Vehicle lighting fixture, radar module, radar and vehicle

Abstract

To achieve further improvement of design of an appearance of a vehicle lamp fitting equipped with a radar such as a millimeter wave radar.SOLUTION: A left vehicle lamp fitting (2L) includes: a lamp housing (14); a lamp cover (12) configured to cover an opening of the lamp housing (14); lighting units (3, 4) disposed in a lamp chamber (S) formed by the lamp housing (14) and the lamp cover (12); a rader (5) configured to emit electric waves to the outside of a vehicle to acquire radar data indicating a peripheral environment of the vehicle; and a light guide member (6) which is disposed facing the radar (5) so as to shield at least a part of the radar (5) from the outside of the vehicle and configured to allow the electric waves emitted from the radar (5) to pass therethrough. The radar (5) is disposed outside the lamp chamber (S). The light guide member (6) is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp, a radar module, a radar, and a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technology for mounting a radar, such as a millimeter-wave radar, configured to acquire data indicating the surrounding environment outside the vehicle on a vehicle lamp (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the millimeter-wave radar is disposed inside the lamp chamber of the vehicle lamp, and an opaque design portion is provided on part of a transparent lamp cover to conceal the millimeter-wave radar from the outside of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-137758 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the vehicle lamp disclosed in Patent Document 1, although the millimeter-wave radar disposed in the lamp chamber can be concealed by the opaque design part provided on the transparent lamp cover, there is a problem in that the design part detracts from the exterior design of the vehicle lamp. As such, there is room for consideration on further improving the exterior design of vehicle lamps equipped with radars such as millimeter-wave radar.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to further improve the design of the exterior of a vehicle lamp equipped with a radar. Furthermore, the present disclosure aims to improve the design of the exterior of a radar module and a radar. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A lamp housing; a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing; a lighting unit disposed within a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover; a radar configured to acquire radar data indicating a surrounding environment of the vehicle by emitting radio waves to the outside of the vehicle; and a light-guiding member arranged opposite the radar so as to conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar. The radar is disposed outside the lamp chamber, and the light guide member is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0007] According to the above configuration, the light-guiding member can conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and light is emitted from the light-guiding member toward the outside. In this way, the light-guiding member can enhance the design of the exterior of the vehicle lamp. Furthermore, since the radar is located outside the lamp chamber, the operating performance of the radar can be effectively prevented from being adversely affected by heat generated by the lighting unit located inside the lamp chamber. In this way, it is possible to improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp and also to increase the reliability of the radar mounted in the vehicle lamp.

[0008] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A lamp housing; a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing; a lighting unit disposed within a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover; The radar is arranged outside the lamp chamber so as to emit radio waves toward the outside of the vehicle to obtain radar data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle, and a light-guiding member is arranged opposite the radar so as to conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and is configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar. The light guide member is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0009] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A lamp housing; a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing; a lighting unit disposed within a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover; a radar configured to acquire radar data indicating a surrounding environment of the vehicle by emitting radio waves to the outside of the vehicle; and a light-guiding member arranged opposite the radar so as to conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar. The light guide member is a light emitting unit configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle; a colored resin portion formed integrally with the light emitting portion and made of an opaque resin; It has. The light emitting unit is a first surface facing the radar; a second surface located opposite the first surface; a plurality of steps formed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface; It has. The plurality of steps are configured to emit light propagating inside the light-guiding member toward the outside of the vehicle. No convex portion is formed at the boundary between the light emitting portion and the colored resin portion.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the light-guiding member can conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle. Furthermore, the light-emitting portion of the light-guiding member emits light toward the outside of the vehicle, and the colored resin portion formed integrally with the light-emitting portion can further enhance the design of the light-guiding member. In this way, the light-guiding member can further improve the design of the exterior of the vehicle lamp.

[0011] Furthermore, no convex portion is formed at the boundary between the light-emitting portion and the colored resin portion that constitute the light-guiding member. Therefore, even if the boundary is within the radar's field of view, radio waves reflected by the light-guiding member can be prevented from adversely affecting the radar data. In this way, the light-guiding member having the light-emitting portion and the colored resin portion can be prevented from adversely affecting the reliability of the radar data.

[0012] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A lamp housing; a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing; a lighting unit disposed within a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover; a radar configured to acquire radar data indicating a surrounding environment of the vehicle by emitting radio waves to the outside of the vehicle; and a light-guiding member arranged opposite the radar so as to conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar. The light guide member is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle, and is formed integrally with the lamp cover. The light guide member is a first surface facing the radar; a second surface located opposite the first surface; a plurality of steps formed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface; It has. The plurality of steps are configured to emit light propagating inside the light-guiding member toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the light-guiding member can conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and light is emitted from the light-guiding member toward the outside. In this way, the light-guiding member can enhance the design of the exterior of the vehicle lamp. Furthermore, because the light-guiding member is formed integrally with the lamp cover, the effort of attaching the light-guiding member to the vehicle lamp can be eliminated, and the integration of the light-guiding member and the lamp cover can further improve the design of the exterior of the vehicle lamp.

[0014] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A lamp housing; a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing; a lighting unit disposed within a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover; a radar configured to acquire radar data indicating a surrounding environment of the vehicle by emitting radio waves to the outside of the vehicle; and a light-guiding member arranged opposite the radar so as to conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar. The light guide member is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle. The light guide member is a first surface facing the radar; a second surface located opposite the first surface; a plurality of steps formed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface; It has. The plurality of steps are configured to emit light propagating inside the light-guiding member toward the outside of the vehicle. A decorative film is provided on the first surface of the light guide member. The decorative film is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar and to conceal at least a portion of the radar. The decorative film does not contain a metal material.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the light guide member and the decorative film can conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and the light is emitted from the light guide member toward the outside. In this way, the light emitted from the light guide member can enhance the design of the exterior of the vehicle lamp. Furthermore, since the decorative film can conceal the radar from the outside of the vehicle even when the light-guiding member is not emitting light, it is possible to reliably conceal the radar from the outside of the vehicle regardless of the light-guiding member emitting light.

[0016] Furthermore, since the decorative film does not contain any metal material, it is possible to prevent adverse effects on the radio waves emitted from the radar, and therefore it is possible to preferably prevent the decorative film from reducing the reliability of the radar data.

[0017] A radar module mounted in a vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a radar configured to acquire radar data indicating a surrounding environment of the vehicle by emitting radio waves to the outside of the vehicle; a light-guiding member that is disposed opposite the radar so as to conceal the radar from the outside of the vehicle and that is configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar; and a support member fixed to the light-guiding member and configured to support the radar. The light guide member is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0018] According to the above configuration, the light guiding member can conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and the light is emitted from the light guiding member toward the outside. In this way, the light guiding member can enhance the design of the external appearance of the radar module.

[0019] A vehicle according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A lamp housing; a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing; a vehicle lamp including an illumination unit disposed within a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover; a radar module mounted in the vehicle lamp; may also be provided.

[0020] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A lamp housing; a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing; a lighting unit disposed within a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover; at least one sensor disposed within the lamp chamber and configured to acquire sensor data indicative of a vehicle's surrounding environment; a radar configured to acquire radar data indicating a surrounding environment of the vehicle by emitting radio waves to the outside of the vehicle; and a light-guiding member arranged opposite the radar so as to conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar. The light guide member is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle. The light guide member is a first surface facing the radar; a second surface located opposite the first surface; a plurality of steps formed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface; It has. The plurality of steps are configured to emit light propagating inside the light-guiding member toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0021] According to the above configuration, the light guide member can conceal at least a portion of the radar from the outside of the vehicle, and the light from the light guide member is emitted toward the outside of the vehicle. In this way, the light guide member can enhance the design of the exterior of the vehicle lamp equipped with at least one sensor and radar.

[0022] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: A lamp housing; a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing; a radar disposed in a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover, and configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle by emitting radio waves to the outside of the vehicle; a first light-guiding member disposed in the lamp chamber so as to face the radar and configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar; a second light-guiding member disposed in the lamp chamber so as to face the radar and configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar; Equipped with. The first light guiding member is configured to emit a first light toward the outside of the vehicle. The second light guiding member is configured to emit the second light toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0023] According to the above configuration, the radar can be concealed from the outside of the vehicle by the light emitted from the two light guide members, the first light guide member and the second light guide member. In this way, the two light guide members can further improve the design of the exterior of the vehicle lamp equipped with the radar.

[0024] A radar according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes: a radar housing; a light-emitting radome covering an opening of the radar housing; a first circuit board disposed in a space formed by the radar housing and the light-emitting radome; an antenna unit disposed on the first circuit board and including a transmitting antenna configured to transmit radio waves toward the outside of the radar, and a receiving antenna configured to receive radio waves reflected by an object present outside the radar; a second circuit board disposed within the space and electrically connected to the first circuit board; at least one light source disposed on the second circuit board and configured to emit light toward the light-emitting radome; Equipped with. The light-emitting radome is a first surface facing the first circuit board; a second surface located opposite the first surface; a plurality of steps formed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface; It has. The plurality of steps are configured to emit light propagating inside the light-emitting radome toward the outside of the radar.

[0025] According to the above configuration, the light-emitting radome emits light toward the outside of the radar through the plurality of steps formed on the light-emitting radome. In this way, the light-emitting radome that emits light toward the outside can enhance the design of the radar's exterior. For example, when the radar is mounted on a vehicle, the radar itself can be actively used as a decorative member to enhance the design of the vehicle's exterior.

[0026] A vehicle may be provided that includes the above vehicle lamp. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to further improve the design of the exterior of a vehicle lamp equipped with a radar. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the design of the exterior of the radar module and the radar. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a rear view of a vehicle equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp and a right-side vehicle lamp; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a left-side vehicle lamp. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the radar shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4]1A is a front view showing a plurality of steps formed in a light emitting portion of a light guiding member, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a light guiding member in which the steps formed in the light emitting portion are recesses, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a light guiding member in which the steps formed in the light emitting portion are protrusions. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing only the light-guiding member and the radar. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating radio waves reflected by a light emitting portion of a light-guiding member. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing radio waves reflected by a downward extension of a lamp housing facing a radar. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating radio waves reflected by a lower light-transmitting portion of a lamp cover facing a light-emitting portion of a light-guiding member. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a left-side vehicle lamp according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 1 is a rear view of a vehicle equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp and a right-side vehicle lamp; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a left-side vehicle lamp. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the radar shown in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 1A is a front view showing a plurality of steps formed in a light emitting portion of a light guiding member, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a light guiding member in which the steps formed in the light emitting portion are recesses, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a light guiding member in which the steps formed in the light emitting portion are protrusions. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing only the light-guiding member and the radar. [Figure 15] 1A is a diagram illustrating the vicinity of the boundary between the light exit portion and the colored resin portion of the light-guiding member according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating the vicinity of the boundary between the light exit portion and the colored resin portion of the light-guiding member according to a comparative example. [Figure 16] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating radio waves reflected by a light emitting portion of a light-guiding member. [Figure 17]1 is a rear view of a vehicle equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp and a right-side vehicle lamp; [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a left-side vehicle lamp. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the radar shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 20] 1A is a front view showing a plurality of steps formed in a light emitting portion of a light guiding member, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a light guiding member in which the steps formed in the light emitting portion are recesses, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing a part of a light guiding member in which the steps formed in the light emitting portion are protrusions. [Figure 21] FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing only the light-guiding member and the radar. [Figure 22] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating radio waves reflected by a light emitting portion of a light-guiding member. [Figure 23] 1 is a rear view of a vehicle equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp and a right-side vehicle lamp; [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a left-side vehicle lamp. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the radar shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a layer structure of a decorative film. [Figure 27] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a left-side vehicle lamp and a radar module. FIG. [Figure 28] FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the radar module. [Figure 29] 1A is a front view showing a plurality of steps formed on a light output portion of a light guide member, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the light output portion when the steps formed on the light output portion are recesses, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the light output portion when the steps formed on the light output portion are protrusions. [Figure 30] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of an optical pattern formed on a light exit portion of a light guide member. [Figure 31] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first light source and a second light source arranged on a circuit board. [Figure 32]FIG. 13 is a front view of a vehicle equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp and a right-side vehicle lamp according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 33] 1(a) is a front view showing a left-side vehicle lamp, and FIG. 1(b) is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the left-side vehicle lamp. [Figure 34] (a) is a front view showing a plurality of steps formed on a light-guiding member, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the light-guiding member in which the steps formed on the light-guiding member are recesses, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the light-guiding member in which the steps formed on the light-guiding member are protrusions. [Figure 35] FIG. 4 is a front view schematically showing an optical pattern formed on a light-guiding member. [Figure 36] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a left-side vehicle lamp according to a seventh embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 37 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the left-hand vehicle lamp taken along line AA shown in FIG. 36. [Figure 38] FIG. 38 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the radar shown in FIG. 37. [Figure 39] FIG. 4 is a front view schematically showing an optical pattern formed on a light-guiding member. [Figure 40] FIG. 13 is a rear view of a vehicle equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp and a right-side vehicle lamp according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 41] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a left-side vehicle lamp according to an eighth embodiment. [Figure 42] (a) is a front view showing a plurality of steps formed on a first light guide member, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the first light guide member when the steps formed on the first light guide member are recesses, and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the first light guide member when the steps formed on the first light guide member are protrusions. [Figure 43] 1(a) is a diagram showing an example of a second optical pattern formed on a second light guide member, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of a first optical pattern formed on a first light guide member. [Figure 44] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a left-side vehicle lamp according to a modified example of the eighth embodiment. [Figure 45] FIG. 13 is a rear view of a vehicle equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp and a right-side vehicle lamp according to a ninth embodiment. [Figure 46] FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically showing a left-side vehicle lamp according to a ninth embodiment. [Figure 47] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing an example of a first optical pattern formed on a first light guide member and an example of a second optical pattern formed on a second light guide member. [Figure 48] 1 is a front view of a vehicle equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp and a right-side vehicle lamp; [Figure 49] FIG. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view schematically showing a left-side vehicle lamp. [Figure 50] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a radar according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 51] 1A is a front view showing a plurality of steps formed on a light-emitting radome's light-emitting portion, FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the light-emitting portion when the steps formed on the light-emitting portion are recesses, and FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing a part of the light-emitting portion when the steps formed on the light-emitting portion are protrusions. [Figure 52] 1(a) is a diagram showing an example of radar components mounted on a second circuit board, and FIG. 1(b) is a diagram showing another example of radar components mounted on a second circuit board. [Figure 53] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a light emitting pattern formed on a light emitting portion of a light emitting radome. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter simply referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0030] In the description of this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the "left-right direction," "up-down direction," and "front-rear direction" may be referred to as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1. Here, the "left-right direction" is a direction that includes the "left direction" and the "right direction." The "up-down direction" is a direction that includes the "upward direction" and the "downward direction." The "front-rear direction" is a direction that includes the "forward direction" and the "rearward direction." Although the "front-rear direction" is not shown in FIG. 1, the "front-rear direction" is a direction that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction.

[0031] In addition, in this embodiment, the "horizontal direction" of the vehicle 1 is mentioned, but the "horizontal direction" is a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction (vertical direction) and includes the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the directions (left-right direction, up-down direction, front-rear direction) set for the right-side vehicle lamp 2R and the left-side vehicle lamp 2L are assumed to match the directions (left-right direction, up-down direction, front-rear direction) set for the vehicle 1.

[0032] First, a vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a view of the vehicle 1, which is equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp 2L and a right-side vehicle lamp 2R, as seen from behind. As shown in Fig. 1, the left-side vehicle lamp 2L is disposed on the left rear side of the vehicle 1, and the right-side vehicle lamp 2R is disposed on the right rear side of the vehicle 1. Each of the left-side vehicle lamp 2L and the right-side vehicle lamp 2R is equipped with a radar 5.

[0033] In this embodiment, the left-side vehicle lamp 2L and the right-side vehicle lamp 2R function as rear lamps. The left-side vehicle lamp 2L and the right-side vehicle lamp 2R have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the specific configuration of the left-side vehicle lamp 2L will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0034] For ease of explanation, the left-side vehicle lamp 2L and the right-side vehicle lamp 2R may be collectively referred to simply as the "vehicle lamp 2." In addition, in this embodiment, the vehicle lamp 2 that functions as a rear lamp will be described, but the vehicle lamp 2 may also be a headlamp that is disposed in front of the vehicle 1 and has a radar 5 mounted thereon.

[0035] 2 shows a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view in the vertical direction) of the left-hand vehicle lamp 2L. As shown in FIG. 2, the left-hand vehicle lamp 2L includes a lamp housing 14, a lamp cover 12 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 14, two lighting units 3 and 4, a radar 5, and a light-guiding member 6.

[0036] The lamp housing 14 may be made of an opaque resin material such as polypropylene or AAS resin (weather-resistant ABS resin). The lamp housing 14 has a downward extension 140 disposed between the light-guiding member 6 and the radar 5 in the front-to-rear direction. The downward extension 140 is located within the field of view F of the radar 5 and is therefore configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5.

[0037] The lamp cover 12 is made of a resin material such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin, and has a central light-transmitting portion 124, a lower light-transmitting portion 123 that is formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 124 and extends downward, and an upward extending portion 125 that is formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 124 and extends upward.

[0038] The central light-transmitting portion 124 faces the lighting units 3 and 4 and is configured to transmit light emitted from the lighting units 3 and 4. When each of the lighting units 3 and 4 is either a tail lamp or a stop lamp, the central light-transmitting portion 124 may be formed from a resin material colored red. Furthermore, when the lighting unit 3 is configured as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 is configured as a turn signal lamp or a backup lamp, the portion of the central light-transmitting portion 124 facing the lighting unit 3 may be formed from a resin material colored red. Furthermore, the portion of the central light-transmitting portion 124 facing the lighting unit 4 may be formed from a transparent resin material.

[0039] The lower light-transmitting portion 123 is formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 124 by, for example, two-color molding. The lower light-transmitting portion 123 faces the light-guiding member 6 and is configured to transmit light emitted from the light-guiding member 6. Furthermore, the lower light-transmitting portion 123 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5, and is therefore configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The lower light-transmitting portion 123 is formed of, for example, a transparent resin material. The upward extension portion 125 may also be formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 124 by two-color molding.

[0040] The two lighting units 3, 4 are arranged in a lamp chamber S formed by a lamp housing 14 and a lamp cover 12, and are configured to emit light toward the rear of the vehicle 1. Each of the lighting units 3, 4 functions as at least one of a tail lamp, a stop lamp, a tail and stop lamp, a turn signal lamp, and a backup lamp.

[0041] The radar 5 is disposed outside the lamp chamber S and configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 by emitting radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves or microwaves) toward the outside of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the radar 5 is configured to acquire radar data indicating the rear area of ​​the vehicle 1 by emitting radio waves toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The radar 5 is, for example, a millimeter wave radar or a microwave radar. A vehicle control unit (on-board computer) not shown is configured to identify the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 (in particular, information about objects present outside the vehicle 1) based on the radar data output from the radar 5.

[0042] The radar 5 has an antenna unit 52, a communication circuit unit (not shown), a housing, and a radome. The antenna unit 52 includes a transmitting antenna configured to emit radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves with a wavelength of 1 mm to 10 mm) into the air, and a receiving antenna configured to receive the radio waves reflected by an object. The radio waves emitted from the transmitting antenna are reflected by an object such as another vehicle, and the radio waves reflected from the object are received by the receiving antenna.

[0043] The antenna unit 52 may be configured as a patch antenna (a metal pattern formed on a substrate). In this case, the transmitting antenna may have a plurality of antenna elements (metal pattern) arranged in a matrix of n rows and m columns. The receiving antenna may have a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a matrix of n rows and (m+1) columns, for example.

[0044] The communication circuit unit includes a transmitting RF (radio frequency) circuit, a receiving RF circuit, and a signal processing circuit. The communication circuit unit is configured as a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC). The transmitting RF circuit is electrically connected to the transmitting antenna. The receiving RF circuit is electrically connected to the receiving antenna. The signal processing circuit is configured to generate radar data by processing the digital signal output from the receiving RF circuit. The antenna unit 52 and the communication circuit unit are disposed within a space formed by the housing and the radome.

[0045] The radar 5 is supported and fixed by a support member 8, which is a bracket made of metal or resin. The support member 8 is fixed to the lamp housing 14 via screws (not shown). The support member 8 extends downward from the lamp housing 14. Furthermore, since the radar 5 and the support member 8 are disposed outside the lamp chamber S, it is possible to suitably prevent the operation of the radar 5 from being adversely affected by heat generated by the lighting units 3 and 4.

[0046] The vertical field of view F (detection range) of the radar 5 may be, for example, within a range of 3° to 100°. The horizontal field of view F of the radar 5 may be, for example, within a range of 120° to 180°.

[0047] The distance d between the radar 5 and the downward extending portion 140 in the front-to-rear direction may be set to, for example, 20 mm or more and 100 mm or less. When the distance d between the downward extending portion 140 and the radar 5 is 20 mm or more, the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 and reflected by the downward extending portion 140 are sufficiently attenuated before reaching the receiving antenna of the radar 5. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio waves received by the radar 5 adversely affect the radar data as noise components.

[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, a portion of the radar 5 including the antenna portion 52 is covered by the lamp cover 12, the light-guiding member 6, and the lamp housing 14, while another portion of the radar 5 is covered by the bumper 100.

[0049] The light-guiding member 6 is disposed in the lamp chamber S and faces the radar 5 via a downward extension 140 so as to conceal part of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1. The light-guiding member 6 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5 and is therefore configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The light-guiding member 6 is formed of a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. The light-guiding member 6 has a light-emitting portion 61 that emits light toward the outside of the vehicle 1 and a light-guiding portion 62 that guides the light emitted from the light source 9.

[0050] The configuration of the light-guiding member 6 will be specifically described below with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the radar 5 shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the left-hand vehicle lamp 2L is arranged in the lamp chamber S and further includes a light source 9 configured to emit light toward the light guide portion 62 of the light-guiding member 6. The light source 9 is mounted on a wiring board 19. The light source 9 may be configured from a semiconductor light-emitting element such as a light-emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode (LD).

[0051] Light emitted from the light source 9 enters the light guide portion 62 through the opening 32 of the partition member 30, and is then reflected by the reflecting surface 63. A portion of the light reflected by the reflecting surface 63 is emitted to the outside of the vehicle 1 through the light emitting surface 65. Meanwhile, another portion of the light reflected by the reflecting surface 63 is reflected by the reflecting surface 64, and then propagates inside the light emitting portion 61.

[0052] The light emitting unit 61 has a first surface 67 facing the radar 5, a second surface 66 located on the opposite side of the first surface 67, and a plurality of steps 68 (see FIG. 4(a)) formed on the first surface. The plurality of steps 68 are configured to reflect light propagating within the light emitting unit 61 toward the outside of the vehicle 1.

[0053] 4(a), the plurality of steps 68 may be formed, for example, in a grid pattern on the first surface 67 of the light emitting portion 61. The distance d1 between adjacent steps 68 among the plurality of steps 68 is, for example, 400 μm. In this regard, by adjusting the distance d1 between adjacent steps 68, it is possible to appropriately adjust the brightness of an optical pattern 69 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later.

[0054] The steps 68 may be formed as recesses on the first surface 67 of the light emitting portion 61 (see FIG. 4(b)), or as protrusions on the first surface 67 (see FIG. 4(c)). The depth d2 or height d3 of the steps 68 from the first surface 67 in the thickness direction of the light emitting portion 61 is, for example, in the range of more than 0 μm and not more than 300 μm. For example, when the thickness of the light emitting portion 61 is approximately 2.4 mm, the depth d2 or height d3 of the steps 68 may be approximately 30 μm.

[0055] In this regard, it is preferable that the depth d2 or height d3 of the step 68 is smaller than λ / 8, where λ is the wavelength of the radio waves emitted from the radar 5. When the relationship d2, d3<λ / 8 is satisfied, the step height d2 or d3 has almost no adverse effect on the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 and incident on the first surface 67 of the light emitting unit 61. In other words, if the depth d2 or height d3 of the step 68 is smaller than λ / 8, the unevenness of the step 68 can be almost ignored from the perspective of radio wave interference. For example, when the wavelength λ of the radio waves is 3.92 mm, it is preferable that the depth d2 or height d3 of the step 68 is smaller than d<0.49 mm.

[0056] Moreover, in order to efficiently emit the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 61 toward the outside of the vehicle 1, the steps 68 are preferably formed as hemispherical concave or convex portions. The plurality of steps 68 can reflect the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 61 toward the outside of the vehicle 1, making it possible for the light emitting portion 61 to emit light. In other words, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle 1 and occupants of other vehicles can visually recognize the light emitted from the light-guiding member 6.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 5, a group of steps 68 can form an optical pattern 69 on the light-emitting portion 61. In the example shown in Fig. 5, a group of steps 68 can form a striped optical pattern 69 on the light-emitting portion 61. In this embodiment, the shape of the optical pattern 69 is not particularly limited, and the optical pattern 69 may have a predetermined geometric shape. In this way, the optical pattern 69 formed on the light-emitting portion 61 can enhance the design of the exterior of the left-hand vehicle lamp 2L.

[0058] The light-guiding member 6 may also function as a lamp configured to present information related to the traveling of the vehicle 1 (for example, stop information, turn information, information related to an autonomous driving mode, etc.) to the outside of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the light-guiding member 6 may function as a stop lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1 has stopped, a turn signal lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1 is turning (turning right or left or changing lanes), a back lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1 is reversing, or an autonomous driving system (ADS) lamp that presents information related to the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle 1. As an example of an ADS lamp, the light-guiding member 6 may also function as an ID lamp that turns on or off depending on the driving mode of the vehicle 1. The ID lamp is turned off when the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is a manual driving mode or a driving assistance mode, and is turned on when the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is an advanced driving assistance mode or a fully autonomous driving mode.

[0059] For example, when the lighting unit 3 functions as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 functions as a backup lamp, the light-guiding member 6 may function as a turn signal lamp. In this case, the light source 9 is configured to emit amber light. Furthermore, when the lighting unit 3 functions as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 functions as a turn signal lamp, the light-guiding member 6 may function as a backup lamp or an ADS lamp.

[0060] In this way, when the light-guiding member 6 functions as a turn signal lamp, a backup lamp, or an ADS lamp, there is no need to separately provide a lamp (for example, a turn signal lamp) having the same function as the light-guiding member 6 in the vehicle lamp 2. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of parts in the vehicle lamp 2.

[0061] According to this embodiment, the light-guiding member 6 and the downward extension 140 of the lamp housing 14 can conceal at least a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1, and the optical pattern 69 formed by the light-guiding member 6 can be seen to the outside. In this way, the light-guiding member 6 can improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 2. Furthermore, because the radar 5 is disposed outside the lamp chamber S, it is possible to preferably prevent the operating performance of the radar 5 from being adversely affected by heat generated from the lighting units 3, 4 disposed within the lamp chamber S. In this way, it is possible to improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 2 and to increase the reliability of the radar 5 mounted in the vehicle lamp 2.

[0062] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 2 according to this embodiment, the downward extension 140, which is a part of the lamp housing 14, is disposed between the light-guiding member 6 and the radar 5 in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, even when the light-guiding member 6 is not emitting light, the downward extension 140 can conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1. In this regard, when the light-guiding member 6 functions as a turn signal lamp, the light-guiding member 6 is turned off when the vehicle 1 is traveling straight or stopped. However, because the radar 5 is concealed from the outside by the downward extension 140, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle 1 cannot see the radar 5. In this way, the light-guiding member 6 and the downward extension 140 can reliably conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1 regardless of the traveling state of the vehicle 1.

[0063] In addition, in this embodiment, the downward extension 140 of the lamp housing 14, the light emitting portion 61 of the light guide member 6, and the downward light transmitting portion 123 of the lamp cover 12 are arranged to face the radar 5 and are also present within the field of view F of the radar 5. Specifically, in this embodiment, the downward extension 140, the light emitting portion 61, and the downward light transmitting portion 123 are arranged to face the radar 5 so that all of the radio waves from the radar present within the field of view F pass through the downward extension 140, the light emitting portion 61, and the downward light transmitting portion 123, respectively.

[0064] For this reason, the downward extending portion 140, the light emitting portion 61, and the downward light transmitting portion 123 are each configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 toward the outside of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, in order to improve the reliability of the radar data acquired by the radar 5, it is desirable to keep the reflectivity of these members with respect to the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 low.

[0065] In light of the above, the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 61 of the light-guiding member 6 will be described below with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing reflected radio waves R1 and R2 reflected by the light emitting portion 61. The thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 61 shown in Fig. 6 is defined by the following (1).

number

[0066] Thus, when the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 61 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (1), the reflected radio wave R2 reflected by the first surface 67 of the light emitting portion 61 facing the radar 5 via the downward extending portion 140 and the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the second surface 66 of the light emitting portion 61 located on the opposite side of the first surface 67 weaken each other. Specifically, since the phase difference Δθ between the reflected radio wave R2 and the reflected radio wave R1 is (2m+1)π (m is an integer equal to or greater than zero), the reflected radio waves R1 and R2 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the light emitting portion 61 with respect to the radio wave emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low. Therefore, since the intensity of the reflected radio wave reflected by the light emitting portion 61 is weakened, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio wave is received by the radar 5 and adversely affects the radar data as a noise component. For example, if the wavelength λ of the radio wave from the radar 5 is 3.922 mm and the relative dielectric constant ε of the light-guiding member 6 made of acrylic resin is 1.022 mm, the reflectivity ε r1 When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 61 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0067] Furthermore, the thickness t2 of the downward extension portion 140 of the lamp housing 14 will be described below with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing reflected radio waves R1 and R2 reflected by the downward extension portion 140. The thickness t2 of the downward extension portion 140 shown in Fig. 7 is defined by the following formula (2).

number

[0068] Thus, when the thickness t2 of the downward extension 140 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (2), the reflected radio wave R2 reflected by the first surface 143 of the downward extension 140 facing the radar 5 and the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the second surface 142 of the downward extension 140 located on the opposite side of the first surface 143 weaken each other. Specifically, the phase difference Δθ between the reflected radio wave R2 and the reflected radio wave R1 is (2m+1)π (m is an integer equal to or greater than zero), so the reflected radio waves R1 and R2 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the downward extension 140 for the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low. Therefore, since the intensity of the reflected radio wave reflected by the downward extension 140 is weakened, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio wave is received by the radar 5 and adversely affects the radar data as a noise component. For example, if the wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm and the relative dielectric constant ε of the lamp housing 14 made of AAS resin is 1.022 mm, the reflectivity ε of the lamp housing 14 is 1.022 mm. r2 When is 2.87 and n=2, the thickness t2 of the downward extending portion 140 is approximately 2.31 mm.

[0069] Furthermore, the thickness t3 of the lower light-transmitting portion 123 of the lamp cover 12 will be described below with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing reflected radio waves R1 and R2 reflected by the lower light-transmitting portion 123. The thickness t3 of the lower light-transmitting portion 123 shown in Fig. 8 is defined by the following formula (3).

number

[0070] When the thickness t3 of the lower light transmitting portion 123 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (3), the reflected radio wave R2 reflected by the first surface 127 of the lower light transmitting portion 123, which faces the radar 5 via the downward extending portion 140 and the light-guiding member 6, and the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the second surface 126 of the lower light transmitting portion 123, which is located on the opposite side of the first surface 127, weaken each other. Specifically, since the phase difference Δθ between the reflected radio wave R2 and the reflected radio wave R1 is (2m+1)π (m is an integer greater than or equal to zero), the reflected radio waves R1 and R2 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the lower light transmitting portion 123 for radio waves emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low. Therefore, the intensity of the reflected radio wave reflected by the lower light transmitting portion 123 is weakened, which prevents the reflected radio wave from being received by the radar 5 and adversely affecting radar data as a noise component. For example, the wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm, and the relative dielectric constant ε of the lamp cover 12 made of acrylic resin is r3 When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t3 of the lower light transmitting portion 123 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0071] In the description of this embodiment, a part of the radar 5 including the antenna unit 52 is concealed by the downward extension 140, the light emitting unit 61, and the downward light transmitting unit 123, and another part of the radar 5 is concealed by the bumper 100, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, the entire radar 5 may be concealed by the downward extension 140, the light emitting unit 61, and the downward light transmitting unit 123.

[0072] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, two lighting units 3 and 4 are provided in the vehicle lamp 2, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this respect, the number of lighting units provided in the vehicle lamp 2 is not particularly limited.

[0073] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the downward extension 140 of the lamp housing 14 is disposed between the light guide member 6 and the radar 5 in the front-rear direction, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the downward extension 140 does not have to be provided between the light guide member 6 and the radar 5. In this case, the radar 5 may be concealed from the outside of the vehicle 1 only by the optical pattern 69 formed on the light emitting portion 61. Furthermore, in this case, a decorative film may be provided on the first surface 67 of the light emitting portion 61. Even when the light emitting portion 61 is not emitting light, the decorative film can conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1. The decorative film is formed, for example, from a polymer multilayer mirror (for example, PICASUS (registered trademark) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) in which low-refractive-index polymer thin films and high-refractive-index polymer thin films are alternately stacked in multiple layers.

[0074] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the plurality of steps 68 are formed on the first surface 67 of the light emitting portion 61, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, the plurality of steps 68 may be formed on the second surface 66 of the light emitting portion 61, or may be formed on both the first surface 67 and the second surface 66.

[0075] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the vehicle lamp 2 functions as a rear lamp, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle lamp 2 may be mounted on the front of the vehicle 1 and function as a headlamp equipped with a radar 5. In this case, the lighting unit 3 functions as either a high beam lighting unit or a low beam lighting unit, and the lighting unit 4 functions as either the other high beam lighting unit or a low beam lighting unit. Furthermore, in this case, the radar 5 is configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment in the area ahead of the vehicle 1, and the light-guiding member 6 that conceals the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1 may function as a daytime running lamp (DRL).

[0076] Furthermore, when the vehicle lamp 2 functions as a headlamp, the light guide member 6 and the lamp cover 12 may be made of polycarbonate in consideration of heat resistance to heat generated from the lighting units 3 and 4. The lamp housing 14 may also be made of polypropylene.

[0077] The wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm, and the relative dielectric constant ε of the light-guiding member 6 made of polycarbonate is r1 When is 2.76 and n=2, the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 61 shown in FIG. 6 is approximately 2.36 mm.

[0078] The wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm, and the relative dielectric constant ε of the lamp cover 12 made of polypropylene is r2 When n=2 and t2=2.65, the thickness t2 of the downward extension 140 shown in FIG. 7 is approximately 2.41 mm.

[0079] The wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm, and the relative dielectric constant ε of the lamp cover 12 made of polycarbonate is r3 When is 2.76 and n=2, the thickness t3 of the lower light transmitting portion 123 shown in FIG. 8 is approximately 2.36 mm.

[0080] (Modification of the first embodiment) Next, a left-side vehicle lamp 20L according to a modified example of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the left-side vehicle lamp 20L according to the modified example. In the following description, components having the same reference numbers as components already described in the above embodiment will not be described repeatedly.

[0081] As shown in Fig. 9, the left-hand vehicle lamp 20L differs from the left-hand vehicle lamp 2L shown in Fig. 2 in that the radar 5 is fixed to the vehicle body 210 via a support member 8a. The radar 5 is supported and fixed by the support member 8a, which is a bracket made of metal or resin. The support member 8a is fixed to the vehicle body 210 via a screw 380, which is a fixing means. In addition, the lamp housing 14 is fixed to the vehicle body 210 via a screw 321.

[0082] According to this example, the radar 5 is separated from the lamp housing 14, but is fixed in advance to the vehicle body 210 via the support member 8a. Therefore, when the left-side vehicle lamp 20L is fixed to the vehicle body 210, at least a portion of the radar 5 can be concealed from the outside of the vehicle by the light emitted from the light-guiding member 6. In this way, the light-guiding member 6 can improve the design quality of the appearance of the left-side vehicle lamp 20L.

[0083] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter simply referred to as "this embodiment") will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0084] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the components having the same reference numbers as those already described in the first embodiment may not be described repeatedly.

[0085] First, a vehicle 1A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a rear view of the vehicle 1A equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp 102L and a right-side vehicle lamp 102R. As shown in Fig. 10, the left-side vehicle lamp 102L is disposed on the left rear side of the vehicle 1A, and the right-side vehicle lamp 102R is disposed on the right rear side of the vehicle 1A. Each of the left-side vehicle lamp 102L and the right-side vehicle lamp 102R is equipped with a radar 5.

[0086] In this embodiment, the left-side vehicle lamp 102L and the right-side vehicle lamp 102R function as rear lamps. The left-side vehicle lamp 102L and the right-side vehicle lamp 102R have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the specific configuration of the left-side vehicle lamp 102L will be described with reference to FIG. 11.

[0087] For ease of explanation, the left vehicle lamp 102L and the right vehicle lamp 102R may be collectively referred to simply as the "vehicle lamp 102." In addition, in this embodiment, the vehicle lamp 102 that functions as a rear lamp will be described, but the vehicle lamp 102 may be a headlamp that is disposed in front of the vehicle 1A and has the radar 5 mounted thereon.

[0088] Fig. 11 shows a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view in the vertical direction) of the left-side vehicle lamp 102L. As shown in Fig. 11, the left-side vehicle lamp 102L includes a lamp housing 14, a lamp cover 12 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 14, two lighting units 3 and 4, a radar 5, and a light-guiding member 106.

[0089] The light-guiding member 106 is disposed in the lamp chamber S and faces the radar 5 via a downward extension 140 so as to conceal a part of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1A. The light-guiding member 106 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5 and is therefore configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the radar 5.

[0090] The light-guiding member 106 has a light-emitting portion 161 that emits light toward the outside of the vehicle 1A, a light-guiding portion 162 that guides the light emitted from the light source 9, and a colored resin portion 70 formed from an opaque resin. The light-emitting portion 161 and the light-guiding portion 162 of the light-guiding member 106 are formed from a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. In this embodiment, the light-emitting portion 161 and the colored resin portion 70 are integrally formed by two-color molding.

[0091] The configuration of the light-guiding member 106 will be specifically described below with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the radar 5 shown in Fig. 11. As shown in Fig. 12, the left-hand vehicle lamp 102L is arranged in the lamp chamber S and further includes a light source 9 configured to emit light toward the light guide portion 162 of the light-guiding member 106. The light source 9 is mounted on a wiring board 19. The light source 9 may be configured from a semiconductor light-emitting element such as an LED or an LD.

[0092] Light emitted from light source 9 enters light guide portion 162 through opening 32 of partition member 30, and is then reflected by reflecting surface 163. A portion of the light reflected by reflecting surface 163 is emitted to the outside of vehicle 1A through light emitting surface 165. Meanwhile, another portion of the light reflected by reflecting surface 163 is reflected by reflecting surface 164, and then propagates inside light emitting portion 161.

[0093] The light emitting portion 161 has a first surface 167 facing the radar 5, a second surface 166 located on the opposite side to the first surface 167, and a plurality of steps 168 (see FIG. 13(a)) formed on the first surface 167. The plurality of steps 168 are configured to reflect light propagating within the light emitting portion 161 toward the outside of the vehicle 1A.

[0094] 13(a), the plurality of steps 168 may be formed in a grid pattern on the first surface 167 of the light emitting portion 161. The distance d1 between adjacent steps 168 is, for example, 400 μm. In this regard, by adjusting the distance d1 between adjacent steps 168, it is possible to appropriately adjust the brightness of an optical pattern 169 (see FIG. 14), which will be described later.

[0095] The step 168 may be formed as a recess on the first surface 167 of the light emitting portion 161 (see FIG. 13(b)), or as a protrusion on the first surface 167 (see FIG. 13(c)). The depth d2 or height d3 of the step 168 from the first surface 167 in the thickness direction of the light emitting portion 161 is, for example, in the range of more than 0 μm and not more than 300 μm. For example, when the thickness of the light emitting portion 161 is approximately 2.4 mm, the depth d2 or height d3 of the step 168 may be approximately 30 μm.

[0096] Furthermore, in order to efficiently emit the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 161 toward the outside of the vehicle 1A, the steps 168 are preferably formed as hemispherical concave or convex portions. The plurality of steps 168 can reflect the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 161 toward the outside of the vehicle 1A, making it possible for the light emitting portion 161 to emit light. In other words, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle 1A and passengers of other vehicles can visually recognize the light emitted from the light-guiding member 106.

[0097] 14, a group of steps 168 can form an optical pattern 169 on the light-emitting portion 161. In the example shown in FIG. 14, a group of steps 168 can form a striped optical pattern 169 on the light-emitting portion 161. In this embodiment, the shape of the optical pattern 169 is not particularly limited, and the optical pattern 169 may have a predetermined geometric shape. In this way, the plurality of optical patterns 169 formed on the light-emitting portion 161 can enhance the design of the exterior of the left-hand vehicle lamp 102L.

[0098] Next, the colored resin portion 70 of the light-guiding member 106 will be described below with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15(a) is a diagram showing the vicinity of the boundary B between the light-emitting portion 161 and the colored resin portion 70 of the light-guiding member 106 according to this embodiment. Fig. 15(b) is a diagram showing the vicinity of the boundary B between the light-emitting portion 161a and the colored resin portion 70b of the light-guiding member 106a according to a comparative example. In this embodiment, the light-emitting portion 161 and the colored resin portion 70 are integrally formed by two-color molding.

[0099] 15(a), at a boundary B between the light emitting portion 161 and the colored resin portion 70, a joint portion 163a of the colored resin portion 70 and a joint portion 170 of the light emitting portion 161 are joined to each other. Furthermore, at the boundary B, a first surface 165a of the colored resin portion 70 and a first surface 167 of the light emitting portion 161 are flush with each other, and a second surface 168a of the colored resin portion 70 and a second surface 166 of the light emitting portion 161 are flush with each other.

[0100] In this manner, in this embodiment, no convex portion is formed at the boundary B, and the surface of the light-guiding member 106 at the boundary B and its vicinity (specifically, the surface of the colored resin portion 70 and the surface of the light-emitting portion 161 at the boundary B and its vicinity) is formed as a smooth surface.

[0101] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 15(a), the thickness of the light guide member 106 excluding the light guide portion 162 (that is, the light exit portion 161 and the colored resin portion 70) is constant along the vertical direction.

[0102] 15(b), the light-emitting portion 161a and the colored resin portion 70b are integrally formed by two-color molding. At the boundary B between the light-emitting portion 161a and the colored resin portion 70b, a convex portion 163b is formed in the colored resin portion 70b, and a convex portion 167b is formed in the light-emitting portion 161a.

[0103] In the light-guiding member 106a according to the comparative example, when the boundary B between the light-emitting portion 161a and the colored resin portion 70b is present within the field of view F of the radar 5, the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 are reflected by the convex portions 163b and 167b. As a result, the radio waves reflected by the convex portions 163b and 167b are received by the receiving antenna of the radar 5, which may adversely affect the radar data.

[0104] On the other hand, in the light-guiding member 106 according to this embodiment, the light-emitting portion 161 and the colored resin portion 70 are integrally formed by two-color molding, which does not form the convex portions 163b and 167b at the boundary B. In this way, in the light-guiding member 106, no convex portion is formed at the boundary B, so that even if the boundary B is within the field of view F of the radar 5, it is possible to suitably prevent the radio waves reflected by the light-guiding member 106 from adversely affecting the radar data.

[0105] The light-guiding member 106 may also function as a lamp configured to present information related to the traveling of the vehicle 1A (e.g., stop information, turn information, reverse information, information related to an autonomous driving mode, etc.) to the outside of the vehicle 1A. Specifically, the light-guiding member 106 may function as a stop lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1A has stopped, a turn signal lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1A is turning (turning right or left or changing lanes), a back lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1A is reversing, or an autonomous driving system (ADS) lamp that presents information related to the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle 1A. As an example of an ADS lamp, the light-guiding member 106 may also function as an ID lamp that turns on or off depending on the driving mode of the vehicle 1A. The ID lamp is turned off when the driving mode of the vehicle 1A is a manual driving mode or a driving assistance mode, and is turned on when the driving mode of the vehicle 1A is an advanced driving assistance mode or a fully autonomous driving mode.

[0106] For example, when the lighting unit 3 functions as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 functions as a backup lamp, the light-guiding member 106 may function as a turn signal lamp. In this case, the light source 9 is configured to emit amber light. Furthermore, when the lighting unit 3 functions as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 functions as a turn signal lamp, the light-guiding member 106 may function as a backup lamp or an ADS lamp.

[0107] In this way, when the light-guiding member 106 functions as a turn signal lamp, a backup lamp, or an ADS lamp, there is no need to separately provide a lamp (for example, a turn signal lamp) having the same function as the light-guiding member 106 in the vehicle lamp 102. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of parts in the vehicle lamp 102.

[0108] According to this embodiment, the light-guiding member 106 and the downward extending portion 140 of the lamp housing 14 can conceal at least a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1A, and the optical pattern 169 formed by the light-guiding member 106 can be seen toward the outside. In this way, the light-guiding member 106 can improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 102. In particular, the colored resin portion 70 formed integrally with the light-emitting portion 161 can further improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 102.

[0109] Furthermore, because the radar 5 is disposed outside the lamp chamber S, it is possible to suitably prevent the operating performance of the radar 5 from being adversely affected by heat generated from the lighting units 3, 4 disposed inside the lamp chamber S. In this way, it is possible to improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 102 and also to increase the reliability of the radar 5 mounted in the vehicle lamp 102.

[0110] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 102 according to this embodiment, the downward extension 140, which is a part of the lamp housing 14, is disposed between the light-guiding member 106 and the radar 5 in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, even when the light-guiding member 106 is not emitting light, the downward extension 140 can conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1A. In this regard, when the light-guiding member 106 functions as a turn signal lamp, the light-guiding member 106 is turned off when the vehicle 1A is traveling straight or stopped. However, because the downward extension 140 conceals the radar 5 from the outside, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle 1A cannot directly see the radar 5. In this way, the light-guiding member 106 and the downward extension 140 can reliably conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1A, regardless of the traveling state of the vehicle 1A.

[0111] In addition, in this embodiment, the downward extension 140 of the lamp housing 14, the light emitting portion 161 of the light guide member 106, and the downward light transmitting portion 123 of the lamp cover 12 are arranged to face the radar 5 and are present within the field of view F of the radar 5. Specifically, in this embodiment, the downward extension 140, the light emitting portion 161, and the downward light transmitting portion 123 are arranged to face the radar 5 so that all of the radio waves from the radar present within the field of view F pass through the downward extension 140, the light emitting portion 161, and the downward light transmitting portion 123, respectively.

[0112] For this reason, the downward extending portion 140, the light emitting portion 161, and the downward light transmitting portion 123 are each configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 to the outside of the vehicle 1A. Furthermore, in order to improve the reliability of the radar data acquired by the radar 5, it is desirable to keep the reflectivity of these members with respect to the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 low.

[0113] In light of the above, the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 161 of the light-guiding member 106 will be described below with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing reflected radio waves R1 and R2 reflected by the light emitting portion 161. The thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 161 shown in Fig. 16 is defined by the following formula (4).

number

[0114] In this way, when the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 161 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (4), the reflected radio wave R2 reflected by the first surface 167 of the light emitting portion 161 facing the radar 5 via the downward extending portion 140 and the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the second surface 166 of the light emitting portion 161 located on the opposite side of the first surface 167 weaken each other. Specifically, since the phase difference Δθ between the reflected radio wave R2 and the reflected radio wave R1 is (2m+1)π (m is an integer greater than or equal to zero), the reflected radio waves R1 and R2 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the light emitting portion 161 with respect to the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low. Therefore, because the intensity of the reflected radio wave reflected by the light emitting portion 161 is weakened, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio wave is received by the radar 5 and adversely affects the radar data as a noise component. For example, the wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm, and the relative dielectric constant ε r1 When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 161 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0115] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, the downward extension 140 of the lamp housing 14 is disposed between the light-guiding member 106 and the radar 5 in the front-rear direction, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the downward extension 140 does not have to be provided between the light-guiding member 106 and the radar 5. In this case, the radar 5 may be concealed from the outside of the vehicle 1A only by the optical pattern 169 formed on the light-emitting portion 161. Furthermore, in this case, a decorative film may be provided on the first surface 167 of the light-emitting portion 161. In this case, even when the light-emitting portion 161 does not emit light, the decorative film can conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1A. In this way, the light-emitting portion 161 and the decorative film can reliably conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1A regardless of whether the light-emitting portion 161 emits light or not. The decorative film is configured to transmit light emitted from the radar 5 and does not contain a metal material. In this regard, the decorative film may comprise a polymer multilayer mirror (e.g., PICASUS® manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) in which polymer thin films with low refractive index and polymer thin films with high refractive index are alternately stacked in multiple layers.

[0116] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter simply referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0117] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the components having the same reference numbers as those already described in the first embodiment may not be described repeatedly.

[0118] First, a vehicle 1B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a view of the vehicle 1B equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp 202L and a right-side vehicle lamp 202R, viewed from the rear. As shown in Fig. 17, the left-side vehicle lamp 202L is disposed on the left rear side of the vehicle 1B, and the right-side vehicle lamp 202R is disposed on the right rear side of the vehicle 1B. Each of the left-side vehicle lamp 202L and the right-side vehicle lamp 202R is equipped with a radar 5.

[0119] In this embodiment, the left-side vehicle lamp 202L and the right-side vehicle lamp 202R function as rear lamps. The left-side vehicle lamp 202L and the right-side vehicle lamp 202R have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the specific configuration of the left-side vehicle lamp 202L will be described with reference to FIG. 18.

[0120] For ease of explanation, the left vehicle lamp 202L and the right vehicle lamp 202R may be collectively referred to simply as the "vehicle lamp 202." In addition, in this embodiment, the vehicle lamp 202 that functions as a rear lamp will be described, but the vehicle lamp 202 may be a headlamp that is disposed in front of the vehicle 1B and has the radar 5 mounted thereon.

[0121] 18 shows a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view in the vertical direction) of the left-side vehicle lamp 202L. As shown in Fig. 18, the left-side vehicle lamp 202L includes a lamp housing 214, a lamp cover 212 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 214, two lighting units 3 and 4, a radar 5, and a light-guiding member 206.

[0122] The lamp housing 214 may be formed of an opaque resin material such as polypropylene or AAS resin (weather-resistant ABS resin). The lamp cover 212 is formed of a resin material such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. The lamp cover 212 has a central light-transmitting portion 224 and an upward extending portion 225 that is formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 224 and extends upward.

[0123] The central light-transmitting portion 224 faces the lighting units 3 and 4 and is configured to transmit light emitted from the lighting units 3 and 4. When each of the lighting units 3 and 4 is either a tail lamp or a stop lamp, the central light-transmitting portion 224 may be formed from a resin material colored red. Furthermore, when the lighting unit 3 is configured as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 is configured as a turn signal lamp or a backup lamp, the portion of the central light-transmitting portion 224 facing the lighting unit 3 may be formed from a resin material colored red. Furthermore, the portion of the central light-transmitting portion 224 facing the lighting unit 4 may be formed from a transparent resin material. The upward extending portion 225 is formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 224 by, for example, two-color molding.

[0124] The two lighting units 3, 4 are disposed in a lamp chamber S2 formed by a lamp housing 214 and a lamp cover 212, and are configured to emit light toward the rear of the vehicle 1B. More precisely, the lamp chamber S2 is formed by the lamp housing 214, the lamp cover 212, and an upward extension 262 (described later) of the light-guiding member 206 formed integrally with the lamp cover 212. Each of the lighting units 3, 4 functions as at least one of a tail lamp, a stop lamp, a tail and stop lamp, a turn signal lamp, and a backup lamp.

[0125] The radar 5 is disposed outside the lamp chamber S2 and configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1B by emitting radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves or microwaves) toward the outside of the vehicle 1B. In this embodiment, the radar 5 is configured to acquire radar data indicating the rear area of ​​the vehicle 1B by emitting radio waves toward the rear of the vehicle 1B. The radar 5 is, for example, a millimeter wave radar or a microwave radar. A vehicle control unit (on-board computer) not shown is configured to identify the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1B (in particular, information regarding objects present outside the vehicle 1B) based on the radar data output from the radar 5.

[0126] The radar 5 is supported and fixed by a support member 8, which is a bracket made of metal or resin. The support member 8 is fixed to the lamp housing 214 via screws (not shown). The support member 8 extends downward from the lamp housing 214. Furthermore, since the radar 5 and the support member 8 are disposed outside the lamp chamber S2, it is possible to suitably prevent the operation of the radar 5 from being adversely affected by heat generated by the lighting units 3 and 4.

[0127] The light-guiding member 206 has an upward extending portion 262 connected to the central light-transmitting portion 224 of the lamp cover 212, and a light-emitting portion 261 configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle 1B. The light-guiding member 206 is integrally formed with the central light-transmitting portion 224 by two-color molding, and is also integrally formed with the vehicle body panel that functions as the bumper 100. The light-guiding member 206 is disposed to face the radar 5 so as to conceal a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1B. The light-guiding member 206 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5, and is therefore configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The light-guiding member 206 is formed of a transparent resin material, for example, polycarbonate, acrylic resin, or the like.

[0128] The distance d between the radar 5 and the light emitting unit 261 in the front-to-rear direction may be set to, for example, 20 mm or more and 100 mm or less. When the distance d between the light emitting unit 261 and the radar 5 is 20 mm or more, the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 and reflected by the light emitting unit 261 are sufficiently attenuated before reaching the receiving antenna of the radar 5. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio waves received by the radar 5 adversely affect the radar data as noise components. On the other hand, when the distance d is 100 mm or less, all of the radio waves within the field of view F emitted from the radar 5 can pass through the light emitting unit 261.

[0129] In this embodiment, most of the radar 5 including the antenna unit 52 is covered by the light emitting unit 261, while the remaining part of the radar 5 is covered by the bumper 100 and the lamp housing 214.

[0130] The configurations of the light-guiding member 206 and the light guide 7 will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the radar 5 shown in Fig. 18. As shown in Fig. 19, the left-hand vehicle lamp 202L further includes a light source 9 and a light guide 7. The light source 9 is disposed in the lamp chamber S2 and configured to emit light toward the light guide 7. The light source 9 is mounted on a wiring board 219 and electrically connected to a light source drive circuit (not shown). The light source 9 may be configured by a semiconductor light-emitting element such as an LED or an LD.

[0131] The light guide 7 is disposed in the lamp chamber S2 and is optically connected to the light emitting portion 261 of the light guide member 206. The light guide 7 is configured to emit a portion of the light emitted from the light source 9 to the outside of the vehicle 1B, and to emit another portion of the light emitted from the light source 9 toward the light emitting portion 261. The light guide 7 has a first reflecting surface 73, a second reflecting surface 74, a first light emitting surface 75, and a second light emitting surface 76.

[0132] Light emitted from the light source 9 enters the light guide 7 through the opening of the partition member 230 and is then reflected by the first reflecting surface 73. A portion of the light reflected by the first reflecting surface 73 is emitted toward the outside of the vehicle 1B via the first light emitting surface 75 and the upward extending portion 262. Meanwhile, another portion of the light reflected by the first reflecting surface 73 is emitted toward the second reflecting surface 74. Thereafter, the light reflected by the second reflecting surface 74 is emitted toward the light emitting portion 261 via the second light emitting surface 76.

[0133] In this way, a portion of the light emitted from the light source 9 enters the light emitting portion 261 via the light guide 7, and therefore the light emitted from the light source 9 can cause the light guide member 206 to emit light. That is, the light from the light source 9 can cause the light guide member 206 to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle 1B. Furthermore, since the light guide 7 is disposed between the light source 9 and the light guide member 206, a portion of the light emitted from the light source 9 can be efficiently emitted toward the outside of the vehicle 1B, and the other portion of the light emitted from the light source can be efficiently emitted toward the light guide member 206.

[0134] The light emitting portion 261 has a first surface 267 facing the radar 5, a second surface 266 located on the opposite side to the first surface 267, and a plurality of steps 268 (see FIG. 20(a)) formed on the first surface 267. The plurality of steps 268 are configured to reflect light propagating within the light emitting portion 261 toward the outside of the vehicle 1B.

[0135] 20(a), the plurality of steps 268 may be formed in a lattice pattern on the first surface 267 of the light emitting portion 261. The distance d1 between adjacent steps 268 among the plurality of steps 268 is, for example, 400 μm. In this regard, by adjusting the distance d1 between adjacent steps 268, it is possible to appropriately adjust the brightness of an optical pattern 269 (see FIG. 21), which will be described later.

[0136] The step 268 may be formed as a recess on the first surface 267 of the light emitting portion 261 (see FIG. 20(b)), or as a protrusion on the first surface 267 (see FIG. 20(c)). The depth d2 or height d3 of the step 268 from the first surface 267 in the thickness direction of the light emitting portion 261 is, for example, in the range of more than 0 μm and not more than 300 μm. For example, when the thickness of the light emitting portion 261 is approximately 2.4 mm, the depth d2 or height d3 of the step 268 may be approximately 30 μm.

[0137] Furthermore, in order to efficiently emit the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 261 toward the outside of the vehicle 1B, the steps 268 are preferably formed in a hemispherical concave or convex portion. The plurality of steps 268 can reflect the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 261 toward the outside of the vehicle 1B, so that the light emitting portion 261 can emit light. In other words, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle 1B and passengers of other vehicles can visually recognize the light emitted from the light-guiding member 206.

[0138] 21 , a group of steps 268 can form an optical pattern 269 on the light-emitting portion 261. In the example shown in FIG. 21 , a group of steps 268 can form a striped optical pattern 269 on the light-emitting portion 261. In this embodiment, the shape of the optical pattern 269 is not particularly limited, and the optical pattern 269 may have a predetermined geometric shape. In this way, the plurality of optical patterns 269 formed on the light-emitting portion 261 can enhance the design of the exterior of the left-hand vehicle lamp 202L.

[0139] The light-guiding member 206 may also function as a lamp configured to present information related to the traveling of the vehicle 1B (e.g., stop information, turn information, reverse information, information related to an autonomous driving mode, etc.) to the outside of the vehicle 1B. Specifically, the light-guiding member 206 may function as a stop lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1B has stopped, a turn signal lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1B is turning (turning right or left or changing lanes), a back lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1B is reversing, or an autonomous driving system (ADS) lamp that presents information related to the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle 1B. As an example of an ADS lamp, the light-guiding member 206 may also function as an ID lamp that turns on or off depending on the driving mode of the vehicle 1B. The ID lamp is turned off when the driving mode of the vehicle 1B is a manual driving mode or a driving assistance mode, and is turned on when the driving mode of the vehicle 1B is an advanced driving assistance mode or a fully autonomous driving mode.

[0140] For example, when the lighting unit 3 functions as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 functions as a backup lamp, the light-guiding member 206 may function as a turn signal lamp. In this case, the light source 9 is configured to emit amber light. Furthermore, when the lighting unit 3 functions as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 functions as a turn signal lamp, the light-guiding member 206 may function as a backup lamp or an ADS lamp.

[0141] In this way, when the light-guiding member 206 functions as a turn signal lamp, a backup lamp, or an ADS lamp, there is no need to separately provide a lamp (for example, a turn signal lamp) having the same function as the light-guiding member 206 in the vehicle lamp 202. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the vehicle lamp 202.

[0142] According to this embodiment, the light-guiding member 206 can conceal at least a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1B, and light is emitted from the light-guiding member 206 toward the outside of the vehicle 1B. In this way, the light-guiding member 206 can improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 202. Furthermore, because the light-guiding member 206 is formed integrally with the lamp cover 212, it is possible to save the effort of attaching the light-guiding member 206 to the vehicle lamp 202, and the integration of the light-guiding member 206 and the lamp cover 212 can further improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 202.

[0143] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the light guiding member 206 is formed integrally with the vehicle body panel that functions as the bumper 100. In this way, the integration of the lamp cover 212, the light guiding member 206, and the vehicle body panel can further improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle 1B.

[0144] In addition, in this embodiment, the light emitting portion 261 of the light-guiding member 206 is disposed to face the radar 5 and is present within the field of view F of the radar 5. Specifically, the light emitting portion 261 is disposed to face the radar 5 so that all of the radio waves within the field of view F emitted from the radar 5 pass through the light emitting portion 261.

[0145] For this reason, the light emitting portion 261 is configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 toward the outside of the vehicle 1B. Furthermore, in order to improve the reliability of the radar data acquired by the radar 5, it is desirable to keep the reflectance of the light emitting portion 261 with respect to the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 low.

[0146] In light of the above, the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 261 of the light-guiding member 206 will be described below with reference to Fig. 22. Fig. 22 is a diagram showing reflected radio waves R1 and R2 reflected by the light emitting portion 261. The thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 261 shown in Fig. 22 is defined by the following formula (5).

number

[0147] In this way, when the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 261 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (5), the reflected radio wave R2 reflected by the first surface 267 of the light emitting portion 261 facing the radar 5 and the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the second surface 266 of the light emitting portion 261 located on the opposite side of the first surface 267 weaken each other. Specifically, since the phase difference Δθ between the reflected radio wave R2 and the reflected radio wave R1 is (2m+1)π (m is an integer equal to or greater than zero), the reflected radio waves R1 and R2 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the light emitting portion 261 with respect to the radio wave emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low. Therefore, since the intensity of the reflected radio wave reflected by the light emitting portion 261 is weakened, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio wave is received by the radar 5 and adversely affects the radar data as a noise component. For example, when the wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm and the relative dielectric constant ε of the light-guiding member 206 made of acrylic resin is 1.022 mm, the reflected radio wave R2 is 1.022 mm. r1 When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 261 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0148] In the description of this embodiment, most of the radar 5 including the antenna unit 52 is concealed by the light emitting unit 261, and the remaining part of the radar 5 is concealed by the bumper 100 and the lamp housing 214, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, the entire radar 5 may be concealed by the light emitting unit 261.

[0149] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, two lighting units 3 and 4 are provided in the vehicle lamp 202, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this respect, the number of lighting units provided in the vehicle lamp 202 is not particularly limited.

[0150] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, the light emitted from the light source 9 is incident on the light emitting portion 261 via the light guide 7, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this respect, the light guide 7 does not have to be provided in the vehicle lamp 202. In this case, the light emitted from the light source 9 may be incident on the light emitting portion 261 directly.

[0151] Furthermore, the light-guiding member 206 may not have the upward extending portion 262. In this case, the central light-transmitting portion 224 of the lamp cover 212 may be connected to one end of the lamp housing 214, and one end of the light-emitting portion 261 may be formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 224.

[0152] Furthermore, in the vehicular lamp 202 according to this embodiment, a decorative film may be provided on the first surface 267 of the light emitting portion 261. In this case, even when the light emitting portion 261 does not emit light, the decorative film can conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1B. In this way, the radar 5 can be reliably concealed from the outside of the vehicle 1B by the light emitting portion 261 and the decorative film, regardless of whether the light emitting portion 261 emits light or not. The decorative film is configured to transmit light emitted from the radar 5 and does not contain a metal material. In this regard, the decorative film may have a polymer multilayer mirror (for example, PICASUS (registered trademark) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.) in which low-refractive-index polymer thin films and high-refractive-index polymer thin films are alternately stacked in multiple layers.

[0153] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the plurality of steps 268 are formed on the first surface 267 of the light emitting portion 261, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, the plurality of steps 268 may be formed on the second surface 266 of the light emitting portion 261, or may be formed on both the first surface 267 and the second surface 266.

[0154] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the vehicle lamp 202 functions as a rear lamp, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle lamp 202 may be mounted on the front of the vehicle 1B and function as a headlamp equipped with the radar 5. In this case, the lighting unit 3 functions as either a high beam lighting unit or a low beam lighting unit, and the lighting unit 4 functions as either the other high beam lighting unit or the low beam lighting unit. Furthermore, in this case, the radar 5 is configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment in the area ahead of the vehicle 1B. The light-guiding member 206, which conceals the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1B, may function as one of a daytime running lamp (DRL), a turn signal lamp, and an ADS lamp.

[0155] Furthermore, when the vehicle lamp 202 functions as a headlamp, the light guide member 206 and the lamp cover 212 may be made of polycarbonate in consideration of heat resistance to heat generated from the lighting units 3 and 4. The lamp housing 214 may be made of polypropylene.

[0156] The wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm, and the relative dielectric constant ε of the light-guiding member 206 made of polycarbonate is r1 When is 2.76 and n=2, the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 261 shown in FIG. 22 is approximately 2.36 mm.

[0157] (Fourth embodiment) A fourth embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter simply referred to as "this embodiment") will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0158] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the components having the same reference numbers as those already described in the third embodiment may not be described repeatedly.

[0159] First, a vehicle 1C according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 23. Fig. 23 is a view of the vehicle 1C, which is equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp 302L and a right-side vehicle lamp 302R, as seen from behind. As shown in Fig. 23, the left-side vehicle lamp 302L is disposed on the left rear side of the vehicle 1C, and the right-side vehicle lamp 302R is disposed on the right rear side of the vehicle 1C. Each of the left-side vehicle lamp 302L and the right-side vehicle lamp 302R is equipped with a radar 5.

[0160] In this embodiment, the left-side vehicle lamp 302L and the right-side vehicle lamp 302R function as rear lamps. The left-side vehicle lamp 302L and the right-side vehicle lamp 302R have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the specific configuration of the left-side vehicle lamp 302L will be described with reference to FIG. 24.

[0161] For ease of explanation, the left-side vehicle lamp 302L and the right-side vehicle lamp 302R may be collectively referred to simply as the "vehicle lamp 302." In addition, in this embodiment, the vehicle lamp 302 that functions as a rear lamp will be described, but the vehicle lamp 302 may be a headlamp that is disposed in front of the vehicle 1C and has the radar 5 mounted thereon.

[0162] 24 shows a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view in the vertical direction) of the left-side vehicle lamp 302L. As shown in Fig. 24, the left-side vehicle lamp 302L includes a lamp housing 214, a lamp cover 212 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 214, two lighting units 3 and 4, a radar 5, and a light-guiding member 206.

[0163] The light-guiding member 206 has an upward extending portion 262 connected to the central light-transmitting portion 224 of the lamp cover 212, and a light-emitting portion 261 configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle 1C. The light-guiding member 206 is integrally formed with the central light-transmitting portion 224 by two-color molding, and is also integrally formed with the vehicle body panel that functions as the bumper 100. The light-guiding member 206 is disposed to face the radar 5 so as to conceal a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1C. The light-guiding member 206 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5, and is therefore configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The light-guiding member 206 is formed of a transparent resin material, for example, polycarbonate, acrylic resin, or the like.

[0164] The distance d between the radar 5 and the light emitting unit 261 in the front-to-rear direction may be set to, for example, 20 mm or more and 100 mm or less. When the distance d between the light emitting unit 261 and the radar 5 is 20 mm or more, the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 and reflected by the light emitting unit 261 are sufficiently attenuated before reaching the receiving antenna of the radar 5. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio waves received by the radar 5 adversely affect the radar data as noise components. On the other hand, when the distance d is 100 mm or less, all of the radio waves within the field of view F emitted from the radar 5 can pass through the light emitting unit 261.

[0165] In this embodiment, most of the radar 5 including the antenna unit 52 is covered by the light emitting unit 261, while the remaining part of the radar 5 is covered by the bumper 100 and the lamp housing 214.

[0166] The configurations of the light-guiding member 206 and the light guide 7 will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 25. Fig. 25 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the radar 5 shown in Fig. 24. As shown in Fig. 25, the left-hand vehicle lamp 302L further includes a light source 9 and a light guide 7. The light source 9 is disposed in the lamp chamber S1 and configured to emit light toward the light guide 7. The light source 9 is mounted on a wiring board 219 and electrically connected to a light source drive circuit (not shown). The light source 9 may be configured by a semiconductor light-emitting element such as an LED or an LD.

[0167] As shown in FIG. 25 , a decorative film 10 is adhered onto the first surface 267 of the light emitting portion 261. The decorative film 10 is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5 while concealing the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1C. The decorative film 10 does not contain a metal material. Furthermore, the decorative film 10 has high transmittance in the frequency band of radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) emitted from the radar 5. The thickness of the decorative film 10 is, for example, 0.1 mm. The decorative film 10 may be provided entirely or partially on the first surface 267. For example, when the decorative film 10 is provided partially on the first surface 267, the decorative film 10 may be provided on the first surface 267 so as to face a portion of the radar 5 other than the antenna portion 52.

[0168] As shown in FIG. 26, an example of the layer structure of the decorative film 10 includes a binder layer 110 that functions as an adhesive layer, a decorative layer 111 formed on the binder layer 110, a multilayer mirror 112 formed on the decorative layer 111, a hard coat layer 113 formed on the multilayer mirror 112, and a protective layer 114 formed on the hard coat layer 113. The multilayer mirror 112 is formed by alternately stacking multiple low-refractive-index polymer layers and multiple high-refractive-index polymer layers, for example. The multilayer mirror 112 provided on the decorative film 10 can increase the reflectance of the decorative film 10 for visible light. An example of the multilayer mirror 112 is PICASUS (registered trademark) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc.

[0169] According to this embodiment, the light-guiding member 206 can conceal at least a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1C, and light is emitted from the light-guiding member 206 toward the outside of the vehicle 1C. In this way, the light-guiding member 206 can improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 302. Furthermore, because the light-guiding member 206 is formed integrally with the lamp cover 212, it is possible to save the effort of attaching the light-guiding member 206 to the vehicle lamp 302, and the integration of the light-guiding member 206 and the lamp cover 212 can further improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 302.

[0170] Moreover, according to this embodiment, the light guiding member 206 is formed integrally with the vehicle body panel that functions as the bumper 100. In this way, the integration of the lamp cover 212, the light guiding member 206, and the vehicle body panel can further improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle 1C.

[0171] Furthermore, even when the light-guiding member 206 is not emitting light, the decorative film 10 can conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1C, so that the radar 5 can be reliably concealed from the outside of the vehicle 1C regardless of the light-guiding member 206 emitting light.

[0172] Furthermore, the decorative film 10 faces the radar 5 so that all of the radio waves within the field of view F emitted from the radar 5 pass through the decorative film 10, while the decorative film 10 does not contain any metal material and has high transmittance to radio waves. This makes it possible to preferably prevent the decorative film 10 from adversely affecting the radio waves emitted from the radar 5. As a result, it is possible to preferably prevent the decorative film 10 from reducing the reliability of the radar data.

[0173] In addition, in this embodiment, the light emitting portion 261 of the light-guiding member 206 is disposed to face the radar 5 and is present within the field of view F of the radar 5. Specifically, the light emitting portion 261 is disposed to face the radar 5 so that all of the radio waves within the field of view F emitted from the radar 5 pass through the light emitting portion 261.

[0174] For this reason, the light emitting portion 261 is configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 toward the outside of the vehicle 1C. Furthermore, in order to improve the reliability of the radar data acquired by the radar 5, it is desirable to keep the reflectance of the light emitting portion 261 with respect to the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 low.

[0175] In the description of this embodiment, most of the radar 5 including the antenna unit 52 is concealed by the light emitting unit 261, and the remaining part of the radar 5 is concealed by the bumper 100 and the lamp housing 214, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, the entire radar 5 may be concealed by the light emitting unit 261.

[0176] (Fifth embodiment) Hereinafter, a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter simply referred to as "this embodiment") will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0177] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the components having the same reference numbers as those already described in the first embodiment may not be described repeatedly.

[0178] In addition, the directions (up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions) set for the radar module 300 shown in Figure 27 are assumed to be the same as the directions (up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions) set for the left-side vehicle lamp 402L.

[0179] First, the left-side vehicle lamp 402L according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 27. FIG. 27 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the left-side vehicle lamp 402L and the radar module 300. As shown in FIG. 27, the left-side vehicle lamp 402L is a rear lamp (or a rear combination lamp) disposed on the left rear side of a vehicle (not shown), and includes a lamp housing 314, a lamp cover 312 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 314, and two lighting units 3 and 4. In this embodiment, the left-side vehicle lamp 402L that functions as a rear lamp will be described, but the left-side vehicle lamp 402L may also be a headlamp disposed on the left front side of the vehicle. Furthermore, in this embodiment, no particular reference will be made to a right-side vehicle lamp disposed on the right side of the vehicle. The right-side vehicle lamp is assumed to have a configuration similar to that of the left-side vehicle lamp 402L.

[0180] The lamp cover 312 is made of a resin material such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin, and has a central light-transmitting portion 324, a lower light-transmitting portion 323 that is formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 324 and extends downward, and an upward extending portion 325 that is formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 324 and extends upward.

[0181] The central light-transmitting portion 324 faces the lighting units 3 and 4 and is configured to transmit light emitted from the lighting units 3 and 4. When each of the lighting units 3 and 4 is either a tail lamp or a stop lamp, the central light-transmitting portion 324 may be formed from a resin material colored red. When the lighting unit 3 is configured as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 is configured as a turn signal lamp or a backup lamp, the portion of the central light-transmitting portion 324 facing the lighting unit 3 may be formed from a resin material colored red. Furthermore, the portion of the central light-transmitting portion 324 facing the lighting unit 4 may be formed from a transparent resin material.

[0182] The lower light-transmitting portion 323 is formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 324 by, for example, two-color molding. The lower light-transmitting portion 323 faces the light guide 360 ​​and is configured to transmit light emitted from the light guide 360. The lower light-transmitting portion 323 is formed of, for example, a transparent resin material. The upward extending portion 325 may also be formed integrally with the central light-transmitting portion 324 by two-color molding.

[0183] The two lighting units 3, 4 are arranged in a lamp chamber S2 formed by a lamp housing 314 and a lamp cover 312, and are configured to emit light toward the rear of the vehicle. Each of the lighting units 3, 4 functions as at least one of a tail lamp, a stop lamp, a tail and stop lamp, a turn signal lamp, and a back lamp.

[0184] The left-hand vehicle lamp 402L further includes a light source 9 and a light guide 360 ​​arranged in the lamp chamber S2. The light source 9 is configured to emit light toward the light guide 360. The light source 9 is mounted on a wiring board 319 and electrically connected to a light source drive circuit (not shown). The light source 9 is configured from a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED or LD.

[0185] The light guide 360 ​​may be optically connected to the light guide member 330. The light guide 360 ​​is configured to emit a portion of the light emitted from the light source 9 toward the outside of the vehicle, and to emit another portion of the light emitted from the light source 9 toward the light guide member 330. The light guide 360 ​​has reflective surfaces 363 and 364 and a light emitting surface 365.

[0186] Light emitted from the light source 9 enters the light guide 360 ​​through the opening of the partition member 370 and is then reflected by the reflecting surface 363. A portion of the light reflected by the reflecting surface 363 is emitted toward the outside of the vehicle via the light emitting surface 365 and the lower light transmitting portion 323. Meanwhile, another portion of the light reflected by the reflecting surface 363 is emitted toward the reflecting surface 364. Thereafter, the light reflected by the reflecting surface 364 enters the light guide member 330 via the air gap between the light guide member 330 and the lower light transmitting portion 323. The distance d of the air gap between the light guide member 330 and the lower light transmitting portion 323 is, for example, 75 mm.

[0187] The color of the light emitted from the light source 9 may be the same as the color of the light emitted from a first light source 323a and a second light source 323b (described later) (see FIG. 28). In this case, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle can visually recognize the unity of the left vehicle lamp 402L and the radar module 300 due to the light emitted from the lower portion of the left vehicle lamp 402L and the light emitted from the light-guiding member 330 of the radar module 300. In this way, the design quality of the exterior of a vehicle equipped with the left vehicle lamp 402L and the radar module 300 can be improved.

[0188] Next, the structure of the radar module 300 will be described below. As shown in Fig. 27, the radar module 300 is mounted on the left-hand vehicle lamp 402L. Specifically, the radar module 300 is disposed outside the lamp chamber S2 of the left-hand vehicle lamp 402L, and is fixed to the lamp housing 314 via a support member 8 attached to the lamp housing 314. The radar module 300 includes a radar 5.

[0189] The specific structure of the radar module 300 will be described below with reference to Fig. 28. Fig. 28 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of the radar module 300 shown in Fig. 27. As shown in Fig. 28, the radar module 300 further includes a light-guiding member 330, a support member 340, a circuit board 320, a first light source 323a, and a second light source 323b.

[0190] The light-guiding member 330 is disposed opposite the radar 5 so as to conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle. The light-guiding member 330 is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The light-guiding member 330 is formed of a transparent resin material such as acrylic resin or polycarbonate.

[0191] The support member 340 is fixed to the light-guiding member 330 and is configured to support the radar 5. In particular, the first engagement recess 343a of the support member 340 engages with the first engagement protrusion 330a of the light-guiding member 330, and the second engagement recess 343b of the support member 340 engages with the second engagement protrusion 330b of the light-guiding member 330, thereby fixing the support member 340 to the light-guiding member 330. Furthermore, the radar 5 is disposed on a surface 326 of the circuit board 320, and the circuit board 320 is disposed on an inner surface 342 of the support member 340. In this way, the radar 5 is supported by the support member 340 via the circuit board 320.

[0192] A space K is defined by the light-guiding member 330 and the support member 340, and the radar 5 and the circuit board 320 are disposed within the space K. A plurality of first light sources 323a, a plurality of second light sources 323b, and a light source control circuit unit (not shown) are disposed on a surface 326 of the circuit board 320.

[0193] Each of the first light source 323a and the second light source 323b is configured with, for example, a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED or an LD. As shown in Fig. 31, a plurality of first light sources 323a (eight first light sources 323a in the example shown in Fig. 31) are arranged in the left-right direction near a first end 328 of the circuit board 320. Similarly, a plurality of second light sources 323b (eight second light sources 323b in the example shown in Fig. 31) are arranged in the left-right direction near a second end 329 of the circuit board 320 located on the opposite side from the first end 328.

[0194] Each of the first light sources 323a is configured to emit light toward an end surface 335a of the first extending portion 335 of the light-guiding member 330. Similarly, each of the second light sources 323b is configured to emit light toward an end surface 334b ​​of the second extending portion 334 of the light-guiding member 330.

[0195] In this embodiment, the number of first light sources 323a and the number of second light sources 323b are not particularly limited. For example, the number of first light sources 323a and the number of second light sources 323b may be one each.

[0196] The light source control circuit is electrically connected to each of the first light source 323a and the second light source 323b, and is configured to control the lighting of the first light source 323a and the second light source 323b. When the light-guiding member 330 functions as a turn signal lamp, the light source control circuit may control the lighting of the first light source 323a and the second light source 323b based on an instruction signal transmitted from a vehicle control unit.

[0197] Next, a more detailed description will be given of the structure of the light-guiding member 330. The light-guiding member 330 has a light emitting portion 331, a first light guide portion 338 connected to one end of the light emitting portion 331, a second light guide portion 339 connected to the other end of the light emitting portion 331, a first extending portion 335 connected to the first light guide portion 338, and a second extending portion 334 connected to the second light guide portion 339.

[0198] The light emitting portion 331 has an inner surface 333 (an example of a first surface) facing the radar 5, an outer surface 332 (an example of a second surface) located on the opposite side of the inner surface 333, and a plurality of steps 368 (see FIG. 29(a)) formed on the inner surface 333. The plurality of steps 368 are configured to emit light propagating inside the light emitting portion 331 of the light-guiding member 330 toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0199] 29(a), the plurality of steps 368 may be formed in a lattice pattern on the inner surface 333 of the light emitting portion 331. The distance d1 between adjacent steps 368 among the plurality of steps 368 is, for example, 400 μm. In this regard, by adjusting the distance d1 between adjacent steps 368, it is possible to appropriately adjust the brightness of an optical pattern 369 (see FIG. 30), which will be described later.

[0200] The steps 368 may be formed as recesses on the inner surface 333 of the light emitting portion 331 (see FIG. 29(b)) or as protrusions on the inner surface 333 (see FIG. 29(c)). The depth d2 or height d3 of the steps 368 from the inner surface 333 in the thickness direction of the light emitting portion 331 is, for example, in the range of more than 0 μm and not more than 300 μm. For example, when the thickness of the light emitting portion 331 is about 2.4 mm, the depth d2 or height d3 of the steps 368 may be about 30 μm.

[0201] Furthermore, the steps 368 are preferably formed as hemispherical concave or convex portions so that light propagating inside the light emitting portion 331 can be efficiently emitted toward the outside of the vehicle. The plurality of steps 368 can reflect light propagating inside the light emitting portion 331 toward the outside of the vehicle, making it possible for the light emitting portion 331 to emit light. In other words, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle and occupants of other vehicles can visually recognize the light emitted by the radar module 300.

[0202] 30 , a collection of a plurality of steps 368 can form an optical pattern 369 on the light emitting portion 331. In the example shown in FIG. 30 , a collection of a plurality of steps 368 can form a rectangular optical pattern 369 on the light emitting portion 331. In this embodiment, the shape of the optical pattern 369 is not particularly limited, and the optical pattern 369 may have a predetermined geometric shape. In this way, the optical pattern 369 formed on the light emitting portion 331 can enhance the design of the external appearance of the radar module 300.

[0203] 28, a reflecting surface 336 is formed between the first light guide portion 338 and the light emitting portion 331. The first extending portion 335 is disposed in the space K and extends toward the circuit board 320. An end surface 335a of the first extending portion 335 faces the first light source 323a via a gap.

[0204] Light emitted from the first light source 323a enters the first extending portion 335 and then propagates inside the first light guide portion 338. The light propagating inside the first light guide portion 338 is then reflected by the reflecting surface 336 toward the light exit portion 331. The light propagating inside the light exit portion 331 is then reflected toward the outside of the vehicle by the plurality of steps 368 formed on the inner surface 333. In this manner, the light emitted from the first light source 323a causes the light exit portion 331 of the light-guiding member 330 to emit light. More specifically, the light emitted from the first light source 323a causes the optical pattern 369 formed on the light exit portion 331 to emit light.

[0205] A reflecting surface 337 is formed between the second light guide portion 339 and the light emitting portion 331. The second extending portion 334 is disposed in the space K and extends toward the circuit board 320. An end surface 334b ​​of the second extending portion 334 faces the second light source 323b via a gap.

[0206] The light emitted from the second light source 323b enters the second extending portion 334 and then propagates inside the second light guide portion 339. The light propagating inside the second light guide portion 339 is then reflected by the reflecting surface 337 toward the light exit portion 331. The light propagating inside the light exit portion 331 is then reflected toward the outside of the vehicle by the plurality of steps 368 formed on the inner surface 333. In this manner, the light emitted from the second light source 323b causes the light exit portion 331 of the light-guiding member 330 to emit light. More specifically, the light emitted from the second light source 323b causes the optical pattern 369 to emit light.

[0207] According to this embodiment, the radar 5 can be hidden from the outside of the vehicle by the light-guiding member 330, and light is emitted toward the outside of the vehicle from the light-guiding member 330. In this way, the light-guiding member 330 can improve the design of the external appearance of the radar module 300.

[0208] The light-guiding member 330 may also function as a lamp configured to present information related to vehicle driving (e.g., stop information, turn information, reverse information, information related to an autonomous driving mode, etc.) to the outside of the vehicle. Specifically, the light-guiding member 330 may function as a stop lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle has stopped, a turn signal lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle is turning (turning right or left or changing lanes), a back lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle is reversing, or an autonomous driving system (ADS) lamp that presents information related to the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle. As an example of an ADS lamp, the light-guiding member 330 may also function as an ID lamp that turns on or off depending on the driving mode of the vehicle. The ID lamp is turned off when the driving mode of the vehicle is a manual driving mode or a driving assistance mode, and is turned on when the driving mode of the vehicle is an advanced driving assistance mode or a fully autonomous driving mode.

[0209] For example, when the lighting unit 3 functions as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 functions as a backup lamp, the light-guiding member 330 may function as a turn signal lamp. In this case, the first light source 323a and the second light source 323b are configured to emit amber light. Furthermore, when the lighting unit 3 functions as a tail and stop lamp and the lighting unit 4 functions as a turn signal lamp, the light-guiding member 330 may function as a backup lamp or an ADS lamp.

[0210] In this way, when the light-guiding member 330 functions as a turn signal lamp, a backup lamp, or an ADS lamp, there is no need to separately provide a lamp (for example, a turn signal lamp) having the same function as the light-guiding member 330 in the left-hand vehicle lamp 402L. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the left-hand vehicle lamp 402L.

[0211] In this embodiment, the light emitting unit 331 is disposed to face the radar 5. Therefore, the light emitting unit 331 is configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 to the outside of the radar 5. Furthermore, in order to improve the reliability of the radar data acquired by the radar 5, it is desirable to keep the reflectance of the light emitting unit 331 with respect to the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 low.

[0212] In consideration of the above, the thickness t1 (see FIG. 29) of the light emitting portion 331 is defined by the following formula (6).

number

[0213] In this way, when the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 331 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (6), the reflected radio waves reflected by the inner surface 333 of the light emitting portion 331 facing the radar 5 and the reflected radio waves reflected by the outer surface 332 of the light emitting portion 331 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the light emitting portion 331 with respect to the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low. Therefore, since the intensity of the reflected radio waves reflected by the light emitting portion 331 is weakened, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio waves are received by the receiving antenna of the radar 5 and adversely affect the radar data as noise components. For example, when the wavelength λ of the radio waves is 3.922 mm and the relative dielectric constant ε of the light-guiding member 330 made of acrylic resin is 1.922 mm, the relative dielectric constant ε r When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t1 of the light emitting portion 331 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0214] A decorative film may also be provided on the inner surface 333 of the light emitting portion 331. Even when the light emitting portion 331 is not emitting light, the decorative film can conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle. The decorative film is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5 and to conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle. The decorative film does not contain metal materials. The decorative film also has high transmittance in the frequency band of the radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) emitted from the radar 5. The thickness of the decorative film is, for example, 0.1 mm.

[0215] As an example of the layer structure of the decorative film, the decorative film may have a binder layer functioning as an adhesive layer, a decorative layer formed on the binder layer, a multilayer mirror formed on the decorative layer, a hard coat layer formed on the multilayer mirror, and a protective layer formed on the hard coat layer. The multilayer mirror may have, for example, multiple low-refractive-index polymer layers and multiple high-refractive-index polymer layers alternately stacked. The multilayer mirror provided on the decorative film can increase the reflectance of the decorative film for visible light. As an example of the multilayer mirror, PICASUS (registered trademark) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. may be used.

[0216] The steps 368 may be formed on the outer surface 332 of the light emitting portion 331 of the light guide member 330, or may be formed on both the outer surface 332 and the inner surface 333.

[0217] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the left vehicle lamp 402L functions as a rear lamp, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the left vehicle lamp 402L may function as a headlamp mounted on the front of the vehicle. In this case, the radar module 300 is configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment in the area ahead of the vehicle, and the light-guiding member 330 that conceals the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle may function as a daytime running lamp (DRL).

[0218] (Sixth embodiment) A sixth embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0219] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the components having the same reference numbers as those already described in the first embodiment may not be described repeatedly.

[0220] In addition, in this embodiment, the "horizontal direction" of the vehicle 1D is mentioned, but the "horizontal direction" is a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction (vertical direction) and includes the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the directions (left-right direction, up-down direction, front-rear direction) set for the right vehicle lamp 502R and the left vehicle lamp 502L are assumed to match the directions (left-right direction, up-down direction, front-rear direction) set for the vehicle 1D.

[0221] First, a vehicle 1D according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 32. Fig. 32 is a front view of the vehicle 1D equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp 502L and a right-side vehicle lamp 502R. As shown in Fig. 32, the left-side vehicle lamp 502L is disposed on the left front side of the vehicle 1D, and the right-side vehicle lamp 502R is disposed on the right front side of the vehicle 1D. Each of the left-side vehicle lamp 502L and the right-side vehicle lamp 502R includes an illumination unit 403, a camera 404, a LiDAR unit 407, a radar 5, and a light-guiding member 406.

[0222] In this embodiment, the left-side vehicle lamp 502L and the right-side vehicle lamp 502R function as headlamps. The left-side vehicle lamp 502L and the right-side vehicle lamp 502R have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the specific configuration of the left-side vehicle lamp 502L will be described with reference to FIG. 33.

[0223] For ease of explanation, the left vehicle lamp 502L and the right vehicle lamp 502R may be collectively referred to simply as the "vehicle lamp 502." In addition, in this embodiment, the vehicle lamp 502 that functions as a headlamp will be described, but the vehicle lamp 502 may also be a rear lamp that is disposed on the rear surface of the vehicle 1D and includes a lighting unit, a camera, a LiDAR unit, a radar, and a light-guiding member.

[0224] Next, the specific configuration of the left-side vehicle lamp 502L according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 33. Fig. 33(a) is a front view showing the left-side vehicle lamp 502L. Fig. 33(b) is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the left-side vehicle lamp 502L. As shown in Fig. 33, the left-side vehicle lamp 502L includes a lamp housing 414, a lamp cover 412 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 414, an illumination unit 403, a camera 404, a LiDAR unit 407, a radar 5, a light-guiding member 406, and a light source 408.

[0225] The lamp housing 414 is made of an opaque resin material such as polypropylene, AAS resin (weather-resistant ABS resin), etc. The lamp cover 412 is made of a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate, acrylic resin, etc.

[0226] The lighting unit 403 is disposed in a lamp chamber S3 formed by a lamp housing 414 and a lamp cover 412, and is configured to emit light forward of the vehicle 1D. In particular, the lighting unit 403 is configured to emit a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam light distribution pattern forward of the vehicle 1D.

[0227] The camera 404 is disposed in the lamp room S3 and configured to acquire image data showing the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1D and then transmit the image data to a vehicle control unit (on-board computer) not shown. The LiDAR unit 407 is disposed in the lamp room S3 and configured to acquire 3D mapping data (point cloud data) showing the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1D and then transmit the 3D mapping data to the vehicle control unit. The radar 5 is disposed in the lamp room S3. The radar 5 is configured to acquire radar data showing the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1D by emitting radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves or microwaves) toward the outside of the vehicle 1D and then transmit the acquired radar data to the vehicle control unit. The radar 5 is, for example, a millimeter wave radar or a microwave radar.

[0228] The vehicle control unit receives the image data, 3D mapping data, and radar data, and then identifies surrounding environment information for the vehicle 1D based on the received image data, 3D mapping data, and radar data. Here, the surrounding environment information includes information related to objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles present outside the vehicle 1D (such as the position of the object relative to the vehicle, the distance of the object relative to the vehicle, and the angle of the object relative to the vehicle). The vehicle control unit then controls the driving of the vehicle 1D based on the identified surrounding environment information, map information, current position information, etc.

[0229] The radar 5 has an antenna unit 52, a communication circuit unit (not shown), a housing, and a radome. The antenna unit 52 includes a transmitting antenna configured to emit radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves with a wavelength of 1 mm to 10 mm) into the air, and a receiving antenna configured to receive the radio waves reflected by an object. The radio waves emitted from the transmitting antenna are reflected by an object such as another vehicle, and the radio waves reflected from the object are received by the receiving antenna.

[0230] The antenna unit 52 may be configured as a patch antenna (a metal pattern formed on a substrate). In this case, the transmitting antenna may have a plurality of antenna elements (metal pattern) arranged in a matrix of n rows and m columns. The receiving antenna may have a plurality of antenna elements arranged in a matrix of n rows and (m+1) columns, for example.

[0231] The communication circuit unit includes a transmitting RF (radio frequency) circuit, a receiving RF circuit, and a signal processing circuit. The communication circuit unit is configured as a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC). The transmitting RF circuit is electrically connected to the transmitting antenna. The receiving RF circuit is electrically connected to the receiving antenna. The signal processing circuit is configured to generate radar data by processing the digital signal output from the receiving RF circuit. The antenna unit 52 and the communication circuit unit are disposed within a space formed by the housing and the radome.

[0232] The vertical field of view F (detection range) of the radar 5 may be, for example, within a range of 3° to 100°. The horizontal field of view F of the radar 5 may be, for example, within a range of 120° to 180°.

[0233] The light-guiding member 406 is disposed in the lamp chamber S3 facing the radar 5 so as to conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1D. The light-guiding member 406 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5 and is therefore configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The light-guiding member 406 is formed of a transparent resin material, such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. In this embodiment, the entire radar 5 including the antenna unit 52 is covered by the light-guiding member 406, but only a portion of the radar 5 may be covered by the light-guiding member 406.

[0234] In this embodiment, the light-guiding member 406 is disposed to face the radar 5 and is present within the field of view F of the radar 5. Specifically, the light-guiding member 406 is disposed to face the radar 5 so that all of the radio waves within the field of view F emitted from the radar 5 pass through the light-guiding member 406.

[0235] For this reason, the light-guiding member 406 is configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 toward the outside of the vehicle 1D. Furthermore, in order to improve the reliability of the radar data acquired by the radar 5, it is desirable to keep the reflectance of the light-guiding member 406 low for the radio waves emitted from the radar 5. For this reason, the thickness t1 of the light-guiding member 406 is defined by the following formula (7).

number

[0236] When the thickness t1 of the light-guiding member 406 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (7), the reflected radio wave R2 reflected by the first surface 467 of the light-guiding member 406 facing the radar 5 and the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the second surface 466 of the light-guiding member 406 located on the opposite side of the first surface 467 weaken each other. Specifically, since the phase difference Δθ between the reflected radio wave R2 and the reflected radio wave R1 is (2m+1)π (m is an integer equal to or greater than zero), the reflected radio waves R1 and R2 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the light-guiding member 406 for the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low. Therefore, since the intensity of the reflected radio waves reflected by the light-guiding member 406 is weakened, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio waves are received by the radar 5 and adversely affect the radar data as noise components. For example, when the wavelength λ of the radio waves of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm and the relative dielectric constant ε of the light-guiding member 406 made of acrylic resin is 1.022 mm, the relative dielectric constant ε r1 When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t1 of the light-guiding member 406 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0237] Furthermore, the thickness t2 of the part of the lamp cover 412 facing the light guide member 406 is defined by the following formula (8).

number

[0238] In this way, when the thickness t2 of the lamp cover 412 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (8), the reflected radio wave reflected by the first surface 436 of the lamp cover 412 facing the radar 5 via the light-guiding member 406 and the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the second surface 437 of the lamp cover 412 located on the opposite side of the first surface 436 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the lamp cover 412 with respect to the radio wave emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low. Therefore, since the intensity of the reflected radio wave reflected by the lamp cover 412 is weakened, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio wave is received by the radar 5 and adversely affects the radar data as a noise component. For example, when the wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm and the relative dielectric constant ε of the lamp cover 412 made of acrylic resin is 1.922 mm, the relative dielectric constant ε r2 When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t2 of the part of the lamp cover 412 facing the light-guiding member 406 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0239] The light source 408 is disposed in the lamp chamber S3 and configured to emit light toward the light-guiding member 406. The light source 408 is mounted on a wiring board (not shown) and is electrically connected to a light-source driving circuit (not shown). The light source 408 may be configured with a semiconductor light-emitting element such as an LED or LD, for example.

[0240] Light emitted from light source 408 is incident on end surface 465 of light-guiding member 406, and then propagates inside light-guiding member 406. Thereafter, the light propagating inside light-guiding member 406 is reflected by a plurality of steps 468 (see FIG. 34 ) formed on first surface 467 of light-guiding member 406, and is thereby emitted toward the outside of vehicle 1D.

[0241] As shown in Fig. 34, the plurality of steps 468 are formed on a first surface 467 of the light-guiding member 406 and are configured to reflect light propagating through the light-guiding member 406 toward the outside of the vehicle 1D. As shown in Fig. 34(a), the distance d1 between adjacent steps 468 among the plurality of steps 468 is, for example, 400 µm. In this regard, by adjusting the distance d1 between adjacent steps 468, it is possible to appropriately adjust the brightness of an optical pattern 469 (see Fig. 35) described later.

[0242] The steps 468 may be formed as recesses on the first surface 467 of the light-guiding member 406 (see FIG. 34(b)) or as protrusions on the first surface 467 (see FIG. 34(c)). The depth d2 or height d3 of the steps 468 from the first surface 467 in the thickness direction of the light-guiding member 406 is, for example, in the range of more than 0 μm and not more than 300 μm. For example, when the thickness of the light-guiding member 406 is approximately 2.4 mm, the depth d2 or height d3 of the steps 468 may be approximately 30 μm.

[0243] Furthermore, in order to efficiently emit the light propagating inside the light-guiding member 406 toward the outside of the vehicle 1D, the steps 468 are preferably formed as hemispherical concave or convex portions. The plurality of steps 468 can reflect the light propagating inside the light-guiding member 406 toward the outside of the vehicle 1D, thereby making it possible for the light-guiding member 406 to emit light. In other words, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle 1D and passengers of other vehicles can visually recognize the light emitted from the light-guiding member 406.

[0244] As shown in Fig. 35 , an optical pattern 469 can be formed on the light-guiding member 406 by a group of multiple steps 468. In the example shown in Fig. 35 , a rectangular optical pattern 469 can be formed on the light-guiding member 406 by a group of multiple steps 468. In this embodiment, the shape of the optical pattern 469 is not particularly limited, and the optical pattern 469 may have a predetermined geometrical shape. In this way, the multiple optical patterns 469 formed on the light-guiding member 406 can improve the design of the appearance of the left-hand vehicle lamp 502L.

[0245] The light-guiding member 406 may also function as a lamp configured to present information related to the driving of the vehicle 1D (e.g., turn information, information related to an autonomous driving mode, etc.) to the outside of the vehicle 1D. Specifically, the light-guiding member 406 may function as a turn signal lamp that notifies the outside of a turn of the vehicle 1D (such as a right or left turn or a change of driving lane) or an autonomous driving system (ADS) lamp that presents information related to the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle 1D. The light-guiding member 406 may also function as an ID lamp, which is an example of an ADS lamp and is turned on or off depending on the driving mode of the vehicle 1D. The ID lamp is turned off when the driving mode of the vehicle 1D is a manual driving mode or a driving assistance mode, and is turned on when the driving mode of the vehicle 1D is an advanced driving assistance mode or a fully autonomous driving mode. The light-guiding member 406 may also function as a daytime running lamp (DRL) or a clearance lamp.

[0246] In this way, when the light-guiding member 406 functions as a turn signal lamp, an ADS lamp, a DRL, or a clearance lamp, there is no need to separately provide a lamp (for example, a turn signal lamp) having the same function as the light-guiding member 406 in the vehicle lamp 502. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of parts of the vehicle lamp 502.

[0247] According to this embodiment, the radar 5 can be hidden from the outside of the vehicle 1D by the light-guiding member 406, and light is emitted from the light-guiding member 406 toward the outside of the vehicle 1D. In this way, the light-guiding member 406 can improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 502 equipped with the camera 404, the LiDAR unit 407, and the radar 5. In particular, the optical pattern 469 formed on the light-guiding member 406 can improve the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 502.

[0248] In addition, in this embodiment, the camera 404, the LiDAR unit 407, and the radar 5 are arranged within the lamp chamber S3 of the vehicle lamp 502, so that the space of the lamp chamber S3 can be effectively utilized and the overall size of the vehicle lamp 502 can be reduced.

[0249] (Seventh embodiment) Next, a seventh embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as this embodiment) will be described below with reference to Fig. 36 to Fig. 39. Fig. 36 is a front view showing a left-hand vehicle lamp 420L according to a second embodiment. Fig. 37 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the left-hand vehicle lamp 420L taken along line AA shown in Fig. 36. Fig. 38 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of radar 425 shown in Fig. 37. Fig. 39 is a front view schematically showing an optical pattern 479 formed on a light-guiding member 426.

[0250] The left-hand vehicle lamp 420L according to the seventh embodiment is significantly different from the left-hand vehicle lamp 502L according to the sixth embodiment in that the radar 425 is arranged outside the lamp chamber S8 of the left-hand vehicle lamp 420L. In the following description, components having the same reference numbers as components already described in the sixth embodiment will not be described repeatedly.

[0251] 36, the left vehicle lamp 420L includes lighting units 423a to 423c, a camera 424, a LiDAR unit 427, a radar 425, and a light-guiding member 426. The left vehicle lamp 420L is disposed on the left front side of the vehicle (not shown). In this embodiment, a right vehicle lamp (not shown) disposed on the right front side of the vehicle has the same configuration as the left vehicle lamp 420L.

[0252] 37, the left-hand vehicle lamp 420L further includes a lamp housing 450 and a lamp cover 430 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 450. The lighting units 423a to 423c, the camera 424, the LiDAR unit 427, and the light-guiding member 426 are disposed in a lamp chamber S8 formed by the lamp housing 450 and the lamp cover 430. On the other hand, the radar 425 is disposed outside the lamp chamber S8.

[0253] The lighting unit 423a is configured to emit a high beam light distribution pattern toward the outside of the vehicle. The lighting unit 423b is configured to emit a low beam light distribution pattern toward the outside of the vehicle. The lighting unit 423c functions as a turn signal lamp. The camera 424 has a function similar to that of the camera 404 of the sixth embodiment. The LiDAR unit 427 has a function similar to that of the LiDAR unit 407 of the sixth embodiment. The radar 425 has a function similar to that of the radar 5 of the sixth embodiment. The radar 425 is configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1D by emitting radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves or microwaves) toward the outside of the vehicle, and then transmit the acquired radar data to a vehicle control unit. The radar 425 is, for example, a millimeter wave radar or a microwave radar. The antenna unit 462 of the radar 425 may be configured as a patch antenna.

[0254] The radar 425 is supported and fixed by a support member 428, which is a bracket made of metal or resin. The support member 428 is fixed to the lamp housing 450 with screws (not shown). The support member 428 extends downward from the lamp housing 450. Furthermore, because the radar 425 and the support member 428 are disposed outside the lamp chamber S8, it is possible to suitably prevent the operation of the radar 425 from being adversely affected by heat generated by the lighting units 423a to 423c.

[0255] The lamp housing 450 is formed of an opaque resin material such as polypropylene or AAS resin (weather-resistant ABS resin). The lamp housing 450 has a downward extension 452 disposed between the light-guiding member 426 and the radar 425 in the front-rear direction. The downward extension 452 is present within the field of view F1 of the radar 425 and is therefore configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 425.

[0256] The lamp cover 430 is formed of a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. The lamp cover 430 has a lower light-transmitting portion 433 that faces the light-guiding member 426 and the radar 425. The lower light-transmitting portion 433 is located within the field of view F1 of the radar 425, and is therefore configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 425.

[0257] In addition, in this embodiment, a portion of the radar 425 including the antenna portion 462 is covered by the lamp cover 430, the light-guiding member 426, and the lamp housing 450, while another portion of the radar 425 is covered by the bumper 410.

[0258] The light-guiding member 426 is disposed in the lamp chamber S8 and faces the radar 425 via the downward extension 452 so as to conceal a portion of the radar 425 from the outside of the vehicle. The light-guiding member 426 is present within the field of view F1 of the radar 425 and is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 425. The light-guiding member 426 is formed of a transparent resin material such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. The light-guiding member 426 has a light-emitting portion 471 that emits light toward the outside of the vehicle 1D and a light-guiding portion 472 that guides the light emitted from the light source 429.

[0259] The configuration of the light-guiding member 426 will be specifically described below with reference to Fig. 38. As shown in Fig. 38, the left-hand vehicle lamp 420L is arranged in the lamp chamber S8 and further includes a light source 429 configured to emit light toward the light guide portion 472 of the light-guiding member 426. The light source 429 is mounted on the wiring board 19. The light source 429 is configured by a semiconductor light-emitting element such as an LED or an LD, for example.

[0260] Light emitted from light source 429 enters light guide unit 472 through opening 442 of partition member 440, and is then reflected by reflecting surface 473. A portion of the light reflected by reflecting surface 473 is emitted to the outside of the vehicle through light emitting surface 475. Meanwhile, another portion of the light reflected by reflecting surface 473 is reflected by reflecting surface 474, and then propagates inside light emitting unit 471.

[0261] The light emitting portion 471 has a first surface 477 facing the radar 425, a second surface 476 located on the opposite side to the first surface 477, and a plurality of steps 478 (see FIG. 39) formed on the first surface 477. The plurality of steps 478 are configured to reflect the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 471 toward the outside of the vehicle.

[0262] The plurality of steps 478 may be formed in a grid pattern on the first surface 477 of the light emitting portion 471, for example. The interval between adjacent steps 478 among the plurality of steps 478 is, for example, 400 μm. In this regard, by adjusting the interval between adjacent steps 478, it is possible to appropriately adjust the brightness of the optical pattern 479, which will be described later. The steps 478 may be formed as recesses or protrusions on the first surface 477 of the light emitting portion 471.

[0263] The plurality of steps 478 can reflect light propagating inside the light emitting portion 471 toward the outside of the vehicle, thereby making it possible to emit light from the light emitting portion 471. In other words, pedestrians outside the vehicle and passengers of other vehicles can visually recognize the emission of light from the light-guiding member 426.

[0264] Furthermore, a group of steps 478 can form an optical pattern 479 on the light emitting portion 471. In the example shown in Fig. 39, a group of steps 478 can form a striped optical pattern 479 on the light emitting portion 471. In this way, the optical pattern 479 formed on the light emitting portion 471 can improve the design of the exterior of the left-hand vehicle lamp 420L.

[0265] The light-guiding member 426 may also function as a lamp configured to present information related to vehicle driving (e.g., turn information, information related to an autonomous driving mode, etc.) to the outside of the vehicle. Specifically, the light-guiding member 426 may function as a turn signal lamp or an ADS lamp. The light-guiding member 426 may also function as a DRL or clearance lamp.

[0266] In this way, when the light-guiding member 426 functions as a turn signal lamp, an ADS lamp, a DRL, or a clearance lamp, there is no need to separately provide a lamp (for example, a turn signal lamp) having the same function as the light-guiding member 426 in the left-hand vehicle lamp 420L. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of parts in the left-hand vehicle lamp 420L.

[0267] According to this embodiment, the radar 425 can be hidden from the outside of the vehicle by the light-guiding member 426, and light is emitted from the light-guiding member 426 toward the outside of the vehicle. In this way, the light-guiding member 426 can improve the design of the exterior of the left-side vehicle lamp 420L equipped with the camera 424, the LiDAR unit 427, and the radar 425. In particular, the optical pattern 479 formed on the light-guiding member 426 can improve the design of the exterior of the left-side vehicle lamp 420L.

[0268] In addition, in this embodiment, the downward extension 452 of the lamp housing 450, the light exit portion 471 of the light guide member 426, and the downward light-transmitting portion 433 of the lamp cover 430 are arranged to face the radar 425 and are present within the field of view F1 of the radar 425. Specifically, in this embodiment, all of the radio waves from the radar 425 present within the field of view F1 pass through the downward extension 452, the light exit portion 471, and the downward light-transmitting portion 433, respectively.

[0269] For this reason, the downward extending portion 452, the light emitting portion 471, and the downward light transmitting portion 433 are each configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the radar 425 toward the outside of the vehicle 1D. Furthermore, in order to improve the reliability of the radar data acquired by the radar 425, it is desirable to keep the reflectivity of these members with respect to the radio waves emitted from the radar 425 low.

[0270] As shown in FIG. 38, the thickness t3 of the downward extension 452 of the lamp housing 450 is defined by the following formula (9).

number

[0271] Furthermore, the thickness t4 of the light emitting portion 471 of the light guide member 426 is defined by the following formula (10).

number

[0272] Furthermore, the thickness t5 of the lower light transmitting portion 433 of the lamp cover 430 is defined by the following formula (11).

number

[0273] In the description of the seventh embodiment, a part of the radar 425 including the antenna unit 462 is concealed by the downward extending portion 452, the light emitting portion 471, and the downward light transmitting portion 433, and another part of the radar 425 is concealed by the bumper 410, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, the entire radar 425 may be concealed by the downward extending portion 452, the light emitting portion 471, and the downward light transmitting portion 433.

[0274] In the sixth and seventh embodiments, the number of lighting units provided in the vehicle lamp is not particularly limited.

[0275] In addition, in the description of the seventh embodiment, the downward extension 452 of the lamp housing 450 is disposed between the light guide member 426 and the radar 425 in the front-rear direction, but this embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the downward extension 452 does not have to be provided between the light guide member 426 and the radar 425. In this case, the radar 425 may be concealed from the outside of the vehicle only by the optical pattern 479 formed on the light emitting portion 471. Furthermore, in this case, a decorative film may be provided on the first surface 477 of the light emitting portion 471. Even when the light emitting portion 471 is not emitting light, the radar 425 can be concealed from the outside of the vehicle by the decorative film.

[0276] Furthermore, in the description of the sixth embodiment, the plurality of steps 468 are formed on the first surface 467 of the light-guiding member 406, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, the plurality of steps 468 may be formed on the second surface 466 of the light-guiding member 406, or may be formed on both the first surface 467 and the second surface 466. Similarly, in the seventh embodiment, the plurality of steps 478 may be formed on the second surface 476 of the light-emitting portion 471, or may be formed on both the first surface 477 and the second surface 476.

[0277] (Eighth embodiment) An eighth embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment) will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0278] In addition, in the description of this embodiment, the components having the same reference numbers as those already described in the first embodiment may not be described repeatedly.

[0279] In the description of this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the "left-right direction," "up-down direction," and "front-rear direction" may be referred to as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 1E shown in FIG. 40. Here, the "left-right direction" is a direction that includes the "left direction" and the "right direction." The "up-down direction" is a direction that includes the "upward direction" and the "downward direction." The "front-rear direction" is a direction that includes the "forward direction" and the "rearward direction." Although the "front-rear direction" is not shown in FIG. 40, the "front-rear direction" is a direction that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction.

[0280] In addition, in this embodiment, the "horizontal direction" of the vehicle 1E is mentioned, and the "horizontal direction" is a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction (vertical direction) and includes the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the directions (left-right direction, up-down direction, front-rear direction) set for the right-side vehicle lamp 602R and the left-side vehicle lamp 602L are assumed to match the directions (left-right direction, up-down direction, front-rear direction) set for the vehicle 1E.

[0281] First, a vehicle 1E according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 40. Fig. 40 is a view of a vehicle 1E equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp 602L and a right-side vehicle lamp 602R, viewed from the rear. As shown in Fig. 40, the left-side vehicle lamp 602L is disposed on the left rear side of the vehicle 1E, and the right-side vehicle lamp 602R is disposed on the right rear side of the vehicle 1E. Each of the left-side vehicle lamp 602L and the right-side vehicle lamp 602R is equipped with a radar 5.

[0282] In this embodiment, the left-side vehicle lamp 602L and the right-side vehicle lamp 602R function as rear lamps (or rear combination lamps). The left-side vehicle lamp 602L and the right-side vehicle lamp 602R are assumed to have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the specific configuration of the left-side vehicle lamp 602L will be described with reference to FIG. 41. For convenience of explanation, the left-side vehicle lamp 602L and the right-side vehicle lamp 602R may be collectively referred to simply as "vehicle lamp 602."

[0283] Fig. 41 shows a vertical cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view in the vertical direction) of the left-side vehicle lamp 602L. As shown in Fig. 41, the left-side vehicle lamp 602L has a lamp housing 514, a lamp cover 512 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 514, a radar 5, a first light-guiding member 507, a first light source 508a, a second light-guiding member 506, and a second light source 508b.

[0284] The lamp housing 514 may be formed of an opaque resin material, such as polypropylene or AAS resin (weather-resistant ABS resin). The lamp cover 512 is formed of a resin material, such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. The lamp cover 512 and the lamp housing 514 form a lamp chamber S4. The radar 5, the first light-guiding member 507, the first light source 508a, the second light-guiding member 506, and the second light source 508b are arranged in the lamp chamber S4.

[0285] The radar 5 is disposed in the lamp chamber S4 and configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1E by emitting radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves or microwaves) toward the outside of the vehicle 1E. In this embodiment, the radar 5 is configured to acquire radar data indicating the rear area of ​​the vehicle 1E by emitting radio waves toward the rear of the vehicle 1E. The radar 5 is, for example, a millimeter wave radar or a microwave radar. A vehicle control unit (on-board computer) not shown is configured to identify the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1E (in particular, information regarding objects present outside the vehicle 1E) based on the radar data output from the radar 5.

[0286] The radar 5 may be supported and fixed by a support member (not shown), which is a metal or resin bracket. The support member may be fixed to the lamp housing 514. The vertical field of view F (detection range) of the radar 5 may be, for example, within a range of 3° to 100°. The horizontal field of view F of the radar 5 may be, for example, within a range of 120° to 180°.

[0287] (Configuration of the first light guiding member 507) The first light-guiding member 507 is disposed in the lamp chamber S4 to face the radar 5, and is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle 1E. In this way, the light emitted from the first light-guiding member 507 can conceal at least a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1E. Furthermore, since the first light-guiding member 507 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5, it is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The first light-guiding member 507 is formed of a transparent resin material, for example, polycarbonate, acrylic resin, or the like.

[0288] Furthermore, the distance d between the radar 5 and the first light-guiding member 507 in the front-rear direction may be set to, for example, 20 mm or more and 100 mm or less. When the distance d between the first light-guiding member 507 and the radar 5 is 20 mm or more, the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 and reflected by the first light-guiding member 507 are sufficiently attenuated before reaching the receiving antenna of the radar 5. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio waves received by the radar 5 adversely affect the radar data as noise components. On the other hand, when the distance d is 100 mm or less, all of the radio waves within the field of view F emitted from the radar 5 can pass through the first light-guiding member 507.

[0289] The thickness t1 of the first light guide member 507 is defined by the following formula (12).

number

[0290] In this way, when the thickness t1 of the first light-guiding member 507 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (12), the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the first surface 572 of the first light-guiding member 507 facing the radar 5 and the reflected radio wave R2 reflected by the second surface 571 of the first light-guiding member 507 located on the opposite side of the first surface 572 weaken each other. Specifically, since the phase difference Δθ between the reflected radio wave R2 and the reflected radio wave R1 is (2m+1)π (m is an integer greater than or equal to zero), the reflected radio waves R1 and R2 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the first light-guiding member 507 for radio waves emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low.

[0291] Therefore, since the intensity of the radio wave reflected by the first light-guiding member 507 is weakened, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio wave is received by the radar 5 and adversely affects the radar data as a noise component. For example, when the wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm and the relative dielectric constant ε of the first light-guiding member 507 made of acrylic resin is 1.922 mm, the relative dielectric constant ε r1 When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t1 of the first light guide member 507 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0292] The first light source 508a is disposed on a wiring board 510 and is electrically connected to a light source drive circuit (not shown). The first light source 508a may be configured with a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED or an LD.

[0293] The first light source 508a is configured to emit light toward the first light guiding member 507. The light emitted from the first light source 508a propagates inside the first light guiding member 507 and is reflected toward the outside of the vehicle 1E by the plurality of first steps 578 formed on the first surface 572 of the first light guiding member 507. In this way, the plurality of first steps 578 are configured to emit the light propagating inside the first light guiding member 507 toward the outside of the vehicle 1E.

[0294] 42(a), the plurality of first steps 578 may be formed, for example, in a grid pattern on the first surface 572 of the first light guide member 507. The distance d1 between adjacent first steps 578 among the plurality of first steps 578 is, for example, 400 μm. In this regard, by adjusting the distance d1 between adjacent first steps 578, it is possible to appropriately adjust the brightness of a first optical pattern 579 (see FIG. 43(b)), which will be described later.

[0295] The first step 578 may be formed on the first surface 572 as a recess (see FIG. 42(b)) or as a protrusion (see FIG. 42(c)). The depth d2 or height d3 of the first step 578 from the first surface 572 in the thickness direction of the first light guide member 507 is, for example, in the range of more than 0 μm and not more than 300 μm. For example, when the thickness of the first light guide member 507 is approximately 2.4 mm, the depth d2 or height d3 of the first step 578 may be approximately 30 μm.

[0296] Moreover, the first steps 578 are preferably formed as hemispherical concave or convex portions so that light propagating through the first light guiding member 507 can be efficiently emitted toward the outside of the vehicle 1E. The plurality of first steps 578 can reflect the light propagating through the first light guiding member 507 toward the outside of the vehicle 1E, making it possible for the first light guiding member 507 to emit light. In other words, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle 1E and passengers of other vehicles can visually recognize the emitted light from the first light guiding member 507.

[0297] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 43(b), a first optical pattern 579 can be formed on the first surface 572 of the first light-guiding member 507 by a group of multiple first steps 578. In the example shown in FIG. 43(b), a rectangular first optical pattern 579 can be formed on the first surface 572 by a group of multiple first steps 578. In this embodiment, the shape of the first optical pattern 579 is not particularly limited, and the first optical pattern 579 having a predetermined geometric pattern may be formed on the first surface 572. In this manner, the first optical pattern 579 formed on the first light-guiding member 507 can enhance the design of the exterior of the left-hand vehicle lamp 602L. Furthermore, the first optical pattern 579 is formed in a region of the first surface 572 below a center line C2 passing through the center of the first light-guiding member 507 in the up-down direction.

[0298] Furthermore, a decorative film may be adhered onto the first surface 572 of the first light guiding member 507. The decorative film is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5 and to conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1E. The thickness of the decorative film is, for example, 0.1 mm. The decorative film adhered onto the first surface 572 can conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1E even when the first light guiding member 507 is not emitting light.

[0299] (Configuration of second light guiding member 506) The second light-guiding member 506 is disposed in the lamp chamber S4 so as to face the radar 5 via the first light-guiding member 507, and is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle 1E. In this way, the light emitted by the second light-guiding member 506 can conceal at least a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1E. Furthermore, since the second light-guiding member 506 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5, it is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The second light-guiding member 506 is formed of a transparent resin material, such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. The outer dimensions of the second light-guiding member 506 may be the same as the outer dimensions of the first light-guiding member 507.

[0300] The thickness t2 of the second light guide member 506 is defined by the following formula (13).

number

[0301] In this way, when the thickness t2 of the second light-guiding member 506 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (13), the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the first surface 562 of the second light-guiding member 506 facing the radar 5 via the first light-guiding member 507, and the reflected radio wave R2 reflected by the second surface 561 of the second light-guiding member 506 located on the opposite side from the first surface 562, weaken each other. Specifically, since the phase difference Δθ between the reflected radio wave R2 and the reflected radio wave R1 is (2m+1)π (m is an integer greater than or equal to zero), the reflected radio waves R1 and R2 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the second light-guiding member 506 for radio waves emitted from the radar 5 can be kept low.

[0302] Therefore, the intensity of the radio wave reflected by the second light-guiding member 506 is weakened, and it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio wave is received by the radar 5 and adversely affects the radar data as a noise component. For example, when the wavelength λ of the radio wave of the radar 5 is 3.922 mm and the relative dielectric constant ε of the second light-guiding member 506 made of acrylic resin is 1.922 mm, the relative dielectric constant ε r2 When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t2 of the second light guide member 506 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0303] The second light source 508b is disposed on the wiring board 510 and is electrically connected to a light source drive circuit (not shown). The second light source 508b may be configured with a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED or an LD.

[0304] The second light source 508b is configured to emit light toward the second light-guiding member 506. The light emitted from the second light source 508b propagates inside the second light-guiding member 506 and is reflected toward the outside of the vehicle 1E by the plurality of second steps 568 formed on the first surface 562 of the second light-guiding member 506. In this way, the plurality of second steps 568 is configured to emit the light propagating inside the second light-guiding member 506 toward the outside of the vehicle 1E.

[0305] The second steps 568 may have a configuration similar to that of the first steps 578 shown in Fig. 42. That is, the second steps 568 may be formed in a lattice pattern on the first surface 562 of the second light guide member 506. The interval between adjacent second steps 568 is, for example, 400 µm.

[0306] Furthermore, the second step 568 may be formed as a recess or a protrusion on the first surface 562. The depth or height of the second step 568 from the first surface 562 in the thickness direction of the second light guide member 506 is, for example, in the range of more than 0 μm to 300 μm.

[0307] Moreover, the second steps 568 are preferably formed as hemispherical concave or convex portions so that light propagating through the second light guiding member 506 can be efficiently emitted toward the outside of the vehicle 1E. The plurality of second steps 568 can reflect light propagating through the second light guiding member 506 toward the outside of the vehicle 1E, making it possible for the second light guiding member 506 to emit light. In other words, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle 1E and passengers of other vehicles can visually recognize the emitted light from the second light guiding member 506.

[0308] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 43(a), a second optical pattern 569 can be formed on the first surface 562 of the second light-guiding member 506 by a group of multiple second steps 568. In the example shown in FIG. 43(a), a rectangular second optical pattern 569 can be formed on the first surface 562 by a group of multiple second steps 568. In this embodiment, the shape of the second optical pattern 569 is not particularly limited, and the second optical pattern 569 having a predetermined geometric pattern may be formed on the first surface 572. In this way, the second optical pattern 569 formed on the second light-guiding member 506 can enhance the design of the exterior of the left-hand vehicle lamp 602L.

[0309] Furthermore, the second optical pattern 569 is formed in a region of the first surface 562 above a center line C1 that passes through the center of the second light guide member 506 in the up-down direction. In particular, when the first light guide member 507 and the second light guide member 506 are viewed from the front, the first optical pattern 579 and the second optical pattern 569 do not overlap each other. In other words, when the vehicle lamp 602 is viewed from the front, the first step 578 and the second step 568 do not overlap each other. In this way, it is possible to preferably prevent the light emitted from the first light guide member 507 and the light emitted from the second light guide member 506 from being mixed with each other.

[0310] Furthermore, a decorative film may be adhered onto the first surface 562 of the second light-guiding member 506. The decorative film is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5 and to conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1E. The thickness of the decorative film is, for example, 0.1 mm. The decorative film adhered onto the first surface 562 can conceal the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1E even when the second light-guiding member 506 is not emitting light.

[0311] The first light-guiding member 507 and the second light-guiding member 506 may function as lamps configured to present information related to the traveling of the vehicle 1E (e.g., stop information, turn information, reverse information, information related to an autonomous driving mode, etc.) to the outside of the vehicle 1E. Specifically, the first light-guiding member 507 and the second light-guiding member 506 may function as a stop lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1E has stopped, a turn signal lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1E is turning (turning right or left or changing lanes), a back lamp that notifies the outside that the vehicle 1E is reversing, or an autonomous driving system (ADS) lamp that presents information related to the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle 1E. In particular, the first light-guiding member 507 or the second light-guiding member 506 may function as an ID lamp, which is an example of an ADS lamp and is turned on or off depending on the driving mode of the vehicle 1E. The ID lamp is turned off when the driving mode of the vehicle 1E is a manual driving mode or a driving assistance mode, and is turned on when the driving mode of the vehicle 1E is an advanced driving assistance mode or a fully autonomous driving mode.

[0312] In this regard, it is preferable that the lamp functioned by the first light guiding member 507 is different from the lamp functioned by the second light guiding member 506. For example, when the first light guiding member 507 functions as a stop lamp, the second light guiding member 506 may function as a lamp other than a stop lamp (for example, a turn signal lamp).

[0313] Furthermore, in a case where the second light guiding member 506 functions as a tail and stop lamp while the first light guiding member 507 functions as a turn signal lamp and a backup lamp, lamp units other than the first light guiding member 507 and the second light guiding member 506 may not be disposed in the lamp chamber S4. In this case, the second light source 508b may be a red light source that emits red light. Furthermore, the first light source 508a may have a yellow light source that emits yellow light and a white light source that emits white light.

[0314] Furthermore, an illumination unit such as a stop lamp may be provided in the lamp chamber S4 depending on the lamp functions of the first light guiding member 507 and the second light guiding member 506. For example, when the first light guiding member 507 functions as an ID lamp and the second light guiding member 506 functions as a turn signal lamp, a tail & stop lamp and a backup lamp may be provided in the lamp chamber S4.

[0315] According to this embodiment, the first optical pattern 579 is formed on the first light-guiding member 507 by the plurality of first steps 578, and therefore the first light-guiding member 507 can be made to emit light. Similarly, the second optical pattern 569 is formed on the second light-guiding member 506 by the plurality of second steps 568, and therefore the second light-guiding member 506 can be made to emit light. In this manner, the radar 5 can be concealed from the outside of the vehicle 1E by the light emitted by the two light-guiding members. Therefore, the first light-guiding member 507 and the second light-guiding member 506 can further improve the design of the exterior of the vehicular lamp 602 equipped with the radar 5. Furthermore, the first light-guiding member 507 and the second light-guiding member 506 function as different lamps, and therefore the number of parts of the vehicular lamp 602 can be reduced.

[0316] (Modification of the eighth embodiment) Next, a left-side vehicular lamp 620L according to a modified example of the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 44. Fig. 44 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing the left-side vehicular lamp 620L according to a modified example of the eighth embodiment. The vehicular lamp 602 according to the eighth embodiment is a rear lamp, while the left-side vehicular lamp 620L according to the modified example is a left-side headlamp mounted on the front left side of the vehicle. In the following description, components having the same reference numbers as components already described in the eighth embodiment will not be described repeatedly.

[0317] As shown in FIG. 44, the left-side vehicle lamp 620L has a lamp housing 540, a lamp cover 520, an illumination unit 503, a radar 5, a first light-guiding member 507, a first light source 508a, a second light-guiding member 506, and a second light source 508b.

[0318] The lamp cover 520 is disposed so as to cover the opening of the lamp housing 540. The lighting unit 503 is disposed in a lamp chamber S5 formed by the lamp cover 520 and the lamp housing 540. The lighting unit 503 is configured to emit, for example, a high beam light distribution pattern and / or a low beam light distribution pattern toward the front of the vehicle.

[0319] The radar 5 is disposed outside the lamp chamber S5 and configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle by emitting radio waves toward the outside of the vehicle. The first light guiding member 507 and the second light guiding member 506 are similarly disposed outside the lamp chamber S5 so as to face the radar 5. The first light source 508a and the second light source 508b are similarly disposed outside the lamp chamber S5. The light emitted from the first light guiding member 507 and the light emitted from the second light guiding member 506 is emitted toward the outside of the vehicle via the downward extension 550 of the lamp housing 540.

[0320] When the first light guiding member 507 and the second light guiding member 506 are mounted in a left-side vehicle lamp 620L that is a left-side headlamp, one of the first light guiding member 507 and the second light guiding member 506 may function as a daytime running lamp (DRL), while the other of the first light guiding member 507 and the second light guiding member 506 may function as a turn signal lamp. In this way, the radar 5 can be concealed by the light emitted from the first light guiding member 507 and the second light guiding member 506, and therefore the external design of the left-side vehicle lamp 620L equipped with the radar 5 can be further improved.

[0321] Furthermore, since one of the first light guiding member 507 and the second light guiding member 506 functions as a DRL while the other of the first light guiding member 507 and the second light guiding member 506 functions as a turn signal lamp, there is no need to separately provide a DRL and a turn signal lamp in the left-hand vehicle lamp 620L. In this way, the number of parts of the left-hand vehicle lamp 620L can be reduced.

[0322] (Ninth embodiment) Next, a vehicle lamp according to the ninth embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 45 to Fig. 47. Fig. 45 is a rear view of a vehicle 1F equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp 200L and a right-side vehicle lamp 200R according to the ninth embodiment. Fig. 46 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the left-side vehicle lamp 200L according to the ninth embodiment. Fig. 47 is a diagram showing an example of a first optical pattern 679 formed in a first light-guiding member 570 and an example of a second optical pattern 669 formed in a second light-guiding member 560.

[0323] 45, the left-hand vehicle lamp 200L according to the ninth embodiment is significantly different from the left-hand vehicle lamp 602L according to the eighth embodiment in that the first light guiding member 570 and the second light guiding member 560 are integrally formed via a partition member 530. In the following description, components having the same reference numerals as those already described in the eighth embodiment will not be described repeatedly.

[0324] 45, a left-side vehicle lamp 200L is disposed on the left rear side of a vehicle 1F, and a right-side vehicle lamp 200R is disposed on the right rear side of the vehicle 1F. Each of the left-side vehicle lamp 200L and the right-side vehicle lamp 200R is equipped with a radar 5.

[0325] In this embodiment, the left-side vehicle lamp 200L and the right-side vehicle lamp 200R function as rear lamps (or rear combination lamps). The left-side vehicle lamp 200L and the right-side vehicle lamp 200R are assumed to have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the specific configuration of the left-side vehicle lamp 200L will be described with reference to FIG. 46. For ease of explanation, the left-side vehicle lamp 200L and the right-side vehicle lamp 200R may be collectively referred to simply as "vehicle lamp 200."

[0326] As shown in FIG. 46, the left-side vehicle lamp 200L has a lamp housing 514, a lamp cover 512 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 514, a radar 5, a first light-guiding member 570, a first light source 508a, a second light-guiding member 560, a second light source 508b, and a partition member 530.

[0327] The first light-guiding member 570 is disposed in the lamp chamber S4 to face the radar 5 and is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle 1F. In this way, the light emitted by the first light-guiding member 570 can conceal at least a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1E. Furthermore, since the first light-guiding member 570 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5, it is configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The first light-guiding member 570 is formed of a transparent resin material, such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. The first light-guiding member 570 may have a thickness t1 defined by the already-described formula (12). This allows the reflectance of the first light-guiding member 570 to the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 to be kept low.

[0328] The first light source 508a is disposed on the wiring board 510a and is electrically connected to a light source drive circuit (not shown). The first light source 508a is configured to emit light toward the first light guiding member 570. The light emitted from the first light source 508a propagates inside the first light guiding member 570 and is reflected toward the outside of the vehicle 1E by a plurality of first steps 678 formed on the first surface 672 of the first light guiding member 570. In this way, the plurality of first steps 678 is configured to emit the light propagating inside the first light guiding member 570 toward the outside of the vehicle 1E.

[0329] The multiple first steps 678 have a configuration similar to the multiple first steps 578 shown in Fig. 42(a). That is, the multiple first steps 678 may be formed in a lattice pattern on the first surface 672 of the first light guiding member 570. Furthermore, the first steps 678 may be formed as recesses or protrusions on the first surface 672. The multiple first steps 678 can reflect light propagating inside the first light guiding member 570 toward the outside of the vehicle 1F, making it possible for the first light guiding member 570 to emit light.

[0330] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 47 , a first optical pattern 679 can be formed on the first surface 672 of the first light guiding member 570 by a collection of multiple first steps 678. In the example shown in Fig. 47 , a rectangular first optical pattern 679 can be formed on the first surface 672 by a collection of multiple first steps 678. In this way, the first optical pattern 679 formed on the first light guiding member 570 can improve the design quality of the exterior of the left-hand vehicle lamp 200L.

[0331] The second light-guiding member 560 is disposed in the lamp chamber S4 to face the radar 5, and is configured to emit light toward the outside of the vehicle 1F. In this way, the light emitted by the second light-guiding member 560 can conceal at least a portion of the radar 5 from the outside of the vehicle 1F. The second light-guiding member 560 is also configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the radar 5. The second light-guiding member 560 is formed of a transparent resin material, such as polycarbonate or acrylic resin. The second light-guiding member 560 may have a thickness t2 defined by the already-described formula (13). This allows the reflectance of the second light-guiding member 560 to the radio waves emitted from the radar 5 to be kept low.

[0332] The second light source 508b is disposed on the wiring board 510b and is electrically connected to a light source drive circuit (not shown). The second light source 508b is configured to emit light toward the second light guiding member 560. The light emitted from the second light source 508b propagates inside the second light guiding member 560 and is reflected toward the outside of the vehicle 1F by the plurality of second steps 668 formed on the first surface 662 of the second light guiding member 560. In this way, the plurality of second steps 668 are configured to emit the light propagating inside the second light guiding member 560 toward the outside of the vehicle 1F.

[0333] The plurality of second steps 668 also have a configuration similar to the plurality of first steps 578 shown in Fig. 42(a). That is, the plurality of second steps 668 may be formed in a lattice pattern on the first surface 662 of the second light guiding member 560. Furthermore, the second steps 668 may be formed as recesses or protrusions on the first surface 662. The plurality of second steps 668 can reflect light propagating inside the second light guiding member 560 toward the outside of the vehicle 1F, thereby making it possible for the second light guiding member 560 to emit light.

[0334] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 47 , a second optical pattern 669 can be formed on the first surface 662 of the second light guiding member 560 by a collection of multiple second steps 668. In the example shown in Fig. 47 , a rectangular second optical pattern 669 can be formed on the first surface 662 by a collection of multiple second steps 668. In this way, the second optical pattern 669 formed on the second light guiding member 560 can improve the design quality of the exterior of the left-hand vehicle lamp 200L.

[0335] The partition member 530 is provided between the first light guide member 570 and the second light guide member 560 in the up-down direction, and is made of an opaque resin member. In this regard, the partition member 530 is integrally formed with the first light guide member 570 made of a transparent resin member by two-color molding, and is also integrally formed with the second light guide member 560 made of a transparent resin member by two-color molding. In this way, the first light guide member 570 and the second light guide member 560 are integrally formed with each other via the partition member 530.

[0336] As described above, according to the present embodiment, the partition member 530 can effectively prevent the light emitted from the first light guiding member 570 and the light emitted from the second light guiding member 560 from mixing together. Furthermore, the partition member 530 clearly defines the boundary between the first optical pattern 679 formed on the first light guiding member 570 and the second optical pattern 669 formed on the second light guiding member 560, which further improves the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle lamp 200.

[0337] Furthermore, no convex portion is formed at the boundary between the first light guiding member 570 and the partition member 530, and no convex portion is formed at the boundary between the second light guiding member 560 and the partition member 530. That is, at the boundary between the first light guiding member 570 and the partition member 530, the first surface 672 of the first light guiding member 570 and the surface 539 of the partition member 530 facing the radar 5 form a continuous smooth surface. Also, at the boundary between the second light guiding member 560 and the partition member 530, the first surface 662 of the second light guiding member 560 and the surface 539 of the partition member 530 form a continuous smooth surface.

[0338] Thus, according to this embodiment, even if the partition member 530 is present within the field of view F of the radar 5, it is possible to preferably prevent the radar data from being adversely affected by the radio waves reflected by the boundary between the partition member 530 and the first light-guiding member 570 or the boundary between the partition member 530 and the second light-guiding member 560.

[0339] Furthermore, the first light-guiding member 570 and the second light-guiding member 560 may function as lamps configured to present information related to the traveling of the vehicle 1F (for example, stop information, turn information, reverse information, information related to an autonomous driving mode, etc.) to the outside of the vehicle 1F. Specifically, the first light-guiding member 570 and the second light-guiding member 560 may function as a stop lamp, a turn signal lamp, a backup lamp, or an ADS lamp.

[0340] According to this embodiment, the first optical pattern 679 is formed on the first light-guiding member 570 by the plurality of first steps 678, and therefore the first light-guiding member 570 can be made to emit light. Similarly, the second optical pattern 669 is formed on the second light-guiding member 560 by the plurality of second steps 668, and therefore the second light-guiding member 560 can be made to emit light. In this manner, the radar 5 can be concealed from the outside of the vehicle 1E by the light emitted by the two light-guiding members. Therefore, the first light-guiding member 570 and the second light-guiding member 560 can further improve the design of the exterior of the vehicular lamp 602 equipped with the radar 5. Furthermore, the first light-guiding member 570 and the second light-guiding member 560 function as different lamps, and therefore the number of parts of the vehicular lamp 200 can be reduced.

[0341] In the description of the present embodiment, the plurality of first steps 578 are formed on the first surface 572 of the first light guide member 507, but the present embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, the plurality of first steps 578 may be formed on the second surface 571 of the first light guide member 507, or may be formed on both the first surface 572 and the second surface 571. Similarly, the plurality of second steps 568 may be formed on the second surface 561 of the second light guide member 506, or may be formed on both the first surface 562 and the second surface 561.

[0342] (Tenth embodiment) A tenth embodiment of the present disclosure (hereinafter simply referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described below with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0343] In the description of this embodiment, for convenience of explanation, the "left-right direction," "up-down direction," and "front-rear direction" may be referred to as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the vehicle 1G shown in FIG. 48. Here, the "left-right direction" is a direction that includes the "left direction" and the "right direction." The "up-down direction" is a direction that includes the "upward direction" and the "downward direction." The "front-rear direction" is a direction that includes the "forward direction" and the "rearward direction." Although the "front-rear direction" is not shown in FIG. 48, the "front-rear direction" is a direction that is perpendicular to the left-right direction and the up-down direction.

[0344] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the "horizontal direction" of the vehicle 1G is mentioned, and the "horizontal direction" is a direction perpendicular to the up-down direction (vertical direction) and includes the left-right direction and the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the directions (left-right direction, up-down direction, front-rear direction) set for the right-side vehicle lamp 702R and the left-side vehicle lamp 702L are assumed to match the directions (left-right direction, up-down direction, front-rear direction) set for the vehicle 1G.

[0345] Furthermore, in the description of this embodiment, the "X-axis direction," "Y-axis direction," and "Z-axis direction" may be referred to as appropriate. These directions are relative directions set for the radar 705 shown in FIG. 49. Here, one of the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and Z-axis direction is perpendicular to the remaining two directions. For convenience of description, the X-axis direction of the radar 705 is assumed to be parallel to the up-down direction of the vehicle 1G. The Y-axis direction of the radar 705 is assumed to be parallel to the left-right direction of the vehicle 1G. The Z-axis direction of the radar 705 is assumed to be parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1G.

[0346] First, a vehicle 1G according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 48. FIG. 48 is a view of a vehicle 1G equipped with a left-side vehicle lamp 702L and a right-side vehicle lamp 702R, viewed from the front. As shown in FIG. 48, the left-side vehicle lamp 702L is disposed on the left front side of the vehicle 1G, and the right-side vehicle lamp 702R is disposed on the right front side of the vehicle 1G. Each of the left-side vehicle lamp 702L and the right-side vehicle lamp 702R is equipped with a radar 705. In this embodiment, the left-side vehicle lamp 702L and the right-side vehicle lamp 702R are assumed to have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, the specific configuration of the left-side vehicle lamp 702L will be described with reference to FIG. 49.

[0347] For ease of explanation, the left vehicle lamp 702L and the right vehicle lamp 702R may be collectively referred to simply as the "vehicle lamp 702." In addition, in this embodiment, the vehicle lamp 702 that functions as a headlamp will be described, but the vehicle lamp 702 may be a rear lamp that is disposed on the rear surface of the vehicle 1G and has a radar 705 mounted thereon.

[0348] 49 is a horizontal cross-sectional view schematically showing the left-hand vehicle lamp 702L. As shown in Fig. 49, the left-hand vehicle lamp 702L includes a lamp housing 714, a lamp cover 712 that covers the opening of the lamp housing 714, two lighting units 703 and 704, and a radar 705.

[0349] The lighting units 703, 704 are disposed in a lamp chamber S7 formed by a lamp housing 714 and a lamp cover 712. One of the lighting units 703, 704 functions as a high beam lighting unit configured to emit a high beam light distribution pattern ahead of the vehicle 1G, and the other of the lighting units 703, 704 functions as a low beam lighting unit configured to emit a low beam light distribution pattern ahead of the vehicle 1G.

[0350] The radar 705 is disposed in the lamp chamber S7 and configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1G by emitting radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves or microwaves) toward the outside of the vehicle 1G. In this embodiment, the radar 705 is configured to acquire radar data indicating the area ahead of the vehicle 1G by emitting radio waves toward the front of the vehicle 1G. The radar 705 is, for example, a millimeter wave radar or a microwave radar. A vehicle control unit (on-board computer) (not shown) is configured to identify the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1G (in particular, information about objects present outside the vehicle 1G) based on the radar data output from the radar 705. The field of view F (detection range) of the radar 705 in the vertical direction (X-axis direction) may be, for example, within a range of 3° to 100°. The field of view F of the radar 705 in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X-axis direction may be, for example, within a range of 120° to 180°. The radar 705 may be disposed outside the lamp house S7 or at a predetermined location on the vehicle 1G.

[0351] Next, a specific configuration of the radar 705 will be described below with reference to Fig. 50. Fig. 50 is a cross-sectional view (particularly a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the Y-axis direction) that schematically shows the radar 705. As shown in Fig. 50, the radar 705 includes a first circuit board 710, a second circuit board 720, a radar housing 740, and a light-emitting radome 730 that covers the opening of the radar housing 740.

[0352] A space K7 is defined by the light-emitting radome 730 and the radar housing 740. A first circuit board 710 is disposed within the space K7. An antenna section 713 and an RF (radio frequency) circuit section 715 configured as a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) are disposed on a surface 716 of the first circuit board 710.

[0353] The antenna unit 713 is composed of a plurality of metal patterns 830 (patch antennas) formed on the surface 716 of the first circuit board 710. The antenna unit 713 has a transmitting antenna and a receiving antenna. The transmitting antenna is configured to transmit radio waves (for example, millimeter waves with a wavelength of 1 mm to 10 mm) toward the outside of the radar 705. The receiving antenna is configured to receive radio waves reflected by an object (for example, another vehicle) present outside the radar 705. The radio waves emitted from the transmitting antenna are reflected by the object, such as another vehicle, and the radio waves reflected from the object are received by the receiving antenna. In this way, information related to an object present outside the vehicle 1G is acquired based on the high-frequency signal input to the transmitting antenna and the high-frequency signal output from the receiving antenna.

[0354] The transmitting antenna may be configured with a plurality of metal patterns 830 arranged in a matrix of N rows and M columns. On the other hand, the receiving antenna may be configured with a plurality of metal patterns 830 arranged in N rows and (M+1) columns. In this example, the transmitting antenna is configured with metal patterns 830 arranged in 4 rows and 3 columns. The receiving antenna is configured with metal patterns 830 arranged in 4 rows and 4 columns.

[0355] The RF circuit unit 715 has a transmitting RF circuit and a receiving RF circuit. The transmitting RF circuit is electrically connected to the transmitting antenna and configured to input a high-frequency signal (TX signal) to the transmitting antenna. The receiving RF circuit is electrically connected to the receiving antenna and the transmitting RF circuit and configured to generate an IF (intermediate frequency) signal based on the high-frequency signal (RX signal) and the TX signal output from the receiving antenna, and then perform A / D conversion of the IF signal.

[0356] The second circuit board 720 is disposed in the space K7 and on a surface 742 of the radar housing 740. The second circuit board 720 is electrically connected to the first circuit board 710 via an electrical connector or the like (not shown). A signal processing circuit unit 721, a plurality of first light sources 723a, a plurality of second light sources 723b, and a light source control circuit unit 722 are disposed on a surface 726 of the second circuit board 720.

[0357] The signal processing circuit unit 721 is electrically connected to the RF circuit unit 715 and is configured to generate radar data indicating information related to an object (such as the distance, direction, and relative speed of the object) based on an IF signal (digital signal) output from the receiving RF circuit. The signal processing circuit unit 721 may include a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and a microcontroller. The signal processing circuit unit 721 transmits the radar data to a vehicle control unit (not shown). Thereafter, the vehicle control unit identifies information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1G based on the radar data transmitted from the signal processing circuit unit 721.

[0358] Each of the first light source 723a and the second light source 723b is configured with a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED or an LD. As shown in FIGS. 50 and 52(a), the plurality of first light sources 723a (six first light sources 723a in the example shown in FIG. 52(a)) are arranged in the Y-axis direction near a first end 728 of the second circuit board 720. Similarly, the plurality of second light sources 723b (six second light sources 723b in the example shown in FIG. 52(a)) are arranged in the Y-axis direction near a second end 729 of the second circuit board 720 located on the opposite side from the first end 728. Each of the first light sources 723a is configured to emit light toward an end surface 735a of the first extending portion 735 of the light-emitting radome 730. Similarly, each of the second light sources 723b is configured to emit light toward an end surface 734b of the second extending portion 734 of the light-emitting radome 730.

[0359] 52(a), six first light sources 723a are arranged in the Y-axis direction near the first end 728, and six second light sources 723b are arranged in the Y-axis direction near the second end 729, but the number of first light sources 723a and the number of second light sources 723b are not particularly limited in this embodiment. For example, the number of first light sources 723a and the number of second light sources 723b may each be one.

[0360] 52(b), two first light sources 723a may be arranged near the first end 728, and two second light sources 723b may be arranged near the second end 729. In this case, one of the two first light sources 723a is arranged near a corner portion 725a of the second circuit board 720, and the other of the two first light sources 723a is arranged near a corner portion 725b of the second circuit board 720. Furthermore, a first light guide 727a is arranged between the two first light sources 723a. In this case, light emitted from the two first light sources 723a is incident on the first light guide 727a. Thereafter, the light propagating inside the first light guide 727a is reflected toward the end surface 735a of the first extension portion 735 by a plurality of steps formed on the surface of the first light guide 727a.

[0361] Similarly, one of the two second light sources 723b is arranged near a corner portion 725c of the second circuit board 720, and the other of the two second light sources 723b is arranged near a corner portion 725d of the second circuit board 720. Furthermore, a first light guide 727b is arranged between the two second light sources 723b. In this case, light emitted from the second light source 723b is incident on the first light guide 727b. Thereafter, the light propagating inside the first light guide 727b is reflected toward an end surface 734b of the second extension portion 734 by a plurality of steps formed on the surface of the first light guide 727b.

[0362] The light source control circuit 722 is electrically connected to each of the first light source 723 a and the second light source 723 b, and is configured to control the lighting of the first light source 723 a and the second light source 723 b. Furthermore, when the radar 705 functions as a turn signal lamp, the light source control circuit 722 may control the lighting of the first light source 723 a and the second light source 723 b based on an instruction signal transmitted from a vehicle control unit.

[0363] Next, the structure of the light-emitting radome 730 will be described in detail. The light-emitting radome 730 is formed of a transparent resin material such as acrylic resin or polycarbonate. The light-emitting radome 730 has a light emitting portion 731, a first light guide portion 738 connected to one end of the light emitting portion 731, a second light guide portion 739 connected to the other end of the light emitting portion 731, a first extending portion 735 connected to the first light guide portion 738, and a second extending portion 734 connected to the second light guide portion 739.

[0364] The light emitting portion 731 has an inner surface 733 (an example of a first surface) facing the first circuit board 710, an outer surface 732 (an example of a second surface) located on the opposite side of the inner surface 733, and a plurality of steps 768 (see FIG. 51(a)) formed on the inner surface 733. The plurality of steps 768 are configured to emit light propagating inside the light emitting portion 731 of the light-emitting radome 730 toward the outside of the radar 705 (particularly, in the +Z-axis direction).

[0365] 51(a), the plurality of steps 768 may be formed in a lattice pattern on the inner surface 733 of the light emitting portion 731. The distance d1 between adjacent steps 768 among the plurality of steps 768 is, for example, 400 μm. In this regard, by adjusting the distance d1 between adjacent steps 768, it is possible to appropriately adjust the brightness of an optical pattern 769 (see FIG. 53), which will be described later.

[0366] The step 768 may be formed as a recess on the inner surface 733 of the light emitting portion 731 (see FIG. 51(b)), or as a protrusion on the inner surface 733 (see FIG. 51(c)). The depth d2 or height d3 of the step 768 from the inner surface 733 in the thickness direction of the light emitting portion 731 is, for example, in the range of more than 0 μm and not more than 300 μm. For example, when the thickness of the light emitting portion 731 is approximately 2.4 mm, the depth d2 or height d3 of the step 768 may be approximately 30 μm.

[0367] Moreover, the steps 768 are preferably formed in hemispherical concave or convex portions so that the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 731 can be efficiently emitted toward the outside of the radar 705. The plurality of steps 768 can reflect the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 731 toward the outside of the radar 705, making it possible for the light emitting portion 731 to emit light. In other words, pedestrians and the like outside the vehicle 1G and occupants of other vehicles can visually recognize the light emitted by the radar 705.

[0368] 53, a collection of a plurality of steps 768 can form an optical pattern 769 on the light emitting portion 731. In the example shown in FIG. 53, a collection of a plurality of steps 768 can form a rectangular optical pattern 769 on the light emitting portion 731. In this embodiment, the shape of the optical pattern 769 is not particularly limited, and the optical pattern 769 may have a predetermined geometric shape. In this way, the optical pattern 769 formed on the light emitting portion 731 can enhance the design of the appearance of the radar 705.

[0369] 50 , a decorative film 750 is adhered onto the inner surface 733 of the light emitting portion 731. Furthermore, the decorative film 750 is adhered to the inner surface of the first light guide portion 738 and the inner surface of the first extending portion 735, and is also adhered to the inner surface of the second light guide portion 739 and the inner surface of the second extending portion 734.

[0370] The decorative film 750 is configured to transmit radio waves emitted from the antenna unit 713 and to conceal the first circuit board 710 and the second circuit board 720 from the outside of the radar 705. The decorative film 750 does not contain metal materials. The decorative film 750 also has high transmittance in the frequency band of the radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) emitted from the antenna unit 713. The thickness of the decorative film 750 is, for example, 0.1 mm.

[0371] As an example of the layer structure of the decorative film 750, the decorative film 750 has a binder layer that functions as an adhesive layer, a decorative layer formed on the binder layer, a multilayer mirror formed on the decorative layer, a hard coat layer formed on the multilayer mirror, and a protective layer formed on the hard coat layer. The multilayer mirror, for example, has multiple low-refractive-index polymer layers and multiple high-refractive-index polymer layers alternately stacked. The multilayer mirror provided in the decorative film 750 makes it possible to increase the reflectance of the decorative film 750 for visible light. As an example of the multilayer mirror, PICASUS (registered trademark) manufactured by Toray Industries, Inc. may be used.

[0372] A reflecting surface 736 is formed between the first light guide portion 738 and the light emitting portion 731. The first extending portion 735 is disposed in the space K7 and extends toward the second circuit board 720. An end surface 735a of the first extending portion 735 faces the first light source 723a via a gap.

[0373] The light emitted from the first light source 723a enters the first extending portion 735 and then propagates inside the first light guide portion 738. Thereafter, the light propagating inside the first light guide portion 738 is reflected by the reflecting surface 736 toward the light emitting portion 731. Thereafter, the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 731 is reflected toward the outside of the radar 705 by the plurality of steps 768 formed on the inner surface 733. In this way, the light emitted from the first light source 723a causes the light emitting portion 731 of the light-emitting radome 730 to emit light.

[0374] A reflecting surface 737 is formed between the second light guide portion 739 and the light emitting portion 731. The second extending portion 734 is disposed in the space K7 and extends toward the second circuit board 720. An end surface 734b of the second extending portion 734 faces the second light source 723b via a gap.

[0375] The light emitted from the second light source 723b enters the second extending portion 734 and then propagates inside the second light guide portion 739. Thereafter, the light propagating inside the second light guide portion 739 is reflected by the reflecting surface 737 toward the light emitting portion 731. Thereafter, the light propagating inside the light emitting portion 731 is reflected toward the outside of the radar 705 by the plurality of steps 768 formed on the inner surface 733. In this way, the light emitted from the second light source 723b causes the light emitting portion 731 of the light-emitting radome 730 to emit light.

[0376] According to this embodiment, the plurality of steps 768 formed on the light emitting portion 731 emits light toward the outside of the radar 705. In this way, the light-emitting radome 730 can enhance the design quality of the exterior of the radar 705. Furthermore, the radar 705 itself can be actively used as a decorative member to enhance the design quality of the exterior of the vehicle 1G.

[0377] In particular, the optical pattern 769 formed by the plurality of steps 768 can enhance the design of the appearance of the radar 705. Furthermore, the first extending portion 735 provided on the light-emitting radome 730 can efficiently guide the light emitted from the first light source 723a to the light-emitting portion 731, and the second extending portion 734 provided on the light-emitting radome 730 can efficiently guide the light emitted from the second light source 723b to the light-emitting portion 731.

[0378] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the decorative film 750 can conceal the first circuit board 710 and the second circuit board 720 from the outside of the radar 705 even when the light-emitting radome 730 is not emitting light.

[0379] Furthermore, the decorative film 750 faces the radar 705 so that all of the radio waves within the field of view emitted from the radar 705 pass through the decorative film 750, while the decorative film 750 does not contain any metal material and has high transmittance to radio waves. This can effectively prevent the decorative film 750 from adversely affecting the radio waves emitted from the radar 705. As a result, it can effectively prevent the decorative film 750 from reducing the reliability of the radar data.

[0380] Moreover, in this embodiment, the light emitting portion 731 is disposed to face the antenna portion 713. Therefore, the light emitting portion 731 is configured to transmit the radio waves emitted from the antenna portion 713 toward the outside of the radar 705. Furthermore, in order to improve the reliability of the radar data acquired by the radar 705, it is desirable to keep the reflectance of the light emitting portion 731 with respect to the radio waves emitted from the antenna portion 713 low.

[0381] Based on the above viewpoint, the thickness t (see FIG. 50) of the light emitting portion 731 will be described below. The thickness t of the light emitting portion 731 is defined by the following formula (14).

number

[0382] Thus, when the thickness t of the light emitting portion 731 is set to the thickness defined by the above formula (14), the reflected radio wave R1 reflected by the inner surface 733 of the light emitting portion 731 facing the antenna unit 713 and the reflected radio wave R2 reflected by the outer surface 732 of the light emitting portion 731 weaken each other. Specifically, since the phase difference Δθ between the reflected radio wave R2 and the reflected radio wave R1 is (2m+1)π (m is an integer equal to or greater than zero), the reflected radio waves R1 and R2 weaken each other. As a result, the reflectivity of the light emitting portion 731 for the radio wave emitted from the antenna unit 713 can be kept low. Therefore, since the intensity of the reflected radio wave reflected by the light emitting portion 731 is weakened, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the reflected radio wave is received by the receiving antenna of the antenna unit 713 as a noise component and adversely affects the radar data. For example, when the wavelength λ of the radio wave is 3.922 mm and the relative dielectric constant ε of the light emitting portion 731 made of acrylic resin is 1.022 mm, the relative dielectric constant ε r When is 2.57 and n=2, the thickness t of the light emitting portion 731 is approximately 2.45 mm.

[0383] The radar 705 may also function as an automated driving system (ADS) lamp or daytime running lamp (DRL) that presents information about the driving mode of the vehicle 1G to the outside of the vehicle 1G. In particular, the radar 705 may function as an ID lamp, as an example of an ADS lamp, that turns on or off depending on the driving mode of the vehicle 1G. The ID lamp turns off when the driving mode of the vehicle 1G is a manual driving mode or a driving assistance mode, and turns on when the driving mode of the vehicle 1G is an advanced driving assistance mode or a fully automated driving mode.

[0384] In this way, when the radar 705 functions as an ADS lamp or a DRL, there is no need to provide a separate ADS lamp or a DRL in the vehicle lamp 702. In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of parts in the vehicle lamp 702.

[0385] In the description of this embodiment, the steps 768 are formed on the inner surface 733 of the light emitting portion 731, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, the steps 768 may be formed on the outer surface 732 of the light emitting portion 731, or on both the inner surface 733 and the outer surface 732.

[0386] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited by the description of the present embodiments. The present embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0387] This application incorporates by reference the contents disclosed in the following Japanese patent applications as appropriate: Patent Application No. 2019-164750 (Application date: September 10, 2019) Patent Application No. 2019-183068 (Application date: October 3, 2019) Patent Application No. 2019-183069 (Application date: October 3, 2019) Patent Application No. 2019-183070 (Application date: October 3, 2019) Patent Application No. 2019-186787 (Application date: October 10, 2019) Patent Application No. 2019-206320 (Application date: November 14, 2019) Patent Application No. 2019-206321 (Application date: November 14, 2019) Patent Application No. 2019-207074 (Application date: November 15, 2019) Patent Application No. 2019-216675 (Application date: November 29, 2019) Patent Application No. 2020-088267 (Application date: May 20, 2020)

Claims

1. A lamp housing; a lamp cover that covers an opening of the lamp housing; a radar disposed in a lamp chamber formed by the lamp housing and the lamp cover, and configured to acquire radar data indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle by emitting radio waves to the outside of the vehicle; a first light-guiding member disposed in the lamp chamber so as to face the radar and configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar; a second light-guiding member disposed in the lamp chamber so as to face the radar and configured to pass radio waves emitted from the radar; a partition member provided between the first light guide member and the second light guide member and made of an opaque resin member, the first light guiding member is configured to emit first light toward an outside of the vehicle, the second light guiding member is configured to emit the second light toward an outside of the vehicle, The partition member prevents the light emitted from the first light-guiding member and the light emitted from the second light-guiding member from mixing with each other.

2. a first light source disposed in the lamp chamber and configured to emit the first light toward the first light guiding member; The vehicular lamp according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second light source disposed in the lamp chamber and configured to emit the second light toward the second light guide member.

3. the first light-guiding member and the second light-guiding member function as lamps or daytime running lamps (DRLs) configured to present information related to driving of the vehicle to an exterior of the vehicle; 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first light-guiding member functions as a lamp different from the second light-guiding member.

4. The first light guiding member is a first surface facing the radar; a second surface located opposite the first surface; a plurality of first steps formed on at least one of the first surface and the second surface; the plurality of first steps are configured to emit the first light propagating inside the first light guiding member toward the outside of the vehicle, The second light guiding member is a third surface facing the radar; a fourth surface located opposite the third surface; a plurality of second steps formed on at least one of the third surface and the fourth surface, the plurality of second steps are configured to emit the second light propagating inside the second light guiding member toward the outside of the vehicle, 4. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first steps and the plurality of second steps do not overlap each other when the vehicular lamp is viewed from the front.

5. the plurality of first steps are configured to form a first optical pattern on the first light-guiding member; The vehicular lamp according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of second steps are configured to form a second optical pattern on the second light-guiding member.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the second light-guiding member faces the radar via the first light-guiding member.

7. A vehicle lighting fixture as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first light-guiding member and the second light-guiding member are integrally formed with each other via the partition member.

8. 8. The vehicular lamp according to claim 7, wherein no convex portion is formed at a boundary between the first light guide member and the partition member, and no convex portion is formed at a boundary between the second light guide member and the partition member.

9. The thickness t1 of the first light guide member is defined by the formula (1), The thickness t2 of the second light guide member is defined by the formula (2):

9. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1. t1=λ / (2e ｒ１ １／２ )×n・・・(1) t2=λ / (2e ｒ２ １／２ )×n・・・(2) Here, λ is the wavelength of the radio wave emitted from the radar, ε ｒ１ is the relative dielectric constant of the first light-guiding member, ε ｒ２ is the relative dielectric constant of the second light-guiding member, and n is an integer of 1 or more.

10. A vehicle equipped with the vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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