Vehicle lighting fixture

Abstract

To provide a vehicle lighting fixture which achieves downsizing and cost reduction of a display device equipped in a vehicle and the lighting fixture, and enhances freedom of design for them.SOLUTION: The vehicle lighting fixture includes a lamp unit 1 provided in a lamp housing 100 having an outer lens 102. The lamp unit 1 includes: a light source substrate 4 having a main light emitting device 41 and a sub light emitting device 42 mounted on the same plane in a required alignment; and an illumination optical system 5 for controlling light emitted from the main light emitting device 41 and the sub light emitting device 42 into a required luminous flux state. In the main light emitting device 41 and the sub light emitting device 42, light emission is controlled by light emitting control means 6. When the main light emitting device 41 emits light, it functions as a lamp, and when the sub light emitting device 42 emits light, it functions as a display device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp in which a lamp and a display device are integrated. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, vehicles such as automobiles have come to be equipped with display devices for notifying others outside the vehicle, such as pedestrians and passengers of other vehicles, in addition to various lamps for illumination, display, and signaling. In Patent Document 1, a display device (display unit) is arranged on the body of the vehicle, and a message is notified to others by displaying words and patterns on the display device.

[0003] In particular, in recent automobiles such as hybrid cars and electric cars, the configuration of the radiator for cooling the engine and drive unit has been changed, and the degree of freedom in designing the lamps to be mounted on the front part of the automobile body has been increased. In Patent Document 1, a display device is disposed in the area of ​​the front grille. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-20523 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In automobiles equipped with such display devices, the display device has been configured separately from the automobile's lighting fixtures, such as headlamps, clearance lamps, and turn signal lamps. In other words, the display device and the lighting fixture are configured to have a display section or a light-emitting section built into their respective housings. This makes it difficult to reduce the size of the display device and the lighting fixture as well as the cost. In particular, both the display device and the lighting fixture require light-emitting elements such as LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and circuits for causing the light-emitting elements to emit light, and providing these light-emitting elements and circuits independently is an obstacle to miniaturization and cost reduction.

[0006] In addition, because the display device and the lamp are constructed separately, it is difficult to simplify the work involved in installing them in a vehicle and to reduce the number of steps required. Furthermore, because the lamp and the display device are installed in a vehicle independently, there are often restrictions on where they are installed, making it difficult to increase the degree of freedom in designing the vehicle.

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp that can reduce the overall size and cost of the display device and lamp by configuring the display device as an integrated lamp, while also increasing the freedom of design of the lamp or vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle lamp of the present invention includes a plurality of light-emitting elements and an illumination optical system that illuminates the light emitted from each of the light-emitting elements. The light-emitting elements include a plurality of main light-emitting elements that function as lamps and a plurality of sub-light-emitting elements that function as display devices, and these main light-emitting elements and sub-light-emitting elements are arranged in a required array on a plane and are independently controlled to emit light.

[0009] In the present invention, the main light-emitting element and the sub-light-emitting element are arranged in a matrix in a required area of ​​the light source substrate, either individually or together. The main light-emitting element is configured to irradiate light with a required light distribution by an irradiation optical system when it emits light. The sub-light-emitting element is configured as a light-emitting element that emits light of different colors, and is configured to function as a display device that forms a required display pattern when it emits light.

[0010] In the present invention, the irradiation optical system includes a main lens that controls the light of the main light-emitting element in a convergent direction and a secondary lens that controls the light of the secondary light-emitting element in a divergent state. Alternatively, the irradiation optical system includes a reflector that controls the light of the main light-emitting element in a convergent direction and the light of the secondary light-emitting element in a divergent state.

[0011] A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a lamp housing having at least an outer lens on the front surface thereof, and a lamp unit disposed within the lamp housing. The lamp unit includes a light source board on which a plurality of main light-emitting elements and sub-light-emitting elements are mounted on the same surface in a required arrangement, and an irradiation optical system disposed on the front surface of the light source board, for controlling the light emitted from the main light-emitting elements and the sub-light-emitting elements to a required luminous flux state and emitting the light through the outer lens. The light emission of the main light-emitting elements and the sub-light-emitting elements is controlled by a light emission control means, and the lamp functions as a lamp when the main light-emitting element is emitted, and functions as a display device when the sub-light-emitting element is emitted. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, a vehicle lamp is provided with a plurality of main light-emitting elements and a plurality of sub-light-emitting elements, and the light emission of the main light-emitting elements and the sub-light-emitting elements is controlled, so that when the main light-emitting elements emit light, they function as a lamp, and when the sub-light-emitting elements emit light, they function as a display device. This makes it possible to configure a lighting fixture with an integrated display device, thereby achieving the miniaturization and cost reduction of the display device and the lighting fixture as a whole, and providing greater freedom in designing the lighting fixture and the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of an automobile equipped with a vehicle lamp (front lamp) according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the front lamp taken along line AA in FIG. 1; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a front lamp. [Figure 4] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main portion of a high beam lamp unit according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the high beam lamp unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] Block diagram of the front lamp electrical system. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram explaining the function of a front lamp. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a high beam lamp unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a high beam lamp unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a high beam lamp unit according to a third embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a high beam lamp unit according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view of an automobile equipped with a modified high beam lamp unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automobile CAR equipped with a vehicle lamp of the present invention, seen from the front. This vehicle lamp is configured as a front lamp FL of an automobile, and is configured as a modular lamp configured from an area corresponding to the automobile's front grille to an area extending in the left-right direction along the front edge of the automobile's front hood. The former area corresponding to the front grille is configured as a high beam lamp HiL that also serves as a display device (display) DP and irradiates light with a high beam distribution. The latter area is configured as a clearance lamp CL that also serves as a daytime running lamp, and a low beam lamp LoL that irradiates light with a low beam distribution.

[0015] Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the main parts of the front lamp FL exploded. As described above, the front lamp FL is formed from the central region corresponding to the front grille to the upper side region along the front hood, and is provided with a lamp housing 100 composed of a lamp body 101 fixed and supported on the front part of the body of the automobile CAR, and a light-transmitting outer lens 102 fixed to the lamp body 101 so as to cover the front side of the lamp body 101.

[0016] A clearance lamp unit 2 extending along the vehicle width direction is disposed in the upper side region of the lamp housing 100. The clearance lamp unit 2 includes a long and narrow light guide (light guide) 21 extending in the vehicle width direction, and a plurality of white LEDs 22 emitting white light as a light source disposed adjacent to the light guide 21. When the white LEDs 22 emit light, the white light emitted from the white LEDs 22 is guided in the extension direction within the light guide 21, and while being further guided, is emitted from the side surface of the light guide 21 facing forward. Thus, the clearance lamp unit 2 functions as a clearance lamp CL having a linear lamp light emitting surface extending in the left-right direction along the front edge of the front hood, or as a daytime running lamp.

[0017] In addition, low beam lamp units 3 are disposed in the left and right regions of the upper side of the lamp housing 100, that is, on the lower side of each of the left and right ends of the light guide 21. Although existing lamp configurations can be adopted as these low beam lamp units 3, it is preferable to use lamp configurations with small vertical dimensions. For example, although not shown, it is configured as a projector-type lamp having a white LED as a light source, a reflector that reflects the white light emitted from the white LED in a concentrated state, and an irradiation lens that irradiates the white light reflected and concentrated by the reflector. In addition, by arranging a shade between the reflector and the projection lens to block a part of the irradiated light, it functions as a low beam lamp LoL that irradiates light with a low beam light distribution having a required cutoff line.

[0018] Meanwhile, a high beam lamp unit 1 that functions as a high beam lamp HiL that also serves as a display device DP is disposed in the central region within the lamp housing 100. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the high beam lamp unit 1 includes a light source board 4 on which a light source is mounted, and an irradiation optical system 5 that controls the light emitted by the light source and irradiates the light with a required light distribution or light pattern. The light source board 4 and the irradiation optical system 5 are integrally assembled to constitute the high beam lamp unit 1. In the following embodiments 1 to 3, the light source board 4 and the irradiation optical system 5 have different configurations.

[0019] (Embodiment 1) Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the high beam lamp unit 1 in the first embodiment, and Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a part thereof. The light source board 4 is composed of a flat wired circuit board, and is erected in a substantially vertical direction in the lamp housing 100. On the front surface of the light source board 4, i.e., on the elevation surface facing the front of the automobile, a number of light emitting elements, here LEDs (light emitting diodes) 41, 42, are mounted as light sources in a regularly arranged state. The light emission of each of these LEDs 41, 42 is selectively controlled by a light emission control device 6 constituted by electronic components mounted on the light source board 4.

[0020] A predetermined area on the front surface of the light source substrate 4, i.e., an area that functions as a high beam lamp and a display device, is configured as a collection of multiple square virtual cells C1 arranged vertically and horizontally in a matrix. In this example, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the area on the light source substrate 4 are 20 cm long and 80 cm wide, and square cells C1 with sides of approximately 2 cm are arranged in this area. These cells C1 are the area defined by the dashed line in FIG. 5.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 5, each cell C1 is provided with a main LED 41 emitting one white light as a main light source at its center. Each cell C1 is provided with a sub-LED 42 as a sub-light source at each of its four corners. The sub-LED 42 is configured as one unit by integrating three LEDs, a red LED 42r, a green LED 42g, and a blue LED 42b. In this manner, the light source board 4 is provided with a plurality of main LEDs 41 as main light sources arranged in a matrix in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a plurality of sub-LEDs 42 as sub-light sources are similarly arranged in a matrix in the vertical and horizontal directions between the main LEDs 41. More specifically, the main LEDs 41 and the sub-LEDs 42 are arranged in a matrix on the same surface, alternately arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions.

[0022] Here, the light emitting surfaces of the main LED 41 and the sub-LED 42 face the same direction. The main LED 41 is composed of an LED having a higher light emission luminance than the sub-LED 42. The main LED 41 is not limited to a specific configuration as long as it is an LED that emits white light. Similarly, the sub-LEDs 42, which are red, blue, and green LEDs, are not limited to a specific configuration as long as they are LEDs that emit red light, blue light, and green light, respectively.

[0023] On the other hand, the irradiation optical system 5 in this embodiment 1 is composed of an inner lens 50. This inner lens 50 is formed based on a translucent resin plate having approximately the same vertical and horizontal dimensions as the light source substrate 4, and has a lens configuration including a plurality of lenses corresponding to the plurality of cells C1 partitioned in the light source substrate 4. This lens configuration will be described later, but this inner lens 50 is supported in a state positioned relative to the light source substrate 4 such that each lens is disposed opposite to the main LED 41 and the sub-LED 42 of the light source substrate 4 in a predetermined positional relationship.

[0024] The inner lens 50 is formed integrally with a main lens 51 and a secondary lens 52. The main lens 51 is formed as a convex lens having a required focal length, and is disposed at a position facing the light emitting surface of the main LED 41 mounted on the light source substrate 4. The optical axis Lx1 of the main lens 51 is perpendicular to the light emitting surface of the main LED 41, and its focal point is approximately coincident with the center position of the light emitting surface of the main LED 41. The main lens 51 is formed with a concave spherical light entrance portion 51i at a portion facing the main LED 41, and the light of the main LED 41 incident on the light entrance portion 51i is emitted from a light exit portion 51o on the front side of the main lens 51 as a nearly parallel light flux (light beam).

[0025] The secondary lenses 52 are convex lenses with a focal length somewhat longer than that of the primary lens 51, and are disposed at four locations around the primary lens 51, i.e., at locations facing the three red, green, and blue secondary LEDs 42. The optical axis Lx2 of the secondary lens 52 is perpendicular to the light emitting surfaces of the three secondary LEDs 42 (42r, 42g, 42b), and is set at approximately the center of the three secondary LEDs 42. In this secondary lens 52, the light of the secondary LEDs 42 incident on the concave spherical light entrance portion 52i is emitted from the light exit surface 52o as a somewhat diverged light flux.

[0026] The light emitted from the main lens 51 and the light emitted from the secondary lens 52 are each transmitted through the outer lens 102 and emitted forward of the automobile. At this time, as shown in Fig. 4, the light emitted from the main lens 51 and the light emitted from the secondary lens 52 are transmitted through different regions of the outer lens 102. The light emitted from the main lens 51 is transmitted through a region A1 corresponding to a cell C1 virtually partitioned on the light source substrate 4. This region A1 is regarded as one of the light emitting regions when the lamp light emitting surface when the high beam lamp unit 1 functions as a high beam lamp HiL is divided into a plurality of regions.

[0027] On the other hand, the light emitted from the secondary lens 52 and the outer lens 102 is in an area A2 that is shifted by half a pitch vertically and horizontally from the area A1. In other words, as shown by the two-dot chain line with respect to the cell C1 shown in Fig. 5, the area A2 is shifted by half a pitch vertically and horizontally. The light emitted from the secondary lens 52 is emitted from this area A2, and this area A2 corresponds to one pixel on the display screen when the high beam lamp unit 1 functions as the display device DP.

[0028] Here, the outer lens 102 may be made of a transparent plate, but it is preferable that a part of the outer lens 102, particularly the part through which the light emitted from the secondary lens 52 passes, is made of a diffusing plate that diffuses or scatters the transmitted light so that the high beam unit 1 is not exposed to the outside through the outer lens 102. For example, it is made of a cloudy surface or a rough surface. By making such a configuration, the light emitted from the secondary lens 52 is somewhat diverged or diffused when passing through the outer lens 102. That is, the degree of divergence of the divergent light of the secondary lens 52 is increased. From the viewpoint of design, the part emitted from the primary lens 51 may also be made to diffuse light to an extent that does not affect the brightness of the high beam light.

[0029] 6 is a block diagram of the electrical system of the front lamp FL described above. Each light source of the clearance lamp unit 2, the low beam lamp unit 3, and the high beam lamp unit 1 is electrically connected to a light emission control device 6, which controls the light emission of each light source. The light emission control device 6 includes a Hi (high beam lamp) control unit 61, a CL (clearance lamp) control unit 62, and a Lo (low beam lamp) control unit 63, and these control units 61 to 63 control the light emission of the corresponding lamp units 1, 2, and 3. Here, the main LED 41 of the high beam lamp unit 1, i.e., a white LED, is connected to the Hi control unit 61, which controls the light emission of the white LED.

[0030] The light emission control device 6 further includes a DP (display pattern) control section 64. The sub-LEDs 42 of the high beam lamp unit 1, i.e., the red, green and blue LEDs 42r, 42g and 42b, are connected to the DP control section 64, and the light emission of each of them is controlled. When a predetermined signal is input from the outside, the DP control section 64 selectively controls the light emission of the red, green and blue sub-LEDs 42 in response to the signal, thereby synthesizing the colored lights emitted from the sub-LEDs 42 that have been selectively emitted, controlling the light emission color of the corresponding pixel, and forming a display pattern composed of a plurality of pixels (A2).

[0031] Each of the control units 61 to 64 is connected to an interface unit 60, and a switch 65 operated by a passenger when controlling the turning on and off of each of the lamp units 1, 2, and 3 is connected to the interface unit 60. Also connected to the interface unit 60 is a sensor 66 mounted on the vehicle to detect the external environment such as the vehicle's running state including the vehicle speed, the weather, the time, the temperature, and further the preceding vehicle including a preceding vehicle and an oncoming vehicle. Each of the control units 61 to 64 is capable of controlling the emission of the light sources connected thereto based on the operation state of the switch 65 and the detection output of the sensor 66. The interface unit 60 may be configured to be wirelessly connected to a portable terminal of a passenger of the vehicle, and a remote signal may be input via the portable terminal.

[0032] In the front lamp FL configured as described above, the light emission of the clearance lamp unit 2 and the low beam lamp unit 3 is controlled by the occupant operating the switch 65. Alternatively, the light emission may be controlled based on the detection output of a sensor that detects the brightness of the outside. By controlling the light emission of these lamp units 2 and 3, the function as the clearance lamp CL or the low beam lamp LoL is controlled, but a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0033] Also, the light emission of the high beam lamp unit 1 is controlled by operating the switch 65, and the high beam lamp unit 1 functions as a high beam lamp HiL or as a display device DP. That is, when the switch 65 is controlled as a high beam lamp, the Hi control unit 61 causes only the main LED 41 to emit light, as shown in the conceptual diagram of FIG. 7(a). The white light emitted from the main LED 41 is emitted by the main lens 51 as a nearly parallel light beam, passes through the outer lens 102, and is irradiated toward the front of the automobile CAR. The area A1 of these lights is collected and functions as the lamp light emitting surface of the high beam lamp HiL. This light additionally illuminates the upper area of ​​the low beam light distribution by the low beam lamp LoL, and illumination with high beam light distribution is performed.

[0034] In this way, when the high beam lamp unit 1 functions as a high beam lamp HiL, if another vehicle is detected by the sensor 66, the main LED 41 of the cell C1 corresponding to the area where the other vehicle is present may be made to stop emitting light. This stops the emission of light from the area A1 corresponding to the cell C1, and it is possible to perform ADB (Adaptive Driving Beam) light distribution control, which prevents the high beam lamp from irradiating other vehicles with light or reduces the light to prevent dazzling other vehicles.

[0035] Furthermore, when functioning as a high beam lamp HiL, all the main LEDs 41 are illuminated in principle. In this embodiment 1, a total of about 400 main LEDs 41 are illuminated. Therefore, when the required brightness required for high beam light distribution is 1000 lumens, the brightness of each main LED 41 is about 2.5 lumens to satisfy this. In other words, in order to obtain the brightness required for high beam light distribution, the brightness (luminance) per unit area in the region A1 on the lamp light emitting surface is reduced compared to existing high beam lamps, for example, reflector type high beam lamps and projector type high beam lamps.

[0036] In this way, by reducing the luminance per unit area on the lamp light-emitting surface, when the high beam lamp unit 1 functions as a high beam lamp HiL, no glare is felt even when observing the outer lens 102 as the lamp light-emitting surface from the front side. Therefore, for example, when ADB light distribution control is performed, even if part of the illumination light is irradiated onto a pedestrian, the pedestrian does not feel glare, and dazzling of the pedestrian can be prevented.

[0037] In addition, by lowering the brightness of the lamp light-emitting surface, it is possible to prevent dazzling of other vehicles caused by the light reflected by the wet road surface in rainy weather, and the evaporation of pedestrians between other vehicles (making it difficult to see them). It is also possible to prevent poor visibility caused by the whiteout phenomenon that may occur when the light is reflected by snow during snowfall. In this case, the sensor 66 may detect the external environment of the vehicle and control to suppress the light emission brightness of the main LED 41 of the high beam lamp unit 1.

[0038] On the other hand, the high beam lamp unit 1 functions as a display device DP by operating the switch 65. As shown in the conceptual diagram of FIG. 7(b), when the high beam lamp unit 1 is not used as a high beam lamp, for example, when the car is stopped or moving slowly, the DP control unit 64 of the light emission control device 6 appropriately selects the sub-LEDs 42, i.e., the red LED 42r, the green LED 42g, and the blue LED 43b, to emit light. The light emitted from these sub-LEDs 42 is synthesized in one area A2 when it is emitted from the outer lens 102, and is emitted as a required color light as one pixel constituting an image display surface. This allows the high beam lamp unit 1 to display any color pattern, color characters, etc. as a so-called color type display device DP. At this time, the main LED 41 may be made to emit light at a low luminance to display white light.

[0039] When the display device DP displays pictures, characters, etc., the sub-LEDs 42 corresponding to the pixels not displaying the pictures may be turned on at low brightness, and the background may be displayed as a white background obtained by adding and mixing three colors. In this way, the background becomes a low-brightness white color, and the observer does not feel dazzled. On the other hand, the colored pictures, characters, etc. are seen to stand out on the white background, improving visibility.

[0040] Alternatively, when the low beam lamp unit 3 is turned on, the high beam lamp unit 1 may be made to function as a high beam lamp HiL or as a display device DP, and the entire area or a region close to the high beam lamp unit 1 may be turned on so as to display a low-luminance white display screen. The luminance at this time is such that it does not dazzle other vehicles, and when it functions as a high beam lamp HiL, the luminous intensity of the main LED 41 is reduced. Alternatively, when it functions as a display device DP, it may display in white light. In this way, the brightness of the white display screen narrows the pupils of the eyes of passengers and pedestrians of other vehicles who observe it, and even if the light emitted by the low beam lamp unit 3 enters the eyes of passengers and pedestrians of other vehicles due to pitching (tilting up and down) when the automobile CAR is running, the glare can be reduced and the glare can be suppressed.

[0041] (Embodiment 2) Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a high beam lamp unit 1A of the second embodiment, and Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a part thereof. Both are views corresponding to Figs. 4 and 5 of the first embodiment, so equivalent parts are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted. In the second embodiment, the main LED 41 mounted on the light source board 4A is the same as that in the first embodiment, but the sub-LED 42A here is composed of a full-color LED. This full-color LED 42A is an integrated package of LED chips that emit red, green, and blue light, and is capable of emitting light of any color.

[0042] In addition, in the inner lens 50A as the irradiation optical system 5A of embodiment 2, the main lens 51 is the same as in embodiment 1, but the secondary lens 52A is configured as a so-called fly's eye lens or multi-lens (microarray lens) in which multiple tiny convex lenses are arranged in a plane, instead of the single convex lens of embodiment 1.

[0043] In the second embodiment, the light emitted from the sub-LED 42A, i.e., the monochromatic light of red, green, and blue, or any color light of a mixture of these, is emitted in a divergent state by the sub-lens 52A. Since the sub-lens 52A is composed of a fly-eye lens or a multi-lens, the degree of divergence is greater than that of the sub-lens 52 in the first embodiment, and the light is emitted uniformly from the entire area A2. As a result, when the high beam lamp unit 1 functions as a display device DP, the spread angle of the light emitted from the outer lens 102 becomes large, and the wide angle of view required for the display device is secured.

[0044] (Embodiment 3) Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a high beam lamp unit 1B of the third embodiment, and Fig. 11 is an exploded perspective view of a part thereof. These figures also correspond to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 of the first embodiment, so equivalent parts are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. In the third embodiment, the main LED 41 and the sub-LED 42 are mounted in each cell C1 of the light source substrate 4B. That is, the main LED 41 is mounted in the center of the cell Ci, and the sub-LED 42 consisting of three LEDs, a red LED 42r, a green LED 42g, and a blue LED 42g, are mounted so as to surround it.

[0045] On the other hand, the irradiation optical system 5B of the third embodiment is composed of a multi-reflector 50B that reflects the light from each of the main LED 41 and the sub-LED 42. The multi-reflector 5B is formed in a state where a plurality of reflectors 53 are integrally arranged, and is supported by the light source substrate 4B in a state where the plurality of reflectors 53 are positioned so as to correspond one-to-one to the plurality of cells C1, respectively.

[0046] Each reflector 53 is configured with a paraboloid of revolution type reflector, and is disposed so as to surround the main LED 41 and the sub-LED 42, with the front opening facing the outer lens 102. The white LED 41 is disposed near the focal point of this reflector 53, and the three sub-LEDs 42 are disposed off-focus.

[0047] In each reflector 53, the light from the main LED 41 located near the focal point is reflected by the inner surface of the reflector 53 and emitted as a nearly parallel light beam, which is then transmitted through the outer lens 102 and emitted as illumination light. The light from the three sub-LEDs 42 located out of the focal point is reflected by the inner surface of the reflector 53 and emitted as a somewhat divergent light beam. At this time, the emitted light is slightly misaligned due to differences in the positions of the sub-LEDs 42, but this misalignment can be ignored due to refraction and diffusion when passing through the outer lens 102.

[0048] In the third embodiment, the light emission of the main LED 41 is controlled by the light emission control device 6 to function as a high beam lamp HiL, and light is emitted with a high beam light distribution. The light emission of the sub-LED 42 is controlled to function as a display device DP, and a display screen composed of a plurality of pixels is formed.

[0049] At this time, the light of the main LED 41 and the light of the sub-LED 42 are emitted toward substantially the same region of the outer lens 102. Therefore, the cell C1 in the third embodiment is the region A1 in the first and second embodiments, and also the region A2. These regions A1 and A2 function as a partial region of the lamp light-emitting surface when functioning as a high beam lamp HiL, and as one pixel of the display screen when functioning as a display device DP. In this way, when functioning as a high beam lamp or a display device, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained.

[0050] In the embodiment described above, by configuring the display device DP as an integrated high beam lamp HiL, the display device DP and the high beam lamp HiL can be disposed in one lamp housing 100, and the light source substrate 4 (4A, 4B) and the irradiation optical system 5 (5A, 5B) of the display device DP and the high beam lamp HiL can be made common or shared. This makes it possible to reduce the size and cost of the entire combination of the display device DP and the high beam lamp HiL, and to increase the degree of freedom in designing a vehicle equipped with the lamp.

[0051] The high beam lamp unit in the present invention is not limited to the configuration of being disposed in the front grille of the automobile as in the first embodiment. For example, as shown in Fig. 12, the high beam lamp unit 1 (HiL / DP) may be disposed in two parts below the low beam lamp unit 3 (LoL) disposed on the left and right sides of the front part of the automobile body. Since the internal configuration and lighting function of the high beam lamp unit 1 are the same as those of the embodiment, various operational effects similar to those of the first to third embodiments can be achieved by making the high beam lamp unit 1 emit light and functioning as a high beam lamp or a display device.

[0052] When the high beam lamp unit 1 is disposed on the left and right sides of the front of the automobile CAR as shown in Fig. 12, the high beam lamp unit 1 can function as a high beam lamp and a display device, and can also function as other lamps. For example, it may function as a fog lamp by emitting a part of the main light source. In addition, it can function as a clearance lamp by utilizing the light pattern displayed when it functions as a display device, or as a turn signal lamp by emitting a flashing amber light.

[0053] In the first to third embodiments, the present invention is applied to a high beam lamp as a lighting device, but the present invention is not limited to a high beam lamp, and other lamps may be integrated with the display device. The main light source may be an LD (laser diode) instead of an LED. Similarly, the auxiliary light source may be an LD of three colors. In addition, when it is not necessary to configure the display device as a color display device, the auxiliary light source may be an LED or LD of any single color. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 High beam lamp unit 2 Clearance lamp unit 3 Low beam lamp unit 4,4A,4B light source board 5,5A,5B Irradiation optical system 6 Light Emitting Control Device 41 Main light source (main LED: main light emitting element) 42 Secondary light source (secondary LED: secondary light emitting element) 50,50A Inner lens (irradiation optical system) 50B Multi-reflector (illumination optical system) 51 Primary Lens 52 Secondary Lens 100 Lamp housing 101 Lamp body 102 Outer Lens

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising a plurality of light-emitting elements and an illumination optical system that illuminates the light emitted from each of the light-emitting elements, the plurality of light-emitting elements including a plurality of main light-emitting elements that function as lamps and a plurality of sub-light-emitting elements that function as display devices, the main light-emitting elements and the sub-light-emitting elements being arranged in a required array on a plane and each of which has its own light emission control.

2. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the main light emitting element and the sub light emitting element are arranged in a matrix in a required area of ​​the light source substrate, or the main light emitting element and the sub light emitting element are integrally arranged in a matrix.

3. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein when the main light emitting element emits light, the light emitting optical system irradiates light with a required light distribution.

4. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the sub-light-emitting element is configured as a light-emitting element that emits light of different colors, and functions as a display device that forms a required display pattern when the sub-light-emitting element emits light.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination optical system includes a main lens that controls light from the main light-emitting element to a convergent state, and a secondary lens that controls light from the secondary light-emitting element to a divergent state.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the irradiation optical system includes a reflector that controls the light of the main light-emitting element to be in a convergent state and the light of the sub-light-emitting element to be in a divergent state.

7. A vehicle lighting fixture comprising: a lamp housing having at least an outer lens on a front side; and a lamp unit arranged within the lamp housing, the lamp unit comprising: a light source substrate having a plurality of main light-emitting elements and sub-light-emitting elements mounted on the same surface in a required arrangement; and an irradiation optical system arranged on the front side of the light source substrate for controlling the light emitted from the main light-emitting elements and the sub-light-emitting elements to a required luminous flux state and emitting the light through the outer lens, the light emission of the main light-emitting elements and the sub-light-emitting elements being controlled by a light emission control means, the lamp functioning as a lamp when the main light-emitting element is illuminated, and the lamp unit functioning as a display device when the sub-light-emitting element is illuminated.

8. 8. The vehicle lamp according to claim 7, which is mounted on a front grille of an automobile and functions as a lamp and a display device for the automobile.

9. 9. The vehicle lamp according to claim 8, which functions as a high beam lamp of an automobile.

10. 8. A vehicle lamp according to claim 7, which is disposed in the vicinity or adjacent to a low beam lamp of an automobile.

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