JP7524911B2 - Vehicle lighting fixtures - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to vehicle lighting that uses inorganic or organic fluorescent materials and photoluminescence to provide a good appearance.

A vehicle lamp for a vehicle is known that includes an excitation light source, a light-emitting layer made of an organic material that emits generated light when irradiated with excitation light from the excitation light source, and a lens member that irradiates the excitation light from the light-emitting layer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

International Publication No. 2019/245030

However, a more realistic vehicle lamp that utilizes the principles of the above vehicle lamps and functions as a vehicle lamp while providing a good appearance has not yet been developed.

This invention was made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a vehicle lamp that looks good.

The vehicle lamp of this invention comprises a lamp housing and a lamp lens that form a space, an excitation light source that is disposed within the space, and an inorganic light-emitting body that is disposed within the space and disposed at a position that receives excitation light from the excitation light source. The inorganic light-emitting body has a substrate and an inorganic light-emitting layer that is disposed on the substrate and formed into a required pattern. When the excitation light source is turned on, the inorganic light-emitting layer is irradiated with excitation light to generate a first light pattern that corresponds to the required pattern, and when the excitation light source is turned off, the inorganic light-emitting layer is irradiated with external light that has passed through the lamp lens from the outside and entered the space and is scattered to generate a second light pattern that corresponds to the required pattern. The luminance of the first light pattern and the luminance of the second light pattern are different, and the lamp lens transmits the first light pattern and the second light pattern to irradiate them to the outside.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the inorganic light-emitting body has a light reflecting material that reflects light from the inorganic light-emitting layer.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the inorganic light-emitting body has at least one surface that is curved or flat.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the inorganic light-emitting body is flat or nearly flat, and is inclined at an angle in the range of 5° to 85° with respect to the incident direction of the excitation light.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable to have an excitation light control member that is arranged in the space and controls the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source to be incident on the inorganic light-emitting body.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the excitation light is blue light, the lamp lens is red, and the blue excitation light is prevented from being exposed to the outside.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the inorganic light-emitting layer contains at least a fluorescent material.

The vehicle lamp of this invention comprises a lamp housing and a lamp lens that form a space, an excitation light source that is disposed within the space, and an organic light-emitting body that is disposed within the space and disposed at a position that receives excitation light from the excitation light source. The organic light-emitting body has a substrate and an organic light-emitting layer that is disposed on the substrate and formed into a required pattern. When the excitation light source is turned on, the organic light-emitting layer generates a light pattern corresponding to the required pattern by being irradiated with excitation light, and when the excitation light source is turned off, external light that has passed through the lamp lens from the outside and entered the space is transmitted, so that the light pattern corresponding to the required pattern is not generated, and the lamp lens transmits the light pattern and irradiates it to the outside when the excitation light source is turned on.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the organic light-emitting body has a light reflecting material that reflects light from the organic light-emitting layer.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the organic light-emitting body has at least one surface that is curved or flat.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the organic light-emitting element is flat or nearly flat, and is tilted at an angle in the range of 5° to 85° with respect to the incident direction of the excitation light.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable to include an excitation light control member that is disposed in the space and controls the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source to be incident on the organic light-emitting element.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the excitation light is blue light, the lamp lens is red, and the blue excitation light is prevented from being exposed to the outside.

In the vehicle lamp of this invention, it is preferable that the organic light-emitting layer contains at least a fluorescent material.

The vehicle lamp of this invention has a good appearance.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a first embodiment of a vehicle lamp 100 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view, vertical cross-sectional view) of the vehicle lamp 100. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view, vertical cross-sectional view) of the vehicle lamp 100 showing a state when the excitation light source 11 is turned on. FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view, vertical cross-sectional view) of the vehicle lamp 100 showing a state in which the excitation light source 11 is turned off. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing that the inorganic light-emitting body 101 is provided at a predetermined inclination with respect to the incident angle of the excitation light Lb. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of a vehicle lamp 100 in which an inorganic light-emitting body 101 is provided at a predetermined inclination with respect to the incident angle of the excitation light Lb. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the light generating unit 30. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for producing the inorganic solvent 203. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for producing the inorganic light-emitting body 101. As shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an inorganic light-emitting body 101 produced by the doctor blade method. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an inorganic light emitter 101 having an example of a desired pattern P. As shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the manner in which light is emitted by the first light pattern P1. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the manner in which light is emitted by the second light pattern P2. FIG. 14 is a side cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view, vertical cross-sectional view) showing a second embodiment of a vehicle lamp 100 according to the present invention when an excitation light source 11 is turned on. FIG. 15 is a side cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view, vertical cross-sectional view) of the vehicle lamp 100 showing a state in which the excitation light source 11 is turned off. FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing the organic light-emitting body 1401. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for producing the organic light-emitting body 1401. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing the lighting caused by the light pattern P3. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the light pattern P3 cannot be seen when the excitation light source 11 is turned off.

Two examples of embodiments (examples) of the vehicle lamp according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same. In the following description, the front-rear, up-down, left-right directions refer to the directions when the vehicle lamp is mounted on the vehicle and is viewed from the driver's seat in the direction of travel of the vehicle. Note that in this embodiment, the up-down direction is parallel to the vertical direction, and the left-right direction is horizontal. Regarding the front direction and rear direction, the direction in which light is emitted from the vehicle lamp is the front direction, and the opposite direction to the front direction is the rear direction.

The drawings are schematic diagrams showing the vehicle lamp according to the present invention, and therefore only the main components of the vehicle lamp according to the present invention are shown, and components other than the main components are not shown. Also, some hatching has been omitted.

(Description of the configuration of the first embodiment (when using the inorganic light-emitting body 101))
1 to 13 show a first embodiment of a vehicle lamp according to the present invention. The configuration of the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment will be described below.

(Description of Vehicle Lamp 100)
In this example, the vehicular lamp 100 is a signal lamp of a tail lamp attached to each of the left and right sides of the rear of a vehicle (not shown). Therefore, in this embodiment 1, the front direction is the rear direction (rear of the vehicle), and the back direction is the front direction (front of the vehicle). As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the vehicular lamp 100 has a light source unit 10 (excitation light source 11), a reflector 20 as an excitation light control member, an inorganic light-emitting body 101 (light generating unit 30 and light reflecting material 33), a lamp lens (lens member) 40, and a lamp housing 50.

The red lamp lens 40 is disposed in a front direction relative to the inorganic light-emitting body 101. The lamp lens 40 is red in color. The red lamp lens 40 has an incident surface 41 and an exit surface 42. The incident surface 41 receives the red light L (see FIG. 3) and LtO (see FIG. 4), which are generated light (secondary light) from the inorganic light-emitting body 101. The exit surface 42 emits the light incident on the incident surface 41 in a front direction. The red lamp lens 40 transmits the red light L and LtO and absorbs light different from the red light L and LtO. Therefore, the excitation light Lb component contained in the external light is absorbed by the red lamp lens 40.

The lamp housing 50 is formed using a resin material, for example, black. The lamp housing 50 is, for example, rectangular box-shaped. The lamp housing 50 supports a red lamp lens 40. The lamp lens 40 and the lamp housing 50 form a space. In this example, the space is made up of a storage section 51 and a lamp chamber 52.

The storage section 51 and the lamp chamber 52 are formed in two vertical stages. The lamp chamber 52 is disposed on the upper stage side, and the storage section 51 is disposed on the lower stage side. The storage section 51 stores the light source section 10 and the reflector 20. The storage section 51 is surrounded in the front-rear and left-right directions by a lower wall section 51a. The lower wall section 51a is disposed so as to cover the reflector 20 when the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the front. The storage section 51 has a bottom section 51b at the lower part. The storage section 51 has an opening section 51c at the upper part. The opening section 51c has a shape corresponding to the shape of the upper part of the reflector 20. The lamp chamber 52 is provided in a space surrounded by the upper wall section 52a and the red lamp lens 40. An inorganic light-emitting body 101 is disposed in the lamp chamber 52.

(Description of Light Source Unit 10)
The light source unit 10 has an excitation light source 11, a support substrate 12, and a heat sink 13. The excitation light source 11 is, for example, a light source such as an LED or an organic EL. The excitation light source 11 is, for example, disposed below the light generating unit 30, and the light emitting surface 11a is directed toward the rear direction (forward). The excitation light source 11 emits, for example, blue light from the light emitting surface 11a as the excitation light Lb. Note that the excitation light source 11 is not limited to a light source that emits blue light, and a light source that can irradiate light (purple light, ultraviolet light, etc.) with a shorter wavelength than the wavelength of the generated light generated in the inorganic light emitting body 101 (light generating unit 30) can be used. The excitation light sources 11 are provided in a number corresponding to the number of the inorganic light emitting bodies 101 (light generating units 30).

The support substrate 12 supports the excitation light source 11. The support substrate 12 is supported by the lamp housing 50.

(Explanation of Reflector 20)
The reflector 20 constitutes an excitation light control member that controls the excitation light Lb emitted from the excitation light source 11 and causes it to enter the inorganic light emitter 101 (light generating unit 30). The reflector 20 is disposed on the rear side of the excitation light source 11. The reflector 20 has a reflection surface 21 that reflects the excitation light Lb emitted from the excitation light source 11 upward. The reflection surface 21 is provided for each inorganic light emitter 101 (light generating unit 30). The reflection surface 21 may be appropriately disposed regardless of the number and arrangement of the inorganic light emitters 101 (light generating unit 30). The reflector 20 is disposed in the housing 51 inside the lamp housing 50. When the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the front side, the reflector 20 is disposed so as to be hidden on the rear side of the lower wall portion 51a of the lamp housing 50 so as not to be directly visible.

(Explanation of Inorganic Luminescent Material 101)
The inorganic light-emitting body 101 is disposed so that a normal direction R of the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 described below is inclined obliquely downward with respect to the front direction. The inorganic light-emitting body 101 is disposed so that the normal direction R of the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 faces the outside (left side) of the vehicle with respect to the front direction. A plurality of inorganic light-emitting bodies 101, three in this example, are disposed in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the inorganic light-emitting body 101 is provided at a predetermined inclination with respect to the angle of incidence at which the excitation light Lb is incident on the inorganic light-emitting layer 32. The angle is, for example, greater than 0° and less than 90°, and is preferably any angle in the range of 5° to 85°. The larger this angle is, the larger the area of the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 when viewed from below, making it easier for the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 to be irradiated with the excitation light Lb from below. This allows the generated light (red light L, which is secondary light) to be generated efficiently.

As shown in FIG. 6, the inorganic light emitter 101 is fixed to a stay 132 extending from a bracket 131 attached to a part of the lamp housing 50, and is held at a required angle. Note that the orientation of the excitation light source 11 and reflector 20 shown in FIG. 6 is opposite to the orientation of the excitation light source 11 and reflector 20 shown in the examples of FIGS. 2 to 4.

In FIG. 6, the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source 11 is controlled by a reflector 20 and a Fresnel lens 23 as excitation light control members and enters the inorganic light-emitting body 101. Note that it is also possible to use only the Fresnel lens 23 to control the excitation light (not shown) that is directly irradiated from the excitation light source 11 and enter the inorganic light-emitting body 101.

(Explanation of the light generating unit 30, the holding member 31, the inorganic light emitting layer 32, and the light reflecting material 33)
The inorganic light-emitting body 101 has a light-generating unit 30 and a light-reflecting material 33. The light-generating unit 30 has a holding member 31 as a substrate and an inorganic light-emitting layer 32, as shown in FIG.

The holding member 31 is capable of transmitting the excitation light Lb emitted from the excitation light source 11. By transmitting the excitation light Lb, the holding member 31 guides the excitation light Lb inside the holding member 31 and can irradiate the entire surface of the inorganic light-emitting layer 32. In this embodiment, the holding member 31 is, for example, a rectangular plate, and is capable of transmitting the generated light (secondary light, red light L, LtO) emitted by the inorganic light-emitting layer 32. For example, glass, aluminum, etc. are used as such a holding member 31. In this embodiment, glass is used for the holding member 31, and aluminum material is attached as a light reflecting material 33 to, for example, the second surface 31b (back surface) of the holding member 31.

The holding member 31 as a substrate is made of glass or aluminum (Al). The choice between glass and aluminum is determined by the temperature when the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is formed or the design. When aluminum is used for the holding member 31, it functions as a reflecting means that reflects light from the inorganic light-emitting layer 32.

Furthermore, other transparent substrates can also function as the holding member 31 as this substrate. Also, when using glass or a transparent substrate for the holding member 31, if an aluminum plate is attached to the back surface, this aluminum plate functions as a reflecting means for reflecting light from the inorganic light-emitting layer 32.

The inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is held on the first surface 31a of the holding member 31. The inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is excited by irradiation with excitation light Lb from the excitation light source 11, and emits generated light (red light L, which is secondary light). The inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is held on, for example, the first surface 31a of the holding member 31. The inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is formed in a shape that corresponds to, for example, the shape of the tail lamp when viewed from the front. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is configured to have a predetermined pattern P.

In this embodiment, an inorganic material such as CASN (CaAlSiN ₃ :Eu) may be used as the inorganic light-emitting layer 32. In this case, a mixed material of CASN and a transparent resin such as silicone is applied onto the holding member 31 and baked to form the inorganic light-emitting layer 32. Alternatively, a mixed material of CASN and an inorganic material such as low-melting point glass is applied onto the holding member 31 and baked to form the inorganic light-emitting layer 32.

The inorganic light-emitting layer 32 may be, for example, a mixture of transparent resin (e.g., silicone) and CASN:Eu (a powdered red light emitter) sintered at 150°C, but is not limited to this specific example, and any material that functions as an inorganic light emitter is within the scope of the present invention. For example, a phosphor may be mixed into silicone, or a phosphor may be mixed into epoxy.

When an inorganic material is used for the inorganic light-emitting layer 32, a substrate such as glass can be used for the holding member 31. Alternatively, other types of materials such as SCASN(Sr,Ca)AlSiN ₃ :Eu can be used for the inorganic light-emitting layer 32.

(Description of a method for producing the inorganic luminescent material 101)
Hereinafter, a method for producing the inorganic light-emitting body 101 will be described with reference to Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for producing an inorganic solvent 203. A powdered glass frit 201 having a required softening point and a low melting point and a powdered fluorescent material (CaAlSiN) 202 called CASN are mixed with an organic solvent to produce the required solvent 203.

Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a method for producing an inorganic luminescent body 101. In step 1 (S1), a design mask layer 301 for forming a required pattern P is placed and fixed on a glass or aluminum substrate 111. In step 2 (S2), the required solvent 203 produced in Figure 2 is applied from above the substrate 111 on which the design mask layer 301 is formed. In step 3 (S3), the solvent 203 that has overflowed above the design mask layer 301 is removed. In step 4 (S4), only the design mask layer 301 is removed, and only the part of the solvent 203 that has high adhesion to the substrate 111 remains while maintaining its shape. In step 5 (S5), it is sintered at a temperature above a predetermined temperature, and unnecessary solvent is vaporized.

In this way, the inorganic light-emitting material layer 302 (inorganic light-emitting layer 32) forms the required pattern P on the substrate 111 (holding member 31), and the substrate 111 and the inorganic light-emitting material layer 302 form the inorganic light-emitting body 101.

The inorganic light-emitting body 101 can also be produced by a doctor blade method as shown in FIG. 10. In the doctor blade method, a wheel 404 with multiple protruding parts 403 is rotated from a pool 402 storing a viscous inorganic light-emitting material 401, and the inorganic light-emitting material 401 is entangled by the protruding parts 403. Next, the inorganic light-emitting material 401b entangled above the height of the protruding parts 403 is scraped off by a doctor blade 405. Next, a winding roll 406 provided opposite the wheel 404 rotates in synchronization with the wheel 404, and the inorganic light-emitting material 401a stored in the gaps between the protruding parts 403 is transferred to the surface of a substrate 407 that moves with the rotation of the winding roll 406. Then, the inorganic light-emitting material 401a transferred in a layer on the substrate 407 goes through a drying process 408 and is transported to a sintering process 409 together with the substrate 407.

In this way, the inorganic light-emitting material 401a (inorganic light-emitting layer 32) transferred to the substrate 407 (holding member 31) forms the required pattern P, and the substrate 407 and the inorganic light-emitting material 401a form the inorganic light-emitting body 101.

The material of the substrate 407 may be any material that is durable against the heating temperatures required in the above manufacturing process. From the viewpoint of flexibility and efficiency in manufacturing, an aluminum substrate is preferable, and from the viewpoint of design, a glass substrate is preferable.

As described above, the inorganic light-emitting body 101 created is flat or nearly flat, as shown in FIG. 11. Note that the inorganic light-emitting body 101 may have a curved surface, or may have both a flat surface and a curved surface.

The inorganic light-emitting body 101 shown in FIG. 11 has a required pattern P. In FIG. 11, the surface portion 501 is a portion that constitutes the inorganic light-emitting material layer 302 (inorganic light-emitting layer 32) and the inorganic light-emitting material 401a (inorganic light-emitting layer 32). The boundary portion 502 is a portion of the substrate 111 (holding member 31) where the inorganic light-emitting material layer 302 was not formed due to the design mask layer 301, and a portion of the substrate 407 (holding member 31) where the inorganic light-emitting material 401a was not transferred.

(Description of the Function of the First Embodiment)
The vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below.

When the excitation light source 11 is turned on, as shown in FIG. 3, a portion of the excitation light Lb (see the white arrow in FIG. 3) emitted from the light-emitting surface 11a is irradiated to the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 directly or after passing through the holding member 31 and being reflected by the light reflecting material 33.

When the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is irradiated with the excitation light Lb, the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is excited and emits red light L (see the hatched arrow in FIG. 3). A part of the red light L generated in the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is emitted backward (toward the front). A part of the red light L generated in the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is emitted forward (toward the rear), reflected by the light reflector 33, and irradiated backward. A part of the red light L generated in the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is reflected by the light reflector 33, and a part of the reflected red light L also travels backward, passes through the lamp lens 40, and is emitted backward. Therefore, the red light L generated in the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 is emitted in the forward direction as planar light. This red light L is incident on the entrance surface 41 of the lamp lens 40 and is emitted in the forward direction from the exit surface 42, and is emitted, for example, as the first light pattern P1 of the tail lamp (see FIG. 12). The brightness of this first light pattern P1 is high.

When the excitation light source 11 is turned off, as shown in FIG. 4, when external light LtI (see the white arrow in FIG. 4), which is light outside the lamp lens 40, passes through the lamp lens 40, light with a shorter wavelength than the red color of the lamp lens 40 is absorbed by the lamp lens 40. When the external light LtI that has passed through the lamp lens 40 reaches the light generating unit 30, it is scattered by inorganic material particles (fluorescent material 202, which is a colored particle) contained in the inorganic light emitting layer 32. This scattered external light LtO (see the hatched arrow in FIG. 4) is red light, and a part of it travels backward, passes through the lamp lens 40, and is emitted backward. In addition, a part of the scattered external light LtO is reflected by the light reflecting material 33, and a part of the reflected external light LtO also travels backward, passes through the lamp lens 40, and is emitted backward. As a result, it is emitted as the second light pattern P2 (see FIG. 13). Although the brightness of the second light pattern P2 is lower than the brightness of the first light pattern P1, the second light pattern P2 can be seen as the desired pattern P even from outside the vehicle lamp 100.

Here, the luminance of the excitation light Lb from the excitation light source 11 is higher than the luminance of the external light LtI. Therefore, the brightness of the first light pattern P1 is higher than the brightness of the second light pattern P2.

Therefore, when the excitation light source 11 is not lit and the inside of the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the outside of the lamp lens 40, the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 inside the vehicle lamp 100 appears darker than when the excitation light source 11 is lit. An absorbing member that absorbs red light, such as a blue transparent substrate, may be disposed between the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 and the lamp lens 40. This allows a portion of the external light LtO scattered by the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 to be absorbed. In this configuration, when the excitation light source 11 is not lit and the inside of the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the outside of the lamp lens 40, the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 appears invisible inside the vehicle lamp 100.

(Explanation of Effects of First Embodiment)
The vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration and functions, and the effects thereof will be described below.

The vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment generates a first light pattern P1 by irradiation of excitation light Lb when the excitation light source 11 is turned on, using the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 of the inorganic light-emitting body 101, and irradiates the first light pattern P1 to the outside. Also, the vehicle lamp 100 generates a second light pattern P2 with a lower luminance than the first light pattern P1 by scattering external light LtI when the excitation light source 11 is turned off, and irradiates the second light pattern P2 to the outside. As a result, the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment has excellent appearance because it can obtain two light patterns P1 and P2 that shine differently from the outside in two cases, when the excitation light source 11 is turned on and when it is turned off. In other words, the appearance of the lamp can be made more varied and good.

In the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment, the light reflecting material 33 reflects the red light L and external light LtO from the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 and emits them to the outside through the lamp lens 40, so that the red light L and external light LtO can be used efficiently.

In the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment, the inorganic light-emitting body 101 is flat or nearly flat, and is inclined at an angle between 0° and 90°, preferably between 5° and 85°, with respect to the incident direction of the excitation light Lb. As a result, in the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment, when the inclination angle is increased, the area of the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 of the inorganic light-emitting body 101 when viewed from below increases, making it easier for the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 to be irradiated with the excitation light Lb from below. This makes it possible to efficiently generate the red light L, which is the generated light.

The vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment can efficiently irradiate the inorganic light emitter 101 with the excitation light Lb from the excitation light source 11 by using the reflector 20 or an excitation light control member that combines the reflector 20 with the Fresnel lens 23. This allows the excitation light Lb from the excitation light source 11 to be efficiently utilized.

In the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment, the excitation light Lb is blue light, and the lamp lens 40 and the generated light (secondary light) are red. As a result, the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment can absorb the excitation light Lb that is not absorbed by the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 of the inorganic light-emitting body 101 and is scattered or the like by the lamp lens 40, so that the excitation light Lb can be prevented from leaking outside the vehicle lamp 100. In other words, it is possible to prevent the blue excitation light Lb from being exposed to the outside.

In the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment, the inorganic light-emitting layer 32 of the inorganic light-emitting body 101 contains at least the fluorescent material 202. As a result, in the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment, the external light LtI transmitted through the lamp lens 40 is scattered by the inorganic fluorescent material 202 contained in the inorganic light-emitting layer 32, and this scattered external light LtO is red light that transmits through the lamp lens 40 and is emitted backward, and is emitted as the second light pattern P2.

(Description of the configuration of the second embodiment (when using the organic light-emitting body 1401))
14 to 19 show a second embodiment of a vehicle lamp according to the present invention. The configuration of a vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment will be described below. In the drawings, the same reference numerals as those in Figs. 1 to 13 denote the same parts.

The vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment uses an inorganic light-emitting body 101. In contrast, the vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment uses an organic light-emitting body 1401. That is, the configuration of the second embodiment is such that the inorganic light-emitting body 101 of the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment shown in Figures 2 to 4 is replaced with the organic light-emitting body 1401 of the vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment shown in Figures 14 and 15.

As shown in FIG. 16, the organic light-emitting body 1401 includes a glass substrate 1402, an organic light-emitting layer 1403, an aluminum layer 1404 (light-reflecting material), and an encapsulation portion 1405.

The method of making the organic light emitter 1401 will be described below with reference to FIG. 17. In step 1 (S1), a design mask layer 1501 made of stainless steel is formed on a glass substrate 1402. In step 2 (S2), an organic light emitting layer 1403 made of an organic light emitting material (fluorescent material) is evaporated. This organic light emitting material is composed of a main component that absorbs blue energy components and an additive component that emits light from the light absorbed by the main component. The component ratio of the additive component is less than 10%. In step 3 (S3), an aluminum layer 1404 that serves as a reflective material is evaporated. In step 4 (S4), after the design mask layer 1501 is removed, a SiN layer is evaporated by CVD to form an encapsulation part 1405 made of a SiN layer. In step 5 (S5), an adhesive layer 1502 is formed, and in step 6 (S6), an aluminum material 1503 is attached as a protective material.

The thickness of the glass substrate 1402 is about 0.7 mm. The thickness of the organic light-emitting layer 1403 is about 2000 Å. The thickness of the aluminum layer 1404 is about 100 Å to about 1000 Å. The thickness of the SiN layer of the encapsulation part 1405 is about several microns. The thickness of the adhesive layer 1502 is about 10 microns. Note that the adhesive layer 1502 is omitted in Figures 16 and 18. The thickness of the aluminum material (protective material) 1503 is about 0.15 mm. In this way, the light generating part 30 having the required pattern P (see Figures 1 and 11) similar to that of the inorganic light-emitting body 101 produced in embodiment 1 can also be produced in the organic light-emitting body 1401 in embodiment 2.

(Description of the Function of the Second Embodiment)
The vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below.

When the excitation light source 11 is turned on, as shown in FIG. 14, a portion of the excitation light Lb (see the white arrow in FIG. 14) emitted from the light-emitting surface 11a is irradiated onto the organic light-emitting body 1401. When the excitation light Lb is irradiated onto the organic light-emitting layer 1403 in the organic light-emitting body 1401, the organic light-emitting layer 1403 is excited and emits red light L (see the hatched arrow in FIG. 14). A portion of the red light L generated in the organic light-emitting layer 1403 is emitted backward (toward the front). In addition, a portion of the red light L generated in the organic light-emitting layer 1403 is emitted forward (toward the back), reflected by the aluminum layer 1404, which serves as a reflective material, and travels backward. Therefore, the red light L generated in the organic light-emitting layer 1403 is emitted in the forward direction as planar light. This red light L is incident on the entrance surface 41 of the lamp lens 40 and is emitted from the exit surface 42 in the forward direction, for example, as a tail lamp light pattern P3 (see FIG. 18). This light pattern P3 has high brightness because it is emitted by high-intensity excitation light Lb.

When the excitation light source 11 is turned off, as shown in FIG. 15, the excitation light Lb is not emitted from the excitation light source 11, so that the red light L is not generated from the organic light-emitting layer 1403 in the organic light-emitting body 1401. Also, as shown in FIG. 15, when external light Lt (see the white arrow in FIG. 15), which is light outside the lamp lens 40, enters the lamp lens 40, light with a shorter wavelength than the red color of the lamp lens 40 is absorbed by the lamp lens 40. When this external light Lt reaches the organic light-emitting body 1401, it is reflected by the aluminum layer 1404, which serves as a reflective material, and reaches the reflector 20. The external light Lt that reaches the reflector 20 is reflected by the reflector 20 and returns to the organic light-emitting body 1401, and is reflected by the aluminum layer 1404 in the organic light-emitting body 1401 and emitted to the front side from the lamp lens 40.

As a result, when the inside of the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the outside of the lamp lens 40 with the excitation light source 11 turned off, the inside of the vehicle lamp 100 appears mirror-like, that is, it appears as if a mirror surface (aluminum layer 1404 in organic light-emitting body 1401 shown by dashed lines in FIG. 19) exists inside the vehicle lamp 100. Therefore, the required pattern P (see dashed lines in FIG. 19) formed on the organic light-emitting body 1401 cannot be seen from the outside of this vehicle lamp.

In this way, by turning on and off the excitation light source 11, the desired pattern P can be seen from the outside as light pattern P3 as shown in FIG. 18, or can be invisible as shown in FIG. 19. In particular, the light pattern P3 that is emitted when lit is completely (almost) invisible when not lit, making it possible to realize a lamp with a good appearance.

(Explanation of Effects of the Second Embodiment)
The vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration and functions, and the effects thereof will be described below.

The vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment generates and externally irradiates a light pattern P3 by irradiation of excitation light Lb by the organic light-emitting element 1401 when the excitation light source 11 is turned on, and does not generate a light pattern P3 corresponding to the required pattern P due to transmission of external light Lt when the excitation light source 11 is turned off. As a result, the vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment can make the required pattern P visible or invisible as a light pattern P3 from the outside in two cases, when the excitation light source 11 is turned on and when it is turned off. In particular, the light pattern P3 emitted when turned on is completely (almost) invisible when it is not turned on, making it possible to realize a lamp with a good appearance.

In the vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment, the organic light-emitting layer 1403 of the organic light-emitting body 1401 contains at least a fluorescent material. As a result, the vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment emits light of red energy components from the absorbed blue energy components due to the fluorescent material contained in the organic light-emitting layer 1403 of the organic light-emitting body 1401, so that the light pattern P3 is emitted by the excitation light Lb when the excitation light source 11 is turned on, and the light pattern P3 can be extinguished when the excitation light source 11 is turned off.

The vehicle lamp 100 according to the second embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration and function, and therefore can achieve the same effects as the vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment.

(Explanation of Examples Other Than Embodiments 1 and 2)
In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, an example is described in which the vehicle lamp 100 is a tail lamp constituting a rear combination lamp. However, in the present invention, the vehicle lamp 100 may be a stop lamp, a tail/stop lamp, or a turn signal lamp other than a tail lamp. In the case of a stop lamp or a tail/stop lamp, the first light pattern P1 and the second light pattern P2 are red light, and in the case of a turn signal lamp, the first light pattern P1 and the second light pattern P2 are yellow-orange light.

In addition, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the excitation light control member is a reflector 20 or a combination of the reflector 20 and the Fresnel lens 23. However, in this invention, the excitation light control member may be other than the above, for example, only the Fresnel lens 23, or a light guide member (light guide plate, light guide rod) having an entrance surface, an exit surface, and a total reflection surface. In short, it is sufficient that the member controls the excitation light Lb from the excitation light source 11 and irradiates it to the inorganic light-emitting body 101 and the organic light-emitting body 1401.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, three sets of inorganic light-emitting bodies 101 and organic light-emitting bodies 1401 are arranged on the left and right. In this case, the three sets of inorganic light-emitting bodies 101 and organic light-emitting bodies 1401 arranged on the left and right allow the three sets of light patterns P1, P2, and P3 to be connected on the left and right, forming a light-emitting design that is long on the left and right. However, in this invention, one, two, four or more sets of inorganic light-emitting bodies 101 and organic light-emitting bodies 1401 may be provided, and they may be arranged not only on the left and right, but also above, below, or diagonally. This allows a wide variety of light-emitting designs to be formed.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the inorganic light-emitting body 101 and the organic light-emitting body 1401 are flat or nearly flat. However, in this invention, they may be other than flat or nearly flat, for example, curved only, or a combination of flat and curved surfaces. As a result, this invention allows the surface shapes of the inorganic light-emitting body 101 and the organic light-emitting body 1401 to be flexibly adjusted depending on the installation conditions within the vehicle lamp 100.

Note that this invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Light source unit 11 Excitation light source 11a Light emitting surface 12 Support substrate 13 Heat sink 20 Reflector (excitation light control member)
21 Reflecting surface 23 Fresnel lens (excitation light control member)
30 Light generating portion 31 Holding member 31a First surface 31b Second surface 32 Inorganic light emitting layer 33 Light reflecting material 40 Lamp lens (lens member)
41 Incident surface 42 Exit surface 50 Lamp housing 51 Storage section (space)
52 Lamp room (space)
51a Lower wall portion 51b Bottom portion 51c Opening portion 52a Upper wall portion 100 Vehicle lamp 101 Inorganic light emitter 111 Substrate (holding member 31)
201 Glass frit 202 Fluorescent material 203 Solvent 301 Design mask layer 302 Inorganic light-emitting material layer (inorganic light-emitting layer 32)
401 Inorganic light-emitting material 401a Inorganic light-emitting material (inorganic light-emitting layer 32)
401b Inorganic light-emitting material 402 Pool 404 Wheel 405 Doctor blade 406 Winding roll 407 Substrate (holding member 31)
408 Drying process 409 Sintering process 1401 Organic light-emitting body 1402 Glass substrate 1403 Organic light-emitting layer 1404 Aluminum layer (light reflecting material)
1405 Encapsulating portion 1501 Design mask layer 1502 Adhesive layer 1503 Aluminum material (protective material)
L Red light (generated light, secondary light)
Lb Excitation light Lt External light LtI External light LtO External light

Claims (6)

a light-impermeable lamp housing and a light-transmitting red lamp lens forming a space;
An excitation light source that is disposed in the space and emits excitation light ;
an inorganic light-emitting body disposed in the space and spaced apart from the excitation light source and receiving the excitation light at a predetermined incident angle in the range of 5° to 85° ;
Equipped with
The inorganic luminescent material is
A substrate;
an inorganic light-emitting layer provided on the substrate and formed in a desired pattern;
having
The inorganic light-emitting layer is
When the excitation light source is turned on, the excitation light is irradiated onto the inorganic light-emitting layer at the predetermined incident angle , thereby generating a first light pattern corresponding to the required pattern as planar light ;
When the excitation light source is turned off, external light that has passed through the lamp lens from the outside and entered the space is irradiated and scattered to generate a second light pattern corresponding to the desired pattern;
the luminance of the first light pattern and the luminance of the second light pattern are different;
The lamp lens transmits the first light pattern and the second light pattern and irradiates them to the outside of the space .
A vehicle lamp characterized by the above. The inorganic light-emitting body has a light reflecting material that reflects light from the inorganic light-emitting layer.
2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1. The inorganic light-emitting body has at least one of a curved surface and a flat surface,
3. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2. An excitation light control member is disposed in the space and controls the excitation light emitted from the excitation light source to be incident on the inorganic light-emitting body.
4. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction. the excitation light is blue light,
The lamp lens prevents the blue excitation light from being exposed to the outside .
5. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction. The inorganic light-emitting layer contains at least a fluorescent material .
6. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are arranged in a first direction.

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