Vehicle lamp

Abstract

The vehicle lamp includes: a light source; a light-emitting unit that emits light from the light source toward the front surface side; an inner plate disposed on the front surface side of the light-emitting part and covering a part of the light-emitting part; and an outer lens disposed on the front side of the light-emitting portion and the inner plate and covering the light-emitting portion and the inner plate, the color of the front side of the inner plate being set such that the contrast coefficient between the light-emitting portion and the inner plate is equal to or less than a reference value when viewed from the front side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to vehicle lighting fixtures. Background Technology

[0002] A vehicle lamp is known to include a light source, a light-emitting part that emits light from the light source toward the front side, and an outer lens disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-154949 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In the aforementioned vehicle lighting fixtures, it is required that the luminous part be inconspicuous relative to its surroundings when not emitting light.

[0008] The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a vehicle lamp that makes the light-emitting part inconspicuous relative to the surroundings when not emitting light.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] The vehicle lamp of the present invention comprises: a light source; a light-emitting part that emits light from the light source toward a frontal side; an inner plate disposed on the frontal side of the light-emitting part and covering a portion of the light-emitting part; and an outer lens disposed on the frontal side of the light-emitting part and the inner plate and covering the light-emitting part and the inner plate, wherein the color of the frontal side of the inner plate is set such that the contrast coefficient between the light-emitting part and the inner plate is below a reference value when viewed from the frontal side.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to the present invention, the light-emitting part can be made inconspicuous relative to its surroundings when it is not emitting light. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a front view schematically illustrating an example of a vehicle lamp according to this embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 It means along Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of section AA in the diagram.

[0015] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates an example of the operation of the vehicle lighting fixture according to this embodiment.

[0016] Figure 4This diagram illustrates an example of the operation of the vehicle lighting fixture according to this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a vehicle lamp according to this embodiment.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a vehicle lamp according to this embodiment.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a vehicle lamp according to this embodiment.

[0020] Figure 8 This diagram illustrates an example of the operation of the vehicle lighting fixture according to this embodiment.

[0021] Figure 9 This diagram illustrates an example of the operation of the vehicle lighting fixture according to this embodiment.

[0022] Figure 10 This is another example of a light-emitting part. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle lamp of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the constituent elements in the following embodiments include elements that can be easily substituted by those skilled in the art, or substantially the same elements. In the following description, the directions of front-back, up-down, and left-right are the directions of the vehicle lamp in its vehicle-mounted state, indicating the direction of travel of the vehicle as viewed from the driver's seat. In this embodiment, the up-down direction is parallel to the vertical direction, and the left-right direction is horizontal. Additionally, in this embodiment, the directions of the front side and the rear side are, for example, the directions in the vehicle-mounted state. For example, in the state where it is mounted at the front of the vehicle, the front is the front direction (front side), and the rear is the rear direction (rear side).

[0024] Figure 1 This is a front view schematically illustrating an example of a vehicle lamp according to this embodiment. Figure 2 It means along Figure 1 A diagram of the structure of section AA in [the image / image / etc.]. Figure 1 In the image, a portion of the outer lens 50 is omitted, so that the interior can be seen.

[0025] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment is mounted, for example, at the front of a vehicle. The vehicle lamp 100 includes a light source 10, a light-emitting part 20, an inner panel 30, an inner shell 40, an outer lens 50, and a shell 60.

[0026] The light source 10 may be a semiconductor light source such as an LED or a laser light source. The light source 10 has a light-emitting surface 11 that emits light. The light source 10 is mounted on a circuit board 12. One or more light sources 10 may be provided.

[0027] The light-emitting part 20 allows light from the light source 10 to pass through and be emitted towards the front side. The light-emitting part 20 is, for example, plate-shaped. The light-emitting part 20 has an incident surface 21 and an exit surface 22. The light-emitting part 20 is formed, for example, using a transparent resin material such as acrylic resin, PC (polycarbonate), or PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate, methacrylic resin). The light-emitting part 20 may, for example, be provided with a light-diffusing part 25, such as a textured surface. Alternatively, the light-diffusing part 25 may not be provided.

[0028] The inner plate 30 is disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part 20. The inner plate 30 is disposed such that it covers a portion of the front side of the light-emitting part 20. The inner plate 30 has an opening 31. When viewed from the front side, the emission surface 22 of the light-emitting part 20 is exposed through the opening 31. The color of the front side is set such that the contrast ratio between the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30 is below a reference value when the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30 are directly observed from the front side without passing through the outer lens 50. Furthermore, the contrast ratio can be set as the maximum brightness / minimum brightness value between the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30. As a reference value for this contrast ratio, it can be set to, for example, 1 or more and 3 or less, more preferably 1.5 or more and 2.5 or less. In addition, the reference value can also be a value outside the above range. The reference value can be set, for example, by manufacturing a prototype of a vehicle lamp and testing it, or by simulation. By setting the contrast coefficient between the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30 when viewed from the front to a reference value or below, the light-emitting part 20 can be made inconspicuous relative to the inner plate 30 when viewed from the front.

[0029] In this embodiment, the color of the front side of the inner panel 30 can be, for example, gray. However, the color of the front side of the inner panel 30 is not limited to gray and can be other colors. The color of the front side of the inner panel 30 can also be set according to the color surrounding the vehicle lighting fixture 100, for example.

[0030] When setting the color of the front side of the inner panel 30, an appropriate color can be set, for example, by adjusting the brightness to increase or decrease relative to a reference color (reference color). For example, when the light-emitting part 20 has a light-diffusing part 25, the brightness of the light-emitting part 20 is higher when viewed from the front side compared to when it does not have a light-diffusing part 25. In this case, since the contrast ratio between the light-emitting part 20 and the inner panel 30 is set to a reference value or lower, the color of the front side of the inner panel 30 can be set by increasing the brightness relative to the reference color.

[0031] The inner shell 40 is disposed inside the outer shell 60, holding the circuit board 12, the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30.

[0032] The outer lens 50 allows light emitted from the exit surface 22 of the light-emitting part 20 to pass through and exit onto the front side. The outer lens 50 is disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30. The outer lens 50 is disposed in a state that covers the front side of the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30.

[0033] The outer lens 50 is formed, for example, with a light transmittance of 10% or more and 50% or less. By making the light transmittance of the outer lens 50 less than 50%, the back side of the outer lens 50 can be blurred, thus making the light-emitting part 20 less conspicuous relative to the surrounding inner plate 30. By setting the light transmittance to 10% or more, brightness can be ensured when viewed from the front side when the light source 10 is lit. As the outer lens 50, a so-called smoke lens can be used. The outer lens 50 can, for example, be set to a color in the same color family as the inner plate 30. Alternatively, the outer lens 50 may not be a color in the same color family as the inner plate 30.

[0034] The outer casing 60 holds the light source 10, the light-emitting part 20, the inner plate 30, the inner housing 40, and the outer lens 50.

[0035] Next, the operation of the vehicle lamp 100 configured as described above will be explained. Figure 3 and Figure 4 This diagram illustrates an example of the operation of the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment. By illuminating the light source 10, light is emitted from the light-emitting surface 11. The light emitted from the light-emitting surface 11 passes through the light-emitting portion 20 and is emitted towards the front side. The light emitted from the light-emitting portion 20 passes through the outer lens 50 and is emitted towards the front side. Through this light, as... Figure 3 As shown, when the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the front side, the light-emitting portion 51 corresponding to the light-emitting portion 20 is displayed in a lit state.

[0036] If light source 10 is turned off from this state, then as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the light from the light-emitting portion 51 disappears. At this time, the contrast coefficient between the light-emitting portion 20 and the inner panel 30 when viewed from the front side is below a reference value, thus the light-emitting portion 20 becomes inconspicuous relative to the inner panel 30. Furthermore, an outer lens 50 with a light transmittance of 10% or more and 50% or less is disposed on the front side of both the light-emitting portion 20 and the inner panel 30. Therefore, when viewing the vehicle lamp 100 from the front side, the light-emitting portion 20 becomes inconspicuous relative to its surroundings to a degree that is imperceptible to the naked eye.

[0037] As described above, the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment includes: a light source 10; a light-emitting part 20 that emits light from the light source 10 toward the front side; an inner plate 30 disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part 20 and covering a portion of the light-emitting part 20; and an outer lens 50 disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30, covering at least the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30, wherein the color of the inner plate 30 is set such that the contrast between the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30 when viewed from the front side is below a reference value.

[0038] According to this structure, by setting the contrast coefficient between the light-emitting part 20 and the inner plate 30 when viewed from the front to a reference value or below, the light-emitting part 20 can be made inconspicuous relative to the inner plate 30 when viewed from the front. Therefore, when not emitting light, the light-emitting part 20 can be made inconspicuous relative to its surroundings.

[0039] In the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment, the light transmittance of the outer lens 50 is set to be 10% or more and 50% or less.

[0040] According to this structure, by setting the transmittance of the outer lens 50 to 50% or less, the back side of the outer lens 50 can be blurred, thus making the light-emitting part 20 less conspicuous relative to the surrounding inner plate 30. By setting the transmittance to 10% or more, brightness can be ensured when viewed from the front side when the light source 10 is lit.

[0041] In the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment, the inner panel 30 sets the color by adjusting the brightness relative to the reference color.

[0042] According to this structure, the color of the inner plate 30 can be appropriately set based on the contrast coefficient between it and the light-emitting part 20.

[0043] In the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment, the light-emitting part 20 has a light-diffusing part 25, and the inner plate 30 is set to a color such that the brightness relative to the reference color is higher than that of the case where the light-diffusing part 25 is not provided.

[0044] When the light-emitting part 20 has a light-diffusing part 25, the brightness of the light-emitting part 20 is higher when viewed from the front side compared to the case where the light-diffusing part 25 is not provided. According to this structure, the color is set in a way that the brightness relative to the reference color is increased compared to the case where the light-diffusing part 25 is not provided, so the color of the inner panel 30 can be set appropriately.

[0045] In the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment, the light-emitting part 20 is plate-shaped.

[0046] According to this structure, in the structure with the plate-shaped light-emitting part 20, the light-emitting part 20 can be made inconspicuous relative to the inner plate 30 when viewed from the front, and thus the light-emitting part 20 can be made inconspicuous relative to the surroundings when not emitting light.

[0047] Figures 5 to 7 The diagram schematically illustrates other examples of vehicle lighting fixtures according to this embodiment. Figure 5 In the image, a portion of the outer lens 150 is omitted, and the image is shown in a way that allows the interior to be seen. Figures 5 to 7 The vehicle lamp 200 shown is, for example, a headlight installed at the front of a vehicle. The vehicle lamp 200 uses a rod-shaped light-emitting portion 120. The vehicle lamp 200 includes a light source 110, a light-emitting portion 120, an inner panel 130, an inner housing 140, an outer lens 150, a housing 160, and a lamp unit 170. Examples of lamp units 170 include a low beam unit that illuminates low beams forward of the vehicle and a high beam unit that illuminates high beams forward of the vehicle.

[0048] The light-emitting part 120 guides light from the light source 110 and emits it towards the front side. The light-emitting part 120 has an incident surface 121, a prism part 122, and an exit surface 123. The incident surface 121 is disposed at the end of the long side of the light-emitting part 120. The incident surface 121 is for light from the light source 110 to enter. The prism part 122 is disposed on the back side of the light-emitting part 120 and reflects the light incident from the incident surface 121 inwards towards the front side. The exit surface 123 is disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part 120 and emits the light reflected inwards by the prism part 122 towards the front side.

[0049] An inner plate 130 is disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part 120. The inner plate 130 has an opening 131. When viewed from the front side, the opening 131 exposes a portion of the emission surface 123 of the light-emitting part 120. The color of the inner plate 130 on the front side is set such that the contrast coefficient between the light-emitting part 120 and the inner plate 130 is below a reference value when viewed from the front side. According to this structure, when viewed from the front, the light-emitting part 120 can be made inconspicuous relative to the inner plate 130.

[0050] The inner shell 140 supports the light-emitting part 120 and the inner plate 130.

[0051] An outer lens 150 is disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part 120 and the inner plate 130. The outer lens 150 can, for example, be a color similar to that of the inner plate 130. The outer lens 150 allows light emitted from the portion exposed at the opening 131 in the exit surface 123 of the light-emitting part 120 to pass through and exit onto the front side. The outer lens 150 is disposed to cover the front side of the light-emitting part 120 and the inner plate 130. The outer lens 150 is, for example, formed with a light transmittance of 10% or more and 50% or less. With this structure, the back side of the outer lens 50 can be blurred, thus making the light-emitting part 120 less conspicuous relative to the surrounding inner plate 130.

[0052] Next, the operation of the vehicle lamp 200 configured as described above will be explained. Figure 8 and Figure 9 This diagram illustrates an example of the operation of the vehicle lamp 200 according to this embodiment. By illuminating the light source 110, light is emitted from the light-emitting surface 111. The light emitted from the light-emitting surface 111 enters through the incident surface 121 of the light-emitting unit 120, undergoes internal reflection by the prism portion 122, and is emitted from the exit surface 123 towards the front side. The light emitted from the light-emitting unit 120 passes through the outer lens 150 and is emitted towards the front side. Through this light, such as... Figure 8 As shown, when the vehicle lamp 200 is viewed from the front side, the light-emitting portion 151 corresponding to the light-emitting portion 120 is displayed in a lit state.

[0053] If the light source 110 is turned off from this state, then as follows: Figure 9 As shown, the light from the light-emitting portion 151 disappears. At this time, the contrast coefficient between the light-emitting portion 120 and the inner panel 130 when viewed from the front side is below a reference value, thus the light-emitting portion 120 becomes inconspicuous relative to the inner panel 130. Furthermore, an outer lens 150 with a light transmittance of 10% or more and 50% or less is disposed on the front side of both the light-emitting portion 120 and the inner panel 130. Therefore, when viewing the vehicle lamp 200 from the front side, the light-emitting portion 120 becomes inconspicuous to a degree that is imperceptible to the naked eye relative to its surroundings.

[0054] As described above, the vehicle lamp 200 of this embodiment includes: a light source 110; a light-emitting part 120 that emits light from the light source 110 to the front side; an inner plate 130 disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part 120 and covering a portion of the light-emitting part 120; and an outer lens 150 disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part 120 and the inner plate 130, at least covering the light-emitting part 120 and the inner plate 130, wherein the color of the inner plate 130 is set such that the contrast between the light-emitting part 120 and the inner plate 130 when viewed from the front side is below a reference value.

[0055] According to this structure, by making the contrast coefficient between the light-emitting part 120 and the inner plate 130 when viewed from the front below a reference value, the light-emitting part 120 can be made inconspicuous relative to the inner plate 130 when viewed from the front. Thus, the light-emitting part 120 can be made inconspicuous relative to its surroundings when not emitting light.

[0056] In the vehicle lamp 200 of this embodiment, the light-emitting part 120 is rod-shaped.

[0057] According to this structure, in the structure with the rod-shaped light-emitting part 120, when viewed from the front, the light-emitting part 120 can be made inconspicuous relative to the inner plate 130, so that when not emitting light, the light-emitting part 120 can be made inconspicuous relative to the surroundings.

[0058] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiments, a structure using a plate-shaped light-emitting part 20 and a rod-shaped light-emitting part 120 was described as an example, but it is not limited to these structures. For example, a block-shaped light-emitting part as shown below may also be provided.

[0059] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing other examples of light-emitting parts. Figure 10 The light-emitting unit 220A shown in (A) has a structure with a first incident surface 221A opposite to the light-emitting surface 11 of the light source 10, a second incident surface 222A surrounding the first incident surface 221A, and a reflective surface 223A reflecting light incident from the second incident surface 222A forward as the incident surface side. Light emitted from the light-emitting surface 11 is incident from the first incident surface 221A and the second incident surface 222A. Light incident on the first incident surface 221A and light incident from the second incident surface 222A and reflected by the reflective surface 223A are emitted from the exit surface 224A. The exit surface 224A may, for example, be a structure divided into multiple surfaces.

[0060] Figure 10 The light-emitting part 220B shown in (B) has an incident surface 221B and an exit surface 222B. The incident surface 221B is planar. Light emitted from the light-emitting surface 11 enters through the incident surface 221B. Light incident on the incident surface 221B exits through the exit surface 222B. The exit surface 222B may also be a structure divided into multiple surfaces, for example.

[0061] Figure 10 The light-emitting part 220C shown in (C) has an incident surface 221C and an exit surface 222C. The incident surface 221C is serrated when viewed from the side, for example, forming a Fresnel lens. Light emitted from the light-emitting surface 11 enters through the incident surface 221C. Light incident on the incident surface 221C exits through the exit surface 222C. The exit surface 222C may also be a structure divided into multiple surfaces, for example.

[0062] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0063] 10, 110…light source, 11, 111…light-emitting surface, 12…circuit board, 20, 120…light-emitting part, 21, 121…incident surface, 22, 123…exit surface, 25…light-diffusing part, 30, 130…inner plate, 40, 140…inner shell, 50, 150…outer lens, 51, 151…light-emitting part, 60, 160…outer shell, 100, 200…vehicle lamps, 122…prism part, 131…opening.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp, characterized in that, have: light source; The light-emitting part emits light from the light source toward the front side; An inner plate is disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part, covering a portion of the light-emitting part; as well as An outer lens is disposed on the front side of the light-emitting part and the inner plate, covering the light-emitting part and the inner plate. The color of the front side of the inner panel is set such that the contrast coefficient between the light-emitting part and the inner panel is below a reference value when viewed from the front side.

2. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer lens is configured to have a light transmittance of 10% or more and 50% or less.

3. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner panel sets its color by adjusting its brightness relative to a reference color.

4. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 3, characterized in that, The light-emitting part has a light-diffusing part. The inner plate is set to a color such that its brightness relative to the reference color is increased compared to when the light diffusion section is not provided.

5. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light-emitting part is plate-shaped.

6. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1, characterized in that, The light-emitting part is rod-shaped.

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