JP7614066B2 - Vehicle lighting fixtures - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp, and in particular to a vehicle lamp that guides light from a light-emitting element using a light-guiding member and irradiates the light.

Conventionally, vehicle lamps such as headlights and taillights have been proposed that use light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources. Since these vehicle lamps form part of the vehicle's exterior, there is a demand for them to have high design quality in various external shapes and lighting states. Thus, a lamp that realizes a desired light emission shape by making light emitted by a light-emitting element enter a light-guiding member and scattering the light with a light scattering section provided inside the light-guiding member has also been proposed. In such vehicle lamps that use light scattering by a light-guiding member, light is irradiated to the outside in the shape of the light scattering section provided in the light-guiding member, so that linear or curved light emission shapes can be easily realized.

In recent years, the demand for design in vehicle lighting has been increasing year by year, and there is a demand for a wide variety of light emission shapes in addition to linear light emission shapes. Even with conventional technology, it is possible to realize complex light emission shapes by using multiple light-emitting elements and light-guiding members, but this increases the number of parts and limits the design freedom.

Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc., therefore propose vehicle lamps that irradiate light from a light-guiding member in multiple directions to realize light-emitting shapes with more complex designs. By using such a light-guiding member that irradiates light in multiple directions, it is possible to adjust the light distribution irradiated in each direction and realize expressions using multiple light-emitting shapes with a single light-guiding member. As an example, it is possible to simultaneously realize direct light irradiation in a line shape and indirect light irradiation with a two-dimensional spread by directly extracting light irradiated in one direction from the light-guiding member to the outside and reflecting light irradiated in the other direction with a reflector.

JP 2020-027731 A JP 2020-129460 A

However, in vehicle lamps that combine such light-guiding members and reflectors, the light-guiding member is made of a transparent material and the reflector has a highly reflective surface, so the internal structure of the vehicle lamp can be seen when the lamp is not lit. Because the light-guiding member and reflector are optically designed to irradiate the desired light when lit, it is difficult to achieve both the design quality when the structure is directly visible. This is particularly noticeable when many optical elements are included to achieve a complex light-emitting shape.

The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems with the conventional technology, and aims to provide a vehicle lamp that uses a light-guiding member and a reflector to realize a highly aesthetic light irradiation pattern, while also being able to conceal the internal structure when the lamp is not lit.

In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle lamp of the present invention comprises a light source unit that irradiates light, a light-guiding member into which light from the light source unit is incident from an end face, which guides the light internally and irradiates a portion of the light to the outside from a side face, and a reflector that reflects the light irradiated from the light-guiding member as reflected light, wherein the reflector contains a light-absorbing material and has a shade made of a light-blocking material, the shade is disposed between the reflector along the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding member, and has a translucent portion that partially transmits the light .

In the vehicle lamp of the present invention, a reflector containing a light absorbing material is used to reflect the light irradiated from the side of the light guide member, making it difficult to see the internal structure of the vehicle lamp from the outside. This makes it possible to realize a highly aesthetic light irradiation pattern using the light guide member and reflector, while concealing the internal structure when the lamp is not lit.

In one aspect of the present invention, the light-guiding member irradiates the light as first light and second light in at least two directions, a first direction and a second direction, and the reflector includes an inner lens that reflects the second light and transmits the first light.

In one aspect of the invention, the liquid crystal display further includes a second light guide plate that receives the first light from one end surface and emits the first light from the other end surface.

In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the vehicle lamp of the present invention includes a light source unit that irradiates light, a light-guiding member that receives light from the light source unit from an end face, guides the light internally, and irradiates a portion of the light to the outside from a side face, and a reflector that reflects the light irradiated from the light-guiding member as reflected light, wherein the reflector contains a light-absorbing material, the light-guiding member irradiates the light as first light and second light in at least two directions, a first direction and a second direction, the reflector reflects the second light, and the light-guiding member irradiates the light also in a third direction as third light, and includes a first light-guiding plate that receives the third light from one end face and emits the third light from the other end face, and transmits the reflected light from the back side to the front side.

In one aspect of the present invention, a second light guide plate is provided, into which the first light is incident from one end face and from which the first light is emitted from the other end face.

In one aspect of the present invention, an inner lens that transmits the first light is provided.
In one aspect of the present invention, a light scattering portion is formed on a surface of the reflector.

The present invention provides a vehicle lamp that uses a light-guiding member and a reflector to realize a highly aesthetic light irradiation pattern while still allowing the internal structure to be concealed when the lamp is not lit.

1A and 1B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp 10 relating to the first embodiment, in which FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view at a position where a light-transmitting portion 18a is formed, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view at a position where a light-transmitting portion 18a is not formed. 1 is a schematic perspective view for explaining an internal structure of a vehicle lamp 10 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3A and 3B are photographs showing the appearance of the vehicle lamp 10 in accordance with the first embodiment, in which FIG. 3A shows the lamp from the front when it is not lit, FIG. 3B shows the lamp from the front when it is lit, FIG. 3C shows the lamp from a 30 degree angle when it is not lit, and FIG. 3D shows the lamp from a 30 degree angle when it is lit. 4A and 4B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp 10 relating to a second embodiment, in which FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view at a position where a light-transmitting portion 18a is formed, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view at a position where a light-transmitting portion 18a is not formed. 5A and 5B are photographs showing the appearance of a vehicle lamp 10 according to a second embodiment, in which FIG. 5A shows the lamp from the front when it is not lit, FIG. 5B shows the lamp from the front when it is lit, FIG. 5C shows the lamp from a 30 degree angle when it is not lit, and FIG. 5D shows the lamp from a 30 degree angle when it is lit.

First Embodiment
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp 10 according to this embodiment, FIG. 1(a) is a cross-sectional view at a position where a light-transmitting portion 18a is formed, and FIG. 1(b) is a cross-sectional view at a position where a light-transmitting portion 18a is not formed. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining the internal structure of the vehicle lamp 10 according to this embodiment. The position A-A in FIG. 2 corresponds to the cross section of FIG. 1(a), and the position B-B in FIG. 2 corresponds to the cross section of FIG. 1(b).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle lamp 10 includes a housing 11, a back panel 12, an outer lens 13, a spacer 14, a reflector 15, a light-guiding member 16, shades 17 and 18, an inner lens 19, and a light-emitting element 20. The reflector 15 includes a first reflecting portion 15a, a second reflecting portion 15b, and a shade holding portion 15c. The shade 18 is partially formed with a light-transmitting portion 18a that transmits light. In Figure 1, the arrow drawn from the inside to the outside of the light-guiding member 16 shows the path of light that is guided and scattered within the light-guiding member 16.

The housing 11 is a casing portion that holds each component of the vehicle lamp 10, and is made of a light-blocking material. The housing 11 also has a front opening and a rear opening, and an outer lens 13 and a back panel 12 are provided to cover the front opening and rear opening. The back panel 12 is made of a light-blocking material that blocks light, and is a member that is provided to cover the rear opening of the housing 11. The back panel 12 is provided with a connector portion, harness, internal wiring, etc. that transmit power supplied from outside the vehicle lamp 10 to the inside, but these are not shown here. Here, an example is shown in which the housing 11 and the back panel 12 are configured as separate bodies, but a housing 11 in which the two are integrated may also be used.

The outer lens 13 is an optical member made of a material that transmits at least a portion of light, and is provided to cover the front opening of the housing 11 and fixed at its periphery, and extracts light from the light guide member 16 to the outside of the vehicle lamp 10. Materials that make up the outer lens 13 include glass, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, polycarbonate, etc., and polycarbonate is most preferable from the viewpoints of weight reduction, impact resistance, weather resistance, translucency, etc. The spacer 14 is a member that is inserted between the reflector 15 and the outer lens 13 inside the housing 11 to maintain the distance between them. Here, an example using the spacer 14 is shown, but the spacer 14 may be omitted. The housing 11, the back panel 12, and the outer lens 13 form the lamp chamber of the vehicle lamp 10.

The reflector 15 is an optical member that is disposed behind the light-guiding member 16 inside the housing 11 and reflects at least a portion of the light irradiated from the light-guiding member 16 on its reflective surface. The light reflected by the reflector 15 is irradiated toward the outside of the vehicle lamp 10 via the outer lens 13. The material that constitutes the reflector 15 is not limited, but a conventionally known resin material or glass can be used. The reflector 15 also contains a light-absorbing material at least on its reflective surface, and is designed to absorb at least a portion of visible light. The light-absorbing material is not limited, but a dye or paint that absorbs light of a specific wavelength can be used.

Examples of the configuration of the reflector 15 include a configuration in which the entire resin material constituting the reflector 15 contains a dye, or a configuration in which a partially reflective film is formed on the reflective surface using dye or paint by deposition or the like. The color of the light absorbing material is not limited, and materials that absorb specific colors such as red or blue can be used, but it is preferable to use dark colors that absorb a wide range of wavelengths, and it is more preferable to use black. Even when a black light absorbing material is used, it is possible to reflect part of the light from the light guide member 16 by giving the surface of the reflector 15 a glossy surface and finishing it in a piano black tone.

The reflector 15 contains a light absorbing material, so that even when observing the inside of the vehicle lamp 10 from the outside through the outer lens 13, it is difficult to visually recognize the shapes of the light guide member 16 and the shade 18. Therefore, it is possible to realize a highly designable light irradiation pattern using the light guide member 16 and the reflector 15, while concealing the internal structure when the lamp is not lit. In particular, by using a dark-colored light absorbing material, the reflector 15 can be blacked out when the vehicle lamp 10 is not lit, realizing a design that suppresses the presence of the vehicle lamp 10.

The first reflecting portion 15a is a region of the reflector 15 provided on the rear side of the light guide member 16, and is a region that reflects light irradiated from the light guide member 16 to the rear side forward. The first reflecting portion 15a can be designed based on the direction in which light is reflected, and the specific shape is not limited. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first reflecting portion 15a is provided to cover the rear half of the side surface of the light guide member 16 so that stray light does not leak from the gap. Here, at least the second reflecting portion 15b of the reflector 15 contains a light absorbing material, but the first reflecting portion 15a may not contain a light absorbing material, and a highly reflective film that reflects visible light well may be formed on the reflective surface of the first reflecting portion 15a.

The second reflecting portion 15b is a region of the reflector 15 that is provided at a position away from the light guide member 16, and is a region that reflects the light irradiated from the light guide member 16 forward. In the example shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the second reflecting portion 15b has a parabolic cross section, and the light guide member 16 is disposed at the focal position of the parabolic surface. Therefore, the light irradiated downward from the light guide member 16 is reflected by the reflecting surface of the second reflecting portion 15b and irradiated to the outside from the outer lens 13 as substantially parallel light. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an example in which the second reflecting portion 15b is provided below the light guide member 16 is shown, but the position and shape are not limited as long as it is provided at a position that reflects the light irradiated from the light guide member 16 other than the light irradiated to the front side or the back side.

Although not shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is preferable that a light scattering portion is formed on the surface of the reflecting surface of the second reflecting portion 15b. The shape and structure of the light scattering portion are not limited, but examples of the structure include a structure in which a protrusion is formed along the horizontal direction, which is the extension direction of the light guide member 16, a structure in which a protrusion is formed along the up-down direction perpendicular to the light guide member 16, and a structure in which a protrusion is formed two-dimensionally. When the light scattering portion is formed along the horizontal direction, the scattering of light in the up-down direction is enhanced, and the reflected light from the reflector 15 can be seen regardless of the viewpoint position in the height direction. Also, when the light scattering portion is formed along the up-down direction, the scattering of light in the left-right direction is enhanced, and the reflected light from the reflector 15 can be seen regardless of the viewpoint position in the left-right direction.

The shade holding portion 15c is a recess formed at a position corresponding to the shade 18, into which the tip of the shade 18 can be inserted. By inserting the tip of the shade 18 into the shade holding portion 15c, the shade 18 is positioned and held, and a gap between the tip of the shade 18 and the reflector 15 can be eliminated. This prevents light leakage from the gap caused by manufacturing errors and usage history, and suppresses deterioration of the shape and contrast of the light reflected by the second reflecting portion 15b. Here, an example is shown in which the shade holding portion 15c having a recess shape is formed on the reflector 15, but the shape of the shade holding portion 15c is not limited to a recess, and a step shape that contacts one side of the shade 18 may be used. In addition, if there is no problem with light leakage from the gap or holding the shade 18, the shade holding portion 15c can be omitted.

The light guide member 16 is an optical member made of a material that transmits light, guides light along the extension direction, and irradiates the guided light from the side. The light guide member 16 has uneven steps formed along the side, and the light guided inside is reflected by the uneven steps and irradiated from the side to the outside of the light guide member 16. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, a light pipe having an approximately cylindrical shape is shown as the light guide member 16, but it may be a plate shape, and the specific shape is not limited. In this embodiment, two patterns of uneven steps are formed on the side of the light guide member 16, and the light reflected by one uneven step (first light) is irradiated to the inner lens 19 side, and the light reflected by the other uneven step (second light) is irradiated to the second reflecting portion 15b side at the bottom in the figure.

In the example shown in FIG. 1(a), a concave step with a concave side of the light guide member 16 is used as a step for reflecting the first light toward the inner lens 19. This is because the first light irradiated toward the front is used as the main light distribution of the vehicle lamp 100, and the light guided through the light guide member 16 is easily hit, and the first light is efficiently reflected toward the front. In addition, a convex step with a convex side of the light guide member 16 is used as a step for reflecting the second light toward the second reflecting portion 15b. This is because the second light irradiated downward is used as the light distribution for decoration, and by using a convex step that is difficult for the light guided through the light guide member 16 to hit, the effect on the first light, which is the main light distribution, is minimized. As for the shape of the convex step for reflecting the second light, it is preferable to adjust it so as not to use too much light, such as by reducing the height of the step or by increasing the distance between the steps to a range where light unevenness does not occur and reducing the number of steps. In addition, although FIGS. 1(a) and (b) show an example in which convex steps that reflect the second light are formed discretely at positions corresponding to the light-transmitting portions 18a, a single convex step may be formed over the entire area of the light-guiding member 16.

The shades 17 and 18 are disposed above and below the light-guiding member 16, respectively, and are made of a light-shielding material that blocks light. There are no limitations on the material and color tone of the shades 17 and 18, but it is preferable that the color tone be the same as that of the reflector 15, and it is more preferable that both are black to prevent stray light. As shown in FIG. 1(b), when the tip of the shade 18 is inserted into the shade holding portion 15c, it is preferable that the tip of the shade 18 has a tapered shape that becomes thinner toward the tip. By making the tip tapered, it becomes easier to insert the shade 18 into the shade holding portion 15c, which is a recess, and the workability of the assembly process can be improved.

The shade 17 is provided above the first reflecting portion 15a of the reflector 15, over the entire area along the extension direction of the light guide member 16, and the front portion covers the upper surface of the inner lens 19. The shade 18 is disposed at the boundary between the first reflecting portion 15a and the second reflecting portion 15b of the reflector 15, over the entire area along the extension direction of the light guide member 16, and the front portion covers the lower surface of the inner lens 19. Since a portion of the light emitted from the light guide member 16 reaches and is blocked by the shades 17 and 18, the direction in which the light is emitted in the vehicle lamp 10 is limited.

1 and 2 show an example in which the shades 17, 18 and the inner lens 19 are integrally formed using two-color resin molding technology. By using two-color molding technology, the molding precision of the shades 17, 18 is improved, and the relative alignment with the inner lens 19 is not necessary, simplifying the manufacturing process. In addition, by forming the shades 17, 18 and the inner lens 19 integrally, the inner lens 19 can be aligned relative to the reflector 15 simply by inserting the tip of the shade 18 into the shade holding portion 15c of the reflector 15, further simplifying the manufacturing process. Here, an example in which the shades 17, 18 and the inner lens 19 are integrally formed using two-color molding technology is shown, but the shades 17, 18 and the inner lens 19 may be formed separately and fixed with adhesive or the like.

The light-transmitting portion 18a is a portion of the shade 18 that transmits light. In the example shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an opening cut out of a part of the shade 18 is used as the light-transmitting portion 18a, but the light-transmitting portion 18a may be made of transparent resin or the like. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the light-transmitting portion 18a has a plurality of trapezoidal openings formed along the longitudinal direction of the light-guiding member 16. However, the shape and number of the light-transmitting portions 18a are not limited, and they can be designed according to the light-emitting shape to be expressed by the second reflecting portion 15b of the reflector 15. As an example, the tip of the shade 18 may be separated from the reflector 15 over the entire width to make the light-transmitting portion 18a extend over the entire width, or the tip of the reflector 15 and the tip of the shade 18 may be brought into contact with each other to form the light-transmitting portion 18a at a position close to the inner lens 19 away from the reflector 15.

A portion of the light emitted from the light-guiding member 16 passes through the light-transmitting portion 18a and reaches the second reflecting portion 15b of the reflector 15, and the light reflected by the second reflecting portion 15b is emitted to the outside via the outer lens 13. By providing the light-transmitting portion 18a in a portion of the shade 18, the shape of the light that reaches the second reflecting portion 15b can be made to correspond to the light-transmitting portion 18a, and the light emission shape visible from the outer lens 13 side can be adjusted with a simple structure, thereby improving the design of the light emission shape that can be expressed by the vehicle lamp 10.

In the vehicle lamp 10 of this embodiment, the reflector 15 contains a light-absorbing material, so the light reflected by the second reflecting portion 15b has a lower brightness than the light directly irradiated through the inner lens 19. This allows a single vehicle lamp 10 to simultaneously express light with different shades, such as direct and indirect illumination, and improves the design of the light-emitting shape. As described above, when a light scattering portion is formed on the surface of the second reflecting portion 15b, the outline of the light reflected by the second reflecting portion 15b can be blurred, and light with a softer impression can be irradiated. In addition, the light scattering portion is formed, so that the viewing angle of the light reflected by the second reflecting portion 15b is expanded, and visibility from the diagonal side of the vehicle and design can be improved.

The inner lens 19 is a member made of a material that transmits at least a portion of the light, and is disposed between the outer lens 13 and the light guide member 16 in front of the light guide member 16. The shape of the inner lens 19 is not limited, and the light distribution may be adjusted using a lens shape with a curved surface. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shades 17 and 18 are integrally molded behind the inner lens 19, and the inner lens 19 is fixed to the inside of the lamp chamber via the shades 17 and 18.

The light-emitting element 20 is an optical element disposed opposite the end face of the light-guiding member 16, and is electrically connected to a power source and a drive circuit (not shown), and emits light when power is supplied. The configuration of the light-emitting element 20 is not limited, and conventionally known elements such as light-emitting diode elements, organic EL elements, and semiconductor laser elements can be used.

As described above, in the vehicle lamp 10 of this embodiment, the light emitted by the light emitting element 20 is incident on the end face of the light guide member 16, and the light is guided within the light guide member 16. A part of the light guided within the light guide member 16 (first light) is reflected by the uneven step and is directly irradiated to the outside of the vehicle lamp 10 through the inner lens 19 and the outer lens 13. A part of the light guided within the light guide member 16 (second light) is reflected by the uneven step and reaches the second reflecting portion 15b through the transparent portion 18a, where it is reflected, and is indirectly irradiated to the outside of the vehicle lamp 10 through the outer lens 13. Of the light irradiated from the light guide member 16, the light that reaches the shades 17 and 18 is blocked, and the light irradiated to the outside from the second reflecting portion 15b has an emission shape corresponding to the shape of the transparent portion 18a.

Figure 3 is a photograph showing the appearance of the vehicle lamp 10 according to this embodiment, where Figure 3(a) shows it from the front when it is not lit, Figure 3(b) shows it from the front when it is lit, Figure 3(c) shows it from a 30 degree angle when it is not lit, and Figure 3(d) shows it from a 30 degree angle when it is lit. In the non-lit state, the surrounding lights are turned on to reproduce the daytime environment around the vehicle, and in the lit state, the surrounding lights are turned off to reproduce the nighttime environment around the vehicle. In the example shown in Figure 3, the housing 11, reflector 15, and shades 17 and 18 are made of black resin, and the second reflective portion 15b is embossed with tiny two-dimensional protrusions.

As shown in Figures 3(a) and (c), in the non-illuminated state, the internal structure of the vehicle lamp 10 cannot be seen, and only the front portion of the inner lens 19 can be seen. In addition, the second reflective portion 15b of the reflector 15 and the shade 18 are blacked out, making their presence unnoticeable. Furthermore, the translucent portion 18a of the shade 18 and the light-guiding member 16 cannot be seen through the second reflective portion 15b. This is true whether viewed from the front or diagonally forward.

3(b) and (d), in the lit state, the direct light irradiation from the light guide member 16 through the inner lens 19 and the indirect light irradiation through the second reflecting portion 15b can be seen. The light irradiation through the second reflecting portion 15b has a lower contrast than the light irradiation through the inner lens 19, and gives a vague and soft impression (blurred). The light emission shape of the second reflecting portion 15b reflects the shape of the translucent portion 18a formed in the shade 18. The light emission shape of the second reflecting portion 15b can be seen in the same way both from the front and from the diagonal front. Therefore, it can be seen that it is possible to realize a highly designable light irradiation pattern using the light guide member 16 and the reflector 15 while concealing the internal structure when the lamp is not lit.

As described above, in the vehicle lamp 10 of this embodiment, the reflector 15 containing a light absorbing material is used to reflect the light irradiated from the side of the light guide member 16, making it difficult to see the internal structure of the vehicle lamp 10 from the outside. This makes it possible to realize a highly aesthetic light irradiation pattern using the light guide member 16 and the reflector 15, while concealing the internal structure when the lamp is not lit.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. The description of the contents overlapping with the first embodiment will be omitted. Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 10 according to this embodiment, Fig. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view at a position where the light transmitting portion 18a is formed, and Fig. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view at a position where the light transmitting portion 18a is not formed. In this embodiment, three uneven steps are formed in the light guide member 16, and the first light, the second light, and the third light are irradiated in three directions from the side, which is different from the first embodiment. In Fig. 4, the housing 11, the back panel 12, the outer lens 13, the spacer 14, and the light emitting element 20 are omitted from the illustration.

As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle lamp 10 includes a reflector 25, a light guide member 16, a shade 18, and a light guide plate section 30. In FIG. 4, the arrows drawn from the inside to the outside of the light guide member 16 diagrammatically show the path of light that is guided and scattered within the light guide member 16. The light guide plate section 30 is formed integrally with the second light guide plate 31 and the first light guide plate 32. Here, an example is shown in which the second light guide plate 31 and the first light guide plate 32 are formed integrally as the light guide plate section 30, but they may be formed separately as separate bodies.

The reflector 25 is an optical element disposed behind the light-guiding member 16 inside the housing 11, and reflects at least a portion of the light emitted from the light-guiding member 16 on its reflective surface. The material constituting the reflector 25 is not limited, but it is designed to contain a light-absorbing material at least on its reflective surface and to absorb at least a portion of visible light. The reflector 25 also includes a first reflective portion 25a and a second reflective portion 25b, and a shade 18 is integrally formed at the boundary between the first reflective portion 25a and the second reflective portion 25b, protruding therefrom.

The shade 18 is a protrusion formed integrally with the reflector 25, and is made of a light-blocking material that blocks light. The shade 18 is also partially formed with a light-transmitting portion 18a that transmits light. As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), in the region where the light-transmitting portion 18a is formed, the light (second light) irradiated from the light-guiding member 16 reaches the second reflecting portion 25b and is reflected, as indicated by the dashed arrow. In the region where the light-transmitting portion 18a is not formed, the light irradiated from the light-guiding member 16 is blocked by the shade 18 and does not reach the second reflecting portion 25b.

The light guide plate section 30 is an optical member that is composed of a second light guide plate 31 and a first light guide plate 32, and receives light from one end, guides the light internally, and emits the light from the other end to the outside. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the second light guide plate 31 and the first light guide plate 32 are connected at the end facing the light guide member 16, and the two plates are formed into an approximately V-shape. The second light guide plate 31 and the first light guide plate 32 are each a plate-like member made of a material that transmits light, and the light emitted from the light guide member 16 is received from one end face, and the light is emitted forward from the other end faces 31a, 32a.

The second light guide plate 31 is disposed substantially horizontally in front of the light guide member 16, and as indicated by the solid arrow, a portion of the light (first light) irradiated from the light guide member 16 is incident on the rear end face, and the light is directly irradiated to the outside from the front end face 31a via the outer lens 13. Here, an example in which the second light guide plate 31 is disposed horizontally is shown, but the shape and arrangement are not limited as long as the light is directly extracted to the outside from the light emitting end face 31a.

The first light guide plate 32 is disposed at an angle in front of the light guide member 16, and the flat portion 32b of the first light guide plate 32 crosses in front of the second reflecting portion 25b of the reflector 25. As indicated by the solid arrow, a part of the light (third light) irradiated from the light guide member 16 is incident on the rear end face of the first light guide plate 32, and the first light guide plate 32 directly irradiates the light from the front end face 32a to the outside via the outer lens 13. In addition, since the first light guide plate 32 is made of a translucent material, the light (second light) reflected by the second reflecting portion 25b passes through the flat portion 32b from the back side to the front side and is irradiated to the outside from the outer lens 13.

Figure 5 is a photograph showing the appearance of the vehicle lamp 10 according to this embodiment, with Figure 5(a) showing it from the front when it is not lit, Figure 5(b) showing it from the front when it is lit, Figure 5(c) showing it from a 30 degree angle when it is not lit, and Figure 5(d) showing it from a 30 degree angle when it is lit. In the non-lit state, the surrounding lights are turned on to reproduce the daytime environment around the vehicle, and in the lit state, the surrounding lights are turned off to reproduce the nighttime environment around the vehicle. In the example shown in Figure 5, the housing 11, reflector 25, and shade 18 are made of black resin, and the second reflective portion 25b is embossed with tiny two-dimensional protrusions.

As shown in Figures 5(a) and (c), in the non-illuminated state, the internal structure of the vehicle lamp 10 cannot be seen, and only the end faces 31a and 32a, which are the front ends of the second light guide plate 31 and the first light guide plate 32, can be seen. In addition, the second reflective portion 25b of the reflector 25 and the shade 18 are blacked out, making their presence unnoticeable. In addition, the translucent portion 18a of the shade 18 and the light guide member 16 cannot be seen through the second reflective portion 25b. This is the same whether viewed from the front or diagonally forward.

5(b) and (d), in the lit state, direct light irradiation from the end faces 31a and 32a of the second light guide plate 31 and the first light guide plate 32, and indirect light irradiation through the second reflecting portion 15b can be seen. In addition, the light irradiation through the second reflecting portion 15b and the flat portion 32b has a lower contrast than the light irradiation from the end faces 31a and 32a, and gives a vague and soft impression (blurred). In addition, the light emission shape of the second reflecting portion 25b reflects the shape of the translucent portion 18a formed in the shade 18. In addition, the light emission shape of the second reflecting portion 25b can be seen in the same way both from the front and from the diagonal front. Therefore, it can be seen that it is possible to realize a highly designable light irradiation pattern using the light guide member 16 and the reflector 25 while concealing the internal structure when the lamp is not lit.

As described above, the vehicle lamp 10 of this embodiment also uses a reflector 25 containing a light absorbing material to reflect the light irradiated from the side of the light guide member 16, making it difficult to see the internal structure of the vehicle lamp 10 from the outside. This makes it possible to realize a highly aesthetic light irradiation pattern using the light guide member 16 and the reflector 25, while concealing the internal structure when the lamp is not lit.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. The technical scope of the present invention also includes embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments.

10...vehicle lamp 11...housing 12...back panel 13...outer lens 14...spacer 15, 25...reflector 15a, 25a...first reflecting portion 15b, 25b...second reflecting portion 15c...shade holding portion 16...light guiding member 17, 18...shade 18a...translucent portion 19...inner lens 20...light emitting element 30...light guiding plate portion 31...second light guiding plate 31a...end surface 32...first light guiding plate 32a...end surface 32b...flat plate portion

Claims (7)

A light source unit that irradiates light;
a light guide member that receives light from the light source unit through an end surface, guides the light therein, and irradiates a portion of the light to the outside through a side surface;
a reflector that reflects the light irradiated from the light guiding member as reflected light,
The reflector comprises a light absorbing material ;
A shade made of a light-blocking material is provided,
The shade is disposed between the reflector and the light guide member in a longitudinal direction of the light guide member, and has a light transmitting portion that partially transmits the light . 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1,
the light guide member irradiates the light as a first light and a second light in at least two directions, i.e., a first direction and a second direction;
The reflector reflects the second light,
A vehicle lamp comprising an inner lens that transmits the first light. 3. The vehicular lamp according to claim 2 ,
A vehicle lamp comprising: a second light guide plate that receives the first light from one end face and emits the first light from the other end face. A light source unit that irradiates light;
a light guide member that receives light from the light source unit through an end surface, guides the light therein, and irradiates a portion of the light to the outside through a side surface;
a reflector that reflects the light irradiated from the light guiding member as reflected light,
the reflector comprises a light absorbing material;
the light guide member irradiates the light as a first light and a second light in at least two directions, i.e., a first direction and a second direction;
The reflector reflects the second light,
The light guide member also irradiates the light in a third direction as a third light,
A vehicle lamp comprising: a first light guide plate into which the third light is incident from one end face and which emits the third light from the other end face, and which transmits the reflected light from a back side to a front side. 5. The vehicular lamp according to claim 4 ,
A vehicle lamp comprising: a second light guide plate that receives the first light from one end face and emits the first light from the other end face. 6. The vehicular lamp according to claim 4 ,
A vehicle lamp comprising an inner lens that transmits the first light. 7. A vehicular lamp according to claim 1 ,
A vehicle lamp comprising: a light scattering portion formed on a surface of the reflector.