Vehicle lighting

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle lighting device that allows the low-beam unit and the high-beam unit to be positioned vertically while achieving the desired optical performance of both lens components. [Solution] The vehicle light fixture 10 comprises an upper lens member 14 that forms a passing light distribution pattern LP with light from an upper light source 11, a lower lens member 15 that forms a driving light distribution pattern HP with light from a lower light source 12, and a projection lens 16 that projects these lights. The upper lens member 14 faces the lower lens member 15 and has an upper bottom reflective surface 27 that reflects light from the upper light source 11 to the upper output surface 25, and the lower lens member 15 faces the upper lens member 14 and has a lower top reflective surface 36 that reflects light from the lower light source 12 to the lower output surface 35, and the upper lens member 14 and the lower lens member 15 are arranged with a lens spacing SL in the vertical direction between the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicle lamps.

Background Art

[0002] A vehicle lamp that integrates a low beam unit for forming a passing light distribution pattern and a high beam unit for forming a driving light distribution pattern has been considered (see, for example, Patent Document 1). As a seventh embodiment, this vehicle lamp is arranged with the lens member of the low beam unit provided on the upper side and the lens member of the high beam unit provided on the lower side in contact with each other in the vertical direction. Thereby, this vehicle lamp can reduce the size in the vertical direction while setting both lens members in an appropriate positional relationship.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, since the above vehicle lamp has the lens members in contact with each other, there is a risk of optical influence due to rubbing between the surfaces in contact with each other.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle lamp in which a low beam unit and a high beam unit are arranged vertically, and both lens members of each can exhibit desired optical performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle lighting device of the present disclosure comprises: an upper lens member that emits light from an upper light source from an upper emission surface to form a passing light distribution pattern; a lower lens member that emits light from a lower light source from a lower emission surface to form a driving light distribution pattern; and a projection lens that projects light that has passed through the upper lens member and the lower lens member. The upper lens member has an upper bottom reflective surface that faces the lower lens member and reflects light from the upper light source toward the upper emission surface; the lower lens member has a lower top reflective surface that faces the upper lens member and reflects light from the lower light source toward the lower emission surface; and the upper lens member and the lower lens member are arranged with a lens spacing between them in the vertical direction, with the upper bottom reflective surface and the lower top reflective surface being separated by a lens spacing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the vehicle lighting device of this disclosure, the desired optical performance of both lens members can be achieved while arranging the low-beam unit and the high-beam unit vertically. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the vehicle lighting device of Embodiment 1 according to this disclosure, viewed from the front in the front-rear direction. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle light fixture from the rear in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the substrate in conjunction with a cross-section obtained along line II shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the upper lens component as viewed from the rear in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing the upper lens component as viewed from the front in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 6] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross-section obtained along the line II-II. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing the lower lens component as viewed from the rear in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 8]This is an explanatory diagram showing the lower lens component as viewed from the front in the front-to-back direction. [Figure 9] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross-section obtained along the line III-III. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the upper lens member and the lower lens member. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram showing how light emitted from each light source in a vehicle's lighting system travels. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram showing how passing light distribution patterns and driving light distribution patterns are formed on a screen where a horizontal line and a vertical line intersect at the center position on the projection optical axis. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Embodiment 1 of the vehicle lighting device according to this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In Figures 1 and 2, the substrate 13 is omitted to facilitate understanding of the positional relationship and configuration of the upper light source 11, the lower light source 12, the substrate 13, the upper lens member 14, the lower lens member 15, and the projection lens 16. Also, in Figure 11, the cross-sectional lines of each component are omitted to facilitate understanding of how light propagates. [Embodiment 1]

[0010] A vehicle lamp 10 of Embodiment 1, an embodiment of the vehicle lamp according to this disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 12. The vehicle lamp 10 of Embodiment 1 is used as a headlight device for a vehicle such as an automobile. This vehicle lamp 10 is installed in lamp chambers formed by lamp housings, the open front ends of which are covered by outer lenses, on both the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle. The vehicle lamp 10 is installed in the lamp chambers via an optical axis adjustment mechanism for the vertical direction and an optical axis adjustment mechanism for the horizontal direction, and illuminates the area in front of the vehicle as appropriate. In the following description, in the vehicle lamp 10, the direction in which the vehicle moves will be the front-rear direction (Z in the drawings), the vertical direction when the front-rear direction is aligned with the horizontal plane will be the up-down direction (Y in the drawings), and the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction (horizontal direction) will be the width direction (X in the drawings). Here, the vehicle lighting fixture 10, while having essentially the same configuration for those installed on the left side of the vehicle and those installed on the right side, is reversed or translated in the width direction (left and right). Therefore, the following explanation will use the vehicle lighting fixture 10 installed on the right side.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle light fixture 10 of Embodiment 1 comprises an upper light source 11, a lower light source 12, a substrate 13, an upper lens member 14, a lower lens member 15, and a projection lens 16, forming a projector-type light fixture unit with the front-to-back direction as the optical axis. The upper light source 11 and the lower light source 12 are mounted on a single substrate 13. The upper light source 11 is located on the upper side of the substrate 13 and is arranged in a row of five at approximately equal intervals in the width direction. The lower light source 12 is located on the lower side of the substrate 13 and is arranged in a row of four at approximately equal intervals in the width direction, with the two at the ends positioned higher than the other two. Each of these light sources (11, 12) is composed of a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode).

[0012] The substrate 13 is a plate-like structure formed from an aluminum substrate. The substrate 13 may also be made of a resin material such as a glass epoxy substrate, or other materials. Furthermore, the substrate 13 may be a heat sink made of aluminum or the like for excellent heat dissipation. In this case, the light sources can be mounted on one side of the heat sink and connected to a circuit board mounted on the heat sink by wire bonding. The substrate 13 is provided with wiring patterns and connector terminals for electrically connecting each light source (11, 12). The substrate 13 receives power from the lighting control circuit via the connector terminals to light each light source (11, 12) as needed. This substrate 13 can be attached to a heat sink made of, for example, a thermally conductive aluminum plate, aluminum die-cast, or resin. The heat sink can, for example, have multiple heat dissipation fins to primarily dissipate the heat generated by each light source (11, 12) to the outside through these fins. Furthermore, the heat sink may be configured as a mounting member to which the upper lens member 14, the lower lens member 15, and the projection lens 16 are attached via a support member or the like.

[0013] The upper lens member 14 is provided in accordance with the five upper light sources 11 and is made of transparent resin. This upper lens member 14 is an optical lens that guides the light emitted from each upper light source 11 inward and works in cooperation with the projection lens 16 to form a passing light distribution pattern LP (see Figure 12). As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the upper lens member 14 has five upper incident portions 21 on the rear side in the front-to-back direction and on the upper side in the up-to-down direction. Each upper incident portion 21 corresponds individually to each upper light source 11 and has basically the same configuration as the others, but has optical characteristics (surface shape, etc.) according to the light distribution image required for each.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, each upper incident portion 21 has a portion facing the corresponding upper light source 11 protruding toward the upper light source 11 side, and its center is recessed on the side opposite to the upper light source 11, and has an upper opposed incident surface 21a, an upper inclined incident surface 21b, and an upper annular reflection surface 21c. The upper opposed incident surface 21a is convexly curved toward the upper light source 11 side, and the upper light source 11 is positioned near the rear-side (upper light source 11 side) focal point (rear-side focal point). The upper opposed incident surface 21a makes the light emitted from the upper light source 11 enter the upper lens member 14 as parallel light traveling substantially parallel to the axis of the upper incident portion 21, and makes it travel toward the upper first reflection surface 22 of the upper lens member 14. Here, this parallel light (parallel light) refers to light in a collimated state after passing through the upper opposed incident surface 21a. The parallel light in each upper incident portion 21 does not necessarily have to be completely parallel, and may include substantially parallel light.

[0015] The upper inclined incident surface 21b is provided so as to surround the upper opposed incident surface 21a in a frustum-of-a-cone shape while protruding from the upper opposed incident surface 21a toward the upper light source 11 side. The upper inclined incident surface 21b makes the light from the upper light source 11 that does not travel toward the upper opposed incident surface 21a enter the upper lens member 14. The upper annular reflection surface 21c is provided so as to surround the upper inclined incident surface 21b in a frustum-of-a-cone shape, and is positioned where the light incident from the upper inclined incident surface 21b into the upper lens member 14 travels. The upper annular reflection surface 21c reflects the light incident from the upper inclined incident surface 21b, and makes it travel toward the upper first reflection surface 22 of the upper lens member 14 as parallel light traveling substantially parallel to the axis of the upper incident portion 21. Note that the upper annular reflection surface 21c may reflect light using total reflection, or may reflect light by attaching aluminum, silver, or the like by vapor deposition, painting, or the like.

[0016] The upper first reflecting surface 22 is provided on the front side in the front-rear direction of each upper incident portion 21. This upper first reflecting surface 22 reflects the light incident from each upper incident portion 21 toward the upper second reflecting surface 23 of the upper lens member 14. The upper first reflecting surface 22 in Embodiment 1 is configured by arranging four free-form surfaces side by side in the width direction (see FIG. 5). Each of the free-form surfaces is based on a paraboloid having a focus in the vicinity of the cut-off edge portion 26 of the upper exit portion 24 of the upper lens member 14 while considering the reflection at the upper second reflecting surface 23. Therefore, the upper first reflecting surface 22 reflects the light incident from the upper incident portion 21 and causes the light to travel toward the vicinity of the cut-off edge portion 26. Note that the upper first reflecting surface 22 may use total reflection, perform reflection processing, or have other configurations as long as it reflects as described above. Also, the upper first reflecting surface 22 may be a single surface and is not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0017] The upper second reflecting surface 23 is provided on the lower side in the vertical direction of the upper first reflecting surface 22. This upper second reflecting surface 23 reflects the light reflected by the upper first reflecting surface 22 toward the upper exit portion 24 of the upper lens member 14. Here, since the upper first reflecting surface 22 is set as described above, the upper second reflecting surface 23 causes the reflected light to converge in the vicinity of the cut-off edge portion 26 and travel toward the upper exit portion 24.

[0018] The upper exit portion 24 is provided on the front side in the front-rear direction of the upper second reflecting surface 23. The front side surface of this upper exit portion 24 in the front-rear direction is the upper exit surface 25, and the lower edge portion in the vertical direction of the upper exit surface 25 is the cut-off edge portion 26. The upper exit surface 25 has a positional relationship facing the upper second reflecting surface 23 in the front-rear direction and is a plane or a free-form surface that emits at least the light from the upper second reflecting surface 23. The cut-off edge portion 26 forms a cut-off line CL (see FIG. 12) and has a shape in which horizontal edges with different heights are joined by inclined edges. This cut-off edge portion 26 is located in the vicinity of the focal point (rear focal point) of the projection lens 16.

[0019] Here, the upper lens member 14 has an upper bottom reflective surface 27 at its lower end in the vertical direction, between the upper second reflective surface 23 and the upper emission section 24. This upper bottom reflective surface 27 extends from the cutoff edge 26 at the lower end of the upper emission surface 25 toward the rear in the front-rear direction, and at least the vicinity of the cutoff edge 26 is parallel to the projection optical axis Ap, which will be described later. Here, the vicinity of the cutoff edge 26 on the upper bottom reflective surface 27 is not only perfectly parallel to the projection optical axis Ap, but also includes a state of being approximately parallel with an angle difference of a few degrees. The upper bottom reflective surface 27 reflects the light that has been reflected by the upper second reflective surface 23 and is traveling below the upper emission surface 25 of the upper emission section 24, and directs it toward the upper emission surface 25 (see Figure 10).

[0020] Therefore, the upper emission section 24 emits light from the upper emission surface 25 and does not emit light that has traveled below the cutoff edge 26, so that the shape of the cutoff edge 26 can be reflected in the emitted light. Furthermore, even when the vehicle light fixture 10 is installed on the left side of the vehicle, the relationship between the direction of inclination and height of the cutoff edge 26 is not reversed in the width direction. That is, the vehicle light fixture 10 is reversed in the width direction on the right and left sides of the vehicle, but the inclination of the cutoff edge 26 of the upper emission section 24 is the same direction for both sides.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the lower lens member 15 is provided corresponding to the four lower light sources 12 and is made of transparent resin. This lower lens member 15 is an optical lens that guides the light emitted from each lower light source 12 inward and works in cooperation with the projection lens 16 to form the light distribution pattern HP for driving (see Figure 12). As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the lower lens member 15 has four lower incident portions 31 on the rear side in the front-rear direction and on the lower side in the up-down direction. Each lower incident portion 31 corresponds individually to each lower light source 12 and has basically the same configuration as the others, but has optical characteristics (surface shape, etc.) according to the light distribution image required for each.

[0022] As shown in Figures 7 and 9, each lower incident portion 31 is formed with a portion facing the corresponding lower light source 12 protruding towards the lower light source 12, and its center recessed on the opposite side from the lower light source 12, and has a lower opposing incident surface 31a, a lower inclined incident surface 31b, and a lower annular reflective surface 31c. The lower opposing incident surface 31a is curved convexly toward the lower light source 12, and the lower light source 12 is positioned near the rear (lower light source 12 side) focal point (rear focal point). The lower opposing incident surface 31a causes the light emitted from the lower light source 12 to enter the lower lens member 15 as parallel light traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the lower incident portion 31, and directs it toward the lower first reflective surface 32 of the lower lens member 15. The parallel light in each lower incident portion 31 is not necessarily all perfectly parallel, but may include approximately parallel light.

[0023] The lower inclined incident surface 31b is provided in a frustoconical shape, protruding from the lower opposing incident surface 31a toward the lower light source 12. This lower inclined incident surface 31b causes light from the lower light source 12 that does not travel toward the lower opposing incident surface 31a to enter the lower lens member 15. The lower annular reflective surface 31c is provided in a frustoconical shape, surrounding the lower inclined incident surface 31b, and is positioned where light incident from the lower inclined incident surface 31b into the lower lens member 15 travels. The lower annular reflective surface 31c reflects the light incident from the lower inclined incident surface 31b and causes it to travel toward the lower first reflective surface 32 of the lower lens member 15 as parallel light traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the lower incident portion 31. The lower annular reflective surface 31c may reflect light using total internal reflection, or it may reflect light by bonding aluminum, silver, or the like through vapor deposition or painting.

[0024] The lower first reflective surface 32 is provided on the front side in the front-rear direction of each lower incident portion 31. This lower first reflective surface 32 reflects the light incident from each lower incident portion 31 toward the lower second reflective surface 33 of the lower lens member 15. The lower first reflective surface 32 is a single free-form surface based on a parabolic surface with a focal point near the cutoff edge 26 of the upper exit portion 24 of the upper lens member 14, while taking into account the reflection at the lower second reflective surface 33. Therefore, the lower first reflective surface 32 reflects the light incident from the lower incident portion 31, causing that light to propagate toward the cutoff edge 26. The lower first reflective surface 32 may utilize total internal reflection, undergo reflection processing, or have other configurations, as long as it reflects as described above. Furthermore, the lower first reflective surface 32 may consist of multiple surfaces and is not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0025] The lower second reflective surface 33 is located above the lower first reflective surface 32 in the vertical direction. This lower second reflective surface 33 reflects the light reflected by the lower first reflective surface 32 toward the lower emission portion 34 of the lower lens member 15. Here, since the lower first reflective surface 32 is set as described above, the lower second reflective surface 33 concentrates the reflected light near the cutoff edge 26 and propagates it toward the lower emission portion 34.

[0026] The lower emission section 34 is located on the front side of the lower incidence section 31 in the front-to-back direction. The front surface of this lower emission section 34 is designated as the lower emission surface 35. This lower emission surface 35 is positioned opposite the lower second reflection surface 33 in the front-to-back direction and is a plane or free-form surface that emits light from at least the lower second reflection surface 33.

[0027] In this configuration, the lower lens member 15 has a lower top reflecting surface 36 between the lower second reflecting surface 33 and the lower outputting section 34. This lower top reflecting surface 36 reflects the light that travels above the lower outputting surface 35 of the lower outputting section 34 from the light reflected by the lower second reflecting surface 33, and directs it to the lower outputting surface 35 (see Figure 10). As a result, the lower outputting section 34 emits light from the lower outputting surface 35 towards the front in the front-rear direction. In Embodiment 1, the lower top reflecting surface 36 extends from the upper end of the lower outputting surface 35 towards the rear in the front-rear direction, and at least the vicinity of the upper end of the lower outputting surface 35, i.e., the cutoff edge 26, is parallel to the projection optical axis Ap, which will be described later. Here, the vicinity of the cutoff edge 26 on the lower top reflecting surface 36 is not only perfectly parallel to the projection optical axis Ap, but also includes a state of being approximately parallel with an angle difference of a few degrees. Furthermore, the lower top reflective surface 36 does not need to be parallel to the projection optical axis Ap, as long as the vicinity of the cutoff edge 26 of the upper bottom reflective surface 27 is parallel to the projection optical axis Ap (including the approximate parallelism described above).

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the projection lens 16 is provided on the front side in the front-rear direction of the upper emission surface 25 (upper emission portion 24) of the upper lens member 14 and the lower emission surface 35 (lower emission portion 34) of the lower lens member 15. This projection lens 16 is a convex lens molded from a resin material and is a free-form surface based on a sphere with its focal point (rear focal point) located near the cutoff edge 26 of the upper emission portion 24 of the upper lens member 14. The optical axis of this projection lens 16 becomes the projection optical axis Ap of the vehicle light fixture 10, and in Embodiment 1, it coincides with the front-rear direction.

[0029] The projection lens 16 projects the shape of the upper emission surface 25, including the cutoff edge 26, onto a screen where a horizontal line and a vertical line intersect, with the projection optical axis Ap as the origin, as shown in Figure 12, by irradiating it with light from the upper emission surface 24. As a result, the projection lens 16 forms a passing light distribution pattern LP on the screen, which has a cutoff line CL on the projection optical axis Ap, is brightest near the projection optical axis Ap, and illuminates a large area in the width direction below the cutoff line CL. Furthermore, the projection lens 16 forms a driving light distribution pattern HP on the screen, which irradiates the upper part of the passing light distribution pattern LP by irradiating it with light from the lower emission surface 35.

[0030] Therefore, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle lighting unit 10 functions as a low beam unit 17, with five upper light sources 11, an upper lens member 14, and a projection lens 16 forming a passing light distribution pattern LP. In addition, the vehicle lighting unit 10 functions as a high beam unit 18, with four lower light sources 12, a lower lens member 15, and a projection lens 16 forming a driving light distribution pattern HP.

[0031] This vehicle light fixture 10 is integrally constructed with the upper light source 11, lower light source 12, substrate 13, upper lens member 14, lower lens member 15, and projection lens 16 supported by support members (not shown), resulting in the positional relationship shown in Figures 1 to 3. At this time, as shown in Figure 10, the upper lens member 14 and the lower lens member 15 are spaced at a predetermined distance (hereinafter referred to as the lens distance SL) in the vertical direction, and the lower emission surface 35 is positioned rearward in the front-rear direction by a predetermined amount (hereinafter referred to as the emission surface distance DS) relative to the upper emission surface 25.

[0032] In detail, the upper bottom reflective surface 27, which is the lower end in the vertical direction of the upper lens member 14, and the lower top reflective surface 36, which is the upper end in the vertical direction of the lower lens member 15, are both aligned with the projection optical axis Ap (see Figure 3, etc.). Note that the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 do not need to be perfectly parallel, as long as they are aligned with the projection optical axis Ap and the lens spacing SL is roughly maintained. The upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 face each other in the vertical direction perpendicular to the projection optical axis Ap, with the lens spacing SL between them. That is, the lens spacing SL is the vertical distance between the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36. As a result, the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 can totally reflect the light that has traveled through the inside of the lens members (14, 15) on which they are provided, and their function as reflective surfaces can be easily ensured. This is because total internal reflection cannot be achieved when the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 are in contact. The lens spacing SL is preferably set to 0.05 mm to 1.0 mm.

[0033] Furthermore, the upper emission surface 25 and the lower emission surface 35 are located at the front end in the front-to-back direction of the lens members (14, 15) on which they are provided. The lower emission surface 35 is displaced relative to the upper emission surface 25 by an emission surface distance DS in the direction of the optical axis along the projection optical axis Ap, i.e., away from the projection lens 16. In other words, the emission surface distance DS is the amount of displacement in the direction of the optical axis between the upper emission surface 25 and the lower emission surface 35. Here, the position of the projection lens 16 (its focal point) is set to match the cutoff edge 26 of the upper emission surface 25. Therefore, with respect to the projection lens 16 (its focal point), the lower emission surface 35 is displaced relative to the upper emission surface 25 by an emission surface distance DS. This emission surface distance DS is set to be larger than the lens spacing SL (DS > SL).

[0034] As shown in Figure 11, in the vehicle light fixture 10, when the five upper light sources 11 in the low beam unit 17 are lit, the light is directed into the upper lens member 14 from the corresponding upper incident section 21. In the upper lens member 14, the incident light is focused and reflected by the upper first reflective surface 22, then reflected by the upper second reflective surface 23, and emitted from the upper emission surface 25 of the upper emission section 24. The vehicle light fixture 10 then projects the light emitted from the upper emission surface 25 with the projection lens 16 to form a passing light distribution pattern LP (see Figure 12). Therefore, by liting each upper light source 11 and forming the passing light distribution pattern LP, the vehicle light fixture 10 can achieve the passing light distribution (so-called low beam).

[0035] Furthermore, in the vehicle lighting unit 10, when the four lower light sources 12 are lit in the high beam unit 18, the light is directed into the lower lens member 15 from the corresponding lower incident portions 31. The lower lens member 15 concentrates and reflects the incident light at the lower first reflective surface 32, then reflects it at the lower second reflective surface 33, and emits it from the lower emission surface 35 of the lower emission portion 34. The vehicle lighting unit 10 then projects the light emitted from the lower lens member 15 with the projection lens 16 to form a driving light distribution pattern HP (see Figure 12) that partially overlaps with the upper end of the passing light distribution pattern LP and illuminates the upper part of the passing light distribution pattern LP. Therefore, the vehicle lighting unit 10 can achieve the driving light distribution (so-called high beam) by liting each of the lower light sources 12 in addition to each of the upper light sources 11 to form the driving light distribution pattern HP.

[0036] In this vehicle lighting fixture 10, the low beam unit 17 allows light from each upper light source 11 to enter through each upper incident section 21, so that the light from each upper light source 11, which has a wide spread, can be efficiently incident onto the upper lens member 14. Furthermore, in the vehicle lighting fixture 10, the upper lens member 14 totally reflects the incident light between the upper first reflective surface 22 and the upper second reflective surface 23, forming a cutoff line CL, so that the light can be efficiently utilized to form a passing light distribution pattern LP.

[0037] Furthermore, in the vehicle lighting unit 10, the light from each lower light source 12 is incident on the vehicle through each lower incident section 31 in the high beam unit 18, so that the light from each lower light source 12, which has a wide spread, can be efficiently incident on the lower lens member 15. Then, in the vehicle lighting unit 10, the lower lens member 15 totally reflects the incident light between the lower first reflective surface 32 and the lower second reflective surface 33, so that the light can be efficiently utilized to form a driving light distribution pattern HP.

[0038] Furthermore, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 has upper light sources 11 on the rear side of the upper lens member 14 and lower light sources 12 on the rear side of the lower lens member 15. As a result, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 can suppress an increase in its vertical dimensions. In addition, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 mounts each upper light source 11 and each lower light source 12 on a single circuit board 13. As a result, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 can use a common configuration for controlling the illumination of both light sources (11, 12) and for cooling them.

[0039] In addition, the vehicle light fixture 10 has two lens members (14, 15) that allow light from each light source (11, 12) to enter through their respective ingress points (21, 31), reflect off their respective first reflective surfaces (22, 32) and second reflective surfaces (23, 33), and then emit light from their respective emission surfaces (25, 35). In other words, the vehicle light fixture 10 has two lens members (14, 15) that have the same configuration but are inverted vertically. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can arrange the upper light source 11 and the lower light source 12 on the substrate 13 with a gap between them, allowing heat from both light sources (11, 12) to dissipate efficiently and enabling easy and appropriate cooling of each.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, in the vehicle light fixture 10, at least a portion of the upper second reflective surface 23 and the upper bottom reflective surface 27 of the upper lens member 14 are positioned to overlap with the upper first reflective surface 22 in the optical axis direction along the projected optical axis Ap. That is, when viewed in the vertical direction, the upper second reflective surface 23 and the upper bottom reflective surface 27 of the upper lens member 14 are positioned to overlap with at least a portion of the upper first reflective surface 22. In addition, in the vehicle light fixture 10, at least a portion of the lower second reflective surface 33 and the lower top reflective surface 36 of the lower lens member 15 are positioned to overlap with the lower first reflective surface 32 in the optical axis direction along the projected optical axis Ap. In other words, the lower lens member 15 has its lower second reflective surface 33 and lower top reflective surface 36 positioned so that, when viewed in the vertical direction, they overlap at least partially with the lower first reflective surface 32. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 can be miniaturized while still achieving the optical functions and effects described above.

[0041] The vehicle light fixture 10 displaces the lower emission surface 35 to the rear in the front-rear direction by an emission surface distance DS relative to the upper emission surface 25 (see Figure 10). If the vehicle light fixture has the upper and lower emission surfaces at equal positions in the front-rear direction, a gap equivalent to the lens spacing will be formed between the passing light distribution pattern and the driving light distribution pattern formed by them. This gap will be perceived as a dark area extending roughly along the horizontal line between the two brightened light distribution patterns, causing discomfort to the viewer. In contrast, since the vehicle light fixture 10 displaces the lower emission surface 35 to the rear by an emission surface distance DS, the lower end of the driving light distribution pattern HP on the screen can be displaced downward in the direction along the vertical line. Therefore, the vehicle light fixture 10 can partially overlap both light distribution patterns (LP, HP) in the direction along the vertical line, eliminating the discomfort for the viewer. In particular, the vehicle light fixture 10 of Embodiment 1 has a light emission surface distance DS set to be larger than the lens spacing SL, which makes it possible to more reliably partially overlap the two light distribution patterns (LP, HP) described above in the direction along the vertical line.

[0042] The vehicle light fixture 10 aligns at least the vicinity of the cutoff edge 26 of the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 with the projection optical axis Ap. This makes it easy to set the distance between the planar upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 as the lens spacing SL when they face each other. This makes it easy to position the upper lens member 14 and the lower lens member 15 of the vehicle light fixture 10 and to fix them in that position. In addition, because the lens spacing SL is easy to manage, the lens spacing SL can be set to a small size. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 makes it difficult for gaps to form between the two light distribution patterns (LP, HP).

[0043] The vehicle light fixture 10 has two lens members (14, 15) that receive light from each light source (11, 12) as parallel light at each incident part (21, 31), and then reflect it at each first reflecting surface (22, 32) to concentrate it near the cutoff edge 26. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can concentrate light over a smaller area with a simpler configuration, and the brightness distribution in the resulting light distribution pattern can be more precisely targeted. This is due to the following: First, the spread at the point of focus is due to the fact that the light-emitting area of ​​each light source (11, 12) is not a point but has a predetermined area. And, with conventional lens member configurations, it is conceivable to concentrate light near the cutoff edge by adjusting the lens surface of the incident part. However, with such a configuration, the spread light from the corresponding light source is concentrated only at the incident part, and the shape of the lens surface of the incident part becomes complex. Furthermore, in such a configuration, since light is focused on only a single surface, it becomes difficult to direct light from a point far from the light-emitting point in the optical design to the set focusing position. For these reasons, such a configuration leads to complexity, makes it difficult to focus light into a small area like the vehicle lighting device 10 of this disclosure, and makes it difficult to achieve the desired brightness distribution in the resulting light distribution pattern.

[0044] Here, we will explain the technical challenges of conventional vehicle lighting equipment. In the seventh embodiment of conventional vehicle lighting equipment, the lens member of the low-beam unit located on the upper side and the lens member of the high-beam unit located on the lower side are arranged in contact in the vertical direction. As a result, in conventional vehicle lighting equipment, if the contact surfaces of the two lens members rub against each other, scratches may occur on the rubbed surfaces or deformation may occur, which may prevent the desired optical performance from being achieved. Furthermore, since vehicle lighting equipment is affected by the vibrations of the vehicle on which it is mounted, vibrations may occur in both lens members, which may lead to the optical effects described above.

[0045] In contrast, the vehicle lamp 10 of this disclosure sets the positional relationship between the upper lens member 14 and the lower lens member 15 such that the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 are separated by the lens spacing SL. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can reliably prevent the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 from rubbing against each other, and can prevent scratches or deformation of both reflective surfaces (27, 36). As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 can achieve total internal reflection as intended by both reflective surfaces (27, 36), and can reflect light that does not directly proceed to each output surface (25, 35) from the light reflected by both second reflective surfaces (23, 33) toward each output surface (25, 35). Thus, the vehicle lamp 10 can stably and effectively utilize the light from each upper light source 11 and each lower light source 12 to form respective light distribution patterns (LP, HP).

[0046] As an example of a vehicle lighting device related to this disclosure, vehicle lighting device 10 can achieve the following effects.

[0047] The vehicle light fixture 10 includes an upper lens member 14 that emits light from an upper light source 11 from an upper emission surface 25 to form a passing light distribution pattern LP, a lower lens member 15 that emits light from a lower light source 12 from a lower emission surface 35 to form a driving light distribution pattern HP, and a projection lens 16 that projects the light that has passed through both lens members (14, 15). The upper lens member 14 faces the lower lens member 15 and has an upper bottom reflective surface 27 that reflects light from the upper light source 11 toward the upper emission surface 25. The lower lens member 15 faces the upper lens member 14 and has a lower top reflective surface 36 that reflects light from the lower light source 12 toward the lower emission surface 35. The upper lens member 14 and the lower lens member 15 are arranged with a lens spacing SL in the vertical direction, with the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 separated by a lens spacing SL. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can reliably prevent the upper bottom reflective surface 27 and the lower top reflective surface 36 from rubbing against each other, preventing scratches or deformation of both reflective surfaces (27, 36), and allowing both lens members (14, 15) to exhibit the desired optical performance.

[0048] Furthermore, the vehicle light fixture 10 has an upper lens member 14 with a cutoff edge 26 at the end of the upper bottom reflective surface 27 on the projection lens 16 side, which forms the cutoff line CL in the passing light distribution pattern LP. Therefore, the vehicle light fixture 10 can prevent the cutoff line CL from becoming an undesirable shape due to scratches or deformation of the upper bottom reflective surface 27, and can form a more appropriate passing light distribution pattern LP.

[0049] Furthermore, the vehicle light fixture 10 aligns at least the vicinity of the cutoff edge 26 of the upper bottom reflective surface 27 with the projection optical axis Ap of the projection lens 16. This makes it easier to position the upper lens member 14 and the lower lens member 15 and to fix them in that position, and also allows for a smaller lens spacing SL. In addition, the vehicle light fixture 10 aligns at least the vicinity of the cutoff edge 26 of the lower top reflective surface 36 with the projection optical axis Ap of the projection lens 16. This makes it even easier to position the upper lens member 14 and the lower lens member 15 and to fix them in that position.

[0050] The vehicle light fixture 10 displaces the lower emission surface 35 away from the projection lens 16 by an emission surface distance DS relative to the upper emission surface 25, in the optical axis direction along the projection optical axis Ap of the projection lens 16. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can displace the lower end of the driving light distribution pattern HP on the screen downwards in the direction along the vertical line, and both light distribution patterns (LP, HP) can be partially overlapped in the direction along the vertical line, eliminating any sense of discomfort for the viewer.

[0051] The vehicle light fixture 10 has a greater emission surface distance DS than the lens spacing SL. Therefore, the vehicle light fixture 10 can more reliably partially overlap the two light distribution patterns (LP, HP) described above in the direction along the vertical line.

[0052] The vehicle light fixture 10 has an upper lens member 14 which includes an upper incident portion 21 that receives light from an upper light source 11, an upper first reflective surface 22 that reflects the light received from the upper incident portion 21, and an upper second reflective surface 23 that reflects the light reflected by the upper first reflective surface 22 toward the upper emission surface 25. The upper bottom reflective surface 27 reflects a portion of the light reflected by the upper second reflective surface 23 toward the upper emission surface 25. The lower lens member 15 has a lower incident portion 31 that receives light from a lower light source 12, a lower first reflective surface 32 that reflects the light received from the lower incident portion 31, and a lower second reflective surface 33 that reflects the light reflected by the lower first reflective surface 32 toward the lower emission surface 35. The lower top reflective surface 36 reflects a portion of the light reflected by the lower second reflective surface 33 toward the lower output surface 35. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can divide the optical roles among the incident sections (21, 31), the first reflective surfaces (22, 32), and the second reflective surfaces (23, 33), allowing for a simplified configuration of each.

[0053] The vehicle lighting fixture 10 has an upper light source 11 and a lower light source 12 mounted on a single circuit board 13 that extends vertically. This allows the vehicle lighting fixture 10 to use a common configuration for controlling the illumination of both light sources (11, 12) and for cooling them, thereby reducing the number of parts and assembly steps.

[0054] The vehicle light fixture 10 is positioned such that at least a portion of the upper second reflective surface 23 and the upper bottom reflective surface 27 overlaps with the upper first reflective surface 22 in the optical axis direction, and at least a portion of the lower second reflective surface 33 and the lower top reflective surface 36 overlaps with the lower first reflective surface 32 in the optical axis direction. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can be miniaturized while still achieving the optical functions and effects described above.

[0055] The vehicle light fixture 10 has an upper lens member 14 with a cutoff edge 26 at the end of the upper bottom reflective surface 27 on the projection lens 16 side, which forms the cutoff line CL in the passing light distribution pattern LP. The upper first reflective surface 22 reflects the light incident from the upper incident part 21 with the upper second reflective surface 23 and then focuses it near the cutoff edge 26, and the lower first reflective surface 32 reflects the light incident from the lower incident part 31 with the lower second reflective surface 33 and then focuses it near the cutoff edge 26. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can form a driving light distribution pattern HP that partially overlaps with the upper end of the passing light distribution pattern LP and illuminates the upper part of the passing light distribution pattern LP.

[0056] Therefore, the vehicle lighting device 10 of Embodiment 1 according to the present disclosure can achieve the desired optical performance of both lens members (14, 15) while arranging the low beam unit 17 and the high beam unit 18 vertically.

[0057] Although the vehicle lighting device of this disclosure has been described above based on Embodiment 1, the specific configuration is not limited to Embodiment 1, and changes or additions to the design are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention as described in each claim of the patent.

[0058] In the above-described embodiment 1, the low-beam unit 17 was provided with five upper light sources 11, and the high-beam unit 18 was provided with four lower light sources 12. However, the number of each light source can be set as appropriate, and the configuration is not limited to the above-described embodiment 1.

[0059] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment 1, the gap between the two light distribution patterns (LP, HP) is eliminated by the shape and positional relationship of both lens members (14, 15). In the vehicle lamp 10, in addition to the above configuration, the gap between the two light distribution patterns (LP, HP) may be more reliably eliminated by partially displacing the lower part of the emission surface 16a (see Figure 3) of the projection lens 16. Here, as an example, the emission surface 16a uses a spherical surface with the same shape in the vertical direction centered on the projection optical axis Ap as the reference plane. Then, by displacing the lower part of the emission surface 16a forward in the front-to-back direction from the reference plane, as shown by the dashed line, the position of the driving light distribution pattern HP formed by the high beam unit 18 can be displaced downward in the direction along the vertical line. For this reason, the vehicle lamp 10 can more reliably eliminate the gap between the two light distribution patterns (LP, HP) by displacing the lower part of the emission surface 16a forward. Furthermore, by displacing the lower part of the emission surface 16a to the rearward side in the front-rear direction relative to the reference surface, as shown by the dashed line, the position of the passing light distribution pattern LP formed by the low beam unit 17 can be displaced upward in the direction along the vertical line. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 can more reliably eliminate the gap between the two light distribution patterns (LP, HP) by displacing the lower part of the emission surface 16a to the rearward side. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 10 Vehicle lighting fixture 11 Upper light source 12 Lower light source 13 Substrate 14 Upper lens component 15 Lower lens component 16 Projection lens 21 Upper incident part 22 Upper first reflective surface 23 Upper second reflective surface 25 Upper exit surface 26 Cutoff edge 27 Upper bottom reflective surface 31 Lower incident part 32 Lower first reflective surface 33 Lower second reflective surface 35 Lower exit surface 36 Lower top reflective surface Ap Projection optical axis CL Cutoff line DS Distance from exit surface HP Light distribution pattern for driving LP Light distribution pattern for passing SL Lens spacing

Claims

1. An upper lens member that emits light from an upper light source from an upper emission surface to form a passing light distribution pattern, A lower lens member that emits light from a lower light source through a lower emission surface to form a light distribution pattern for driving, The system comprises a projection lens that projects light that has passed through the upper lens member and the lower lens member, The upper lens member has an upper bottom reflective surface that faces the lower lens member and reflects light from the upper light source toward the upper emission surface. The lower lens member has a lower top reflective surface that faces the upper lens member and reflects light from the lower light source toward the lower emission surface. The vehicle light fixture is characterized in that the upper lens member and the lower lens member have an upper bottom reflective surface and a lower top reflective surface arranged with a lens spacing in the vertical direction.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper lens member has a cutoff edge portion at the end of the upper bottom reflective surface on the projection lens side that forms a cutoff line in the passing light distribution pattern.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, characterized in that the upper bottom reflective surface is parallel to the projection optical axis of the projection lens at least near the cutoff edge.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 3, characterized in that the lower top reflective surface is parallel to the projection optical axis of the projection lens at least near the cutoff edge.

5. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lower emission surface is displaced in the optical axis direction along the projection optical axis of the projection lens, away from the projection lens by an emission surface distance relative to the upper emission surface.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5, characterized in that the emission surface distance is greater than the lens spacing.

7. The upper lens member has an upper incident portion into which light from the upper light source is incident, an upper first reflective surface that reflects the light incident from the upper incident portion, and an upper second reflective surface that reflects the light reflected by the upper first reflective surface toward the upper exit surface. The upper bottom reflective surface reflects a portion of the light reflected by the upper second reflective surface toward the upper emission surface. The lower lens member has a lower incident portion into which light from the lower light source is incident, a lower first reflective surface that reflects the light incident from the lower incident portion, and a lower second reflective surface that reflects the light reflected by the lower first reflective surface toward the lower exit surface. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower top reflective surface reflects a portion of the light reflected by the lower second reflective surface toward the lower emission surface.

8. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the upper light source and the lower light source are mounted on a single substrate extending in the vertical direction.

9. The upper second reflective surface and the upper bottom reflective surface are positioned such that at least a portion of them overlap with the upper first reflective surface in the optical axis direction along the projection optical axis of the projection lens. The vehicle lamp according to claim 7, characterized in that the lower second reflective surface and the lower top reflective surface are positioned such that at least a portion of them overlap with the lower first reflective surface in the direction of the optical axis.

10. The upper lens member has a cutoff edge at the projection lens side end of the upper bottom reflective surface that forms the cutoff line in the passing light distribution pattern, The upper first reflecting surface reflects the light incident from the upper incident portion with the upper second reflecting surface and then focuses it near the cutoff edge. The vehicle light fixture according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that the lower first reflecting surface reflects the light incident from the lower incident portion with the lower second reflecting surface and then focuses the light near the cutoff edge.

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