JPH06176608A - Vehicle light with led light source - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a vehicle light of excellent illumination efficiency which uses a small number of light sources consisting of light-emitting diodes by disposing a bottom reflector and each light source opposite to each other inside the housing of the vehicle light, and providing a curved inner lens and a plane inner lens between them. CONSTITUTION:A half mirror 2, obtained by vapor-depositing Al on the inner bottom surface of a lamp housing 2, is disposed along the direction opposite to that of illumination, and linear light sources 4 that use light-emitting diodes 4a are provided on either the two vertical or horizontal sides of the housing 2. The linear light sources 4 disposed on the upper and lower sides of the housing 2 are biased slightly downward and upward, respectively. Prism cuts 5b of the same shape are made on the inside of the housing 2, and a first inner lens 5 which is curved to project in the direction of illumination at a position halfway between a plane mirror 3 and each light source 4a, and a second inner lens 6 making close contact with the plane mirror 3, are disposed inside the housing 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp, and more particularly to a vehicular lamp having an LED (light emitting diode) as a light source.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a vehicular lamp 90 is formed by using an LED 80, which is generally called a dome type and is shaped like a bell, as a light source, the vehicular lamp 90 is an auxiliary braking lamp or the like. When the light emitting area is not required so much, the LED as shown in FIG.
The linear light sources 81 are formed by arranging 80 in a row with a relatively dense pitch, and the front surface is covered with an appropriate lens 91.

At this time, as a reference for the pitch P setting when the LEDs 80 are arranged in a row and used as the linear light source 81, the LEDs 80 are set as shown in FIG. Is set so that the main irradiation angle α (angle at which the luminance is halved with respect to the maximum value) possessed by the lens 91 overlaps with each other, but in the packaging described above, the main irradiation angle α is approximately 20 °. The pitch P is inevitably narrow because the pitch P is narrow.

[0003]

However, the same L
When, for example, a taillight / braking light that requires a large light emitting area using the ED 80 as a light source is to be formed, the LEDs must be arranged in rows and columns at the narrow pitch P described above, and the number of LEDs 80 is enormous. As a result, the cost of the vehicular lamp increases, and the amount of heat generated during lighting also increases, causing a decrease in brightness in a portion where the temperature rises significantly, such as the central part, and uneven brightness. Problems such as breakage have also occurred in terms of reliability, and the solution of these points has become an issue.

One of the reasons why the LED 80 is used as a light source is that the vehicular lamp 90 can be made thinner, and the depth when the lamp 80 is turned on due to the thinning has been achieved. For example, the feeling is insufficient as compared with a vehicular lamp using an incandescent light bulb as a light source, and there is a problem in that the feeling of quality is insufficient and the commercialability is deteriorated.

[0005]

As a concrete means for solving the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention relates to a vehicle lamp using an LED as a light source, wherein the vehicle lamp has an irradiation direction on a bottom surface of a housing. A plane mirror provided to face the plane mirror; LEDs arranged in rows at the front ends of two sides of the housing, which are the upper and lower sides or the left and right sides, arranged as a line light source to direct the light emission direction toward the plane mirror; And a first inner lens that is arranged in the middle of the linear light source so as to be convex on the irradiation direction side and is provided with a linear prism cut having a plurality of refraction angles in a cross-sectional direction orthogonal to the linear light source, LE having a second inner lens which is provided substantially in close contact with the plane mirror and which has a linear prism cut similar to the first inner lens.
By providing a vehicular lamp with a D light source, it is possible to reduce the number of LEDs to be used and solve the problem by providing a feeling of depth at the time of lighting.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described in detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 is a vehicular lamp according to the present invention, and a housing 2 of the vehicular lamp 1 is formed such that the inner surface of the bottom surface is formed in a plane facing the irradiation direction and aluminum vapor deposition is performed on the plane. It is regarded as a plane mirror 3 by being seen.

Further, a line light source 4 in which LEDs 4a are arranged in rows is arranged on either of the two sides of the housing 2 above and below or on the left and right (in this embodiment, the example of the upper and lower sides is shown). At this time, the linear light source 4 is directed toward the plane mirror 3 in the light emitting direction. At this time, each of the line light sources 4 arranged on the upper side of the housing 2 is biased so that the light emitting direction is slightly downward, and the one arranged on the lower side is biased so that the light emitting direction is slightly upward. However, since the optimum value of the amount of deviation differs depending on, for example, the vertical width of the housing 2, it is preferable to determine it at the time of actual implementation.

Further, two inner lenses, a first inner lens 5 and a second inner lens 6, are attached to the housing 2, wherein the first inner lens 5 and the second inner lens are attached. Since the prism plate 5a having the same configuration as the lens 6 and having the same shape as the prism cut is adopted, first, the prism plate 5a is used.
The configuration will be described.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the main part of the prism plate 5a. In the cross section of the prism plate 5a orthogonal to the linear light source 4, one of the surfaces has a different refraction angle. It is formed as a multi-sided prism in which a plurality of roof type prisms that are included are stacked and combined, and this shape is translated in the column direction of the linear light source 4 to form a linear prism cut 5b. It is said that.

In the first inner lens 5, the prism plate 5a having the above structure has the plane mirror 3 and the linear light source 4.
The second inner lens 6 is arranged so as to be curved so that the irradiation direction side of the vehicular lamp 1 is convex in the middle of
In the above, it is arranged to be in close contact with the plane mirror 3. The reason why the first inner lens 5 is curved is to efficiently transmit the light from the linear light source 4. In addition, what is shown by reference numeral 7 in FIG. 1 is an outer lens formed of, for example, a red transparent member.

Next, the operation of the vehicular lamp 1 having the above structure will be described. FIG. 3 shows a traveling state of a light beam from the linear light source 4 in the vehicular lamp 1 in a simplified manner in a vertical section. For example, one direction emitted from the linear light source 4 provided on the upper side. Rays of light reach the first inner lens 5 and the linear prism cut 5
It is divided into a plurality of directions in the vertical direction of the vehicular lamp 1 by b and passes through the first inner lens 5.

Each of the light beams thus divided reaches the second inner lens 6 and is again divided and transmitted, and is totally reflected by the plane mirror 3 and transmitted again through the second inner lens 6. Re-division is performed and reaches the first inner lens 5, and when passing through the first inner lens 5, re-division is performed again and heads in the irradiation direction of the vehicular lamp 1. Incidentally, this operation is performed in the same manner for the linear light source 4 provided on the lower side. Also,
The linear prism cut 5b may perform total reflection depending on the incident angle.

As described above, the light beam from the linear light source 4 is divided again in the vertical direction again.
The light rays from the linear light source 4 are diffused in the vertical direction, that is, the vertical direction of the vehicular lamp 1. In reality, the linear light sources 4 have different radial directions even in the vertical section described above. The linear light source 4 has a linear shape in which those diffused are overlapped.
The light from is converted into a plane.

Considering the state of the vehicular lamp 1 viewed from the irradiation direction side, for example, the light beam from the line light source 4 provided on the upper side is relatively close to the line light source 4. When the light is emitted back in the direction of irradiation in the irradiation direction, the average optical path length that passes through the irradiation is relatively short (at the shortest, the distance is approximately twice the distance from the linear light source 4 to the plane mirror 3). ), While
The optical path length becomes longer as the position from the linear light source 4 moves away, that is, as it goes downward.

Therefore, when the vehicular lamp 1 is viewed from the irradiation direction side, the diffused light rays from the line light source 4 provided on the upper side of the vehicle lamp 1 are gradually lowered as shown by a curve 4U in FIG. It will be viewed as if it is drawn backward, and the diffused light from the line light source 4 provided on the lower side is viewed as if drawn backward as it goes upward as shown by the curve 4D in the figure. It will be one.

The depth feeling generated at this time is emphasized by extending the optical path length by reciprocating the light rays by the plane mirror 3, and the depth is far beyond the depth of the housing 2. That is, it is possible to provide a completely new light emitting state of the vehicular lamp 1 that the planes of light intersect. Although the above embodiment has been described with reference to the example in which the line light sources 4 are provided on the upper and lower sides, it goes without saying that the linear light sources 4 may be provided on the right and left sides.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the plane mirrors provided on the bottom surface of the housing as a direction facing the irradiation direction, and the front ends of the two sides of the housing either vertically or horizontally are arranged in rows. An LED arranged and arranged as a linear light source whose light emitting direction is directed to the plane mirror, and a cross section orthogonal to the linear light source, which is arranged in the middle of the plane mirror and the linear light source so as to be convex on the irradiation direction side. A first inner lens provided with a linear prism cut having a plurality of refraction angles in the direction, and a second inner lens provided substantially in close contact with the plane mirror and provided with a linear prism cut similar to the first inner lens. By using the LED light source for a vehicle lamp as described above, it is possible to make the entire surface of the vehicle lamp emit light by two line light sources arranged on either the upper, lower, left or right sides. The by reducing the total number using LED, and so those exhibits extremely excellent effect in the costs of this kind of vehicle lamp and reliability.

Further, the above-described structure, in particular, the structure in which the optical path is reciprocated in the housing by means of a plane mirror makes it possible to set the optical path length to be long, thereby making the vehicle lamp have a sense of depth in a lighting state. It is possible to give it, and it also has an excellent effect of improving the commercial property.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a vehicular lamp of an LED light source according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a lighting state of the same embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.

6 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Vehicle lamp 2 ... Housing 3 ... Plane mirror 4 ... Line light source 4a ... LED 5 ... First inner lens 5a ... Prism plate, 5b ... Linear prism cut 6 ... Second inner lens 7 ...... Outer lens

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vehicular lamp using an LED as a light source, wherein the vehicular lamp has a flat mirror provided on a bottom surface of the housing as a direction facing the irradiation direction, and two sides of either the upper, lower, left or right sides of the housing. LEDs arranged in a row at the front end of the LED arranged as a line light source with the light emission direction toward the plane mirror, and curvedly arranged in the middle of the plane mirror and the line light source so that the irradiation direction side is convex. A first inner lens having a linear prism cut having a plurality of refraction angles in a cross-sectional direction orthogonal to the linear light source, and a linear prism cut similar to the first inner lens provided substantially in close contact with the plane mirror are provided. And a second inner lens.