Vehicle lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9340147-B2
Application number	US-201213688689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2012
Priority date	Nov 29, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle lamp includes a light emitting element and a light transmissive member disposed closer to a front side of the lamp than the light emitting element. The light transmissive member includes a front surface formed into a flat plane and a rear surface having a light entering area and an annular area situated on an outer circumferential side of the light entering area. The annular area has a plurality of curved planes and a reflecting film formed thereon. The light transmissive member has a lens portion provided on one of the front surface or the rear surface of the light transmissive member and configured to cause part of the light which is emitted from the light emitting element and enters the light transmissive member to be emitted towards the front side of the lamp as direct emitted light that is upwardly oriented.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle lamp comprising:
a light emitting element disposed to be directed to a front side of the lamp; and
a light transmissive member disposed closer to the front side of the lamp than the light emitting element, the light transmissive member comprising a front surface formed into a flat plane or a paraboloidal plane having a concavely curved surface portion in a center thereof and a rear surface having a light entering area where light from the light emitting element is caused to enter and an annular area situated on an outer circumferential side of the light entering area, the annular area having a plurality of curved surfaces and having a reflecting film formed thereon,
wherein the light emitting element and the light transmissive member are configured and arranged so that light which is emitted from the light emitting element and enters the light transmissive member is internally reflected on the front surface of the light transmissive member and is then internally reflected again on the rear surface of the light transmissive member for emission from the front surface of the light transmissive member to thereby form a first light distribution pattern having a cut-off line at an upper end portion thereof, and
wherein the light transmissive member has a lens portion provided on one of the front surface or the rear surface of the light transmissive member and configured to cause part of the light which is emitted from the light emitting element and enters the light transmissive member to be emitted towards the front side of the lamp as direct emitted light that is upwardly oriented so as to form a second light distribution pattern in a position that is spaced upwardly away from the cut-off line.

2. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 1 ,
wherein the lens portion is formed on the light entering area of the rear surface of the light transmissive member,
wherein the front surface of the light transmissive member has a central area including a first portion on which a reflecting film is formed and a second portion on which a reflecting film is not formed, and
wherein the second portion is a portion at which light emitted from the light emitting element and enters the light transmissive member from the lens portion arrives.

3. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 1 ,
wherein the lens portion is formed on the front surface of the light transmissive member.

4. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 3 ,
wherein the front surface of the light transmissive member has a central area including a first portion on which a reflecting film is formed and a second portion on which a reflecting film is not formed, and
wherein the lens portion is formed at the second portion.

5. A vehicle lamp comprising:
a light emitting element disposed to be directed to a front side of the lamp; and
a light transmissive member disposed closer to the front side of the lamp than the light emitting element, the light transmissive member comprising a front surface formed into a flat plane or a paraboloidal plane having a concavely curved surface portion in a center thereof and a rear surface having a light entering area where light from the light emitting element is caused to enter and an annular area situated on an outer circumferential side of the light entering area, the annular area having a plurality of curved planes surfaces and having a reflecting film formed thereon,
wherein the light emitting element and the light transmissive member are configured and arranged so that light which is emitted from the light emitting element and enters the light transmissive member is internally reflected on the front surface of the light transmissive member and is then internally reflected again on the rear surface of the light transmissive member for emission from the front surface of the light transmissive member to thereby form a first light distribution pattern having a cut-off line at an upper end portion thereof, and
wherein the light transmissive member has one of a lens portion or a reflecting portion provided on one of the front surface or the rear surface of the light transmissive member and configured to cause part of the light which is emitted from the light emitting element and is internally reflected again on the rear surface of the light transmissive member to be emitted towards the front side of the lamp as light that is upwardly oriented so as to form a second light distribution pattern in a position that is spaced upwardly away from the cut-off line.

6. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 5 ,
wherein the light emitting element has a horizontally elongated substantially rectangular light emitting surface, and
wherein the lens portion or the reflecting portion is provided on a cross-shaped area that extends in a belt-like fashion vertically and horizontally about the center of the light emitting element when looking at the lamp from a front of the lamp.

7. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 5 ,
wherein the lens portion is formed on the front surface of the light transmissive member.

8. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 5 ,
wherein the lens portion is mounted on the front surface of the light transmissive member as a separate lens member.

9. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 5 ,
wherein the reflecting portion is formed at the annular area.

Assignees

• Otani Tomoaki
• Uchida Naoki
• Kawai Hiroki
• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Otani Tomoaki
• Uchida Naoki
• Kawai Hiroki

Classifications

• F21S41/285

  Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805 · CPC title

• F21W2102/18

  for overhead signs · CPC title

• F21S41/336

  with discontinuity at the junction between adjacent areas · CPC title

• F21S41/37

  characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings · CPC title

• F21S41/321

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