Vehicle lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10655808-B2
Application number	US-201716313711-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 29, 2016
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle lamp includes a projection lens, a first light source disposed behind the projection lens and configured to emit light forming a low-beam light distribution pattern which is a predetermined light distribution pattern, a reflector configured to reflect light emitted from the first light source toward a first rear focal point of the projection lens, and a second array light source disposed behind the projection lens and having a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements arranged in at least one row. The second array light source is configured to emit light forming an additional light distribution pattern, and the center position or maximum light intensity position of the additional light distribution pattern overlaps with the low-beam light distribution pattern on a virtual vertical screen in front of the lamp.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle lamp comprising:
a projection lens;
a light source disposed behind the projection lens and configured to emit light forming a predetermined light distribution pattern;
a reflector configured to reflect the light emitted from the light source toward a rear focal point of the projection lens; and
an array light source disposed behind the projection lens and having a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements arranged in at least one row,
wherein the array light source is configured to emit light forming an additional light distribution pattern, and
wherein the center position of the additional light distribution pattern overlaps with the predetermined light distribution pattern on a virtual vertical screen in front of the lamp.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the array light source is disposed at the position corresponding to the rear focal point.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the array light source has a first array light source and a second array light source,
wherein the projection lens has a first lens portion forming a first rear focal point and a second lens portion forming a second rear focal point, and
wherein the second array light source is disposed below the first array light source and configured to emit light forming the additional light distribution pattern, the light being incident on an incident surface of the second lens portion.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first array light source is disposed at the position corresponding to the first rear focal point, and
wherein the second array light source is disposed at the position corresponding to the second rear focal point.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the array light source has a first array light source and a second array light source,
wherein the projection lens has a first lens portion forming a first rear focal point and a second lens portion forming a second rear focal point, and
wherein the first array light source is disposed above the second array light source and configured to emit light forming the additional light distribution pattern, the light being incident on an incident surface of the second lens portion.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5 , comprising an optical member configured to cause the light emitted from the first array light source to be incident on the incident surface of the second lens portion,
wherein the first array light source is disposed above the second rear focal point and the light is incident on the incident surface of the second lens portion via the optical member.

7. A vehicle lamp comprising:
a projection lens;
a light source disposed behind the projection lens and configured to emit light forming a predetermined light distribution pattern;
a reflector configured to reflect the light emitted from the light source toward the projection lens;
an array light source disposed behind the projection lens and having a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements arranged in at least one row,
an optical member disposed behind the projection lens; and
a drive mechanism configured to move the optical member horizontally to a first position and a second position,
wherein the optical member functions as a shade portion for forming a cut-off line in the predetermined light distribution pattern when the optical member is moved to the first position by the drive mechanism, and
wherein a light distribution pattern larger than the light distribution pattern formed when the optical member is moved to the first position is formed when the optical member is moved to the second position by the drive mechanism.

8. The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 ,
wherein the predetermined light distribution pattern is a first light distribution pattern for low beam, and
wherein a second light distribution pattern formed by the light source when the optical member is moved to the second position by the drive mechanism is enlarged above the first light distribution pattern on a virtual vertical screen in front of the lamp.

9. The vehicle lamp according to claim 8 ,
wherein the array light source is configured to emit light forming an additional light distribution pattern for high beam, and
wherein the array light source is configured so that the second light distribution pattern and the additional light distribution pattern overlap with each other on the virtual vertical screen in front of the lamp when the optical member is moved to the second position by the drive mechanism.

10. The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 ,
wherein the optical member also functions as a reflector configured to reflect at least a part of light emitted from the array light source toward the projection lens when moved to the first position by the drive mechanism.

11. The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 , comprising a base member on which the light source and the array light source are disposed,
wherein the optical member is a part separate from the base member and is moved to the first position and the second position along a front and rear direction of the lamp by the drive mechanism.

12. The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 ,
wherein the array light source has a first array light source and a second array light source,
wherein the projection lens has a first lens portion forming a first rear focal point and a second lens portion forming a second rear focal point,
wherein the first array light source is disposed at the position corresponding to the first rear focal point, and
wherein the second array light source is disposed below the first array light source and at the position corresponding to the second rear focal point.

13. A vehicle lamp comprising;
a projection lens having a convex exit surface based on at least one circular arc and having a first rear focal point and a second rear focal point;
a first light source disposed behind the projection lens; and
a second light disposed behind the projection lens;
wherein the projection lens has a first lens portion forming the first rear focal point and a second lens portion forming the second rear focal point,
wherein a boundary surface is provided between a first incident surface of the first lens portion and a second incident surface of the second lens portion,
wherein the first incident surface and the boundary surface are formed to be smoothly continuous,
wherein the second incident surface and the boundary surface are formed to be smoothly continuous, and
wherein the first and second incident surfaces have different angles with respect to the horizontal plane.

14. The vehicle lamp according to claim 13 ,
wherein the boundary surface is formed as a curved surface recessed toward the exit surface.

15. The vehicle lamp according to claim 13 ,
wherein the boundary surface comprises a flat surface.

16. The vehicle lamp according to claim 13 ,
wherein the boundary surface is formed as a convex curved surface protruding toward the side opposite to the exit surface.

17. The vehicle lamp according to claim 13 ,
wherein the exit surface is formed on the basis of a single curved surface, and
wherein the exit surface of the projection lens is configured by an outline based on two circular arcs when seeing the projection lens from a first direction which is one of an upper and lower direction and a left and right direction, and the exit surface of the projection lens is configured by an outline based on one circular arc when seeing the projection lens from a second direction

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takada Kenichi
• Kitazawa Tatsuma
• Kawai Hiroki
• Yamamoto Teruaki
• Hanada Akira
• Oishi Kenta
• Matsumoto Akinori

Classifications

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21S41/192

  Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors · CPC title

• F21S41/321

  the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated · CPC title

• F21S45/43

  using gas · CPC title

• F21S41/265

  Composite lenses; Lenses with a patch-like shape · CPC title