Movable body and passenger compartment internal lighting device
The vehicle interior lighting device addresses glare issues by using a light attenuation unit to block direct light from the lens, ensuring occupant comfort and privacy through controlled light distribution.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024087417
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-11
AI Technical Summary
Illumination lights in vehicles can cause glare to occupants, disrupting their comfort and privacy.
A vehicle interior lighting device equipped with a light source, lens, housing, and a light attenuation unit that blocks or attenuates light directed towards the occupants' faces, using a translucent optical member to control light distribution and a light-blocking unit to prevent glare.
The solution effectively suppresses glare and maintains occupant comfort and privacy by reducing direct light exposure to the face, allowing for comfortable and private environments in vehicles.
Smart Images

Figure 2025180236000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle such as an automobile and a vehicle interior lighting device. [Background technology]
[0002] In recent years, the interior of a vehicle such as an automobile is expected to be an environment that passengers can feel comfortable in. In particular, in the future, automated driving technology will enable passengers, including the driver, to engage in various activities unrelated to driving while the vehicle is in motion, so the interior of the vehicle will need to be a living space that is easier to use and more comfortable.
[0003] Therefore, a technique has been proposed in the past in which a lighting device is installed in the interior of an automobile and the brightness and color of the illumination light emitted from the lighting device are changed to create a space within the interior of the automobile (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-18953 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] However, when the lighting device is turned on inside the vehicle, the illumination light is irradiated onto the faces of the occupants, which may cause glare to the occupants.
[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has an object to provide an automobile and an interior lighting device that can reduce glare felt by occupants. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the moving body according to the present invention comprises a vehicle and an interior lighting device installed in the interior of the vehicle, the interior lighting device having a light source, a lens that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source, a housing that contains the lens and has an opening through which the light emitted from the lens passes, and a light attenuation unit that attenuates light emitted from the light source and directed toward the faces of occupants in the interior of the vehicle.
[0008] Furthermore, one aspect of the vehicle interior lighting device according to the present invention is an interior lighting device installed in a vehicle interior, and includes a light source, a lens that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source, a housing that contains the lens, and a light attenuation unit that attenuates light directed from the vehicle interior lighting device toward the faces of occupants in the vehicle interior. [Effects of the Invention]
[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress glare felt by occupants. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of the automobile according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the automobile according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of the lighting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the optical action of the lens in the lighting device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a top view of the automobile according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a front view of the lighting device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the optical action of the lens in the lighting device according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concept of the present invention will be described as optional components.
[0012] The drawings are schematic diagrams and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Therefore, the scales of the drawings are not necessarily the same. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote substantially the same components, and redundant explanations will be omitted or simplified.
[0013] In this specification, "forward" refers to the direction of travel when the vehicle is moving forward, "rearward" refers to the direction of travel when the vehicle is moving backward, the direction to the right (right side) when the vehicle is moving forward is the "right direction", the direction to the left (left direction) when the vehicle is moving forward is the "left direction", the ceiling side of the vehicle is the "above" or "upper side", and the floor side of the vehicle is the "below" or "lower side". Note that in this specification, the terms "above" and "below" do not refer to the up direction (vertically upward) and down direction (vertically downward) in absolute spatial recognition, but may be used as terms defined by relative positional relationships.
[0014] (Embodiment 1) An automobile 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a top view of the automobile 1 according to the first embodiment, and Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the automobile 1.
[0015] 1 and 2, an automobile 1 includes a vehicle 2 and a lighting device 3 installed in the vehicle 2. The vehicle 2 and the lighting device 3 form an interior lighting system.
[0016] The automobile 1 is an example of a moving body and includes a vehicle 2 having a passenger compartment 2a. The passenger compartment 2a in the vehicle 2 is made up of a plurality of interior lining members. The passenger compartment 2a has a ceiling 10, a floor 20, a pillar trim 30, and a door trim 40 as the plurality of interior lining members.
[0017] The automobile 1 has a front door 51 and a rear door 52. By opening or closing the front door 51 or the rear door 52, passengers can get into or out of the vehicle interior 2a. Each of the front door 51 and the rear door 52 is provided with a window glass.
[0018] The vehicle interior 2a is provided with seats 60 where passengers sit. Specifically, the vehicle interior 2a is provided with a plurality of seats 60, including a front seat 61 and a rear seat 62. The front seat 61 is a front seat provided in the front of the vehicle interior 2a, and includes a driver's seat 61a where the driver sits, and a passenger seat 61b located next to the driver's seat 61a. In this embodiment, since the steering wheel is provided on the right side, the driver's seat 61a is located on the right side, and the passenger seat 61b is located on the left side. The rear seat 62 is a rear seat provided at the rear of the vehicle interior 2a. The rear seat 62 can accommodate two or three passengers.
[0019] 1 shows a state in which three occupants U are riding in the automobile 1. Specifically, occupant U1, who is the driver, is seated in the driver's seat 61a, and occupants U2 and U3 are seated in the rear seat 62. Occupant U2 is seated in the rear seat 62 located behind the driver's seat 61a, and occupant U3 is seated in the rear seat 62 located behind the passenger seat 61b. An occupant may also be seated in the passenger seat 61b.
[0020] The ceiling 10 is a roof trim. Specifically, the ceiling 10 is a headlining. The ceiling 10 is fixed to the roof 2b of the vehicle 2. In this case, the ceiling 10 may be directly attached to the inner surface of the roof 2b, or may be installed by being suspended from the roof 2b.
[0021] The floor 20 is a floor trim. Specifically, the floor 20 is a floor carpet fixed to a frame that constitutes the body framework of the vehicle 2 (automobile 1). Although not shown, a floor mat is laid on the floor 20.
[0022] The pillar trim 30 is made up of multiple pillars. Specifically, the pillar trim 30 has an A-pillar 31, which is a front pillar provided next to the windshield, and a B-pillar 32, which is a central pillar provided between the front seat 61 and the rear seat 62. The pillar trim 30 may further have a C-pillar and a D-pillar provided diagonally behind the rear seat 62.
[0023] The door trim 40 is a lining member that covers the door panels of the front door 51 and the rear door 52. The door trim 40, which constitutes the inner surface of the front door 51 and the rear door 52, is fabricated with an uneven portion (uneven structure) having an uneven shape. One or more functional parts are provided in the uneven portion of the door trim 40. Specifically, the uneven portion of the door trim 40 is provided with an armrest, an operation switch (operation button), a cup holder, a door handle, and a storage space as the functional parts. The operation switch is, for example, an opening / closing switch for opening and closing the window glass. Note that the front door 51 of the driver's seat 61a is provided with various switches other than the opening / closing switch as operation buttons.
[0024] The lighting device 3 is an interior lighting device installed in the passenger compartment 2a of the vehicle 2. In this embodiment, the lighting device 3 is installed on the ceiling 10 in the passenger compartment 2a. Specifically, the lighting device 3 is installed on the ceiling 10 above the passenger seat 61b. Illumination light emitted from the lighting device 3 serves as light that illuminates the space in the passenger compartment 2a.
[0025] Here, a detailed structure of the lighting device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting device 3 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a front view of the lighting device 3 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Fig. 4.
[0026] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the lighting device 3 is a lighting fixture that emits illumination light, and includes a light source 100, a lens 200, a housing 300, and a light attenuating unit 400.
[0027] The light source 100 is, for example, an LED light source configured by a light emitting diode (LED), and therefore the lighting device 3 is an LED lighting device.
[0028] The light source 100 is, for example, a white LED light source that emits white light. As an example, the light source 100 is a COB (Chip On Board) type LED module that includes a substrate, an LED chip mounted on the substrate, and a sealing member that seals the LED chip.
[0029] The substrate is a mounting substrate for mounting the LED chip, and may be, for example, a ceramic substrate, a resin substrate, or a metal-based substrate. The substrate is provided with a pair of electrode terminals for receiving DC power from an external source to cause the LED chip to emit light, and metal wiring for supplying DC power to the LED chip. The electrode terminals are electrically connected to a power supply circuit by an electric wire. The power supply circuit may be, for example, built into the lighting device 3 or disposed externally to the lighting device 3.
[0030] An LED chip is an example of a semiconductor light-emitting device that emits light using a predetermined DC power, and is a bare chip that emits monochromatic visible light. Specifically, the LED chip is a blue LED chip that emits blue light when powered. One or more LED chips are arranged on a substrate, for example, and are electrically connected to each other by metal wiring formed on the substrate.
[0031] The sealing member is, for example, a translucent resin. The sealing member in this embodiment contains a phosphor as a wavelength conversion material that converts the wavelength of light from the LED chip. The sealing member is, for example, a phosphor-containing resin in which a phosphor is dispersed in a silicone resin. When the LED chip is a blue LED chip, for example, a YAG-based yellow phosphor can be used as the phosphor particles to obtain white light. As a result, the yellow phosphor absorbs a portion of the blue light emitted by the blue LED chip, becomes excited, and emits yellow light. This yellow light then mixes with the blue light not absorbed by the yellow phosphor to become white light, which is then emitted from the sealing member (light-emitting portion).
[0032] In addition, when multiple LED chips are mounted on the substrate, the sealing member may be formed to seal all of the LED chips together, or may seal multiple LED chips in a line by row, or may seal each LED chip individually.
[0033] Furthermore, the light source 100 is not limited to a COB-type LED module. For example, the light source 100 may be an LED module with a surface-mount device (SMD) structure in which one or more SMD-type LED elements are mounted on a substrate. In this case, the LED elements are individually packaged SMD-type LED light sources, and include a white resin or ceramic container (package) with a recess, one or more LED chips primarily mounted on the bottom of the recess, and a sealing member filled in the recess and sealing the LED chips. The sealing member is made of a translucent resin material such as silicone resin. When the LED chip is a blue LED chip, a phosphor-containing resin containing a wavelength conversion material such as a phosphor is used as the sealing member. This allows the LED element to emit white light.
[0034] Lens 200 is a translucent optical member that controls the light distribution of incident light. In this embodiment, light emitted by light source 100 is incident on lens 200, and therefore lens 200 controls the light distribution of light emitted from light source 100. Specifically, lens 200 is a condensing lens that condenses light emitted from light source 100.
[0035] The lens 200 is disposed in front of the light source 100. Specifically, the lens 200 is disposed on the light emission side of the light source 100 with a predetermined distance therebetween. Therefore, the lens 200 controls the light distribution of the light that is emitted from the light source 100 and enters the lens 200. It is preferable that the optical axis (lens axis) of the lens 200 coincides with the optical axis of the light source 100.
[0036] The lens 200 is formed in a predetermined shape so as to have a predetermined lens function. The lens 200 is formed using a light-transmitting material. Specifically, the lens 200 is made of a transparent material such as a transparent resin material, such as acrylic or polycarbonate, or a transparent material, such as glass.
[0037] The lens 200 has a light incident surface 200a onto which light from the light source 100 is incident, and a light exit surface 200b from which the light incident on the lens 200 exits.
[0038] The lens 200 has an annular protrusion 210 that protrudes toward the light source 100, and a main body 220 that is located on the opposite side of the protrusion 210 from the light source 100. Both the protrusion 210 and the main body 220 control the light distribution of light emitted from the light source 100. Therefore, the light emitted from the light source 100 is incident on both the protrusion 210 and the main body 220.
[0039] The protrusion 210 is provided on the outer periphery of the main body 220. The protrusion 210 is annular, and is provided so as to surround the light source 100 when viewed in the direction of the optical axis of the light source 100. In other words, the annular protrusion 210 is provided so as to surround the optical axis of the light source 100. In this embodiment, the protrusion 210 has a substantially triangular shape in a cross-sectional view, and tapers toward the light source 100.
[0040] Furthermore, by forming the protrusion 210 on the lens 200, a recess is formed in the lens 200. This recess is formed so as to recess in a direction away from the light source 100. The recess formed by the protrusion 210 exists in a position facing the light source 100. Light emitted from the light source 100 is incident on this recess.
[0041] The inner surface of the protrusion 210 is a light incident surface 210a onto which light from the light source 100 is incident, and constitutes part of the inner surface of the recess. The light incident surface 210a of this protrusion 210 is part of the light incident surface 200a of the lens 200. On the other hand, the outer surface of the protrusion 210 is a light reflecting surface 210b (total reflection surface) that totally reflects the light that has entered the protrusion 210 from the light incident surface 210a. The tip of the protrusion 210 constitutes a connection between the light incident surface 210a and the light reflecting surface 210b. The light incident surface 210a and the light reflecting surface 210b are inclined with respect to the optical axis of the light source 100.
[0042] The main body 220 is a lens body and includes the optical axis of the light source 100. The optical axis of the main body 220 coincides with the optical axis of the light source 100. The main body 220 is a condensing lens that condenses incident light. In other words, the main body 220 condenses the light emitted from the light source 100. Specifically, the main body 220 condenses the light of the light source 100 that is incident from the inner surface of the recess formed by the protrusion 210.
[0043] The surface of the main body 220 facing the light source 100 is a light incident surface 220a onto which light from the light source 100 is incident, and constitutes part of the inner surface of the recess. This light incident surface 220a of the main body 220 is part of the light incident surface 200a of the lens 200. The light incident surface 220a is curved in a convex shape toward the light source 100 side, but is not limited to this. For example, the light incident surface 220a may be a flat surface. The light incident surface 200a of the lens 200 is constituted by the light incident surface 210a of the protrusion 210 and the light incident surface 220a of the main body 220.
[0044] The surface of main body 220 opposite to light source 100 is light exit surface 220b from which light that has entered main body 220 from light incident surface 220a exits. In this embodiment, light exit surface 220b of main body 220 is light exit surface 200b of lens 200.
[0045] As shown in Fig. 3, the housing 300 contains the lens 200. That is, the lens 200 is stored in the housing 300. The lens 200 is fixed to the housing 300. Therefore, the housing 300 functions as a lens holder. In this embodiment, the housing 300 is an outer member that constitutes the outer shell of the lighting device 3.
[0046] The housing 300 has an opening 310 through which light emitted from the lens 200 passes. Specifically, the housing 300 is a cylindrical body having the opening 310. The opening 310 is formed on the front end surface of the housing 300. In this embodiment, the housing 300 is cylindrical. Therefore, the shape of the opening 310 in a plan view is circular. Note that the cylindrical axis of the housing 300 and the lens axis of the lens 200 coincide with each other.
[0047] The housing 300 may be made of a metal material or a resin material. The inner surface of the housing 300 is preferably black. This allows the light incident on the inner surface of the housing 300 to be absorbed, thereby preventing stray light from deteriorating the light distribution characteristics of the lighting device 3.
[0048] The light attenuating unit 400 (light reducing unit) attenuates the light emitted from the light source 100 and directed toward the face of the occupant U inside the vehicle interior 2a. In this embodiment, the light attenuating unit 400 attenuates the light emitted from the lens 200 and directed toward the face of the occupant U inside the vehicle interior 2a. In other words, the light attenuating unit 400 has a function of attenuating the light after it has been emitted from the lens 200.
[0049] Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400 is a light-blocking unit that blocks light that is emitted from the lens 200 and heads toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a. In other words, the light attenuating unit 400 has a function of blocking light after it has been emitted from the lens 200.
[0050] In this case, the light-attenuating unit 400 may block light by absorbing it, or may block light by specularly reflecting or diffusely reflecting it. When the light-attenuating unit 400 blocks light, it is preferable that the light-attenuating unit 400 is made of an opaque material with a light transmittance of 90% or more, for example. In this case, a resin material or a metal material can be used as the opaque material.
[0051] For example, if the light-attenuating unit 400 absorbs light, the light-attenuating unit 400 can be made of a black resin material. If the light-attenuating unit 400 specularly reflects light, the light-attenuating unit 400 can be made of a mirror made of a metal material. If the light-attenuating unit 400 diffusely reflects light, the light-attenuating unit 400 can be made of a metal material or a white resin material.
[0052] The light attenuating unit 400 is provided at the opening end 320 of the housing 300. Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400 is provided so as to protrude from the inner surface of the opening end 320. The light attenuating unit 400 has a plate shape, but is not limited to this. The light attenuating unit 400 may be provided separately from the housing 300, or may be provided integrally with the housing 300.
[0053] 4, the light attenuating unit 400 is provided so as to cover a portion of the opening 310. Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400 is provided partially in a portion of the circumferential direction along the inner surface of the opening end 320. In this embodiment, the light attenuating unit 400 is provided so as to cover 1 / 4 of the circumferential direction along the inner surface of the opening end 320. As an example, the light attenuating unit 400 has a shape obtained by cutting a plate-like member having a ring-like (Baumkuchen-like) shape in a plan view into 1 / 4. When viewed from the optical axis direction of the light source 100, the light attenuating unit 400 does not overlap with the light source 100.
[0054] As shown in FIG. 1 , when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above, the light-attenuating unit 400 is located between an occupant U riding in the automobile 1 and the light source 100. In this embodiment, the light-attenuating unit 400 is located between the occupant U and the light source 100 for any of the occupant U, occupant U1, occupant U2, and occupant U3. The light-attenuating unit 400 may be formed in a shape that allows it to be located between one or two of the multiple occupants U and the light source 100. For example, the light-attenuating unit 400 may be formed in a shape that allows it to be located between one or two of the occupants U1, occupant U2, and occupant U3 and the light source 100.
[0055] In the lighting device 3 configured as described above, light emitted from the light source 100 passes through the opening 310 of the housing 300 as the illumination light of the lighting device 3 and is irradiated onto a predetermined illumination area. In this embodiment, the lighting device 3 is installed on the ceiling 10 of the vehicle 2 and irradiates the illumination light toward the floor 20. In this case, the lighting device 3 irradiates the illumination light directly downward, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the lighting device 3 may irradiate the illumination light diagonally downward.
[0056] Furthermore, the lighting device 3 is turned on when the driver is driving the automobile 1 (during driving). In other words, illumination light is emitted from the lighting device 3 while driving. Furthermore, the lighting device 3 may not only be turned on while driving, but may also be turned on at times other than when driving. For example, the lighting device 3 may also be turned on when the occupant U gets into the automobile 1 or when the occupant gets out of the automobile 1. Furthermore, the lighting device 3 may not only be turned on at night, but may also be turned on during the day. By turning on the lighting device 3 during the day, an open-air illuminated space can be created.
[0057] The illumination light emitted from the illumination device 3 (LED light source) is white light, but is not limited to this. The illumination device 3 may also have a function to control the dimming and color of the illumination light. This allows the brightness and color temperature of the illumination light emitted from the illumination device 3 to be changed, thereby enabling the spatial presentation within the vehicle interior 2a.
[0058] Next, the optical action of lens 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the optical action of lens 200 in lighting device 3 according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 5, the solid line indicates the trajectory of light emitted from light source 100.
[0059] As shown in FIG. 5, light emitted from the light source 100 enters the lens 200 from a light incident surface 200a of the lens 200, passes through the protrusion 210 or the main body 220, and exits from a light exit surface 200b of the lens 200 to the outside.
[0060] In this case, light emitted from light source 100 and incident on protrusion 210 enters light incident surface 210a, which is the inner surface of protrusion 210, travels straight inside protrusion 210, and is totally reflected by light reflecting surface 210b, which is the outer surface of protrusion 210. The totally reflected light travels straight through protrusion 210 and is emitted to the outside from light exit surface 200b of lens 200. In this way, the light incident on protrusion 210 is condensed by protrusion 210.
[0061] On the other hand, light emitted from the light source 100 and incident on the main body 220 enters the light incident surface 220a of the main body 220, is refracted by the refraction action in the main body 220, and is emitted to the outside from the light exit surface 220b of the main body 220. Specifically, the light emitted from the light source 100 is refracted so as to be collected at each of the light incident surface 220a and the light exit surface 220b of the main body 220, and is emitted to the outside from the light exit surface 220b of the main body 220. In this way, the light incident on the main body 220 is also collected by the main body 220.
[0062] As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, a cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the lens 200. In other words, the lens 200 is shaped so that the cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the lens 200. Specifically, the cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the protrusion 210. In other words, the protrusion 210 is shaped so that the cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the protrusion 210. Note that the cross point CP can be easily formed by increasing the gradient (inclination angle) of the inclination of the light reflecting surface 210b of the protrusion 210. For example, if the inner diameter of the housing 300 is reduced to make the lighting device 3 smaller, the gradient of the inclination of the light reflecting surface 210b of the protrusion 210 becomes larger (the inclination becomes steeper), and therefore the cross point CP is more likely to be formed.
[0063] In this embodiment, the cross point CP is located inside the housing 300. The cross point CP has a circular shape when viewed from the optical axis direction of the light source 100. As shown in FIG. 5 , in a cross-sectional view of the lighting device 3, at least a part of the cross point CP is located between the light attenuating unit 400 and the lens 200. In other words, the light attenuating unit 400 is located on the light emission side of the cross point CP. Note that the cross point CP may be formed on the light emission side of the opening 310 of the housing 300.
[0064] 5, in the lighting device 3 of the present embodiment, light L directed from the lighting device 3 toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a is blocked by the light attenuating unit 400. In other words, the light attenuating unit 400 is a light blocking unit that blocks the light L emitted from the lens 200 and directed toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a.
[0065] In this way, by blocking the light L directed toward the face of the occupant U with the light attenuation section 400, it is possible to prevent the occupant U from feeling glare.
[0066] 1, when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above, the light-attenuating unit 400 is positioned between each of the occupants U1, U2, and U3 and the light source 100, and blocks light directed toward each of the occupants U1, U2, and U3. This makes it possible to prevent all of the occupants U1, U2, and U3 from feeling glare.
[0067] Furthermore, if the light from the lighting device 3 is irradiated onto the face of the occupant U when the lighting device 3 is turned on at night (in a dark place), the face of the occupant U may appear to be inconspicuous, which may infringe on the privacy of the occupant U. However, as in this embodiment, by blocking the light L directed toward the face of the occupant U with the light-attenuating unit 400, the light from the lighting device 3 is no longer irradiated onto the face of the occupant U. This makes it possible to prevent the face of the occupant U from appearing to be inconspicuous due to the light from the lighting device 3, and to prevent the privacy of the occupant U from being infringed.
[0068] In the present embodiment, the light attenuating unit 400 completely blocks light directed toward the face of the occupant U, but this is not limiting. For example, the light attenuating unit 400 may attenuate light directed toward the face of the occupant U. This reduces the amount of light irradiated onto the face of the occupant U, thereby preventing the occupant U from feeling glare. In this case, the light attenuating unit 400 may be light-transmitting, as long as it can attenuate light.
[0069] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the light attenuating section 400 is provided along a part of the circumferential direction along the inner surface of the opening end 320, but this is not limiting. That is, the light attenuating section 400 may be provided along the entire circumferential direction along the inner surface of the opening end 320. In this case, the light attenuating section 400 has an annular shape with a constant width when viewed from the optical axis direction of the light source 100.
[0070] (Embodiment 2) Next, an automobile 1A and an illumination device 3A according to embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9. Fig. 6 is a top view of the automobile 1A according to embodiment 2. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the illumination device 3A according to embodiment 2. Fig. 8 is a front view of the illumination device 3A according to embodiment 2. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 8. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the optical action of the lens 200 in the illumination device 3A according to embodiment 2.
[0071] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, an automobile 1A according to this embodiment differs from the automobile 1 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of an illumination device 3A.
[0072] Specifically, the lighting device 3A according to the present embodiment and the lighting device 3 according to the above-described first embodiment differ in the position of the light attenuating unit 400A in the housing 300. That is, the light attenuating unit 400 in the above-described first embodiment is provided at the open end 320 of the housing 300 and at a position between the occupant U and the light source 100 when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above, whereas the light attenuating unit 400A in the present embodiment is provided on the inner surface of the housing 300 as shown in Fig. 7 and at a position opposite to the occupant U side when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above as shown in Fig. 6. That is, in the present embodiment, the light source 100 is located between the light attenuating unit 400A and the occupant U when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above.
[0073] 7, the light attenuating unit 400A is provided at a position set back from the opening end 320 of the housing 300. Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400A is provided at a position closer to the lens 200 between the opening 310 of the housing 300 and the lens 200.
[0074] 9, in the present embodiment as well, a cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from lens 200. Furthermore, in the present embodiment as well, cross point CP is located inside housing 300. However, while in the first embodiment above light attenuating section 400 was located on the light emission side of cross point CP, in the present embodiment light attenuating section 400A is located on the lens 200 side of cross point CP. In other words, light attenuating section 400A is located between cross point CP and lens 200.
[0075] Also in the lighting device 3A of this embodiment, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 9, the light L directed from the lighting device 3A toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a is blocked by the light attenuation section 400A.
[0076] This makes it possible to prevent the occupant U from feeling glare, as in the first embodiment. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above, the light-attenuating unit 400A blocks light directed toward each of the occupant U1, the occupant U2, and the occupant U3. This makes it possible to prevent all of the occupant U1, the occupant U2, and the occupant U3 from feeling glare. Also in this embodiment, when the lighting device 3A is turned on at night, it is possible to prevent the face of the occupant U from being revealed by the light from the lighting device 3A, and it is possible to prevent the privacy of the occupant U from being violated.
[0077] In this embodiment, the light attenuating unit 400A completely blocks light directed toward the face of the occupant U, but this is not limiting. For example, the light attenuating unit 400A may attenuate the light L directed toward the face of the occupant U. This reduces the amount of light irradiated onto the face of the occupant U, thereby preventing the occupant U from feeling glare. In this case, the light attenuating unit 400A may be light-transmitting, as long as it can attenuate light.
[0078] In the present embodiment, the light attenuating section 400A is provided on a part of the circumferential surface of the inner surface of the housing 300, but this is not limiting. That is, the light attenuating section 400A may be provided on the entire circumferential surface of the inner surface of the housing 300. In this case, the light attenuating section 400A has an annular shape with a constant width when viewed from the optical axis direction of the light source 100.
[0079] (Variation) Although the automobile and lighting device (vehicle interior lighting device) according to the present invention have been described above based on the first and second embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments.
[0080] For example, in the first and second embodiments, the light attenuating units 400 and 400A are provided in the housing 300, but this is not limiting. For example, the light attenuating units may be part of the lens 200. That is, a light attenuating unit that attenuates light directed toward the face of the occupant U may be provided in a part of the lens 200. In this case, the light attenuating unit that is part of the lens 200 may have an uneven structure formed on the light exit surface 200b of the lens 200. The uneven structure may be, for example, a micro-uneven structure formed by texturing, or an uneven pattern such as multiple dimples, multiple semi-cylindrical or wave-like shapes. Alternatively, the light attenuating unit that is part of the lens 200 may be a cut portion formed by cutting a part of the lens 200, or may be the light reflecting surface 210b of the protrusion 210 with a gentle draft.
[0081] In this way, the light attenuating unit may attenuate light when it passes through the lens 200, rather than attenuating light emitted from the lens 200. Note that the light attenuating unit may also attenuate light that is incident on the lens 200, as long as it can attenuate light that is emitted from the light source 100 and directed toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a.
[0082] Furthermore, the lighting device may be configured such that the light attenuating unit 400 in the above-described embodiment 1 serves as the first light attenuating unit, and the light attenuating unit 400A in the above-described embodiment 2 serves as the second light attenuating unit, and the lighting device is provided with the first light attenuating unit and the second light attenuating unit. Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400A in the above-described embodiment 2 may be applied to the lighting device 3 in the above-described embodiment 1, or the light attenuating unit 400 in the above-described embodiment 1 may be applied to the lighting device 3A in the above-described embodiment 2. In this way, by providing the light attenuating unit 400 and the light attenuating unit 400A, it is possible to suppress variations in light blocking performance due to positional misalignment of the lighting device.
[0083] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the lens 200 has a shape in which a cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of the light emitted from the lens 200, but this is not limiting. In other words, the lens 200 may have a shape in which a cross point CP is not formed in the ray trajectory of the light emitted from the lens 200. As such a lens 200, for example, a collimating lens can be used.
[0084] In the first and second embodiments, the illumination light emitted from the lighting devices 3 and 3A is also used to create a spatial atmosphere in the vehicle interior 2a, but this is not limiting. For example, the illumination light emitted from the lighting devices 3 and 3A may be used as light for the occupant U to perform tasks in the vehicle interior 2a.
[0085] Furthermore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, an automobile is used as an example of a moving body, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the moving body may be a vehicle other than an automobile, such as a railroad car, as long as it has a passenger compartment.
[0086] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications that would occur to a person skilled in the art, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention also includes any combination of one or more components in each of the multiple claims described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, when the dependent claims described in the claims at the time of filing are made into a multiple claim or multiple multiple claims that cite any multiple claims (for example, when a multiple claim or multiple multiple claim is made so that each claim cites all of its parent claims), all forms obtained by combining all of the claims included in that multiple claim or multiple multiple claim are also included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]
[0087] 1, 1A Automobile (mobile object) 2 vehicles 2a cabin 2b Roof 3, 3A lighting system (vehicle interior lighting system) 100 light sources 200 lenses 200a Light entrance surface 200b Light exit surface 210 Protrusion 210a Light entrance surface 210b Light reflective surface 220 Main body 220a Light incident surface 220b Light exit surface 300 cabinets 310 Aperture 320 Open end 400, 400A Optical attenuator CP Crosspoint
Claims
1. Vehicles and an interior lighting device installed in a cabin of the vehicle, The vehicle interior lighting device includes: A light source and a lens that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source; a housing that houses the lens and has an opening through which light emitted from the lens passes; a light attenuation unit that attenuates light emitted from the light source and directed toward the face of an occupant in the vehicle interior, Mobile object.
2. The light attenuating portion is a light blocking portion that blocks light emitted from the lens and directed toward the face of an occupant in the vehicle interior. The moving body according to claim 1 .
3. When the vehicle is viewed from above, the light-blocking portion is located between the occupant and the light source. The moving body according to claim 2 .
4. the lens has a shape in which a cross point is formed in a ray trajectory of light emitted from the lens, the cross point is located within the housing and between the light blocking portion and the lens; 4. A moving body according to claim 2 or 3.
5. The light-shielding portion is provided at an open end of the housing. The moving body according to claim 4.
6. When the vehicle is viewed from above, the light source is located between the light blocking portion and the occupant. The moving body according to claim 2 .
7. the lens has a shape in which a cross point is formed in a ray trajectory of light emitted from the lens, the crosspoint is located within the housing; The light-shielding portion is located between the cross point and the lens. The moving body according to claim 2 or 6.
8. The light-shielding portion is provided on the inner surface of the housing. The moving body according to claim 7.
9. The lens is an annular protrusion protruding toward the light source; a main body portion located on the opposite side of the protrusion from the light source side, an inner surface of the protrusion is a light incident surface onto which light from the light source is incident, the outer surface of the protrusion is a light reflecting surface that totally reflects light that has entered the protrusion from the light incident surface; A moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6.
10. the light attenuating unit is provided integrally with the housing; A moving body according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6.
11. The light attenuating portion is a part of the lens. The moving body according to claim 2 .
12. The light attenuating portion is an uneven structure formed on the light exit surface of the lens. The moving body according to claim 11.
13. the light attenuating portion is a cut portion formed by cutting a part of the lens, The moving body according to claim 11.
14. A vehicle interior lighting device installed in a vehicle interior, A light source and a lens that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source; a housing containing the lens; a light attenuation unit that attenuates light directed from the vehicle interior lighting device toward the face of an occupant in the vehicle interior, Vehicle interior lighting system.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Vehicle
JP2024018953A