Vehicle lighting

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle lighting device that, when using a lens component in which the light input and output sections are offset in a specific direction, can suppress the illuminance in a specific area while minimizing manufacturing difficulties. [Solution] The vehicle light fixture comprises a light source provided on a substrate 20, a low-beam lens 50 having a light introduction section and a light output section 52, and a projection lens 70 provided on the light output side of the low-beam lens 50. The low-beam lens 50 has a first reflecting section 54, a second reflecting section 55, and a third reflecting section 56. The second reflecting section 55 has a first inclined section 55b that transmits the incoming light and reflects the incoming light towards the third reflecting section 56 at an angle at which the light is transmitted, forming a second optical path, and a second inclined section 55c that transmits the incoming light and reflects the incoming light directly towards the output section 52, guiding the light that has passed through the output section 52 to the incident surface 71 of the projection lens 70, forming a third optical path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicle lamps.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a lens member that introduces light and guides and emits the introduced light has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This lens member has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The lens member has a light introduction portion for introducing light from a light source on one surface of the rectangular parallelepiped. Further, the lens member has an emission portion for emitting the introduced light on a facing surface facing the one surface.

[0003] Furthermore, this lens member has a convex portion protruding outward on a side surface located between the one surface and the facing surface. The convex portion reflects a part of the incident light toward a surface different from the facing surface. Therefore, the lens member can suppress the luminance appropriately by not emitting a part of the light from the facing surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] FIG. 11 is an end view showing an example of a lens member according to a comparative example. In FIG. 11, for the sake of showing the optical path, the hatching of the end face is omitted. The inventors of the present application have studied a lens member 100 as shown in FIG. 11. This lens member 100 has a configuration in which a light introduction portion 110 for introducing light from a light source LS provided on a substrate B and an emission portion 120 for emitting light are shifted in a specific direction. The specific direction is a direction along the substrate plane and is also a direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the light source LS.

[0006] The lens component 100 comprises a first reflecting section 130, a second reflecting section 140, and a third reflecting section 150. The first reflecting section 130 is positioned in the direction normal to the substrate with respect to the light introduction section 110 and reflects light from the light introduction section 110 in a specific direction. The second reflecting section 140 guides the light reflected in the specific direction by the first reflecting section 130 toward the adjacent third reflecting section 150 in a further specific direction. The third reflecting section 150 is positioned in the direction normal to the substrate with respect to the emission section 120 and reflects the light that has been reflected and guided by the first reflecting section 130 and the second reflecting section 140 toward the emission section 120.

[0007] Furthermore, the inventors of this invention are considering reducing the illuminance in a specific area in order to form an appropriate light distribution when such a lens member 100 is used in a vehicle lighting device. To reduce the illuminance in a specific area, the inventors are considering providing the third reflector 150 with protrusions or recesses that change the reflection direction, as described in Patent Document 1. In particular, since the third reflector 150 is positioned opposite the emitter 120, it is easy to form the protrusions and recesses in a part of the third reflector 150 to correspond to the location of the specific area where the illuminance needs to be reduced.

[0008] However, after diligent research by the inventors, they found that if an uneven surface is formed on the third reflective section 150 corresponding to a specific area, the illuminance in that specific area will decrease significantly unless the reflection angle is set with very precise accuracy.

[0009] Figure 12 is an end view showing another example of a lens member related to the comparative example. Note that in Figure 12, the hatching on the end face is omitted in order to show the optical path. Figure 12 shows an example in which an extreme protrusion 151 is provided at a position on the third reflecting part 150 corresponding to a specific area. In the example shown in Figure 12, the light that reaches the protrusion 151 on the third reflecting part 150 is transmitted without almost all of it being reflected. As a result, the illuminance in the specific area is drastically reduced. In order to prevent such an extreme reduction, the angle of the protrusion 151 must be set so that it reflects some light while transmitting some light, and considering tolerances, this becomes extremely difficult in terms of manufacturing.

[0010] This disclosure provides a vehicle lighting device that, when using a lens member in which the light input and output sections are offset in a specific direction, can suppress the illuminance in a specific area while minimizing manufacturing difficulties. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The vehicle lamp according to this disclosure comprises a light source provided on a substrate, a first lens member having a light introduction section for introducing light from the light source and an output section for emitting the introduced light, and a second lens member provided on the light output side of the first lens member for introducing and emitting light emitted from the first lens member from the incident surface, wherein the first lens member has a first reflecting section located in the direction normal to the substrate with respect to the light introduction section and reflecting light from the light introduction section in a specific direction along the substrate plane, a second reflecting section that further reflects the light reflected in the specific direction by the first reflecting section, and a third reflecting section that reflects the light that has been reflected by the first reflecting section and the second reflecting section toward the output section. The second reflecting portion is characterized by having: a surface portion that forms a first optical path that reflects the incoming light toward the third reflecting portion at the angle at which the light is reflected by the third reflecting portion; a first inclined portion that transmits the incoming light and forms a second optical path that reflects the incoming light toward the third reflecting portion at the angle at which the light is transmitted by the third reflecting portion, and is inclined with respect to the surface portion in a cross-section in the specific direction; and a second inclined portion that transmits the incoming light and forms a third optical path that reflects the incoming light toward the emission portion without passing through the third reflecting portion, and guides the light that has passed through the emission portion to the outside of the incident surface of the second lens member, and is inclined with respect to the surface portion and the first inclined portion in a cross-section in the specific direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to this disclosure, when a lens member is used in which the light introduction section and the light emission section are offset in a specific direction, it is possible to suppress the illuminance in a specific area while also suppressing manufacturing difficulties. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure. [Figure 2] It is an exploded perspective view showing a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure. [Figure 3] It is an enlarged perspective view showing the details of the low beam lens shown in FIG. 2 and is a front perspective view. [Figure 4] It is an enlarged perspective view showing the details of the low beam lens shown in FIG. 2 and is a rear perspective view. [Figure 5] It is a sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] It is a first end view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] It is a second end view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3. [Figure 8] It is a third end view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3. [Figure 9] It is an enlarged top perspective view of a part of the low beam lens shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 10] It is an end view of another example of the low beam lens according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] It is an end view showing an example of a lens member according to a comparative example. [Figure 12] It is an end view showing another example of a lens member according to a comparative example.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be appropriately changed without departing from the gist of the present disclosure. In addition, in the embodiments, there are some places where the illustration and description of some configurations are omitted. Needless to say, for the details of the omitted technology, well-known or well-known technologies are appropriately applied within the range that does not conflict with the content described below.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure. The vehicle lamp 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a headlamp provided at the right front as viewed from the driver. This vehicle lamp 1 includes a plurality of light sources 10, a substrate 20, a heat sink 30, a high-beam lens 40, a low-beam lens (first lens member) 50, a bracket 60, a projection lens (second lens member) 70, and a retainer 80.

[0016] The plurality of light sources 10 emit light and are constituted by, for example, LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). The plurality of light sources 10 include a plurality of high-beam light sources 11 for forming a light distribution pattern for high beam and a plurality of low-beam light sources 12 for forming a light distribution pattern for low beam.

[0017] The substrate 20 is a flat plate with one side facing forward, and a plurality of light sources 10 are mounted on one side. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the substrate 20 is an L-shaped plate material with the left side protruding upward. The plurality of high-beam light sources 11 are provided in a row in the left-right direction along the plane of the substrate 20 in the region 21 protruding upward. The plurality of low-beam light sources 12 are provided in a substantially row in the left-right direction in a region 22 that is lower than the plurality of high-beam light sources 11 and is shifted in the left-right direction. Further, the substrate 20 is provided with a power supply connector 23. The plurality of light sources 10 can emit light by power supply via the power supply connector 23. In the following description, the vertical direction is the so-called vertical direction, which is orthogonal to the left-right direction and along the plane of the substrate 20.

[0018] The heat sink 30 mounts the circuit board 20 and bracket 60, and also mounts the high-beam lens 40 and the low-beam lens 50 via the circuit board 20 and bracket 60. The heat sink 30 has a flat surface 31 to which the circuit board 20 is mounted and the bracket 60 is screwed, and side walls 32 at both the left and right ends, and is roughly U-shaped when viewed from above. Furthermore, the heat sink 30 is made up of multiple plates 33. The multiple plates 33 are formed to protrude rearward from the rear surface of the flat surface 31. The multiple plates 33 are formed to extend in the vertical direction. The heat sink 30 is made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, and the surface area is increased by the multiple plates 33 to improve heat dissipation.

[0019] The high-beam lens 40 is an optical component positioned in front of the multiple high-beam light sources 11. The high-beam lens 40 is configured to parallelize and emit the light emitted from the multiple high-beam light sources 11. The high-beam lens 40 is sized to correspond to a portion of the area 21 of the substrate 20 on which the multiple high-beam light sources 11 are provided.

[0020] The low-beam lens 50 emits light from multiple low-beam light sources 12 after multiple reflections. The low-beam lens 50 introduces light from multiple low-beam light sources 12 and emits it from a position shifted in a specific direction (upward) along the plane of the substrate 20 relative to the introduction position. Therefore, although the low-beam lens 50 introduces light from below the high-beam lens 40, it is configured to emit light from approximately the same height as the high-beam lens 40.

[0021] The bracket 60 has an opening 61 that allows light emitted from the high-beam lens 40 and the low-beam lens 50 to pass through. In addition to allowing light from each lens 40 and 50 to pass through the opening 61, the bracket 60 also serves as a component that surrounds the high-beam lens 40 and the low-beam lens 50. The bracket 60 has a mounting portion 62 for attaching it to the heat sink 30. The bracket 60 is screwed to the heat sink 30 through the mounting portion 62. The bracket 60 also makes contact with the high-beam lens 40 and the low-beam lens 50 in a position that does not optically interfere with them, and also serves to press them backward. The high-beam lens 40 and the low-beam lens 50 are equipped with multiple positioning pins P, which are pressed against the bracket 60 and maintain a fixed position relative to the substrate 20 and the heat sink 30 through the positioning pins P.

[0022] The projection lens 70 is an optical component provided on the light-emitting side of the high-beam lens 40 and the low-beam lens 50. Light emitted from the high-beam lens 40 and the low-beam lens 50 enters the incident surface (reference numeral 71, described later) of the projection lens 70 and is emitted in such a way as to form a predetermined light distribution pattern in front of the vehicle. The projection lens 70 is formed to extend in the left-right direction and is attached to the bracket 60 via a retainer 80.

[0023] The retainer 80 is a component that forms the frame of the projection lens 70. The retainer 80 is mounted around the projection lens 70 without covering the light incident surface and the light emission surface of the projection lens 70. The retainer 80 has a mounting portion 81 for attachment to the bracket 60. The retainer 80 is screwed to the bracket 60 through the mounting portion 81 while holding the projection lens 70.

[0024] Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged perspective views showing details of the low-beam lens 50 shown in Figure 2; Figure 3 is a front perspective view, and Figure 4 is a rear perspective view. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 3, section AA. For the sake of explanation, Figure 5 also shows the low-beam light source 12, substrate 20, and projection lens 70. Figures 6 to 8 are end view views of Figure 3, section AA. In Figures 6 to 8, the hatching on the end faces is omitted to show the optical path. Figure 8 also shows the projection lens 70 for the sake of explanation.

[0025] The low-beam lens 50 shown in Figures 3 to 5 comprises a light introduction section 51 and a light output section 52. The light introduction section 51 is the part that introduces light from multiple low-beam light sources 12 into the low-beam lens 50. Multiple light introduction sections 51 are provided on the lower rear side of the low-beam lens 50. The multiple light introduction sections 51 are arranged in approximately a single row in the left-right direction. The multiple light introduction sections 51 consist of five sections, in order from left to right: the first light introduction section 51a, the second light introduction section 51b, the third light introduction section 51c, the fourth light introduction section 51d, and the fifth light introduction section 51e. Stepped sections 53 are formed at the locations where the multiple light introduction sections 51 are formed, and the first, second, and fifth light introduction sections 51a, 51b, and 51e are formed in a position that protrudes slightly rearward due to the stepped sections 53.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the third light introduction section 51c is cup-shaped, with the bottom surface 51c2, which is inside the legs 51c1 of the cup, directly facing one of the multiple low-beam light sources 12. Therefore, light from one low-beam light source 12 enters the third light introduction section 51c from the inner surface of the legs 51c1 or the bottom surface 51c2. The incident light is refraction at the bottom surface 51c2 and reflection at the side surface 51c3, which is a total reflection surface, and is then parallelized and propagates forward. The same applies to the first, second, fourth, and fifth light introduction sections 51a, 51b, 51d, and 51e.

[0027] The emission section 52 shown in Figure 3 is the part that emits the light introduced in the light introduction section 51 (see Figure 4). Multiple emission sections 52 are provided on the front upper side of the low-beam lens 50. Therefore, the low-beam lens 50 is configured such that the multiple emission sections 52 are positioned upward relative to the multiple light introduction sections 51. The multiple emission sections 52 are arranged in approximately a single row in the left-right direction. The multiple emission sections 52 consist of three sections from left to right: the first emission section 52a, the second emission section 52b, and the third emission section 52c.

[0028] The first emission unit 52a corresponds to the first and second light introduction units 51a and 51b, and emits the light introduced by the first and second light introduction units 51a and 51b towards the front of the vehicle, slightly outward. In contrast, the third emission unit 52c corresponds to the fifth light introduction unit 51e, and emits the light introduced by the third light introduction unit 51c towards the front of the vehicle, slightly inward.

[0029] The second emission unit 52b is positioned further back than the first and third emission units 52a and 52c. The second emission unit 52b corresponds to the third and fourth light introduction units 51c and 51d, and emits the light introduced by the third and fourth light introduction units 51c and 51d towards the central part of the front of the vehicle.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, such a low-beam lens 50 includes, in addition to the above configuration, a plurality of first reflectors 54, a second reflector 55, and a third reflector 56. Five first reflectors 54 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction. The five first reflectors 54 are positioned in front of each of the five light introduction sections 51, in the direction normal to the substrate. As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the plurality of first reflectors 54 reflect the light from each light introduction section 51 upwards.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the second reflecting portion 55 is a portion provided on the rear surface of the low-beam lens 50 and is located above the plurality of light introduction portions 51. This second reflecting portion 55 further reflects the light that has been reflected upward by the plurality of first reflecting portions 54. The second reflecting portion 55 has a substantially planar surface portion 55a. The surface portion 55a reflects the light that has arrived from the plurality of first reflecting portions 54 toward the third reflecting portion 56. As shown in Figure 6, the surface portion 55a forms a first optical path L1 that reflects light toward the third reflecting portion 56 at the angle at which it is reflected by the third reflecting portion 56.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the third reflecting section 56 is located above the rear surface of the low-beam lens 50. The third reflecting section 56 and the multiple emitting sections 52 are arranged opposite each other along the direction normal to the substrate. The third reflecting section 56 has a surface facing upward and rearward. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6, the third reflecting section 56 reflects the light from the direct optical path Ld that arrives directly from the multiple first reflecting sections 54 without passing through the second reflecting section 55, and the light from the first optical path L1 that was reflected by the second reflecting section 55, toward the multiple emitting sections 52. The light emitted from the multiple emitting sections 52 forms a light distribution pattern.

[0033] Furthermore, the second reflecting portion 55 according to this embodiment includes a first inclined portion 55b and a second inclined portion 55c. As shown in Figure 4, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c are formed on the lower central side of the second reflecting portion 55. The first inclined portion 55b is configured to be inclined with respect to the surface portion 55a in the vertical cross-section shown in Figure 5. The second inclined portion 55c is configured to be inclined with respect to both the surface portion 55a and the first inclined portion 55b in the same cross-section. Light that reaches the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c is reflected at an angle different from that of the surface portion 55a, and forms an optical path different from the first optical path L1.

[0034] Here, the first inclined section 55b and the second inclined section 55c are located in the center of the second reflective section 55 in the left-right direction, as shown in Figure 4. Therefore, light incident mainly from the third light introduction section 51c and the fourth light introduction section 51d among the multiple light introduction sections 51 can reach the first inclined section 55b and the second inclined section 55c.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, the first inclined section 55b transmits a portion of the light that has been reflected by the first reflecting section 54. The first inclined section 55b also reflects the remaining portion of the light toward the third reflecting section 56. However, when the first inclined section 55b reflects the light toward the third reflecting section 56, it does so at an angle such that the reflected light is transmitted without being reflected by the third reflecting section 56. This optical path is referred to as the second optical path L2.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, the second inclined portion 55c transmits a portion of the light that has been reflected by the first reflecting portion 54. In addition, the second inclined portion 55c forms a third optical path L3 that reflects the remaining portion of the arriving light directly toward the emission portion 52 without passing through the third reflecting portion 56. The light from the third optical path L3 is guided outside the incident surface 71 of the projection lens 70 without reaching the projection lens 70.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, it is preferable that the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c protrude outward from the extended surface EP of the surface portion 55a. In addition, as shown in Figure 4, it is preferable that the area of ​​the first inclined portion 55b is larger than the area of ​​the second inclined portion 55c.

[0038] Figure 9 is an enlarged top perspective view of a portion of the low-beam lens 50 shown in Figure 2. Although Figure 9 is a top perspective view, the oblique angle is shallow, indicating a nearly top view. As shown in Figures 4 and 9, the ridge portion 55d, which forms the boundary between the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c of the low-beam lens 50, is at its maximum height at point C and gradually decreases in the left-right direction. Therefore, in the vertical cross-section shown in Figure 5, the inclination angles of the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c with respect to the surface portion 55a are at their maximum at point C and gradually decrease in the left-right direction. Thus, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c have a gradually changing structure in which the inclination angle with respect to the surface portion 55a gradually decreases in the left-right direction.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c with respect to the surface portion 55a in the cross-section in the left-right direction is greater on the outside of the vehicle than on the inside of the vehicle. Generally, a headlight installed on the right side of the vehicle forms a larger light distribution pattern to the right of the V-line, which is the illumination centerline. Similarly, a headlight installed on the left side of the vehicle forms a larger light distribution pattern to the left of the V-line, which is the illumination centerline. Here, the low beam lens 50 forms a light distribution on the V-line with light from the upper and lower lines of point C. Therefore, as shown in Figure 9, the low beam lens 50 used for the headlight on the right side of the vehicle has an angle θ2 between the right portion R and the surface portion 55a that is greater than the angle θ1 between the left portion L and the surface portion 55a.

[0040] Next, the operation of the vehicle lighting device 1 according to this embodiment will be described. First, suppose the driver performs an operation to turn on the headlights at night or the like. In this case, at least multiple low-beam light sources 12 are turned on. The light from the multiple low-beam light sources 12 is introduced into the low-beam lens 50 through multiple light introduction units 51.

[0041] Light introduced into the low-beam lens 50 reaches multiple first reflectors 54 and is reflected upward. As shown in Figure 6, a portion of the reflected light directly reaches the third reflector 56, where it forms a direct light path Ld that is reflected towards the emitter 52. The light emitted through the emitter 52 is then emitted towards the front of the vehicle via the projection lens 70, contributing to the formation of the light distribution pattern.

[0042] Furthermore, some of the light reflected by the multiple first reflectors 54 reaches the surface 55a, the first inclined portion 55b, and the second inclined portion 55c of the second reflector 55, respectively. The light that reaches the surface 55a forms the first optical path L1 shown in Figure 6. That is, the light that reaches the surface 55a is reflected toward the third reflector 56. This light is reflected by the third reflector 56 toward the emission portion 52, and from the emission portion 52, it is emitted toward the front of the vehicle via the projection lens 70, contributing to the formation of the light distribution pattern.

[0043] As shown in Figure 7, some of the light that reaches the first inclined section 55b is transmitted without being reflected by the first inclined section 55b. Another portion of the light that reaches the first inclined section 55b forms the second optical path L2. That is, another portion of the light that reaches the first inclined section 55b is reflected toward the third reflecting section 56. However, this light is transmitted without being reflected by the third reflecting section 56. This light is not emitted toward the front of the vehicle and does not contribute to the formation of the light distribution pattern.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, some of the light that reaches the second inclined section 55c is transmitted without being reflected by the second inclined section 55c. Another portion of the light that reaches the second inclined section 55c forms the third optical path L3. That is, another portion of the light that reaches the second inclined section 55c is reflected directly toward the emission section 52 without passing through the third reflecting section 56. However, this light does not reach the incident surface 71 of the projection lens 70 through the emission section 52, but is emitted away from the incident surface 71. Therefore, this light is not emitted toward the front of the vehicle and does not contribute to the formation of the light distribution pattern.

[0045] Thus, the light from the second optical path L2 and the third optical path L3 formed by the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c does not contribute to the formation of the light distribution pattern. For this reason, the manufacturer of the low-beam lens 50 can reduce the illuminance in a specific area by forming the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c in locations corresponding to the specific area where the illuminance needs to be reduced.

[0046] Furthermore, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c are formed on the second reflective portion 55. Therefore, the low-beam lens 50 has the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c in a location that does not particularly affect the direct optical path Ld that reaches from the first reflective portion 54 to the third reflective portion 56. As a result, the low-beam lens 50 suppresses the illuminance in a specific area by the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c while ensuring the formation of a light distribution pattern by the light in the direct optical path Ld. Therefore, as explained with reference to Figures 11 and 12, the low-beam lens 50 does not require precise angle setting considering tolerances to suppress the illuminance by an appropriate amount, thus reducing manufacturing difficulties.

[0047] Furthermore, since the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c protrude beyond the extended surface EP of the surface portion 55a, the structure is less likely to block necessary light. Figure 10 is an end view of another example of the low-beam lens 50 according to this embodiment. Note that in Figure 10 as well, hatching of the end face is omitted in order to show the optical path. The low-beam lens 50 may be configured, for example, by swapping the positions of the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c, as shown in Figure 10. In this case, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c will be configured to be recessed relative to the extended surface EP of the surface portion 55a.

[0048] Here, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 10, the second inclined portion 55c is located on some of the many paths from the first reflecting portion 54 to the surface portion 55a or directly to the third reflecting portion 56. As a result, some of the necessary light is blocked. Therefore, it is preferable that the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c have a protruding structure rather than a recessed structure relative to the extended surface EP of the surface portion 55a.

[0049] Furthermore, the area of ​​the first inclined portion 55b of the low-beam lens 50 is larger than the area of ​​the second inclined portion 55c. As a result, the low-beam lens 50 reduces the amount of light reflected by the second inclined portion 55c that reaches outside the incident surface 71 of the projection lens 70, and increases the amount of light reflected by the first inclined portion 55b that passes through the third reflective portion 56. Here, the light reflected by the first inclined portion 55b that passes through the third reflective portion 56 reaches the back of the low-beam lens 50, while the light reflected by the second inclined portion 55c that reaches outside the incident surface 71 of the projection lens 70 brightens the area around the projection lens 70. Therefore, the latter light can cause discomfort to a viewer who sees the vehicle light fixture 1 from the outside. However, when the area of ​​the first inclined portion 55b is larger than the area of ​​the second inclined portion 55c, the amount of light reaching the back of the low-beam lens 50 is increased, resulting in a configuration that is less likely to cause discomfort to a viewer.

[0050] Furthermore, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c reduce the illuminance in a specific area of ​​the light distribution pattern as the angle with respect to the surface portion 55a increases in the vertical cross-section. Here, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c have the maximum angle with respect to the surface portion 55a at the vertical line of point C, and have a gradually decreasing angle structure in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the boundary between the specific area where the illuminance is to be reduced and the surrounding area becomes less clear, reducing the sense of incongruity in the light distribution pattern.

[0051] Furthermore, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c have a greater angle of inclination with respect to the surface portion 55a in the cross-section in the left-right direction on the outside of the vehicle than on the inside of the vehicle. For this reason, for example, if the vehicle lighting device 1 is a headlight, it can be made into an inclined structure corresponding to the light distribution pattern to be formed, which contributes to reducing the illumination in an appropriate area.

[0052] In this way, the low-beam lens 50 of the vehicle lamp 1 according to this embodiment has a first inclined portion 55b and a second inclined portion 55c, which transmit a portion of the light and form second and third optical paths L2 and L3. Therefore, the transmitted light, the light from the second optical path L2, and the light from the third optical path L3 are not emitted from the projection lens 70 in a manner that contributes to the formation of the light distribution pattern. Thus, the low-beam lens 50 can reduce the illuminance of a specific area by having the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c at positions corresponding to the specific area where the illuminance needs to be reduced. Furthermore, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c are formed in the second reflecting portion 55. Thus, the low-beam lens 50 reduces the illuminance of a specific area by the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c while ensuring the formation of a light distribution pattern by the light from the direct optical path Ld. Therefore, the low-beam lens 50 does not require precise angle setting that takes tolerances into account to reduce illuminance by an appropriate amount, thereby reducing manufacturing difficulties. Consequently, when the vehicle lamp 1 uses a low-beam lens 50 in which the light introduction section 51 and the light output section 52 are offset in a specific direction, it is possible to reduce illuminance in a specific area while also reducing manufacturing difficulties.

[0053] Furthermore, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c may be recessed relative to the extended surface EP of the surface portion 55a, but it is preferable that they be protruding. In this case, compared to the case where the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c are formed to be recessed from the extended surface EP of the surface portion 55a, it is possible to prevent the necessary light to be emitted from the projection lens 70 from being blocked by the recessed portion.

[0054] Furthermore, it is preferable that the area of ​​the first inclined portion 55b is larger than the area of ​​the second inclined portion 55c. In this case, the low-beam lens 50 reduces the amount of light that travels from the emission portion 52 outwards from the incident surface 71 of the projection lens 70, thereby reducing the amount of light that hits the bracket 60 and the like around the emission portion 52. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 1 can reduce the likelihood of causing discomfort to a viewer who sees the vehicle light fixture 1 from the outside due to the illumination of the bracket 60 and the like.

[0055] Furthermore, it is preferable that the first inclined section 55b and the second inclined section 55c have a gradually changing structure. In this case, the boundary between the specific area with reduced illumination and the surrounding area becomes less clear, which reduces the sense of incongruity in the light distribution pattern.

[0056] Furthermore, the first inclined portion 55b and the second inclined portion 55c have a greater inclination angle with respect to the surface portion 55a in a direction perpendicular to a specific direction on the outside of the vehicle than on the inside of the vehicle. This can contribute to reducing the illumination of an appropriate area according to the light distribution pattern, for example, when the vehicle lighting device 1 is a headlight.

[0057] Although the present disclosure has been described above based on embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and modifications may be made or publicly known technologies may be combined, as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0058] For example, in the above embodiment, the vehicle lamp 1 is a headlight, but it is not limited to a headlight. Also, the vehicle lamp 1 emits both high beam and low beam light, but it is not limited to this, and may emit only one of the two types of light. In particular, the vehicle lamp 1 in the above embodiment suppresses the illuminance of a specific area with respect to the low beam light distribution pattern, but it may also be applied to suppress the illuminance of a specific area with respect to the high beam light distribution pattern. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1: Vehicle lighting fixtures 10:Light source 11: Light source for high beam 12: Light source for low beam 20: Circuit board 40: High beam lens 50: Low-beam lens (first lens component) 51: Light introduction section 52: Ejection section 54: 1st reflection section 55: 2nd reflection section 55a: Surface part 55b: 1st slope part 55c: 2nd slope part 56:Third reflection section 70: Projection lens (second lens component) 71:Incidence plane EP: Extension surface L1: 1st optical path L2: 2nd optical path L3: 3rd optical path Ld:Direct optical path

Claims

1. A vehicle light fixture comprising: a light source provided on a substrate; a first lens member having a light introduction section for introducing light from the light source and a light output section for emitting the introduced light; and a second lens member provided on the light output side of the first lens member for introducing and emitting light emitted from the first lens member from the incident surface, The first lens member is, A first reflecting portion is located in the direction normal to the substrate with respect to the light introduction portion and reflects light from the light introduction portion in a specific direction along the substrate plane, A second reflecting portion further reflects the light reflected in the specific direction by the first reflecting portion, It has a third reflecting part that reflects the light that has been reflected by the first reflecting part and the second reflecting part toward the emitting part, The second reflecting part is, A surface portion that forms a first optical path that reflects the arriving light toward the third reflecting portion at the angle at which the light is reflected by the third reflecting portion, A second optical path is formed which the arriving light is transmitted and the arriving light is reflected toward the third reflecting portion at the angle through which the light is transmitted, and a first inclined portion is inclined with respect to the surface portion in the cross section in the specific direction, The second lens member has a third optical path that transmits incoming light and reflects the incoming light toward the output portion without passing through the third reflecting portion, thereby guiding the light that has passed through the output portion to the outside of the incident surface of the second lens member, and a second inclined portion that is inclined with respect to the surface portion and the first inclined portion in the cross section in the specific direction. A vehicle lighting device characterized by the following features.

2. The first inclined portion and the second inclined portion protrude outward from the extended surface of the surface portion. The vehicle lighting device according to feature 1.

3. The area of ​​the first inclined portion is made larger than the area of ​​the second inclined portion. The vehicle lighting device according to feature 1.

4. The first and second inclined portions are configured to have a gradually decreasing inclination angle with respect to the surface portion in a direction that is parallel to the substrate plane and perpendicular to the specific direction. The vehicle lighting device according to feature 1.

5. The first and second inclined portions, in a direction along the substrate plane and perpendicular to the specific direction, have a greater angle of inclination with respect to the surface on the outside of the vehicle than on the inside of the vehicle. The vehicle lighting device according to feature 1.

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