JP7629800B2 - Vehicle lighting fixtures - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp.

Conventionally, a combination of a light source such as a light-emitting diode (LED) and a light guide such as an inner lens has been known as a vehicle lamp to be mounted on a vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). As designs become more diverse, various types of such vehicle lamps have been developed.

For example, the vehicle lamp described in the following Patent Document 1 has an entrance portion located at the center of the light guide and into which light emitted from the light source is incident. The entrance portion has a convex first light-collecting entrance surface located at the center of the portion facing the light source and into which a portion of the light emitted from the light source is incident, a substantially cylindrical second light-collecting entrance surface located on the inner periphery of a portion that protrudes from a position surrounding the periphery of the first light-collecting entrance surface toward the light source and into which a portion of the light emitted from the light source is incident, and a truncated cone-shaped light-collecting reflection surface located on the outer periphery of the protruding portion that reflects the light incident from the second light-collecting entrance surface.

At the entrance section, the light emitted from the light source that enters the inside of the light guide from the first light-collecting entrance surface is collected toward the optical axis. On the other hand, the light that enters the inside of the light guide from the second light-collecting entrance surface is reflected by the light-collecting reflection surface to be collected toward the optical axis. As a result, at the entrance section, the light emitted radially from the light source is collimated and enters the inside of the light guide.

The light guide also has a reflecting section located on the opposite side of the light guide from the incident section, which reflects the light incident from the incident section. The reflecting section has a pair of reflecting surfaces inclined at an angle of 45° in opposite directions to the optical axis of the light emitted from the light source. In the reflecting section, the light that enters the light guide from the incident section is (totally) reflected by the pair of reflecting surfaces. As a result, the light reflected by the reflecting section changes its direction of travel by 90° and is guided in the left-right direction perpendicular to the central axis of the light guide.

JP 2019-53988 A

In the vehicle lamp described in Patent Document 1, in order to illuminate a long light-emitting surface, a light source is placed near the middle of the light guide, and the light that enters the light guide is guided from the center of the light guide to both ends.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
[1] a light source;
a light guide disposed in front of the light source;
the light guide body includes a first light guide portion located on a side facing the light source, a second light guide portion extending from the first light guide portion in a direction intersecting the direction of light emitted from the light source, and a third light guide portion disposed in front of the first light guide portion with an air layer therebetween;
the first light guiding section includes an incident section located on a side facing the light source and through which light emitted from the light source is incident therein, and an inclined surface located on the opposite side to the incident section and inclined toward a direction in which the second light guiding section extends,
the inclined surface reflects a portion of the light incident from the incident portion toward the second light guiding portion and transmits a portion of the light incident from the incident portion toward the third light guiding portion ,
the third light guiding section includes an incident surface located on a side opposite to the first light guiding section, through which the light transmitted through the inclined surface is incident to an interior of the third light guiding section, a second exit surface located on the opposite side to the incident surface, through which the light incident from the incident surface is emitted to an exterior of the third light guiding section, and a plurality of second light distribution cuts located on the second exit surface and controlling the distribution of light emitted from the second exit surface;
The second light distribution cut is configured to refract the light emitted from the second emission surface toward a central axis passing through a center of the light source .
[2] The light source includes a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged side by side around a central position of each other,
The vehicle lamp described in [1], characterized in that the first light-guiding section includes a pair of inclined surfaces that incline in opposite directions from each other on both sides of the central axis in a cross section that includes adjacent light-emitting elements in one direction among the plurality of light-emitting elements.
[3] The vehicular lamp according to [1], wherein the first light guiding portion includes a pair of inclined surfaces inclined in opposite directions from each other on either side of the central axis, and a lens surface located between the pair of inclined surfaces and curved concavely toward the incident portion.
[4] The vehicle lamp according to any one of [1] to [3], characterized in that the second light guiding section includes a plurality of reflection cuts located on the rear side thereof that reflect light that is reflected by the inclined surface and that is incident on the rear side toward the front side, a first exit surface located on the front side thereof that emits the light reflected by the plurality of reflection cuts to the outside, and a plurality of first light distribution cuts located on the first exit surface that control the distribution of light emitted from the first exit surface.
[5] The vehicle lamp according to [4], wherein the first light distribution cut is configured to refract the light emitted from the first emission surface toward the central axis.
[6] The vehicle lamp described in any one of [1] to [5], characterized in that the third light guiding section includes the second light distribution cutoff formed so that the height of the light distribution cutoff gradually increases from the center side to the outside.
[ 7 ] The light guide body has a structure in which the second light guide section and the third light guide section are integrated together,
The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims [1] to [ 6 ], wherein the air layer is provided inside the area surrounded by the second light guiding section and the third light guiding section.
[ 8 ] The vehicle lamp according to any one of [1] to [ 6 ], characterized in that the light guide has a structure in which the second light guide portion and the third light guide portion are arranged separately.
[ 9 ] A socket with a coupler in which the light source is disposed,
The vehicle lamp described in any one of claims [1] to [8] is characterized in that the coupler-equipped socket is inserted into the inside of the lamp body through an attachment hole provided on the back side of the lamp body that houses the light guide inside, and is removably attached around the attachment hole.

For this reason, it is necessary to use a separate component to make the light-emitting surface of the light guide emit light evenly. For example, in the vehicle lamp described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a reflector is used, and the light is reflected by the reflective surface located below the light guide of the reflector, causing the light guide to emit light more evenly.

The present invention was proposed in light of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle lamp that can improve the appearance of the light when it is illuminated by preventing the occurrence of dark areas when the light guide emits light.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
[1] a light source;
a light guide disposed in front of the light source;
the light guide body includes a first light guide portion located on a side facing the light source, a second light guide portion extending from the first light guide portion in a direction intersecting the direction of light emitted from the light source, and a third light guide portion disposed in front of the first light guide portion with an air layer therebetween;
the first light guiding section includes an incident section located on a side facing the light source and through which light emitted from the light source is incident therein, and an inclined surface located on the opposite side to the incident section and inclined toward a direction in which the second light guiding section extends,
The inclined surface reflects a portion of the light incident from the incident portion toward the second light guiding portion, and transmits a portion of the light incident from the incident portion toward the third light guiding portion.
[2] The light source includes a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged side by side around a central position of each other,
The vehicle lamp described in [1], characterized in that the first light-guiding section includes, in a cross section including adjacent light-emitting elements among the plurality of light-emitting elements in one direction, a pair of inclined surfaces that incline in opposite directions from each other on both sides of the one direction across a central axis passing through the center.
[3] The vehicular lamp according to [1], wherein the first light guiding portion includes a pair of inclined surfaces inclined in opposite directions from each other on either side of a central axis passing through the center of the light source, and a lens surface located between the pair of inclined surfaces and curved concavely toward the incident portion.
[4] The vehicle lamp described in any one of [1] to [3], characterized in that the second light guiding section includes a plurality of reflection cuts located on the rear side thereof that reflect light that is reflected by the inclined surface and that is incident on the rear side toward the front side, a first exit surface located on the front side thereof that emits the light reflected by the plurality of reflection cuts to the outside, and a plurality of first light distribution cuts located on the first exit surface that control the distribution of light emitted from the first exit surface.
[5] The vehicle lamp according to [4], wherein the first light distribution cut is configured to refract the light emitted from the first emission surface toward the central axis.
[6] The vehicle lamp described in any one of [1] to [5], wherein the third light guiding section includes an incident surface located on the side opposite to the first light guiding section, through which light transmitted through the inclined surface enters the interior, a second exit surface located on the opposite side to the incident surface, through which light incident from the incident surface exits to the outside, and a plurality of second light distribution cuts located on the second exit surface for controlling the distribution of light exiting from the second exit surface.
[7] The vehicular lamp according to [6], wherein the second light distribution cut is configured to refract the light emitted from the second emission surface toward the central axis.
[8] The light guide body has a structure in which the second light guide portion and the third light guide portion are integrated together,
The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims [1] to [7], characterized in that the air layer is provided inside the area surrounded by the second light guiding section and the third light guiding section.
[9] The vehicular lamp according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the light guide has a structure in which the second light guide portion and the third light guide portion are arranged separately.
[10] A socket with a coupler in which the light source is disposed,
The vehicle lamp described in any one of claims [1] to [9], characterized in that the coupler-equipped socket is inserted into the inside of the lamp body through an attachment hole provided on the back side of the lamp body that houses the light guide inside, and is removably attached around the attachment hole.

As described above, the present invention makes it possible to provide a vehicle lamp that improves the appearance of the light when it is illuminated by preventing the occurrence of dark areas when the light guide is illuminated.

Specifically, according to one embodiment of the present invention, by adjusting the arrangement of the light source, it is possible to adjust the angle of incidence of light on the inclined surface, and it is possible to create both light components that are totally reflected by the inclined surface and light components that pass through the inclined surface.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, by devising the shape of the inclined surfaces, specifically by providing a concave lens between the inclined surfaces, it is possible to adjust the angle of incidence of light on the inclined surfaces, and it is possible to create both light components that are totally reflected by the inclined surfaces and light components that pass through the inclined surfaces.

The present invention also provides a light guide that can provide uniform illumination over a long light exit surface without using additional components.

As described above, according to the present invention, the inclined surface can function as a total reflection surface that guides light to both ends of the light guide, while the light-emitting surface in front of the inclined surface can be illuminated. In this way, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp that can improve the appearance when light is emitted by preventing the occurrence of dark areas.

1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a vehicle lamp according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D are diagrams showing the configuration of a first inner lens provided in the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 11 is a rear view showing the arrangement of multiple light-emitting elements relative to the incident portion of the first inner lens. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicular lamp taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion B shown in FIG. 4 . 2 is a diagram showing a light emitting surface and its luminous intensity distribution when the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 1 is turned on; FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a vehicle lamp according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the first inner lens.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the drawings used in the following description, in order to make each component easier to see, the dimensions of the components may be shown at different scales, and the dimensional ratios of each component may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

In addition, in the drawings shown below, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set up, with the X-axis direction representing the front-to-rear direction (length direction) of the vehicle lamp, the Y-axis direction representing the left-to-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle lamp, and the Z-axis direction representing the up-to-down direction (height direction) of the vehicle lamp.

First Embodiment
First, as a first embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle lamp 1A shown in, for example, FIGS. 1 to 6 will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1A. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the first inner lens 3 provided in the vehicle lamp 1A, with (A) being a perspective view, (B) being a front view, (C) being a side view, and (D) being a rear view. FIG. 3 is a rear view showing the arrangement of multiple light-emitting elements relative to the incident portion of the first inner lens 3. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp 1A taken along line segment A-A shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view in which the enclosed portion B shown in FIG. 4 is enlarged. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the light-emitting surface and its luminous intensity distribution when the vehicle lamp 1A is illuminated.

The vehicle lamp 1A of this embodiment is an application of the present invention to turn signals (turn lamps) mounted on both corners of the front end of a vehicle (not shown).

Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 to 5, this vehicle lamp 1A includes a light source 2A, a first inner lens 3A arranged in front of the light source 2A, and a second inner lens 4 arranged in front of the first inner lens 3A inside the lamp body (not shown).

The lamp body is composed of a housing with an opening at the front and a transparent lens cover (outer lens) that covers the opening of the housing. The shape of the lamp body can be changed as appropriate to suit the design of the vehicle, etc.

The vehicle lamp 1A is equipped with a coupler-equipped socket 5 in which a light source 2A is arranged. The coupler-equipped socket 5 is inserted into the inside of the lamp body through a mounting hole provided on the rear side of the lamp body (housing), and is removably attached around the mounting hole.

The light source 2A has a plurality of light-emitting elements 6 (four in this embodiment) made of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that emit, for example, orange light (hereinafter simply referred to as "light") L. The plurality of light-emitting elements 6 are mounted on the front side (+X-axis side) of the circuit board 7, and emit light L radially forward (+X-axis side). In other words, these plurality of light-emitting elements 6 are provided on the same surface of the same circuit board 7, and emit light L radially in the same direction.

The socket with coupler 5 has four light-emitting elements 6 arranged in a line on the circuit board 7, with their centers coinciding with the central axis AX of the first inner lens 3A. That is, these four light-emitting elements 6 have two light-emitting elements 6 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) of the vehicle lamp 1A, and two light-emitting elements 6 adjacent to each other in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) of the vehicle lamp 1A, and are arranged in a line around the center positions of each other.

In this embodiment, the configuration includes a socket 5 with a coupler in which the above-mentioned multiple light-emitting elements 6 (light source 2A) are arranged, but the configuration is not necessarily limited to this, and the configuration may also be such that a circuit board 7 on which multiple light-emitting elements 6 (light source 2A) are arranged is arranged inside the light body.

The light source 2A is not necessarily limited to a configuration including the above-mentioned multiple light-emitting elements 6. Instead of the multiple light-emitting elements 6, for example, a light source including a circular or square ring-shaped light-emitting region surrounding the central axis AX of the first inner lens 3A may be used, and the light L emitted from these ring-shaped light-emitting regions may be emitted toward the first inner lens 3A.

The first inner lens 3A and the second inner lens 4 are made of a light guide made of a material with a higher refractive index than air, such as transparent resin such as polycarbonate or acrylic, or glass.

The first inner lens 3A has, in a cross section (hereinafter referred to as a "vertical cross section") including adjacent light-emitting elements 6 in one direction (the vertical direction in this embodiment) among the multiple light-emitting elements 6, a first light-guiding section 8 located on its central axis AX, a pair of second light-guiding sections 9 extending from the first light-guiding section 8 toward both sides in the one direction (the vertical direction), and a third light-guiding section 10 arranged in front of the first light-guiding section 8 with an air layer K sandwiched therebetween.

The first inner lens 3A has a structure in which a pair of second light guide sections 9 and a pair of third light guide sections 10 are integrally formed, and a hole section 3a that serves as an air layer K is provided inside the area surrounded by the pair of second light guide sections 9 and the third light guide sections 10.

The first light guide section 8 is located on the side (rear side) facing the light source 2A (socket 5 with coupler) and has an entrance section 11 through which the light L emitted from the multiple light emitting elements 6 enters the interior, and is located on the opposite side (front side) from the entrance section 11 and has a pair of inclined surfaces 12 that are inclined in opposite directions from both sides of one direction (up and down) about the central axis AX.

The first inner lens 3A has basically the same configuration on both sides of the central axis AX in one direction (the up-down direction), so the configuration on one side of the central axis A (the upper side in this embodiment) will be used as an example to explain it.

The incident portion 11 has a convex first light collecting incident surface 11a located in a portion facing the light source 2A and on which a portion of the light L emitted from the light source 2A is incident, a substantially cylindrical second light collecting incident surface 11b located on the inner periphery of a portion that protrudes from a position surrounding the periphery of the first light collecting incident surface 11a toward the light source 2A and on which a portion of the light L emitted from the light source 2 is incident, and a substantially truncated cone-shaped light collecting reflection surface 11c located on the outer periphery of the protruding portion and reflecting the light L incident from the second light collecting incident surface 11b.

At the entrance 11, a portion of the light L radially emitted from the multiple light-emitting elements 6 constituting the light source 2A enters the inside of the first inner lens 3A from the first light-collecting entrance surface 11a. At the entrance 11, a portion of the light L radially emitted from the multiple light-emitting elements 6 constituting the light source 2A enters the inside of the first inner lens 3A from the second light-collecting entrance surface 11b, and is then reflected by the light-collecting reflection surface 11c. As a result, the light L that enters the inside of the first inner lens 3A from the entrance 11 is guided toward a pair of inclined surfaces 12 in front of the first inner lens 3A.

The pair of inclined surfaces 12 are inclined at an angle of 45° in opposite directions with respect to the central axis AX in the vertical cross section of the first inner lens 3A. On the other hand, two adjacent light-emitting elements 6 in one direction (vertical direction) of the light source 2A are arranged on both sides of the central axis AX of the first inner lens 3A.

As a result, the pair of inclined surfaces 12 reflect a portion of the light L incident from the entrance 11 toward the second light guide 9, while transmitting a portion of the light L incident from the entrance 11 toward the third light guide 10.

That is, two adjacent light-emitting elements 6 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) of the vehicle lamp 1A are located away from the central axis AX of the first inner lens 3B. In this case, a portion of the light L from two adjacent light-emitting elements 6 in the left-right direction (Y-axis direction) of the vehicle lamp 1A is incident on the inclined surface 12 at an angle of incidence equal to or greater than the critical angle, and is (totally) reflected by the inclined surface 12. On the other hand, a portion of the light L from two adjacent light-emitting elements 6 in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction) of the vehicle lamp 1A is incident on the inclined surface 12 at an angle of incidence equal to or less than the critical angle, and is transmitted through the inclined surface 12 and emitted into the air layer K.

The second light guide section 9 has a plurality of reflection cuts 13 located on the rear side thereof that reflect the light L that is reflected by the inclined surface 12 and that is incident on the rear side toward the front side, a first exit surface 14 located on the front side thereof that emits the light L reflected by the plurality of reflection cuts 13 to the outside (forward), and a plurality of first light distribution cuts 15 located on the surface of the first exit surface 14 that control the distribution of light emitted from this first exit surface 14.

The second light guide section 9 has a shape in which its rear surface is inclined toward the front surface, and its front surface is perpendicular to the central axis AX.

The multiple reflection cuts 13 are not particularly limited in shape, size, number, etc., as long as they reflect the light L incident on the back side of the second light guide section 9 at an angle at which it is emitted (transmitted) from the front side of the second light guide section 9 to the outside. In this embodiment, for example, the reflection cuts 13, which have a roughly triangular cross section and are cut out in the left-right direction on the back side of the second light guide section 9, are arranged side by side in the extension direction of the second light guide section 9.

In addition, in this embodiment, the spacing between adjacent reflection cuts 13 is equal. On the other hand, the spacing between adjacent reflection cuts 13 may be gradually narrower from the base end side to the tip end side of the second light-guiding section 9 in order to more uniformly illuminate the light-emitting surface (first emission surface 14) of the turn signal lamp.

The vehicle lamp 1A may be configured with a reflector facing the back surface of the second light guide 9. This allows the light L emitted from the back surface of the second light guide 9 to be reflected by the reflector and then re-entered from the back surface of the second light guide 9 into the interior, thereby improving the efficiency of use of the light L.

The multiple first light distribution cuts 15 need only refract the light L emitted from the first exit surface 14 toward the central axis AX, and there are no particular limitations on their shape, size, number, etc. In this embodiment, multiple first light distribution cuts 15 with approximately triangular cross sections, which are formed by cutting out the first exit surface of the second light guide section 9 in the left-right direction, are arranged side by side in the extension direction of the second light guide section 9. By providing multiple such first light distribution cuts 15 on the surface side of the first exit surface 14, it is possible to control the light L emitted from the first exit surface 14 as parallel light.

In addition, in this embodiment, the spacing between adjacent first light distribution cuts 15 is equal. On the other hand, the spacing between adjacent first light distribution cuts 15 may be gradually narrower from the base end side to the tip end side of the second light guide section 9 in order to more uniformly emit light from the light emitting surface (first emission surface 14) of the turn signal lamp.

The third light guiding section 10 has an incident surface 16 located on the side facing the first light guiding section 8 (rear side) through which the light L transmitted through the inclined surface 12 enters the interior, a second exit surface 17 located on the opposite side to the incident surface 16 (front side) through which the light L incident from the incident surface 16 exits to the outside (forward), and a plurality of second light distribution cuts 18 located on the surface of the second exit surface 17 for controlling the light distribution of the light L exiting from the second exit surface 17.

The entrance surface 16 is formed of a plane perpendicular to the central axis AX. The second light distribution cuts 18 are not particularly limited in shape, size, number, etc., as long as they refract the light L emitted from the second exit surface 17 toward the central axis AX. In this embodiment, the second light distribution cuts 18, each having a substantially triangular cross section that cuts out the front of the third light guide section 10 in the left-right direction, are arranged in a row in one direction (up-down direction) of the third light guide section 10.

In addition, in this embodiment, in order to make the light-emitting surface (second exit surface 17) of the turn lamp emit light more uniformly, the multiple second light distribution cuts 18 are formed so that they become larger (specifically, higher) from the center side of the third light-guiding section 10 toward the outside. By providing multiple second light distribution cuts 18 like this on the surface side of the second exit surface 17, it is possible to control the light L emitted from the second exit surface 17 as parallel light.

The second inner lens 4 has an entrance surface 19 located on the side facing the first inner lens 3A (rear side) through which the light L emitted from the first exit surface 14 and the second exit surface 17 enters the interior, and an exit surface 20 located on the opposite side to the entrance surface 19 (front side) through which the light L incident from the entrance surface 19 exits to the outside.

In addition, at least one of the entrance surface 19 and the exit surface 20 (exit surface 20 in this embodiment) is provided with a light diffusion section 21 that diffuses the light L emitted from the exit surface 20. The light diffusion section 21 may be configured to have a plurality of diffusion cuts for diffusing the light L emitted from the exit surface 20 to the outside.

Examples of diffusion cuts include lens cuts called flute cuts or fisheye cuts, and uneven structures formed by applying knurling or embossing. By adjusting the shape of the diffusion cut, it is possible to control the degree of diffusion of the light L emitted from the exit surface 20. In this embodiment, a fisheye cut is provided as the diffusion cut, which diffuses the light L emitted from the exit surface 20 in the vertical and horizontal directions.

In this embodiment, when the first inner lens 3A is molded using a mold, the third light guide section 10 is tilted at a slight angle (e.g., about 5°) with respect to the direction of penetration through the hole 3a, so that a step 3b is created between the first exit surface 14 and the second exit surface 17.

In this embodiment, in order to make this step 3b less noticeable, the width of the step 3b is made smaller than the distance between the first and second light distribution cuts 15, 18. In addition, the light diffusion portion 21 of the second inner lens can make the step 3b less noticeable.

With the vehicle lamp 1A of this embodiment having the above configuration, it is possible to make the front side of the second inner lens 4 emit orange light more uniformly as the light-emitting surface of the turn signal lamp.

Specifically, FIG. 6 shows the light-emitting surface and its luminous intensity distribution when the vehicle lamp 1A is turned on. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis indicates the distance from the center point of the light-emitting surface, and the vertical axis indicates the luminance at each position.

As shown in Fig. 6, it can be seen that no dark areas occur within a range of ±10 mm from the center point. In addition, it can be seen that the average luminance value of the light-emitting surface is about 60,000 cd/ ^m2 over the entire range, while the maximum and minimum luminance values are within a range of ±20,000 cd/ ^m2 .

As a result of the above, the vehicle lamp 1A of this embodiment can make the light-emitting surface of the turn signal lamp emit light more uniformly, and by preventing the occurrence of dark areas (uneven light emission) when the lamp is illuminated, it is possible to improve the appearance of the lamp while making the light-emitting surface emit light uniformly.

In particular, in the vehicle lamp 1A of this embodiment, when the optical axis of the light L emitted from each light-emitting element 6 does not coincide with the central axis AX of the first inner lens 3A, as in the case of the multiple light-emitting elements 6 arranged in the socket with coupler 5 described above, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dark areas (uneven light emission) in the area where the pair of inclined surfaces 12 are provided, while making it possible to more uniformly emit light from the light-emitting surface of this vehicle lamp 1A.

In addition, in the above-mentioned vehicle lamp 1A, the light source 2A is configured with multiple light-emitting elements 6 arranged around a central position, but it is also possible to arrange an additional light-emitting element 6 at the center.

In addition, the vehicle lamp 1A can be configured to omit the second inner lens 4.

Second Embodiment
Next, as a second embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle lamp 1B shown in FIG. 7 will be described.
7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1B. In the following description, the description of the same parts as those in the vehicle lamp 1A will be omitted and the same reference numerals will be used in the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 7, the vehicle lamp 1B of this embodiment has a plurality of light-emitting units 50 (three in this embodiment) inside the lamp body (not shown), each of which includes a light source 2B, a first inner lens 3B arranged in front of the light source 2B, and a second inner lens 4 arranged in front of the first inner lens 3B.

The multiple light-emitting units 50 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) of the vehicle lamp 1B and have an integrated structure. Specifically, the light source 2B constituting each light-emitting unit 50 is composed of one light-emitting element 6 and is provided on the same surface of the same circuit board 7. The first inner lenses 3B constituting each light-emitting unit 50 are connected between adjacent ones. Meanwhile, the second inner lens 4 is provided extending in the vertical direction so as to be located in front of the first inner lens 3B constituting each light-emitting unit 50.

The light-emitting element 6 constituting each light source 2B is arranged on the central axis AX of each first inner lens 3B. In other words, the optical axis of the light L emitted from this light-emitting element 6 coincides with the central axis AX of the first inner lens 3B.

Each first inner lens 3B has basically the same configuration as the first inner lens 3A, except that it is located between a pair of inclined surfaces 12 and has a lens surface 22 that is concavely curved toward the entrance portion 11.

The lens surface 22 is a surface that emits light L toward the air layer K, and the specific configuration of this lens surface 22, such as its curvature and shape, can be adjusted appropriately according to the size of the air layer K partitioned by the pair of inclined surfaces 12.

In this configuration, a portion of the light L incident from the entrance 11 is reflected by the pair of inclined surfaces 12 toward the second light guide 9, while a portion of the light L incident from the entrance 11 is diffused by the lens surface 22 and transmitted toward the third light guide 10.

In the vehicle lamp 1B of this embodiment, the lens surface 22 is disposed between the pair of inclined surfaces 12 described above, so that the light L incident from the incident portion 11 can be incident on the inclined surface 12 at an angle equal to or less than the critical angle, and the light L can be emitted from this lens surface 22 into the air layer K.

Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 1B of this embodiment, even if the optical axis of the light L emitted from the light-emitting element 6 coincides with the central axis AX of the first inner lens 3B, it is possible to reflect a portion of the light L incident from the entrance portion 11 toward the second light-guiding portion 9, while transmitting a portion of the light L incident from the entrance portion 11 toward the third light-guiding portion 10, as in the vehicle lamp 1A described above.

As a result, in the vehicle lamp 1B of this embodiment, like the vehicle lamp 1A described above, it is possible to make the front side of the second inner lens 4 emit orange light more uniformly as the light-emitting surface of the turn signal lamp.

In particular, in the vehicle lamp 1B of this embodiment, when the optical axis of the light L emitted from the above-mentioned light-emitting element 6 coincides with the central axis AX of the first inner lens 3A, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dark areas (uneven light emission) in the area where the pair of inclined surfaces 12 are provided, while making it possible to more uniformly emit light from the light-emitting surface of this vehicle lamp 1B.

The present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, the vehicle lamp 1A can be configured, similarly to the vehicle lamp 1B, with multiple light-emitting units including a light source 2A, a first inner lens 3A arranged in front of the light source 2A, and a second inner lens 4 arranged in front of the first inner lens 3A.

The first inner lenses 3A and 3B may also be configured as shown in FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the first inner lens 3A. The configuration shown in FIG. 8 is also applicable to the first inner lens 3B.

Specifically, the first inner lens 3A shown in FIG. 8 has a configuration in which the above-mentioned third light guiding section 10 is arranged separately from the first light guiding section 8 and the pair of second light guiding sections 9. In this configuration, the third light guiding section 10 can be arranged in contact with the pair of second light guiding sections 9, in addition to being arranged separately from the pair of second light guiding sections 9.

The light guide to which the present invention is applied is not necessarily limited to a shape extending in the vertical direction like the first inner lenses 3A and 3B described above, but may be a shape extending in the horizontal direction or a shape spreading out in a plane centered on the central axis AX.

The vehicle lighting devices to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to the above-mentioned turn signals (turn lamps), but can be widely applied to vehicle lighting devices with light-emitting surfaces, such as position lamps, daytime running lamps (DRLs), tail lamps, brake lamps (stop lamps), and back lamps.

In addition to the LEDs mentioned above, light-emitting elements such as laser diodes (LDs) can be used as light sources. The color of the light L emitted by the light source is not limited to the orange light mentioned above, and can be changed as appropriate depending on the application of the vehicle lamp, such as red light or white light.

1A, 1B... Vehicle lamp 2A, 2B... Light source 3A, 3B... First inner lens (light guide) 4... Second inner lens 5... Socket with coupler 6... Light emitting element 7... Circuit board 8... First light guide section 9... Second light guide section 10... Third light guide section 11... Incident section 12... Inclined surface 13... Reflection cut 14... First exit surface 15... First light distribution cut 16... Incident surface 17... Second exit surface 18... Second light distribution cut 19... Incident surface 20... Exit surface 21... Light diffusion section 22... Lens surface 50... Light emitting unit AX... Center axis L... Light K... Air layer

Claims (9)

A light source;
a light guide disposed in front of the light source;
the light guide body includes a first light guide portion located on a side facing the light source, a second light guide portion extending from the first light guide portion in a direction intersecting the direction of light emitted from the light source, and a third light guide portion disposed in front of the first light guide portion with an air layer therebetween;
the first light guiding section includes an incident section located on a side facing the light source and through which light emitted from the light source is incident therein, and an inclined surface located on the opposite side to the incident section and inclined toward a direction in which the second light guiding section extends,
the inclined surface reflects a portion of the light incident from the incident portion toward the second light guiding portion and transmits a portion of the light incident from the incident portion toward the third light guiding portion ,
the third light guiding section includes an incident surface located on a side opposite to the first light guiding section, through which the light transmitted through the inclined surface is incident to an interior of the third light guiding section, a second exit surface located on the opposite side to the incident surface, through which the light incident from the incident surface is emitted to an exterior of the third light guiding section, and a plurality of second light distribution cuts located on the second exit surface and controlling the distribution of light emitted from the second exit surface;
The second light distribution cut is configured to refract the light emitted from the second emission surface toward a central axis passing through a center of the light source . The light source includes a plurality of light emitting elements arranged side by side around a central position of each other,
2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first light-guiding portion includes, in a cross section including adjacent light-emitting elements in one direction among the plurality of light-emitting elements, a pair of inclined surfaces inclined in opposite directions from each other on either side of the central axis in the one direction. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first light guiding portion includes a pair of inclined surfaces inclined in opposite directions from each other on either side of the central axis, and a lens surface located between the pair of inclined surfaces and curved concavely toward the incident portion. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the second light guide section includes a plurality of reflection cuts located on the rear side thereof that reflect light that is reflected by the inclined surface and that is incident on the rear side toward the front side, a first exit surface located on the front side thereof that emits the light reflected by the plurality of reflection cuts to the outside, and a plurality of first light distribution cuts located on the first exit surface that control the distribution of light emitted from the first exit surface. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, characterized in that the first light distribution cut refracts the light emitted from the first emission surface toward the central axis. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the third light guiding section includes the second light distribution cutoff formed so that the height of the light distribution cutoff increases successively from the center side to the outside. the light guide body has a structure in which the second light guide portion and the third light guide portion are integrated together,
The vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the air layer is provided inside a region surrounded by the second light guiding portion and the third light guiding portion. The vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the light guide body has a structure in which the second light guide portion and the third light guide portion are disposed separately. a socket with a coupler in which the light source is disposed,
The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the coupler-equipped socket is inserted into the inside of the lamp body through an attachment hole provided on the rear side of the lamp body that houses the light guide inside, and is removably attached around the attachment hole.

Images