Vehicular lighting fixture

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting fixture that has a more novel appearance.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture 10 comprises: a light guide body comprising a first rod-like light guide part 22, a second rod-like light guide part 24 arranged separately from the first rod-like light guide part 22, and a planar light guide part 26 arranged so as to connect the first rod-like light guide part 22 and the second rod-like light guide part 24, and arranged so as to allow light from a light source to be incident thereon and emitted toward the front of the lighting fixture; and the light source comprising first and second light sources corresponding to the first and second rod-like light guide parts respectively. The planar light guide part 26 comprises: a first region 26a comprising a first step group 27 for mainly reflecting and emitting light from the first rod-like light guide part 22 to the front of the lighting fixture, and restraining light from the second rod-like light guide part 24 from being reflected and emitted to the front of the lighting fixture; and a second region 26b comprising a second step group 28 for mainly reflecting and emitting light from the second rod-like light guide part 24 to the front of the lighting fixture, and restraining light from the first rod-like light guide part 22 from being reflected and emitted to the front of the lighting fixture.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp, and more particularly to a vehicle lamp including a light guide.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a configuration of a vehicle lamp, there is known one including a light guide configured to allow light from a light source to be incident thereon and to be emitted forward of the lamp.

[0003] For example, the vehicle lamp described in Patent Document 1 includes first and second rod-shaped light guide portions disposed at positions spaced apart from each other, and a planar light guide portion disposed so as to connect the circumferential surfaces thereof. And a first light source disposed so as to allow light to be incident on an end surface of the first rod-shaped light guide portion, and a second light source disposed so as to allow light to be incident on an end surface of the second rod-shaped light guide portion, and the first and second light sources are configured to emit light in different colors from each other.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in recent years, in order to meet the needs of diversified designs, there has been a demand for the development of vehicle lamps that can provide a more novel appearance.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle lamp having a more novel appearance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present invention has the following configuration.

[0008] 1. A vehicle lamp comprising a light source and a light guide body arranged to receive light from the light source and emit it forward of the lamp. The light guide body has a first rod-shaped light guide portion, a second rod-shaped light guide portion arranged spaced apart from the first rod-shaped light guide portion, and a planar light guide portion arranged between the first rod-shaped light guide portion and the second rod-shaped light guide portion so as to connect the peripheral surfaces of the first rod-shaped light guide portion and the second rod-shaped light guide portion. The light source has first and second light sources corresponding to the first and second rod-shaped light guide portions respectively. The planar light guide portion mainly reflects light from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emits it forward of the lamp, and has at least one first region having a first step group formed such that the amount of light reflected from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and emitted forward of the lamp is less than the amount of light reflected from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emitted forward of the lamp, and at least one second region mainly reflecting light from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and emitting it forward of the lamp, and having a second step group formed such that the amount of light reflected from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emitted forward of the lamp is less than the amount of light reflected from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and emitted forward of the lamp.

[0009] 2. In the above aspect, it is also preferable that the planar light guide portion includes a plurality of the first regions and a plurality of the second regions, and the first regions and the second regions are alternately arranged in the extending direction of the first rod-shaped light guide portion.

[0010] 3. Also, in the aspects 1 and 2 above, each step of the first step group is a notch with a triangular cross-section having a first surface that reflects light from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emits it forward of the lamp, and a second surface that reflects light from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and emits it mainly outside the front of the lamp to suppress emission forward of the lamp. Each step of the second step group is preferably a notch with a triangular cross-section having a third surface that reflects light from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and emits it forward of the lamp, and a fourth surface that reflects light from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emits it mainly outside the front of the lamp to suppress emission forward of the lamp.

[0011] 4. Also, in the aspects 1 to 3 above, in the steps constituting the first step group, the depth of the notch of each step of the first step group gradually becomes shallower as it moves away from the first rod-shaped light guide portion, and in the steps constituting the second step group, the depth of the notch of each step of the second step group gradually becomes shallower as it moves away from the second rod-shaped light guide portion, which is also preferable.

[0012] 5. Also, in the aspects 1 to 4 above, the first rod-shaped light guide portion is provided with a third step group that emits light guided inside the first rod-shaped light guide portion forward of the lamp to form a main light distribution. It is also preferable that a light shielding member is provided in front of the second rod-shaped light guide portion to shield or attenuate the light emitted from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and directed forward.

[0013] 6. Also, in the aspects 1 to 5 above, at least one of the first light source or the second light source is configured to include a plurality of light sources aligned in the extending direction of the corresponding rod-shaped light guide portion. The corresponding rod-shaped light guide portion is configured as a branched light guide portion branched to receive light from the plurality of light sources, and it is also preferable that the plurality of light sources are controlled to be sequentially turned on and off.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the above aspect, it becomes possible to provide a vehicle lamp having a more novel appearance.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative rather than limiting the invention, and not all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention.

[0017] Note that, for convenience of explanation and drawing, the drawings may be partially simplified and shown, excluding the essential parts of the invention. Also, in this specification, directions such as front, rear, left, and right mean the directions in the state where the vehicle lamp is viewed from the front, unless otherwise specified. Further, in the description of the embodiments and modification examples, the same members are given the same names and reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

[0018] (Overall Configuration) FIG. 1 is a front view showing a vehicle lamp 10 (hereinafter also referred to as the lamp 10) according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lamp 10 taken along line II-II of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lamp 10 taken along line III-III of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a front-side perspective view of the light guide 20. First, the overall configuration of the lamp 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0019] The lamp 10 is a tail and stop lamp provided at the rear of the vehicle. Also, as will be described later, it can also function as a welcome lamp.

[0020] The lamp 10 generally includes a lamp body 2, a front cover 4, a light source 6 (the first light source 61 and the second light source 62 in FIG. 4) described later, and a light guide 20. The lamp body 2 is formed of, for example, an opaque resin and has a container shape that opens forward.

[0021] The opening of the lamp body 2 is formed smaller than the front shape of the lamp body 2. A front wall 2a is formed at the lower and right portions of the front end of the lamp body 2. The front cover 4 is a transparent cover made of a light-transmissive resin such as acrylic resin, methacrylic resin, or polycarbonate resin. In the illustrated example, it is colored red. The front cover 4 is attached so as to close the front end of the lamp body 2, and together with the lamp body 2, defines a lamp chamber 5. In the lighting fixture 10, a light guide 20 and a light source 6 for making light enter the light guide 20 are incorporated in the lamp chamber 5.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the light guide 20 includes a first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 extending in the left-right direction, a second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 disposed vertically spaced apart from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and extending substantially parallel to the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22, and a planar light guide portion 26 disposed between the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 so as to connect the circumferential surface 22a of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and the circumferential surface 24a of the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24. Both the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 have a cylindrical shape with the same diameter. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and they may be elliptical columnar or prismatic. Also, their diameters may be different. Also, it is not essential that the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 be substantially parallel, and they may be spaced apart.

[0023] The light guide 20 is formed of a red light-transmissive resin such as acrylic resin, methacrylic resin, or polycarbonate resin, and the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22, the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24, and the planar light guide portion 26 are integrally formed. Also, in the illustrated example, the light guide 20 has an inverted trapezoidal shape that follows the outer shape of the lighting fixture 10 when viewed from the front. The planar light guide portion 26 includes a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) first regions 26a and a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) second regions 26b. The first regions 26a and the second regions 26b have a shape of a substantially parallelogram that slopes toward the left when viewed from the front. Also, they are alternately arranged in the left-right direction, which is the extending direction of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24. The detailed configuration of the light guide 20 will be described later.

[0024] The first light source 61 and the second light source 62 are, for example, light emitting diodes (LEDs). As shown in FIG. 3, the first light source 61 is arranged on the inner wall of the lamp body 2 in the lamp chamber 5 such that its emission surface faces the right end surface of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22. That is, the right end surface is the incident surface 22b of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22. The light guide 20 is supported and fixed by support members 36, 38 attached to the inner wall of the lamp body 2. The second light source 62 is also arranged in a similar configuration so as to face the incident surface 24b of the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, behind the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 in the lamp chamber 5, a reflector 34 having a reflecting surface along the rear circumferential surface of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 is arranged. Also, between the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and the front cover 4, a flat inner lens 32 is arranged along the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22. The inner lens 32 is made of a light-transmissive resin such as acrylic resin, methacrylic resin, polycarbonate resin, etc., and in the illustrated example, it is colored red. The inner lens 32 has a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction, and when the lamp 10 is viewed from the front, the inner lens 32 hides the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and is visible through the front cover 4.

[0026] Also, the front wall 2a of the lamp body 2 is configured to hide the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24.

[0027] (Light guide 20) Next, the detailed configuration of the light guide 20 will be described. FIG. 4 is a front-side perspective view of the light guide 20 as described above. However, for the sake of drawing convenience, the third step group 23 is omitted. FIG. 5(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4 in the first region 26a, and FIG. 6(A) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 4 in the second region 26b.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5(A), a first step group 27 is formed in the first region 26a. In the illustrated example, in one first region 26a, in principle, in the first step group 27, six steps 271, 272, 27 3, 274, 275, 276 are arranged in three sets in the left - right direction. The number of steps, the number of sets, and the intervals are not limited to this and may be set arbitrarily.

[0029] Each step 271, 272, 273 ··· is formed as a substantially triangular - prism - shaped notch provided on the back surface of the planar light - guiding portion 26.

[0030] As an example, as shown in the enlarged view of step 271 in the left circle of FIG. 5(A), step 271 is configured to include a first surface 271a that is inclined with respect to the direction extending in the up - down direction of the planar light - guiding portion 26 in cross - section, and a second surface 271b that is substantially orthogonal to the direction extending in the up - down direction of the planar light - guiding portion 26. That is, the cross - section of each step is in a right - angled triangular shape. Here, the right - angled triangular shape does not necessarily have to be a perfect right - angled triangle, and it may be generally in a right - angled triangular shape. Also, the cross - section of each step is not limited to a right - angled triangular shape and may be a triangular shape having the optical functions described below. The same applies to the other steps in the first step group. Also, the depth of the notch of each step 271, 272, 273 ··· gradually becomes shallower as it moves away from the first rod - shaped light - guiding portion 22.

[0031] On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6(A), a second step group 28 is formed in the second region 26b. In the illustrated example, in one second region 26b, in principle, the second step group 28 has six steps 281, 282, 28 3, 284, 285, 286 arranged in three sets in the left - right direction from bottom to top. However, the number of steps, the number of sets, and the intervals are not limited to this, and can be set arbitrarily in the same way as in the first region 26a.

[0032] Each of the steps 281, 282, 283 ··· is also formed as a substantially triangular prism-shaped notch provided on the back surface of the planar light guide portion 26, similar to the first step group 27.

[0033] As a representative, as shown in an enlarged view of step 281 in FIG. 6(A), step 281 is configured to include, in cross-section, a third surface 281a that is inclined with respect to the direction extending in the vertical direction of the planar light guide portion 26, and a fourth surface 281b that is substantially orthogonal to the direction extending in the vertical direction of the planar light guide portion 26. Similar to the first step group 27, the cross-section of each step is in the shape of a right triangle. Here, the right triangle shape does not necessarily have to be a perfect right triangle, and it may be generally in the shape of a right triangle. Also, the cross-section of each step is not limited to the right triangle shape, and may be a triangular shape having the optical function described below. The same applies to the other steps. Also, the depth of the notch of each of the steps 281, 282, 283 ··· gradually becomes shallower as it moves away from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24.

[0034] In the illustrated example, each of the steps 271, 272, 273 ··· of the first step group 27 and each of the steps 281, 282, 283 ··· of the second step group 28 are arranged at the same position in the vertical direction and are arranged to be line-symmetrical with respect to the center line in the vertical direction in cross-sectional view. This is not particularly essential, but being line-symmetrical with respect to the center line is advantageous in terms of reducing the labor in the design of the mold and the like.

[0035] On the back surface of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22, a third step group 23 is formed that reflects the light guided inside the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emits it toward the front of the lamp. The shape of each step of the third step group 23 is not particularly limited, and known optical steps such as dot engraving and notches can be adopted as long as it has the function of emitting the incident light forward. Providing the third step group 23 is not essential, but if provided, the light guided by the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 can be efficiently utilized.

[0036] (Function of the light guide 20) Next, the function of the light guide 20 will be described. FIGS. 5(B) and 6(B) are cross-sectional views of the first region 26a and the second region 26b, respectively, which are the same as FIGS. 5(A) and 6(A), and show a state in which only the first light source 61 is lit. Further, FIG. 7(A) is a front-side perspective view of the light guide 20 in the same state, and FIG. 8(A) is a front view of the luminaire 10 in the same state. FIGS. 5(C), 6(C), 7(B), and 8(B) are diagrams similarly showing a state in which only the second light source 62 is lit. FIGS. 5(D), 6(D), 7(C), and 8(C) are diagrams similarly showing a state in which the first and second light sources 61 and 62 are lit. Note that the hatched portions in FIGS. 7(A) to 7(C) and FIGS. 8(A) to 8(C) indicate the portions where the light shines, and the density of the hatches reflects the intensity of the light.

[0037] First, the first region 26a will be described. When the first light source 61 is lit, as shown in FIG. 3, the light L1 from the first light source 61 enters from the incident surface 22b of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and is guided in the axial direction while being internally reflected within the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22. A part of the light guided within the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 is reflected by the third step group 23 and becomes the light L1a emitted forward.

[0038] Also, although not shown, a part of the light guided within the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 may be emitted radially outward from a region other than the region where the third step group 23 of the circumferential surface 22a is formed. These lights are reflected by the reflector 34 disposed behind the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and emitted forward. The light L1a emitted forward from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 is emitted forward of the luminaire 10 through the inner lens 32 and the front cover 4.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 5(B), among the light L1 traveling through the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22, the light L1b incident on the planar light guide portion 26 is guided along the planar light guide portion 26 toward the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24. At this time, the light L1b incident on step 271 is reflected by the first surface 271a and becomes the light L1c emitted forward of the lamp 10. In this way, the first surface 271a is configured to reflect the light from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and emit it forward of the lamp. The same applies to steps 272 to 276.

[0040] Incidentally, the depth of the notch of each of steps 271 to 276 gradually becomes shallower as it moves away from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22. For this reason, the light L1c reflected and emitted forward at each of steps 271 to 276 becomes weaker as it moves away from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22.

[0041] On the other hand, when the second light source 62 is turned on, although not shown in the figure, the light from the second light source 62 is incident from the incident surface 24b at the right end of the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 and is guided in the axial direction while undergoing total internal reflection within the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24. A part of the light guided within the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 becomes the light L2a emitted radially outward from the peripheral surface 24a of the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24. As shown in Fig. 2, a front wall 2a of the lamp body 2 is formed in front of the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24. In this embodiment, the front wall 2a functions as a light-shielding member that blocks or suppresses the direct light distribution from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24, and shields or suppresses the forward emission of the light L2a that becomes the direct light distribution from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24.

[0042] Then, as shown in FIG. 5(C), in the first region 26a, among the light traveling in the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24, the light L2b that has entered the planar light guide portion 26 is guided along the planar light guide portion 26 toward the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22. At this time, the light L2b that enters step 271 is reflected by the second surface 271b. However, since the second surface 271b is substantially orthogonal to the vertical extending direction of the planar light guide portion 26, the incident light L2b is emitted to the outside other than the front, such as inside the planar light guide portion 26, and the emission of the light to the front of the lamp 10 is suppressed. The same applies to steps 272 to 276.

[0043] Therefore, when both the first and second light sources 61 and 62 are lit, as shown in FIG. 5(D), in the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22, the light L1 traveling inside the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 is reflected by the third step group 23 and emitted forward (light L1a). In the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24, the light traveling inside the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 is emitted radially from the circumferential surface 24a (light L2a). In the first region 26a of the planar light guide portion 26, the light L1b incident from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 is reflected by the first step group 27 and emitted forward of the lamp (light L1c).

[0044] The light L2b incident from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 is reflected by the first step group 27 but is emitted to the outside other than the front. Therefore, in the first region 26a, the amount of the light L1b from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 that is reflected and emitted forward of the lamp 10 and the amount of the light L2 from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 that is reflected and emitted forward of the lamp 10 are less than the amount of the light reflected from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and emitted forward of the lamp 10.

[0045] Next, the second region 26b will be described. When the first light source 61 is lit, as described above, the light L1 incident on the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 is reflected by the third step group 23 and becomes the light L1a emitted forward. The remaining portion of the light L1 travels inside the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and enters the planar light guide portion 26 (light L1b).

[0046] As shown in FIG. 6(B), in the second region 26b, the incident light L1b is guided along the planar light guide portion 26 toward the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24. At this time, the light L2b incident on step 281 is reflected by the fourth surface 281b and mainly becomes the light L1c that is emitted in a direction toward the inside of the planar light guide portion 26. That is, since the fourth surface 281b is orthogonal to the vertical extending direction of the planar light guide portion 26, the incident light L2b is emitted outside the front of the lamp 10, and the emission of the light L2b to the front of the lamp 10 is suppressed. The same applies to steps 282 to 286.

[0047] When the second light source 62 is turned on, as described above, part of the light incident on the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 is internally reflected and becomes the light L2a that is emitted outward from the peripheral surface 24a.

[0048] The remaining part of the light is guided in the axial direction while being internally reflected inside the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 and is incident on the planar light guide portion 26. As shown in FIG. 6(C), in the second region 26b, the light L2b incident on the planar light guide portion 26 is guided along the planar light guide portion 26 toward the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22. The light incident on step 281 at this time is reflected by the third surface 281a and is emitted forward of the lamp 10. That is, the third surface 281a is configured to reflect the light L2b from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 and emit it forward of the lamp 10. The same applies to steps 282 to 286.

[0049] As a result, when both the first and second light sources 61 and 62 are turned on, as shown in FIG. 6(D), in the second region 26b, mainly the light L2b from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 is reflected and emitted forward of the lamp 10, and the amount of the light L1b from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 that is reflected and emitted forward of the lamp 10 is less than the amount of the light from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 that is reflected and emitted forward of the lamp 10.

[0050] As a result, when only the first light source 61 is lit, as shown in FIG. 7(A), the light guide 20 emits light from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22, causing the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 to glow brightly and the portion of the first step group 27 in the first region 26a (reference numerals are omitted in the figure and will be the same hereinafter in FIG. 7) to glow slightly brighter. The intensity of the light in the portion of the first step group 27 decreases as it moves away from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22. On the other hand, the second region 26b does not glow.

[0051] At this time, as shown in FIG. 8(A), in the lighting fixture 10, the portion of the inner lens 32 glows brightly. Also, the first region 26a glows slightly brighter with a brightness that gradually weakens downward toward the position where the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 is arranged in a stripe pattern corresponding to the first step group 27, while the portion of the second region 26b does not glow. In this way, the emitted light L1a from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 constitutes the main light distribution of the lighting fixture 10.

[0052] Also, as shown in FIG. 7(B), when only the second light source 62 is lit, the light guide 20 emits light from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24, causing the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 to glow slightly brighter and the portion of the second step group 28 in the second region 26b to glow slightly brighter. The intensity of the light in the portion of the second step group 28 decreases as it moves away from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24. On the other hand, the first region 26a does not glow.

[0053] At this time, as shown in FIG. 8(B), in the lighting fixture 10, the portion of the inner lens 32 does not glow or glows faintly due to the light incident from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 through the planar light guide portion 26. Also, the second region 26b, which glows slightly brighter with a brightness that gradually weakens upward toward the position where the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 is arranged in a stripe pattern corresponding to the second step group 28, and the non-glowing first region 26a exhibit an alternating stripe pattern.

[0054] When both the first and second light sources 61 and 62 are lit, as shown in FIG. 7(C), the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 emits bright light due to the light L1a, and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 emits slightly bright light due to the light L2a. Further, in the planar light guide portion 26, the portion of the first step group 27 in the first region 26a emits slightly bright red light, and the portion of the second step group in the second region 26b emits slightly bright red light.

[0055] At this time, as shown in FIG. 8(C), the inner lens 32 of the luminaire 10 emits bright light. Also, the first region 26a emits light with a brightness that gradually weakens downward toward the position where the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 is arranged in a stripe pattern corresponding to the first step group 27, and the second region 26b emits light with a brightness that gradually weakens upward toward the position where the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 is arranged in a horizontal stripe pattern corresponding to the second step group 28, presenting an alternate vertical stripe pattern. In this way, the emitted light L1a from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 constitutes the main light distribution of the luminaire 10.

[0056] In this way, when both the first light source 61 and the second light source 62 are lit, the light emitted forward from the first rod-shaped light guide portion is the strongest and constitutes the main light distribution of the luminaire 10. On the other hand, the light emitted from the planar light guide portion 26 constitutes a decorative indirect light distribution.

[0057] FIG. 9 shows an example of the lighting and extinguishing control of the luminaire 10. In the example of FIG. 9, first, the first light source is lit so that the light amount changes from 0% to 100% from 0 seconds (s) to 1 second. Next, from 1 second to 2 seconds, the first light source is gradually extinguished so that the light amount changes from 100% to 0%, and at the same time, the second light source is gradually lit so that the light amount changes from 0% to 100%. Then, from 2 seconds to 3 seconds, the first light source 61 is gradually lit again so that the light amount changes from 0% to 100%, and the second light source remains lit.

[0058] Thus, from 0 seconds to 1 second, it changes from the off state to the state shown in FIG. 8(A), from 1 second to 2 seconds, it changes from the state of FIG. 8(A) to the state of FIG. 8(B), and from 2 seconds to 3 seconds, it changes from the state of FIG. 8(B) to the state of FIG. 8(C). By performing such lighting control, it becomes possible to express a novel appearance in which the light emission pattern changes.

[0059] In this way, during driving, both the first light source 61 and the second light source 62 are lit to make the inner lens 32 part shine brightly, and it functions as a tail lamp in which the first region and the second region shine slightly brightly. When stopped, by performing the above-described changing lighting control, it is possible to provide a lighting fixture that functions as, for example, a welcome lamp during keyless entry.

[0060] As described above, the lighting fixture 10 according to the present embodiment has a configuration including a light guide 20 including first and second rod-shaped light guide parts 22 and 24 arranged apart from each other and a planar light guide part 26 arranged therebetween. In addition, first and second light sources 61 and 62 corresponding to the first and second rod-shaped light guide parts 22 and 24 are provided respectively. As a result, a first region 26a that mainly emits the light L1b from the first rod-shaped light guide part 22 forward of the lighting fixture 10 and suppresses the emission of the light from the second rod-shaped light guide part forward of the lighting fixture 10, and a first region 26a that suppresses the emission of the light L1b from the first rod-shaped light guide part 22 forward of the lighting fixture 10 and emits the light L2b from the second rod-shaped light guide part 24 mainly forward of the lighting fixture 10 By providing a second region 26b, it is possible to freely control the lighting and extinguishing of the divided regions in the planar light guide part 26 by separately controlling the lighting and extinguishing of the first light source 61 corresponding to the first rod-shaped light guide part 22 and the second light source 62. Therefore, it is possible to provide a vehicle lighting fixture with a new appearance due to a new configuration.

[0061] In particular, since a plurality of first regions 26a and a plurality of second regions 26b are provided and arranged alternately, it is possible to provide a lighting fixture with a new appearance in which the first regions 26a and the second regions 26b capable of individually controlling lighting and extinguishing are arranged in a striped pattern in the extending direction of the first rod-shaped light guide part 22 and the second rod-shaped light guide part 24.

[0062] Also, in the lighting fixture 10 according to the present embodiment, a first step group 27 for mainly emitting the light L1b from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 forward of the lighting fixture 10 and suppressing the emission of the light L2b from the second rod-shaped light guide portion forward of the lighting fixture 10 is made smaller (the depth of the notch is shallower) as it moves away from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22. Even if it is not configured in this way, as it moves away from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22, the light in the planar light guide portion 26 becomes weaker, but by being configured in this way, the gradation that becomes weaker as it moves away from the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 is emphasized. The same applies to the second step group 28. In this way, by making the first step group 27 and the second step group 28 smaller as they move away from the corresponding rod-shaped light guide portions 22, 24, it is possible to provide a new-looking lighting fixture that exhibits a lighting state with emphasized gradation.

[0063] In the lighting fixture 10, one first light source 61 for making light enter the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and one second light source 62 for making light enter the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 are provided respectively. However, it is not limited to this, and a configuration in which two first light sources 61 and two second light sources 62 are provided with both end faces of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24 as incident surfaces may be adopted. Alternatively, a configuration in which one of the first light source 61 and the second light source 62 is arranged as one and the other is arranged as two may be adopted. In this way, it is possible to increase the amount of light.

[0064] Also, in the above lighting fixture 10, as the light shielding member, the front wall 2a of the lamp body 2 is configured to shield the light emitted from the peripheral surface 24a of the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24. However, the light shielding member does not need to completely block the directly distributed light from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24, and it is sufficient as long as it blocks or suppresses it. For this purpose, the front wall 2a may have discrete light passing windows.

[0065] In addition, the following modifications may be made to the present embodiment. Note that the following modifications can be combined among the above embodiment and each modification example.

[0066] (Modification Example 1) FIG. 10 is a front view of the lighting fixture 100 according to Modification Example 1, showing a state in which the first light source 61 and the second light source 62 are lit.

[0067] The lighting fixture 100 generally has the same configuration as the lighting fixture 10, but the shape of the lighting fixture when viewed from the front, the shape of the light guide 120 following it, and the number and shape of the first region 126a and the second region 126b are different.

[0068] Specifically, the shape of the lighting fixture when viewed from the front is a rectangle that is slightly longer in the left - right direction. Therefore, the light guide 120 is also rectangular. And the first region 126a and the second region 126b are each provided one by one and are rectangles that bisect the planar light - guiding portion 126. Although illustration is omitted, the first step group 27 and the second step group 28 are respectively provided in the first regions 126a and 126b.

[0069] Thus, the number and shape of the first region 126a and the second region 126b are not particularly limited. As long as at least one of each is provided, it is possible to achieve the same effect as in the above - described embodiment.

[0070] (Modification Example 2) FIG. 11 is a cross - sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 of the lighting fixture 10 of the lighting fixture 200 according to Modification Example 2. The lighting fixture 200 has a configuration that is generally equivalent in shape and function to the lighting fixture 10. However, the light guide 20 has the first rod - shaped light - guiding portion 22, the second rod - shaped light - guiding portion 24, and the planar light - guiding portion 26 integrally formed, while the light guide 220 is different in that the first rod - shaped light - guiding portion 222, the second rod - shaped light - guiding portion 224, and the planar light - guiding portion 226 are separately configured.

[0071] However, even when the first rod - shaped light - guiding portion 222, the second rod - shaped light - guiding portion 224, and the planar light - guiding portion 226 are separately configured, the light control in each light - guiding portion is generally configured in the same way. Thus, the light guide 220 is not limited to being integrally formed and may be separately configured.

[0072] In addition, in the lighting fixture 10, the opening of the lamp body 2 is smaller than the front shape of the lamp body 2, and the lamp body 2 includes a front wall 2a that functions as a light shielding member, while the front end portion of the lamp body 202 is different in that it opens with the same dimensions as the outer shape of the lamp body 202. Further, a transparent front cover 204 is attached so as to close the opening of the lamp body 202 from the front and covers the entire front surface of the lighting fixture 200. And the lighting fixture 200 includes a flat light shielding member 39 in front of the second rod-shaped light guide portion 224 in the lamp chamber 5.

[0073] The light shielding member 39 is formed of, for example, a light-absorbing resin and suppresses or shields the light emitted from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 224. In this way, even with a configuration in which the light shielding member 39 is provided in the lamp chamber 5 instead of the front wall 2a of the lamp body 2, it is possible to shield or suppress the forward emission of the light L2a that is direct light distribution from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 24, similar to the front wall 2a.

[0074] Regarding the modification of the light guide 220 and the modification of the light shielding member 39 according to this modification example, they are independent and can be separately combined with the embodiments and each modification example.

[0075] (Modification Example 3) FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view near the first rod-shaped light guide portion 322 of the lighting fixture 300 according to Modification Example 3 and is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3. The lighting fixture 300 generally has a configuration equivalent to that of the lighting fixture 10.

[0076] However, while the incident surface 22b of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 22 of the lighting fixture 10 is the right end surface, in the first rod-shaped light guide portion 322, the end surface of the branch light guide portion 322c provided corresponding to the first region 26a of the planar light guide portion 26 continuous with the first rod-shaped light guide portion 322 is the incident surface 322b. For this reason, for example, the first light source 61 which is an LED 1, 61 2、The first light sources 611 to 613 are provided on the rear wall, not on the right inner wall, of the lamp chamber 5, in the same number as the incident surfaces, with their emission surfaces facing the incident surface 322b. The first light sources 611 to 613 are controlled by a control unit (not shown) to turn on and off sequentially. That is, the first light sources 611 to 613 are controlled to turn on and off in sequence.

[0077] 13(A) to 13(C) are front perspective views of the light guide 320, where FIG. 13(A) shows the state in which the first light source 611 is lit, FIG. 13(B) shows the state in which the first light source 612 is lit, and FIG. 13(C) shows the state in which the first light source 613 is lit.

[0078] 13(A), when first light source 611 is turned on, light enters light guide 320 from incident surface 322b of branch light guide 322c corresponding to first light source 611, causing a portion of first rod-shaped light guide 322 corresponding to first light source 611 and first region 26a to illuminate. Also, as shown in Fig. 13(B), when first light source 612 is turned on, light enters light guide 320 from incident surface 322b of branch light guide 322c corresponding to first light source 612, causing a portion of first rod-shaped light guide 322 corresponding to first light source 612 and first region 26a to illuminate. Also, as shown in Figure 13(C), when the light source 613 is turned on, light enters the light guide 320 from the incident surface 322b of the branched light guide 322c corresponding to the first light source 613, causing the part of the first rod-shaped light guide 322 corresponding to the first light source 613 and the first region 26a to light up.

[0079] When the first light sources 611 to 613 are controlled to light up sequentially, bright light shines in the first rod-shaped light guide 322 and slightly bright light shines in the first region 26a in the order of Figures 13(A), 13(B), and 13(C), moving in the extension direction of the first rod-shaped light guide (from right to left), and at the same time, the light shines in a gradation that becomes weaker as it moves away from the first rod-shaped light guide, thereby providing a lighting fixture 300 with a new appearance that gives a novel impression. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 10,100,200,300: Vehicle lighting device 6: Light source 61,611,61 2, 613: First light source 62: Second light source 20,120,220,320: Light guide 22,122,222,322: First rod-shaped light guide portion 22a: Peripheral surface 23: Third step group 24,124,224: Second rod-shaped light guide portion 24a: Peripheral surface 26,126,226: Planar light guide portion 26a,126a: First region 26b,126b: Second region 27: First step group 271a: First surface 271b: Second surface 28: Second step group 281a: Third surface 281b: Fourth surface 39: Light-shielding member 322c: Branch light guide portion

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising a light source and a light guide disposed to receive light from the light source and emit it forward of the lamp, wherein the light guide has a first rod-shaped light guide portion, a second rod-shaped light guide portion disposed spaced apart from the first rod-shaped light guide portion, and a planar light guide portion disposed between the first rod-shaped light guide portion and the second rod-shaped light guide portion to connect the circumferential surfaces of the first rod-shaped light guide portion and the second rod-shaped light guide portion, the light source has a first light source and a second light source corresponding to each of the first and second rod-shaped light guide portions, the planar light guide portion, has at least one first region having a first step group formed to mainly reflect light from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emit it forward of the lamp, and the amount of light reflected from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and emitted forward of the lamp is less than the amount of light reflected from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emitted forward of the lamp, and has at least one second region having a second step group formed to mainly reflect light from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and emit it forward of the lamp, and the amount of light reflected from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emitted forward of the lamp is less than the amount of light reflected from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and emitted forward of the lamp. A vehicle lamp characterized by comprising the above.

2. The planar light guide portion includes a plurality of the first regions and a plurality of the second regions, and the vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first region and the second region are alternately arranged in the extending direction of the first rod-shaped light guide portion.

3. Each step of the first step group is a notch having a triangular cross-section and having a first surface that reflects light from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and emits it forward of the lamp, and a second surface that reflects light from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and mainly emits it outside the forward of the lamp to suppress the emission forward of the lamp, and each step of the second step group is a notch having a triangular cross-section and having a third surface that reflects light from the second rod-shaped light guide portion and emits it forward of the lamp, and a fourth surface that reflects light from the first rod-shaped light guide portion and mainly emits it outside the forward of the lamp to suppress the emission forward of the lamp. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that it is like this.

4. The steps constituting the first step group are such that the depth of the notch of each step of the first step group gradually becomes shallower as the distance from the first rod-shaped light guide part increases. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the steps constituting the second step group are such that the depth of the notch of each step of the second step group gradually becomes shallower as the distance from the second rod-shaped light guide part increases.

5. The first rod-shaped light guide part is provided with a third step group that emits light toward the front of the lamp with the light guided within the first rod-shaped light guide part, thereby forming a main light distribution. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a light shielding member for shielding or attenuating the light emitted from the second rod-shaped light guide part and traveling forward is provided in front of the second rod-shaped light guide part.

6. At least one of the first light source or the second light source is configured to include a plurality of light sources aligned in the extending direction of the corresponding rod-shaped light guide part. The corresponding rod-shaped light guide part is configured as a branched light guide part branched so as to receive light from the plurality of light sources. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of light sources are controlled to be turned on and off sequentially.

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