Lighting apparatus and automobile including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179533-B2
Application number	US-201615156942-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2016
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

A lighting apparatus includes a low beam lens, a low beam light-emitting device disposed behind the low beam lens, a plurality of high beam lenses disposed along a periphery of the low beam lens, and a plurality of high beam light-emitting devices disposed behind the plurality of high beam lenses in one-to-one correspondence. At least one of the plurality of high beam lenses includes, on a circumferential edge, a textured surface having light diffusing characteristics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting apparatus, comprising:
a first lens that is a projection lens;
a first light source disposed behind the first lens;
a plurality of second lenses disposed along a periphery of the first lens, and positioned outside the first lens in a front view;
a plurality of second light sources disposed behind the plurality of second lenses in one-to-one correspondence;
a shield disposed between the first light source and the first lens, the shield defining a cutoff line by blocking a portion of light from the first light source; and
a frame that is approximately ring-shaped and disposed to surround the first lens and the plurality of second lenses,
wherein at least one of the plurality of second lenses has a frustoconical shape and includes a) at least one front facing side, b) a circumferential edge rear facing side, and c) disposed on a portion less than whole of the circumferential edge rear facing side, a textured surface having light diffusing characteristics.

2. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of second lenses is a collimating lens, and the collimating lens includes, on a circumferential edge, the textured surface having light diffusing characteristics.

3. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first light source and the plurality of second light sources comprises a light-emitting diode (LED) or a laser device.

4. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first lens is a separate component from the plurality of second lenses.

5. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the textured surface comprises a knurled surface.

6. An automobile, comprising:
the lighting apparatus according to claim 1 ; and
a vehicle body including the lighting apparatus installed in a front portion.

7. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second lenses includes three second lenses and only one or two of the three second lenses include the textured surface having light diffusing characteristics.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kanayama Yoshihiko
• Aoki Hiro
• Ogata Tomoyuki

Classifications

• F21S41/141

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21W2102/00

  Exterior vehicle lighting devices for illuminating purposes · CPC title

• F21S41/322

  the reflector using total internal reflection · CPC title

• F21S41/295

  specially adapted to projection lenses · CPC title

• F21S45/50

  Waterproofing · CPC title