JPS643004B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a novel lens for a vehicle lamp.
Specifically, a vehicular lamp that requires a lens for controlling light from a light source to be tilted so that it is displaced backward as it goes toward the top end, and displaced backward as it goes to one end in the left-right direction. ,
In other words, it relates to a lens for a so-called slant-type lamp, which requires the lens to be tilted in two directions with respect to the direction in which light is irradiated by the lamp (hereinafter referred to as the "irradiation direction"). The deviation of the irradiation area and the distortion of light distribution caused by tilting the
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel lens for a vehicle lamp that can be corrected by different types of light control elements and that can improve the efficiency of light use.

BACKGROUND ART AND PROBLEMS A vehicle lamp is generally provided with a control lens for directing light from a light source in a predetermined irradiation direction to irradiate a predetermined irradiation range with a predetermined luminous intensity distribution. In order to control the light as easily as possible, it is desirable that such a control lens be installed in a position facing the irradiation direction, but in some cases,
It may be necessary to install it in an inclined position with respect to the irradiation direction. For example, headlights placed on the front of a car or rear indicator lights placed on the rear of a car are tilted at an angle with the front or rear of the car compared to the angle at which they face directly in the longitudinal direction of the car. In some cases, due to aerodynamic resistance or design considerations, at least the lens surface must be oriented along the inclination of the vehicle body.

According to such a slant-type lamp, even if the lamp axis is installed in a direction parallel to the irradiation direction, the lens is installed at an angle with respect to the orientation facing the irradiation direction, as described above, so that the actual The irradiation area will come to a position that is considerably shifted from the irradiation area that is scheduled to arrive at a predetermined position in the irradiation direction.

Therefore, lenses used in such slant-type lamps are generally provided with a light control element for correcting the above-mentioned deviation of the irradiation area.

An example of a conventional slant-type lamp is shown in FIGS. 9 to 12.

b is an outer lens attached to the front opening of the lamp body c. The outer lens b is
With respect to the lamp axis Y-Y along the irradiation direction of lamp a,
It is provided tilted at a predetermined angle in two directions. That is, the outer lens b is tilted by θ ₁ ° so that it is displaced backward as it goes to the upper end, and tilted by θ ₂ ° so that it is displaced backward as it goes to the right end. A large number of fisheye lens elements d, d, . . . having a diffusion function in the vertical and horizontal directions are formed on the inner surface of the outer lens b. The fisheye lens elements d, d, . . . are provided with their optical axes tilted so that the light incident thereon as a whole is directed slightly downward.

e is an inner lens disposed inside the outer lens b so as to face the outer lens b in parallel, and a large number of annular Fresnel lens elements f, f, ... are formed concentrically on the inner surface of the inner lens. At the same time, a large number of substantially protruding prism elements g, g, . . . are formed on its outer surface. The prism elements g, g, ... extend along the height direction of the inner lens e, and direct light incident thereon from a direction parallel to the lens optical axis X-X of the inner lens e to the lamp axis Y-Y. The light is formed so as to be incident in substantially parallel directions.

h is a light bulb whose filament (not shown) is placed on the optical axis XX of the inner lens e.

Therefore, the light directed from the light bulb h to the inner lens e is a parallel light beam that travels in a direction parallel to the lens optical axis X-X by the Fresnel lens elements f, f, ... formed on the inner surface of the inner lens e. It is said that
When the light that has been made into a parallel beam by the Fresnel lens elements f, f, ... passes through the prism elements g, g, ... formed on the outer surface of the inner lens e, it is parallel to the lamp axis Y-Y in the left-right direction. The fisheye lens elements d, d, formed on the outer lens b enter the outer lens b in the direction of
When passing through ..., the lamp axis Y- in the vertical direction
The light is directed in a direction parallel to Y, and is emitted with a predetermined diffusivity in the vertical and horizontal directions.

That is, in the above-mentioned lamp a, there are two lenses.
The deviation in the traveling direction of the light caused by the inclination in the direction is corrected by the inclination of the prism elements g, g, . . . and the fisheye lens elements d, d, . By doing this, the irradiation area i (see FIG. 13) by the lamp a comes to approximately the same position as the regular irradiation area j, which should be at a predetermined position in the irradiation direction.

As mentioned above, in conventional slant-type lamps, in order to correct the positional deviation of the irradiation area, special control elements other than those necessary for the original light control of the lamp are installed, or Since the optical axis of the element was tilted, there was a problem in that the structure of the lens became extremely complicated.

Moreover, according to the slant-type lamp a as described above, the light distribution pattern of the irradiation area by the irradiation light has curved ends as shown in the pattern of the irradiation area i described above. Therefore, if it is necessary to correct such distortion of the light distribution pattern, the fisheye lens elements d, d, ... and prism elements g, g, ... formed in the outer lens b and the inner lens e should be made more complicated. It becomes necessary to perform other correction processing such as creating a shape or arranging them in a predetermined direction. Therefore, when attempting to correct the distortion of the light distribution pattern in this way, control elements of multiple types and having very special shapes are formed on the lens, so the structure of the lens increases and increases. As a result, the processing cost becomes significantly higher.

Furthermore, when the conventional lenses as described above are used, problems such as a decrease in light utilization efficiency arise.

That is, as described above, the fisheye lens elements d, d, ... formed on the inner surface of the outer lens b are provided with their respective lens optical axes facing slightly downward, so that there is a gap between the adjacent ones in the vertical direction. Step surfaces k, k, . . . are formed (see FIG. 12). Therefore, out of the light beam P incident on one fisheye lens element d, the portion p of light incident on the stepped surface k is not effectively controlled.

Furthermore, when the two fisheye lens elements are concave as shown in Fig. 14, d', d',..., the light incident from the outside on the stepped surfaces k', k',... In addition, light l that enters from inside the step surfaces k' and k' and causes so-called internal reflection will not be effectively controlled.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel lens for a vehicular lamp that can be corrected by a light control element having one type of shape and that can improve light utilization efficiency.

Summary of the Invention In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the lens of the vehicle lamp of the present invention is such that the lens that controls the light from the light source is tilted so as to be displaced rearward as it goes toward the upper end, and is tilted toward one end in the left and right direction. Accordingly, the lens of a vehicle lamp is required to be installed so as to be tilted so as to be displaced rearward, and the lens extends along an inclination direction that is displaced to one end side in the left-right direction as it goes to the lower end, and also extends from the light source. It is characterized by forming a large number of correction prism elements that control light in the vertical and horizontal directions and emit it in a direction substantially parallel to the lamp axis.

Embodiments Hereinafter, details of the lens of the vehicle lamp of the present invention will be explained according to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the lens of the vehicular lamp of the present invention is applied as an inner lens of a rear marker light for an automobile.

1 in the figure is a marker light equipped with an inner lens to which the present invention is applied.

2 is a lamp body, whose lamp axis Y-Y
is provided so as to face in a direction parallel to the irradiation direction of this marker light 1.

3 is an inner lens attached to the front opening of the lamp body 2, and the inner lens 3 is
The marker lamp 1 is provided so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle in two directions with respect to the lamp axis Y-Y so as to follow the slope of the rear surface of the vehicle body on which the marker lamp 1 is arranged. That is, the inner lens 3 is tilted by θ ₁ ° so that it is displaced backward as it goes to the upper end, and tilted by θ ₂ ° so that it is displaced backward as it goes to the right end.

XX is a lens optical axis passing through the center of the inner lens 3 in a direction perpendicular to the lens surface of the inner lens 3. Further, 4 is a light bulb whose filament (light source) is arranged on the lens optical axis XX.

6, 6, . . . are substantially annular Fresnel lens elements formed on the inner surface of the inner lens 3, that is, the surface on the light bulb 4 side. the Fresnel lens element 6,
6,... are formed in concentric circles centered on the center of the inner surface of the inner lens 3, and the filament 5
The light directed from the inner lens 3 to the inner lens 3 is controlled so that it becomes a light beam parallel to the lens optical axis XX.

7, 7, . . . are correction prism elements formed on the outer surface of the inner lens 3. The correction prism elements 7, 7, . . . have their horizontal cross-sectional shapes aligned with the lens optical axis X-
Most of the light that has been made into a parallel beam parallel to It is formed in the shape of a protrusion having a substantially triangular shape. That is, the correction prism element 7,
The horizontal cross-sectional shape of 7, . . . is such that the light passing through it is refracted toward the left side. Further, the correction prism elements 7, 7, . . . extend along an inclination direction that is inclined by θ ₃ ° with respect to the height direction of the inner lens 3, so as to be displaced to the right as it goes to the lower end. Further, the correction prism element 7,
The ridgelines 9, 9, ... of 7, ... extend so as to be displaced forward as they go to the lower end, and thereby,
The correction prism elements 7, 7, . . . are formed so that their thickness increases toward the lower end. That is, the vertical cross-sectional shapes of the correction prism elements 7, 7, . . . are shaped so that the light passing through them is refracted downward.

Reference numeral 10 denotes an outer lens disposed outside the inner lens 3 so as to face the inner lens substantially parallel to each other, and is not shown in the drawings.
The outer lens 10 includes a necessary light control element for forming a predetermined light distribution pattern required for the marker light 1, for example, a light control element that gives the light passing through it a tendency to diffuse in the vertical and horizontal directions. element is formed.

As described above, the light directed from the filament 5 of the light bulb 4 toward the inner lens 3 is directed to the lens optical axis X-X by the Fresnel lens elements 6, 6, . . . formed on the inner surface of the inner lens 3. After being made into a light beam that travels in parallel directions, it travels toward the correction prism elements 7, 7, . . . When the parallel light beam passes through the correction prism elements 7, 7,... formed on the outer surface of the inner lens 3, it is directed in a direction parallel to the lens axis Y-Y, that is, in the irradiation direction. It turns out. That is, the light that passes through the correction prism elements 7, 7, ... is shaped so that the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the correction prism elements 7, 7, ... refracts the light that passes through it toward the left side. It is now directed in a direction slightly to the left of the optical axis XX. At the same time, since the vertical cross-sectional shape of the correction prism elements 7, 7, ... is shaped to refract the light passing through them downward, the lens optical axis X-X
It will now be oriented slightly downward.

Therefore, the light directed from the filament 5 to the inner lens 3 is directed from the exit surfaces 8, 8, ... of the correction prism elements 7, 7, ... of the inner lens 3 in a direction approximately parallel to the lamp axis Y-Y. It will be emitted as a result.

Furthermore, the light that passes through the correction prism elements 7, 7, ... extends in an inclined direction inclined by θ ₃ ° with respect to the height direction of the inner lens 3, so that the light transmitted through the correction prism elements 7, 7, ... The tendency of the right end of the light beam to be curved downwards is now corrected.

Therefore, the area irradiated by the irradiation light of the marker lamp 1 equipped with the inner lens 3 as described above is the sixth
Like the light distribution pattern 11 shown in the figure, the light distribution pattern is formed at a predetermined position along the H-H line centered on the intersection of the H-H line and the V-V line, and the light distribution pattern is It is said that the pattern is free from distortion.

Modified Example FIGS. 7 and 8 show a modified example 3A of the inner lens 3 in the above-described embodiment.
The difference between the modification 3A shown in this modification and the embodiment 3 described above is only in the shape of the exit surface of the correction prism element, so only the different part will be explained in detail, and the remaining parts will be explained in detail. The same reference numerals used in the above-mentioned embodiments are given to the same parts, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

The inner lens 3A shown in this modification is capable of emitting light from the light emitting surface of the outer lens 10 more uniformly than the inner lens 3 shown in the above-described embodiment.

That is, according to the inner lens 3 in the embodiment described above, the light directed toward the slopes 12, 12, . . . (see FIG. 4) other than the exit surfaces 8, 8, . The light may not be emitted in the irradiation direction due to internal reflection by the slopes 12, 12, . . . . Therefore, when the marker light 1 is turned on, a dark striped pattern may appear on the outer lens 10.

Therefore, in this modification, improvements have been made so that the above-mentioned dark striped pattern does not occur on the light emitting surface of the outer lens 10.

Correction prism element 7′ in this modification,
The exit surfaces 7', . . . are shaped so as to give the light passing through them a slightly diffusive property in the left-right direction. That is, in the drawing, 13,1
3, . . . are parallel to the lens optical axis X-X by the Fresnel lens elements 6, 6, . This is the slope on which the parallel light beam is incident, and this exit surface 13,1
3,... are formed to draw a gentle concave curve.

As shown in FIG. 8, the light passing through the correction prism elements 7', 7', . given outer lens 10
will be irradiated. Therefore, the effective beam of light traveling toward the outer lens 10 from the exit surfaces 13, 13, . . . of the correction prism elements 7', 7', . Although the light beams are separated from the effective light beam from the exit surface 13, they overlap each other at the position where they reach the outer lens 10.

As a result, the entire surface of the outer lens 10 is irradiated with light, so that dark striped patterns do not occur.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the lens of the vehicle lamp of the present invention is such that the lens for controlling light from the light source is tilted so as to be displaced rearward toward the upper end, and at one end in the left and right direction. A lens for a vehicle lamp that needs to be installed so as to be tilted so as to be displaced rearward as one goes to the lower end, and the lens extends along an inclination direction that is displaced to one end side in the left-right direction to some extent as one goes to the lower end, and the light source It is characterized by forming a large number of correction prism elements that control the light emitted from the lamp in the vertical and horizontal directions and emit the light in a direction substantially parallel to the lamp axis.

That is, in the lens of the vehicle lamp of the present invention, it is possible to correct the deviation of the irradiation area and the distortion of the light distribution caused by the lens being tilted with respect to the irradiation direction using one type of correction prism element. It has been made possible.

Therefore, the structure of the lens becomes simple, and processing costs can be reduced.

In addition, since correction is not performed using a fisheye lens element that creates a stepped surface between adjacent lenses like the lenses used in conventional slant lighting equipment, a portion of the light from the light source is corrected. The efficiency of light utilization can be increased without being affected by other control elements.

Since the lens of the present invention can perform the above-mentioned plurality of corrections using one type of correction prism element, it does not have a structure in which a plurality of correction control elements are arranged in an overlapping manner as in conventional lenses. In comparison, the appearance is cleaner and the design effect is increased.

In the above-mentioned modification, the correction prism element also gives the light passing through it a diffusivity in the left-right direction, but by doing so, the light-emitting surface of the lamp can be further improved. It is possible to emit light uniformly.

In the above-mentioned embodiments, the lens of the vehicle lamp of the present invention was applied as a lens of a rear marker light for an automobile, but the present invention is also applicable to other lenses that control light from a light source. It can be widely applied as a lens for a vehicular lamp which requires the lens to be tilted so as to be displaced rearward as it goes to the upper end and to be tilted so as to be displaced rearward as it goes to one end in the left and right direction.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 6 show an example of an embodiment in which the lens of the vehicle lamp of the present invention is applied as a lens of a rear marker light for an automobile, and Figure 1 is a front view with a part of the outer lens cut away. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the - line in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the - line in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal view of the main part of the inner lens. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the inner lens, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a light distribution pattern, and FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view.
8 and 8 show modified examples of the lens of the rear marker light for automobiles shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part, and FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part. The horizontal sectional views of FIGS. 9 to 13 show a part of an example of a conventional automobile rear indicator light.
The figure is a front view, Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X-X in Figure 9, Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in Figure 9, and Figure 12 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of main parts. , FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern, and FIG. 14 is a vertical sectional view showing a main part of a lens in another example of a conventional rear marker light for an automobile. Explanation of codes, 1...Vehicle light, 3,3A...
Lens, 5... Light source, 7, 7'... Correction prism element.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A lens for a vehicle lamp that requires a lens that controls light from a light source to be tilted so that it is displaced backward as it goes toward the top end, and so that it is displaced backward as it goes toward one end in the left-right direction. and extends along an inclined direction that is displaced to one end side in the left-right direction as it goes to the lower end, and controls the light from the light source in the vertical and horizontal directions to direct it in a direction substantially parallel to the lamp axis. A lens for a vehicle lamp characterized by forming a large number of correction prism elements that emit light.