Vehicle lighting

Abstract

It achieves a three-dimensional light emission with a sense of depth. [Solution] The vehicle light fixture comprises a light source unit, a first lens that emits light from the light source unit toward the front, a light-shielding pattern disposed on at least one of the front and rear sides of the first lens and having a light-shielding portion that blocks a portion of the light from the light source unit and a light-passing portion that allows a portion of the light to pass through, and a second lens that emits light through the first lens and the light-shielding pattern toward the front of the vehicle. The first lens has an incident surface into which light enters and an outgoing surface into which light exits, and at least one of the incident surface and the outgoing surface is curved or bent toward the front or rear side in a longitudinal cross-sectional view.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to vehicle lamps.

Background Art

[0002] In order to make a light-emitting part arranged two-dimensionally in the vertical and horizontal directions look like a three-dimensional light emission with a sense of depth, a hemispherical control step is formed in the light-emitting part so that the light-emitting parts on both sides in the vertical direction are bright and the central light-emitting part is dark, and the curvature of the control step is made different for each light-emitting part. A vehicle lamp is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In vehicle lamps, in recent years, it has been required to realize a three-dimensional light emission with a sense of depth. With the configuration described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to sufficiently realize a three-dimensional light emission with a sense of depth.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle lamp capable of realizing a three-dimensional light emission with a sense of depth.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle lamp according to the present invention comprises a light source unit, a first lens that emits light from the light source unit toward the front, a light-shielding pattern disposed on at least one of the front and rear sides of the first lens and having a light-shielding portion that blocks a portion of the light from the light source unit and a light-passing portion that allows a portion of the light to pass through, and a second lens that emits the light through the first lens and the light-shielding pattern toward the front of the vehicle, wherein the first lens has an incident surface into which the light enters and an outgoing surface into which the light exits, and at least one of the incident surface and the outgoing surface is curved or bent toward the front or rear side in a longitudinal cross-sectional view. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve three-dimensional light emission with a sense of depth. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the rear of a vehicle according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a lens on the light source side. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of the first lens as viewed from the rear side when the light source is not turned on. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the first lens as viewed from the front when the light source is not turned on. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of the first lens as viewed from the front with the light source turned on. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of the first lens as viewed from the rear (front) side with the light source turned on. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the operation of a vehicle lighting device according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of a vehicle light fixture as viewed from the rear of the vehicle. [Figure 10]Figure 10 shows another example of the first lens. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows a configuration in which a light-shielding pattern is placed on the incident surface of the first lens shown in Figure 10(A), and a diffusion pattern is formed on the exit surface. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of the correspondence between the light shielding pattern, diffusion pattern, illumination pattern, and light emission area when using the first lens. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows a configuration in which a light-shielding pattern is placed on the incident surface of the first lens shown in Figure 10(D), and a diffusion pattern is formed on the exit surface. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows an example of the correspondence between the light shielding pattern, diffusion pattern, illumination pattern, and light emission area when using the first lens. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily substituted or substantially identical to those that are easily substituted by those skilled in the art.

[0010] In this embodiment, the front and rear directions are defined as the directions when the device is mounted on a vehicle (vehicle-mounted state). For example, when mounted on the front of a vehicle, the front is forward and the rear is backward. When mounted on the rear of a vehicle, the rear is forward and the front is backward. When mounted on the side of a vehicle, the outside of the vehicle is forward and the inside of the vehicle is backward.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the rear part of the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle body 2, a traveling device 3, and vehicle lamps 100. The vehicle body 2 has a driver's cab in which a driver rides. The vehicle body 2 is supported by the traveling device 3. The traveling device 3 has wheels to which tires 4 are attached, a steering device for changing the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, and a braking device for decelerating or stopping the traveling device 3. The vehicle 1 includes an entry / exit door provided on a side portion of the vehicle body 2 and a back door 7 provided on the rear portion of the vehicle body 2. The entry / exit door and the back door 7 are each movably supported by the vehicle body 2 via a hinge mechanism.

[0012] In the present embodiment, the vehicle lamps 100 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the rear portion of the vehicle body 2. In the present embodiment, since the vehicle lamps 100 are provided on the rear portion of the vehicle body 2, the rear side in the front-rear direction is described as the front side of the vehicle lamps 100, and the front side in the front-rear direction is described as the rear side of the vehicle lamps 100.

[0013] The vehicle lamps 100 include functional lamps. Examples of the functional lamps include a tail lamp provided on the rear portion of the vehicle body 2 and lit in conjunction with the lighting of the headlamp, a stop lamp provided on the rear portion of the vehicle body 2 and lit in conjunction with the operation of the braking device, and a rear turn signal lamp provided on the rear portion of the vehicle body 2 and lit to indicate the traveling direction of the vehicle 1 to the surroundings.

[0014] The vehicle lamps 100 are arranged on the vehicle body 2 side, for example. In the present embodiment, the vehicle body 2 is a fixed part. Also, the back door 7 is a movable part. The structure of the vehicle lamps 100 provided on the left side of the rear portion of the vehicle body 2 and the structure of the vehicle lamps 100 provided on the right side of the rear portion of the vehicle body 2 are symmetric in the left-right direction and have substantially the same structure. Hereinafter, the vehicle lamps 100 provided on the left side of the rear portion of the vehicle body 2 will be mainly described, and the description of the vehicle lamps 100 provided on the right side of the rear portion of the vehicle body 2 will be simplified or omitted.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle lamp 100 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view when viewed from the side. The vehicle lamp 100 shown in FIG. 2 is a signal lamp such as a tail lamp, for example. In the present embodiment, the front direction is the rear direction (rearward), and the rear direction is the front direction (forward). Also, it is assumed that the left direction (leftward) is the outside of the vehicle, and the right direction (rightward) is the inside of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle lamp 100 includes a light emitting part 9, a first lens 20, a light shielding pattern 30, a second lens 40, and a housing 50.

[0016] The light emitting part 9 has a light source 5 and a light source side lens 10. The light source 5 has a light source such as an LED or an organic EL, for example. The light source 5 emits, as light, for example, red light upward or downward. In the present embodiment, the light source 5 emits light upward. Note that the light source 5 may be configured to emit light downward. That is, the light emitting surface 5a of the light source 5 that emits light is arranged upward. Note that the light source 5 is not limited to a light source that emits red light, and may be a light source that emits light of other colors such as white. A plurality of light sources 5 are mounted on a substrate 6. The substrate 6 is fixed to the housing 50 via a fixing part 8, for example. In the present embodiment, a plurality of light sources 5 are arranged in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle.

[0017] The light source side lens 10 guides the light from the light source 5 and emits it to the front side. In the present embodiment, the light source side lens 10 is provided one-to-one with respect to the light source 5. Note that although the configuration in which the light source side lens 10 is provided one-to-one with respect to the light source 5 has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The light source side lens 10 may be configured to be provided as one for a plurality of light sources 5 collectively, for example. The light source side lens 10 is arranged above the light source 5. Note that in the case of a configuration in which the light source 5 emits light downward, the light source side lens 10 is arranged below the light source 5. The light source side lens 10 irradiates the first lens 20 with an irradiation pattern P (see FIG. 7 and the like) having a light part P2 and a dark part P1 described later.

[0018] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a light source-side lens 10. The light source-side lens 10 has an incident portion 11, a reflective surface 12, and an outgoing surface 13. The incident portion 11 is positioned toward the light source 5, and light from the light source 5 is incident upon it. The incident portion 11 has an opposing incident surface (incident surface) 11a, a lateral incident surface (incident surface) 11b, and a lateral reflective surface 11c (see Figure 2).

[0019] The opposing incident surface 11a faces the light-emitting surface 5a of the light source 5. Light emitted upward from the light-emitting surface 5a is incident on the opposing incident surface 11a. The opposing incident surface 11a is formed in a planar shape, for example, but is not limited to this shape and may be a convex surface that protrudes toward the light source 5. The lateral incident surface 11b is arranged along the outer circumference of the opposing incident surface 11a. The lateral incident surface 11b is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround the opposing incident surface 11a. Light emitted laterally from the light-emitting surface 5a is incident on the lateral incident surface 11b. The lateral incident surface 11b may be formed so that its diameter decreases towards the top. The lateral reflection surface 11c is arranged along the outer circumference of the lateral incident surface 11b. The lateral reflection surface 11c internally reflects the light incident from the lateral incident surface 11b upward. The lateral reflection surface 11c may have an optical element formed on it that reflects light incident from the lateral incidence surface 11b in such a way that it diffuses upward.

[0020] The reflective surface 12 reflects light incident from the opposing incident surface 11a and the lateral incident surface 11b toward the front side toward the exit surface 13. Multiple reflective surfaces 12 are provided at positions separated in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the reflective surfaces 12 are provided separated in the vertical direction by a stepped portion 14. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between multiple reflective surfaces, the upper reflective surface 12 will be referred to as reflective surface 12A, and the lower reflective surface 12 will be referred to as reflective surface 12B. In this embodiment, when viewed from above, reflective surfaces 12A and 12B are arranged continuously in the front-to-back direction. That is, the rear edge of reflective surface 12A coincides with the front edge of reflective surface 12B. Note that the front-to-back positional relationship between reflective surfaces 12A and 12B is not limited to the above. The reflective surfaces 12A and 12B may be arranged at positions separated in the front-to-back direction. Each reflective surface 12 is, for example, planar. Each reflective surface 12 is positioned to extend diagonally upward toward the rear when viewed from the side (see Figure 2, etc.). Each reflective surface 12 is positioned to direct light to areas of the emission surface 13 that are separated from each other in the vertical direction. Specifically, light reflected by reflective surface 12A reaches the emission area 13A of the emission surface 13. Similarly, light reflected by reflective surface 12B reaches the emission area 13B of the emission surface 13. The ranges of emission areas 13A and 13B are not limited to those shown in Figure 2, etc. Note that multiple reflective surfaces 12 may be arranged in positions that do not overlap in the front-to-back direction.

[0021] The emission surface 13 is positioned facing forward and emits light reflected by the reflective surface 12 toward the front. An optical element 13p is formed on the emission surface 13. The optical element 13p diffuses the light in at least one of the vertical and horizontal directions before emission. Examples of such an optical element 13p include a prism. The optical element 13p is formed over the entire emission surface 13.

[0022] In this embodiment, the light source side lens 10 is arranged such that the emission surface 13 gradually tilts outward (left side) relative to the front side, from the inside (right side) of the vehicle to the outside (left side), corresponding to the shapes of the first lens 20 and the second lens 40 described later. Specifically, each emission surface 13 of the multiple light source side lenses 10 is arranged along a virtual curved surface obtained by offsetting the incident surface 21 of the first lens 20 (described later) to the back side (front side). Note that the arrangement of the emission surfaces 13 of the multiple light source side lenses 10 is not limited to the above.

[0023] The first lens 20 is positioned on the front side of the light source side lens 10. The first lens 20 emits light from the light-emitting unit 9 to the front side. The first lens 20 has an incident surface 21 into which light enters and an exit surface 22 into which light exits. At least one of the incident surface 21 and the exit surface 22 of the first lens 20 is curved or bent towards the front or back side in a vertical cross-sectional view. In the example shown in Figure 2, the incident surface 21 and the exit surface 22 are bent towards the back side in the vertical direction in a vertical cross-sectional view.

[0024] The light-shielding pattern 30 is arranged on at least one of the front and rear sides of the first lens 20. The light-shielding pattern 30 has a first pattern 31 and a second pattern 32. The first pattern 31 is provided on the incident surface 21, which is the rear side of the first lens 20. The second pattern 32 is provided on the exit surface 22, which is the front side of the first lens 20.

[0025] Figure 4 shows an example of the first lens 20 as viewed from the rear side when the light source 5 is not lit. As shown in Figure 4, the first pattern 31 has a light-shielding portion 33 and a light-transmitting portion 34. The light-shielding portion 33 blocks a portion of the light from the light source side lens 10. The light-transmitting portion 34 allows a portion of the light from the light source side lens 10 to pass through. The light-transmitting portions 34 are arranged on both sides of the incident surface 21 in the vertical direction, with the center left open. The first pattern 31 is arranged such that the light-shielding portion 33 and the light-transmitting portion 34 are approximately symmetrical in the vertical direction, but is not limited to this arrangement, and other arrangements are also possible.

[0026] The light-transmitting portion 34 has a shape that corresponds to the outer shape of the light-emitting region AR (see Figure 9) of the second lens 40, which will be described later. In this way, the light-transmitting portion 34 is arranged in the first pattern 31 such that, when viewed from the front, it has a shape that corresponds to the light-emitting region AR of the second lens 40.

[0027] Furthermore, the light-transmitting portion 34 gradually narrows in width from both sides in the vertical direction towards the center. In the first pattern 31, the ratio of the light-transmitting portion 34 per unit area changes in the vertical direction. The first pattern 31 has sparse portions 31a and dense portions 31b.

[0028] The sparse area 31a is a portion in which the proportion of light-shielding portion 33 per unit area is relatively low and the proportion of light-transmitting portion 34 is relatively high in the vertical direction. The sparse area 31a is provided, for example, in the portion including the upper end of the upper light-transmitting portion 34 and in the portion including the lower end of the lower light-transmitting portion 34. The dense area 31b is a portion in which the proportion of light-shielding portion 33 per unit area is relatively high and the proportion of light-transmitting portion 34 is relatively low in the vertical direction. The dense area 31b is provided, for example, in the portion including the lower end of the upper light-transmitting portion 34 and in the portion including the upper end of the lower light-transmitting portion 34. Thus, in the first pattern 31, the dense area 31b is located in the center in the vertical direction. The sparse area 31a is located on both sides in the vertical direction relative to the dense area 31b.

[0029] Furthermore, a portion where the ratio of the light-shielding portion 35 per unit area is greater than a predetermined threshold can be designated as a dense portion 31b. Conversely, a portion where the ratio of the light-transmitting portion 34 per unit area is less than a predetermined threshold can be designated as a sparse portion 31a. In this case, the threshold for setting the dense portion 31b and the threshold for setting the sparse portion 31a may be the same or different.

[0030] Figure 5 shows an example of the first lens 20 as viewed from the front when the light source 5 is not lit. As shown in Figure 5, the second pattern 32 has a light-shielding portion 35 and a light-transmitting portion 36. The light-shielding portion 35 blocks light that has passed through the first pattern 31. In this embodiment, the light-shielding portion 35 is formed in a linear shape extending in the left-right direction and is provided in a configuration of multiple portions arranged in the vertical direction. In Figure 5, the light-shielding portion 35 is shown as a black line segment. Light that has passed through the first pattern 31 passes through the light-transmitting portion 36. In the first lens 20, the emission surface 22 emits the light that has passed through the light-transmitting portion 36 towards the front. The light-transmitting portion 36 is provided in a strip shape extending in the left-right direction, which is a second direction different from the first direction. The light-transmitting portion 36 is formed so that its vertical dimensions are uniform throughout the left-right direction. The light-transmitting portion 36 is formed such that its vertical dimension gradually increases from the center of the first lens 20 towards the upper and lower sides. In this way, the ratio of the light-transmitting portion 36 per unit area changes in the vertical direction in the second pattern 32.

[0031] In this embodiment, the second pattern 32 has a sparse area 32a and a dense area 32b. The sparse area 32a is a portion in which the proportion of light-shielding portion 35 per unit area is relatively low and the proportion of light-transmitting portion 36 is relatively high in the vertical direction. Specifically, in the sparse area 32a, the vertical dimension (line width) of the light-shielding portion 35 is relatively narrow, and the spacing between adjacent light-shielding portions 35 in the vertical direction is relatively wide. The sparse area 32a is provided, for example, in a portion including both ends in the vertical direction. The dense area 32b is a portion in which the proportion of light-shielding portion 35 per unit area is relatively high and the proportion of light-transmitting portion 36 is relatively low in the vertical direction. Specifically, in the dense area 32b, the vertical line width of the light-shielding portion 35 is relatively wide, and the spacing between adjacent light-shielding portions 35 in the vertical direction is narrow. The dense area 32b is provided, for example, in a portion including the central part in the vertical direction. In the second pattern 32, the dense portion 32b is located in the center in the vertical direction. The sparse portion 32a is located on both sides of the dense portion 32b in the vertical direction.

[0032] Furthermore, a portion where the ratio of light-transmitting portion 36 per unit area is greater than a predetermined threshold can be designated as a sparse portion 32a. Conversely, a portion where the ratio of light-transmitting portion 36 per unit area is less than a predetermined threshold can be designated as a dense portion 32b. In this case, the threshold for setting the sparse portion 32a and the threshold for setting the dense portion 32b may be the same or different.

[0033] Figure 6 shows an example of the first lens 20 as viewed from the front with the light source 5 lit. As shown in Figure 6, the first pattern 31 and the second pattern 32 are arranged such that, when viewed from the front, the dense portion 31b and the dense portion 32b overlap, and the sparse portion 31a and the sparse portion 32a overlap.

[0034] Figure 7 shows an example of the first lens 20 as viewed from the rear (front) side with the light source 5 lit. Figure 7 shows an example of the state when the illumination pattern P from the light source side lens 10 is applied.

[0035] As shown in Figure 7, the light source lens 10 illuminates the first pattern 31 with an illumination pattern P having bright areas P2 and dark areas P1 formed by light. The bright areas P2 are formed on both sides of the first pattern 31, with the central part left empty in the vertical direction. That is, the bright areas P2 have an upper bright area P2a located above the central part in the vertical direction of the first pattern 31, and a lower bright area P2b located below the central part in the vertical direction of the first pattern 31. The upper bright area P2a is formed by light emitted from the emission area 13A. The lower bright area P2b is formed by light emitted from the emission area 13B. The dark area P1 is formed in the part of the first pattern 31 that extends horizontally in the central part in the vertical direction. The dark area P1 is brighter than the part of the first pattern 31 where the illumination pattern P is not formed (such as the periphery), but is brighter than the bright area P2. The upper bright area P2a is formed so that its brightness gradually decreases from the top to the bottom. The lower bright area P2b is formed so that its brightness gradually decreases from the bottom to the top. The illumination pattern P has a gradient in which the brightness gradually increases from the center in the vertical direction upwards and downwards. The bright area P2 and dark area P1 of the illumination pattern P may be formed by, for example, the optical element 13p on the emission surface 13, or the reflective surfaces 12A, 12B, etc.

[0036] In this embodiment, when viewed from the rear side, the upper bright area P2a is irradiated onto the portion where the upper sparse area 31a of the first pattern 31 is provided. The lower bright area P2b is irradiated onto the portion where the lower sparse area 31a of the first pattern 31 is provided. The dark area P1 is irradiated onto the portion where the dense area 31b of the first pattern 31 is provided. Thus, the irradiation pattern P is formed such that the bright area P2 is irradiated onto the portion where the sparse area 31a of the first pattern 31 is located, and the dark area P1 is irradiated onto the portion where the dense area 31b of the first pattern 31 is provided.

[0037] As shown in Figure 2, the second lens 40 emits light through the first lens 20 and the light-shielding pattern 30 towards the front of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the second lens 40 is an outer lens that forms a lamp chamber together with the housing 50. In this embodiment, the second lens 40 is red, for example, the same color as the light emitted from the light source 5. The second lens 40 transmits red light and absorbs light other than red light. The second lens 40 is not limited to red, and may be other colors or colorless. Furthermore, the second lens 40 is not limited to an outer lens. The second lens 40 is formed to curve towards the rear (front) side from the inside (right side) of the vehicle to the outside (left side) of the vehicle.

[0038] The operation of the vehicle lighting device 100 configured as described above will now be explained. Figure 8 shows an example of the operation of the vehicle lighting device 100 according to this embodiment. When the light source 5 is turned on, light is emitted upward from the light-emitting surface 5a of the light source 5. This light enters the light source side lens 10 from the opposing incident surface 11a and the lateral incident surface 11b.

[0039] The following explanation will use a portion of the light incident on the light source side lens 10 as examples of light rays L1 and L2. Light rays L1 and L2 travel upward inside the light source side lens 10 and reach the reflective surfaces 12A and 12B, respectively. Upon reaching the reflective surfaces 12A and 12B, the light rays L1 and L2 are reflected backward by the reflective surfaces 12A and 12B and emitted from the emission regions 13A and 13B of the emission surface 13. These light rays L1 and L2 are emitted in a state that is diffused in the vertical and horizontal directions by the optical element 13p, forming an illumination pattern P (see Figure 7) including a bright area P2 and a dark area P1 on the incident surface 21 of the first lens 20.

[0040] The light rays L1 and L2 that form the irradiation pattern P are partially shielded by the light-shielding portion 33 of the first pattern 31, and the remaining portion passes through the light-transmitting portion 34 before entering the incident surface 21 of the first lens 20. The light rays L1 and L2 are then emitted from the exit surface 22, partially shielded by the light-shielding portion 35 of the second pattern 32, and the remaining portion passes through the light-transmitting portion 36 before being emitted towards the second lens 40. In this embodiment, the exit surface 22 of the first lens 20 is configured such that the central part in the vertical direction is bent backward in a vertical cross-sectional view. Therefore, the exit position of the light rays L1 and L2 at the central part in the vertical direction is on the back side of the exit surface 22 than the exit positions on both sides in the vertical direction. The light rays L1 and L2 enter the incident surface 41 of the second lens 40. The light rays L1 and L2 that enter the second lens 40 pass through the inside of the second lens 40 and are emitted from the exit surface 42 towards the front of the vehicle.

[0041] Figure 9 shows an example of the vehicle light fixture 100 as viewed from the rear of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 9, when the vehicle light fixture 100 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the light-emitting region AR is visible due to the light rays L1 and L2 emitted from the emission surface 42. The light-emitting region AR is visible in a vertically symmetrical manner, with the upper light-emitting region AR1 and the lower light-emitting region AR2 being visible. The light-emitting region AR has a shape in which the light-transmitting portion 34 of the first pattern 31 and the light-transmitting portion 36 of the second pattern 32 overlap, allowing it to be seen as relatively bright on both sides in the vertical direction and relatively dark in the center in the vertical direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the emission position of the light rays L1 and L2 emitted from the emission surface 22 is further back than the emission positions on both sides in the vertical direction. As a result, it can be seen as if both sides in the vertical direction are lit relatively closer (front side), and the center in the vertical direction is lit relatively further back (rear side).

[0042] As described above, the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment comprises a light-emitting unit 9, a first lens 20 that emits light from the light-emitting unit 9 to the front, a light-shielding pattern 30 arranged on at least one of the front and rear sides of the first lens 20 and having light-shielding parts 33, 35 that block a portion of the light from the light-emitting unit 9 and light-passing parts 34, 36 that allow a portion of the light to pass through, and a second lens 40 that emits light through the first lens 20 and the light-shielding pattern 30 to the front of the vehicle. The first lens 20 has an incident surface 21 into which light enters and an outgoing surface 22 that emits light, and at least one of the incident surface 21 and the outgoing surface 22 has a shape that is curved or bent to the front or rear side in a vertical cross-sectional view.

[0043] This configuration allows the incident position of light rays L1 and L2 incident on the incident surface 21 in the front-to-back direction, and the exit position of light rays L1 and L2 emitted from the exit surface 22 in the front-to-back direction, to be different in the vertical direction. Therefore, it is possible to make it appear as if there is a part that lights up relatively closer to the viewer (front side) and a part that lights up relatively further away (back side) in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to realize a three-dimensional AR light-emitting area with a sense of depth.

[0044] In the vehicle lighting device 100 according to this embodiment, the light-emitting unit 9 includes a light source 5 that emits light and a light source-side lens 10 that guides the light from the light source 5 and emits it toward the first lens 20. The light source-side lens 10 illuminates the dark portion P1 of the illumination pattern P toward the portion of the first lens 20 toward which the emission surface 22 is located relatively to the rear, and illuminates the bright portion P2 of the illumination pattern P toward the portion of the first lens 20 toward which the emission surface 22 is located relatively to the front.

[0045] This configuration allows the area lit relatively closer to the user (front) in the vertical direction to appear relatively brighter, while the area lit relatively further away (back) appears relatively dimmer. This makes it possible to realize a three-dimensional AR (augmented reality) with a sense of depth.

[0046] In the vehicle lighting device 100 according to this embodiment, the light-shielding pattern 30 has dense areas 31b and 32b with a relatively high ratio of light-shielding portions 33 and 35 per unit area and sparse areas 31a and 32a with a relatively low ratio. The dense areas 31b and 32b are arranged in positions corresponding to the portion of the first lens 20 where the emission surface 22 is located relatively towards the rear, and the sparse areas 31a and 32a are arranged in positions corresponding to the portion of the emission surface 22 where the emission surface 22 is located relatively towards the front.

[0047] This configuration allows the area lit relatively closer to the user (front) in the vertical direction to appear relatively brighter, while the area lit relatively further away (back) appears relatively dimmer. This makes it possible to realize a three-dimensional AR (augmented reality) with a sense of depth.

[0048] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the embodiments described above, the first lens 20 was described as a lens in which the central part in the vertical direction is bent toward the back side, but it is not limited to this shape.

[0049] Figure 10 shows another example of the first lens. The first lens 20A shown in Figure 10(A) has a curved surface where the incident surface 21A is curved so that it is convex towards the back from both sides in the vertical direction to the center. The exit surface 22A of the first lens 20A is flat. In the first lens 20A shown in Figure 10(A), the thickness ta in the front-to-back direction gradually increases from both sides in the vertical direction to the center, and the thickness ta is thickest at the center in the vertical direction.

[0050] The first lens 20B shown in Figure 10(B) has a planar incident surface 21B. Furthermore, the exit surface 22B of the first lens 20B is concave in a stepped manner towards the back from both sides in the vertical direction to the center. In the first lens 20B shown in Figure 10(B), the thickness tb in the front-to-back direction gradually decreases from both sides in the vertical direction to the center, with the thinnest thickness tb being at the center in the vertical direction. Also, when viewed from the front, the center in the vertical direction is located at the furthest back (rear side), and both ends in the vertical direction are located at the furthest front (front side).

[0051] The first lens 20C shown in Figure 10(C) has a curved surface where the incident surface 21C is curved so that it is convex towards the back from both sides in the vertical direction to the center. The first lens 20C also has a curved surface where the exit surface 22C is curved so that it is convex towards the front from both sides in the vertical direction to the center. In the first lens 20C shown in Figure 10(C), the thickness tc in the front-to-back direction gradually increases from both sides in the vertical direction to the center, with the thickness tc being thickest at the center in the vertical direction. Furthermore, when viewed from the front, the center in the vertical direction of the first lens 20C is located closest to the viewer (front side), and both ends in the vertical direction are located furthest away (back side).

[0052] The first lens 20D shown in Figure 10(D) has a curved surface where the incident surface 21D is curved so that it becomes concave towards the front from both sides in the vertical direction to the center. The first lens 20D also has a curved surface where the exit surface 22D is curved so that it becomes convex towards the front from both sides in the vertical direction to the center. The curvature of the incident surface 21D is greater than the curvature of the exit surface 22D. In this case, in the first lens 20D shown in Figure 10(D), the thickness td in the front-to-back direction gradually decreases from both sides in the vertical direction to the center, and the thickness td is thinnest at the center in the vertical direction. Also, when viewed from the front, the center in the vertical direction of the first lens 20D is located at the front (closest side), and both ends in the vertical direction are located at the back (rear side).

[0053] Figure 11 shows a configuration in which a light-shielding pattern 30A is placed on the incident surface 21A of the first lens 20A shown in Figure 10(A), and a diffusion pattern 60A is formed on the exit surface 22A. In the example shown in Figure 11, the light-shielding pattern 30A is provided on the curved incident surface 21A of the first lens 20. In this way, since the portion of the incident surface 21A on which the light-shielding pattern 30A (pattern 31A) is provided is curved, the light-shielding pattern 30A can be arranged utilizing the curved shape of the incident surface 21A. Alternatively, the first lens 20A may be formed such that the curvature of the incident surface 21A gradually increases from both ends in the vertical direction to the center in the vertical cross-sectional shape. In this case, the light-shielding pattern 30A can be arranged utilizing the curved shape of the incident surface 21A, where the curvature gradually increases from both ends in the vertical direction to the center in the cross-sectional shape.

[0054] The light-shielding pattern 30A has a pattern 31A similar to the first pattern 31 of the light-shielding pattern 30 described above. Pattern 31A has a light-shielding portion 33A and a light-transmitting portion 34A. The light-shielding portion 33A blocks a portion of the light from the light-emitting portion 9. The light-transmitting portion 34A allows a portion of the light to pass through.

[0055] The diffusion pattern 60A has a diffusion section 61A and a light-passing section 62A. The diffusion section 61A diffuses a portion of the light incident from the incident surface 21A. The light-passing section 62A allows a portion of the light incident from the incident surface 21A to pass through to the front side. The light that has passed through the light-passing section 62A is emitted from the exit surface 22A to the front side and is emitted to the front side via the second lens 40.

[0056] Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the light-shielding pattern 30A, the diffusion pattern 60A, the illumination pattern P, and the light-emitting area AR when using the first lens 20A. Figure 12(A) is a diagram showing an example of the first lens 20 as viewed from the front. As shown in Figure 12(A), the pattern 31A has sparse areas 31a and dense areas 31b, similar to the above embodiment. The sparse areas 31a are provided, for example, in the portion including both ends in the vertical direction. The dense areas 31b are provided, for example, in the portion including the central part in the vertical direction. The dense areas 31b are located in the central part in the vertical direction. In addition, the sparse areas 31a are located on both sides in the vertical direction relative to the dense areas 31b.

[0057] Thus, the light-shielding pattern 30A is positioned at least on the incident surface 21A of the portion of the first lens 20A that is relatively thick in the front-to-back direction (the central portion in the vertical direction). This makes it possible to shield light that is incident on the portion of the first lens 20A that is relatively thick in the front-to-back direction.

[0058] Furthermore, in the light-shielding pattern 30A, dense areas 31b are arranged in the parts of the first lens 20A that are relatively thick in the front-to-back direction, and sparse areas 31a are arranged in the parts that are relatively thin. As a result, the parts of the first lens 20A that are relatively thick in the front-to-back direction can be made relatively dark areas, and the parts of the first lens 20A that are relatively thin in the front-to-back direction can be made relatively bright areas.

[0059] Figure 12(B) shows an example of the first lens 20A as viewed from the front. As shown in Figure 12(B), the diffuser portion 61A and the light-transmitting portion 62A are provided in a strip shape extending in the left-right direction, which is a second direction different from the first direction. The diffuser portion 61A and the light-transmitting portion 62A are formed so that their vertical dimensions are uniform throughout the left-right direction. The diffuser portion 61A is formed so that its vertical dimensions gradually increase from the center of the first lens 20A towards the upper and lower sides. Furthermore, the diffuser portion 61A is arranged so that the spacing between adjacent diffuser portions 61A in the vertical direction decreases from the center of the first lens 20A towards both ends. The light-transmitting portion 62A is formed so that its vertical dimensions gradually decrease from the center of the first lens 20A towards the upper and lower sides. Furthermore, the light-transmitting sections 62A are arranged such that the spacing between adjacent light-transmitting sections 62A increases as you move from the center of the first lens 20A in the vertical direction towards both ends.

[0060] Furthermore, the diffusion pattern 60A has sparse areas 60a and dense areas 60b. The sparse areas 60a are areas in which the proportion of diffusion areas 61A per unit area is relatively high and the proportion of light-transmitting areas 62A is relatively low in the vertical direction. The sparse areas 60a are provided, for example, in areas including both ends in the vertical direction. The dense areas 60b are areas in which the proportion of diffusion areas 61A per unit area is relatively high and the proportion of light-transmitting areas 62A is relatively high in the vertical direction. The dense areas 60b are provided, for example, in areas including the central part in the vertical direction. The dense areas 60b are located in the central part in the vertical direction. Also, the sparse areas 60a are located on both sides in the vertical direction relative to the dense areas 60b.

[0061] Figure 12(C) shows an example of the first lens 20A as viewed from the rear side. Figure 12(C) shows an example of the state in which the illumination pattern P by the light source side lens 10 is illuminating. As shown in Figure 12, the light source side lens 10 irradiates pattern 31A with an illumination pattern P having bright areas P2 and dark areas P1 due to light. Bright areas P2 are formed in the parts that extend in the left-right direction at both ends in the vertical direction of pattern 31A. Dark areas P1 are formed in the parts that extend in the left-right direction at the center in the vertical direction of the first pattern 31. Dark areas P1 are areas in the first pattern 31 that have higher brightness than parts where the illumination pattern P is not formed (periphery, etc.), but have lower brightness than bright areas P2.

[0062] Figure 12(D) shows an example of the vehicle light fixture 100A as viewed from the rear of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 12(D), when the vehicle light fixture 100A is viewed from the rear of the vehicle with light emitted from the light-emitting part 9, the light-emitting area AR (AR3, AR4) is visible. The light-emitting area AR has a shape in which the light-transmitting part 34A of pattern 31A and the light-transmitting part 62A of diffusion pattern 60A overlap, and can be seen as relatively bright on both sides in the vertical direction and relatively dark in the center in the vertical direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the emission position of the light rays emitted from the emission surface 22A in the front-to-back direction is the same as the emission position in the center in the vertical direction. As a result, it can be seen as if both sides in the vertical direction are lit relatively towards the front, and the center in the vertical direction is lit relatively towards the back.

[0063] Figure 13 shows a configuration in which a light-shielding pattern 30D is placed on the incident surface 21D of the first lens 20D shown in Figure 10(D), and a diffusion pattern 60D is formed on the exit surface 22D. In the example shown in Figure 13, the light-shielding pattern 30D is provided on the curved incident surface 21D of the first lens 20. Thus, since the portion of the incident surface 21D on which the light-shielding pattern 30D (pattern 31D) is provided is curved, the light-shielding pattern 30D can be arranged utilizing the curved shape of the incident surface 21D. Alternatively, the first lens 20D may be formed such that the curvature of the incident surface 21D gradually increases from both ends in the vertical direction to the center in the vertical cross-sectional shape. In this case, the light-shielding pattern 30D can be arranged utilizing the curved shape of the incident surface 21D, where the curvature gradually increases from both ends in the vertical direction to the center in the cross-sectional shape.

[0064] The light-shielding pattern 30D has a pattern 31D similar to the first pattern 31 of the light-shielding pattern 30 described above. Pattern 31D has a light-shielding portion 33D and a light-transmitting portion 34D. The light-shielding portion 33D blocks a portion of the light from the light-emitting portion 9. The light-transmitting portion 34D allows a portion of the light to pass through.

[0065] The diffusion pattern 60D has a diffusion section 61D and a light-passing section 62D. The diffusion section 61D diffuses a portion of the light incident from the incident surface 21D. The light-passing section 62D allows a portion of the light incident from the incident surface 21D to pass through to the front side. The light that has passed through the light-passing section 62D is emitted from the exit surface 22D to the front side and is emitted to the front side via the second lens 40.

[0066] Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the light-shielding pattern 30D, the diffusion pattern 60D, the illumination pattern P, and the light-emitting region AR when using the first lens 20D. Figure 14(A) is a diagram showing an example of the first lens 20 as viewed from the front. As shown in Figure 14(A), the pattern 31D has sparse areas 31a and dense areas 31b, similar to the embodiment described above. The sparse areas 31a are provided, for example, in the portion including the central part in the vertical direction. The dense areas 31b are provided, for example, in the portion including both ends in the vertical direction.

[0067] Thus, the light-shielding pattern 30D is positioned at least on the incident surface 21D of the portion of the first lens 20D that is relatively thick in the front-to-back direction (both sides in the vertical direction). This makes it possible to shield light incident on the portion of the first lens 20D that is relatively thick in the front-to-back direction.

[0068] Furthermore, in the light-shielding pattern 30D, dense areas 31b are arranged in the parts of the first lens 20D that are relatively thicker in the front-to-back direction (both ends in the vertical direction), and sparse areas 31a are arranged in the parts that are relatively thinner (the central part in the vertical direction). As a result, the parts of the first lens 20D that are relatively thicker in the front-to-back direction, such as both ends in the vertical direction, can be made relatively dark, and the parts of the first lens 20D that are relatively thin in the front-to-back direction, such as the central part in the vertical direction, can be made relatively bright.

[0069] Figure 14(B) shows an example of the first lens 20D as viewed from the front. As shown in Figure 14(B), the diffuser 61D and the light-transmitting portion 62D are provided in a strip shape extending in the left-right direction, which is a second direction different from the first direction. The diffuser 61D and the light-transmitting portion 62D are formed so that their vertical dimensions are uniform throughout the left-right direction. The diffuser 61D is formed so that its vertical dimensions gradually decrease from the center of the first lens 20D in the vertical direction to both ends. In addition, the diffuser 61D is arranged so that the spacing between adjacent diffuser 61D in the vertical direction increases from the center of the first lens 20D in the vertical direction to both ends. The light-transmitting portion 62D is formed so that its vertical dimensions gradually increase from the center of the first lens 20D in the vertical direction to the upper and lower sides. Furthermore, the light-transmitting sections 62D are arranged such that the spacing between adjacent light-transmitting sections 62D decreases as you move from the center of the first lens 20D in the vertical direction towards the upper and lower sides.

[0070] Furthermore, the diffusion pattern 60D has sparse areas 60a and dense areas 60b. The sparse areas 60a are provided, for example, in the portion including both ends in the vertical direction. The dense areas 60b are provided, for example, in the portion including the central part in the vertical direction. The dense areas 60b are located in the central part in the vertical direction. Also, the sparse areas 60a are located on both sides in the vertical direction relative to the dense areas 60b.

[0071] Figure 14(C) shows an example of the first lens 20D as viewed from the rear side. Figure 14(C) shows an example of the state in which the illumination pattern P by the light source side lens 10 is illuminating. As shown in Figure 14(C), the light source side lens 10 irradiates the pattern 31D with an illumination pattern P having dark areas P2 and bright areas P1 due to light. The bright area P2 is formed in the central part in the vertical direction of the pattern 31D. The dark area P1 is formed in the parts that extend horizontally at both ends in the vertical direction of the first pattern 31. The dark area P1 is brighter than the parts of the first pattern 31 where the illumination pattern P is not formed (periphery, etc.), but is brighter than the bright area P2.

[0072] Figure 14(D) shows an example of the vehicle light fixture 100D as viewed from the rear of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 14(D), when the vehicle light fixture 100D is viewed from the rear of the vehicle with light emitted from the light-emitting part 9, the light-emitting area AR (AR5, AR6) is visible. The light-emitting area AR has a shape in which the light-transmitting part 34D of pattern 31D and the light-transmitting part 62D of diffusion pattern 60D overlap, and can be seen as relatively bright on both sides in the vertical direction and relatively dark in the center in the vertical direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the light rays L1 and L2 emitted from the emission surface 22 have an emission position in the center in the vertical direction that is closer to the front than the emission positions on both sides in the vertical direction. As a result, it can be seen as if both sides in the vertical direction are lit relatively towards the back (rear side) and the center in the vertical direction is lit relatively towards the front (front side).

[0073] Furthermore, the shape of the first lens is not limited to the shape described above; other shapes are also acceptable as long as at least one of the incident surface and the exit surface is curved or bent toward the front or back side in a longitudinal cross-sectional view.

[0074] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described an example in which the light-emitting unit 9 has a light source 5 and a light source-side lens 10, the configuration is not limited to this. Other configurations are also acceptable as long as they can appropriately irradiate the first lens 20 with light. For example, the light-emitting unit 9 may have a rod-shaped light guide instead of a light source-side lens 10, and the light guide may supply light to the first lens 20 and the light-shielding pattern 30.

[0075] Furthermore, although the above embodiment was described using a configuration in which the first lens 20 and the light-shielding pattern 30 are integrated as an example, the invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the light-shielding pattern 30 may be formed separately from the first lens 20 using a film or the like. In this case, it is preferable to arrange the first lens 20 and the light-shielding pattern 30 so that the distance between them in the front-to-back direction is as small as possible.

[0076] Furthermore, in the configuration of the above embodiment, the light-transmitting sections 34, 34A, and 34D may have a diffusion pattern that diffuses light. In this configuration, the light passing through the light-transmitting sections 34, 34A, and 34D is diffused by the diffusion pattern, making the light-transmitting sections 34, 34A, and 34D themselves appear to be emitting light from a surface. For this reason, if the shape of the light-transmitting sections 34, 34A, and 34D is three-dimensional, the three-dimensional effect can be further emphasized. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1...Vehicle, 2...Vehicle body, 3...Running gear, 4...Tire, 5...Light source, 5a...Light-emitting surface, 6...Substrate, 7...Back door, 8...Fixed part, 9...Light-emitting part, 10...Light source side lens, 11...Incident part, 11a...Opposite incident surface (incident surface), 11b...Side incident surface (incident surface), 11c...Side reflective surface, 12,12A,12B...Reflective surface, 13,22,22A,22B,22C,22D,42...Emission surface, 13A,13B...Emission area, 13p...Optical element, 14...Stepped part, 20,20A,20B,20C,20D...First lens, 21,21A,21B,21C,21D,41...Incident surface, 30,30A,30D...Light-shielding pattern 31...First pattern, 31a, 32a, 60a...Sparse area, 31A, 31D...Pattern, 31b, 32b, 60b...Dense area, 32...Second pattern, 33, 33A, 33D, 35...Light-shielding area, 34, 34A, 34D, 36, 62A, 62D...Light-transmitting area, 40...Second lens, 50...Housing, 60A, 60D...Diffusion pattern, 61A, 61D...Diffusion area, 100, 100A, 100D...Vehicle lighting fixture, AR, AR1, AR2, AR3, AR4, AR5, AR6...Light-emitting area, L1, L2...Light ray, P...Irradiation pattern, P1...Dark area, P2...Bright area, P2a...Upper bright area, P2b...Lower bright area

Claims

1. Light source section, A first lens that emits light from the light source towards the front, A light-shielding pattern is provided which is arranged on at least one of the front and back sides of the first lens and has a light-shielding portion that blocks a portion of the light from the light source and a light-passing portion that allows a portion of the light to pass through, A second lens that emits the light through the first lens and the light-shielding pattern toward the front of the vehicle. Equipped with, The first lens has an incident surface into which the light enters and an outgoing surface into which the light exits, At least one of the incident surface and the exit surface has a shape that is curved or bent towards the front or back side in a longitudinal cross-sectional view. Vehicle lighting fixtures.

2. The aforementioned light source unit is A light source that emits the aforementioned light, A light source side lens that guides the light from the light source and emits it toward the first lens, It has, The light source-side lens illuminates the dark portion of the illumination pattern toward the portion of the first lens whose emission surface is located relatively towards the rear, and illuminates the bright portion of the illumination pattern toward the portion of the first lens whose emission surface is located relatively towards the front. A vehicle light fixture according to claim 1.

3. The light-shielding pattern is arranged at least on the incident surface of the portion of the first lens that is relatively thicker in the front-to-back direction. A vehicle light fixture according to claim 1.

4. The light-shielding pattern has dense areas and sparse areas where the proportion of the light-shielding portion per unit area is relatively high and relatively low, with the dense areas being arranged in the portion of the first lens that is relatively thick in the front-to-back direction and the sparse areas being arranged in the portion that is relatively thin. A vehicle light fixture according to claim 1.

5. The light-shielding pattern has dense areas and sparse areas where the proportion of the light-shielding portion per unit area is relatively high and relatively low, wherein the dense areas are positioned in the part of the first lens where the emission surface is located relatively on the back side, and the sparse areas are positioned in the part of the lens where the emission surface is located relatively on the front side. A vehicle light fixture according to claim 1.

6. The light-shielding pattern is provided on the incident surface of the first lens, The incident surface has a curved shape in the portion where the light-shielding pattern is provided. A vehicle light fixture according to claim 1.

7. The first lens is formed such that at least one of the incident surface and the exit surface has a curvature that gradually increases from both ends in the vertical direction to the center in the vertical cross-sectional shape. A vehicle light fixture according to claim 1.

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