Optical components and vehicle lighting fixtures

Abstract

To provide an optical member and a vehicular lighting fixture that can apply light to a wide area including a lower part at a near position.SOLUTION: An optical member (10) comprises: a first reflection part (14a) for reflecting a portion of illumination light; a second reflection part (14b) provided separately from the first reflection part (14a) in at least a height direction, and for reflecting another portion of the illumination light; a rear light guide part (11c) provided so as to extend rearward from the second reflection part (14b); a lower refraction part (15a) provided at an end part of the rear light guide part (11c), and for refracting the illumination light reflected by the first reflection part (14a), at least downward; and a rear illumination part (15b) provided at the end part of the rear light guide part (11c), and for applying the illumination light reflected by the second reflection part (14b), rearward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an optical member and a vehicle lamp. [Background technology]

[0002] In the technical field of vehicle lighting fixtures, combination lamps that integrate multiple lighting functions into a single lamp housing have been used for some time. Examples of such combination lamps include front combination lamps that house headlights, width lamps, and turn signal lights, and rear combination lamps that house brake lights, tail lights, width lamps, and turn signal lights. In addition, the number of types of lamps housed in these combination lamps has been increasing in recent years.

[0003] In recent years, vehicles have become increasingly equipped with backup cameras that capture images of the area behind the vehicle when reversing, and monitors that display images captured by the backup cameras. To assist rearward visibility using such backup cameras and monitors, backup lamps that illuminate the area behind the vehicle are also used. Patent Document 1 describes a rear combination lamp that incorporates the function of a backup lamp that illuminates the road surface behind the vehicle. It is also anticipated that, in addition to the backup lamp, an auxiliary vehicle lamp that illuminates the area around the vehicle may be incorporated into the combination lamp. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-084313 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, as described above, combination lamps incorporate multiple functions, and the size and shape of auxiliary vehicle lamps are often limited by functional priorities and design requirements. Therefore, it has been difficult to irradiate a wide area around the vehicle from auxiliary vehicle lamps. In particular, auxiliary vehicle lamps that are long horizontally and cannot ensure sufficient height have difficulty irradiating light onto the road surface close to the vehicle.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and aims to provide an optical element and a vehicle lamp that are capable of irradiating light over a wide range, including nearby downward positions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the optical member of the present invention includes a first reflecting section that reflects a part of the irradiated light, a second reflecting section that is separated from the first reflecting section at least in a height direction and that reflects another part of the irradiated light, a rear light guiding section that is extended rearward from the second reflecting section, a downward refraction section that is provided at an end of the rear light guiding section and that refracts the irradiated light reflected by the first reflecting section at least downward, and a rear illumination section that is provided at the end of the rear light guiding section and that illuminates the irradiated light reflected by the second reflecting section backward. A boundary rib is provided at the boundary between the first reflecting portion and the second reflecting portion. It is characterized by:

[0008] In such an optical element of the present invention, the irradiated light reflected by the second reflecting section is irradiated from the end of the rear light-guiding section, and the irradiated light reflected by the first reflecting section is refracted downward by the downward refraction section and irradiated, making it possible to irradiate light over a wide range, including nearby downward positions.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, the first reflecting portion is located above the second reflecting portion, and the downward refraction portion is located below the rearward irradiating portion.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the downward refraction portion further refracts the irradiated light in a lateral direction.

[0011] In addition, in one aspect of the present invention, a downward light-guiding section is provided extending downward from the first reflecting section and the second reflecting section, and a third reflecting section is provided on one surface of the downward light-guiding section, and the irradiation light reflected by the third reflecting section is incident on the first reflecting section and the second reflecting section.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the rear light guiding section is formed with a protruding section that protrudes upward, and at least a part of the first reflecting section is provided on the protruding section.

[0014] In order to solve the above problem, the present invention provides a vehicle lamp having any one of the optical elements described above and a light-emitting portion arranged opposite to the light incident portion of the optical element. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The present invention can provide an optical member and a vehicle lamp that can irradiate a wide range, including a nearby downward position, with light. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an overview of a vehicle lamp 100 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing a schematic overview of an optical element 10 used in a vehicle lamp 100, in which FIG. 2A is a top view, FIG. 2B is a perspective view seen from diagonally below and behind, and FIG. 2C is a perspective view seen from diagonally above. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams illustrating light irradiation through the rear irradiation section 15b of the optical element 10, where FIG. 3A is a rear front view, FIG. 3B is a perspective view seen from diagonally above, and FIG. 3C is a top view. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of angle adjusting reflecting portions 14a and 14b in the optical member 10. FIG. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating light irradiation through a downward refraction portion 15a in the optical member 10, where FIG. 5A is a top view and FIG. 5B is a perspective view seen from diagonally above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing will be assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an overview of a vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment. The rightward direction in FIG. 1 is the positive x-axis direction (rearward of the vehicle), the downward direction is the positive z-axis direction (under the vehicle), and the depth direction perpendicular to the paper surface is the y-axis direction (width direction of the vehicle). As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle lamp 100 includes an optical member 10 and a light-emitting element 20. In addition, arrows indicated by solid lines and dashed lines in the drawing indicate typical optical paths of light emitted from the light-emitting element 20.

[0018] The optical member 10 is made of a light-transmitting material and internally guides light emitted by the light-emitting element 20 and emits it in a predetermined direction. As shown in Fig. 1, the optical member 10 includes a light-guiding section 11, a light incident section 12, a distributive reflection section 13, angle-adjusting reflection sections 14a and 14b, a downward refraction section 15a, a rearward illumination section 15b, a boundary rib 16, and a protrusion 17.

[0019] Light guide 11 is made of a light-transmitting material, is formed by a known method, and includes incident light guide 11a, downward light guide 11b, and rear light guide 11c. The specific material constituting light guide 11 is not limited, and for example, an acrylic resin material or a glass material can be used. Light guide 11 is formed with a smooth surface so that light that reaches the surface at an angle equal to or greater than the critical angle is totally reflected due to the difference in refractive index between the constituent material and air.

[0020] Incident light guide 11a is disposed near light emitting element 20 and guides the irradiated light incident from light incident portion 12 to downward light guide 11b. While FIG. 1 shows an example in which light incident portion 12 is the yz plane of incident light guide 11a and light emitting element 20 is disposed in the negative direction of the x axis, the shape and orientation of light incident portion 12 are not limited. In addition, a distributive reflection portion 13 is provided on the surface of incident light guide 11a facing light incident portion 12.

[0021] The downward light guiding section 11b is formed to extend in the vertical direction (z-axis direction), is provided between the incident light guiding section 11a and the rear light guiding section 11c, and is a section that guides the illumination light that has arrived from the incident light guiding section 11a to the rear light guiding section 11c. The downward light guiding section 11b has a distributive reflector 13 on the surface facing the incident light guiding section 11a. The upper surface of the downward light guiding section 11b is inclined with respect to the x-axis direction and the z-axis direction, and is provided with the angle adjustment reflectors 14a, 14b and the boundary rib 16. In other words, the downward light guiding section 11b is provided to extend downward from the angle adjustment reflectors 14a, 14b.

[0022] The rear light guide 11c is provided near the upper end of the downward light guide 11b and extends rearward (in the x-axis direction) from the angle adjustment reflector 14b. The rear light guide 11c guides the irradiated light arriving from the downward light guide 11b to the rear end and irradiates it to the outside. The upper and lower surfaces of the rear light guide 11c are formed parallel to the xy plane and are formed as a substantially flat plate-like portion. In addition, a protrusion 17 is provided on the upper surface of the rear light guide 11c near the boundary with the downward light guide 11b. The rear end of the rear light guide 11c has an end face inclined with respect to the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, and is provided with a downward refraction portion 15a and a rearward illumination portion 15b.

[0023] Light incident section 12 is provided in incident light guide section 11a facing light emitting element 20, and is a section that takes in light emitted by light emitting element 20 into incident light guide section 11a. In the example shown in FIG. 1, light incident section 12 is shown as a yz plane, but it may have a shape that protrudes toward light emitting element 20 in order to efficiently take in light irradiated from light emitting element 20. Furthermore, light incident section 12 may be formed as a concave surface depending on the directionality of light irradiated from light emitting element 20.

[0024] The distributive reflection section 13 is provided across the incident light guide section 11a and the downward light guide section 11b facing the light incident section 12, and is a section that reflects incident light upward (negative z-axis direction) and laterally (y-axis direction), and corresponds to the third reflector in the present invention. As will be described later, the distributive reflection section 13 has a curved shape divided into multiple regions, and when incident light is incident at an angle equal to or greater than the critical angle, the incident light is totally reflected. Here, an example is shown in which total reflection due to the refractive index difference with air is used for the distributive reflection section 13, but a reflective film made of metal or the like may be formed on the surface of each region of the distributive reflection section 13.

[0025] The angle adjustment reflector 14a is a portion where a portion of the irradiated light reflected by the distribution reflector 13 and traveling through the downward light guide 11b reaches and is reflected, and corresponds to the first reflector in the present invention. The angle adjustment reflector 14a is provided separately above the angle adjustment reflector 14b in the height direction (z-axis direction), and a portion of the angle adjustment reflector 14a extends up to the protrusion 17. As will be described later, the angle adjustment reflector 14a is divided into multiple regions in the horizontal direction, and when the irradiated light is incident on each region at an angle equal to or greater than the critical angle, the irradiated light is totally reflected. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which each region of the angle adjustment reflector 14a has a flat surface, but it may also be configured as a concave or convex surface. Furthermore, although an example is shown in which the angle adjustment reflector 14a uses total reflection due to the refractive index difference with air, a reflective film made of metal or the like may be formed on the surface of the angle adjustment reflector 14a.

[0026] The angle adjustment reflector 14b is a portion where a portion of the irradiated light reflected by the distribution reflector 13 and traveling through the downward light guide 11b reaches and is reflected, and corresponds to the second reflector of the present invention. The angle adjustment reflector 14b is provided separately below the angle adjustment reflector 14a in the height direction (z-axis direction). As will be described later, the angle adjustment reflector 14b is divided into multiple regions in the horizontal direction, and when the irradiated light is incident on each region at an angle equal to or greater than the critical angle, the irradiated light is totally reflected. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which each region of the angle adjustment reflector 14b has a flat surface, but it may also be configured as a concave or convex surface. Furthermore, although an example is shown in which the angle adjustment reflector 14b uses total reflection due to the refractive index difference with air, a reflective film made of metal or the like may be formed on the surface of the angle adjustment reflector 14b.

[0027] The downward refraction section 15a is a light exit surface provided at the rear end of the rear light guide section 11c. The downward refraction section 15a receives the irradiated light reflected by the angle-adjusting reflector 14a and refracts the irradiated light downward and laterally due to the difference in refractive index with air. As shown in FIG. 1, the downward refraction section 15a is located below the rear illumination section 15b at the end of the rear light guide section 11c. The inclination angle of the downward refraction section 15a is different from the inclination angle of the rear illumination section 15b. As will be described later, the downward refraction section 15a is divided into multiple regions in the horizontal direction. When the irradiated light enters each region at an angle less than the critical angle, the irradiated light is refracted according to the inclination angle without being totally reflected. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which each region of the downward refraction section 15a is a flat surface, but it may also be configured as a concave or convex surface.

[0028] The rearward irradiating section 15b is a light exit surface provided at the rear end of the rear light guide section 11c, and is a portion where the irradiated light reflected by the angle-adjusting reflecting section 14b reaches and irradiates the irradiated light to the outside behind. The rearward irradiating section 15b is divided into a plurality of regions in the horizontal direction, as described below, and the irradiated light is transmitted without being totally reflected when it is incident on each region at an angle less than the critical angle. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which each region of the rearward irradiating section 15b has a flat surface, but it may also be configured as a concave or convex surface. Furthermore, for simplicity, FIG. 1 shows an example in which the irradiated light is irradiated rearward from the rearward irradiating section 15b, but the irradiated light may be refracted and irradiated according to the inclination angle of the rearward irradiating section 15b.

[0029] The boundary rib 16 is a protruding portion at the boundary between the angle-adjusting reflectors 14a and 14b. The angle-adjusting reflectors 14a and 14b have different inclination angles relative to the x-axis and y-axis directions to differentiate the incident and reflection angles of the irradiated light, as described below. Therefore, if the angle-adjusting reflectors 14a and 14b were formed as flat inclined surfaces, their boundaries would form apex angles intersecting at a predetermined angle, potentially resulting in stray light from the irradiated light reaching the apex angles. Furthermore, if the boundary were curved to avoid forming an apex angle at the boundary, the area of ​​the curved surface would increase, reducing the effective reflective area of ​​the angle-adjusting reflectors 14a and 14b. Therefore, by providing the boundary rib 16 at the boundary between the angle-adjusting reflectors 14a and 14b, light reaching the boundary can be captured within the boundary rib 16, thereby suppressing reflection of the irradiated light from the boundary toward the rear light guide 11c. While FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the boundary rib 16 is provided, the boundary rib 16 may be omitted if the impact of stray light is small.

[0030] The protrusion 17 is a portion that protrudes from the upper surface of the rear light guiding portion 11c near the boundary between the downward light guiding portion 11b and the rear light guiding portion 11c. The shape of the protrusion 17 is not limited, but it is preferable that the height of the protrusion 17 decreases toward the rear of the rear light guiding portion 11c (positive direction of the x-axis) in order to ensure a path for the irradiated light reflected by the angle adjustment reflecting portion 14a, as will be described later. Alternatively, the angle adjustment reflecting portion 14a may be provided on a part of the protrusion 17.

[0031] The light-emitting element 20 is an electronic component disposed opposite the light incident portion 12 of the optical member 10, mounted on a mounting substrate (not shown) on which wiring is formed, and emits light of a predetermined color when supplied with current by a drive circuit. This corresponds to the light-emitting portion of the present invention. The specific structure of the light-emitting element 20 is not limited, but an LED package combining a light-emitting diode (LED) that emits primary light and a wavelength conversion member that converts the wavelength of a portion of the primary light into secondary light can be used. The material of the light-emitting diode is also not limited, and known materials and structures can be used. For example, a GaN-based LED that emits blue light can be used. The material of the wavelength conversion member is also not limited, and for example, a YAG-based phosphor material that is excited by blue light and emits yellow light can be used. The light-emitting element 20 is not limited to an LED, and may be a semiconductor laser or the like.

[0032] 1, in the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment, the light emitted from the light emitting element 20 enters the light guiding section 11 from the light incident section 12. In the light guiding section 11, the light travels through the incident light guiding section 11a, and part of the light reaches the distributive reflection section 13.

[0033] As shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 1, a portion of the irradiated light that reaches the distributive reflector 13 is totally reflected at an angle corresponding to the curved surface shape of the distributive reflector 13, and reaches the angle-adjusting reflector 14a. The irradiated light that reaches the angle-adjusting reflector 14a is totally reflected at an angle corresponding to the inclination angle of the angle-adjusting reflector 14a, and travels diagonally downward through the protrusion 17 and the rear light-guiding section 11c, and reaches the downward refraction section 15a. Because the downward refraction section 15a is set at an angle at which the irradiated light that reaches it is not totally reflected, the irradiated light is refracted downward and sideways due to the difference in refractive index between the material that constitutes the light-guiding section 11 and air, and is then irradiated.

[0034] As shown by solid arrows in FIG. 1 , a portion of the irradiated light that reaches the distributive reflector 13 is totally reflected at an angle corresponding to the curved surface shape of the distributive reflector 13 and reaches the angle-adjustable reflector 14b. The irradiated light that reaches the angle-adjustable reflector 14b is totally reflected at an angle corresponding to the inclination angle of the angle-adjustable reflector 14b and travels through the rear light guide 11c to reach the rear illumination unit 15b. Because the rear illumination unit 15b is set at an angle that does not cause total reflection of the irradiated light that reaches it, the rear illumination unit 15b transmits the irradiated light, and the irradiated light is irradiated rearward of the vehicle lamp 100. At this time, by tilting the rear illumination unit 15b with respect to the x-axis, y-axis, or z-axis, the irradiated light can be refracted and irradiated in an appropriate direction due to the difference in refractive index between the material constituting the light guide 11 and air.

[0035] 1, in the optical member 10 and the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment, the angle-adjusting reflecting portion 14a is located above the angle-adjusting reflecting portion 14b, and the downward refraction portion 15a is located below the rearward-illuminating portion 15b. Therefore, the light emitted from the rearward-illuminating portion 15b travels approximately horizontally within the rearward light-guiding portion 11c, whereas the light emitted from the downward refraction portion 15a travels at a predetermined downward angle within the protrusion 17 and the rearward light-guiding portion 11c. As a result, because the downward refraction portion 15a is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the x-axis, the angle of incidence of the light incident on the downward refraction portion 15a is large, and the light can be refracted at a large angle with respect to the x-axis and irradiated to the outside.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an optical member 10 used in a vehicle lamp 100, where FIG. 2(a) is a top view, FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view seen from diagonally below the rear, and FIG. 2(c) is a perspective view seen from diagonally above. As shown in FIGS. 2(a) to 2(c), the end of the rear light guide portion 11c is also formed to be inclined with respect to the x-axis direction. Corresponding to the inclination of the rear light guide portion 11c, the downward refraction portion 15a and the rear illumination portion 15b are divided into a plurality of regions having a plurality of steps, and each region has a set inclination angle with respect to the x-axis direction, the y-axis direction, and the z-axis direction. In the example shown in FIG. 2(c), the rear illumination portion 15b has a curved surface shape curved along the z-axis direction. However, the rear illumination portion 15b in each region may be further divided into a plurality of regions along the z-axis direction to form a plurality of planar shapes with different inclination angles.

[0037] Angle-adjusting reflectors 14a and 14b are divided into multiple regions along the y-axis direction, and each region has a set inclination angle relative to the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions. Angle-adjusting reflector 14a is formed in a partial region of light-guiding section 11 in the y-axis direction, and boundary rib 16 is formed in the corresponding region. Light incident section 12 is formed to partially protrude from incident light-guiding section 11a.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2(b), the distributive reflection section 13 is divided into a first region 13a, a second region 13b, and a third region 13c. The side surface of the downward light-guiding section 11b is an inclined side surface 13d inclined with respect to the y-axis direction and the z-axis direction. The inclination angle of the inclined side surface 13d is set so as to totally reflect the incident irradiated light. Here, an example is shown in which the inclined side surface 13d is inclined at an angle that totally reflects the irradiated light, but a reflective film made of metal or the like may be formed on the inclined side surface 13d.

[0039] The first region 13a, the second region 13b, and the third region 13c each have a curved surface that is concave in the x-axis direction. The curved surface shapes of the first region 13a, the second region 13b, and the third region 13c are not limited, and shapes obtained by partially cutting out a free-form surface, a paraboloid of revolution, an ellipsoid of revolution, or the like can be used. In addition, the intersection of the first region 13a, the second region 13b, and the third region 13c is located opposite the light incident portion 12, and the light emitting element 20 is also located opposite the intersection.

[0040] 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams illustrating light irradiation via the rear irradiation unit 15b in the optical member 10, in which Fig. 3A is a rear front view, Fig. 3B is a perspective view seen from diagonally above, and Fig. 3C is a top view. As shown in Figs. 3A and 3B, the irradiation light incident from the light incident unit 12 reaches and is reflected by the first region 13a, the second region 13b, and the third region 13c, which are multiple regions of the distribution reflection unit 13.

[0041] The illumination light incident on the first region 13a is reflected according to the curved shape of the first region 13a, travels upward (in the negative direction of the z-axis) through the downward light-guiding section 11b, and reaches the angle adjustment reflecting section 14b. Here, the region that the illumination light reflected by the first region 13a reaches is a region of the angle adjustment reflecting section 14b that is located near the center in the y-axis direction. The illumination light that reaches the angle adjustment reflecting section 14b is totally reflected, travels approximately horizontally within the rear light-guiding section 11c, reaches the rearward irradiating section 15b, and is irradiated backward from the rearward irradiating section 15b.

[0042] The illumination light incident on the second region 13b and the third region 13c is reflected according to the curved shapes of the second region 13b and the third region 13c, travels laterally (in the negative y-axis direction and the positive y-axis direction) through the downward light-guiding section 11b, and reaches the inclined side surface 13d. The illumination light that reaches the inclined side surface 13d is totally reflected, travels upward within the downward light-guiding section 11b, and reaches the angle adjustment reflector 14b. Here, the regions that the light reflected by the second region 13b and the third region 13c reaches are the regions located near both ends in the y-axis direction among the multiple regions of the angle adjustment reflector 14b. The illumination light that reaches the angle adjustment reflector 14b is totally reflected, travels approximately horizontally within the rear light-guiding section 11c, and reaches the rearward illumination section 15b, where it is irradiated backward. At this time, the irradiated light reflected by the angle adjusting reflectors 14b located near both ends has a component in the lateral direction (y-axis direction) and travels at an angle relative to the rear (x-axis direction).

[0043] As shown by the dashed line in Figure 3(c), the irradiated light reflected by the angle-adjusting reflector 14b near the center travels in the x-axis direction. Therefore, the incident angle of the irradiated light to the rear illumination unit 15b is relatively small, and the irradiated light is transmitted without being refracted much in the y-axis direction and is irradiated rearward. The irradiated light on this path is also refracted in the z-axis direction by the rear illumination unit 15b and is irradiated onto the road surface behind.

[0044] 3(c), the irradiated light reflected by the angle-adjusting reflectors 14b near both ends travels across the rear light guide 11c in the y-axis direction. Therefore, the incident angle of the irradiated light to the rear illumination unit 15b becomes relatively large, and the irradiated light is transmitted through the rear illumination unit 15b after being largely refracted in the y-axis direction. The irradiated light traveling this path is also refracted in the z-axis direction by the rear illumination unit 15b and is irradiated onto the road surface behind.

[0045] The solid arrows in Figure 3(c) schematically show the path of the irradiated light reflected by angle adjustment reflector 14a. Because angle adjustment reflector 14a and angle adjustment reflector 14b are formed as different inclined surfaces separated in the height direction, irradiated light incident on angle adjustment reflector 14a and angle adjustment reflector 14b at the same position in the y-axis direction is reflected at different angles and travels within rear light guide 11c. Therefore, by increasing the reflection angle in the y-axis direction at angle adjustment reflector 14a, the angle of incidence of irradiated light on downward refraction section 15a can be further increased, and the refraction in the y-axis direction can be further increased.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the angle-adjusting reflectors 14a and 14b in the optical element 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the angle-adjusting reflectors 14a are partially provided in the y-axis direction, and a boundary rib 16 is provided in the region corresponding to the angle-adjusting reflector 14a. In regions where the angle-adjusting reflectors 14a are not provided, the angle-adjusting reflectors 14a extend all the way to the protrusion 17. However, in the optical element 10 and the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment, the irradiated light is not reflected from the distributing reflector 13 toward the upwardly extending region of the angle-adjusting reflector 14a. This is because the angle-adjusting reflector 14a has the same inclination angle as the downwardly extending region, making it difficult for the irradiated light to reach the downward refraction portion 15a. Therefore, the angle-adjusting reflector 14a provided in the region where the irradiated light does not reach can be omitted. However, by extending the angle adjustment reflecting portion 14a to an area where the irradiated light does not reach and providing it as a dummy area, the design of the vehicle lamp 100 when viewed from behind can be improved.

[0047] 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating light irradiation via the downward refraction portion 15a of the optical member 10, where FIG. 5A is a top view and FIG. 5B is a perspective view seen obliquely from above. As indicated by the various arrows in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the irradiation light that reaches the angle-adjusting reflector 14a is reflected at a reflection angle corresponding to the inclination angle of each region of the angle-adjusting reflector 14a, travels through the rear light-guiding portion 11c, and reaches the downward refraction portion 15a. At this time, by also inclining a portion of the angle-adjusting reflector 14a laterally, the irradiation light travels obliquely across the rear light-guiding portion 11c with respect to the x-axis direction.

[0048] FIG. 5 shows an example in which the optical element 10 and the vehicular lamp 100 are disposed at the left rear of a vehicle. The irradiated light reflected by the angle-adjusting reflector 14a and diagonally crossing the x-axis direction reaches the downward refraction portion 15a at a large incident angle in the lateral direction (y-axis direction), and is refracted at a large refraction angle before being irradiated. As described with reference to FIG. 1, the path from the angle-adjusting reflector 14a to the downward refraction portion 15a is inclined obliquely downward through the rear light-guiding portion 11c, resulting in a large downward refraction (z-axis direction). As a result, the optical element 10 and the vehicular lamp 100 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 can effectively irradiate light onto the road surface near the center of the vehicle and at positions close to the vehicle. Furthermore, by using a vehicular lamp 100 disposed at the right rear of a vehicle that has a shape symmetrical to the optical element 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, it is possible to effectively irradiate light onto the road surface near the center and positions close to the vehicle from the left and right sides of the vehicle.

[0049] As described above, the optical member 10 and the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment include the angle adjustment reflector 14a, the angle adjustment reflector 14b separated from the angle adjustment reflector 14a at least in the height direction, the rear light guiding portion 11c, the downward refraction portion 15a that refracts the irradiated light at least downward, and the rear illumination portion 15b that irradiates the irradiated light rearward. As a result, the irradiated light reflected by the angle adjustment reflector 14b is irradiated from the end of the rear light guiding portion 11c, and the irradiated light reflected by the angle adjustment reflector 14a is refracted downward by the downward refraction portion 15a and irradiated, so that light can be irradiated over a wide range, including nearby downward positions.

[0050] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Descriptions that overlap with those of the first embodiment will be omitted. In the first embodiment, the light incident section 12 is provided in the incident light guide section 11a, and the irradiated light reflected by the distributive reflection section 13 reaches the angle adjustment reflectors 14a and 14b. However, the incident light guide section 11a and the distributive reflection section 13 may be omitted. In this case, it is preferable to provide various lenses and reflecting mirrors in the light incident section 12 or the light emitting element 20 to set the light intensity distribution in the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions, so that the irradiated light appropriately reaches the angle adjustment reflectors 14a and 14b.

[0051] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 100...Vehicle lighting fixtures 10...Optical components 11...Light guide section 11a...Incidence light guide section 11b...Lower light guide section 11c…Rear light guiding section 12...Light incidence part 13…Distribution reflection section 13a…First area 13b…Second area 13c...Third area 13d…Slanted side 14a, 14b…Angle adjustment reflection section 15a...Downward bending part 15b...Rear irradiation section 16...Boundary rib 17...Protrusion 20...Light emitting element

Claims

1. a first reflecting portion that reflects a portion of the irradiated light; a second reflecting section that is separated from the first reflecting section at least in a height direction and that reflects another part of the irradiation light; a rear light guiding portion extending rearward from the second reflecting portion; a downward refraction portion provided at an end of the rear light guiding portion and configured to refract the irradiation light reflected by the first reflection portion at least downward; a rear illumination section provided at the end of the rear light guide section and configured to illuminate the illumination light reflected by the second reflection section rearward, An optical member, comprising: a boundary rib provided at a boundary between the first reflecting portion and the second reflecting portion.

2. The optical member according to claim 1 , the first reflecting portion is located above the second reflecting portion, The optical member is characterized in that the downward refraction portion is located below the rear illumination portion.

3. The optical member according to claim 1 , The optical element is characterized in that the lower refraction portion further refracts the irradiated light in a lateral direction.

4. The optical member according to claim 1 , a downward light guiding section extending downward from the first reflecting section and the second reflecting section, a third reflecting portion is provided on one surface of the lower light guiding portion, The optical member, wherein the irradiation light reflected by the third reflecting portion is incident on the first reflecting portion and the second reflecting portion.

5. The optical member according to claim 1 , The rear light guide portion has a protrusion that protrudes upward, An optical member, wherein at least a portion of the first reflecting portion is provided on the protruding portion.

6. The optical member according to any one of claims 1 to 5; A vehicle lamp comprising a light emitting portion disposed opposite to the light incident portion of the optical member.

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