Vehicle lighting fixtures

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting fixture in which each part can be compactly arranged.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture comprises: a light source for emitting excitation light; a reflector for reflecting the excitation light from the light source; a light generation part comprising a light emitting layer for emitting generated light by being illuminated with the excitation light, and a holding member holding the light emitting layer; and a lens member arranged on a front side with respect to the light emitting layer, and for applying the generated light from the light emitting layer in a front direction in an in-vehicle state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicle lamp is known that includes a light source, a reflector that reflects excitation light from the light source, a light-emitting layer that emits generated light when irradiated with the excitation light reflected by the reflector, and a lens member that irradiates the excitation light from the light-emitting layer (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-190255 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned vehicle lamp, it is required that each part including the light source, reflector, light emitting layer, lens member, etc. be arranged compactly.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a vehicle lamp in which each component can be arranged compactly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle lamp of the present invention includes a light source that emits excitation light, a reflector that reflects the excitation light from the light source, a light generating unit having a light emitting layer that emits generated light when irradiated with the excitation light and a holding member that holds the light emitting layer, and a lens member that is arranged on the front side of the light emitting layer and irradiates the generated light from the light emitting layer in a forward direction when mounted on a vehicle.

[0007] In the above vehicle lamp, the light generating portion may be disposed such that a normal direction of the light emitting layer is inclined obliquely downward with respect to a front direction.

[0008] In the above vehicle lamp, the excitation light may be blue, and the generated light and the lens member may be red.

[0009] In the above vehicle lamp, the light generating portion may be disposed in plurality in the left-right direction when mounted on the vehicle.

[0010] The above-mentioned vehicle lamp may further include a housing supporting the light source, the reflector, the light generating unit and the lens member, the housing being arranged to cover the reflector when viewed from the front side, forming a lamp chamber between the housing and the lens member, and the light generating unit being arranged within the lamp chamber.

[0011] In the above-mentioned vehicle lamp, the holding member may be formed in a plate shape, be capable of transmitting the excitation light and the generated light, and have a light reflecting material on a second surface opposite to a first surface that holds the light-emitting layer, which reflects the excitation light and the generated light.

[0012] In the above-mentioned vehicular lamp, the light reflecting material may have a covering portion that covers the second surface and a protruding portion that protrudes upward from the second surface, and the protruding portion may be bent toward the front side and protrude in a front direction toward the light-emitting layer.

[0013] In the above-mentioned vehicle lamp, the holding member may be plate-shaped and have a light-reflecting surface that reflects the excitation light and the generated light, the light-emitting layer may be provided on the light-reflecting surface, and the holding member may have a protrusion that extends above the light-emitting layer and protrudes toward a front side of the light-emitting layer. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp in which each part can be arranged compactly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a vehicle lamp according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a vehicle lamp. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the vehicle lamp. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of a vehicle lamp. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of a vehicle lamp. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing another example of the vehicle lamp according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing another example of the vehicle lamp according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle lamp according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In addition, the components in the following embodiments include those that are replaceable and easy for a person skilled in the art, or those that are substantially the same. In the following description, the front-rear, up-down, left-right directions are directions in a vehicle mounted state in which the vehicle lamp is mounted on the vehicle, and indicate directions when the vehicle is viewed from the driver's seat in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Note that in this embodiment, the up-down direction is parallel to the vertical direction, and the left-right direction is horizontal. In addition, with regard to the front direction and rear direction, the direction in which light is emitted from the vehicle lamp is the front direction, and the opposite direction to the front direction is the rear direction.

[0017] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of a vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of the vehicle lamp 100. The vehicle lamp 100 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is a signal lamp such as a tail lamp. Therefore, in this embodiment, the front direction is the rear direction (rear) and the back direction is the front direction (forward). The vehicle lamp 100 has a light source unit 10, a reflector 20, a light generating unit 30, a lens member 40, and a housing 50.

[0018] The light source unit 10 includes a light source 11, a support substrate 12, and a heat sink 13. The light source 11 is, for example, an LED, an organic EL, or other light source. The light source 11 is disposed, for example, below the light generating unit 30, with the light emitting surface 11a facing the rear direction (forward). The light source 11 emits, for example, blue light from the light emitting surface 11a as excitation light. Note that the light source 11 is not limited to a light source that emits blue light, and a light source that can irradiate light (such as purple light or ultraviolet light) with a shorter wavelength than the wavelength of light generated in the light generating unit 30 described later can be used. The light sources 11 are provided in a number corresponding to the number of the light generating units 30 described later.

[0019] The supporting substrate 12 supports the light source 11. The supporting substrate 12 is supported by a housing 50.

[0020] The reflector 20 is disposed on the rear side of the light source 11. The reflector 20 has a reflective surface 21 that reflects the excitation light emitted from the light source 11 upward. The reflective surface 21 is provided for each light generating unit 30 described later. The reflective surfaces 21 may be appropriately disposed regardless of the number and arrangement of the light generating units 30. The reflector 20 is disposed inside the housing 50. The reflector 20 is disposed so as to be hidden on the rear side of the housing 50 so as not to be directly visible when the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the front side.

[0021] The light generating unit 30 has a holding member 31 and a light emitting layer 32. The light generating unit 30 is arranged such that the normal direction R of the light emitting layer 32 is inclined obliquely downward with respect to the front direction. The light generating unit 30 is also arranged such that the normal direction R of the light emitting layer 32 faces toward the outside (left side) of the vehicle with respect to the front direction. A plurality of light generating units 30 are arranged in the left-right direction.

[0022] The holding member 31 is capable of transmitting the excitation light emitted from the light source 11. By transmitting the excitation light, the holding member 31 guides the excitation light inside the holding member 31 and can irradiate the entire surface of the light-emitting layer 32 described below. In this embodiment, the holding member 31 is, for example, a rectangular plate, and is capable of transmitting the generated light emitted from the light-emitting layer 32 described below. As such a holding member 31, for example, glass or the like is used.

[0023] The light-emitting layer 32 is held on the first surface 31a of the holding member 31. The light-emitting layer 32 is excited by irradiation with excitation light from the light source 11 and emits generated light. The light-emitting layer 32 is held on, for example, the first surface 31a of the holding member 31. The light-emitting layer 32 is formed in a shape corresponding to, for example, the shape of the tail lamp when viewed from the front. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the light-emitting layer 32 may be configured to have a predetermined pattern P.

[0024] In this embodiment, the light-emitting layer 32 is made of an organic material in which a host material such as polyvinylcarbazole is doped with a guest material such as acetylacetone at about 5%. In this case, the light-emitting layer 32 emits red light as generated light. The combination of the host material and the guest material is not limited to the above.

[0025] When the light-emitting layer 32 is made of an organic material, the light-emitting layer 32 can be formed, for example, by co-evaporating a host material and a guest material on the holding member 31. The light-emitting layer 32 may also be formed by a wet method such as a spin coating method or a spray method. When an organic material is used as the light-emitting layer 32, the holding member 31 can be a substrate such as glass.

[0026] Alternatively, an inorganic material such as CASN (CaAlSiN3:Eu) may be used as the light-emitting layer 32. In this case, a mixed material of CASN and a transparent resin such as silicone is applied onto the holding member 31 and baked to form the light-emitting layer 32. Alternatively, a mixed material of CASN and an inorganic material such as low-melting-point glass is applied onto the holding member 31 and baked to form the light-emitting layer 32.

[0027] When an inorganic material is used for the light-emitting layer 32, a substrate such as glass can be used for the holding member 31. Also, other types of materials such as SCASN(Sr,Ca)AlSiN3:Eu can be used for the light-emitting layer 32.

[0028] The lens member 40 is disposed in a front direction relative to the light generating unit 30. The lens member 40 has an incident surface 41 and an exit surface 42. The incident surface 41 receives red light, which is generated light from the light generating unit 30. The exit surface 42 emits the light that has entered the incident surface 41 in a front direction. The lens member 40 transmits the red light and absorbs light other than the red light. Therefore, the excitation light component contained in the external light is absorbed by the lens member 40. The lens member 40 is held by, for example, a housing 50 or the like.

[0029] The housing 50 is formed using, for example, a black resin material. The housing 50 is, for example, in the shape of a rectangular box. The housing 50 supports or houses the light source unit 10, the reflector 20, the light generating unit 30, and the lens member 40. The housing 50 has an accommodation unit 51 and a lamp chamber 52.

[0030] The storage section 51 and the lamp chamber 52 are formed in two stages in the vertical direction. The lamp chamber 52 is disposed on the upper stage side, and the storage section 51 is disposed on the lower stage side. The storage section 51 stores the light source section 10 and the reflector 20. The storage section 51 is surrounded in the front-rear and left-right directions by a lower wall section 51a. The lower wall section 51a is disposed so as to cover the reflector 20 when the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the front. The storage section 51 has a bottom section 51b at the lower part. The storage section 51 has an opening section 51c at the upper part. The opening section 51c has a shape corresponding to the shape of the upper part of the reflector 20. The lamp chamber 52 is provided in a space surrounded by the upper wall section 52a and the lens member 40. The light generating section 30 is disposed in the lamp chamber 52.

[0031] Next, an operation of the vehicular lamp 100 configured as described above will be described. Figures 3 to 5 are diagrams showing an example of the operation of the vehicular lamp 100. By turning on the light source 11, as shown in Figure 3, a part of the excitation light Lb emitted from the light emitting surface 11a is irradiated onto the light emitting layer 32 directly or after passing through the holding member 31.

[0032] When the light-emitting layer 32 is irradiated with the excitation light Lb, the light-emitting layer 32 is excited and emits red light L. A part of the red light L generated in the light-emitting layer 32 is emitted backward (toward the front). In addition, when a reflective layer is formed on the second surface 31b of the holding member 31, a part of the red light generated in the light-emitting layer 32 is emitted forward (toward the rear surface), reflected by the reflective layer, and travels backward. Therefore, the red light L generated in the light-emitting layer 32 is emitted in the forward direction as planar light. This red light L is incident on the entrance surface 41 of the lens member 40 and is emitted in the forward direction from the exit surface 42, and is irradiated as a tail lamp pattern, for example.

[0033] When the light source 11 is turned off, the excitation light Lb is not emitted from the light source 11, and therefore the red light L is not generated from the light emitting layer 32. Fig. 4 shows an example in which the light emitting layer 32 is formed using an organic material.

[0034] 4, in a configuration in which the light-emitting layer 32 is made of an organic material, when light outside the lens member 40 (hereinafter referred to as external light Lt) enters the lens member 40, light having a shorter wavelength than red, which is the color of the lens member 40, is absorbed by the lens member 40. When this external light Lt reaches the light generation unit 30, it is reflected by the light reflecting material 33 of the second surface 31b and reaches the reflector 20. The external light Lt that has reached the reflector 20 is reflected by the reflector 20 to return to the light generation unit 30, and is reflected by the light reflecting material 33 of the light generation unit 30 to be emitted from the lens member 40 to the front side.

[0035] Therefore, when the light source 11 is turned off and the inside of the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the outside of the lens member 40, the inside of the vehicle lamp 100 appears to be mirror-like, that is, it appears as if a mirror surface exists inside the vehicle lamp 100.

[0036] Fig. 5 shows an example in which the light-emitting layer 32 is formed using an inorganic material. As shown in Fig. 5, in the configuration in which the light-emitting layer 32 is made of an inorganic material, the light-emitting layer 32 contains colored particles when not irradiated with excitation light Lb.

[0037] In this configuration, when light outside the lens member 40 (hereinafter referred to as external light Lt) enters the lens member 40, light with a shorter wavelength than red, which is the color of the lens member 40, is absorbed by the lens member 40. When this external light Lt reaches the light generation unit 30, it is scattered by, for example, particles of an inorganic material contained in the light emitting layer 32. The scattered external light Lt travels backward and is emitted backward from the lens member 40.

[0038] Therefore, when the inside of the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the outside of the lens member 40 with the light source 11 turned off, the vehicle lamp 100 has an appearance in which the light emitting layer 32 is viewed darker than when the light source 11 is turned on. An absorbing member that absorbs red light, such as a blue transparent substrate, may be disposed between the light emitting layer 32 and the lens member 40. This allows a portion of the external light Lt scattered by the light emitting layer 32 to be absorbed. In this configuration, when the inside of the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the outside of the lens member 40 with the light source 11 turned off, the vehicle lamp 100 has an appearance in which the light emitting layer 32 is not visible.

[0039] As described above, the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment includes a light source 11 that emits excitation light, a reflector 20 that reflects the excitation light from the light source 11, a light generating unit 30 that has a light emitting layer 32 that emits generated light when irradiated with the excitation light and a holding member 31 that holds the light emitting layer 32, and a lens member 40 that is arranged on the front side of the light emitting layer 32 and irradiates the generated light from the light emitting layer 32 in a front direction when mounted on a vehicle.

[0040] According to this configuration, the light source 11 emits excitation light, the reflector 20 reflects the light, the light emitting layer 32 is irradiated with the excitation light and emits generated light, and the lens member 40 is disposed on the front side of the light emitting layer 32 so that the generated light from the light emitting layer 32 is irradiated in the front direction when mounted on the vehicle. Therefore, the light source 11, the reflector 20, the light generating unit 30, and the lens member 40 can be compactly disposed in the front-rear direction. This makes it possible to provide a vehicle lamp 100 in which each part can be compactly disposed.

[0041] In the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment, the light generating section 30 is disposed so that the normal direction of the light emitting layer 32 is inclined obliquely downward with respect to the front direction. With this configuration, the area of ​​the light emitting layer 32 when viewed from below is large, so that the light emitting layer 32 can be easily irradiated with excitation light from below. This allows the generated light to be generated efficiently.

[0042] In the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment, the excitation light is blue, and the generated light and the lens member 40 are red. With this configuration, the excitation light that is not absorbed by the light-emitting layer 32 and is scattered or the like can be absorbed by the lens member 40. Therefore, leakage of the excitation light to the outside of the vehicle lamp 100 can be suppressed.

[0043] In the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment, a plurality of light generating units 30 are arranged in the left-right direction when the vehicle lamp 100 is mounted on the vehicle. According to this configuration, when the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the front side, a plurality of patterns of the light emitting layer 32 are seen in the left-right direction. This makes it possible to provide a vehicle lamp 100 with excellent appearance.

[0044] The vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment further includes a housing 50 that supports the light source 11, the reflector 20, the light generating unit 30, and the lens member 40. The housing 50 is disposed so as to cover the reflector 20 when viewed from the front side, and forms a lamp chamber between the housing 50 and the lens member 40, and the light generating unit 30 is disposed within the lamp chamber. With this configuration, the reflector 20 is hidden by the housing 50 when viewed from the front side. This makes it possible to provide a vehicle lamp 100 with excellent appearance.

[0045] In the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment, the holding member 31 is formed in a plate shape, is capable of transmitting the excitation light and the generated light, and has a light reflecting material 33 that reflects the excitation light and the generated light on a second surface opposite to a first surface that holds the light emitting layer 32. With this configuration, of the excitation light irradiated to the light generating unit 30, the excitation light that transmits through the holding member 31 can be internally reflected to reach the light emitting layer 32. In addition, the generated light generated in the light emitting layer 32 and radiated to the back side can be internally reflected to the front side.

[0046] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0047] Fig. 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing another example of the vehicle lamp in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, in the vehicle lamp 100A, the light reflecting material 34 may be a plate-like member having a covering portion 34a that covers the second surface 31b and a protruding portion 34b that protrudes upward from the second surface 31b. The protruding portion 34b is configured to be bent toward the front side. The protruding portion 34b is disposed so as to protrude toward the front side with respect to the light-emitting layer 32.

[0048] Thus, in the vehicle lamp 100A, the light reflecting material 34 has a covering portion 34a that covers the second surface 31b and a protruding portion 34b that protrudes upward from the second surface 31b, and the protruding portion 34b is bent toward the front side and protrudes in the front direction toward the light-emitting layer 32. With this configuration, the excitation light Lb that has passed upward from the light source 11 through the light-emitting layer 32 can be reflected downward and reach the light-emitting layer 32. Therefore, the generated light L can be efficiently generated in the light-emitting layer 32.

[0049] 7 is a side cross-sectional view showing another example of a vehicle lamp according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 7, in a vehicle lamp 100B, a first surface 35a of a holding member 35 is a light reflecting surface that reflects excitation light and generated light, and a light emitting layer 32 may be provided on the first surface 35a that is a light reflecting surface. In addition, the holding member 35 has a protrusion 35 that protrudes above the light emitting layer 32 and protrudes toward the front side of the light emitting layer 32. c The configuration may include the following.

[0050] Thus, in the vehicle lamp 100B, the holding member 35 is plate-shaped and has a first surface 35a that reflects the excitation light and the generated light, the light-emitting layer 32 is provided on the first surface 35a, and the holding member 35 has a protruding portion 35 that protrudes above the light-emitting layer 32 and protrudes toward the front side of the light-emitting layer 32. c With this configuration, excitation light Lb that has passed upward from light source 11 through light-emitting layer 32 can be reflected downward and reach light-emitting layer 32. Therefore, generated light L can be efficiently generated in light-emitting layer 32. Furthermore, the number of parts can be reduced compared to the configuration shown in FIG. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] L...red light, Lb...excitation light, Lt...external light, P...pattern, R...normal direction, 10...light source unit, 11...light source, 11a...light-emitting surface, 12...support substrate, 13...heat sink, 20...reflector, 21...reflective surface, 22, 32...light-emitting layer, 30...light generating unit, 31, 35...holding member, 31a, 35a...first surface, 31b...second surface, 33, 34...light reflecting material, 34a...covering portion, 34b...extending portion, 35 c ...protrusion, 40...lens member, 41...incident surface, 42...exiting surface, 50...housing, 51...accommodating portion, 51a...lower wall portion, 51b...bottom, 51c...opening portion, 52...lamp chamber, 52a...upper wall portion, 100, 100A, 100B...vehicle lamp

Claims

1. A light source that emits excitation light; a reflector that reflects the excitation light from the light source; a light generating unit including a light emitting layer that emits generated light when irradiated with the excitation light and a holding member that holds the light emitting layer; a lens member that is disposed on a front side of the light-emitting layer and that irradiates the light generated from the light-emitting layer in a front direction when the light-emitting layer is mounted on the vehicle; Equipped with the holding member is formed in a plate shape, is capable of transmitting the excitation light and the generated light, and has a light reflecting material that reflects the excitation light and the generated light on a second surface opposite to a first surface that holds the light-emitting layer, The light reflecting material has a covering portion that covers the second surface and a protruding portion that protrudes upward from the second surface, The protruding portion is bent toward the front side and protrudes in the front direction toward the light emitting layer. Vehicle lighting fixtures.

2. A light source that emits excitation light; a reflector that reflects the excitation light from the light source; a light generating unit including a light emitting layer that emits generated light when irradiated with the excitation light and a holding member that holds the light emitting layer; a lens member that is disposed on a front side of the light-emitting layer and that irradiates the light generated from the light-emitting layer in a front direction when the light-emitting layer is mounted on the vehicle; Equipped with the holding member is plate-shaped and has a light reflecting surface that reflects the excitation light and the generated light, the light emitting layer is provided on the light reflecting surface, The holding member has a protruding portion that protrudes above the light-emitting layer and protrudes toward the front side of the light-emitting layer. Vehicle lighting fixtures.

3. The light generating unit is disposed such that the normal direction of the light emitting layer is inclined obliquely downward with respect to the front direction.

3. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the excitation light is blue; The generated light and the lens member are red. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The light generating unit is disposed in plurality in the left-right direction when mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. a housing supporting the light source, the reflector, the light generating portion, and the lens member; the housing is disposed so as to cover the reflector when viewed from the front side, and defines a lamp chamber between the housing and the lens member; The light generating unit is disposed within the lamp chamber. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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