VEHICLE LIGHT

Abstract

A vehicle lamp comprises a first light source configured to emit light in a direction along a vertical directional axis; a first reflector having a first reflective surface that allows a portion of the light emitted by the first light source to be reflected forward; a second reflector comprising a pair of second reflective surfaces and allowing light propagating without being reflected by the first reflective surface to be reflected to the left and right; a third reflector comprising a pair of third reflective surfaces and allowing light reflected by the second reflective surfaces to be reflected forward;and a first lens that allows light reflected from the first reflecting surface and light reflected from the pair of third reflecting surfaces to exit forward through an exit surface. A maximum length along the vertical direction axis of the first lens is smaller than a maximum length along a light-right direction axis of the first lens.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONSThis application is based on and claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-211535 filed on Dec. 14, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND1. Technical FieldThe present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp.2. Description of the Prior ArtVehicle lamps having light emitting elements such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) are known. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-134174 describes a vehicle lamp including a semiconductor light source, a first reflector having a reflecting surface that reflects light emitted from the semiconductor light source, a second reflector having reflecting surfaces disposed on both sides of the semiconductor light source, and a first projection lens that projects the light of the first reflector forward.In a vehicle lamp, in order to improve the design of a vehicle, when the vehicle lamp is disposed in the vehicle, it may be necessary in some cases to reduce the maximum length of the exit surface of the vehicle lamp along the vertical direction axis. However, in the vehicle lamp described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-134174, when the maximum length of the exit surface of the vehicle lamp along the vertical direction axis is reduced, the amount of light exiting from the first projection lens is reduced, possibly resulting in a lower luminous efficiency of the vehicle lamp.SUMMARYIt is an object of an embodiment of the present disclosure to provide a vehicle lamp having a high luminous efficiency while reducing the maximum length of an exit surface along the vertical direction axis.According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle lamp for emitting light through an exit surface forward along a front-rear direction axis crossing a vertical direction axis. The vehicle lamp includes: a first light source configured to directly or indirectly emit light in a direction along the vertical direction axis; a first reflector having a first reflecting surface that allows a part of the light emitted from the first light source to be reflected forward; a second reflector including a pair of second reflecting surfaces, the pair of second reflecting surfaces being disposed above the first reflecting surface along the vertical direction axis, and that allows light of the light emitted from the first light source that is not reflected by the first reflecting surface to be reflected leftward and rightward along a light rightward direction axis that intersects both the front-rear direction axis and the vertical direction axis; a third reflector comprising a pair of third reflecting surfaces, the pair of third reflecting surfaces being disposed along the light right direction axis on a left side and a right side of the first reflecting surface so as to correspond to the pair of second reflecting surfaces, and allowing a light reflected by the pair of second reflecting surfaces to be reflected forward; and a first lens having the exit surface and configured to receive light reflected by the first reflecting surface and light reflected by the pair of third reflecting surfaces, and to make the light reflected by the first reflecting surface and the light reflected by the pair of third reflecting surfaces exit forward through the exit surface. A maximum length along the vertical direction axis of the first lens is smaller than a maximum length along the light right direction axis of the first lens.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSFIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle lamp according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic perspective view of the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment; FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment; FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 3 ; FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 3 ; FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 5 ; FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a first light source of the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment; FIG. 10 is a drawing showing a relationship between a spread angle along the right-left direction axis of the light emitted from the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment and an angle formed by a pair of third reflecting surfaces; FIG. 11 is a drawing showing a low beam light distribution of the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment; FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of a vehicle lamp according to a second embodiment; FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view of a vehicle lamp according to a third embodiment; FIG. 14 is a schematic front view of the vehicle lamp according to the third embodiment; FIG. 15 is a drawing showing a light distribution of four first units included in the vehicle lamp according to the third embodiment; and FIG. 16 is a drawing showing a light distribution of three second units included in the vehicle lamp according to the third embodiment.DETAILED DESCRIPTIONHereinafter, vehicle lamps according to the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments exemplify the vehicle lamps to give concrete forms to the technical ideas of the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments. Further, unless otherwise stated, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of components described in the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure thereto, but are described as examples. The sizes, spatial relationships, and the like of components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated for convenience of illustration. Further, in the following description, like names and reference numerals denote like or similar elements, and a detailed description thereof is omitted as appropriate. An end view showing only one cut surface may be used as a cross-sectional view.In the drawings, a rectangular coordinate system having an X axis, a Y axis and a Z axis is used for indicating directions. The X-axis, the Y-axis and the Z-axis are perpendicular to each other. An X-direction axis along the X-axis denotes a left-right direction axis, a Y-direction axis along the Y-axis denotes a vertical direction axis, and a Z-direction axis along the Z-axis denotes a front-rear direction axis. A direction along the X direction axis indicated by an arrow is referred to as a +X direction, and a direction opposite to the +X direction is referred to as a -X direction. The +X direction corresponds to a leftward direction, and the -X direction corresponds to a leftward direction. A direction indicated by an arrow along the Y direction axis is referred to as a +Y direction, and a direction opposite to the +Y direction is referred to as a -Y direction. The +Y direction corresponds to an upward direction, and the -Y direction corresponds to a downward direction. A direction indicated by an arrow along the Z direction axis is referred to as a +Z direction, and a direction opposite to the +Z direction is referred to as a -Z direction. The +Z direction corresponds to a front direction, and the -Z direction corresponds to a rear direction. The vertical direction axis, the left-right direction axis, and the front-rear direction axis do not necessarily need to be perpendicular to each other as long as the vertical direction axis, the left-right direction axis, and the front-rear direction axis intersect each other.The term "top view" as used in the embodiments refers to the top view of an object. The term "front view" used in the embodiments refers to the front view of an object. The term "side view" in the embodiments refers to the right view of an object. In the embodiments described below, each of the terms "along the X axis", "along the Y axis", and "along the Z axis" includes a case where an object is located at an inclination within a range of ±20° with respect to the corresponding axis.Further, in the present specification and claims, when there are a plurality of components and these components are to be distinguished from each other, the components can be distinguished by substituting the terms "first", "second", and the like in front of the names of the components. Further, the objects to be distinguished may be different in the description and claims. Therefore, even when a component mentioned in the claims is denoted by the same reference sign as a component described in the present specification, an object determined by the component mentioned in the claims is not necessarily identical to an object determined by the component described in the specification.[First Embodiment]<Konfiguration of Vehicle Lamp according to First Embodiment>Next, a configuration of a vehicle lamp according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIGS. 1 to 8 are drawings showing an example of a vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the vehicle lamp 100. FIG. 2 is an exploded schematic perspective view of the vehicle lamp 100. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle lamp 100. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the vehicle lamp. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the vehicle lamp 100. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 3, FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 3, FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. 5, FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a first light source 1 of the vehicle lamp 100. FIG. 10 is a drawing for illustrating an example of a relationship between a propagation angle along the right-left direction axis of light L emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 and an angle formed by a pair of third reflecting surfaces 40.In FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5, a light L 1 to a light L 5 of a light emitted from the first light source 1 of the vehicle lamp 100 and then emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 are represented by a plurality of straight lines. Further, in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5, in order to better understand ways in which the light propagates, a plurality of straight lines each representing the light L 1 to the light L 5 are superimposed.The vehicle lamp 100 is a vehicle lamp that can emit light L forward (toward the +Z side) through an exit surface 520 along the front-rear direction axis (along the Z direction axis) intersecting the vertical direction axis (the Y direction axis). The vehicle lamp 100 is a lamp such as a headlamp mounted on a vehicle such as a car.The vehicle lamp 100 includes the first light source 1 configured to directly or indirectly emit light L 1 in a direction along the vertical direction axis, and a first reflector 2 having a first reflecting surface 20 that makes it possible to reflect a part of the light L 1 emitted from the first light source 1 forward (toward the +Z side). Further, the vehicle lamp 100 includes a second reflector 3 having a pair of second reflecting surfaces 30. the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 is disposed above (on the +Y side) the first reflecting surface 20 along the vertical direction axis, and allows light L 2 from the light L 1 emitted from the first light source 1 to be reflected leftward (toward the +X side) and rightward (toward the -X side) along the light-right direction axis (along the X direction axis) intersecting both the front-rear direction axis and the vertical direction axis without being reflected by the first reflecting surface 20. Further, the vehicle lamp 100 includes a third reflector 4 having a pair of third reflecting surfaces 40. the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40 is disposed along the light right direction axis on the left side and the right side of the first reflecting surface 20 so as to correspond to the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30, and the light L 3 reflected by the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 can be reflected forward. Further, the vehicle lamp 100 includes a first lens 5 having the exit surface 520 configured to receive light L 4 reflected by the first reflecting surface 20 and light L 5 reflected by the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40, and allow the light L 4 and the light L 5 to exit forward through the exit surface 520. The first lens 5 may be composed of a single lens or may be composed of plural lenses. In the present embodiment, the first lens 5 includes two lenses, a first cylindrical lens 51 and a second cylindrical lens 52. In the vehicle lamp 100, a maximum length Wy along the vertical direction axis of the first lens 5 is smaller than a maximum length Wx along the light-right direction axis of the first lens 5. the vehicle lamp 100 radiates the light L including the light L 4 and the light L 5 forward through the exit surface 520.For example, in a vehicle lamp for improving the design of a vehicle, when the vehicle lamp is disposed in the vehicle, it may be necessary in some cases to reduce the maximum length of the exit surface of the vehicle lamp along the vertical direction axis. However, if the maximum length of the exit surface of the vehicle lamp along the vertical direction axis were to be decreased, the amount of light exiting from a first projection lens would decrease, thereby decreasing the luminous efficiency of the vehicle lamp.In the vehicle lamp 100, the maximum length Wy along the vertical direction axis of the first lens 5 is smaller than the maximum length Wx along the light-right direction axis of the first lens 5.Conversely, when the maximum width Wy along the vertical direction axis of the first lens 5 is smaller than the maximum width Wx along the light-right direction axis of the first lens 5, there would be a possibility that the light amount of the light L 1 emitted from the first light source 1 that does not impinge on the first lens 5 along the vertical direction axis is increased and the light efficiency of the vehicle lamp 100 is decreased. In view of the above, in the vehicle lamp 100, the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 of the second reflector 3 allow the light L 2 of the light L 1 emitted from the first light source 1 to be reflected leftward and rightward without being reflected by the first reflecting surface 20. This light L 2 corresponds to a light L 1 emitted from the first light source 1 that does not impinge on the first lens 5 along the vertical direction axis, since the maximum width Wy of the first lens 5 is smaller than the maximum width Wx. The vehicle lamp 100 allows the light L 3 that is reflected light from the light L 2 by the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 to be reflected forward by the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40 of the third reflector 4, and the light L 5 that is reflected light of the light L 3 to be incident on the first lens 5. The first lens 5 receives the light L 4 reflected by the first reflecting surface 20 and the light L 5 reflected by the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40, and allows the light L 4 and the light L 5 to exit forward through the exit surface 520. The vehicle lamp 100 can emit the light L 5 derived from the light L 2 through the first lens 5 in addition to the light L 4. Accordingly, in the vehicle lamp 100, a decrease in luminous efficiency due to the fact that the maximum length Wy of the first lens 5 is smaller than the maximum length Wx can be reduced. Further, in the vehicle lamp 100, the light L 2 is reflected by the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 along the light right direction axis, and then is reflected forward by the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40 to be incident on the first lens 5. Accordingly, in the vehicle lamp 100, the maximum length Wy along the vertical direction axis of the first lens 5 can be reduced.As described above, in the present embodiment, the vehicle lamp 100 having high luminous efficiency can be provided while reducing the maximum length H along the vertical direction axis of the exit surface 520.In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the vehicle lamp 100 includes a light shielding member 6 disposed between the first reflecting surface 20 and the first lens 5. The vehicle lamp 100 can emit light L having a low beam light distribution by causing the light shielding member 6 to shield a part of the light L 4 propagating from the first reflecting surface 20 toward the first lens 5. However, the vehicle lamp 100 may emit light L having a high beam distribution. When the vehicle lamp 100 emits light L with a high beam light distribution, the vehicle lamp 100 does not necessarily include the light shielding member 6.Next, the configuration of the vehicle lamp 100 will be described in detail.(First Light Source 1)The first light source 1 shown in FIG. 9 is, for example, an LED. The first light source 1 includes a package 11 and a light emitting part 12.In the example shown in FIG. 9, the package 11 is composed of a circuit board in which a wiring connected to the light emitting part 12 is provided in a base material of a sintered body, and a resin member surrounding the light emitting part. The circuit board is manufactured by arranging wires into a sintered body of aluminum nitride or a sintered body of silicon carbide. The circuit board may be a circuit board in which an insulation layer is formed on the surface of a metal and a wiring pattern is further provided. The metal is copper, aluminum, or the like. The resin member is a resin member having a light shielding property and preferably has a certain light reflectivity. As the resin member, for example, a thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin, or the like can be used. Specifically, examples of the resin member include a resin containing particles of a light reflecting substance.The light emitting part 12 includes a light emitting element, a wavelength converting element and the like, and emits light L1 in a desired color. The light emitting element is, for example, a semiconductor light emitting element. A semiconductor light emitting element including a nitride semiconductor can be used as a light emitting element emitting blue light, a light emitting element emitting green light, or a light emitting element emitting ultraviolet light. As the nitride semiconductor, for example, a GaN-based semiconductor such as GaN, InGaN, or AlGaN can be used. As the LED that emits red light, an InAlGaP-based semiconductor, a GaInP-based semiconductor, or a GaAs-based semiconductor such as GaAs or AlGaAs can be used. When the vehicle lamp is used as a headlamp, the light emitting part 12 can emit white light by using a blue semiconductor light emitting element and a yellow wavelength converting element.The first light source 1 shown in Fig. 9 has an upwardly directed light emitting surface 120. In the vehicle lamp 100, when dx represents a maximum length along the light-right direction axis of the light emitting surface 120 and dz represents a maximum length along the front-rear direction axis of the light emitting surface 120, 1.0≤dx / dz≤3.0 is preferably satisfied. In the vehicle lamp 100, when this condition is satisfied, the light from the first light source 1 easily and efficiently enters the first lens 5, and the maximum length Wy along the vertical direction axis is smaller than the maximum length Wx along the light-right direction axis. As a result, the vehicle lamp 100 can have a high luminous efficiency.In the first light source 1, for example, the maximum length dx may be 1.60 mm and the maximum length dz may be 0.75 mm. Further, for example, a maximum length d 3 from the right end of the light emitting surface 120 to the right end of the package 11 may be 0.50 mm, a maximum length d 4 from the rear end of the light emitting surface 120 to the rear end of the package 11 may be 0.35 mm, and a maximum length d 5 from the front end of the light emitting surface 120 to the front end of the package 11 may be 2.0 mm.In the vehicle lamp 100, the maximum length H along the vertical direction axis of the exit surface 520 is preferably 20.0 mm or less, and the maximum length dz along the front-rear direction axis of the light exit surface 120 is preferably 1.2 mm or less. When this condition is satisfied, the light of the first light source 1 in the vehicle lamp 100 tends to efficiently strike the first lens 5.The first light source 1 may include a plurality of light emitting surfaces 120 and a plurality of light emitting parts 12. When the first light source 1 includes a plurality of light emitting parts 12, the maximum length dx corresponds to a maximum length from the left outer edge to the right outer edge of the entirety of the plurality of light emitting parts 12.The first light source 1 does not necessarily have the upward light emitting surface 120, but may have a light emitting surface 120 directed either upward or downward (the -Y side).The first light source 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 can emit the light L 1 directly upward. The term "direct" means that the light L 1 is emitted upward from the light emitting surface 120 in a state where the light emitting surface 120 of the first light source 1 is directed upward. However, the first light source 1 can also emit the light L 1 directly upward or downward. Further, the first light source 1 may indirectly emit the light L 1 upward along the vertical direction axis. The term "indirectly" means that the light L 1 is emitted upward by causing the light L 1 emitted from the light emitting surface 120 included in the first light source 1 to be reflected upward by an optical element in a state where the light emitting surface 120 faces in a direction other than the upward direction. However, the first light source 1 may emit the light L 1 indirectly along the vertical direction axis either upward or downward. The optical element may be composed of a mirror, a prism, a diffraction grating, a combination thereof, or the like.(First Reflector 2, Second Reflector 3 and Third Reflector 4)In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, each of the first reflector 2, the second reflector 3, and the third reflector 4 may be formed of a resin. At least the respective reflective surface(s) of the first reflector 2, the second reflector 3 and the third reflector 4 preferably comprise a metallic material such as aluminum or silver. At least one of the first reflecting surface 20 of the first reflector 2, the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 of the second reflector 3, or the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40 of the third reflector 4 may be provided with a multilayer dielectric film.In the vehicle lamp 100, one or both of the first reflecting surface 20 and the second reflecting surface 30 may have an elliptical surface. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the first reflective surface 20 and the second reflective surface 30 each include an elliptical surface. As used herein, the "elliptical surface" is a two focus surface that allows light from one of the focal points to be reflected and focused on the other focal point.One or both of the first reflecting surface 20 and the second reflecting surfaces 30 include an elliptical surface, so that the light L 1 emitted from the first light source 1 can be reflected and condensed by the elliptical surface. As a result, the dispersion of the light L 1 emitted from the first light source 1 can be reduced, and the light L 1 emitted from the first light source 1 can be efficiently incident on the first lens 5. In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the vehicle lamp 100 allows the reflected and collimated light from the first reflecting surface 20 to be incident on the first lens 5 efficiently. Further, the vehicle lamp 100 reflects and concentrates the light L 2 propagating leftward and rightward through the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 without being reflected by the first reflecting surface 20. The vehicle lamp 100 causes the light L 3 reflected and condensed by the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 to be reflected by the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40, so that the light L 3 is efficiently incident on the first lens 5. However, the vehicle lamp 100 does not necessarily have a configuration in which either the first reflecting surface 20 or the second reflecting surfaces 30 or both have an elliptical surface. The first reflecting surface 20, the second reflecting surfaces 30, and the third reflecting surfaces 40 may be surfaces of various shapes, such as a planar surface, a concave surface, a convex surface, a spherical surface, an aspherical surface, and a diffractive surface.In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the first reflector 2 is a concave mirror having an elliptical first reflecting surface 20. Since the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 are disposed above the first reflecting surface 20, the second reflector 3 has an elliptical second reflecting surface 30 directed downward to the left and an elliptical second reflecting surface 30 directed downward to the right. The pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 reflects the light L 2 leftward and rightward. The third reflector 4 has, as the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40, an elliptical third reflecting surface 40 disposed to the left of the second reflecting surface 30 facing leftward downward and an elliptical third reflecting surface 40 disposed to the right of the second reflecting surface 30 facing downward rightward. The pair of third reflecting surfaces 40 reflects the light L 3 forward from the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30.In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the second reflector 3 and the third reflector 4 are integrally formed as one member. By integrally forming the second reflector 3 and the third reflector 4, it is not necessary to adjust the relative position and the relative inclination of the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40 with respect to the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30, which enables easy manufacture of the vehicle lamp 100. However, the second reflector 3 and the third reflector 4 can also be formed as separate elements which are separate from one another. When the second reflector 3 and the third reflector 4 are formed as separate members, the relative position and the relative inclination of the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40 with respect to the pair of second reflecting surfaces 30 can be adjusted, so that the second reflector 3 and the third reflector 4 can be easily processed. The shapes of the second reflector 3 and the third reflector 4 can be changed arbitrarily according to the specifications and the like of the vehicle lamp 100.In the example shown in FIG. 10, each surface of the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40 of the third reflector 4 has a flat shape. A propagation angle θa along the light right direction axis of the light L emitted from the exit surface 520 is determined by an angle θb formed by the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40. In the vehicle lamp 100, the spread angle θa along the light right direction axis of the light L emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 can be easily determined by determining the angle θb formed by the pair of third reflecting surfaces 40 in advance, so that the irradiation range of the vehicle lamp 100 along the light right direction axis can be easily determined.(First lens 5)The first lens 5 shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 includes the first cylindrical lens 51 having a curvature only along the light right direction axis and the second cylindrical lens 52 having a curvature only along the vertical direction axis. The light L 4 reflected by the first reflecting surface 20 passes through the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52. The light L 5 reflected by the third reflecting surface 40 passes only through the second cylindrical lens 52. With this configuration, as compared with a lens rotationally symmetric about the optical axis of the lens as the first lens 5, the maximum length along the vertical direction axis of the first lens 5 can be made slightly smaller than the maximum length along the light right direction axis of the first lens 5. Accordingly, the vehicle lamp 100 can reduce loss in light amount caused by interfacial reflection and have high luminous efficiency.In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the second cylindrical lens 52 is disposed in front of the first cylindrical lens 51. With this configuration, for example, by decreasing the focal length of the first cylindrical lens 51, the light L emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 can be easily distributed along the light right direction axis. Further, for example, by increasing the focal length of the second cylindrical lens 52, the light L emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 can be narrowed along the vertical direction axis. As a result, a light distribution can be achieved which is wide along the light-right direction axis and narrow along the vertical direction axis while reducing the loss in the amount of light.The first lens 5 is not limited to a configuration including the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52. The first lens 5 may be a lens having a large curvature in one direction, and preferably a cylindrical lens having a curvature in only one direction. The first lens 5 may be a lens, three or more lenses, or a lens rotationally symmetric about the optical axis of the lens.In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, each of the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52 is a planoconvex lens having a convex surface on the front side and a flat surface on the back side. However, the first lens 5 may include various kinds of lenses such as a biconvex lens, a planoconcave lens, a meniscus lens, a Fresnel lens, and a diffraction lens.When the first lens 5 includes a plurality of lenses, the maximum length Wy along the vertical direction axis of the first lens 5 when viewed from the front corresponds to the length from the top outer edge to the bottom outer edge of the entirety of the plurality of lenses. The maximum length Wx along the light right direction axis of the first lens 5 corresponds to the length from the leftmost edge to the rightmost edge of the entirety of the plurality of lenses when viewed from the front.The first lens 5 shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 includes the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52; as viewed from the front, the top outer edge of the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52 is the top outer edge of the first cylindrical lens 51; as viewed from the front, the bottom outer edge of the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52 is the bottom outer edge of both the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52; therefore, the maximum length Wy along the vertical direction axis of the first lens 5 is the length from the top outer edge of the first cylindrical lens 51 to the bottom outer edge of each of the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52; as viewed from the front, the left outermost edge of the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52 is the left outer edge of the second cylindrical lens 52; as viewed from the front, the right outermost edge is further Therefore, the maximum length Wx along the light-right direction axis of the first lens 5 is the length from the left outer edge of the second cylindrical lens 52 to the right outer edge of the second cylindrical lens 52.In the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, as viewed from the front, the shape of the outer edge of each of the first cylindrical lens 51 and the second cylindrical lens 52 is a substantially rectangular shape. However, the shape of the outer edge of each of the lenses included in the first lens 5 may be substantially circular, substantially elliptical, substantially polygonal, or the like when viewed from the front, as long as the maximum length Wy of the first lens 5 is smaller than the maximum length Wx.The first lens 5 includes a light transmissive glass material or a resin material. As the resin material, an acrylic resin, a polycarbonate resin, or the like can be used.(Light Shielding Member 6)The light shielding member 6 shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 is a member that shields a part of the light reflected from the first reflective surface 20 of the first reflector 2. "Light shielding" by the light shielding member 6 means having a transmittance of less than 1% with respect to emitted light. The light shielding member 6 has some light absorbency. "Light absorption" by the light shielding member 6 means that it has a reflectance of less than 1% with respect to emitted light. The color of the light shielding member 6 is preferably dark, and more preferably black. The light shielding member 6 is made of, for example, a metal material, and a black coating may be applied to the surface of the light shielding member 6. Alternatively, the light shielding member 6 may be made of, for example, a resin material, and a black coating may be applied to the surface of the light shielding member 6. The light shielding member 6 may be made of a light absorbing material such as carbon black. However, the light shielding member 6 may have a light reflectance.<Example of Low Beam Light Distribution of Vehicle Lamp 100>FIG. 11 is a drawing showing an example of a distribution of low beam emitted from the vehicle lamp 100. FIG. 11 shows simulation results of a low beam distribution emitted from the vehicle lamp 100. Further, in FIG. 11, a light intensity distribution represented by contour lines of a light emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 onto an irradiation surface substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction axis is shown. In order to prevent oncoming vehicles from being blinded, a light-dark boundary is inclined upward to the right, so that the light emitted upward is cut off.[Second Embodiment]Next, a vehicle lamp according to a second embodiment will be described. The same numerals and numerals as those in the above-described embodiment denote the same or similar components or configurations, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. The same applies to embodiments described below.<Konfiguration of Vehicle Lamp According to Second Embodiment>FIG. 12 is a schematic side view showing an example of a vehicle lamp 100 aaccording to the second embodiment. In FIG. 12, a part of the light L 41 emitted through an exit surface 520 of the vehicle lamp 100 ais indicated by a dashed arrow, and a part of the light L 42 emitted through the exit surface 520 is indicated by a solid arrow.As shown in FIG. 12, the vehicle lamp 100 aincludes a light shielding member 6 disposed between a first reflecting surface 20 and a first lens 5, and a fourth reflector 7 having a fourth reflecting surface 70. the light shielding member 6 shields the light L 41 that is a part of the light L 4 from the first reflecting surface 20 by reflecting the light L 41 upward. The fourth reflecting surface 70 is disposed above the light shielding member 6 to correspond to the light shielding member 6, and reflects the light L 41 reflected by the light shielding member 6 forward. The first lens 5 receives the light L 41 reflected from the fourth reflecting surface 70, and causes the light L 41 reflected from the fourth reflecting surface 70 to exit forward through the exit surface 520. The vehicle lamp 100a is different from the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment mainly in the points described above.In the example shown in FIG. 12, the light L 4, which is a part of the light L 4 reflected from the first reflecting surface 20 of the first reflector 2, impinges on a fifth reflecting surface 60 of the light shielding member 6. the light shielding member 6 shields the light L 41 by reflecting the light L 41 upward through the fifth reflecting surface 60. Further, light L 42 that is almost entirely a different light from the light L 41 of the light L 4 impinges on the first lens 5 without being reflected by the fifth reflecting surface 60. The vehicle lamp 100 acan emit a light L including the light L 41 and the light L 42 incident on the first lens 5 forward through the exit surface 520. The vehicle lamp 100 acan emit light L including the above-described light L 5 forward through the exit surface 520 in addition to the light L 41 and the light L 42.For example, a vehicle lamp generates a low beam by causing a light shielding member to shield a part of light emitted from a light source. The light shielded by the light shielding member is not included in the irradiation light of the vehicle lamp, so that the luminous efficiency of the vehicle lamp may be lowered in this case.In the vehicle lamp 100 aaccording to the present embodiment, the light shielding member 6 shields a part of the light L 4 emitted from the first light source 1 and then reflected by the first reflecting surface 20 by reflecting the part of the light L 4 upward. Then, in the vehicle lamp 100 a, the fourth reflecting surface 70 reflects the light L 41 reflected by the light shielding member 6 forward, so that the light L 41 impinges on the first lens 5. Accordingly, in the vehicle lamp 100 a, the light L 41 shielded by the light shielding member 6 can be included in the irradiation light of the vehicle lamp 100 a. Consequently, the vehicle lamp 100a in the present embodiment can have a high luminous efficiency.The direction in which the light L 41 is reflected by the light shielding member 6 is not limited to the upward direction, and may be at least one of the upward direction or the downward direction. The fourth reflecting surface 70 may be disposed either above or below, or both above and below the light shielding member 6 so as to correspond to the light shielding member 6. That is, in a case where the light shielding member 6 reflects the light L 41 upward, the fourth reflective surface 70 may be disposed above the light shielding member 6. In a case where the light shielding member 6 reflects the light L 41 downward, the fourth reflective surface 70 may be disposed below the light shielding member 6. Further, in a case where the light shielding member 6 reflects the light L 41 upward and downward, the fourth reflective surface 70 may be disposed above and below the light shielding member 6.As the light shielding member 6 of the vehicle lamp 100 a, a prism, a mirror, or the like having the fifth reflecting surface 60 may be used. The fifth reflective surface 60 may be formed of a metal layer such as aluminum or silver deposited on a prism or mirror.The fourth reflector 7 may be made of a metal material such as aluminum or silver. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the fourth reflector 7 is a plate-shaped member disposed at a front end portion of the second reflector 3. The fourth reflector 7 may be integrally formed with at least one of the second reflector 3 or the third reflector 4 as one member. Alternatively, the fourth reflector 7 can be formed as an element separate from the second reflector 3 and the third reflector 4.[Third Embodiment]Next, a vehicle lamp according to a third embodiment will be described.<Konfiguration of Vehicle Lamp According to Third Embodiment>Next, the vehicle lamp according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIGS. 13 and 14 are drawings showing an example of a vehicle lamp 100 baccording to the third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view of the vehicle lamp 100 b. FIG. 14 is a schematic front view of the vehicle lamp 100 b.As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the vehicle lamp 100 bincludes a plurality of first units 10 each having a first light source 1, a first reflector 2, a second reflector 3, a third reflector 4, and a first lens 5. The vehicle lamp 100 bdiffers from the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment mainly in the points described above.The vehicle lamp 100 bincludes the plurality of first units 10. Further, in the vehicle lamp 100 b, the plurality of first units 10 are arranged in a row along the light right direction axis, and thus the maximum length H along the vertical direction axis of an exit surface 520 of the vehicle lamp 100 bmay be substantially equal to the maximum length along the vertical direction axis of an exit surface of each of the plurality of first units 10. Accordingly, even when the vehicle lamp 100 bincludes the plurality of first units 10, the maximum length along the vertical direction axis of the exit surface 520 can be reduced.Further, the vehicle lamp 100 bmay change a light distribution of the light emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 bby individually changing the light emitting state of the first light source 1 included in each of the plurality of first units 10. Accordingly, in the vehicle lamp 100 b, the light distribution of the light emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 bcan be varied.Further, the vehicle lamp 100 bshown in FIGS. 13 and 14 includes at least a second unit 80 having a second light source 81 configured to emit light directly or indirectly in a direction along the vertical direction axis, a fifth reflector 82 configured to allow a part of the light emitted from the second light source 81 to be reflected forward, and a second lens 83. the at least one second unit 80 may emit light having a light distribution different from a light distribution of light emitted from the plurality of first units 10. Further, the vehicle lamp 100 bshown in FIGS. 13 and 14 includes a light shielding member 61 disposed between the fifth reflector 82 and the second lens 83.The vehicle lamp 100 bmay emit light having different light distributions from each other by using the at least one second unit 80 and the plurality of first units 10. Thus, a light distribution of the light emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 bcan be efficiently adjusted to a desired light distribution.In the example shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, three second units 80 are disposed between two first units 10 disposed on the left side and two first units 10 disposed on the right side. The three second units 80 irradiate a central portion of an irradiation surface substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction axis with light. The four first units 10 arranged on the left and right sides in total irradiate an surrounding area around the central area of the irradiation surface, which is irradiated with the light from the three second units 80. On the irradiation surface, a light having a light distribution in which a light distribution of the three second units 80 and a light distribution of the four first units 10 are combined is obtained.FIG. 15 is a drawing showing an example of light distribution of the four first units 10 included in the vehicle lamp 100 b. FIG. 15 illustrates simulation results of a light distribution of the light emitted from the four first units 10. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of a light distribution of the three second units 80 in the vehicle lamp 100 b. FIG. 16 shows simulation results of a light distribution of light emitted from the three second units 80. In FIGS. 15 and 16, a light intensity distribution emitted from the vehicle lamp 100 onto the irradiation surface and substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction axis is represented by contour lines, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, both the light distribution of the first units 10 and the light distribution of the second units 80 have light-dark boundaries. In this way, a light distribution suitable for a low beam is obtained.As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the light distribution of the light emitted from the three second units 80 is different from the light distribution of the light emitted from the four first units 10. In Fig. 15, the density of contour lines near the center is high. Therefore, it can be seen that the three second units 80 can emit light having a light distribution in which the light intensity is high in a central region of the irradiation surface. In FIG. 16, the density of contour lines is higher in a surrounding area around the center than in the vicinity of the center. Therefore, it is understood that the four first units 10 can emit light having a light distribution in which the light intensity is high in the surrounding area of the irradiation surface. For example, by combining the light distribution of the light emitted from the three second units 80 and the light distribution of the light emitted from the four first units 10, the vehicle lamp 100 bcan efficiently obtain light having a light distribution similar to the low beam light distribution shown in FIG. 11. The number of the first units 10 and the number of the second units 80 are not limited to those shown in the examples of FIGS. 15 and 16, but may be suitably adjusted. Further, the arrangement of the first units 10 and the second units 80 is not limited to that shown in the example of FIGS. 15 and 16, but the first units 10 and the second units 80 may be arranged accordingly. For example, the second units 80 may be disposed at the left end and the right end.The vehicle lamp 100 aaccording to the second embodiment and the vehicle lamp 100 baccording to the third embodiment may be combined. Specifically, each of the plurality of first units 10 of the vehicle lamp 100 bmay further include a light shielding member 6 disposed between the first reflective surface 20 and the first lens 5, and a fourth reflector 7 having a fourth reflective surface 70. With this configuration, effects of the second embodiment and effects of the third embodiment can be obtained simultaneously.Although embodiments are described above in detail, the embodiments described above are non-limiting examples, and various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope described in the claims.The numerals such as ordinal numbers and sizes used in the description of the embodiments are all examples to describe the technique of the present disclosure concretely, and the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary numerals. Further, the connection relationship between the components is shown for specifically describing the technique of the present disclosure, and the connection relationship for implementing the functions of the present disclosure is not limited thereto.Each of the vehicle lamps according to the present disclosure has a short maximum length along the vertical direction axis of the exit surface and has a high luminous efficiency. Thus, in particular, the vehicle lamps according to the present disclosure can be used as lamps suitable for automobiles. In the embodiments according to the present disclosure, the vehicle lamps used as headlights are described as examples; however, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the vehicle lamps may be used for various applications such as communication lamps and daytime running lamps. Further, the application of the vehicle lamps according to the present disclosure is not limited to applications in which the vehicle lamps are mounted on automobiles. The vehicle lights according to the present disclosure may be used as lamps for aircraft such as helicopters and drones.According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a vehicle lamp having a high luminous efficiency while reducing the maximum length along the vertical direction axis of an exit surface can be provided.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedJP 2023-211535

[0001] JP 2012-134174 [0003, 0004]

Claims

A vehicle lamp for emitting light through an exit surface forward along a front-rear direction axis intersecting a vertical direction axis, the vehicle lamp comprising: a first light source configured to directly or indirectly emit light in a direction along the vertical direction axis; a first reflector having a first reflecting surface that allows a portion of the light emitted from the first light source to be reflected forward; a second reflector that includes a pair of second reflecting surfaces, the pair of second reflecting surfaces being disposed above the first reflecting surface along the vertical direction axis, and that allows light of the light emitted from the first light source that is not reflected by the first reflecting surface to be reflected leftward and rightward along a light rightward direction axis that intersects both the front-rear direction axis and the vertical direction axis; a third reflector including a pair of third reflecting surfaces, the pair of third reflecting surfaces being disposed on a left side and a right side of the first reflecting surface along the light right direction axis so as to correspond to the pair of second reflecting surfaces, and allowing a light reflected by the pair of second reflecting surfaces to be reflected forward; and a first lens having the exit surface and configured to receive light reflected from the first reflecting surface and light reflected from the pair of third reflecting surfaces, and to make the light reflected from the first reflecting surface and the light reflected from the pair of third reflecting surfaces exit forward through the exit surface, wherein: a maximum length along the vertical direction axis of the first lens is less than a maximum length along the light-right direction axis of the first lens.The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first reflecting surface and the pair of second reflecting surfaces have an elliptical surface.The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the first lens comprises: a first cylindrical lens having curvature only along the light right direction axis; and a second cylindrical lens having curvature only along the vertical direction axis, the light reflected by the first reflecting surface is transmitted through both the first cylindrical lens and the second cylindrical lens, and the light reflected by the pair of third reflecting surfaces is transmitted only through the second cylindrical lens.The vehicle lamp according to claim 3, wherein the second cylindrical lens is disposed farther forward than the first cylindrical lens.The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: the first light source has a light exit surface that faces upward or downward along the vertical direction axis, and when dx represents a maximum length along the light right direction axis of the light emitting surface and dz represents a maximum length along the front-rear direction axis of the light emitting surface, 1.0 ≤ dx / dz ≤ 3.0 is satisfied.The vehicle lamp according to claim 5, wherein: a maximum length along the vertical direction axis of the exit surface is 20.0 mm or less, and the maximum length along the front-rear direction axis of the light emitting surface is 1.2 mm or less.The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a plurality of first units each comprising the first light source, the first reflector, the second reflector, the third reflector, and the first lens, wherein: the plurality of the first units are arranged in a row along the light right direction axis.The vehicle lamp according to claim 7, wherein a light distribution of the light emitted from the vehicle lamp is changeable by individually changing a light emitting state of the first light source included in each of the plurality of first units.The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: each of the pairs of third reflecting surfaces has a flat shape, and a spread angle along the light right direction axis of the light emitted from the exit surface is determined by an angle formed by the pair of third reflecting surfaces.The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: a light shielding member disposed between the first reflective surface and the first lens; and a fourth reflector having a fourth reflective surface, wherein: the light shielding member is configured to shield a part of the light from the first reflective surface by reflecting the part of the light either upward, downward, or in both directions along the vertical direction axis, the fourth reflective surface is disposed either above or below, or both above and below the light shielding member to correspond to the light shielding member, and reflects light through the light shielding member, and the first lens is configured to receive light reflected from the fourth reflective surface and allow the light reflected from the fourth reflective surface to exit forward through the exit surface.The vehicle lamp according to claim 7, further comprising: at least one second unit comprising: a second light source configured to emit light directly or indirectly in a direction along the vertical direction axis; a fifth reflector configured to reflect a part of the light emitted from the second light source forward; and a second lens, wherein the at least one second unit is configured to emit light having a light distribution different from a light distribution of light emitted from the plurality of first units.

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