Lamp structure for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lamp structure capable of producing three dimensional light with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A lamp structure 100 according to the present invention is installed in a vehicle, and includes a lens member 102 capable of transmitting light, a light source unit 106 that irradiates an end surface 116 of the lens member 102 with light, a lens cut portion 108 that is provided by forming a concave or convex shape at a predetermined position of the lens member 102 and receives light from the light source unit 106 entering from the end surface 116 to emit light, and a mirror member 104 that is installed on a vehicle interior side of the lens member 102 and reflects the light of the lens cut portion 108 to form a virtual image 128 of the lens cut portion 108.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp structure. [Background technology]

[0002] In many cases, lighting fixtures installed on the exterior of a vehicle use LEDs as light sources. For example, a vehicle lamp 1 shown in Fig. 2 of Patent Document 1 is provided with a plurality of first light sources 300 that use LEDs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2019-505077 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional vehicle lamps, creating a three-dimensional light requires a large number of light sources and the associated components, and when the number of light sources is limited, the lighting effect is often limited to a two-dimensional effect. Furthermore, when multiple light sources are used to create a three-dimensional light effect, it requires an increased installation space and increases the weight and cost due to the increased number of components.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle lamp structure that is capable of producing a three-dimensional light effect with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a representative configuration of a vehicle lamp structure according to the present invention is characterized in that, in a vehicle lamp structure installed in a vehicle, it comprises a lens member capable of transmitting light, a light source unit that irradiates light onto an end face of the lens member, a lens cut portion that is provided by providing a concave or convex shape at a predetermined location of the lens member and that receives and emits light from the light source unit that enters from the end face, and a mirror member that is installed on the interior side of the lens member and reflects the light from the lens cut portion to create a virtual image of the lens cut portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp structure that is capable of producing a three-dimensional light effect with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the lamp structure of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lamp structure of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A vehicle lamp structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle lamp structure installed in a vehicle, characterized in that it comprises: a lens member capable of transmitting light; a light source unit that irradiates light onto an end face of the lens member; a lens cut portion that is provided by providing a concave or convex shape at a predetermined location on the lens member and that receives and emits light from the light source unit that enters from the end face; and a mirror member that is installed on the interior side of the lens member and reflects the light from the lens cut portion to create a virtual image of the lens cut portion.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the emitted lens cut portion and the virtual image of the lens cut portion reflected on the mirrored member can produce a light with a three-dimensional design with depth. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, by using the mirrored member, the dimensions and number of parts of the device can be reduced compared to when the lamp itself is embodied in a three-dimensional shape, thereby making it possible to save space, reduce weight, and even reduce costs.

[0011] The lens member may have a linear ridgeline and bulge convexly toward the vehicle exterior, and the mirror member may be disposed so as to form a closed cross section between itself and the lens member.

[0012] According to the above configuration, by ensuring a distance between the lens element and the mirror element, depth is created between the lens cut portion and the virtual image of the lens cut portion reflected on the mirror element, making it possible to create a three-dimensional light effect.

[0013] The light source unit may include a light guide member that extends along an end face of the lens member and irradiates the end face with light, and an LED light source unit that is provided at an end of the light guide member and causes the light guide member to emit light.

[0014] This configuration makes it possible to efficiently use the light from the LED light source to create a three-dimensional design. Furthermore, this configuration achieves a simple configuration, reducing the dimensions and number of parts of the device, thereby saving space, weight, and cost. [Example]

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0016] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp structure according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a lamp structure 100), and Fig. 1A shows the lamp structure 100 in an unlit state.

[0017] The lamp structure 100 is a lamp placed on the outside of a vehicle, and can be implemented as, for example, a tail lamp at the rear of the vehicle, a position lamp that notifies other vehicles of the vehicle's position, a turn lamp that indicates a direction, etc. The lamp structure 100 can also be equipped with an outer lens (not shown), in which case the outer lens can be used to appropriately set the exterior design of the vehicle.

[0018] 1(b) is a diagram showing the lamp structure 100 in a lit state. The lamp structure 100 is capable of producing a three-dimensional light design by emitting light from the lens cut portion 108 of the lens member 102 and reflecting that light on the mirror member 104. In particular, in this embodiment, it is possible to create a light design that resembles a line of multiple cubes, thereby improving aesthetics and visibility.

[0019] 2 is an exploded view of the lamp structure 100 of FIG. 1(a). The lamp structure 100 mainly includes a lens member 102, a mirror member 104, and a light source unit 106.

[0020] The lens member 102 has an L-shaped cross section and extends linearly. The lens member 102 is made of a light-transmitting material such as acrylic or polycarbonate. The lens member 102 is placed inside the outer lens (not shown) and functions as a so-called inner lens.

[0021] The lens cut portions 108 are light-emitting portions provided in plurality on the lens member 102. The lens cut portions 108 are provided by forming a concave or convex shape on the surface of the lens member 102, and emit light upon receiving light that has entered the lens member 102 from the light source unit 106. In this embodiment, the lens cut portions 108 are provided to include a plurality of vertical cut portions 110 and horizontal cut portions 112 formed along each side of the cube.

[0022] The mirror member 104 is provided on the interior side of the lens member 102 and reflects light from the lens cut portion 108. The mirror member 104 has a flat mirror surface 114 on the exterior side of the vehicle, i.e., on the lens member 102 side, which makes it possible to project a virtual image of the illuminated lens cut portion 108 toward the outside.

[0023] The light source unit 106 irradiates the end surface 116 of the lens member 102 with light, causing the lens cut portion 108 to emit light. The light source unit 106 is configured to include LED light source portions 118 and 120 and a light guide portion 122.

[0024] The LED light source sections 118 and 120 are configured by providing LED elements on a substrate, and irradiate light from the LED elements onto the ends 122a and 122b of the light guide section 122, causing the light guide section to emit light.

[0025] Light guide portion 122 extends in an L-shape along end surface 116 of lens member 102, which has an L-shaped cross section, and irradiates end surface 116 with light from LED light source portions 118, 120. Light guide portion 122 can be made of transparent resin, similar to lens member 102, and emits light upon receiving light from LED light source portions 118, 120.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lamp structure 100 of Fig. 1(b). Fig. 3(a) is a cross-sectional view of the lamp structure 100 of Fig. 1(b) taken along line AA. In Fig. 3, the direction of light is indicated by an arrow.

[0027] The light guide portion 122 guides the light received from the LED light source portions 118, 120 to the end surface 116 of the lens member 102. In this case, the light guide portion 122 may be configured so that only the lower portion 124 facing the end surface 116 emits light. For example, the light guide portion 122 may be processed by providing the lower portion 124 with fine irregularities so that light exits only from the lower portion 124.

[0028] The lens cut portion 108 of the lens member 102 reflects light that enters from the end face 116 and passes through the lens member 102 in a direction perpendicular to the light, and emits the light. The color of the light emitted can be set appropriately depending on the type of LED elements in the LED light source units 118 and 120, the materials of the light guide unit 122 and the lens member 102, and the material of the outer lens (not shown).

[0029] Fig. 3(b) is a BB cross-sectional view of the lamp structure 100 of Fig. 1(b). The lens member 102 is formed by bending a plate-shaped transparent material to form an L-shaped cross section, and has a shape that bulges outward from the vehicle with a linear ridgeline.

[0030] The mirror member 104 is installed so that side edges 126a and 126b are connected to the inside of the lens member 102. As a result, the mirror member 104 forms a triangular closed cross section E1 with the lens member 102, which has an L-shaped cross section.

[0031] When the lens cut portion 108 of the lens member 102 emits light, the lens cut portion 108 is reflected in the mirror member 104. At this time, because a closed cross section E1 is formed, that is, because a distance is secured between the lens cut portion 108 and the mirror surface 114 of the mirror member 104, it is possible to create depth between the emitted lens cut portion 108 and the virtual image 128 of the lens cut portion 108.

[0032] For example, in this embodiment, the vertical cut portions 110a-110c and their virtual images 128a-128c form a square arranged diagonally on the cross section BB of the lamp structure 100 in Fig. 3(b), which allows the lamp structure 100 to produce multiple light-emitting cubes as shown in Fig. 1(b).

[0033] As described above, the lamp structure 100 of this embodiment can produce a light with a deep, three-dimensional design by using the emitted lens cut portion 108 and the virtual image 128 of the lens cut portion 108 reflected on the mirror member 104. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the production using the mirror member 104 can reduce the dimensions and number of parts of the device compared to when the lamp itself is embodied in a three-dimensional shape, making it possible to achieve space savings, weight reduction, and even cost reduction.

[0034] Furthermore, in the lamp structure 100 of this embodiment, by efficiently utilizing the light from the LED light source units 118, 120 shown in Fig. 2, it is possible to produce light with a three-dimensional design without being limited by the number of installed LED light source units 118, 120. In other words, even with a limited number of LED light source units 118, 120, it is possible to freely produce light by simply changing the lens cut unit 108. Therefore, the lamp structure 100 can achieve a simple configuration and reduce the dimensions and number of parts of the device, thereby enabling space saving, weight reduction, and cost reduction.

[0035] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0036] The present invention can be used in a vehicle lamp structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 100...lamp structure, 102...lens member, 104...mirror member, 106...light source unit, 108...lens cut portion, 110, 110a, 110b, 110c...vertical cut portion, 112...horizontal cut portion, 114...mirror surface, 116...end surface, 118, 120...LED light source portion, 122...light guide portion, 122a, 122b...end portion, 124...portion, 126a, 126b...side edge portion, 128, 128a, 128b, 128c...virtual image, E1...closed cross section

Claims

1. In a vehicle lamp structure installed in a vehicle, a lens member that is capable of transmitting light; a light source unit that irradiates light onto the end surface of the lens member; a lens cut portion provided by forming a concave or convex shape at a predetermined location of the lens member, the lens cut portion receiving and emitting light from the light source unit that has entered through the end surface; a mirror member that is installed on the vehicle interior side of the lens member and reflects light from the lens cut portion to create a virtual image of the lens cut portion; A vehicle lamp structure comprising:

2. The lens member bulges outward from the vehicle body so as to have a linear ridgeline, The vehicle lamp structure according to claim 1, wherein the mirror member is disposed so as to form a closed cross section between the mirror member and the lens member.

3. The light source unit is a light guide member that extends along an end surface of the lens member and irradiates the end surface with light; an LED light source unit provided at an end of the light guide member to cause the light guide member to emit light; 2. The vehicle lamp structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

Images