Vehicle lighting

Abstract

In a vehicle lighting fixture equipped with a light guide that emits light in a linear pattern, the light is emitted uniformly from the end of the lighting fixture. [Solution] The vehicle light fixture 100 comprises a light source 20 and a light guide 10 that guides light from the light source 20 along the axial direction. The light guide 10 has an optical step 14 formed along the axial direction that causes the light guided in the axial direction to be emitted in a first direction intersecting the axial direction. The light guide 10 comprises at least two rod-shaped light guides 10a, 10b arranged along the axial direction. The first rod-shaped light guide 10a is positioned offset from the second rod-shaped light guide 10b in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The rod-shaped light guides 10a, 10b are positioned along the axial direction so that parts of them overlap with each other, and each is bent in a third direction intersecting the axial direction at the overlapping portion. The light source 20a is provided at the end of the rod-shaped light guides 10a, 10b on the overlapping portion side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicle lamps, and more particularly to vehicle lamps provided with a light guide that guides light from a light source and emits light in a line shape.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle lamps provided with a light guide that guides light from a light source and emits light in a line shape are known. For example, in the vehicle lamp described in Patent Document 1, a light source is disposed at an end of the lamp, light emitted from the light source is incident from a base end portion of the light guide, and while repeating reflection inside the light guide, the light is guided toward a tip side of the light guide. Then, the guided light is emitted from the front side of the light guide by an optical step provided on the back side of the light guide. Thereby, line-shaped light emission is made possible.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1 in which a light source is disposed at an end of the lamp, a space is required to secure an incident angle for reflecting light incident from the light source toward the front of the lamp, and there is a problem that light cannot be emitted from the end of the lamp. Further, in the vicinity of the light source, there is a problem that a so-called point light occurs, in which a portion where the luminance becomes locally high occurs, and it is difficult to emit light uniformly over the entire lamp.

[0005] Furthermore, regarding the problem of not being able to emit light from the ends of the light fixture, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a light guide configured such that the light source is placed in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the light fixture and the light guide is branched in two directions at the position of the light source. However, even in this case, leakage light occurs at the branching part, causing spot illumination, and it is necessary to provide a light-shielding mirror to prevent spot illumination.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technology that enables uniform illumination from the end of a vehicle light fixture equipped with a light guide that emits light in a linear shape.

[0007] To achieve the above objective, a vehicle lighting device according to one aspect of the present invention has the following configuration. 1. A vehicle lamp comprising a light source and a light guide that guides light from the light source along the axial direction, wherein the light guide has an optical step formed along the axial direction that causes the light guided in the axial direction to be emitted in a first direction intersecting the axial direction, the light guide is composed of at least two rod-shaped light guides arranged along the axial direction, the first rod-shaped light guide is positioned offset from the second rod-shaped light guide in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the at least two rod-shaped light guides are positioned along the axial direction so that they partially overlap each other, and each is bent in a third direction intersecting the axial direction at the overlapping portion, and the light source is provided at the end of each rod-shaped light guide on the overlapping portion side.

[0008] 2. In the above configuration, it is also preferable that the optical step is provided in each of the at least two rod-shaped light guide portions and is formed so that a part of it overlaps in the overlapping portion.

[0009] 3. In addition, in the configurations described in 1 and 2 above, it is also preferable that the first rod-shaped light guide portion is shorter than the second rod-shaped light guide portion.

[0010] 4. Furthermore, in the configurations described in 1 to 3 above, it is also preferable that the light sources corresponding to two adjacent rod-shaped light guides among the two or more rod-shaped light guides are provided on a common substrate.

[0011] 5. In addition, in the configuration described in item 4 above, it is also preferable that the common substrate is provided so as to be perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0012] 6. In addition, in the configurations described in 1 to 5 above, it is also preferable to further include a reflector that extends along the light guide and reflects the light from the light guide, emitting it forward towards the vehicle lamp.

[0013] 7. In addition, in the configurations described in 1 to 6 above, it is also preferable that the two rod-shaped light guides are formed integrally. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the above embodiment, in a vehicle lamp equipped with a light guide that emits light in a linear shape, it is possible to emit light uniformly from the end of the lamp. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a front view, seen from the rear, of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle lighting device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] The upper image is a front view of the vehicle's lighting fixture, and the lower image is a schematic diagram showing the brightness distribution of the vehicle's lighting fixture when it is illuminated. [Figure 3] (A) and (B) are end views of the vehicle's lighting fixture, cut in the vertical direction. [Figure 4] This is a top view of the light guide that makes up the vehicle's lighting fixture. [Figure 5] This diagram illustrates the detailed structure of the light guide. [Figure 6] This is an end view of a vehicle light fixture, one of the modified forms described above, cut in the lateral direction. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of a light guide constituting a vehicle light fixture according to another modified example of the above-described form. [Figure 8] Front view of the vehicle lamp according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Vertical sectional view of the vehicle lamp.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, each embodiment is an example, and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto, and it can be appropriately modified and implemented without changing the gist thereof. Note that the drawings used in the following description may show different dimensional ratios of each component for the sake of convenience of explanation. In the following description of the embodiments and modification examples, the same members are denoted by the same names and reference numerals, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted as appropriate.

[0017] In each drawing, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set, and the X-axis direction is the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the Y-axis direction is the left-right direction of the vehicle, and the Z-axis direction is the up-down direction of the vehicle, respectively.

[0018] (First Embodiment) Referring to FIGS. 1 to 5, a vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a lamp) will be described. The lamp 100 is an application of the present invention to a lid lamp provided over the entire length in the left-right direction of the back gate or trunk lid of the vehicle.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle 9 equipped with the lamp 100 as seen from the rear of the vehicle. The upper part of FIG. 2 is a front view of the lamp 100, shown together with the rear combination lamp 90. FIG. 3(A) is an end view of the lamp 100 cut along line IIIA-IIIA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3(B) is an end view cut along line IIIB-IIIB. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the light guide 10 constituting the lamp 100. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the lamp 100 along line V-V in FIG. 2, showing only the inside of the lamp chamber.

[0020] In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified, the terms "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down" refer to the respective directions when the light fixture 100 is viewed from the front, i.e., from the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, these directions are the reverse of the directions when viewed from the front of the vehicle (the front of the vehicle).

[0021] (Configuration of vehicle lighting fixture 100) As shown in Figure 1, the lamp 100 is configured as a pair of left and right lid lamps that are symmetrical with respect to the center line C in the vehicle width direction. The lamp 100 is installed alongside a pair of left and right rear combination lamps 90 mounted on both corners at the rear end of the vehicle 9. As shown by the diagonal lines in Figure 1, the lamp 100 includes a red-emitting light-emitting region E1, and the rear combination lamps 90 include a red-emitting light-emitting region E2. The light-emitting regions E1 and E2 are arranged to be continuous in the vehicle width direction, and they emit light in a line along the entire vehicle width direction, functioning as taillights. Since the lamp 100 is configured symmetrically, the lamp 100 on the right side of the vehicle (left side in Figure 1) will be described below.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the luminaire 100 includes a housing 2, a front cover 4, a long light guide 10 extending along an axis A that extends in the left-right direction, a light source 20 that directs light onto the light guide, a reflector 6, an inner lens 7, an extension 8, and a base 12 that supports the light guide 10.

[0023] The housing 2 has a container shape that opens to the front and is made of an opaque resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene. The front cover 4 is made of a translucent resin such as polycarbonate resin or acrylic resin such as polymethyl methacrylate resin, for example, a colorless and transparent resin. The front cover 4 closes the opening of the housing 2 from the front and defines the lamp chamber.

[0024] The light guide 10 is made of a translucent resin such as polycarbonate resin or acrylic resin such as polymethyl methacrylate resin. The light guide 10 as a whole is curved so as to be slightly convex forward along axis A. The light guide 10 is made up of two rod-shaped light guides (first rod-shaped light guide 10a, second rod-shaped light guide 10b) which are arranged parallel to each other along axis A. The detailed configuration of the light guide 10 will be described later.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3(B), the base 12 comprises a first base 12a and a second base 12b. As shown in Figure 5, the first base 12a is formed in a groove shape with a U-shape extending along its entire length along the first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a. Similarly, the second base 12b is formed in a groove shape with a U-shape extending along its entire length along the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10b. The base 12 is made of an opaque resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

[0026] The reflector 6 has a slightly upward-curving inclined portion 6a that extends along the light guide 10. The reflector 6 extends along the axial direction of the light guide 10, along the entire length of the light guide 10, and the inclined portion 6a is positioned to cover the upper part of the light guide 10. The reflector 6 is also made of an opaque resin. The lower surface of the inclined portion 6a is a reflective surface, for example, made of a metal vapor-deposited film, and is designed to reflect the light L from the light guide 10 and emit it forward.

[0027] An inner lens 7 is provided along the entire length in the left-right direction, covering the inclined portion 6a from above to the front of the reflector 6. The inner lens 7 is made of a translucent resin such as polycarbonate resin or acrylic resin. In this example, the inner lens 7 is made of a red transparent translucent resin.

[0028] Extension 8 is made of opaque resin and is attached to the back of the front cover 4, concealing everything except the inner lens 7.

[0029] Next, the detailed configuration of the light guide 10 will be described. The first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10b are configured as rods with circular cross-sections of the same diameter. The first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a is shorter than the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10b. The first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a is positioned offset downward from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10b, i.e., in a second direction opposite to the first direction toward the reflector 6. The light guides are arranged so that parts of them overlap each other along the axial direction of the light guide 10, and each is bent at the overlapping portion 50 toward the rear, i.e., in a third direction that intersects the axial direction, so that the ends protrude backward from the axial direction of the light guide 10.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, an optical step 14a is formed on the lower part of the first rod-shaped light guide 10a, extending over approximately its entire length, excluding the base end portion (the end on the light source side, described below, is defined as the base end) which curves backward. Similarly, an optical step 14b is formed on the lower part of the second rod-shaped light guide 10b, extending over approximately its entire length, excluding the base end portion which curves backward. As shown in an enlarged view in Figure 4, each step constituting the optical step 14b is wedge-shaped, having a surface perpendicular to the axis 16b of the second rod-shaped light guide 10b and an inclined surface that slopes away from the overlapping portion 50 as it extends upward. The optical step 14b consists of multiple wedge-shaped steps arranged at equal intervals.

[0031] Similar optical steps 14a are also formed on the lower part of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a, extending over almost its entire length except for the base end portion which curves backward (enlarged view is omitted). Each step constituting the optical step 14a is wedge-shaped, having a surface perpendicular to the axis of the first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a and an inclined surface that slopes away from the overlapping portion 50 as it extends upward. The optical steps 14a and 14b are not necessarily limited to the shapes shown, and any optical step that reflects light L traveling axially within the light guide body 10 toward the reflector 6 (first direction) may be used, and various known optical steps may be employed.

[0032] The detailed configuration of the overlapping portion 50 will now be described. As shown in Figure 5, in the overlapping portion 50, the optical step 14a is formed on the first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a so as to overlap with the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10b. On the other hand, the optical step 14b is formed on the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10b so as to overlap with the first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a, and overall, the optical steps 14a and 14b are arranged along the axis A of the light guide body 10.

[0033] Furthermore, in the overlapping portion 50, a U-shaped notch 121 is formed in the portion of the second base 12b that overlaps with the optical step 14a, allowing light reflected upward by the optical step 14a to pass through the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10b. The shape of the notch is not particularly limited. In this way, it is possible to prevent the step from being interrupted and becoming partially dark in the overlapping portion 50.

[0034] In the illustrated example, optical step 14a and optical step 14b are slightly separated at the point where the second rod-shaped light guide 10b begins to curve when viewed from the incident surface. This is to avoid a point of light at the starting position of the strongly reflective optical step 14b, and to prevent partial darkness in areas where the optical step 14b is absent. However, the above arrangement is not always necessary; optical steps 14a and 14b may be arranged to be completely continuous in the axial direction, or they may be arranged to have a longer separation distance. Such arrangements can be appropriately set depending on the distance between the overlapping portion 50 and the light source 20, the curvature angle at the overlapping portion 50, and so on.

[0035] The first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10b each protrude backward from the overlapping portion 50, that is, their base ends, i.e., the end faces of the ends on the overlapping portion 50 side, are the light incident surfaces 11a and 11b.

[0036] The light source 20 is, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED). The light source 20 comprises a first light source 20a and a second light source 20b. The first light source 20a is positioned to face the incident surface 11a of the first rod-shaped light guide 10a, and the second light source 20b is positioned to face the incident surface 11b of the second rod-shaped light guide 10b. The first light source 20a and the second light source 20b are mounted on a common substrate 22, which is attached to the rear ends of the first base 12a and the second base 12b so as to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A power connector 24 is also attached to the substrate 22.

[0037] Next, the propagation of light when the light source 20 is lit will be explained. As shown in Figure 4, the light L emitted from the second light source 20b enters from the incident surface 11b and is guided to the right along the axis 16b (i.e., axis A) while internally reflecting within the second rod-shaped light guide section 10b. Then, the light L that enters the optical step 14b is reflected by the optical step 14b and emitted upward perpendicular to the axial direction, entering the reflector 6. Subsequently, the light L is reflected by the reflector 6 and emitted forward through the inner lens 7.

[0038] Meanwhile, the light L emitted from the first light source 20a similarly enters from the incident surface 11a and is guided to the left along the axis 16a while internally reflecting within the first rod-shaped light guide 10a. The light L that enters the optical step 14a is reflected by the optical step 14a and emitted upward, entering the reflector 6. Next, the light L is reflected by the reflector 6 and emitted forward through the inner lens 7. In the overlapping portion 50, the light reflected by the optical step 14a and emitted upward enters the reflector 6 via the second rod-shaped light guide 10b, is reflected, and emitted forward through the inner lens 7. As a result, the light-emitting region E1 emits red light.

[0039] (Configuration of rear combination lamp 90) Here, we will briefly explain the configuration of the rear combination lamp (hereinafter simply referred to as "lamp") 90 shown in Figure 2. The lamp 90 comprises a housing 91, a front cover 92, a light source 93, a rod-shaped light guide 95, a base (not shown), a reflector (not shown), and an inner lens 97. The lamp 90 also includes a brake lamp unit, a turn signal lamp unit, etc., but these are not shown or explained here. The materials of each part are the same as those of the lamp fixture 100.

[0040] In lamp 90, the light source 93 is located at the left end. A rod-shaped light guide 95 is positioned so that its base end faces the light source 93. Similar to luminaire 1, the rod-shaped light guide 95 is supported by a base, a reflector is positioned above the rod-shaped light guide 95, and an inner lens 97 is positioned in front of the reflector. The rod-shaped light guide 95 also has an optical step equivalent to the optical step 14. To avoid the problem of point light, the optical step, inner lens 97, and reflector are slightly separated to the right from the position of the light source 93.

[0041] When the light source 93 is turned on, the light is guided to the right while internally reflecting within the rod-shaped light guide 95, reflected at the step and emitted towards the reflector, reflected by the reflector, and emitted forward via the inner lens 97 and front cover 92. As a result, the light-emitting area E2 emits red light.

[0042] The lower part of Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the brightness level when both the luminaire 100 and the lamp 90 shown in the upper part are illuminated. As shown in the lower part of Figure 2, with the above configuration, the luminaire 100 and the lamp 90 can emit light uniformly in a linear pattern.

[0043] (Effects and Benefits) According to the configuration of this embodiment, in a long, straight-line vehicle light fixture, there is no need to install a light source at the end, making it possible to illuminate the light fixture right up to the very edge. As a result, especially when used simultaneously with the lamp 90, it becomes possible to illuminate the light fixture 100 with virtually no gap between the lamp 90 and the fixture 100, effectively creating a linear illumination effect.

[0044] Furthermore, the light guide 10 is composed of two or more rod-shaped light guide sections, configured so that parts of them overlap (intersect) with each other in the axial direction of the light guide 10, and the end on the overlapping section 50 is bent in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the light guide to position the light source 20. This ensures that the distance from the incident surface to the start of the step is secured in the front-to-back direction, and since light from the extremely curved parts of the first rod-shaped light guide section 10a and the second rod-shaped light guide section 10b, as well as light from parts too close to the light source, is not utilized, point illumination is prevented and the entire structure can be made to emit light uniformly.

[0045] Furthermore, the optical step 14 reflects the light from the light source 20 in an intersecting (orthogonal) direction and utilizes the light incident on the reflector 6, thus reducing the effect of point light caused by light leakage from the light guide 10.

[0046] Furthermore, the light guide 10 is composed of two or more rod-shaped light guides, a short first rod-shaped light guide section 10a and a long second rod-shaped light guide section 10b, and the first rod-shaped light guide section 10a and the second rod-shaped light guide section 10b are configured to partially overlap (intersect) each other in the axial direction of the light guide 10. With the above configuration, it is not necessary to place the light source unit (light source 20 and substrate 22) at both ends of the lid where there is no space, and the light source can be set at any position. For example, it is possible to place it in the middle of the trunk lid.

[0047] Furthermore, in particular, in the overlapping portion 50, the light from the optical step provided in the first rod-shaped light guide 10a is emitted through the second rod-shaped light guide 10b, thus preventing the optical steps 14a and 14b from being interrupted and becoming partially darkened in the overlapping portion (intersection portion) 50 of the first rod-shaped light guide 10a and the second rod-shaped light guide 10b.

[0048] In this embodiment, the shorter first rod-shaped light guide 10a is positioned lower than the longer second rod-shaped light guide 10b, in the opposite direction to the upward direction of light emission from the light guide 10. Although this is not essential, by positioning the second rod-shaped light guide 10b, which has a relatively longer optical path length and less favorable luminous efficiency, closer to the emission surface of the luminaire 100 than the first rod-shaped light guide 10a, which has a relatively shorter optical path length and more favorable luminous efficiency, it is possible to balance the light intensity and effectively utilize the light from the light source 20.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the light emitted from the light guide 10 is not emitted directly to the front of the luminaire, but is first incident on the reflector 6, reflected by the reflector 6, and then emitted forward. Although this is not essential, using indirectly reflected light from the reflector 6 for the light emitted from the luminaire in this way makes it possible to reduce the slight difference in brightness that may occur between the first rod-shaped light guide 10a and the second rod-shaped light guide 10b, and to further improve the uniformity of the light.

[0050] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first light source 20a corresponding to the first rod-shaped light guide 10a and the second light source 20b corresponding to the second rod-shaped light guide 10b are provided on a common substrate 22. While this is not essential, this configuration is advantageous because it reduces the number of parts and simplifies assembly.

[0051] Furthermore, as in this embodiment, if the common substrate 22 on which the first light source 20a and the second light source 20b are mounted is configured to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when attached to the vehicle, then the power connector, which is normally mounted perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, can also be provided on the common substrate. This is preferable because the power connector connection part and the light source unit can be made from common components.

[0052] (Variation 1) Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle lamp 100A, one modification of the first embodiment, cut at a position corresponding to the VV line in Figure 1. For the sake of explanation, only the light guide 10A, light source 20A, and inner lens 7 are shown inside the lamp chamber. The vehicle lamp 100A has generally the same configuration as the lamp 100, but differs in the following points.

[0053] While the vehicle lighting fixture 100 is a pair of lid lamps configured symmetrically with respect to the vehicle's centerline C, the lighting fixture 100A is a lid lamp positioned along the entire length of the trunk lid in the left-right direction.

[0054] Furthermore, the light guide 10A comprises a first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a, which is the same as the first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a related to the light guide 10; a long second rod-shaped light guide portion 10c, which is configured symmetrically with respect to the vehicle's centerline C; and a third rod-shaped light guide portion 10d, which is configured symmetrically with respect to the vehicle's centerline C with respect to the first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a. The first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a and the third rod-shaped light guide portion 10d are positioned offset downward from the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10c. In addition, along the axial direction of the light guide 10A, adjacent rod-shaped light guide portions 10a and 10c, 10c and 10d partially overlap (intersect) with each other near their ends, and are bent so that their ends protrude backward. The first light source 20a, the second light source 20c, and the third light source 20d are each provided facing the end face near the overlapping portion.

[0055] In other words, the luminaire 100A has a configuration that resembles two luminaires 100 connected symmetrically. The long central second rod-shaped light guide section 10c is bent backward at the overlapping (intersecting) portion with the first rod-shaped light guide section 10a and the third rod-shaped light guide section 10d. The first light source 20a, the second light source 20c, and the third light source 20d are positioned opposite each other at the end closest to the overlapping portion. The formation position of the optical step 14 (not shown) in the overlapping portion and the curvature of the first, second, and third rod-shaped light guide sections are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0056] Even with this configuration, just like the luminaire 100 according to the first embodiment, it is possible to emit light from the edge of the luminaire and to emit light uniformly. Thus, the number of rod-shaped light guides constituting the light guide body 10 is not limited to two, but may be three or more.

[0057] (Modification 2) Figure 7 is a perspective view of the light guide 10B of a vehicle lamp 100B according to another modification of this embodiment. The lamp 100B has, in general terms, the same configuration as the lamp 100. However, while the light guide 10 comprises a first rod-shaped light guide portion 10a and a second rod-shaped light guide portion 10b, which are each composed of separate parts, the light guide 10B is formed by integral molding by injection molding. In this way, even if the light guide 10B is formed by integral molding, it is possible to achieve the same effect as the lamp 100.

[0058] Furthermore, if the first rod-shaped light guide portion 10Ba and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10Bb are formed by integral molding, the manufacturing process can be reduced. In addition, since there is no need to position the first rod-shaped light guide portion 10Ba and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 10Bb, the impact of positioning accuracy on light distribution accuracy can be reduced.

[0059] (Second Embodiment) Figure 8 is a front view of a vehicle lamp 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 9(A) and 9(B) are end views obtained by cutting along the lines IXA-IXA and IXB-IXB in Figure 8, respectively, and correspond to Figure 3. Similar to lamp 100, lamp 200 comprises a housing 2, a front cover 4, a light source 20, a light guide body 210 having a first rod-shaped light guide portion 210a and a second rod-shaped light guide portion 210b, bases 212a and 212b supporting the light guide body 210, an inner lens 7, and an extension 8. Furthermore, the first rod-shaped light guide portion 210a and the second rod-shaped light guide portion 210b are arranged so that they partially overlap each other in the axial direction of the light guide body 210.

[0060] However, the luminaire 200 differs in that it does not have a reflector 6, and the first rod-shaped light guide 210a is positioned offset to the rear rather than downward relative to the second rod-shaped light guide 210b. Furthermore, the first rod-shaped light guide 210a and the second rod-shaped light guide 210b are bent downward at the overlapping portion 250, intersecting the axial direction A of the light guide body 210, with their ends protruding downward from the axial direction of the light guide body 210. The corresponding first light source 20a and second light source 20b are mounted facing upward so as to face the downward-facing end faces of the first rod-shaped light guide 210a and the second rod-shaped light guide 210b. Note that connectors and other components are omitted in the figure.

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, optical steps 14 are formed on the back surfaces of the first rod-shaped light guide 210a and the second rod-shaped light guide 210b, extending almost their entire length. The configuration of the optical steps 14 in the overlapping portion 250 is the same as that of the optical steps 14 in the overlapping portion 50 of the luminaire 100. When the light source 20 is lit, the light incident on the second rod-shaped light guide 210b is guided along the axial direction while undergoing internal reflection. As shown in Figure 9(A), the light L incident on the optical steps 14 is reflected forward, intersecting the axial direction, and is irradiated forward through the inner lens 7 and the front cover 4. The same applies to the first rod-shaped light guide 210a.

[0062] Furthermore, in the overlapping portion, as shown in Figure 9(B), similar to the luminaire 100, the light L guided along the axial direction within the first rod-shaped light guide 210a is reflected by the optical step 14a, passes through the second rod-shaped light guide 210b, and is then projected forward via the inner lens 7 and front cover 4. With this configuration, the luminaire 200 can also emit light to the end of the luminaire, similar to the luminaire 100. In addition, with this configuration, similar to the luminaire 100, it is possible to prevent light near the incident surface, which causes point illumination, from entering the optical step 14, thus enabling uniform illumination along the entire axial length of the light guide 210. Moreover, since the light from the light source is emitted forward perpendicular to the direction of propagation from the light source 20 by the optical step 14, any stray light that may occur in the overlapping portion where the light guide 210 is curved is not emitted forward, thus enabling uniform illumination in this respect as well.

[0063] Thus, even if the vehicle lighting fixture 200 does not have a reflector 6, by arranging at least two rod-shaped light guides offset in the opposite direction to the direction of emission of light L from the light guide body 210, and configuring them so that they partially overlap (intersect) each other in the axial direction, it is possible to achieve the same effects as in the first embodiment.

[0064] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Specifically, modifications of the first embodiment may be applied to the second embodiment, and modifications can also be applied in combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1:Lighting equipment 6: Reflector 9: Vehicles 10,10A,10B,210: Light guide 10a, 10Ba, 210a: First rod-shaped light guide 10b, 10c, 10Bb, 210b: Second rod-shaped light guide 14, 14a, 14b: Optical step 20, 20A, 20a, 20b: Second light source 22: Circuit board 50,250: Duplicate part 100, 100A, 100B, 200: Vehicle lighting fixtures L: light

Claims

1. Light source and The system includes a light guide that guides light from the light source along the axial direction, The light guide has an optical step formed along the axial direction that causes light guided in the axial direction to be emitted in a first direction intersecting the axial direction, in a vehicle light fixture, The light guide body is composed of at least two rod-shaped light guide portions arranged along the axial direction, The at least two rod-shaped light guides are arranged such that the first rod-shaped light guide is offset from the second rod-shaped light guide in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and that they partially overlap each other along the axial direction, and that each is bent in a third direction intersecting the axial direction at the overlapping portion. The vehicle light fixture is characterized in that the light source is provided at the end of each rod-shaped light guide on the side of the overlapping portion.

2. The optical step is provided in each of the at least two rod-shaped light guide sections, The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the overlapping portion, the light from the optical step provided in the first rod-shaped light guide is emitted through the second rod-shaped light guide.

3. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first rod-shaped light guide portion is shorter than the second rod-shaped light guide portion.

4. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, of the two or more rod-shaped light guides, the light sources corresponding to two adjacent rod-shaped light guides are provided on a common substrate.

5. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 4, characterized in that the common circuit board is configured to be installed perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a reflector that extends along the light guide and reflects light from the light guide and emits it forward of the vehicle lamp.

7. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the two rod-shaped light guides are formed integrally.

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