Vehicle lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9714747-B2
Application number	US-201514822067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2014
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle lamp includes a projection lens and a first light source. Light emitted from the first light source is irradiated forward through the projection lens. The shade blocks a part of light from the first light source toward the projection lens to form a low beam light distribution pattern. The light emitting unit causes light to be incident onto the projection lens to form a high beam supplementary light distribution pattern. The light emitting unit includes a second light source and a transparent member. Light emitted from the second light source is incident on the transparent member. The transparent member emits the incident light from the front end surface thereof. An emission window is formed in the upper surface of the transparent member and in rear of a front edge of the upper surface. The emission window emits the light incident onto the transparent member, toward the projection lens.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle lamp configured so as to be capable of selectively performing low beam illumination and high beam illumination, the vehicle lamp comprising:
a projection lens;
a first light source; and
a light emitting unit, the first light source and the light emitting unit disposed in rear of the projection lens,
wherein:
light emitted from the first light source is irradiated forward through the projection lens,
the light emitting unit is configured to cause light to be incident onto the projection lens to form a high beam supplementary light distribution pattern to the low beam light distribution pattern,
the light emitting unit comprises:
a second light source; and
a transparent member comprising:
a front end surface; and
an emission window provided in an upper surface of the transparent member and in rear of a front edge of the upper surface, the upper surface of the transparent member comprising a shade configured to block a part of the light emitted from the first light source toward the projection lens to form a low beam light distribution pattern, the shade being configured by performing surface treatment on the upper surface of the transparent member,

light emitted from the second light source is incident on the transparent member,
the transparent member is configured to emit the light emitted from the second light source from the front end surface,
the emission window is configured to emit the light, which is emitted from the second light source onto the transparent member, toward the projection lens, and
wherein:
light emitted from the front end surface of the transparent member forms a basic shape of the high beam supplementary light distribution pattern, and
the light emitted from the emission window of the transparent member forms the high beam supplementary light distribution pattern so that the high beam supplementary light distribution pattern extends to a region below cut-off lines of the low beam light distribution pattern.

2. A vehicle lamp configured so as to be capable of selectively performing low beam illumination and high beam illumination, the vehicle lamp comprising:
a projection lens; and
a first light source disposed in rear of the projection lens, wherein
light emitted from the first light source is irradiated forward through the projection lens,
a shade and a light emitting unit are disposed in rear of the projection lens,
the shade blocks a part of light heading from the first light source toward the projection lens to form a low beam light distribution pattern,
the light emitting unit causes light to be incident onto the projection lens to form a high beam supplementary light distribution pattern additionally to the low beam light distribution pattern,
the light emitting unit comprises
a second light source, and
a transparent member including a front end surface,

light emitted from the second light source is incident on the transparent member,
the transparent member is configured to emit the incident light from the front end surface,
the shade is configured by performing surface treatment on an upper surface of the transparent member, and
an emission window is formed in the upper surface of the transparent member and in rear of a front edge of the upper surface, and
the emission window is configured to emit the light, which is incident from the second light source onto the transparent member, toward the projection lens, and
wherein:
the upper surface of the transparent member comprises a region provided in front of the emission window, and
the region of the upper surface of the transparent member comprises a front reflecting surface extending obliquely downward and rearward from the front edge of the upper surface.

3. The vehicle lamp of claim 1 , wherein:
the transparent member comprises a plurality of transparent segments which are disposed in parallel in right and left directions,
the second light source comprises a plurality of light emitting elements that are disposed so that light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements is incident onto the transparent segments, respectively, and
each of the plurality of light emitting elements is configured to be individually turned on.

4. The vehicle lamp of claim 2 , wherein
the transparent member comprises a plurality of transparent segments which are disposed in parallel in right and left directions,
the second light source comprises a plurality of light emitting elements that are disposed so that light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements is incident onto the transparent segments, respectively, and
each of the plurality of light emitting elements is configured to be individually turned on.

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tsukamoto Michio

Classifications

• F21S41/151 Primary

  arranged in one or more lines · CPC title

• F21S41/148

  the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis · CPC title

• F21S41/47

  Attachment thereof (achieving variable light distribution by movable screens F21S41/683) · CPC title

• F21S41/321

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

• F21S41/19

  Attachment of light sources or lamp holders (achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657) · CPC title