate,
The light guide body extends in a direction extending in the emission direction and having an end surface at one end forming a short cylindrical tube portion forming the incident portion, the other end of the cylindrical portion and intersecting the emission direction. It has a bottom and a weight-shaped portion whose cross-sectional shape becomes larger toward the front in the emission direction from the bottom,
The plurality of LED chips are directly facing the incident part so as to overlap the incident part in the emission direction view,
On the rear side in the emission direction of the bottom portion , the light is guided from the incident portion in front of the emission direction and is disposed at a position surrounded by the plurality of LED chips and the incident portion in the emission direction view. A vehicular lighting device, characterized in that a diffused light emitting region configured by a re-reflecting member that emits while being diffused is provided. It comprises a reflector member having a weight shape reflecting surface that covers the front Kitsumu shaped portion from the outside, the vehicle lighting device according to claim 1.

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