Vehicle lamp

Abstract

To provide a lighting fixture for a vehicle capable of forming a light-emitting pattern having a depth feeling with a small number of components and enhancing a design effect.SOLUTION: The lighting fixture is provided with a lamp unit 2 having a light source 4 and a light guide body 3 guiding light of the light source 4 and emitting the guided light to irradiate toward the front of the lighting fixture. The light guide body 3 includes a rod part 31 for guiding the light incident from the light source 4 in the length direction, and a plate-like board part 32 connected to the rod part 31 and emitting the light guided from the rod part 31 from the surface. The board part 32 is provided with a plurality of regions (a base end side region 33, a tip side region 34) bent in a plate thickness direction and arranged in a front and rear direction of the lamp, and lights emitted from surfaces of the plurality of regions 3334, are synthesized and irradiated in a required light emitting pattern.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp having an improved design effect of a light emission pattern when lit. [Background technology]

[0002] Lamps have been proposed that enhance the design effect when viewed from the outside, particularly the design effect of the light emission pattern when lit, for vehicle lighting fixtures (lamps) used as indicator lights or signal lights such as tail lamps and turn signal lamps on automobiles. For example, the lamp in Patent Document 1 arranges multiple light guide plates that are twisted in the plate thickness direction, and emits light from the main surface (plate surface) of each light guide plate, thereby creating a light emission pattern with a sense of depth and enhancing the design effect.

[0003] The lamp of Patent Document 1 requires, as lamp components, multiple light guide plates that function as light-emitting surfaces and multiple light sources for directing light into each light guide plate. Therefore, if the number of light guide plates is increased to further enhance the design effect, the number of parts will increase accordingly, leaving room for improvement in terms of structure and cost. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-9656 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-122322 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 proposes a technology for forming multiple light emitting patterns on a single light guide by forming lens steps on the light guide plate, which makes it possible to reduce the number of light sources and light guide plates. However, the light emitting pattern formed by a single light guide plate is planar along the plate surface of the light guide plate, and there is room for improvement in terms of creating a light emitting pattern with a sense of depth and enhancing the design effect.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp that can form a light emitting pattern with a sense of depth using a small number of parts and has an improved design effect. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a vehicle lamp including a lamp unit having a light source and a light guide that guides light from the light source and emits the guided light to irradiate it forward from the lamp, the light guide having a rod portion that guides light incident from the light source in the longitudinal direction, and a plate-shaped board portion connected to the rod portion and emitting the light guided from the rod portion from its surface, the board portion being bent in the thickness direction and having multiple regions arranged in the front-to-rear direction of the lamp, and the light respectively emitted from the surfaces of these multiple regions is combined and irradiated in a required light emission pattern.

[0008] In the present invention, the board portion has a light-emitting portion having light-emitting steps formed in a desired pattern, and light guided through the board portion is reflected and / or refracted by the light-emitting steps in the light-emitting portion and emitted from the surface of the board portion. The board portion also has a base-end region on the side connected to the rod portion based on the bent portion, and a tip-end region facing the tip opposite the rod portion, with the tip-end region being disposed in front of the base-end region. The light-emitting portions are formed in the base-end region and the tip-end region, and light emitted from the light-emitting portion in the tip-end region and light emitted from the light-emitting portion in the base-end region are combined to form an illumination pattern.

[0009] For example, the light emitting portion is configured as a plurality of strip-shaped patterns extending from the base end region to the tip end region and arranged at a required interval in the longitudinal direction of the board portion, and it is preferable that the strip-shaped patterns extend from the base end side to the tip end side of the board portion while being inclined in the longitudinal direction of the board portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, the board portion through which the light from the light source is guided is provided with a plurality of regions that are bent in the direction of the board thickness and arranged in the front-to-rear direction of the lamp, and the light emitted from the surfaces of these plurality of regions is combined and irradiated in a required light emission pattern. By arranging the plurality of regions in the front-to-rear direction of the lamp, a sense of depth or three-dimensionality can be imparted to the light emission pattern formed by combining the light emitted from each region, resulting in a vehicle lamp with a highly aesthetic design when lit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of an automobile equipped with a tail lamp to which the vehicle lamp of the present invention is applied, and a conceptual perspective view of a left rear combination lamp. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rear combination lamp of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] A horizontal cross-section of the rear combination lamp in Figure 1, with a portion broken away [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are conceptual perspective views of a lamp unit as seen from the front and rear. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating deflection control of a light guide control unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating light emission from a light emitting portion. [Figure 9] 10(a) and 10(b) are schematic cross-sectional views of two modified examples of the light output portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a lamp unit according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is an external view of an automobile (CAR) equipped with a rear lamp 1 to which the vehicle lamp of the present invention is applied. The rear lamp (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the lamp) 1 is arranged in a line extending in the vehicle width direction at the rear of the body of the automobile (CAR), and is composed of a left lamp section 1L and a right lamp section 1R arranged on the left and right sides of the automobile (CAR) in the vehicle width direction, and a central lamp section 1C sandwiched between these left and right lamp sections. The central lamp section 1C is arranged on the trunk lid of the automobile (CAR), and the left and right lamp sections 1L, 1R are arranged on the upper parts of the left and right rear fenders of the automobile (CAR), respectively.

[0013] 1, indicator lamps and signal lamps such as backup lamps and turn signal lamps are shown below the rear lamp 1, and the lamp sections 1C, 1L, and 1R may be integrated into a rear combination lamp. Here, the lamp sections 1C, 1L, and 1R of the rear lamp 1 are each configured as an independent lamp.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a schematic external view of the left lamp unit 1L when it is lit. When the left lamp 1L is lit, the lamp unit 2 (described later) is lit, and multiple curved, strip-shaped light emission patterns are visible, as if they were pointillist patterns. These multiple strip-shaped light emission patterns are arranged in the left-right direction, and adjacent strip-shaped light emission patterns are visible as if they were continuous, so they are visible as a spiral light emission pattern, enhancing the design effect. The right lamp unit 1R has a light emission pattern that is symmetrical on the left and right. The central lamp unit 1C has a spiral light emission pattern at both left and right end portions, but as a whole it is a light emission pattern in the shape of a thin line extending in the left-right direction.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the left lamp section 1L, and FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional view with a portion cut away. The left lamp section 1L includes a lamp housing 100, within which a lamp unit 2 is disposed. The lamp housing 100 is composed of a lamp body 101 that opens along the area from the rear toward the left side of the left rear fender of the automobile CAR shown in FIG. 1, and a translucent, colorless outer lens 102 that is attached to cover the opening of the lamp body 101. The outer lens 102 has a curved surface that curves around to match the curved surface of the left rear fender. Note that, hereinafter, the front-rear direction refers to the direction in which light is emitted from the lamp unit 2; in other words, the side with the outer lens 102 is referred to as the front.

[0016] 4(a) and 4(b) are schematic perspective views of the lamp unit 2 as seen from the front and rear. The lamp unit 2 is configured as a lamp unit that functions as a tail lamp that lights up with red light. The lamp unit 2 is composed of a light guide 3 and a light source 4 that introduces light into the light guide 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the light guide 3 and light source 4 are housed within a lamp housing 100. Light emitted from the light source 4 enters the light guide 3, is guided through the light guide 3, and is then emitted from the surface of the light guide 3. The light passes through an outer lens 102 and is irradiated with a desired light distribution. An extension 103 is also provided within the lamp housing 100 as a decorative member and a pseudo-light reflector, covering part of the lamp unit 2.

[0017] The light source 4 includes an LED (light emitting diode) that emits red light, here a chip-type LED 41, and is mounted on a light source board 42 supported by the lamp body 101 at one end position within the lamp housing 100, i.e., the side facing the front of the vehicle. The light source board 42 is electrically connected to a lighting circuit (not shown), and supplies power to the LED 41, causing it to emit light.

[0018] The light guide 3 includes a rod portion 31 that guides the light emitted from the light source 4 in the longitudinal direction, and a plate-shaped board portion 32 that functions as the lamp light-emitting surface by emitting the light guided from the rod portion 31. The rod portion 31 and board portion 32 are integrally formed from a translucent material such as a transparent resin, and as will be described later, the light emitted from the light source 4 is guided from the rod portion 31 to the board portion 32, and then emitted from the surface of the board portion 32, passing through the outer lens 102 and irradiating it toward the front of the left lamp portion 1L.

[0019] The rod portion 31 is formed in the shape of a round bar having the required diameter and length, and is bent in a curved shape to follow the curved shape of the outer lens 102. One end face in the longitudinal direction of the rod portion 31, i.e., end face 311 facing the front of the automobile, is disposed opposite the light source 4 as a light incident surface, and light emitted from the light source 4 is incident on this one end face 311.

[0020] The board portion 32 is a plate-like member having approximately the same length as the rod portion 31 and a required width (dimension perpendicular to the length). One widthwise end (base end) 321 of the board portion 32 extends along the length of the rod portion 31 and is connected to a portion of the circumferential surface of the rod portion 31. The board portion 32 has a cross-sectional shape bent so that its central portion in the widthwise direction curves approximately 180 degrees in the thickness direction, i.e., the cross-sectional shape is bent so that it forms an inverted U shape from the base end 321 to the distal end 322 on the opposite side. In this way, the board portion 32 has an inverted U shape in the widthwise direction and a three-dimensional shape curved along the curved shape of the rod portion 31 in the lengthwise direction. Here, in the board portion 32, the region connected to the rod portion 31 with respect to the bent portion is referred to as the base end region 33, and the region opposite the bent portion and facing the distal end is referred to as the distal end region 34.

[0021] Furthermore, a light guide control section 35 and a light emitting section 36 are formed on the board section 32. The light guide control section 35 is composed of control steps 351 for deflecting and controlling the light guide direction of light guided through the rod section 31 to effectively guide the light towards the board section 32, and a plurality of control steps 351 are formed at the boundary with the rod section 31, i.e., at the base end section 321 connected to the rod section 31.

[0022] 5 is a cutaway perspective view of a portion of the light guide control unit 35. The control steps 351 are configured as recesses formed in the surface of the board unit 32, and multiple control steps 351 are arranged at required intervals along the length of the rod unit 31. As will be described in detail later, each control step 351 has a triangular opening shape and three inner surfaces f1, f2, and f3, and light is reflected and refracted on these three inner surfaces f1, f2, and f3. The control steps 351 have a configuration similar to that of the control grooves described in, for example, WO2023 / 157585.

[0023] The light emitting portions 36 are portions for internally reflecting or refracting light guided into the board portion 32 and emitting it from the surface of the board portion 32. The light emitting portions 36 are formed in a strip-like pattern having a required strip width dimension in the longitudinal direction of the board portion. Each light emitting portion 36 extends from the base end 321 to the tip end 322 of the board portion 32 and is arranged at appropriate intervals in the longitudinal direction of the board portion 32. In this example, the base end side and tip end side positions of each light emitting portion 36 are offset by a required dimension in the longitudinal direction of the board portion 32, and each light emitting portion 36 is inclined at a required angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the board portion 32.

[0024] As shown in a schematic perspective view of a portion of the light emitting portion 36 in FIG. 6, a light emitting step 361 is formed on the inner surface that becomes the inside when the board portion 32 is bent into an inverted U shape. The light emitting step 361 is a recessed groove recessed into the inner surface of the board portion 32, in this case a narrow V-groove with a V-shaped cross section, and multiple V-grooves 361 extend in the width direction of the board portion 32 and are arranged in the width direction of the band-shaped light emitting portion 36. For example, each light emitting portion 36 is configured with 15 V-grooves, each 1 mm wide, arranged at 1 mm pitch in the width direction. The V-grooves will be described in more detail below.

[0025] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the lamp unit 2 is housed within the lamp housing 100. When housed within the lamp housing 100, the rod portion 31 of the light guide 3 is disposed along the left-right direction at a recessed position within the lamp housing 100. The distal end region 34 of the board portion 32 is disposed in a forward position near the inner surface of the outer lens 102, and the proximal end region 33 connected to the rod portion 31 is disposed in a rearward position relative to the distal end region 34. That is, the distal end region 34 and the proximal end region 33 are disposed so as to overlap in the front-to-rear direction of the lamp. The entire rod portion 31, the proximal end portion 321 and the distal end portion 322 of the board portion 32, and the region where the light source 4 is disposed are covered by the extension 103 and cannot be seen from the outside through the outer lens 102. Therefore, the proximal end region 33 and the distal end region 34 of the board portion 32, i.e., the light-emitting portion 36, are visible from the outside.

[0026] The light emission pattern observed from the outside when the left lamp unit 1L is turned on will be described below. As mentioned above, the right lamp unit 1R has a symmetrical configuration, and therefore, its light emission pattern is also symmetrical. Hereinafter, these lamp units 1L and 1R will be collectively referred to as the lamp 1. As shown in FIG. 3 , when the LED 41 is turned on, light emitted from the LED 41 enters the rod unit 31 from one end face 311 and is guided toward the other end of the rod unit 31 while repeatedly undergoing internal reflection on the circumferential surface of the rod unit 31. The light guided within the rod unit 31 is guided into the board unit 32 from the base end 321 of the connected board unit 32 and guided toward the tip end 322 of the board unit 32. The light guided through the board unit 32 is then reflected or refracted by the light emission step 361 in the light emission unit 36 ​​and emitted from the surface of the board unit 32. The emitted light is transmitted through the outer lens 102 and directed to the outside, that is, from the rear of the automobile CAR toward the sides.

[0027] Here, the light guided from the rod portion 31 toward the board portion 32 is deflection-controlled in the light guide control portion 35, and is efficiently guided toward the board portion 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the control step 351 provided in the light guide control portion 35 is configured as a recessed portion with a triangular opening shape. This recessed portion is formed to a depth approximately equal to the thickness of the board portion. The recessed portion may penetrate the board portion 32 in the thickness direction, but in this case, the recessed portion is formed like a blind hole by making the plate thickness at the location where the recessed portion is formed thicker than at other locations, thereby preventing a decrease in the mechanical strength of the board portion 32 that would occur if the recessed portion were to penetrate through the board portion 32.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 7, a schematic plan view of a portion of the light-guiding control unit 35 is shown. Of the three inner surfaces f1, f2, and f3 of the recess configured as the control step 351, the first inner surface f1 facing one end of the rod portion 31 is inclined at a required angle with respect to the extension direction of the rod portion 31. By appropriately setting this angle, a portion of light L1 guided from the rod portion 31 is incident on the first inner surface f1 at an incident angle equal to or greater than the critical angle, and is totally reflected by the first inner surface f1, deflecting the light guide direction toward the board portion 32. Light L2 that is not totally reflected by the first inner surface f1 is transmitted through the first inner surface f1 and emitted into the recess. After passing through the recess, it is re-entered into the board portion 32 from the opposing second inner surface f2. At this time, the light is deflected in the width direction of the board portion 32 due to refraction at the first inner surface f1 and the second inner surface f2.

[0029] Furthermore, when light L3 guided from the rod portion 31 is incident on the third inner surface f3 at an incident angle equal to or greater than the critical angle, it is totally reflected by the third inner surface f3 and deflected toward the rod portion 31, and is guided toward the other end of the rod portion 31. Light L4 with an incident angle smaller than the critical angle is transmitted through the third inner surface f1 and emitted into the recess, and after passing through the recess, is re-incident on the board portion 32 from the opposing second inner surface f2. At this time, the light is deflected in the width direction of the board portion 32 due to refraction at the third inner surface f1 and the second inner surface f2.

[0030] Such a change in the light guide direction is performed in each of the plurality of control steps 351, so that most of the light guided from the rod portion 31 toward the board portion 32 is deflected in the width direction, and is guided with high efficiency toward the tip of the board portion 32. In other words, the light guide efficiency of light guided from the rod portion 31 to the board portion 32 is improved over the entire region of the board portion 32 in the length direction.

[0031] Here, the three inner surfaces f1, f2, and f3 of the recess in control step 351 are formed flat, but at least one of the inner surfaces, particularly the first inner surface f1, may have a curved shape that is convex or concave toward the inside of the recess. By appropriately setting the radius of curvature and shape of this curved shape, it is possible to increase the proportion of light that is totally reflected by the inner surfaces, and further improve the light guiding efficiency toward the board portion 32.

[0032] Light guided from the rod portion 31 to the board portion 32 is guided from the base end 321 to the tip end 322. In the board portion 32, the light is guided from the base end region 33, which is located on the rear side of the lamp within the lamp housing 100, to the tip end region 34, which is located on the front side. A portion of the guided light is reflected or refracted by the light emitting steps 361 in each of the plurality of light emitting portions 36 in a belt-like pattern, and is emitted from the surface of the board portion 32, i.e., the surfaces facing forward of the base end region 33 and the tip end region 34. On the other hand, almost no light is emitted from areas of the entire surface of the board portion 32 where no light emitting portion 36 is formed. As a result, when the lamp 1 is turned on, light is emitted in an emission pattern with the light emitting portion 36 as the light-emitting surface.

[0033] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the state of light emission from the light emitting portion 36. The light emitting step 361 is formed as a V-groove and is formed on the inner surface of the board portion 32, which is bent into an inverted U-shape. Therefore, in the base-end region 33, the light emitting step 361 is formed on the surface facing the outer lens 102. A portion of the guided light is refracted by the light emitting step 361 and emitted from that surface. By appropriately setting the cross-sectional shape of the V-groove that constitutes the light emitting step 361, particularly the groove angle of the V-groove, the direction of the light refracted and emitted by the light emitting step 361 can be controlled, and the light distribution required for the lamp 1 can be satisfied.

[0034] On the other hand, in the tip side region 34, a light emitting step 361 is formed on the surface opposite to the surface facing the outer lens. The guided light is internally reflected (total reflected) in the light emitting step 361, and this totally reflected light is emitted from the surface of the tip side region 34 facing the outer lens.

[0035] In this way, in the board portion 32, light is emitted from the light emitting portions 36 of the base end region 33 and the tip end region 34. Because the base end region 33 and the tip end region 34 are arranged in the front-to-rear direction of the lamp 1, the light emitted from the light emitting portions 36 of each region 33, 34 is combined and irradiated from the lamp 1. Here, the light emitting portions 36 are formed in a plurality of inclined band-like patterns extending from the tip end region 34 to the base end region 33, and the light emitted from these plurality of light emitting portions 36 is combined.

[0036] Therefore, when the lamp 1 is turned on and the board portion 32 is observed from outside the outer lens 102, multiple inverted U-shaped band-like light emission patterns can be observed. Furthermore, since the multiple band-like light emission patterns are inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the board portion 32, the base end portions and tip end portions of adjacent band-like light emission patterns that are observed overlap with each other, and the combined light emission pattern is observed as a continuous spiral light emission pattern, resulting in a lamp with a high design effect.

[0037] As shown in Figure 8, light L11 emitted from the light-emitting portion 36 of the base-side region 33 of the board portion 32 is transmitted through the tip-side region 34 and then through the outer lens 102, and therefore the light intensity (amount of light) is somewhat reduced when passing through the tip-side region 34. On the other hand, light L12 emitted from the light-emitting portion 36 of the tip-side region 34 is transmitted directly through the outer lens 102, and therefore the reduction in light intensity is small. Furthermore, most of the light L11 emitted from the light-emitting portion 36 of the base-side region 33 is light refracted by the light-emitting step (V-groove) 361. In contrast, light L12 emitted from the light-emitting portion 36 of the tip-side region 34 is light obtained by combining light totally reflected at the light-emitting step (V-groove) 361 and light directly emitted from the surface of the light-emitting portion 36 on the outer lens side. For these reasons, the light L12 emitted from the light emitting portion 36 of the distal region 34 has a higher light intensity than the light L11 emitted from the light emitting portion 36 of the proximal region 33.

[0038] As a result, when the spiral light emission pattern described above is observed while the lamp 1 is turned on, the light emission pattern of the light emitted from the distal region 34 appears brighter than the light emission pattern of the light emitted from the proximal region 33. Therefore, the spiral light emission pattern formed by combining the light emitted from the light-emitting portions 36 of the proximal region 33 and the distal region 34 has a pronounced contrast between light and dark, creating a sense of depth, i.e., a three-dimensional effect, further enhancing the design effect of the lamp 1.

[0039] In the embodiment described above, the light-emitting step 361 is formed on the inner surface of the board portion 32 bent into an inverted U shape. Therefore, the light emitted from the light-emitting portion 36 of the base-side region 33 located behind the lamp is limited to refracted light, and there is a limit to how much intensity of the emitted light can be increased. Therefore, it is conceivable to form a light-emitting step on the outer surface of the bent board portion 32 in the base-side region 33. That is, in both the light-emitting portion 36 in the distal-side region 34 and the base-side region 33, a light-emitting step is formed on the surface opposite to the surface from which light is emitted, so that reflected light and refracted light are emitted together.

[0040] For example, as shown in Fig. 9, the light-emitting step 361 of each light-emitting portion 36 of the base end region 33 and the tip end region 34 is configured by forming a V-groove on the inner surface and the outer surface thereof in the vicinity of the inverted U-shaped bend. In the configuration shown in Fig. 9(a), the light-emitting step 361 of the tip end region 34 is formed in the region from the bend to the tip end 321 on the inner surface of the board portion 32, and the light-emitting step 361 of the base end region 33 is formed on the outer surface of the board portion 32 behind the bend. In the configuration shown in Fig. 9(b), the light-emitting step 361 on the inner surface of the tip end region 34 and the light-emitting step 361 on the outer surface of the base end region 33 are configured to overlap to some extent at the bend.

[0041] The light emitting step 361 is not limited to a V-groove, and can be configured with grooves of various shapes, such as rectangular grooves or arc grooves, as long as the light guided through the board portion 32 is refracted or reflected in a desired direction on the surface of the light emitting portion 36 and emitted. Alternatively, the light emitting step 361 may be configured with a protrusion protruding from the surface of the board portion 32.

[0042] In the embodiment, the light emitting portion formed on the board portion is formed in a continuous band-like pattern from the base end region to the tip end region, and when lit, an emission pattern that is continuous in a spiral shape in the left-right direction of the lamp is shown as an example, but the light emitting portion may be formed in a different pattern to form a different emission pattern. For example, the light emitting portion may be formed as an independent pattern of any shape in the base end region and the tip end region, and an emission pattern may be formed by combining the light emitted from each light emitting portion.

[0043] In the present invention, the curved shape of the board portion 32 is not limited to an inverted U-shape, and may be various curved shapes such as an arc shape, a shape close to a polygon, etc. Furthermore, in the embodiment, the board portion 32 is configured to be folded in two, but it may also be configured to be folded in three, with three regions overlapping in the front-to-rear direction of the lamp, and the light from the light emitting portions of these three regions combined to form an illumination pattern.

[0044] If the lamp unit 2 configuration alone in the above embodiment is not sufficient to achieve the required light distribution, particularly the required light intensity, for the lamp 1L, an auxiliary lamp unit 2A may be added, as shown in FIG. 10 . In this example, an auxiliary rod 5 made of a circular, rod-shaped, translucent material is curved along the curved shape of the board portion 32 and extends between the base end region 33 and the tip end region 34 of the board portion 32. Although not shown in the figure, both ends of the auxiliary rod 5 are inserted through holes in the side walls of the extension 103 and are hidden by the extension. A first light source 4A composed of an LED is disposed opposite one end of the auxiliary rod 5. Furthermore, although not shown in the figure, a light-reflecting step is formed along the length of the auxiliary rod 5 on the circumferential surface of the auxiliary rod 5, on the rear surface facing away from the outer lens.

[0045] When the lamp is turned on, the first auxiliary light source 4A emits light together with the light source 4 (LED 41) of the lamp unit 2. The light of the first auxiliary light source 4A enters one end of the auxiliary rod 5, is reflected by the light reflecting steps as it is guided lengthwise inside the auxiliary rod 5, and is emitted from the circumferential surface facing forward of the auxiliary rod 5. The light emitted from the auxiliary rod 5 is combined with the light emitted from the board portion 32, ensuring a desired lamp light intensity when the lamp is turned on. Furthermore, when the lamp is turned on, a design effect is created by combining the spiral light emission pattern of the lamp unit 2 with the linear light emission pattern of the auxiliary lamp unit 2A.

[0046] Furthermore, in the auxiliary lamp unit 2A, the light guided through the auxiliary rod portion 5 may be guided in either longitudinal direction. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 10, by providing a second auxiliary light source 4B emitting light of a different color on the opposite side of the auxiliary rod portion 5 and selectively causing the first auxiliary light source 4A and the second auxiliary light source 4B to emit light, the auxiliary rod portion 5 of the auxiliary lamp unit 2A can be illuminated with light of a different color. For example, the first auxiliary light source 4A may be configured as a red LED to emit light so that it functions as a stop lamp, and the second auxiliary light source 4B may be configured as an amber LED to emit light so that it functions as a turn signal lamp.

[0047] The lamps to which the present invention is applicable are not limited to the tail lamps described in the embodiments, but can also be applied to indicator lamps such as position lamps and marker lamps, and signal lamps such as stop lamps and turn signal lamps. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Rear lamp (vehicle lighting fixture) 2 Lamp unit 2A auxiliary lamp unit 3 Light guide 4 light source 4A,4B Auxiliary light source 5 Auxiliary Rod 31 Rod section 32 Board Section 33 Proximal region 34 Distal region 35 Light guide control section 36 Light output section 41 LED 42 Light source board 100 Lamp Housing 101 Lamp body 102 outer lens 103 Extension 351 Control Steps 361 Light emission step CAR Automobile (vehicle)

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising a lamp unit having a light source and a light guide that guides light from the light source and emits the guided light to irradiate it toward the front of the lamp, wherein the light guide comprises a rod portion that guides light incident from the light source in the longitudinal direction, and a plate-shaped board portion that is connected to the rod portion and emits the light guided from the rod portion from its surface, the board portion being bent in the thickness direction and comprising a plurality of regions that are arranged in the front-to-rear direction of the lamp, and the light respectively emitted from the surfaces of these plurality of regions is combined and irradiated in a required light emission pattern.

2. 2. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein a light emitting portion having a light emitting step is formed in a desired pattern on the board portion, and light guided through the board portion is reflected and / or refracted by the light emitting step in the light emitting portion and emitted from the surface of the board portion.

3. 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting step is configured as a concave groove or a convex groove formed on the surface of the board portion, and a pattern of the light emitting portion is configured by arranging a plurality of concave grooves or convex grooves.

4. 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the board portion has a base end region on the side connected to the rod portion based on the bent portion, and a tip end region facing the tip opposite the rod portion, the tip end region being disposed forward of the base end region, the light emitting portion being formed in the base end region and the tip end region, and the light emitted from the light emitting portion in the tip end region and the light emitted from the light emitting portion in the base end region being combined to form an illumination pattern.

5. 5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein the light emitting portion is configured as a plurality of strip-shaped patterns extending from the base end region to the tip end region and arranged at required intervals in the longitudinal direction of the board portion.

6. 6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5, wherein the strip-shaped pattern extends from a base end side of the board portion to a tip end side thereof while being inclined in the length direction of the board portion.

7. 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting step is formed on a surface of the bent board portion facing inward.

8. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the light source is disposed opposite one end face of the rod portion in the longitudinal direction, and light emitted from the light source is incident on the one end face and guided along the rod portion in the longitudinal direction.

9. 9. The vehicular lamp according to claim 8, wherein the board portion is provided with a light guide control portion for controlling the deflection of light guided through the rod portion toward the board portion, the light guide control portion being formed by a recess having a required shape recessed into the surface of the board portion, and a plurality of recesses being arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rod portion.

10. 10. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1, which is configured as an indicator light or a signal light for an automobile.

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