Vehicle lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10309606-B2
Application number	US-201715606900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2017
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Jun 4, 2019
Grant date	Jun 4, 2019

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle lamp including a projection lens, a first light source arranged at a rear of the projection lens and configured to emit light for forming a predetermined light distribution pattern, a reflector configured to reflect the light emitted from the first light source towards the projection lens, a first array light source arranged at the rear of the projection lens and including a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements aligned in at least one row, and a second array light source arranged at the rear of the projection lens and including a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements aligned in at least one row. The first array light source and the second array light source are arranged in an upper-lower direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle lamp comprising:
a projection lens;
a first light source arranged at a rear of the projection lens and configured to emit light for forming a predetermined light distribution pattern;
a reflector configured to reflect the light emitted from the first light source towards the projection lens;
a first array light source arranged at the rear of the projection lens and including a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements aligned in at least one row extending in a left-right direction of the vehicle lamp; and
a second array light source arranged at the rear of the projection lens and including a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements aligned in at least one row extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle lamp,
wherein the first array light source and the second array light source are arranged in an upper-lower direction of the vehicle lamp.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the projection lens has a first back focal point and a second back focal point,
wherein the first array light source is arranged at a position corresponding to the first back focal point, and
wherein the second array light source is arranged at a position corresponding to the second back focal point.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements of the first array light source are configured to be individually lit on and off,
wherein the plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements of the second array light source are configured to be individually lit on and off, and
wherein in light distribution patterns to be projected on a vertical virtual screen ahead of the lamp, a light distribution pattern which is to be formed by the respective semiconductor light emitting elements of the first array light source and a light distribution pattern which is to be formed by the respective semiconductor light emitting elements of the second array light source are offset in the left-right direction of the vehicle lamp.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second array light source is configured to emit light for forming at least a part of a light distribution pattern for high beam.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first array light source is arranged between the first back focal point of the projection lens and the first light source in a front-rear direction of the vehicle lamp.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first light source is configured to emit light for forming a light distribution pattern for low beam, the vehicle lamp further comprising:
a base member, on which the first light source, the first array light source and the second array light source are mounted; and
an optical member which is a component separate from the base member and is configured to function as a shade for forming a cutoff line of the light distribution pattern for low beam at a state where the optical member is mounted to the base member.

7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 6 ,
wherein the optical member includes:
a first reflective surface configured to reflect the light emitted from the first array light source towards an incident surface of the projection lens; and
a second reflective surface configured to reflect the light emitted from the second array light source towards the incident surface of the projection lens.

8. The vehicle lamp according to claim 6 ,
wherein the base member includes a first surface on which the first light source is arranged and a second surface on which the first array light source and the second array light source are arranged, and
wherein the second surface is an inclined surface which is inclined relative to an optical axis of the projection lens such that a light output part of the first array light source arranged on the second surface faces obliquely in a front and upper direction and a light output part of the first array light source is located below the first back focal point.

9. The vehicle lamp according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a flexible circuit board, on which the first array light source and the second array light source are arranged,
wherein at least a part of the flexible circuit board is fixed to the inclined surface.

10. The vehicle lamp according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a rigid circuit board, on which the first array light source and the second array light source are arranged,
wherein at least a part of the rigid circuit board is fixed to the inclined surface.

11. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein a center position of the first array light source is arranged at a position different from a center position of the second array light source in the left-right direction of the vehicle lamp.

12. A vehicle lamp comprising:
a projection lens including an output surface having a convex shape based on only one circular arc;
a first light source arranged at a rear of the projection lens; and
a second light source arranged at the rear of the projection lens,
wherein the projection lens has a first back focal point and a second back focal point,
wherein the first light source is arranged at a position corresponding to the first back focal point, and
wherein the second light source is arranged at a position corresponding to the second back focal point.

13. The vehicle lamp according to claim 12 ,
wherein the first light source and the second light source are arranged in an upper-lower direction of the vehicle lamp.

14. The vehicle lamp according to claim 13 ,
wherein the projection lens includes a first lens part configured to form the first back focal point and a second lens part configured to form the second back focal point,
wherein the first lens part is formed below the second lens part,
wherein the first back focal point is located above the second back focal point,
wherein the first light source is configured to emit light towards an incident surface of the first lens part, and
wherein the second light source is configured to emit light towards an incident surface of the second lens part.

15. The vehicle lamp according to claim 12 ,
wherein the first light source and the second light source are arranged in a left-right direction of the vehicle lamp.

16. The vehicle lamp according to claim 15 ,
wherein the projection lens includes a first lens part configured to form the first back focal point and a second lens part configured to form the second back focal point,
wherein the first lens part is formed at a left side relative to the second lens part,
wherein the first back focal point is located at a right side relative to the second back focal point,
wherein the first light source is configured to emit light towards an incident surface of the first lens part, and
wherein the second light source is configured to emit light towards an incident surface of the second lens part.

17. The vehicle lamp according to claim 12 ,
wherein the projection lens includes a first lens part configured to form the first back focal point and a second lens part configured to form the second back focal point, the vehicle lamp further comprising:
a first reflection part configured to reflect the light emitted from the first light source towards an incident surface of the first lens part; and
a second reflection part configured to reflect the light emitted from the second light source towards an incident surface of the second lens part.

18. The vehicle lamp according to claim 12 ,
wherein

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takada Kenichi
• Kitazawa Tatsuma
• Yamamoto Teruaki
• Kawai Hiroki
• Hanada Akira

Classifications

• F21S41/43

  characterised by the shape thereof · CPC title

• F21S41/338 Primary

  the reflector having surface portions added to its general concavity · CPC title

• F21S41/143

  the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device · CPC title

• F21V19/001 Primary

  the light sources being semiconductors devices, e.g. LEDs · CPC title

• F21S41/00

  Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps (reversing lights F21S43/00) · CPC title