Vehicle lighting fixtures

The vehicle lamp addresses light unevenness issues by using a shielding rib on the reflector member to block irregularities, ensuring a uniform light distribution pattern and improved visibility.

JP7718226B2Active Publication Date: 2025-08-05ICHIKOH IND LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2021173881
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2021-10-25
Publication Date
2025-08-05
Estimated Expiration
2041-10-25

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Conventional vehicle lamps produce unintended light unevenness in the light distribution pattern due to irregularities on the reflector's reflective surface, such as sink marks, leading to bright or dark areas that disrupt the desired light distribution.

Method used

A vehicle lamp design incorporating a reflector member with a main reflective surface and a shielding rib that protrudes inward from the edge of the reflective surface to block light reflected by irregularities, preventing unevenness by blocking light that would otherwise cause irregularities in the light distribution pattern.

Benefits of technology

The design effectively forms a light distribution pattern without light unevenness, enhancing visibility and reducing driver discomfort by preventing unintended light from being projected, while maintaining a simple and efficient configuration.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting fixture that can form a light distribution pattern without any light unevenness.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture 10 includes: a light source 11; a reflector member 13 for reflecting light, which is emitted from the light source 11, forward; and a projection lens 14 for projecting light, which is reflected by the reflector member 13, forward. The reflector member 13 includes: a main reflection surface 18 for reflecting light from the light source 11 toward the projection lens 14; and a shield rib 31 projecting inward at least part of an edge part 18a on a side of the projection lens 14 of the main reflection surface 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2
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Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Some vehicle lamps use a reflector to emit light (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In these vehicle lamps, the reflector is curved to cover the light source, and the reflector reflects the light emitted from the light source toward a projection lens, from which the light is emitted, thereby forming a desired light distribution pattern. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2015-82339 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned vehicle lamps may sometimes produce unintended light unevenness in the light distribution pattern they form. This light unevenness can be caused by various factors, one of which is unintended irregularities such as sink marks on the reflector (its reflective surface). As a result, the vehicle lamp may produce light unevenness, such as unintended bright or dark areas, in the light distribution pattern it forms, as the irregularities on the reflector (reflective surface) partially reflect light in unintended directions. For this reason, there is room for improvement in vehicle lamps in terms of producing a light distribution pattern without light unevenness.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a vehicle lamp that can form a light distribution pattern without light unevenness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure comprises a light source, a reflector member that reflects light emitted from the light source forward, and a projection lens that projects the light reflected by the reflector member forward, wherein the reflector member has a main reflective surface that reflects light from the light source toward the projection lens, and a shielding rib that protrudes inward from at least a portion of the edge of the main reflective surface on the projection lens side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the vehicle lamp of the present disclosure, a light distribution pattern without light unevenness can be formed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a low-beam light distribution pattern formed by a vehicle lamp; FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a shielding rib is provided on a reflector member. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a partially enlarged view of the periphery of the shielding rib in FIG. 2.

[0023] FIG. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of uneven light formed in a low-beam light distribution pattern; [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a low-beam light distribution pattern without unevenness in light. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing another example of a shielding rib provided on a reflector member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A first embodiment of a vehicle lamp 10 as an example of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the configuration of the shielding rib 31 on the reflector member 13 of the vehicle lamp 10, Figs. 5 and 9 show the exterior shape of the vehicle lamp 10 as viewed from above in the vertical direction and the reflector member 13 with dashed lines. In Figs. 5 and 9, the main reflective surface 18 is shown with hidden lines and dots, an edge region 27 therein is shown surrounded by a two-dot chain line, the upper additional reflective surface 19 is shown with hidden lines and dots different from those on the main reflective surface 18, and the shielding ribs 31, 31A are shown with hidden lines and diagonal lines. For comparison, Fig. 4 shows a low-beam light distribution pattern LP when the shielding rib 31 is not provided, and Fig. 8 shows a low-beam light distribution pattern LP2 when the shielding rib 31 is provided. [Example]

[0010] A vehicle lamp 10 according to Example 1, which is an embodiment of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 9. The vehicle lamp 10 according to Example 1 is used as a headlamp device for a vehicle such as an automobile. The headlamp device is mounted on each of the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle, and is configured such that the vehicle lamp 10 is provided in a lamp chamber formed by a lamp housing whose open front end is covered by an outer lens. The vehicle lamp 10 is provided in the lamp chamber via an up-down optical axis adjustment mechanism and a left-right optical axis adjustment mechanism, and appropriately illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle.

[0011] 1 and 2, a vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment comprises a light source 11, a heat sink member 12, a reflector member 13, a projection lens 14, a lens holder 15, and a shade unit 16, and constitutes a projector-type lamp unit. In the following description, in the vehicle lamp 10, the direction along the optical axis of the reflector member 13 and the projection lens 14 is referred to as the optical axis direction (the projection lens 14 side is referred to as the front side (referred to as Z in the drawings)), the vertical direction when the vehicle lamp is mounted on a vehicle is referred to as the up-down direction (referred to as Y in the drawings), and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction and the up-down direction (horizontal direction) is referred to as the left-right direction (referred to as X in the drawings).

[0012] The light source 11 has a light-emitting element 11a, which is a light-emitting diode, mounted on a substrate 11b. The substrate 11b is placed on a base 12a of the heat sink member 12, and a power supply holder 17 is attached from above. Terminals of the substrate 11b are connected to terminals provided on the power supply holder 17, and the light source 11 is fixed to the base 12a. As a result, power is supplied from a lighting control circuit to the light-emitting element 11a via the power supply holder 17, and the light source 11 is appropriately lit.

[0013] The heat sink member 12 is a heat dissipation member that dissipates heat generated by the light source 11 mounted on the base portion 12a to the outside, and dissipates the heat to the outside through a plurality of heat dissipation fins. The heat sink member 12 is fixed to the lamp housing via a bracket (not shown). The heat sink member 12 is provided with a cooling fan unit as appropriate to improve cooling efficiency.

[0014] The reflector member 13 is a molded part made of a resin material, and has a curved shape so as to cover the light source 11 as shown in Fig. 2 etc., and has a main reflection surface 18 that reflects light emitted from the light source 11 toward the projection lens 14. The main reflection surface 18 is a free-form surface based on an ellipse, with the light source 11 (its center position) as its first focus and the vicinity of the upper edge of the shade 21 set to the low beam position described below as its second focus. The reflector member 13 is positioned with respect to the light source 11 and fixed to the heat sink member 12.

[0015] The reflector member 13 of Example 1 also has an upper additional reflective surface 19. The upper additional reflective surface 19 is provided in front of the main reflective surface 18 in the optical axis direction, and reflects light emitted from the light source 11 and incident thereon from above toward the shade 21 (a lower additional reflective surface portion 26, described later). The upper additional reflective surface 19 is a free-form surface based on an ellipse, with a first focus at the light source 11 (its center position) and a second focus near the lower additional reflective surface portion 26 (its center). The upper additional reflective surface 19 of Example 1 is provided in an area corresponding to the shade 21, and is positioned in front of the main reflective surface 18 within a predetermined range near the center in the left-right direction. Therefore, the upper additional reflective surface 19 of Example 1 is provided in a part of the reflector member 13 that is closer to the projection lens 14 than the main reflective surface 18.

[0016] The projection lens 14 projects light reflected by the reflector member 13 (its main reflective surface 18) and a lower additional reflective surface portion 26 (described later) toward the front of the vehicle, and cooperates with them to form a predetermined light distribution pattern. The projection lens 14 is positioned relative to the light source 11 and the reflector member 13 by being supported by a lens holder 15.

[0017] The shade unit 16 is capable of displacing the shade 21 between a low beam position (see FIG. 2) and a high beam position, and switches the light distribution of the projection light projected by the projection lens 14 depending on the position. The shade 21 has a shape in which two horizontal edges of different heights are joined by an inclined edge so that the upper edge forms a cutoff line CL. When the shade 21 is in the low beam position, the upper edge (each edge) is positioned at or near the focal position of the reflector member 13 and the projection lens 14.

[0018] The shade unit 16 has a shade 21 mounted on a bracket plate 23 so as to be displaceable about a rotation axis 22. The shade unit 16 is attached to the heat sink member 12 via the bracket plate 23, and its positional relationship with the projection lens 14, the reflector member 13, and the light source 11 is determined. A solenoid 24 is provided on the bracket plate 23. The solenoid 24 moves a plunger 25 forward and backward when energized, and the plunger 25 is connected to the shade 21 via a transmission mechanism. The shade unit 16 displaces the shade 21 about the rotation axis 22 by transmitting a driving force (operation) associated with the forward and backward movement of the plunger 25 to the shade 21 via the transmission mechanism. The shade unit 16 forms a low-beam light distribution pattern LP (low-beam light distribution pattern (see FIG. 4)) as a first light distribution pattern when the shade 21 is in the low-beam position, and forms a high-beam light distribution pattern (driving light distribution pattern) as a second light distribution pattern when the shade 21 is in the high-beam position.

[0019] The surface of the shade 21 facing the projection lens 14 (front side) is a lower additional reflective surface portion 26. The lower additional reflective surface portion 26 effectively utilizes light emitted from the light source 11 that does not travel toward the main reflective surface 18. Its center position is approximately aligned with the second focal point of the upper additional reflective surface 19, and it reflects the light reflected by the upper additional reflective surface 19 toward the projection lens 14. The lower additional reflective surface portion 26 reflects the light from the upper additional reflective surface 19 and causes it to travel from the projection lens 14, thereby forming an additional light distribution pattern that is added to the light distribution pattern to be formed. Examples of this additional light distribution pattern include an overhead light distribution pattern that illuminates an overhead sign, an auxiliary light distribution pattern that is superimposed on at least a portion of the light distribution pattern to assist in forming a brightness distribution, and an extended light distribution pattern that partially widens the light distribution pattern. The additional light distribution pattern may be set as appropriate as long as it is formed by effectively utilizing light emitted from the light source 11 and not directed toward the main reflecting surface 18, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0020] In this vehicle lamp 10, as shown in Fig. 6 and other figures, a shielding rib 31 (see Fig. 2 and other figures) is provided on the reflector member 13. The shielding rib 31 blocks light traveling toward a lower edge LE (the position surrounded by a two-dot chain line in Fig. 4), which is the lower outline of the low-beam light distribution pattern LP. The shielding rib 31 is formed in a plate shape that protrudes toward the inside of the reflector member 13 (toward the optical path from the light source 11 to the projection lens 14), and is provided extending along a front edge 18a in the optical axis direction of the main reflecting surface 18 (see Fig. 5). The main reflecting surface 18 is an optically effective area of the reflector member 13 that is set to reflect light from the light source 11 toward the projection lens 14, so the shielding rib 31 follows the front edge of the optically effective area in the optical axis direction. The shielding rib 31 of Example 1 is provided over the entire area of the edge portion 18a of the main reflecting surface 18, i.e., over the entire area of the upper half when viewed in the direction of rotation about the optical axis. The shielding rib 31 of Example 1 extends in the left-right direction while being curved so that the portion near the optical axis is recessed rearward in the optical axis direction when viewed from above in the up-down direction (see FIG. 5).

[0021] 6, the width of the shielding rib 31 decreases toward the protruding end 31a when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the direction in which it extends (longitudinal direction). The shielding rib 31 has a rib back surface 32 that faces the light source 11, i.e., the side opposite to the projection lens 14, inclined toward the protruding end 31a so as to approach the projection lens 14 toward the protruding end 31a, and is inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. The protruding end 31a of the shielding rib 31 is rounded to remove the corners, forming a semicircular curved surface when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[0022] When power is supplied to the vehicle lamp 10, light emitted from the light source 11 is reflected forward by the main reflective surface 18 of the reflector member 13 and projected forward by the projection lens 14. When the shade 21 of the vehicle lamp 10 is set to the high beam position by the shade unit 16, the vehicle lamp 10 forms a high beam light distribution pattern with the projected light projected forward. When the shade 21 of the vehicle lamp 10 is set to the low beam position (see FIG. 2) by the shade unit 16, the vehicle lamp 10 blocks a portion of the light reflected by the reflector member 13 and forms a low beam light distribution pattern LP (see FIG. 4) with the projected light projected forward, the low beam light distribution pattern LP having a cutoff line CL. Note that the low beam light distribution pattern LP shown in FIG. 4 is shown in a state in which the light from the light source 11 is not blocked by the shielding rib 31 in order to clarify the function of the shielding rib 31, which will be described later. Furthermore, when forming the low-beam light distribution pattern LP, the vehicle lamp 10 reflects a portion of the unused light emitted from the light source 11 by the upper additional reflecting surface 19, travels toward the lower additional reflecting surface portion 26, and is reflected by the lower additional reflecting surface portion 26 to be emitted from the projection lens 14. This allows the vehicle lamp 10 to form an additional light distribution pattern that is added to the low-beam light distribution pattern LP.

[0023] Here, technical issues with conventional vehicle lamps are described. Conventional vehicle lamps may produce uneven light PU in the low-beam light distribution pattern LP1 they form, as shown in FIG. 7 . As an example, FIG. 7 shows an example of this uneven light PU, with the right side of the lower edge LE being slightly darker on the inside and brighter on the outside. While various causes of this uneven light PU are conceivable, the present invention focuses on the fact that it is caused by unintended irregularities formed on the primary reflective surface. Such irregularities can be formed by sink marks or the like that occur during molding of the reflector member. Also, such irregularities can be formed by vapor deposition pools that occur during vapor deposition formation of the primary reflective surface. The irregularities that cause such uneven light PU can be formed by a single or multiple concave and convex portions on a surface designed as the primary reflective surface, or by a single large concave or convex portion. Such irregularities are likely to occur on the edge of the reflector member, which is a molded product, and on the main reflective surface, they are likely to occur near the front edge in the optical axis direction (see edge region 27 in Figures 5 and 6). The light reflected from this edge region 27 mainly forms a lower edge LE (the position surrounded by a two-dot chain line in Figure 4), which is the lower outline of the low beam distribution pattern LP1. For this reason, if irregularities are formed in the edge region 27 of the low beam distribution pattern LP1, light unevenness PU may occur in the lower edge LE.

[0024] Here, in the low-beam light distribution pattern LP1, the clarity of the cutoff line CL, the brightness of the brightest point near the inclined portion, and the brightness distribution centered there are important. In the low-beam light distribution pattern LP1, the lower edge LE determines the illumination range and is less important from the perspective of ensuring the driver's visibility. However, while the low-beam light distribution pattern LP1 has a gradation in which the brightness gradually darkens from the center to the periphery, the formation of light unevenness PU partially disrupts this gradation, making the light unevenness PU more noticeable and creating an unnatural feeling. Therefore, conventional vehicle lamps have room for improvement in light distribution patterns due to the possibility of light unevenness PU being formed due to the unevenness of the reflector member.

[0025] In contrast, the vehicle lamp 10 of the present disclosure has a shielding rib 31 provided on the reflector member 13 along the front edge 18a of the main reflective surface 18 in the optical axis direction. This shielding rib 31 is a plate-like member that protrudes inward and blocks light from the light source 11 that is reflected by the edge region 27, i.e., light that travels toward the lower edge LE of the low-beam distribution pattern LP. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 forms the low-beam distribution pattern LP2 shown in FIG. 8 by projecting a portion of the light reflected by the main reflective surface 18 forward from the projection lens 14 while the shielding rib 31 blocks the light. This low-beam distribution pattern LP2 has a shape in which a portion corresponding to the lower edge LE is removed compared to the low-beam distribution pattern LP shown in FIG. 5, and the removed portion is indicated by a dashed line. Because this removed portion is formed mainly by light reflected from the edge region 27, even if the edge region 27 has the above-mentioned unevenness, the formation of light unevenness PU due to the unevenness can be prevented. Here, as described above, the low beam light distribution pattern LP2 determines the range of illumination with respect to the lower edge LE, and is less important from the viewpoint of ensuring the visibility of the driver, etc., and is less likely to cause discomfort to the driver, etc. than when light unevenness PU is formed. Therefore, the vehicular lamp 10 can form a low beam light distribution pattern LP2 without light unevenness PU, thereby suppressing the discomfort felt by the driver, etc.

[0026] Furthermore, the vehicle lamp 10 uses the shielding rib 31 provided on the reflector member 13 to block light that could cause light unevenness PU from being emitted from the projection lens 14, making it possible to appropriately form a low-beam light distribution pattern LP2 free of light unevenness PU with a small and simple configuration. This is due to the following reasons: Light that could cause light unevenness PU spreads as it moves away from the edge region 27, so providing a member to block this light between the reflector member 13 and the projection lens 14 would result in a large-scale construction. While it is possible to provide a member to block light that could cause light unevenness PU before it reaches the edge region 27, providing such a member without obstructing effective light passing through the primary reflective surface 18 would result in a complex configuration and would be difficult. In contrast, the vehicle lamp 10 has the shielding rib 31 provided adjacent to the edge region 27, so it can accommodate light immediately after being reflected by the edge region 27 and before it spreads, making it possible to appropriately block this light with a small and simple configuration.

[0027] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the rib back surface 32 of the shielding rib 31 is inclined so as to approach the projection lens 14 as it moves toward the protruding end 31a. Therefore, even if the vehicle lamp 10 reflects light blocked by the rib back surface 32, the reflected light can be prevented from heading toward the main reflecting surface 18. That is, since most of the light heading toward the rib back surface 32 is light reflected by the edge region 27, the above-described inclination causes the reflected light to be directed downward between the light source 11 and the projection lens 14. Therefore, even if the light reflected by the edge region 27 is reflected by the rib back surface 32, the vehicle lamp 10 can prevent the light from heading toward the projection lens 14 via the main reflecting surface 18 or directly, thereby preventing the light from being irradiated as unintended light (so-called stray light). Additionally, in the vehicle lamp 10, the rib back surface 32 is inclined and the shielding rib 31 has a width that decreases toward the protruding end 31a, which facilitates removal from the molding die when forming the reflector member 13. The rib back surface 32 may be subjected to anti-reflection processing such as blasting or coating with paint, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0028] Additionally, in the vehicle lamp 10, the protruding end 31a of the shielding rib 31 is rounded to have a semicircular curved surface in cross section, so that light from the light source 11 reflected by the protruding end 31a can be dispersed in various directions. If the protruding end 31a of the shielding rib 31 were flat, the light from the light source 11 would be reflected in a predetermined direction, which could result in the light being irradiated from the projection lens 14 as unintended light (stray light). In contrast, in the vehicle lamp 10, the protruding end 31a disperses the light from the light source 11, so even if the light reflected by the protruding end 31a is irradiated from the projection lens 14, the dispersed light is so weak that it is not noticeable. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can form a low-beam light distribution pattern LP2 without light unevenness PU while preventing the projection of new unintended light due to the provision of the shielding rib 31.

[0029] In the vehicle lamp 10, in the edge region 27 (see FIG. 5) and the lower edge portion LE (see FIG. 4) of the primary reflective surface 18, the center vicinity 27a, as viewed in the left-right direction in the edge region 27, mainly affects the lower end vicinity LEa, the one side edge vicinity 27b mainly affects the one end vicinity LEb, and the other side edge vicinity 27c mainly affects the other end vicinity LEc. Thus, in the vehicle lamp 10, the position of the primary reflective surface 18 in the edge region 27 corresponds to the position of the low-beam light distribution pattern LP in the lower edge portion LE. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, positions where irregularities that cause light unevenness PU are likely to be formed in the edge region 27 of the primary reflective surface 18 may be anticipated, and the shielding rib 31 may be partially provided in accordance with those positions. Such shielding ribs 31 can be provided in accordance with specific positions, for example, by changing the position or type of a nest used to form the shielding rib 31 in the molding die for the reflector member 13. In the vehicle lamp 10 having such a structure, the shielding ribs 31 can be provided only in the minimum necessary locations, and a low-beam light distribution pattern LP2 without light unevenness PU can be formed while improving the efficiency of use of light from the light source 11. In this case, by gradually changing the amount of protrusion of the shielding ribs 31 from the reflector member 13, the outline (change in) of the lower edge portion LE in the low-beam light distribution pattern can be made smooth.

[0030] The vehicle lamp 10, which is an example of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure, can achieve the following effects.

[0031] The vehicle lamp 10 includes a light source 11, a reflector member 13, and a projection lens 14. The reflector member 13 has a main reflecting surface 18 that reflects light from the light source 11 toward the projection lens 14, and a shielding rib 31 that protrudes inward from at least a portion of an edge 18a of the main reflecting surface 18 that faces the projection lens 14. Therefore, even if irregularities that could cause light unevenness PU are formed near the edge 18a of the main reflecting surface 18, the vehicle lamp 10 can block the light reflected by the irregularities with the shielding rib 31. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 does not project light affected by the irregularities forward from the projection lens 14, and can form a low-beam light distribution pattern LP2 that does not have light unevenness PU caused by the irregularities.

[0032] Furthermore, the vehicle lamp 10 has the shielding rib 31 extending along the edge 18a. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can be provided with the shielding rib 31 in a manner that appropriately corresponds to light unevenness that may be formed in the light distribution pattern, and can appropriately block light that is affected by unevenness.

[0033] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the rib back surface 32 of the shielding rib 31 is inclined so as to approach the projection lens 14 as it moves toward the protruding end 31a. Therefore, even if light reflected at the edge region 27 is reflected at the rib back surface 32, the vehicle lamp 10 can prevent the light from traveling via the main reflecting surface 18 or directly to the projection lens 14, thereby preventing the light from being emitted as unintended light.

[0034] In the vehicle lamp 10, the protruding end 31a of the shielding rib 31 has a curved surface. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can disperse the light from the light source 11 even when it is reflected by the protruding end 31a, and can make the light extremely weak even when it is irradiated from the projection lens 14. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can form a low-beam light distribution pattern LP2 without light unevenness PU, while preventing new unintended light from being irradiated due to the provision of the shielding rib 31.

[0035] In the vehicle lamp 10, the shielding rib 31 is provided along an edge region 27 in the vicinity of the edge 18a of the main reflecting surface 18. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the edge region 27 is a location where irregularities that may cause light unevenness PU are likely to be formed in the reflector member 13 (main reflecting surface 18), so the shielding rib 31 can be provided in an appropriate correspondence with the edge region 27, making it possible to more appropriately block light affected by the irregularities.

[0036] Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment as a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure can efficiently displace the shade 21 by the driving force from the solenoid 24 as a driving mechanism.

[0037] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure has been described above based on Example 1, but the specific configuration is not limited to Example 1, and design changes and additions are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention according to each claim in the scope of the claims.

[0038] In the first embodiment described above, the shielding rib 31 is provided over the entire edge 18a of the main reflective surface 18 or is provided partially in accordance with positions where irregularities that may cause the light unevenness PU are expected. However, the location and manner of the shielding rib 31 may be set as appropriate and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. A vehicular lamp 10A as an example is shown in FIG. 9. In this vehicular lamp 10A, the shielding rib 31A is not provided in a position sandwiched between the main reflective surface 18 and the upper additional reflective surface 19 at a position along the edge region 27 (edge 18a), but is provided over the entire other region. Therefore, the vehicular lamp 10A can prevent the shielding rib 31A from blocking light from the light source 11 to the upper additional reflective surface 19, while allowing the shielding rib 31A to block light reflected by the edge region 27 at other portions of the edge 18a. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10A can form a low-beam light distribution pattern without light unevenness while forming an appropriate additional light distribution pattern by the upper additional reflective surface 19. In the vehicle lamp 10A of Fig. 9, the upper additional reflective surface 19 is provided near the center in the left-right direction, but the position and size of the upper additional reflective surface 19 may be set appropriately and are not limited to the example of Fig. 9.

[0039] Furthermore, in the above-described first embodiment, the light is controlled by the reflector member 13 and the projection lens 14 to form a predetermined light distribution pattern, but the light may be controlled only by the reflector member, or only by the projection lens, or other configurations may be used, and are not limited to the configuration of the above-described first embodiment.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above-described first embodiment, the low-beam light distribution pattern LP2 is formed. However, since the light unevenness PU is formed due to the above-described unevenness of the main reflecting surface 18, it can also occur in a high-beam light distribution pattern formed when the shade 21 is in the high-beam position where it does not block light. In the vehicle lamps 10 and 10A, the reflector member 13 is provided with the shielding ribs 31 and 31A, so that a light distribution pattern free of the light unevenness PU caused by the unevenness of the edge region 27 can be formed regardless of the position of the shade 21. Therefore, as long as the vehicle lamp has the shielding rib on the reflector member, it is not necessary to provide the shade 21 (shade unit 16), and the light distribution pattern to be formed can be set appropriately, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10 Vehicle lamp 11 Light source 13 Reflector member 14 Projection lens 18 Main reflection surface 18a Edge portion 19 Upper additional reflection surface (as an example of an additional reflection surface provided on the reflector member) 27 Edge region 31 Shielding rib 31a Protruding end 32 Rib back surface

Claims

1. A light source and a reflector member that reflects the light emitted from the light source forward; a projection lens that projects the light reflected by the reflector member forward, the reflector member has a main reflecting surface that reflects light from the light source toward the projection lens, and a shielding rib that protrudes inward from at least a part of an edge of the main reflecting surface on the projection lens side, The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the shielding rib blocks light from the light source that is reflected by an edge region of the main reflecting surface near the edge from being irradiated from the projection lens.

2. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the shielding rib extends along the edge portion.

3. 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the shielding rib has a rear surface opposite to the projection lens that is inclined so as to approach the projection lens as it approaches the protruding end.

4. 4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the shielding rib has a protruding end that is formed into a semicircular curved surface when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

5. 5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the shielding rib is provided along the edge region.

6. the reflector member is provided with an additional reflecting surface at a part closer to the projection lens than the main reflecting surface, 6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5, wherein the shielding rib is not provided at a position sandwiched between the main reflecting surface and the additional reflecting surface.

Citation Information

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