Vehicle lamp

Abstract

A vehicle lamp is provided. The vehicle lamp includes a light source and a light guide lens. The light guide lens has a light introduction portion that introduces light, a light distribution portion that emits the introduced light as illumination light, a decoration portion that emits the introduced light as decoration light, and a slit portion that separates the light introduction portion from the decoration portion. The light introduction portion has a light incidence surface through which light from the light source is incident, a lens cut surface that emits a portion of the light from the light source and that is incident on the decoration portion via the slit portion, a first inclined surface that is located on a side of the light distribution portion relative to the lens cut surface, a second inclined surface that connects the first inclined surface and the decoration portion, and a reflection cut surface that is provided on a surface of the light introduction portion on a side opposite the slit portion. The reflection cut surface reflects a portion of the light incident from the light incidence surface so that the portion of the light travels along the second inclined surface.

Description

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-098878 filed on June 14, 2021, and the content thereof is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to a vehicle lamp. BACKGROUND

[0003] In the past, as a vehicle lamp, there has been a technology in which a light distribution portion and a decorative portion are formed in a state of being separated by a slit on a light guide lens, and light incident from an incident surface of the light distribution portion is emitted from the light distribution portion and the decorative portion as different function lights (for example, refer to Japanese Patent No. 6072520). SUMMARY

[0004] In the above-described vehicle lamp, when viewed from the front side, a step is formed between the decorative portion and the light distribution portion, and thus there is a problem that the connection of the surfaces of the decorative portion and the light distribution portion is not sufficient, and the appearance at the time of non-illumination is poor. Therefore, it is also considered to adopt a structure in which the step is eliminated by making the surfaces of the decorative portion and the light distribution portion be in the same plane, but in this case, the thickness of the light guide lens needs to be increased, and thus light is difficult to be incident to the boundary portion of the decorative portion and the light distribution portion, and thus it is likely that unevenness in brightness occurs at the time of illumination.

[0005] A vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present application is capable of reducing unevenness in brightness at the time of illumination.

[0006] (1) A vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present application includes a light source and a light guide lens that guides light from the light source, the light guide lens including: a lead-in portion that leads in light from the light source; a light distribution portion that is connected to the lead-in portion and causes a part of the light led in from the lead-in portion to be emitted as illumination light; a decorative portion that is connected to the light distribution portion and causes another part of the light led in from the lead-in portion to be emitted as decorative light; and a slit portion that separates the lead-in portion from the decorative portion, the lead-in portion including: a light incident surface that is provided to be incident with the light from the light source; a lens cut surface that causes a part of the light from the light source to be emitted and led in to the decorative portion via the slit portion; a first inclined surface that is located at a position closer to the light distribution portion than the lens cut surface; a second inclined surface that connects the first inclined surface and the decorative portion; and a reflection cut surface that is provided to a surface on the opposite side of the lead-in portion from the slit portion, and reflects a part of the light led in from the light incident surface so as to be along the second inclined surface.

[0007] (2) In the vehicle lamp according to the above-described (1), the first inclined surface can be inclined at a gentler angle with respect to an extension direction of the decorative portion than the second inclined surface.

[0008] (3) In the vehicle lamp according to any one of (1) to (2), the introduction portion can have a reflection surface provided on a surface of the introduction portion on the side opposite to the slit portion and located on the side of the light incidence surface from the reflection surface.

[0009] (4) In the vehicle lamp according to any one of (1) to (3), at least a part of the reflection surface can be opposed to the first inclined surface.

[0010] (5) In the vehicle lamp according to any one of (1) to (4), the introduction portion can further have a light emission region located between the lens surface and the first inclined surface, and configured to emit another part of the light incident from the light incidence surface, the light emitted from the light emission region passing through the slit portion in a manner along the first inclined surface and being incident from the second inclined surface to the light distribution portion.

[0011] (6) In the vehicle lamp according to any one of (1) to (5), an optical axis of the light source can be offset to the end side of the decoration portion with respect to the center of the light incidence surface of the introduction portion.

[0012] (7) In the vehicle lamp according to any one of (1) to (6), the decoration portion can be configured to emit the decoration light toward the emission direction of the illumination light in the light distribution portion.

[0013] (8) In the vehicle lamp according to any one of (1) to (7), the light source can include a substrate and a light emitting element provided on a first surface of the substrate, and the light source can be disposed with respect to the light guide lens such that the first surface of the substrate is along the extension direction of the light guide lens.

[0014] (9) In the vehicle lamp according to any one of (1) to (8), the light emission surfaces of the light distribution portion and the decoration portion can be the same surface.

[0015] According to the aspect of the present application, in the vehicle lamp, the appearance at the time of non-illumination is excellent, and the brightness unevenness at the time of illumination can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a front view showing the schematic structure of a tail lamp unit to which the present application is applied.

[0017] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the schematic structure of a tail lamp according to one embodiment.

[0018] Figure 3 is Figure 2 a III-III line cross-sectional view.

[0019] Figure 4 is a plan view showing the structure of the main part of the tail lamp.

[0020] Figure 5 is a plan view showing the position of the light source with respect to the light guide lens.

[0021] Figure 6 is a graph showing the illuminance distribution of the tail lamp. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to Figures 1-6 One embodiment of the present application will be described in detail. In the vehicle lamp of the present embodiment, the present application is applied to a tail lamp of a cover tail lamp constituting a tail lamp unit.

[0023] Further, in the drawings used in the following description, in order to easily observe each structural element, sometimes the scale of the size is shown differently according to the structural element, and the size ratio and the like of each structural element are not necessarily the same as the actual.

[0024] In each drawing, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set to describe the structure of each component. In addition, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, the description of "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper", and "lower" means each direction when the tail lamp unit 100 is observed from the back (the rear of the vehicle). Therefore, each direction when the vehicle is observed from the front (the front of the vehicle) means the opposite direction of the front, rear, left, and right.

[0025] For example, the X axis corresponds to an axis in the front-rear direction of the tail lamp unit, the Y axis corresponds to an axis in the left-right direction of the tail lamp unit, and the Z axis corresponds to an axis in the up-down direction of the tail lamp unit. In the present specification, the +X side corresponds to the front side of the tail lamp unit, the -X side corresponds to the rear side of the tail lamp unit, the +Y side corresponds to the right side of the tail lamp unit, the -Y side corresponds to the left side of the tail lamp unit 100, the +Z side corresponds to the upper side of the tail lamp unit, and the -Z side corresponds to the lower side of the tail lamp unit. In addition, hereinafter, it will sometimes be described as the front-rear direction X, the left-right direction Y, and the up-down direction Z.

[0026] Figure 1 is a front view showing the outline structure of the tail lamp unit.

[0027] As Figure 1As shown, the tail light unit 100 has a cover tail light 110 and a rear control light 120. The cover tail light 110 includes a first tail light 111 and a backup light 112. The first tail light 111 is configured so as to extend along the outer shape of the cover tail light 110. The rear control light 120 includes a second tail light 121, a brake light 122, and a turn signal light 123. The second tail light 121 is configured so as to extend along the outer shape of the rear control light 120.

[0028] In the tail light unit 100 of the present embodiment, the first tail light 111 and the second tail light 121 are arranged close to each other in the left-right direction Y, thereby presenting a lighting appearance with a sense of unity.

[0029] Further, in Figure 1 the first tail light 111 indicated by hatching corresponds to the vehicle lamp of the present application. Hereinafter, the first tail light 111 will be simply referred to as "tail light 111".

[0030] Figure 2 is a front view showing the outline structure of the tail light 111. Figure 3 is Figure 2 a III-III line sectional view of Figure 4 is a plan view showing the structure of the main part of the tail light 111.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the tail light 111 is provided with a light source 10 and a light guide lens 1. The light source 10 includes a substrate 11 and a light emitting element 12. The light emitting element 12 is provided to a main surface (first surface) 11a of the substrate 11. A drive circuit (not shown) for driving the light emitting element 12 is provided to the main surface 11a of the substrate 11.

[0032] The light emitting element 12 is composed of, for example, a light emitting diode (LED) that emits red light. In addition, the number of light emitting elements 12 in the light source 10 is not particularly limited, and can be one or more.

[0033] In the present embodiment, the light source 10 is arranged with respect to the light guide lens 1 so that the main surface 11a of the substrate 11 is along the extending direction of the light guide lens 1, i.e., the left-right direction Y. The light source 10 is held to a housing (not shown) of the tail light unit 100, for example.

[0034] As shown in Figure 2 , the light guide lens 1 is mounted to the housing (not shown) of the tail light unit 100 via a mounting portion 90. In the case of the present embodiment, the tail light 111 is fixed to the housing of the tail light unit 100 via two mounting portions 90 provided along the left-right direction Y. An opening 91 for inserting a threaded member is formed in the mounting portion 90. In addition, the fixing method of the mounting portion 90 is not limited to a threaded member.

[0035] Here, the state of the main surface 11a of the substrate 11 along the left-right direction Y is not limited to the case where the main surface 11a is parallel to the Y-axis direction. It is acceptable as long as the main surface 11a is not orthogonal to the Y-axis, that is, the angle between the main surface 11a and the Y-axis direction is at least less than 90°.

[0036] In this embodiment, the light source 10 is located on the left (-Y side) and rear (-X side) relative to the light guide lens 1. Thus, in the taillight 111 of this embodiment, by placing the light source 10 on the rear (-X side) side of the light guide lens 1, compared to the case where the light source 10 is placed at one end of the light guide lens 1 in the left-right direction Y such that the main surface 11a of the substrate 11 is orthogonal to the Y-axis, it is possible to suppress the enlargement of the taillight 111 in the left-right direction Y.

[0037] The light guide lens 1 guides and emits light incident from the light source 10. The light guide lens 1 is made of, for example, a transparent resin such as polycarbonate or acrylic, or a light-transmitting component with a refractive index higher than that of air, such as glass.

[0038] The light guide lens 1 has an inlet portion 2, a light distribution portion 3, a decorative portion 4, and a slit portion 5. The slit portion 5 is formed from one end (left end) of the light guide lens 1 in the extending direction (left-right direction Y) of the light guide lens 1. The slit portion 5 separates the inlet portion 2 from the decorative portion 4.

[0039] The guide section 2 is the part that guides the light L from the light source 10. The guide section 2 is arranged opposite to the light-emitting element 12 of the light source 10. The guide section 2 is located on the rear side (-X side) relative to the slit 5. The guide section 2 distributes the light L from the light source 10 to the light distribution section 3 or the decorative section 4. In addition, details about the guide section 2 will be described later.

[0040] like Figure 3 As shown, the light distribution section 3 is connected to the guide section 2, and emits a portion of the light introduced from the guide section 2 as illumination light L1. The light distribution section 3 has: an emission surface 31 from which illumination light L1 is emitted; and a propagation surface 32 which reflects the light introduced from the guide section 2 and propagates it internally.

[0041] Multiple diffusion cross-sections 31a are formed on the ejection surface 31.

[0042] The diffusion surface 31a allows the illumination light L1 to be emitted in a diffused state. Therefore, the emission surface 31 enables the illumination light L1 to emit light uniformly. Furthermore, examples of the diffusion surface 31a include lens surfaces called grooved surfaces or fisheye surfaces, and uneven structures formed by knurling or pleating processes. Moreover, by adjusting the shape of this diffusion surface 31a, the degree of diffusion of the light L emitted from the emission surface 31 can be controlled.

[0043] The propagation surface 32 has a reflective structure 32a that reflects the light L introduced from the inlet 2 toward the outlet surface 31. The reflective structure 32a is constructed by cutting the surface of the propagation surface 32 into a predetermined shape. A portion of the light reflected by the reflective structure 32a of the propagation surface 32 is incident relative to the outlet surface 31 at an angle below a critical angle and is emitted from the outlet surface 31 as illumination light L1. On the other hand, another portion of the light reflected by the reflective structure 32a of the propagation surface 32 is incident relative to the outlet surface 31 at an angle above a critical angle, is totally reflected by the outlet surface 31, and propagates toward the end 3a side of the light distribution section 3.

[0044] Based on this structure, the light distribution section 3 causes the light L introduced from the guide section 2 to be emitted from the emission surface 31, and can guide the light L introduced from the guide section 2 to propagate between the emission surface 31 and the propagation surface 32 through total internal reflection, thereby guiding the light to the end 3a side. In this way, the light distribution section 3 causes the illumination light L1 emitted uniformly from the emission surface 31 to be emitted forward (in the +X direction).

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the decorative part 4 is connected to the light distribution part 3, and emits the light L incident from the guide part 2 as decorative light L2. The decorative part 4 is located on the front side (+X side) relative to the seam part 5. The decorative part 4 and the guide part 2 are arranged facing each other with the seam part 5 in between.

[0046] The decorative section 4 has a decorative side injection surface 40 opposite to the guide section 2 and a decorative side emission surface 41 from which the decorative light L2 is emitted. The decorative section 4 emits the decorative light L2 in the emission direction (+X direction) of the illumination light L1 in the light distribution section 3. The taillight 111 of this embodiment emits the illumination light L1 and the decorative light L2 in the same direction (+X direction).

[0047] Furthermore, in the taillight 111 of this embodiment, the light emitting surfaces of the decorative part 4 and the light distribution part 3 are formed as the same surface. Specifically, in this embodiment, the decorative side emission surface 41 of the decorative part 4 and the emission surface 31 of the light distribution part 3 are the same surface.

[0048] Here, if the light emitting surfaces of the decorative section 4 and the light emitting section 3 are not the same, that is, if a stepped section is provided between the decorative side emitting surface 41 and the emitting surface 31, the stepped section will appear darker when not lit, resulting in a decrease in aesthetics.

[0049] In contrast, in the taillight 111 of this embodiment, by making the light emitting surfaces of the decorative part 4 and the light emitting part 3 the same as described above, no stepped portion is generated between the decorative side light emitting surface 41 and the light emitting surface 31, thereby suppressing the reduction of aesthetics when not lit.

[0050] like Figure 4As shown, the end 4L of the decorative part 4 is located to the left (-Y side) of the left end 2L of the guide part 2. Therefore, as Figure 2 As shown, when the light guide lens 1 is viewed from the front, the decorative part 4 is disposed on the back side (-X side) of the light guide part 2. Therefore, when viewed from the front side, the light guide part 2 is not directly visible, thus suppressing the undesirable situation where the light emitted from the light guide part 2 is perceived as having uneven brightness, resulting in a decrease in aesthetics when lit.

[0051] The interface of the decorative side injection surface 40 is formed by the seam 5.

[0052] In this embodiment, such as Figure 4 As shown, the decorative side injection surface 40 is formed as a conical surface that gradually narrows in the front-to-back direction X as it moves downward toward the lower side in the vertical direction Z. By forming it as a conical surface, light incident on the decorative side injection surface 40 can be refracted obliquely downward (to the -Z side), and the decorative light L2 irradiated from the decorative side emission surface 41 can be controlled. However, it can also be formed as a plane where the width of the slit in the front-to-back direction X is constant in the vertical direction Z. When the slit 5 is formed to extend through in the vertical direction Z, the constraint on the draft angle of the mold is reduced, so it can also be configured as a conical surface that gradually thickens in the front-to-back direction X as it moves downward toward the lower side in the vertical direction Z.

[0053] A plurality of diffusion surfaces 40a are provided on the decorative side injection surface 40. These diffusion surfaces 40a are formed, for example, by arranging prism facets with a predetermined cross-sectional shape in the extending direction (left-right direction Y) of the decorative portion 4. In this embodiment, a plurality of prism facets are arranged in a triangular or semi-cylindrical shape protruding in the -X direction and extending in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the shape of the facets arranged in the extending direction of the decorative portion 4 is not limited to one type, allowing each portion of the decorative side injection surface 40 to have a different facet shape.

[0054] Similarly, a plurality of diffusion surfaces 41a are formed on the decorative side injection surface 41. The plurality of diffusion surfaces 41a are formed, for example, by arranging prism surfaces having a predetermined cross-sectional shape in the vertical direction Z. That is, in the case of this embodiment, the directions of the prism surfaces in the diffusion surfaces 40a of the decorative side injection surface 40 and the diffusion surfaces 41a of the decorative side injection surface 41 are 90° apart.

[0055] According to this structure, the light diffusion direction can be made different on the light-injection side and the light-emission side, so that uniformly emitting decorative light L2 can be emitted from the decorative part 4. It should be noted that for the multiple diffusion cross-sections 41a, the cross-sectional shape of each part of the decorative side emission surface 41 can also be different.

[0056] Next, the structure of the inlet section 2 will be explained.

[0057] As Figure 4 shown, the introduction portion 2 includes a light incidence surface 21 through which light from the light source 10 is incident, a front surface portion 22 connected to one end side (+Y side) of the light incidence surface 21 and facing the slit portion 5, and a back surface portion 23 connected to the other end side (+Y side) of the light incidence surface 21 and opposite the front surface portion 22. The light incidence surface 21 is disposed in opposition to the light emitting element 12 of the light source 10.

[0058] In Figure 4 , the substrate 11 of the light source 10 is omitted for simplicity of illustration. Also, in Figure 4 , the refraction of light generated at the light incidence surface 21 is omitted for simplicity of illustration.

[0059] Also, the light incidence surface 21 of the present embodiment is constituted by a flat surface, but can be constituted by a curved surface including a lens shape.

[0060] The interface of the front surface portion 22 of the introduction portion 2 is formed by the slit portion 5.

[0061] The lens surface 50, the first inclined surface 51, the second inclined surface 52, the front surface side optical surface 53, and the light exit region 54 are provided at the front surface portion 22 of the introduction portion 2. That is, the introduction portion 2 of the present embodiment has the lens surface 50, the first inclined surface 51, the second inclined surface 52, and the light exit region 54.

[0062] The lens surface 50 causes a portion of the light L from the light source 10 incident from the light incidence surface 21 to exit toward the decoration portion 4. Hereinafter, the light exiting from the lens surface 50 will be referred to as first decoration light L21. The shape of the lens surface 50 is an asymmetric sawtooth-shaped surface projecting in the front direction (+X direction), and in order to have diffusivity, the vertex or surface of the sawtooth-shaped surface is formed in a shape with a round, and extends in the same up-down direction Z as the prism surface of the decoration side incidence surface 40. However, it is not particularly limited to this shape, and can be a knurl in a semi-cylindrical shape projecting in the front direction (+X direction), as long as it is a shape having at least a function of diffusing in the left-right direction Y extending in the decoration portion 4. The prism surface of the decoration side incidence surface 40 and the lens surface 50 are formed to extend in the same up-down direction Z in order to make it easy to demold the mold. For example, the decoration side exit surface 41 can also be formed with a knurl extending in the left-right direction Y, in which case, the decoration light L2 is diffused in the left-right direction at the decoration side incidence surface 40, and is diffused in the up-down direction at the decoration side exit surface 41, so the decoration light L2 irradiated to the outside is diffused in the up-down and left-right directions, which can contribute to preventing uneven brightness.

[0063] The first decorative light L21 emitted from the lens facet 50 enters the decorative portion 4 via the slit portion 5. The first decorative light L21 is emitted in a state of being diffused to the left and right direction Y by the lens facet 50, and thus the first decorative light L21 efficiently enters a large range of the left and right direction Y of the decorative portion 4.

[0064] Thus, the introduction portion 2 of the present embodiment directly emits a portion of the light L emitted from the light source 10 toward the decorative portion 4 from the lens facet 50. That is, the decorative portion 4 of the present embodiment does not mainly generate the decorative light L2 with the light (leak light) leaked from the introduction portion 2 via the slit portion 5, but mainly generates the decorative light L2 with the direct light (first decorative light L21) actively emitted to the outside from the lens facet 50 of the introduction portion 2, and thus can cause the decorative portion 4 to emit light with the decorative light L2 bright enough. Thus, in the present embodiment, the luminance unevenness at the time of emission of the decorative portion 4 and the distribution portion 3 is reduced.

[0065] The first inclined surface 51 is located at a position closer to the distribution portion 3 than the lens facet 50. The first inclined surface 51 is located at the end side of the slit portion 5. The first inclined surface 51 is a surface inclined toward the direction approaching the decorative portion 4 side as toward the end side of the slit portion 5.

[0066] The second inclined surface 52 is located at the end side of the slit portion 5 with respect to the first inclined surface 51. The second inclined surface 52 connects the first inclined surface 51 and the decorative portion 4 (decorative side emission surface 41). The second inclined surface 52 is a surface inclined toward the direction approaching the decorative portion 4 as toward the end side of the slit portion 5.

[0067] Here, the inclination angle of the first inclined surface 51 with respect to the extension direction (left and right direction Y) of the decorative portion 4 is set to θ1, and the inclination angle of the second inclined surface 52 with respect to the extension direction (left and right direction Y) of the decorative portion 4 is set to θ2.

[0068] In the present embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined surface 51 is smaller than the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined surface 52. That is, the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined surface 51 with respect to the extension direction of the decorative portion 4 is gentler than the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined surface 52 with respect to the extension direction of the decorative portion 4.

[0069] The light emission region 54 is a region through which another portion of the light emitted from the light incident surface 21 is emitted. The shape of the light emission region 54 is a curved lens surface protruding in the forward direction (+X direction), but is not particularly limited, and can be a triangular lens surface with an obtuse angle compared to the lens facet, or a lens surface including a plane or a curved surface. The light emission region 54 is located between the lens facet 50 and the first inclined surface 51. That is, the lens facet 50 and the first inclined surface 51 are separated by an amount corresponding to the width of the light emission region 54. Thus, the first decorative light L21 emitted from the lens facet 50 does not enter the first inclined surface 51 to be reflected, but efficiently enters the decorative portion 4.

[0070] The front-side optical surface 53 is located on the left side (-Y side) of the lens section 50, connecting the light-incident surface 21 and the lens section 50. The front-side optical surface 53 has a shape that extends obliquely forward to the right after extending obliquely forward to the left as it goes from the end 21a of the light-incident surface 21 toward the decorative section 4 side.

[0071] The front-side optical surface 53 causes a portion of the light L from the light source 10 that is incident from the light-incident surface 21 to be emitted toward the decorative section 4. The front-side optical surface 53 causes the light L from the light source 10 that is transmitted through the front-side optical surface 53 to be emitted toward the decorative section 4 by refracting the light that is incident at an angle of incidence that is smaller than the critical angle. Hereinafter, the portion of the light L from the light source 10 that is emitted through the front-side optical surface 53 will be referred to as the second decorative light L22.

[0072] Here, in order to cause the decorative section 4 to emit light uniformly throughout the left-right direction Y, it is necessary to cause the second decorative light L22 to be efficiently incident to the end 4L side of the decorative section 4. Hereinafter, the position of the light source 10 relative to the light guide lens 1 for causing the decorative section 4 to emit light uniformly will be described.

[0073] Figure 5 is a plan view that indicates the position of the light source 10 relative to the light guide lens 1. Note that in Figure 5 , the light emitting element 12 of the light source 10 is illustrated simply.

[0074] As shown in Figure 5 , in the tail lamp 111 of the present embodiment, the optical axis 10L of the light source 10 is offset to the end 4L side of the decorative section 4 relative to the center 21C of the light-incident surface 21 of the lead-in section 2 of the light guide lens 1. Note that the optical axis 10L of the light source 10 coincides with the optical axis of the light emitting element 12.

[0075] As a comparative example, a case in which the light source 10 is disposed relative to the light guide lens 1 in a state in which the optical axis 10L of the light source 10 coincides with the center 21C of the light-incident surface 21 of the lead-in section 2 will be described.

[0076] In this case, the second decorative light L220 that is emitted from the left end of the light emitting element 12 is incident to a position of the decorative-side light-incident surface 40 that is located to the right (+Y side) of the end 4L of the decorative section 4. That is, in the case of the comparative example, the second decorative light L220 cannot be efficiently incident to the end 4L of the decorative section 4, and thus the decorative section 4 cannot emit light uniformly throughout the left-right direction Y.

[0077] In contrast, in this embodiment, the optical axis 10L of the light source 10 is configured to be offset towards the end 4L of the decorative portion 4 relative to the center 21C of the light incident surface 21 of the guide portion 2. Therefore, the second decorative light L22 can be incident near the end 4L of the decorative portion 4. That is, in this embodiment, the second decorative light L22 will be efficiently incident on the end 4L side of the decorative portion 4, thus enabling the decorative portion 4 to emit light uniformly throughout the entire left-right direction Y.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by shifting the optical axis 10L of the light source 10 relative to the center 21C of the light incident surface 21 towards the end 4L of the decorative portion 4, a portion of the light L emitted from the light source 10 can be directly incident on the decorative side incident surface 40 without passing through the guide portion 2. Hereinafter, the component of the light L emitted from the light source 10 that is directly incident on the decorative side incident surface 40 will be referred to as the third decorative light L23.

[0079] In the decorative section 4 of this embodiment, as described above, diffusion surfaces 40a and 41a are formed on both the decorative side incident surface 40 and the decorative side exit surface 41. Therefore, the third decorative light L23 that is directly incident on the decorative section 4 from the light source 10 can be sufficiently diffused. As a result, even if a portion of the light L emitted from the light source 10 directly enters the decorative section 4, the undesirable situation of locally increased brightness of the third decorative light L23 emitted from the decorative section 4 can be suppressed.

[0080] Based on such a structure, such as Figure 4 As shown, the decorative part 4 of this embodiment can make the decorative light L2, which includes the first decorative light L21, the second decorative light L22 and the third decorative light L23, emit light uniformly from the decorative side emission surface 41.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front optical surface 53 of the inlet portion 2 reflects a portion of the light L from the light source 10 incident from the light incident surface 21 toward the rear portion 23. The front optical surface 53 causes total internal reflection of light incident at an incident angle larger than the critical angle toward the rear portion 23.

[0082] Here, a reflective surface 60 and a reflective cross-section 61 are provided on the back surface 23 of the inlet portion 2. That is, the inlet portion 2 of this embodiment includes a reflective surface 60 and a reflective cross-section 61 provided on the side opposite to the slit portion 5.

[0083] The reflection surface 60 is provided on the side opposite to the slit portion 5, and is located on the light entry surface 21 side of the reflection facet 61 in the extension direction (the left-right direction Y) of the light introduction portion 2. The reflection surface 60 has a shape that extends obliquely forward to the right as it goes from the other end 21b of the light entry surface 21 toward the decorative portion 4 side, and then bends toward the light distribution portion 3 side. The reflection surface 60 reflects a part of the light that has entered from the light entry surface 21 and the front surface side optical surface 53.

[0084] As Figure 4 illustrated, a part of the light reflected by the reflection surface 60 (hereinafter, referred to as first reflected light L11) advances inside the light introduction portion 2 along the first inclined surface 51, enters the light distribution portion 3, propagates inside the light distribution portion 3, and then exits from the exit surface 31.

[0085] Further, another part of the light reflected by the reflection surface 60 (hereinafter, referred to as third reflected light L13) exits from the light exit region 54 into the slit portion 5. The third reflected light L13 that has exited from the light exit region 54 passes through the slit portion 5 in a manner along the first inclined surface 51, enters the light distribution portion 3 from the second inclined surface 52, and then exits from the exit surface 31 as illumination light L1 by propagating inside the light distribution portion 3.

[0086] According to the tail lamp 111 of the present embodiment, by causing the third reflected light L13 that has exited from the light exit region 54 to the slit portion 5 to enter the light distribution portion 3, it is possible to use the second reflected light L12 as illumination light L1. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently use the light L that has exited from the light source 10.

[0087] In addition, although not illustrated, there is a case where a part of the light reflected by the reflection surface 60 enters the lens facet 50 to enter the decorative portion 4, and then exits as decorative light L2.

[0088] As described above, the first reflected light L11 that has entered the light distribution portion 3 by being reflected by the reflection surface 60 is light along the first inclined surface 51, and thus enters a position away from the boundary portion K of the decorative portion 4 and the light distribution portion 3.

[0089] In the present embodiment, as described above, since the decorative side exit surface 41 of the decorative portion 4 and the exit surface 31 of the light distribution portion 3 are the same surface, the boundary portion K is separated toward the more forward side with respect to the light introduction portion 2. Therefore, it is more difficult for the first reflected light L11 to enter the boundary portion K, and thus it is difficult for the first reflected light L11 to exit to the outside from the boundary portion K. In this way, if the amount of light that exits to the outside from the boundary portion K decreases, the position corresponding to the boundary portion K becomes dark with respect to the light when the tail lamp 111 is lit, and thus it is possible to cause unevenness in brightness.

[0090] On the other hand, in the tail lamp 111 of the present embodiment, a reflection facet 61 that reflects light from the front side optical surface 53 is provided. The reflection facet 61 is provided on the surface on the side opposite to the slit portion 5, and reflects a portion of the light that has entered from the light entry surface 21 and has been reflected by the front side optical surface 53 (hereinafter, referred to as third reflected light) so as to travel along the second inclined surface 52.

[0091] The reflection facet 61 is provided so as to at least partially oppose the first inclined surface 51 in the front-rear direction X. The reflection facet 61 is configured by providing a prescribed facet shape on the surface of the lead-in portion 2. In the case of the present embodiment, the reflection facet 61 has the same facet shape as the reflection structure 32a provided to the propagation surface 32 of the light distribution portion 3.

[0092] Here, a virtual line that extends toward the boundary portion K of the decorative portion 4 and the light distribution portion 3 along the first inclined surface 51 is set as a first virtual line VL1, and a virtual line that extends toward the boundary portion K of the decorative portion 4 and the light distribution portion 3 along the second inclined surface 52 is set as a second virtual line VL2.

[0093] In the case of the present embodiment, the inclination angle θ1 of the first inclined surface 51 with respect to the extension direction of the decorative portion 4 is gentler than the inclination angle θ2 of the second inclined surface 52 with respect to the extension direction of the decorative portion 4. Therefore, the second virtual line VL2 along the second inclined surface 52 will pass through a position closer to the vicinity of the boundary portion K of the decorative portion 4 and the light distribution portion 3 than the first virtual line VL1 along the first inclined surface 51. Therefore, the third reflected light L13 that has been reflected by the reflection facet 61 and travels along the second inclined surface 52 can be more likely to be incident on the vicinity of the boundary portion K than the first reflected light L11 that travels along the first inclined surface 51. In the present embodiment, for example, θ1 = about 40° and θ2 = about 70° are set. Furthermore, the inclination angles θ1 and θ2 can vary depending on the thickness of the light guide lens 1 and the position in the front-rear direction X of the lead-in portion 2, but as long as the relationship θ1 < θ2 is maintained, the second reflected light L12 that has been reflected by the reflection facet 61 can be guided toward the boundary portion K of the decorative portion 4 and the light distribution portion 3 along the second inclined surface 52, and the luminance unevenness of the boundary portion K can be suppressed.

[0094] In this way, according to the tail lamp 111 of the present embodiment, a portion of the light that has entered from the light entry surface 21, i.e., the second reflected light L12, is reflected by the reflection facet 61 so as to travel along the second inclined surface 52, and thus the second reflected light L12 can be caused to enter the vicinity of the boundary portion K. As a result, the second reflected light L12 can be emitted as a portion of the illumination light L1 from the light emission surface of the region corresponding to the boundary portion K toward the front. Therefore, by suppressing the reduction in the amount of light emitted from the boundary portion K, when the tail lamp 111 is lit, the decorative portion 4 and the light distribution portion 3 can be caused to emit light uniformly as a whole by suppressing the generation of luminance unevenness due to the darkening of the boundary portion K.

[0095] In addition, in the tail lamp 111 of the present embodiment, by forming the light exit surface of the decorative portion 4 and the light distribution portion 3 as one surface, a decrease in the appearance quality at the time of non-illumination can be suppressed.

[0096] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a tail lamp 111 that is excellent in the appearance quality at the time of non-illumination and realizes uniform light emission can be provided.

[0097] In addition, in the tail lamp 111 of the present embodiment, by disposing the light source 10 on the rear side (-X side) of the light guide lens 1, a large increase in the size in the left-right direction Y is suppressed. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, a tail lamp 111 that is excellent in the appearance quality at the time of non-illumination and realizes uniform light emission can be provided. Figure 1 As shown in the tail lamp unit 100, the tail lamp 111 can be disposed close to the second tail lamp 121 of the rear control lamp 120 in the left-right direction Y. Therefore, the darkness of the gap between the second tail lamp 121 and the tail lamp 111 can be reduced, and thus a smooth connection between the second tail lamp 121 and the tail lamp 111 can be realized at the time of illumination.

[0098] Figure 6 is a graph showing the luminance distribution of the tail lamp 111. Figure 6 is a simulation result showing the luminance distribution with respect to a virtual screen directly opposite the tail lamp 111.

[0099] As shown in Figure 6 In the luminance distribution of the tail lamp 111, a decrease in the brightness of the portion corresponding to the boundary portion K of the decorative portion 4 and the light distribution portion 3 is suppressed, and a uniform luminance distribution in the left-right direction Y is obtained. Therefore, according to the tail lamp 111 of the present embodiment, a uniform luminance distribution in the left-right direction Y can be formed.

[0100] The present application has been described above with reference to one embodiment thereof, but the content of the present application is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present application.

[0101] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present application is applied to the tail lamp 111 mounted on the tail lamp unit 100 is exemplified, but the vehicle lamp to which the present application is applied is not limited thereto.

[0102] In addition, the vehicle lamp of the present application is preferably used as a vehicle lamp that is used as a portion where there is no margin in the space on the light entrance portion side of the light guide lens, like a daytime illumination lamp (DRL) that is disposed near the boundary of the grill portion in a headlamp.

[0103] In addition, the vehicle lamp of the present application can be widely applied to, for example, a turn signal, a clearance lamp (position lamp), a backup lamp, a brake lamp, and the like, in addition to the daytime illumination lamp (DRL).

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp, wherein, The vehicle's lighting fixture has a light source and a light guide lens that guides the light from the light source. The light guide lens has the following characteristics: The inlet section introduces light from the light source; A light distribution section, which is connected to the guide section, allows the first light introduced from the guide section to be emitted as illumination light, and has a light emission surface; The decorative part is connected to the light distribution part, so that the second light introduced from the guide part is emitted as decorative light, and has a decorative side emission surface; The boundary portion, located at the boundary between the light distribution portion and the decorative portion, emits the third light introduced from the inlet portion as a light emission surface to suppress uneven brightness. A seam that separates the guide portion from the decorative portion, and The decorative part is opposite to the guide part, and the light distribution part has a decorative side injection surface on the side of the illumination light emission direction. The light-emitting surface of the light-distributing portion and the light-emitting surface of the decorative side are formed as a single surface in such a way that no step portion is generated between the light-emitting surface of the light-distributing portion and the light-emitting surface of the decorative side. The inlet portion has: A light-injection surface that allows light from the light source to enter as light introduced from the inlet portion; The lens section allows the second light entering from the light-injection surface to exit and enter the decorative part side-injection surface via the slit. The first inclined surface is located on the side closer to the light distribution part than the lens cut surface and on the end side of the slit part; A second inclined surface, which connects the first inclined surface and the decorative part, and is located at the end of the seam; and A reflective surface, located on the side of the inlet portion opposite to the slit portion, reflects third light incident from the light-injecting surface, causing the third light to exit from the light-exiting surface on the boundary portion side. The second inclined surface is formed along an imaginary line (VL2) extending from the reflective tangent toward the light-emitting surface of the boundary portion.

2. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1, wherein, The inclination angle of the first inclined surface relative to the extension direction of the decorative part is gentler than the inclination angle of the second inclined surface relative to the extension direction of the decorative part.

3. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The inlet portion has a reflective surface, which is disposed on the side of the inlet portion opposite to the slit portion, and is located on the side closer to the light-injection surface than the reflective cut surface.

4. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, At least a portion of the reflective surface faces the first inclined surface.

5. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The inlet portion also has a light-emitting region located between the lens section and the first inclined surface, allowing another portion of the light incident from the light-inlet surface to exit. Light emitted from the light emission region passes through the slit along the first inclined surface and enters the light distribution section from the second inclined surface.

6. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The optical axis of the light source is offset toward the end of the decorative part relative to the center of the light incident surface of the inlet portion.

7. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The decorative part directs the decorative light toward the direction in which the illumination light is emitted from the light distribution part.

8. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The light source includes a substrate and a light-emitting element disposed on a first surface of the substrate. The light source is configured relative to the light guide lens such that the first surface of the substrate is along the extending direction of the light guide lens.

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