JP7633136B2 - Vehicle lighting fixtures - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp.

In recent years, vehicle lamps equipped with various illumination patterns (hereinafter, "design illumination patterns") that also take into account design novelty have been considered. In particular, there is a demand for such vehicle lamps to have a good design appearance with improved light utilization efficiency and reduced unevenness in light emission. For example, Patent Document 1 is known as a document that discloses such a vehicle lamp that has improved light utilization efficiency and improved appearance.

The vehicle lamp disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a light source and a light guide that allows light emitted from the light source to enter from the rear surface and exit from the front surface. The light guide includes a first entrance section that allows the light from the light source to enter so that the rear surface of the light guide refracts the light forward, a second entrance section that allows the light from the light source to enter so that the light is refracted to the side on both sides of the first entrance section, and a reflecting section that internally reflects the light from the light source that enters from the second entrance section forward. The first entrance section is configured to allow the light from the light source to enter as diffused light, and the reflecting section is configured to reflect the light from the light source that enters from the second entrance section as diffused light.

In the vehicle lamp according to Patent Document 1 configured as described above, the area on the front surface of the light guide where the incident light from the first entrance portion reaches and the area where the internally reflected light from the reflecting portion reaches can be made to overlap over a wide range, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of dark areas between the first entrance portion and the reflecting portion, thereby effectively suppressing the occurrence of uneven light emission in the light guide.

JP 2014-75331 A

Here, the vehicle lamp according to Patent Document 1 uses a light guide as a means for guiding light from the light source to the vicinity of the translucent cover. The light guide is molded using transparent acrylic resin or the like, and is an effective component for reliably guiding light from the light source. However, when considering the efficiency of space utilization, weight reduction, etc., it would be convenient if light could be propagated directly through space from a component that controls the light flux, such as a lens (hereinafter referred to as the "light flux control unit"), without using a light guide.

In this case, the issue is how to control the FFP (Far Field Pattern) of the light source by the light flux control unit in order to reliably form the intended design irradiation pattern. This issue will be explained with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 shows a part of a conventional vehicle lamp, such as a tail lamp, that is installed at the rear end of a vehicle, as viewed from the rear of the vehicle.

Figure 7 shows the design illumination pattern 26 and the FFP 24B of the light from the light-emitting element (light source) after it has been controlled by the light flux control unit. The lamp area 50 is an area in which a lamp having its original function, such as a tail lamp, is arranged. Although not shown in Figure 7, the vehicle lamp according to this conventional technology is equipped with a design component, also known as a design inner, which makes the light emitted from the light-emitting element look even better. The design component includes a forming portion that forms diffused or deflected illumination light.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, in vehicle lamps according to the prior art, the light from the light-emitting element is collimated by the light flux control unit in order to ensure sufficient light volume, and the shape of the FFP 24B is circular. Furthermore, due to restrictions on the number of light-emitting elements, each FFP 24B has a diameter of a predetermined value or more, and the FFPs 24B are arranged so that they do not overlap but are adjacent to each other.

However, a part of each of the FFPs 24B arranged as described above may extend beyond the design irradiation pattern 26, forming an overhanging portion 27, as shown in FIG.
In addition, since the diameter of the FFP 24B is relatively large, the light from the light emitting element may be irradiated to the area of the design component other than the formation part around the formation part, and unintended scattered light may occur. Furthermore, in the design irradiation pattern, a dark area 25 may occur, which is an area where the FFPs 24B do not overlap. Since the scattered light and the dark area 25 cause uneven irradiation in the design irradiation pattern, it is necessary to prevent them from occurring as much as possible. In order to prevent the scattered light and the dark area 25 from occurring, the diameter of the FFP 24B may be set to the same as the width of the design irradiation pattern, and the number of the FFPs 24B may be increased and arranged closely, but in such a configuration, the number of the light emitting elements increases as described above. That is, in the conventional technology, in order to increase the efficiency of light utilization, it was required to improve the controllability of the light flux emitted from the light emitting element.

Therefore, the present invention has been developed in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and aims to provide a vehicle lamp that can improve the controllability of the light flux, increase the efficiency of light utilization, and suppress uneven illumination.

In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle lamp of the present invention includes a plurality of light-emitting elements and a plurality of light flux control sections provided corresponding to each of the plurality of light-emitting elements, and forms a linear irradiation pattern of a predetermined shape in front of the plurality of light flux control sections, wherein the light flux control section has a refraction section disposed in the center, and a substantially cone-shaped reflection section surrounding the refraction section and extending forward, the refraction section refracts the light from the light-emitting element and emits it directly forward, the reflection section reflects the light from the light-emitting element and emits it forward while diffusing it, and after passing through the light flux control section, the light emitted from the light-emitting element forms a far-field pattern whose length in the extension direction of the linear irradiation pattern is longer than the length in the direction intersecting with the extension direction.

In such a vehicle lamp of the present invention, the light emitted from the light-emitting element forms a far-field pattern having a slightly elongated shape with a long axis and a short axis by the light flux control unit. Therefore, by arranging the long axis along the extension direction of the predetermined shape, it becomes easier to form a linear irradiation pattern of the predetermined shape. As a result, the formation of dark areas can be suppressed. In addition, since it becomes easier to match the short axis to the width of the predetermined shape, it becomes easier to avoid light being irradiated to unintended parts in the vehicle lamp. As a result, unintended scattered light, etc. can be suppressed. From the above, the controllability of the light flux emitted from the light-emitting element is improved, so the light utilization efficiency is increased, and a vehicle lamp with good appearance and suppressed uneven illumination can be provided.

In one aspect of the present invention, the length of the far-field pattern in a direction intersecting the extension direction is set to a length within the width of the predetermined shape.

In one aspect of the present invention, the inclination of the reflecting portion corresponding to the extension direction is gentler than the inclination of the reflecting portion corresponding to a direction intersecting the extension direction.

In one aspect of the present invention, the predetermined shape includes a curved shape, and the plurality of light flux control units are arranged along the curved shape.

In one aspect of the present invention, the light exit surface of the light flux control unit is formed with a plurality of cylindrical steps extending in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the linear irradiation pattern.

In one aspect of the present invention, the device further includes a forming unit that diffuses the light irradiated from the light flux control unit to form the linear irradiation pattern.

In one aspect of the present invention, at least a portion of the surface of the forming section facing the light beam control section is provided with at least one of a plurality of fisheye lenses and a plurality of cylindrical steps formed in a direction intersecting the extension direction.

In one aspect of the present invention, the device further includes a substrate having a mounting surface on which the plurality of light-emitting elements are mounted, and the mounting surface and the surface of the forming portion are approximately parallel to each other.

In one aspect of the present invention, the mounting surface and the surface of the forming portion are inclined with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle in which the vehicle lamp is mounted.

The present invention provides a vehicle lamp that can improve the controllability of the light flux, increase the efficiency of light utilization, and reduce uneven illumination.

1 is a front plan view showing a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment together with a light emitting element. 2A is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a light flux control section according to the embodiment, as viewed from a light emitting element side. 1A is a perspective view showing an optical path of a light flux control section according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the light path of the light flux control section according to an embodiment. 4 is a partial front plan view showing the relationship between the design illumination pattern of the vehicle lamp according to the embodiment and the FFP. FIG. (a) is a front plan view of a forming portion of a decorative component according to an embodiment, and (b) is a partially enlarged view of the back. 1 is a partial front plan view showing the relationship between the design illumination pattern and the FFP of a vehicle lamp according to a conventional technology.

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 will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. In the following description, the vehicle lamp according to the present invention will be described by exemplifying an embodiment in which the vehicle lamp is applied to a tail lamp provided at the rear end of a vehicle. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to other vehicle lamps such as stop lamps, rear combination lamps, daytime running lamps, and clearance lamps. The vehicle lamp according to the present invention has a configuration that generates a design irradiation pattern, which is a linear irradiation light having a decorative function. In the following description, the "design irradiation pattern" means an irradiation pattern intended in the design of the vehicle lamp. In contrast, the irradiation pattern that is actually formed is called a "linear irradiation pattern", and the two are distinguished from each other. In addition, the "design irradiation pattern" corresponds to the "predetermined shape" in the present invention.

The vehicle lamp 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle lamp 10 includes a forming portion 20A, a light-emitting element 30, and a lamp area 50. Figure 1 is a plan view of the vehicle lamp 10 as seen from the rear side of the vehicle, and below, the side of the surface of the vehicle lamp 10 as seen from this direction will be referred to as the front, and the opposite side as the back. In other words, the -Z direction in Figure 1 is the forward direction of the vehicle, and the +Z direction is the reverse direction of the vehicle.

The light emitting elements 30 arranged in a number (15 are illustrated in FIG. 1) are light sources that form a linear irradiation pattern (light distribution pattern). The forming part 20A is a part of the design member 20 (see FIG. 2(a)), and is a part of the configuration for forming a good-looking linear irradiation pattern with suppressed uneven irradiation, that is, a uniform luminous intensity distribution. Details of the design member 20 and the forming part 20A will be described later. The lamp area 50 is an area where lamps having original functions such as tail lamps are arranged as necessary. Of course, there are also forms in which lamps are not arranged in the lamp area 50 depending on the form of the vehicle lamp. In this embodiment, a design irradiation pattern that is approximately C-shaped is illustrated as an example, but this is not limited to this, and any design irradiation pattern of any shape such as a straight line, ring, or rectangular shape may be adopted. In this embodiment, the direction along the linear design irradiation pattern is called the "extension direction", and the direction intersecting with the center line of the design irradiation pattern is called the "direction intersecting with the extension direction". If the design irradiation pattern is curved, the direction of the tangent to the center line will be the extension direction.

Figure 2 shows an optical system for forming a linear irradiation pattern, where Figure 2(a) shows a cross-sectional view cut along line A-A shown in Figure 1, and Figure 2(b) shows a cross-sectional view cut along line B-B. As shown in Figure 2(a), the optical system includes a light-emitting element 30, a light flux control unit 40, a design member 20, and a support member 21. Although not shown in Figure 2(a), multiple light-emitting elements 30 and multiple light flux control units 40 are arranged. The light-emitting element 30 is mounted on a mounting surface (not shown) of the substrate 31. In this embodiment, the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element 30 is parallel to the mounting surface of the substrate 31, but may be tilted in consideration of optical design, etc. A part of the design member 20 includes a forming unit 20A that diffuses and deflects the light irradiated from the light flux control unit 40 to form a more attractive irradiation light. The support member 21 is a member that supports and fixes the design member 20.

As an example, the light-emitting element 30 according to this embodiment is a red-emitting LED (Light Emitting Diode). However, this is not limited, and white or amber LEDs may also be used. The material of the substrate 31 can be a normal glass epoxy substrate or the like, without any particular restrictions.

The light flux control section 40 is a section that changes the optical path of the light received from the light emitting element 30 to control the light flux and irradiate it toward the forming section 20A. In other words, it is a section that controls the light distribution of the linear irradiation pattern. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the light flux control section 40 includes a refraction section 40A and a reflection section 40B. The refraction section 40A and the reflection section 40B each have the function of forming a linear irradiation pattern in accordance with the design irradiation pattern by controlling the light flux according to a different principle. The light flux control section 40 is, for example, a synthetic resin molded product. The material for molding the light flux control section 40 can be, for example, a transparent acrylic resin, without any particular restrictions. The refraction section 40A and the reflection section 40B will be described in detail later.

Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view of the optical system when the viewing direction is changed. Therefore, the illustrated components are basically the same as those in Figure 2(a). As shown in Figure 2(b), in this embodiment, multiple light-emitting elements 30 are mounted on one substrate 31. Multiple light-emitting elements 30 are arranged in an approximately C-shape on the mounting surface of the substrate 31. Other components such as a driving circuit for the light-emitting elements 30 and a lamp (not shown) may be mounted on the substrate 31, and the substrate 31 is made to have an appropriate shape that allows these other components to be mounted. Of course, the substrate 31 may be made to have an approximately C-shape that follows the design irradiation pattern, taking into account the arrangement of other components. Note that the substrate 31 does not necessarily have to be a single substrate, and a substrate may be arranged for each light-emitting element 30 or for each group of a predetermined number of light-emitting elements 30.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), in this embodiment, the multiple light flux control units 40 are molded integrally to form a light flux control unit array 42. The light flux control unit array 42 is formed in a roughly C-shape that conforms to the design irradiation pattern. Note that the light flux control units 40 do not necessarily have to be molded integrally, and may be in a form in which multiple individual light flux control units 40 are arranged, or may be arrayed in groups of a predetermined number.

Here, the arrangement of the optical system according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 2(a), in this embodiment, the substrate 31 and the forming portion 20A are substantially parallel. Note that "substrate 31 and forming portion 20A are substantially parallel" means that the substrate 31 has a mounting surface (not shown) on which the light emitting element 30 is mounted, and the mounting surface and the surface of the forming portion 20A are substantially parallel. Furthermore, the substrate 31 and the forming portion 20A are inclined with respect to the Z-axis direction. Since the forward direction of the vehicle is the -Z direction, it can also be said that the substrate 31 and the forming portion 20A are inclined with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle (forward and backward directions). The substrate 31 and the forming portion 20A are arranged while maintaining a parallel relationship with each other. That is, the distance between the substrate 31 and the forming portion 20A is always a constant distance regardless of the position of the light emitting element 30. This also suppresses uneven illumination in the linear illumination pattern of the vehicle lamp 10. In addition, tilting the substrate 31 has the effect of allowing the optical system to be arranged more compactly.

On the other hand, the main irradiation direction (optical axis) of the light beam control unit 40 is parallel to the vehicle's traveling direction (Z-axis direction). In other words, the mounting surface of the substrate 31 and the surface of the forming unit 20A are inclined with respect to the main irradiation direction of the beam control unit 40.

Next, the light flux control unit 40 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a view of the light flux control unit 40 from the rear side (light-emitting element 30 side), and shows the light flux control unit 40 oriented to be disposed at the position P shown in FIG. 1 as an example. The light flux control unit 40 includes a refraction unit 40A, a reflection unit 40B, and a convex unit 43. The refraction unit 40A and the reflection unit 40B receive light irradiated from the light-emitting element 30, convert it into, for example, an elliptical FFP that is long in the extension direction of the design irradiation pattern and short in the direction intersecting the extension direction, and emit it toward the formation unit 20A. In the example of FIG. 3, the Y-axis direction is the extension direction, and the X-axis direction is the direction intersecting the extension direction. In this embodiment, the shape of the FFP is an ellipse, but is not limited to this and may be an appropriate shape depending on the design irradiation pattern. In this embodiment, the orientation (rotational position with respect to the Z axis) of the multiple light flux control units 40 is set so that the long axis direction of the elliptical FFP is the extension direction. That is, the orientation of the light beam control unit 40 differs depending on the position on the design irradiation pattern. In this embodiment, the term "ellipse" is used to mean a slightly elongated shape with a major axis and a minor axis, for example, a circular shape that is distorted in a specific direction.

The refraction section 40A is composed of a lens member that is convex in the -Z direction and is approximately circular in plan view. The refraction section 40A refracts the light received from the light emitting element 30, and irradiates the light to the formation section 20A as an approximately circular light beam in a plane perpendicular to the main irradiation direction of the lens. Note that the shape of the refraction section 40A is not limited to a circle, and may be, for example, an ellipse having a major axis in the extension direction and a minor axis in a direction intersecting the extension direction.

The reflecting portion 40B has a generally convex shape (a convex curved surface of revolution) that spreads outward in the +Z direction (a direction away from the main irradiation direction of the refraction portion 40A), and has a convex portion 43 that surrounds the refraction portion 40A at the bottom of the convex portion. The convex portion 43 is a portion of the reflecting portion 40B that protrudes in the -Z direction from the vicinity of the boundary with the refraction portion 40A. The reflecting portion 40B receives light from the light emitting element 30 on the inside of the convex portion 43 (the refraction portion 40A side), totally reflects the intruding light on the inner surface of the reflecting portion 40B, and forms a ring-shaped diffused light beam around the light beam from the refraction portion 40A. The width of this ring-shaped light beam in the extension direction is larger than the width in the direction intersecting the extension direction, and as a result, the light from the light emitting element 30, combined with the light beam from the refraction portion 40A, is converted into an elliptical FFP with a major axis in the extension direction and a minor axis in the direction intersecting the extension direction.

In order to make the ring-shaped light beam wider in the extension direction than in the direction intersecting the extension direction, the inclination angle measured from the main irradiation direction (optical axis) of the mortar-shaped side of the reflecting part 40B is changed depending on the location. That is, the side of the reflecting part 40B has a first inclined part 41A with a relatively large inclination angle and a second inclined part 41B with a relatively small inclination angle. In other words, the inclination of the side can be expressed as being gentler for the first inclined part 41A than for the second inclined part 41B. The first inclined part 41A is provided in a pair on the top and bottom (Y-axis direction), and the second inclined part 41B is provided in a pair on the left and right (X-axis direction). Therefore, the light beam control part 40 is symmetrical with respect to the X-axis and the Y-axis. The inclination angle of the reflecting part 40B changes continuously from the maximum inclination angle part S1 to the minimum inclination angle part S2. As a result, a ring-shaped light beam with an elliptical outer shape is formed in a plane perpendicular to the main irradiation direction.

In the light beam control section 40 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of cylindrical steps 44 extending in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the linear irradiation pattern are formed on the light emission surface (the surface in the X-Y plane opposite to the side visible in FIG. 3) (see FIG. 4(a)). The cylindrical steps 44 have the function of diffusing light more effectively. Here, the cylindrical steps refer to steps having a shape obtained by cutting a cylinder in the axial direction (see FIG. 6(b)). The plurality of cylindrical steps 44 are arranged so that their axes are parallel to the direction intersecting the extension direction. Since the cylindrical steps 44 diffuse the irradiated light in the circumferential direction of the semicylinder, the light irradiated from the light beam control section 40 to the cylindrical steps 44 is diffused in the extension direction. As a result, the cylindrical steps 44 have the effect of extending the FFP of the light transmitted through the light beam control section 40 in the extension direction. As a result, as described below, adjacent FFPs 24A (see FIG. 5) are more effectively overlapped with each other, which contributes to reducing uneven illumination. Note that the steps provided in the optical path control section 40 are not limited to being cylindrical in shape, and may be of an appropriate shape depending on the required diffusion state, etc.

Next, the operation of the above-mentioned light flux control unit 40 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4(a). FIG. 4(a) is a diagram using an optical path to explain how the light emitted from the light-emitting element 30 is light-flux controlled by the light flux control unit 40.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the light emitted from the light-emitting element 30 and incident from the refraction section 40A has its optical path changed so as to be condensed, forming a light beam L1. On the other hand, the light incident from the convex section 43 is totally reflected by the inner surface of the reflection section 40B, forming a ring-shaped light beam L2 around the light beam L1 in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the main irradiation direction. The ring width of this light beam L2 is long in the extension direction and short in the direction intersecting the extension direction, so that the FFP of the light from the light-emitting element 30 is shaped into an elliptical shape. In other words, in the light beam control section 40, the light beam L1 from the refraction section 40A mainly has the function of increasing the light-collection efficiency and ensuring brightness, and the light beam L2 from the reflection section 40B mainly has the function of shaping the shape of the FFP.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the light emitted from the multiple light flux control sections 40 is arranged so that the light fluxes of adjacent light flux control sections 40 overlap. This minimizes the formation of dark areas 25 in the vehicle lamp 10 according to this embodiment.

Next, the action and effect of the vehicle lamp 10 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 shows a part of the vehicle lamp 10 as viewed from the front (rear side of the vehicle), and shows the design illumination pattern 26 and the FFP 24A after the light emitted from the light emitting element 30 has been flux controlled by the flux control unit 40.

As shown in FIG. 5, the FFP 24A according to this embodiment is oval and is arranged so that its major axis is aligned along the extension direction of the design irradiation pattern 26. Adjacent FFPs 24A are positioned so that they overlap in the overlapping region 29. This effectively suppresses the occurrence of dark areas 25 as in the prior art shown in FIG. 7. In addition, the length of the minor axis of the FFP 24A is set to be approximately equal to the width of the design irradiation pattern, suppressing the occurrence of scattered light and uneven irradiation caused by the FFP 24A protruding from the formation portion 20A. These effects combine to give the linear irradiation pattern of the vehicle lamp 10 a good appearance.

Next, referring to FIG. 6, the forming portion 20A according to this embodiment will be described in more detail. FIG. 6(a) is a view of the forming portion 20A, which is substantially C-shaped, from the front (the rear side of the vehicle). FIG. 6(a) shows an example of the forming portion 20A integrated with the reinforcing portion 28, but the reinforcing portion 28 is not essential and may be omitted. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the forming portion 20A is a part of the design member 20, but in FIG. 6(a), the parts other than the forming portion 20A are not shown. The forming portion 20A has the function of precisely diffusing the light irradiated from the light flux control portion 40 to suppress uneven irradiation and further improve the appearance. For this reason, the forming portion 20A is provided with an appropriate diffusing means according to the required diffusion characteristics, etc. The diffusing means will be described below with reference to FIG. 6(b).

Figure 6(b) is a partial enlarged view of the area indicated by the symbol S in Figure 6(a) on the back surface of the forming unit 20A. As shown in Figure 6(b), the back surface of the forming unit 20A is provided with a plurality of fisheye lenses 22 arranged in a grid pattern along the design irradiation pattern. The light irradiated from the light path control unit 40 is precisely diffused by the fisheye lenses 22, suppressing uneven irradiation. Note that the arrangement of the fisheye lenses is not limited to a grid pattern, and may be an appropriate arrangement such as a staggered pattern, taking into consideration the diffusion state and light distribution state of the required design irradiation pattern.

In addition, on the rear surface of the forming unit 20A, as shown in FIG. 6(b), cylindrical steps 23A are formed inside the multiple fisheye lenses 22, and cylindrical steps 23B are formed outside them. The cylindrical steps 23A and 23B are each formed by arranging convex portions, each of which has a shape obtained by cutting a cylinder in the axial direction, with the axis oriented in the direction intersecting the extension direction of the design irradiation pattern (X-axis direction). In the case where the design irradiation pattern is an arc, as in this embodiment, the cylindrical convex portions may be formed as part of a radial line starting from the center of the arc.

The cylindrical steps 23A and 23B also have the function of diffusing the light emitted from the light flux control unit 40. In this embodiment, the cylindrical steps 23A and 23B have the function of suppressing the transmission of light and ensuring the invisibility of the internal structure of the vehicle lamp 10 when the vehicle lamp 10 is viewed from the front. For this reason, the position facing the cylindrical steps 23A and 23B on the front side of the forming portion 20A is embossed. The appearance of the vehicle lamp 10 is improved by arranging the cylindrical steps 23A and 23B.

In the present embodiment, a form in which both a fisheye lens and a cylindrical step are provided is described as an example, but this is not limited to this, and a form in which only one of them is provided may be used. In addition, in the present embodiment, a form in which two systems of cylindrical steps are formed is described as an example, but this is not limited to this, and a form in which only one system of cylindrical steps is formed, either on the inside or the outside, may be used. In addition, in the present embodiment, a form in which embossing is performed on the front side of the forming portion 20A facing the cylindrical steps 23A and 23B is described as an example, but this is not limited to this, and the embossing may be omitted. Furthermore, the steps provided on the forming portion 20A are not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be steps of an appropriate shape depending on the required diffusion state, etc.

As described above in detail, according to the vehicle lamp 10 of this embodiment, the light emitted from the light emitting element 30 forms a FFP having a slightly elongated shape (for example, an elliptical shape) with a long axis and a short axis by the light flux control unit 40. Therefore, by arranging the long axis along the extension direction of the design irradiation pattern 26 and having an overlapping area 29, it is easy to form a linear irradiation pattern in accordance with the specified design irradiation pattern 26. As a result, the formation of the dark area 25 can be suppressed. In addition, since it is easy to match the short axis to the width of the design irradiation pattern 26, it is easy to avoid light being irradiated to unintended parts in the vehicle lamp 10. As a result, unintended scattered light can be suppressed. In other words, in the vehicle lamp 10, the controllability of the light flux emitted from the light emitting element 30 is improved, and a vehicle lamp with a good appearance with suppressed uneven illumination, that is, a uniform luminous intensity distribution, can be provided.

In the above embodiment, the outer shape of the reflecting portion of the light flux control portion 40 is described as being a convex curved surface of revolution, but the shape is not limited to this, and may be other curved shapes or a shape composed of multiple flat surfaces.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the substrate 31 and the forming portion 20A are tilted relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle, but this is not limiting, and at least one of them may be parallel to the traveling direction of the vehicle.

10... Vehicle lamp 20... Design member 20A... Forming portion 21... Support member 22... Fisheye lens 23A, 23B... Cylindrical step 24A, 24B... FFP
25... dark portion 26... design irradiation pattern 27... protruding portion 28... reinforcing portion 29... overlapping region 30... light emitting element 31... substrate 40... light flux control portion 40A... refraction portion 40B... reflection portion 41A... first inclined portion 41B... second inclined portion 42... light flux control portion array 43... convex portion 44... cylindrical step 50... lamp region L1, L2... light flux S1... maximum inclination angle portion S2... minimum inclination angle portion

Claims (9)

A plurality of light emitting elements;
a plurality of light flux control sections provided corresponding to the plurality of light emitting elements, the light flux control sections forming a linear irradiation pattern of a predetermined shape in front of the plurality of light flux control sections,
the light flux control section includes a refracting section disposed at a center portion, and a generally cone-shaped reflecting section surrounding the refracting section and extending forward,
the refraction portion refracts the light from the light emitting element to emit the light directly forward,
The reflecting portion reflects and diffuses the light from the light emitting element and emits the light forward,
A vehicular lamp characterized in that the light emitted from the light-emitting element forms a far-field pattern whose length in the extension direction of the linear irradiation pattern is longer than its length in the direction intersecting the extension direction after passing through the light flux control unit. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1,
A vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein a length of said far-field pattern in a direction intersecting said extension direction is set to be within a width of said predetermined shape. 3. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1,
A vehicle lamp, characterized in that an inclination of the reflecting portion corresponding to the extension direction is gentler than an inclination of the reflecting portion corresponding to a direction intersecting the extension direction. 4. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1,
the predetermined shape includes a curved shape;
The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light flux control portions are arranged along the curved shape. 5. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1,
A vehicle lamp, comprising: a light exit surface of the light flux control portion, the light exit surface being formed with a plurality of cylindrical steps extending in a direction intersecting an extension direction of the linear irradiation pattern. 6. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1,
The vehicle lamp further comprises a forming section that diffuses the light emitted from the light flux control section and forms the linear irradiation pattern. 7. The vehicular lamp according to claim 6,
A vehicular lamp comprising: at least one of a plurality of fisheye lenses and a plurality of cylindrical steps formed in a direction intersecting the extension direction on at least a portion of a surface of the forming portion facing the light flux control portion. 8. The vehicular lamp according to claim 6,
Further comprising a substrate having a mounting surface on which the plurality of light emitting elements are mounted;
The mounting surface and a surface of the forming portion are substantially parallel to each other. 9. The vehicular lamp according to claim 8 ,
A vehicular lamp, characterized in that the mounting surface and the surface of the forming portion are inclined with respect to a traveling direction of a vehicle on which the vehicular lamp is mounted.

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