Vehicular lighting fixture and vehicle including the same

Abstract

To broaden a rear visual field to the lateral side when travelling backward especially at night, and to suppress accidents when travelling backward.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture 100 includes: a first optical member 20 optically coupled with a first light emitting element 50; a second light emitting element 51 arranged on a substrate 11; and a second optical member 60 optically coupled with the second light emitting element 51. The light emitted from each first light emitting element 50 enters the first optical member 20, and first emission light emitting from the first optical member 20 can emit from a light emission part. The light emitted from each second light emitting element 51 enters each second optical member 60, and second emission light 61a emitting from each second optical member 60 can emit further obliquely backward and downward than a normal direction of the light emission part from the light emission part, along an optical axis of each second optical member 60, and, when viewed from the normal direction of the light emission part, the second light emitting element 51 is arranged on the back surface side of the first optical member 20 and at the position overlapped with the first optical member 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp provided at a rear part of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicle lighting fixtures installed at the rear of a vehicle are also called vehicle reverse lights, and include tail lights (also called tail lamps or taillights), control lights (also called brake lights or stop lights), reverse lights (also called back lights or backup lights), etc., which are attached to the left and right sides of the rear end of the vehicle body. Rear combination lamps, which combine these, are also known. Rear combination lamps are formed by integrating direction indicator lights (also called turn signal lamps), tail lights / brake lights, and reverse lights.

[0003] Such vehicle lamps are required to meet certain standards regarding performance such as light color and brightness (for example, Non-Patent Document 1 "Technical Standards for Back-Up Lamps"). For this reason, vehicle lamps that meet such certain standards are used (Patent Document 1).

[0004] Four-wheeled vehicles equipped with backup lights that meet certain standards are used on public roads, and accidents involving four-wheeled vehicles reversing are accounting for an increasing proportion of all fatal and injury accidents (Non-Patent Document 2).Moreover, it is said that the human factor in most accidents involving reversing four-wheeled vehicles is delayed discovery (Non-Patent Document 3).

[0005] In recent years, the number of vehicles equipped with monitoring systems for rearview confirmation has increased, but these systems are not considered sufficient for spotting people approaching from the side. In particular, when reversing a vehicle at night, the illumination area of ​​the reversing lights is narrow and the illumination of the reversing lights to the sides is insufficient, so even if a monitoring system for rearview confirmation is installed, the visibility to the sides immediately behind the vehicle body is considered to be insufficient. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-062910 A [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Attachment 72 Technical Standards for Reverse Lights"<https: / / www.mlit.go.jp / common / 000193249.pdf> [Non-Patent Document 2] "Traffic Accident Analysis Report" Italda Information no. 128<https: / / www.itarda.or.jp / contents / 2 / info128.pdf> [Non-Patent Document 2] Yoshihiko Kinoshita, "Learn from Accident Cases: Fatal and Serious Injury Accidents When Reversing Four-Wheel Vehicles," Nisshin Fire Safety Information Vol. 107 (September 2018)<https: / / www.nisshinfire.co.jp / corp / pdf / si107_04.pdf> Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] An object of one aspect of the present disclosure is to improve the safety of a vehicle by expanding rear visibility to the sides when the vehicle is backing up at night. Another object of another aspect of the disclosure is to provide a novel vehicle lamp and a vehicle including the same.

[0009] Note that the description of these problems does not preclude the existence of other problems. In addition, one embodiment of the present disclosure does not necessarily solve all of these problems. Furthermore, problems other than these can be extracted from the description of the specification, drawings, and claims of the present disclosure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle lamp disposed at a rear of a vehicle, the vehicle lamp comprising: a housing having a light emitting portion at least in a portion thereof; a substrate disposed within the housing; one or more first light emitting elements disposed on the substrate; a first optical member optically coupled to the one or more first light emitting elements; one or more second light emitting elements disposed on the substrate; and one or more second optical members optically coupled to the one or more second light emitting elements, wherein light emitted from each of the one or more first light emitting elements is incident on the first optical member, and the first optical member is optically coupled to the one or more second light emitting elements. a first emission light emitted from the material can be emitted from the light emitting portion, light emitted from each of the one or more second light emitting elements is incident on each of the one or more second optical members, and second emission light emitted from each of the one or more second optical members can be emitted from the light emitting portion diagonally rearward and downward from the normal direction of the light emitting portion along the optical axis of each of the one or more second optical members, and when viewed from the normal direction of the light emitting portion, the one or more second light emitting elements are arranged on the rear side of the first optical member in a position overlapping with the first optical member. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the above configuration, the amount of light irradiated to the sides immediately behind the vehicle body at night is increased, widening the rear visibility of the vehicle and making it easier to find people and obstacles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the vehicle in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear. [Diagram 3] 3 is an enlarged view showing the left vehicle lamp of the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] This is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle lamp in Figure 3 with the outer cover filter, prism sheet, diffusion sheet, and light guide plate removed, and showing the arrangement of a top-emitting LED mounted on a substrate with its light-emitting surface parallel to the LED mounting surface of the substrate, a reflector, and the optical axis of the reflector. [Figure 6]FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example in which a reflecting mirror is used as the second optical member. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing an example in which a lens is used as the second optical member. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of a top-emitting LED and a lens whose light-emitting surface is inclined from the LED mounting surface of the substrate, and the optical axis of the lens, with the outer cover filter, prism sheet, diffusion sheet, and light guide plate removed from the vehicle lamp in Figure 3. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a front view of a vehicle lamp according to a third embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line XX in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 10 is a schematic diagram of the vehicle lamp of FIG. 9 from which an outer cover filter, first and second prism sheets, and a light diffusion sheet are removed. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a rear combination lamp according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] 13 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12. [Figure 14] This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of a top-emitting LED and lens whose light-emitting surface is tilted from the LED mounting surface of the board, and the optical axis of the lens, with the outer cover filter, the prism sheet for the backup light, the diffusion sheet, and the light guide plate removed from the vehicle lamp in Figure 12. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a rear combination lamp according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 16] 16 is a cross-sectional view of the rear combination lamp taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 15. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a vehicle equipped with a rear combination lamp according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a plan view of the rear combination lamp on the left rear side of the vehicle among the rear combination lamps in FIG. 17 . [Figure 19] 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIX-XIX in FIG. 18. [Figure 20]19 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of light-emitting elements mounted on a substrate for the reverse light at the bottom of the rear combination lamp of FIG. 18 and lenses mounted on the substrate, as well as the optical axes of the lenses, with the outer cover filter, prism sheet, diffusion sheet, and light guide plate removed from the rear combination lamp of FIG. 18. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] The present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, terms indicating specific directions or positions (e.g., "upper", "lower", and other terms including these terms) are used as necessary, but the use of these terms is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the invention with reference to the drawings, and the meaning of these terms does not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. In addition, parts with the same reference numerals appearing in multiple drawings indicate the same or equivalent parts or members.

[0014] Furthermore, the embodiments shown below are specific examples of the technical ideas of the present disclosure, and do not limit the present disclosure to the following. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described below are intended to be illustrative and not to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the contents described in one embodiment can be applied to other embodiments. Furthermore, the sizes and positional relationships of the components shown in the drawings may be exaggerated to clarify the explanation. [Embodiment 1]

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a vehicle 1000, and FIG. 2 shows a conceptual diagram of the vehicle 1000 in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear. As shown in these figures, the vehicle 1000 is provided with a vehicle lamp 100 at its rear. The vehicle lamps 100 are arranged in pairs at the corners of the rear of the vehicle 1000. Each vehicle lamp 100 in FIG. 1 is configured in a generally planar shape. In this disclosure, the vehicle lamp refers to a tail lamp, a control lamp, a back-up lamp, and the like. In addition, in this disclosure, a rear combination lamp that combines these lamps is also included in the vehicle lamp. Each vehicle lamp 100 emits a first emitted light and also emits a second emitted light 61d toward the road surface RS.

[0016] Of the vehicle lamp 100 in Fig. 2, the left vehicle lamp 100A is shown in Fig. 3, a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3 is shown in Fig. 4, and a schematic diagram of the vehicle lamp 100A in Fig. 3 without the outer cover filter 30, the prism sheet, the diffusion sheet, and the light guide plate is shown in Fig. 5. The vehicle lamp 100A shown in these figures includes a housing 1, a light source 10, a first optical member 20, and a second optical member 60.

[0017] The housing 1 has a storage space for storing the substrate 11, the first optical member 20, the light source 10, and the second optical member 60 therein. The housing 1 also has a light emitting portion for emitting the light emitted by the light source 10 to the outside in at least a part thereof. In the example of FIG. 4, the housing 1 includes an outer cover filter 30 and a housing 90. The outer cover filter 30 is made of a light-transmitting member, and the entire outer cover filter 30 serves as the light emitting portion. The outer cover filter 30 is preferably made of acrylic resin, polycarbonate resin, or the like. The housing 90 may be made of a resin material such as engineering plastic, or a non-light-transmitting material such as metal. The vehicle lamp 100A is fixed to the rear of the vehicle, and the outer cover filter 30 (on the right side in FIG. 4) is exposed, with the housing 90 side disposed on the rear side of the vehicle.

[0018] A gap GP is provided between the first optical member 20 and the substrate 11 inside the housing 1. This allows the second emitted light 61d to enter the light emitting portion through the gap GP between the first optical member 20 and the substrate 11. In the example of FIG. 4, a gap GP is provided between the first light emitting element 50 and the first optical member 20 for irradiating light toward the rear of the vehicle and the substrate 11 on which they are placed, and a second light emitting element 51 and a second optical member 60 for irradiating light toward the side of the vehicle are disposed in the gap GP. This realizes a vehicle lamp 100 capable of irradiating the side of the vehicle. Such a vehicle lamp 100 is used as a vehicle back-up lamp or a turn signal lamp. [Light source 10]

[0019] The light source 10 includes one or more first light-emitting elements 50, one or more second light-emitting elements 51, and a substrate 11 on which these elements are mounted. The light-emitting elements such as the first light-emitting element 50 and the second light-emitting element 51 are, for example, solid-state light-emitting elements such as light-emitting diodes (also called LEDs). Solid-state light-emitting elements such as LEDs are suitable for miniaturizing lamps such as backlights, and are light-emitting elements that are less susceptible to disconnection failure due to vehicle vibration. A plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements such as LEDs are mounted on the same substrate 11. As the LEDs, a side-emitting type LED (also called a side-view type LED) or an upper-emitting type LED (also called a top-view type LED) can be used as appropriate. In this example, an upper-emitting type LED 53 or a side-emitting type LED 52 is used as the first light-emitting element 50, and an upper-emitting type LED 51A is used as the second light-emitting element 51. [Substrate 11]

[0020] One or more first light emitting elements 50 and one or more second light emitting elements 51 are mounted on the substrate 11. As shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the substrate 11 may include an insulating base 12, a wiring layer 13 for supplying electricity to the light emitting elements arranged on the base 12, and a connector for connecting the wiring layer 13 to an external power source. The substrate 11 on which the light emitting elements are mounted may be, for example, a glass epoxy substrate (also called a Printed Circuit Board: PCB) in which a copper foil serving as the wiring layer 13 is laminated on a substrate 12 formed by impregnating a glass fiber cloth with epoxy resin and subjecting it to a heat curing treatment to form a plate shape, or a metal core printed circuit board (also called a Metal Core Printed Circuit Board: MCPCB). A heat sink for dissipating heat generated from the light emitting elements to the outside of the substrate may be provided on the back of the substrate 11 in the region where the light emitting elements are mounted. It is preferable to provide a white or colored resist layer 14 on the surface of the substrate 11 on which the light-emitting element is mounted, on the wiring layer 13 that supplies electricity to the light-emitting element, and on the insulating base 12, from the viewpoints of appearance when the light is off and light utilization efficiency when the light is on.

[0021] The wiring layer 13, which is used to supply electricity to the light-emitting elements, may include wiring for simultaneously turning on / off one or more light-emitting elements, and wiring for individually turning on / off each light-emitting element, either alone or in combination, depending on the purpose. Wiring for individually or independently turning on / off each light-emitting element is suitable for changing the illumination range according to the steering angle when reversing. For example, the light-emitting elements and the wiring layer 13 are electrically connected using solder. [First light-emitting element 50, second light-emitting element 51]

[0022] The first light-emitting element 50 mainly emits light toward the rear of the vehicle, and functions as a general vehicle signal to alert surroundings such as following vehicles and pedestrians with its light color and light pattern. On the other hand, the second light-emitting element 51 is an additional or auxiliary lamp that emits light from the rear to the side of the vehicle, diagonally downward, i.e., toward the road surface. In particular, it functions to improve safety by illuminating the road surface behind and to the side of the vehicle, which is difficult for the driver of the vehicle to see, at night.

[0023] For the first light emitting element 50 and the second light emitting element 51, a semiconductor light emitting element such as a light emitting diode (LED) or a semiconductor laser (also called a laser diode: LD) can be suitably used. The LED can be one in which one or more semiconductor laminates (hereinafter also simply referred to as "semiconductor laminates") having a light emitting portion are arranged. The semiconductor laminate has light emitting properties, and such a semiconductor laminate is formed by laminating a plurality of semiconductor layers such as ZnS, SiC, GaN, GaP, InN, AlN, ZnSe, GaAsP, GaAlAs, InGaN, GaAlN, AlInGaP, AlInGaN, etc. on a growth substrate by a liquid phase growth method, a HVPE method, or a MOCVD method, and forming a part of the semiconductor layer to function as a light emitting portion. By selecting the material of the semiconductor layer and the mixed crystal ratio thereof, the emission wavelength from the light emitting portion can be selected from various wavelengths from ultraviolet light to infrared light. In particular, a semiconductor laminate capable of emitting high brightness light is required for a vehicle lamp. Therefore, it is preferable to select a nitride semiconductor as the material of the light emitting portion that emits green and blue light with high brightness. For example, a nitride semiconductor is preferably selected as the material of the light emitting portion. X Al Y Ga 1-X-Y N (0≦X≦1, 0≦Y≦1, X+Y≦1), etc., can be used. In addition, in order to change the emission wavelength to white, yellow to orange, red, etc., it can be combined with a wavelength conversion member such as a phosphor. Alternatively, light from a plurality of light-emitting elements can be combined to express different light colors. For example, a semiconductor laminate capable of emitting red light with an emission wavelength of 610 nm to 700 nm, green light with an emission wavelength of 495 nm to 565 nm, and blue light with an emission wavelength of 430 nm to 490 nm can be used as a semiconductor light-emitting element in appropriate combination with a phosphor, etc.

[0024] The first light-emitting element 50 is optically coupled to the first optical member 20. Light emitted from each of the one or more first light-emitting elements 50 is incident on the first optical member 20. The first emitted light emitted from the first optical member 20 can be emitted from the vehicular lamp 100A through the light emitting portion.

[0025] The first light-emitting element 50 may include a back-up light-emitting element, a turn signal light-emitting element, a tail light-emitting element, etc. The first optical member 20 may include a first optical member 20 for back-up lights optically coupled to a back-up light-emitting element, a first optical member for turn signal lights optically coupled to a turn signal light-emitting element, a first optical member for tail light optically coupled to a tail light-emitting element, etc.

[0026] On the other hand, the second light emitting element 51 is optically coupled to the second optical member 60. Light emitted from each of the one or more second light emitting elements 51 is incident on each of the one or more second optical members 60. The second emitted light 61d emitted from each of the one or more second optical members 60 can be emitted from the light emitting portion obliquely downward and rearward of the vehicle, that is, obliquely downward and rearward from the normal direction of the light emitting portion, along the optical axis of each of the one or more second optical members 60. In addition, when viewed from the normal direction of the light emitting portion, the one or more second light emitting elements 51 are disposed on the rear side of the first optical member 20 at a position overlapping with the first optical member 20.

[0027] With this configuration, the second light emitting element 51 can increase the amount of light irradiated to the sides immediately behind the vehicle body at night, widening the field of view behind the vehicle and making it easier to find people and obstacles. In addition, when backing up the vehicle, particularly when turning and backing up to a parking space or side road, it becomes easier to see information and objects necessary for ensuring safety, such as parking spaces and white lines indicating the shoulder of the road.

[0028] The first light-emitting elements 50 are arranged in a first direction, that is, in the y-axis direction in FIG. 5. In the example of FIG. 5, the top-emitting LEDs 53 among the first light-emitting elements 50 are arranged at the upper end of the substrate 11 at a distance from each other along the y-axis direction. Similarly, the side-emitting LEDs 52 among the first light-emitting elements 50 are arranged at the middle of the substrate 11 at a distance from each other along the y-axis direction. The top-emitting LEDs 53 and the side-emitting LEDs 52 are arranged so that the top-emitting LEDs 53 and the side-emitting LEDs 52 are arranged in a straight line in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, that is, in the z-axis direction in FIG. 5. In the example of FIG. 5, five top-emitting LEDs 53 and five side-emitting LEDs 52 are arranged in a straight line vertically and horizontally.

[0029] These first light emitting elements 50 are optically coupled to the first optical member 20. Here, a plurality of first light emitting elements 50 are optically coupled to a common first optical member 20. Such a first optical member 20 may include a light guide plate, a light diffusion sheet, or the like.

[0030] On the other hand, the second light-emitting elements 51 are also arranged in the first direction. In the example of Fig. 5, the top-emitting LEDs 51A constituting the second light-emitting elements 51 are arranged in a row on the lower end of the substrate 11. In this example, the number of the second light-emitting elements 51 per row is greater than the number of the top-emitting LEDs 53 and the side-emitting LEDs 52 constituting the first light-emitting element 50 per row.

[0031] Each second light-emitting element 51 is optically coupled to a second optical member 60. In the example of FIG. 5, each second light-emitting element 51 is optically coupled to a separate second optical member 60. In this configuration, the number of second light-emitting elements 51 is equal to the number of second optical members 60. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the configuration of FIG. 5, and multiple second light-emitting elements may be optically coupled to a common second optical member. In this case, the common second optical member has multiple optical axes corresponding to each of the second light-emitting elements. Also, one second optical member may be optically coupled to all the second light-emitting elements, or multiple second optical members may be optically coupled to a part of the multiple second light-emitting elements.

[0032] The second optical members 60 have different optical axes. In the example of FIG. 5, the optical axes of the second optical members 60 are inclined from the vertical direction to the horizontal direction as the arrangement locations of the second optical members 60 approach the vehicle body center line (also called the vehicle center line). The vehicle body center line is a virtual straight line that passes through the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction in a plan view and is parallel to the vehicle overall length direction of the vehicle. With this configuration, the second emitted light 61d from the second optical member 60 optically coupled to the second light emitting element 51 can be efficiently emitted to the outside without colliding with the side wall of the housing 1. A reflector such as a reflecting mirror, a lens, or the like can be used for the second optical member 60.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of the top-emitting LED 51A and the reflector 61, in which the light-emitting surface is parallel to the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11, and the optical axis 61a of the reflector 61, from the vehicle lamp 100A of FIG. 3, excluding the outer cover filter, the prism sheet, the light diffusion sheet, the first light guide plate, and the second copper number 100. In the example of FIG. 5, the reflector 61 is shown among the members arranged on the back side of the light source 10 for the purpose of explanation, and the illustration of the other members is omitted as appropriate. In reality, as shown in FIG. 4, etc., the second light-emitting element 51 and the second optical member 60 are arranged on the back side of the first light guide plate 21, so that they are difficult to see from the light output side. By making the second light-emitting element 51 and the second optical member 60 invisible from the outside in this way, it is possible to suppress the glare when the second light-emitting element 51 of the vehicle lamp 100A is turned on and the bumpy feeling of the direct type. In other words, by disposing the second light emitting element 51 that irradiates light downward on the back surface side of the first optical member 20, it is possible to achieve both an enlarged irradiation area and an aesthetic appearance. [First optical member 20]

[0034] A transmissive optical element can be used for the first optical member 20. By using a transmissive optical element, the lamp can be made thinner. As a result, the space inside the vehicle, such as the passenger compartment and the luggage compartment, can be expanded. In addition, the continuous light exit surface of the transmissive optical element suppresses glare and allows for an aesthetic appearance. [Transmissive optical element 20A]

[0035] A transmissive optical element 20A can be used for the first optical member 20 optically coupled to one or more first light emitting elements 50. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the transmissive optical element 20A is disposed between the light source 10 and the outer cover filter 30 in the housing 1. The transmissive optical element may include a light guide (e.g., a light guide plate, a light guide rod, etc.), a lens, a prism, a light diffusion sheet, a phosphor sheet, etc., or may include a combination of these. In the example of FIG. 4, the transmissive optical element 20A includes a first light guide plate 21, a second light guide plate 22, a light diffusion sheet 25, and a prism sheet 26. [Light guide plate]

[0036] The light guide plates, such as the first light guide plate 21 and the second light guide plate 22, each have a light incident surface, a light reflecting surface, and a light exit surface. The light incident surface and the light exit surface of the light guide plate may be provided with a low reflectance film or an anti-reflective coating.

[0037] The light diffusion sheet 25 mixes the light emitted from the light guide plate to make the light uniform.

[0038] The prism sheet 26 controls the direction of the light emitted from the light diffusion sheet 25 .

[0039] The light irradiated from the horizontal direction to the rear and sides of the vehicle at an angle of 5 degrees downward is light emitted from a second light emitting element 51, which is different from the first light emitting element 50 that emits light incident on the light guide plate, and has a narrowed light distribution angle using, for example, a total internal reflection lens (also called a TIR lens) or a lens such as a Fresnel lens, or a reflector such as a parabolic mirror. This is to ensure sufficient illuminance on the road surface and the like at an angle of 5 degrees downward to the rear and sides of the vehicle.

[0040] When the vehicle lamp is a reverse light, the light irradiated in the horizontal direction behind the vehicle and at 15 degrees above and 5 degrees below is light emitted from a light-emitting element described below, which enters and passes through a light guide plate, and the light emitted from the light guide plate enters and passes through a light diffusion sheet and a prism sheet, and further passes through an outer cover filter 30. In the first embodiment, the horizontal direction behind the vehicle and the normal direction of the light exit portion are parallel. The light guide plates 21, 22 and the light diffusion sheet 25 can reduce glare (also called dazzling) when the reverse light is viewed from the horizontal direction behind the vehicle. [Outer cover filter 30]

[0041] The outer cover filter 30 protects the first optical element 20, the second optical element 60, the light source 10, and the like from external environmental factors (dust, moisture, and the like). The shape and color of the outer cover filter 30 are appropriately designed to meet certain standards and requirements such as design. The outer cover filter 30 can be made of a resin that is translucent and has the necessary strength, such as an acrylic resin or a polycarbonate resin. The resin may be a resin colored with a red pigment such as an azo compound, a cyanine compound, a perylene compound, or a dioxazine compound, or may be a transparent resin without coloring. In this way, the aesthetic appearance can be improved, such as making the appearance seamless. Also, the design can be improved.

[0042] 4 has one or more side-emitting LEDs 52 and multiple top-emitting LEDs 51A as light-emitting elements on the same substrate 11. Light emitted from one or more side-emitting LEDs 52 constituting the first light-emitting element 50 is incident on a first light guide plate 21 constituting the first optical member 20. Similarly, light emitted from one or more top-emitting LEDs 53 constituting the first light-emitting element 50 is incident on a second light guide plate 22 constituting the first optical member 20.

[0043] On the other hand, light emitted from each of the multiple top-emitting LEDs 51A constituting the second light-emitting element 51 is incident on a second optical member 60. A reflector 61 or a lens 71 can be used as the second optical member 60. As an example, a second optical member 60 using a parabolic reflector 61 is shown in FIG. 6, and an example using a lens is shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 6 corresponds to the vehicular lamp 100 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 7 corresponds to the vehicular lamp 200 according to the second embodiment. A front view of the vehicular lamp 200 according to the second embodiment is shown in FIG. 8.

[0044] The multiple top-emitting LEDs 51A are disposed on the inside near the lower edge of the first light guide plate 21 when viewed from the horizontal direction. Here, the light-emitting surface 51s of the top-emitting LEDs 51A is parallel to the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11 in the example shown in FIG. 6. On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the light-emitting surface 51s of the top-emitting LEDs 51A is inclined from the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11 toward the road surface to which light is irradiated. In this disclosure, "viewed from the horizontal direction" means viewing the vehicle lamp horizontally to the road surface from the rear of the vehicle, and when an xyz Cartesian coordinate system is placed as shown in the lower left of FIG. 2, it means a viewpoint from the x direction. When viewed from the horizontal direction in this way, the y direction faces leftward, and the z direction faces downward.

[0045] As the top-emitting type LED 51A used as the second light-emitting element 51, an LED having dimensions of, for example, 1.6 mm in length×1.2 mm in width×0.75 mm in height can be used.

[0046] On the other hand, one or more side-emitting LEDs 52 as the first light-emitting element 50 are arranged outside near the upper edge of the first light guide plate 21 when viewed from the horizontal direction, and the light-emitting surface of the side-emitting LED 52 faces downward.

[0047] The side-emitting LED 52 used as the first light-emitting element 50 may be an LED having dimensions of, for example, 3 mm in length×0.85 mm in width×0.6 mm in height.

[0048] One or more upper side-emitting LEDs 53, which also constitute the first light-emitting element 50, are disposed inside and near the upper edge of the second light guide plate 22 when viewed from the horizontal direction as shown in Fig. 4. The light-emitting surface of this upper side-emitting LED 53 faces the rear of the vehicle.

[0049] Such a side-emitting LED 53 may have dimensions of, for example, 3.5 mm length×3.5 mm width×0.88 mm height.

[0050] 4, a portion of the light emitted from a top-emitting LED 51A having a light-emitting surface 51s parallel to the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11 directly enters and passes through the outer cover filter 30. Another portion (61d) of the light emitted from the top-emitting LED 51A is reflected by a reflecting mirror 61 (e.g., a parabolic mirror) before entering and passing through the outer cover filter 30 and heading toward the road surface below.

[0051] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the light emitting surface 51s of the top-emitting LED 51A is parallel to the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11, a reflector 61 can be provided between the first light guide plate 21 and the substrate 11. As shown in FIG. 5, the direction of the optical axis 61a of the multiple reflectors 61 corresponding to the multiple top-emitting LEDs 51A arranged from the vehicle body center line side to the vehicle body side varies depending on the installation location of the reflector 61. When viewed from the horizontal direction, the optical axis 61a of the reflector 61 closest to the vehicle body center line faces most to the side, and as the installation location moves to the vehicle body side side, the direction changes sequentially, and the optical axis 61a of the reflector 61 closest to the vehicle body side side faces downward. The optical axis 61a of the reflector 61 on the vehicle body center line side and the optical axis 61a of the reflector 61 on the vehicle body side side cross each other when viewed from the horizontal direction. This is to spread the light to the side just behind the vehicle body. The reflecting mirror 61 can be attached to the substrate 11 or to the substrate-side surface of the first light guide plate 21 described below. Also, the substrate-side surface of the first light guide plate 21 near the lower edge can be used as a reflecting surface for the light emitted from the top-emitting type LED 51A. [Embodiment 2]

[0052] Also, as shown in FIG. 7, when the light-emitting surface 51s of the top-emitting LED 51A is inclined from the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11 toward the road surface onto which the light is to be irradiated, the optical axis 71a of the lens 71 can be inclined downward from the horizontal direction.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 8, the orientation of the light-emitting surfaces of the multiple top-emitting LEDs 51A arranged from the center line side to the side of the vehicle body and the orientation of the optical axis 71a of the lenses 71 vary depending on the installation location, from the outside of the vehicle to directly below, and the optical axis 71a of the lenses 71 on the center line side of the vehicle body and the optical axis 71a of the lenses 71 on the side of the vehicle body intersect when viewed from the horizontal direction. By configuring in this way, it is possible to spread the light to the side just behind the vehicle body.

[0054] Furthermore, the intervals at which a plurality of second optical members 60, such as second light-emitting elements 51, reflectors 61, and lenses 71, are arranged along the first direction may be varied according to the change in the angle of the optical axis. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 8, the intervals between adjacent second optical members 60 in the y-axis direction are made wider as the angle at which the second emitted lights 61d, 71d are inclined from the vertical direction toward the horizontal direction increases. The intervals between the lenses 71 are set such that the interval d2 on the side closer to the center line of the vehicle body is wider than the interval d1 on the side closer to the side of the vehicle body.

[0055] As in the vehicle lamp 100A, in the vehicle lamp 200 of the second embodiment, one end of the light incident surface of the first light guide plate 21 is close to the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11 and receives light emitted from one or more side-emitting LEDs 52 mounted on the substrate 11. The substrate-side surface of the light guide plate far from the light incident surface of the first light guide plate 21 is separated from the substrate 11, and a space capable of accommodating the top-emitting LEDs 51A is provided between the first light guide plate 21 and the top-emitting LEDs 51A, preferably in contact with the light reflecting surface of the first light guide plate 21 facing the light exit surface of the first light guide plate 21. This is to increase the efficiency of use of light guided by the first light guide plate 21, and to suppress glare by making the top-emitting LEDs 51A invisible when viewed from the horizontal direction.

[0056] One end of the light incident surface of the second light guide plate 22 is close to the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11 and is provided with a TIR lens. Light emitted from one or more top-emitting LEDs 53 mounted on the substrate 11 is received and guided by the TIR lens at the end, exits from the light exit surface of the first light guide plate 21, passes through the light diffusion sheet 25, the prism sheet 26, and the outer cover filter 30, and exits to the rear of the vehicle.

[0057] The light diffusion sheet 25 and the prism sheet 26 span between the first light guide plate 21 and the second light guide plate 22, and cover the entire light exit surfaces of the first light guide plate 21 and the second light guide plate 22. This is for the purpose of uniforming the first exit light from the light exit surfaces.

[0058] Thus, according to the vehicle lamp of the first and second embodiments, the second light emitting element 51 is provided in addition to the first light emitting element 50 that emits light for the original purpose of the vehicle lamp, and the light emitted along the optical axis 61a, 71a of the second optical member 60 optically coupled to the second light emitting element 51 is irradiated diagonally downward at the rear of the vehicle. This improves the visibility of the road surface at night and enhances safety. In particular, by widening the rear visibility when reversing to the side, it is expected that the occurrence of accidents when reversing can be suppressed. In addition, by not directly irradiating the rear of the vehicle with the light emitted along the optical axis 61a, 71a of the second optical member 60, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the driver of the following vehicle feels dazzled. Furthermore, by arranging the second light emitting element 51 on the rear side of the first optical member 20, it is not visible from the normal direction of the light emitting part, and the added second light emitting element 51 suppresses the glare of the second light emitting element 51 of the vehicle reverse lamp when it is turned on, and the dot feeling of a point light source is emphasized in a direct type light emitting element.

[0059] In addition, the optical axes 61a, 71a of the second optical members 60 are adjusted so that the second emitted light 61d, 71d from each of the one or more second optical members 60 optically coupled to the one or more second light emitting elements 51 passes through the outer cover filter 30 from the gap GP between the first optical member 20 and the substrate 11 in the internal space of the housing to reach the road surface RS. With this configuration, the gap GP in the housing 1 is utilized to ensure the optical path of the second light emitting element 51, and visibility diagonally downward behind the vehicle can be improved, particularly at night. [Embodiment 3]

[0060] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, an example was described in which the transmissive optical element, which is the first optical member 20, includes a light guide such as a light guide plate. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration, and the first optical member may be configured not to include a light guide. Such an example will be described as a vehicle lamp according to a third embodiment with reference to Figs. 9 to 11. These figures show a left vehicle lamp 300 of a pair of vehicle lamps each installed at a corner of the rear of a vehicle. Fig. 9 shows a front view of the vehicle lamp 300 according to the third embodiment, Fig. 10 shows a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp 300 of Fig. 9 taken along line XX, and Fig. 11 shows a schematic diagram of the vehicle lamp 300 of Fig. 9 with the outer cover filter 30C, the first prism sheet 261, the second prism sheet 262, and the light diffusion sheet 25C removed. In these figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same members as those in the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 10, the vehicle lamp 300 includes a housing 1C, a light source 10C, and a first optical member 20. The housing 1C includes an outer cover filter 30C and a housing 90C. The outer cover filter 30C has a light emitting portion. In the example of Fig. 9, the outer cover filter 30C is made of a transparent resin.

[0062] The transmissive optical element 20C constituting the first optical member 20 includes a light diffusion sheet 25C. The light diffusion sheet 25C suppresses glare. The transmissive optical element 20C may include a prism sheet in addition to or instead of the light diffusion sheet 25C. In the example of FIG. 10, the transmissive optical element 20 includes a first prism sheet 261 and a second prism sheet 262. The first prism sheet 261 and the second prism sheet 262 are arranged such that the grooves of the first prism sheet 261 and the grooves of the second prism sheet 262 intersect with each other when viewed from the horizontal direction (x-axis direction). This arrangement controls the direction of light emitted from the light diffusion sheet. In this way, the first optical member 20 does not include a solid light guide, so that the vehicle lamp 300 can be made lighter than the first and second embodiments.

[0063] A light source 10C of a vehicle lamp 300 shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 includes a plurality of batwing-type light distribution LEDs 56 as first light-emitting elements 50 mounted on the same substrate 11C. A part of the light emitted from the plurality of batwing-type light distribution LEDs 56 directly enters the light diffusion sheet 25, and another part of the light emitted from the plurality of batwing-type light distribution LEDs 56 is reflected by the light reflecting member 40 and then enters the light diffusion sheet 25. When viewed from the horizontal direction as shown in Fig. 11, each of the plurality of batwing-type light distribution LEDs 56 is surrounded by the light reflecting member 40. In the example of Fig. 11, the light reflecting members 40 are arranged vertically and horizontally to form rectangular regions, and the batwing-type light distribution LEDs 56 are arranged at the center of each rectangular region.

[0064] As shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 10, a plurality of top-emitting LEDs 51C are provided as the second light-emitting element 51. Each top-emitting LED 51C is optically coupled to a second optical member 60. A reflector or a lens can be used as the second optical member 60. In this embodiment, a parabolic mirror 61C, which is a reflector, is used as the second optical member 60. The top-emitting LEDs 51C and the parabolic mirror 61C are disposed behind the light-reflecting member 40 on the inner side near the lower edge of the light-diffusing sheet 25C when viewed from the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 11. Therefore, when viewed from the horizontal direction, the top-emitting LEDs 51C and the parabolic mirror 61C are not visible, and the glare of the second light-emitting element 51 when it is turned on and the dot-like appearance of the point light source can be suppressed. On the other hand, the light emitted from the multiple top-emitting LEDs 51C is incident on multiple parabolic mirrors 61C that are optically coupled to each other, and second emitted light 61d emitted from the parabolic mirrors 61C passes through the outer cover filter 30C.

[0065] The optical axis 61a of the second optical member 60 is changed depending on the position of the second optical member 60 arranged in the first direction. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the first direction is the y-axis direction. The optical axes of the parabolic mirror 61C (see FIG. 10), which is the second optical member 60, are inclined so as to approach the y-axis direction from the vertical direction as they move from the side surface of the vehicle body toward the center line of the vehicle body. With this configuration, the second emitted light 61d can be prevented from colliding with the side wall of the housing 1C and can be efficiently emitted to the outside. [Embodiment 4]

[0066] In the above examples, the vehicle lamp has been described. The present disclosure can also be applied to a rear combination lamp in which such a vehicle lamp is combined with a plurality of lamps. As an example, a rear combination lamp with a turn signal lamp will be described as a vehicle lamp according to embodiment 4 with reference to Figs. 12 to 14. In these figures, Fig. 12 is a front view showing a rear combination lamp 400 according to embodiment 4, Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp of Fig. 12 taken along line XIII-XIII, and Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of a lens 71 optically coupled to a top-emitting LED whose light-emitting surface is placed on a substrate 11D and whose light-emitting surface is inclined from the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11D, and the optical axis 71a of the lens, with the outer cover filter 30D, the prism sheet for the backlight, the diffusion sheet, and the light guide plate removed from the vehicle lamp of Fig. 12. In these figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same members as those in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0067] The rear combination lamp 400 shown in these figures functions as a back-up light and a turn signal light. The rear combination lamps are also provided on the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle. The rear combination lamp 400 shown in Figs. 12 to 14 shows the left rear combination lamp of a pair provided at the rear of the vehicle. The light-emitting surface of the rear combination lamp 400 can be divided. In the example shown in Fig. 12, which shows the rear combination lamp 400 on the left side of the rear of the vehicle as viewed from the horizontal direction (x-axis direction), the left side of the rear combination lamp 400 in the longitudinal direction functions as a turn signal light, and the right side functions as a back-up light.

[0068] The rear combination lamp 400 shown in Fig. 12 to Fig. 14 includes a housing 1D, a light source 10D, a first optical member 20, and a second optical member 60. In the example of Fig. 13, the housing 1D includes an outer cover filter 30D and a housing 90D. As shown in Fig. 13, the periphery of the housing 90D protrudes downward. The outer cover filter 30D is made of a light-transmitting resin and constitutes a light emitting portion.

[0069] The light source 10D includes a top-emitting LED 53D as the first light-emitting element 50 constituting the back-up light, a top-emitting LED 51D as the second light-emitting element 51, and a substrate 11D on which these elements are mounted. Meanwhile, a transmissive optical element 20D1 as the first optical member 20 optically coupled to the top-emitting LED 53D includes a light guide plate 21D for back-up lights, a light diffusion sheet 25D1, and a prism sheet 26D1. The light source 10D also includes a side-emitting LED 52D as the first light-emitting element 50 constituting the turn signal light. A transmissive optical element 20D2 as the first optical member 20 optically coupled to the side-emitting LED 52D includes a light guide plate 22D for lamps, a light diffusion sheet 25D2, and a prism sheet 26D2.

[0070] Furthermore, a lens 71D, which is a second optical member 60 that is optically coupled to the top-emitting LED 51D, is disposed between the light source 10D and the transmissive optical element 20D1.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 12, the light guide plate 22D for the turn signal lamps is disposed on the left side of the light guide plate 21D for the reverse lamps. However, the light guide plate 21D for the reverse lamps and the light guide plate 22D for the turn signal lamps are not disposed on the same plane, but are disposed intentionally with different thicknesses. In the example shown in FIG. 13, the light guide plate 21D for the reverse lamps is disposed on the upper side of the figure, which is the emission direction of the first emitted light, i.e., on the outer cover filter 30D side, in the internal space of the housing 1D, while the light guide plate 22D for the turn signal lamps is disposed on the lower side of the internal space, i.e., on the housing 90D side. In other words, the light emission surface of the light guide plate 21D for the reverse lamps is located closer to the outer cover filter 30D side in the traveling direction of the first emitted light than the light emission surface of the light guide plate 22D for the turn signal lamps. With this arrangement, a gap GP is provided between the light guide plate 21D for the reversing light and the light guide plate 22D for the turn signal light, thereby ensuring an optical path for the second emitted light 71d from the second optical member 60, which is optically coupled to the second light-emitting element 51, to be emitted from the light emitting portion.

[0072] The shape of the first optical member 20 is devised so that the second light-emitting element 51 can be disposed in the gap GP. Preferably, as shown in Fig. 13, the light-guiding plate 21D for a lamp constituting the first optical member 20 is designed so that a protruding portion 21Da for optically coupling with a top-emitting LED 53D, which is the first light-emitting element 50, of the light-guiding plate 21D for a lamp is located on the opposite side to the gap GP. This makes it possible to ensure a large gap GP and a sufficient space for disposing the second light-emitting element 51.

[0073] The top-emitting LED 51D, which is the second light-emitting element 51, is stored behind the inside side edge of the reverse light light-guiding plate 21D when viewed from the horizontal direction. The second emitted light 71d emitted from the top-emitting LED 51 through the lens 71D is transmitted through the light-emitting portion of the outer cover filter 30D and is emitted from the rear combination lamp 400.

[0074] Preferably, when viewed from the horizontal direction (x-axis direction), an edge (left end in FIG. 13) of the light guide plate for lamps 21D and an edge (right end in FIG. 13) of the light guide plate for indicator lamps 22D are formed to partially overlap each other. In this way, even if a gap GP is provided between the light guide plate for lamps 21D and the light guide plate for indicator lamps 22D, the presence of the gap GP can be made invisible when viewed from the x-axis direction.

[0075] Further, the top-emitting LED 51D, which is the second light-emitting element 51, is disposed so as to be located on the rear side of the backlight light-guiding plate 21D. This makes it possible to hide the second light-emitting element 51 so as not to be visible when viewed from the horizontal direction. In the example of Fig. 13, the top-emitting LED 51D is disposed inside the housing 90D and on the right side of the turn signal light-guiding plate 22D.

[0076] The side-emitting LEDs 52D for turn signal lights are disposed inside near the left edge of the back-up light guide plate 21D when viewed from the horizontal direction in Fig. 12 and Fig. 13. The light-emitting surfaces of the side-emitting LEDs 52 are disposed directly opposite the light incident end surface of the turn signal light guide plate 22D. The side-emitting LEDs 52 may be, for example, an LED having dimensions of 3.1 mm in length × 0.65 mm in width × 0.3 mm in height.

[0077] 14, the orientation of the optical axes 71a of the lenses 71 corresponding to the upper surface-emitting LEDs 51 arranged from the lower side to the upper side of the rear combination lamp 400 differs depending on the installation location of the lenses 71. When viewed from the horizontal direction, the optical axis 71a of the lowermost lens 71 faces furthest outward, and as the installation location moves upward, the orientation changes sequentially, with the optical axis 71a of the uppermost lens 71 facing furthest downward. In this way, the illumination area to the side immediately behind the vehicle body at night can be expanded. [Embodiment 5]

[0078] In the rear combination lamp 400 according to the fourth embodiment, an example in which the light-emitting surface is divided in the longitudinal direction, that is, the dividing line is parallel to the short-side direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, has been shown. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration, and the light-emitting surface can be divided arbitrarily. For example, the light-emitting surface may be divided in the short-side direction, that is, the dividing line is parallel to the longitudinal direction. Alternatively, the light-emitting surface may be divided in a concentric or annular shape. As an example, a rear combination lamp 500 as a vehicle lamp according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 15 and 16. In these figures, Fig. 15 is a front view showing the rear combination lamp 500 according to the fifth embodiment, and Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the rear combination lamp 500 taken along line XVI-XVI in Fig. 15. In these figures, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same members as those in the first embodiment and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0079] The rear combination lamp 500 shown in these figures has the function of a tail light in addition to the functions of a back-up light and a turn signal light. This rear combination lamp is also provided on the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle. The rear combination lamp 500 shown in Figs. 15 and 16 shows the left rear combination lamp 500 of a pair provided on the rear of the vehicle. The rear left rear combination lamp 500 is divided into a peripheral region and a central region inside the peripheral region when viewed from the horizontal direction, and the central region is further divided into two by a dividing line parallel to the longitudinal direction, resulting in a total of three regions. In the example of Fig. 15, within the light-emitting surface of the rear combination lamp 500, the tail light is arranged in the peripheral region, the turn signal light is arranged in the upper half of the central region, and the back-up light is arranged in the lower half.

[0080] The rear combination lamp 500 shown in Fig. 15 and Fig. 16 includes a housing 1E, a light source 10E, a first optical member 20, and a second optical member 60. In the example of Fig. 16, the housing 1E includes an outer cover filter 30E and a housing 90E. The outer cover filter 30E is made of a light-transmitting resin colored in red or pink, and constitutes a light emitting portion.

[0081] The light source 10E includes a side-emitting LED 52E as a first light-emitting element 50 constituting a back-up light, an upper-emitting LED 53E as a first light-emitting element 50 constituting a turn signal light, and a substrate 11. A transmissive optical element 20E1 as a first optical member 20 is optically coupled to the side-emitting LED 52E and the upper-emitting LED 53E. The transmissive optical element 20E1 includes a light guide plate 21E for back-up lights, a light guide plate 22E for turn signal lights, a light diffusion sheet 25E1, and a prism sheet 26E1. The light diffusion sheet 25E1 and the prism sheet 26E1 may be prepared for the side-emitting LED 52E and the upper-emitting LED 53E, respectively, or the common light diffusion sheet 25E1 and the prism sheet 26E1 may be used with separate regions for the side-emitting LED 52E and the upper-emitting LED 53E.

[0082] The light source 10E also includes a side-emitting LED 54E which constitutes the taillight and is also the first light-emitting element 50. The transmissive optical element 20E2 which is also the first optical member 20 like the transmissive optical element 20E1 is optically coupled to the side-emitting LED 54E. The transmissive optical element 20E2 includes a taillight light guide plate 23E, a light diffusion sheet 25E2, and a prism sheet 26E2.

[0083] The side-emitting LEDs 54E for the tail lights include those arranged on the inside near the lower edge of the back-up light guide plate 21E, those arranged on the inside near the upper edge of the turn signal light guide plate 22E, and those arranged on the inside near the side edges of the back-up light guide plate 21E and the turn signal light guide plate 22E, as viewed from the horizontal direction. As the side-emitting LEDs 54E, for example, an LED having dimensions of 3.1 mm in length × 0.65 mm in width × 0.3 mm in height can be used.

[0084] Furthermore, the light source 10E includes a top-emitting LED 51E as a second light-emitting element 51. On the other hand, a reflector 61E, which is a second optical member 60 optically coupled to the top-emitting LED 51E, is disposed between the light source 10E and the backlight light guide plate 21E.

[0085] 16, the turn signal light guide plate 22E is disposed above the back-up light light guide plate 21E. In this example, the light exit surface of the back-up light light guide plate 21E and the light exit surface of the turn signal light light guide plate 22E are provided on the same plane.

[0086] On the other hand, in the example shown in Fig. 15, the tail light light guide plate 23E is arranged in an annular shape so as to surround the outside of the backing light light guide plate 21E and the turn signal light light guide plate 22E. The light exit surface of this tail light light guide plate 23E is not on the same plane as the light exit surface of the backing light light guide plate 21E and the light exit surface of the turn signal light light guide plate 22E, but is arranged to be different in the thickness direction of the rear combination lamp 500. In the example shown in Fig. 16, in the internal space of the housing 1E, the backing light light guide plate 21E and the turn signal light light guide plate 22E are arranged on the right side of the figure, which is the exit direction of the first emitted light, that is, on the outer cover filter 30E side, while the tail light light guide plate 23E is arranged on the left side of the internal space, that is, on the housing 90E side. In other words, the light exit surface of the reverse light guide plate 21E and the light exit surface of the turn signal light guide plate 22E are located closer to the outer cover filter 30E in the traveling direction of the first exit light than the light exit surface of the tail light guide plate 23E. With this arrangement, a gap GP is provided between the transmissive optical element 20E1 and the transmissive optical element 20E2. In particular, a relatively large gap GP is formed between the reverse light guide plate 21E of the transmissive optical element 20E1 on the lower side in FIG. 16 and the transmissive optical element 20E2. By using this gap GP, a space for arranging the top-emitting LED 51E, which is the second light-emitting element 51, is secured, and an optical path is secured for the second exit light 61d emitted from the top-emitting LED 51E and reflected by the reflector 61E to pass through the outer cover filter 30E and exit from the light exit portion. The second optical members 60 optically coupled to the second light-emitting elements 51 have different optical axes. 5, the optical axes of the second optical members 60 are inclined from the vertical to the horizontal as the second optical members 60 are disposed closer to the vehicle body center line. This makes it possible to improve visibility in the diagonally downward area behind the vehicle, particularly at night, with the second emitted light 61d directed downward from the rear combination lamp 500 toward the road surface. [Embodiment 6]

[0087] In the above examples, the vehicle lamp and rear combination lamp are described as having a rectangular planar shape. However, the present disclosure does not limit the planar shape of the vehicle lamp and rear combination lamp to a rectangular shape, and any shape, such as a polygonal shape, a circular shape, or an elliptical shape, can be used. In addition, the thickness of the vehicle lamp and rear combination lamp is generally constant in the above examples, but is not limited to this, and may be partially thicker or thinner. Furthermore, the thickness may be partially curved.

[0088] As an example, a rear combination lamp 600 will be described as a vehicle lamp according to the sixth embodiment with reference to Figs. 17 to 20. In these figures, Fig. 17 is a plan view of a vehicle 6000 equipped with a rear combination lamp 600 according to the sixth embodiment, Fig. 18 is a plan view of a rear combination lamp 600A on the left rear side of the vehicle in the rear combination lamp 600 of Fig. 17, Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIX-XIX of Fig. 18, and Fig. 20 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the light emitting element and the lens mounted on the substrate 11F below the rear combination lamp 600A of Fig. 18, and the optical axis 71a of the lens, with the outer cover filter, prism sheet, diffusion sheet, and light guide plate removed from the rear combination lamp 600A of Fig. 18. In these figures, the same reference numerals are used for the same members as those of the first embodiment and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0089] The rear combination lamps 600 shown in FIG. 17 are provided at the rear corners of the vehicle 6000. The pair of rear combination lamps 600 are not plate-shaped as in the first embodiment, but are curved from the rear to the side of the vehicle 6000 at the rear corners of the vehicle, and are formed to follow the chamfered corner shape of the vehicle. By making the rear combination lamp 600 curved rather than plate-shaped, the rear combination lamp 600 has a curved area CA to the side in addition to the area facing the rear of the vehicle. As a result, the light can be irradiated from the curved area CA of the light source 10F to the side road surface, so that the side visibility at night can be easily ensured even when the distance between the rear combination lamp 600A and the road surface RS is small.

[0090] The rear combination lamp 600A shown in Fig. 18 to Fig. 20 is the left rear combination lamp 600A of a pair of rear combination lamps provided at the corners of the rear of the vehicle 6000 shown in Fig. 17. This rear combination lamp 600A has a function of a brake light in addition to the functions of a backing light, a turn signal light, and a tail light. As shown in Fig. 18, when viewed from the diagonal rear of the vehicle, the upper edge is inclined downward from the center line side of the vehicle body toward the side. The lower edge is formed in a stepped shape in the middle. The right rear combination lamp has a shape that is mirror symmetrical on the left and right sides of Fig. 18. The left rear combination lamp 600A shown in Fig. 18 has, from the top, a right-angled triangular brake light, a horizontally elongated rectangular turn signal light below that, a backing light that is shorter in width and larger in height than the turn signal light below that, and a ring-shaped tail light arranged around these. In this way, the rear combination lamp 600A in Fig. 18 has four regions and functions as a backup light, a turn signal light, a tail light, and a brake light. The curved region CA of the rear combination lamp 600A is, for example, a portion beyond the outer edge of the brake light, which is a part of the turn signal light in Fig. 18.

[0091] The rear combination lamp 600A on the left side of the rear of the vehicle includes a housing 1F, a light source 10F, a first optical member 20, and a second optical member 60. In the example of Fig. 19, the housing 1F includes an outer cover filter 30F and a housing 90F. The outer cover filter 30F is made of a light-transmitting resin colored red or pink, and constitutes a light emitting portion.

[0092] The light source 10F includes a substrate 11F, and a first light-emitting element 50 and a second light-emitting element 51 mounted on the upper surface thereof. Of the first light-emitting element 50, a side-emitting LED that is a first light-emitting element constituting a backup light is not shown in Fig. 19. Also, of the first light-emitting element 50, a top-emitting LED 53F that constitutes a turn signal light and a side-emitting LED 54F that constitutes a tail light are mounted on the substrate 11F.

[0093] These first light-emitting elements 50 are optically coupled to the first optical member 20. Specifically, the side-emitting LED for the backup light is coupled to the transmissive optical element 20F1, which is the first optical member (not shown in FIG. 19). The top-emitting LED 53F constituting the turn signal light is coupled to the transmissive optical element 20F2, which is the first optical member 20. The light-emitting element for the brake light is coupled to the transmissive optical element 20F4, which is the first optical member (not shown in FIG. 19). The side-emitting LED 54F constituting the tail light is coupled to the transmissive optical element 20F3, which is the first optical member.

[0094] The transmissive optical element 20F1 for a backup light shown in FIG. 18 includes a light diffusing sheet and a prism sheet in addition to a light guide plate 21F for a backup light.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 19, the transmissive optical element 20F2 for a direction indicator lamp includes a light guide plate 22F for a direction indicator lamp, a light diffusion sheet 25F2, and a prism sheet 26F2.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 19, the transmissive optical element 20F3 for a tail light includes a tail light light guide plate 23F, a light diffusion sheet 25F3, and a prism sheet 26F3.

[0097] The transmissive optical element 20F4 for brake lights shown in FIG. 18 includes a light diffusing sheet and a prism sheet in addition to a light guide plate 24F for brake lights.

[0098] The tail light guide plate 23F is arranged in an annular shape so as to surround the outside of the backing light guide plate 21F, the turn indicator light guide plate 22F, and the brake light light guide plate 24F, as shown in Fig. 18. The light exit surface of the tail light light guide plate 23F is not on the same plane as the light exit surfaces of the lamp light guide plate 21F, the indicator light guide plate 22F, and the brake light light guide plate 24F, but is arranged to be different in the thickness direction of the rear combination lamp 600A. In the example shown in Fig. 19, in the internal space of the housing 1F, the turn indicator light guide plate 22F, the backing light light guide plate 21F, and the brake light light guide plate 24F (not shown) are arranged on the right side of the figure, which is the exit direction of the first exit light, that is, on the outer cover filter 30F side, while the tail light light guide plate 23F is arranged on the left side of the internal space, that is, on the housing 90F side. In other words, the light exit surface of the reverse light light guide plate 21F, the light exit surface of the turn signal light light guide plate 22F, and the light exit surface of the brake light light guide plate 24F are located closer to the outer cover filter 30F in the traveling direction of the first exit light than the light exit surface of the tail light light guide plate 23F. By arranging in this manner, a gap GP is provided between the transmissive optical element 20F3 and the transmissive optical element 20F2, etc.

[0099] The gap GP is used between the lower periphery of the back-up light guide plate 21F and the turn indicator light guide plate 22F and the tail light guide plate 23F as an optical path for directing the second emitted light from the second optical member 60 optically coupled with the second light emitting element 51 toward the light emitting portion. The top-emitting LED 51F, which is the second light emitting element 51, is arranged side by side on the lower side of the back-up light guide plate 21F and the turn indicator light guide plate 22F of the rear combination lamp 600A, that is, on the side facing the road surface. In the example of FIG. 19, the top-emitting LED 51F is mounted on the substrate 11F, above the lower transmissive optical element 20F3, and on the back side of the transmissive optical element 20F2 when viewed from the horizontal direction, inside the lower edge of the transmissive optical element 20F2. The top-emitting LED 51F is mounted on the substrate 11F, above the lower transmissive optical element 20F3, on the back side of the transmissive optical element 20F1 when viewed from the horizontal direction, and on the inside of the lower edge of the transmissive optical element 20F1 (not shown in FIG. 19). The second emitted light emitted from the lens 71F, which is the second optical member 60 optically coupled to the top-emitting LED 51F, travels obliquely downward from the gap GP between the transmissive optical element 20F3 and the transmissive optical elements 20F1 and 20F2. As a result, the second emitted light transmitted through the outer cover filter 30F and emitted from the light emitting portion is irradiated onto the road surface RS. As a result, it is possible to improve the visibility of the diagonally downward area behind the vehicle, especially at night.

[0100] In order to further increase the amount of light emitted to the side immediately behind the vehicle body and thereby widen the rear visibility of the vehicle, the second light-emitting element 51 of the vehicle lamp according to embodiment 4 can also be arranged so that the second light-emitting element 51 is arranged on the back side of the transmissive optical element 20F1 and the transmissive optical element 20F2 in FIG. 18 in the z-axis direction on the inside of the left edge as well as in the y-axis direction on the inside of the lower edge when viewed from the horizontal direction.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 20, a plurality of top-emitting LEDs 51F as the second light-emitting element 51 and lenses 71F optically coupled thereto are provided in the y-axis direction. Here, the direction of the optical axis 71a of the lens 71F that determines the emission direction of the second emitted light from the second optical member 60 optically coupled to the top-emitting LEDs 51F is not uniform, but is made different depending on the location. Here, as viewed from the horizontal direction, the optical axis 71a is gradually inclined so that the lens 71F closer to the center line of the vehicle body has the optical axis 71a in the vertical direction, and the lens 71F closer to the side of the vehicle body has the optical axis 71a inclined toward the y-axis. By changing the optical axis 71a of the lens 71F from location to location in this way, the road surface diagonally below and behind the vehicle can be illuminated, making it easier to see.

[0102] The substrate 11F is preferably flexible. A flexible substrate (Flexible Printed Circuits: FPC, also called a flex substrate) or a rigid-flex substrate that combines a rigid substrate and a flexible substrate is preferably used as the substrate 11F. By making the substrate 11F flexible in this way, light emitting elements for brake lights and the like can be arranged along the curved region CA.

[0103] The light emitting elements are arranged in the flat region and the curved region CA. The light emitting elements arranged in the flat region mainly emit light backward, and the light emitting elements arranged in the curved region CA mainly emit light laterally.

[0104] The light irradiated in the horizontal direction behind the vehicle and at 15 degrees above and 5 degrees below when the back-up lamp is turned on is light emitted from the light-emitting element 52, which enters and passes through the first light guide plate 21, and the light emitted from the first light guide plate 21 enters and passes through the light diffusion sheet 25 and the prism sheet 26, and then passes through the outer cover filter 30F. The light irradiated from the horizontal direction behind and to the side of the vehicle below 5 degrees below when reversing is light emitted from the light-emitting element 51 with a narrowed light distribution angle by, for example, a reflector 61 or a lens 71 such as a TIR lens or a Fresnel lens. In the curved region CA of the light source 10F shown in FIG. 19, a plurality of light-emitting elements 51 and a lens 71 are arranged inside the lower edge of the indicator light guide plate 22F when viewed from the horizontal direction. This is to make the plurality of top-emitting LEDs 51 invisible when viewed from the horizontal direction, thereby suppressing glare. In addition, the multiple top-emitting LFDs 51 can be individually lit, and the side light irradiation area can be changed according to the steering angle.

[0105] When the light-emitting surface of the top-emitting LED 51F is inclined from the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11F toward the road surface RS onto which light is irradiated, the optical axis 71a of the lens 71 can be inclined downward from the horizontal direction behind the vehicle according to the inclination of the light-emitting surface. In this case, as shown in Fig. 20, the direction of the optical axis 71a of the lenses 71 corresponding to each of the top-emitting LEDs 51 arranged from the center line side of the vehicle body to the side of the vehicle body can be varied according to the mounting location, from directly below to the outside of the vehicle, as viewed from the horizontal direction.

[0106] Furthermore, when the light emitting surface of the top-emitting LED 51 is parallel to the LED mounting surface of the substrate 11F, a reflector 61 may be provided between the first light guide plate 21F and the substrate 11F and between the second light guide plate 22F and the substrate 11F. In this case, the optical axes 61a of the multiple reflectors 61 corresponding to the multiple top-emitting LEDs 51 arranged from the vehicle body center line side to the vehicle body side surface side may vary depending on the mounting location, from directly below to the outside of the vehicle, as viewed in the horizontal direction.

[0107] When the tail lights are turned on, the light that is irradiated horizontally to the rear of the vehicle and at 15 degrees above and below it is light that is emitted from the first light-emitting element 50, enters and passes through the tail light light guide plate 23F, and then exits the tail light light guide plate 23F, enters and passes through the light diffusion sheet 25F3 and the prism sheet 26F3, and then passes through the outer cover filter 30F.

[0108] The present disclosure can also be implemented in the following manner.

[0109] [Section 1] A vehicle lamp disposed at a rear of a vehicle, A housing having a light emitting portion at least in a portion thereof; A substrate disposed within the housing; one or more first light emitting devices disposed on the substrate; a first optical member optically coupled to the one or more first light emitting elements; one or more second light emitting devices disposed on the substrate; one or more second optical members optically coupled to the one or more second light emitting elements; Equipped with light emitted from each of the one or more first light emitting elements is incident on the first optical member, and a first emitted light emitted from the first optical member can be emitted from the light emitting portion, the light emitted from each of the one or more second light-emitting elements is incident on each of the one or more second optical members, and the second emitted light emitted from each of the one or more second optical members can be emitted from the light emitting portion obliquely backward and downward from the normal direction of the light emitting portion along the optical axis of each of the one or more second optical members, When viewed from a normal direction of the light emitting portion, the one or more second light emitting elements are disposed on a rear surface side of the first optical member at a position overlapping the first optical member.

[0110] [Section 2] Item 1 is a vehicle lamp according to the present invention. The second emitted light passes through a gap between the first optical member and the substrate and enters the light emitting portion.

[0111] [Section 3] Item 1 or 2, a vehicle lamp, The one or more second light emitting elements are a plurality of second light emitting elements arranged in a first direction, The one or more second optical members are a plurality of second optical members arranged in the first direction and having different optical axes, and each of the one or more second optical members corresponds to each of the one or more second light-emitting elements.

[0112] [Section 4] Item 3. A vehicle lamp according to claim 3, The optical axes of the second optical members are inclined from the vertical to the horizontal as the mounting positions of the second optical members approach the vehicle body center line, when viewed from the normal direction of the light exit portion.

[0113] [Section 5] A vehicle lamp according to any one of items 1 to 4, The one or more first light emitting elements include a back light emitting element, a turn signal light emitting element, and a tail light emitting element; The first optical member includes a first optical member for a backup light optically coupled to the backup light light-emitting element, a first optical member for a turn signal light optically coupled to the turn signal light-emitting element, and a first optical member for a tail light optically coupled to the tail light-emitting element.

[0114] [Section 6] A vehicle lamp according to any one of items 1 to 5, The first optical member includes a light guide plate or a light diffusion sheet.

[0115] [Section 7] A vehicle lamp according to any one of items 1 to 6, The one or more second optical members are a reflector or a lens.

[0116] [Section 8] A vehicle equipped with the vehicle lamp according to any one of items 1 to 7. [Industrial Applicability]

[0117] The present disclosure relates to a so-called combination type vehicle lamp, particularly a vehicle lamp including a back-up light, in which the light irradiation range is expanded to the sides of the lamp. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1000, 6000…vehicles 100, 100A, 200, 300...vehicle lighting fixtures 400, 500, 600, 600A... Rear combination lamp 1, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F…Housing 10, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F…Light source 11, 11C, 11D, 11E, 11F...Board 12...Insulating substrate 13...Wiring layer 14...Resist layer 20...First optical member 20A, 20C, 20D1, 20D2, 20E1, 20E2, 20F1, 20F2, 20F3, 20F4...Transmissive optical elements 21...First light guide plate 21E…Light guide plate for reverse light 21D, 21E...Light guide plate for backing light 21Da…Protruding part 22...Second light guide plate 22D, 22E...Light guide plate for direction indicator lights 23E, 23F…Light guide plate for tail lights 24F…Light guide plate for brake lights 25, 25C, 25D1, 25D2, 25E1, 25E2, 25F2, 25F3...Light diffusion sheet 26, 26D1, 26D2, 26E1, 26E2, 26F2, 26F3...Prism sheet 261...first prism sheet; 262...second prism sheet 27...Phosphor sheet 30, 30C, 30D, 30E, 30F…Outer cover filter 40...Light reflecting member 50...First light emitting element 51...Second light-emitting element 51A, 51C, 51D, 51E, 51F, 53, 53D, 53E, 53F, 55...Top-emitting LED 51s…Light-emitting surface 52, 52D, 52E, 54E, 54F...Side-emitting LED 56…Batwing-type LED light distribution 60...Second optical member 61...Parabolic mirror 61C, 61E…Reflector 61a...optical axis of reflector 61d...Second output light 71, 71D, 71F…Lens 71a...Lens optical axis 71d...Second output light 90, 90C, 90D, 90E, 90F…Housing RS…road surface GP…Gap CA: Curved area d1: Distance on the side closest to the vehicle d2: Distance on the side closest to the vehicle centerline

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp disposed at a rear of a vehicle, A housing having a light emitting portion at least in a portion thereof; A substrate disposed within the housing; one or more first light emitting devices disposed on the substrate; a first optical member optically coupled to the one or more first light emitting elements; one or more second light emitting devices disposed on the substrate; one or more second optical members optically coupled to the one or more second light emitting elements; Equipped with light emitted from each of the one or more first light emitting elements is incident on the first optical member, and a first emitted light emitted from the first optical member can be emitted from the light emitting portion, light emitted from each of the one or more second light-emitting elements is incident on each of the one or more second optical members, and second emitted light emitted from each of the one or more second optical members can be emitted from the light emitting portion obliquely backward and downward from the normal direction of the light emitting portion along an optical axis of each of the one or more second optical members, When viewed from a normal direction of the light emitting portion, the one or more second light emitting elements are disposed on a rear surface side of the first optical member at a position overlapping the first optical member.

2. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, The second emitted light passes through a gap between the first optical member and the substrate and enters the light emitting portion.

3. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, The one or more second light emitting elements are a plurality of second light emitting elements arranged in a first direction, The one or more second optical members are a plurality of second optical members arranged in the first direction and having different optical axes, and each of the one or more second optical members corresponds to each of the one or more second light-emitting elements.

4. 4. The vehicular lamp according to claim 3, The optical axes of the second optical members are inclined from the vertical to the horizontal as the mounting positions of the second optical members approach the vehicle body center line, when viewed from the normal direction of the light exit portion.

5. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, The one or more first light emitting elements include a back light emitting element, a turn signal light emitting element, and a tail light emitting element; The first optical member includes a first optical member for a backup light optically coupled to the backup light light-emitting element, a first optical member for a turn signal light optically coupled to the turn signal light-emitting element, and a first optical member for a tail light optically coupled to the tail light-emitting element.

6. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, The first optical member includes a light guide plate or a light diffusion sheet.

7. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, The one or more second optical members are a reflector or a lens.

8. A vehicle comprising the vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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