Vehicle lighting device

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lamp body device capable of enlarging a direction of emission light emitted to the outside by the outside in a vehicle width direction.SOLUTION: A vehicular lamp body device includes a light source and a light guide member 11. The light guide member 11 includes an incidence part 17, an emission wall 18, an intermediate light guide wall 19, a first reflection surface 20, and a second reflection surface 21. One end side of the emission wall 18 directed to a vehicle front-back direction is an emission surface. The first reflection surface 20 internally reflects the light made incident on the incidence part 17 as first parallel light directed to the other end side of the emission wall 18 radially. The second reflection surface 21 is sectioned into a plurality of surface elements 21 by a plurality of step parts 22. Step part ridge lines 22r of the step parts 22 extend in a direction intersecting with a contour line along a contour part of the emission wall 18. The step part ridge lines 22r in contact with the surface elements 21a at a position adjacent to the first reflection surface 20 are provided with an arc surface 23 whose curvature radius is larger than in the other step part ridge lines 22r in an outside region in the vehicle width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Known vehicle lighting devices, such as turn signal lamps and brake lamps, guide light emitted from a light source such as an LED to an exit surface via a light-guiding member as parallel light directed in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The vehicle lighting device described in Patent Document 1 includes a light source and a light-guiding member, and the light-guiding member's exit surface facing the vehicle's longitudinal direction is formed so as to substantially follow the contour of the lighting device. The light-guiding member includes an entrance portion into which light from the light source is incident, an exit wall extending along the vehicle's longitudinal direction and having an exit surface at its distal end in the extension direction, and an intermediate light-guiding wall guiding the light incident on the entrance portion to the proximal end of the exit wall. The entrance region of the intermediate light-guiding wall is provided with a first reflecting surface that internally reflects the light incident on the entrance portion as first parallel light that travels toward the proximal end of the exit wall. Furthermore, the proximal end of the exit wall is provided with a second reflecting surface that internally reflects the first parallel light guided by the intermediate light-guiding wall as second parallel light that travels toward the distal end of the exit wall. The light-emitting surface of the light-guiding member is provided with a diffusion portion having an uneven shape for diffusing the light emitted to the outside in multiple directions.

[0004] This vehicle lighting device is capable of emitting light emitted from the light source to the outside from the emission surface as parallel light that substantially follows the contour due to internal reflection by the first reflection surface and the second reflection surface of the light-guiding member. In the case of this vehicle lighting device, parallel light that follows the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is emitted from the emission surface, and therefore, from the outside, it is visually recognized as a bright linear light that substantially follows the contour. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-243734 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The vehicle lighting device described in Patent Document 1 diffuses the second parallel light that passes through the exit wall and travels in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in multiple directions using a diffusion portion on the exit surface. However, because the diffusion portion on the exit surface has a fine uneven shape, there is a limit to how far the direction of the light emitted from the exit surface can be spread outward in the vehicle width direction. Currently, there is a demand for further spreading the direction of the emitted light outward in the vehicle width direction in order to improve visibility from outside when the light is turned on.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle lighting device that can widen the direction of light emitted to the outside more outward in the vehicle width direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention includes a light source and a light guide member that guides light incident from the light source to an exit surface facing in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the light guide member including an entrance portion into which light from the light source is incident, an exit wall having a contour portion that extends substantially along the vehicle width direction in an outer region of the entrance portion in the vehicle width direction, the exit wall having one end facing in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle as the exit surface, an intermediate light guide wall that guides the light incident on the entrance portion to the other end side of the exit wall facing in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and an intermediate light guide wall that is disposed in an entrance region of the intermediate light guide wall and directs the light incident on the entrance portion toward the other end side of the exit wall. and a second reflecting surface disposed on the other end side of the exit wall and internally reflecting the first parallel light as a second parallel light directed toward one end side of the exit wall, wherein the second reflecting surface is partitioned into a plurality of surface elements by a plurality of steps whose step ridgelines extend in a direction intersecting with a contour line along the contour portion, and the step ridgeline contacting the surface element located close to the first reflecting surface has an arcuate surface having a larger radius of curvature than other step ridgelines located in the outer region in the vehicle width direction.

[0009] In the above configuration, when light is emitted from the light source, the light is input to the incident portion of the light-guiding member. The light input to the incident portion is guided to the other end of the exit wall as first parallel light within the intermediate light-guiding wall by internal reflection by the first reflecting surface. The first parallel light guided to the other end of the exit wall is guided to the other end of the exit wall as second parallel light mainly by internal reflection by each surface element of the second reflecting surface. The guided second parallel light is emitted to the outside from the exit surface. Furthermore, in the vicinity of one of the surface elements of the second reflecting surface that is located close to the first reflecting surface, a portion of the first parallel light guided to the other end of the exit wall is reflected by the arcuate surface of the stepped ridgeline having a large radius of curvature. This reflected light travels inside the exit wall at an inclination outward in the vehicle width direction, and is emitted to the outside from the exit surface at a large inclination outward in the vehicle width direction. Note that if the radius of curvature of the arcuate surface of the step ridge is large, the amount of second parallel light reflected by the surface element and directed toward the exit surface decreases. However, in the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention, the arcuate surface with a large radius of curvature is provided on the step ridge located close to the first reflecting surface, so there is little degradation in visibility due to a decrease in the amount of light reflected by the surface element. In other words, the surface element of the second reflecting surface located close to the first reflecting surface is a portion that originally has little light guide loss and allows a sufficient amount of light to be guided from the first reflecting surface, so even if a portion of the second reflecting surface is reflected outward in the vehicle width direction by an arcuate surface with a large radius of curvature, there is little degradation in visibility due to a decrease in the amount of light emitted in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.

[0010] When the center line in the vehicle width direction passing through the center of the first reflecting surface is used as a reference, it is desirable that the step ridge line on which the arc surface with the large radius of curvature is provided be positioned within a range in which the central angle centered on the center of the first reflecting surface does not exceed 45°.

[0011] When viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a step ridgeline located within a range where the central angle exceeds 45° also has a large inclination angle of the step ridgeline itself relative to the centerline in the vehicle width direction. This makes it easy for the direction of light reflection from the arcuate surface to deviate significantly from the outer side in the vehicle width direction. In this configuration, an arcuate surface with a large radius of curvature is provided on a step ridgeline within a range where the central angle does not exceed 45°, so the first parallel light reflected by the first reflecting surface can be efficiently guided toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, when an arcuate surface with a large radius of curvature is provided on a step ridgeline within a range where the central angle does not exceed 45°, the reduction in visibility due to a reduction in the amount of light at the surface elements tangent to the step ridgeline is also reduced.

[0012] The step ridge line on which the arcuate surface having the large radius of curvature is provided may be provided only on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of a center line in the vehicle width direction that passes through the center of the first reflecting surface.

[0013] In this case, a reduction in the amount of emitted light from the surface elements in the inner region in the vehicle width direction can be suppressed, and a sufficient amount of light can be ensured in the inner region in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, visibility from the front and rear of the vehicle can be further improved.

[0014] It is desirable that the arcuate surface having the large radius of curvature internally reflects the first parallel light so that the final light emission direction from the light-guiding member is inclined by 80° or more outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

[0015] In this case, the lighting of the lamp (emission of light from the light source) can be clearly seen by a person looking from a direction substantially perpendicular to the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] In the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention, the second reflecting surface of the light-guiding member is divided into a plurality of surface elements by a plurality of steps, and a step ridgeline that contacts one of the plurality of surface elements located close to the first reflecting surface is provided with an arcuate surface having a larger radius of curvature than other step ridgelines located in the outer region in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the first parallel light is reflected by the arcuate surface of the step ridgeline having a larger radius of curvature, and the reflected light is emitted more outward in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention is employed, the direction of the emitted light can be expanded further outward in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, in the vehicle lighting device according to the present invention, an arcuate surface with a large radius of curvature is provided on the step ridgeline that contacts the surface element in the area where the amount of light guided from the first reflecting surface is originally large, thereby suppressing a decrease in visibility due to a decrease in the amount of light emitted from the surface element forward of the light exit surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view of a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the light guide member according to the embodiment, seen from the rear side. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a rear view of a portion of the light guide member according to the embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a side view of the light guide member according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of part VIII of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the light guide member according to the embodiment, as viewed from the front side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, an arrow FR pointing forward of the vehicle, an arrow UP pointing upward of the vehicle, and an arrow LH pointing to the left side of the vehicle are shown at appropriate locations.

[0019] Fig. 1 is a front view of a turn signal lamp 1, which is one form of a vehicle lamp, and Fig. 2 is a front view showing a part of the turn signal lamp 1 in a cutaway view. Also, Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the turn signal lamp 1 taken along line III-III in Fig. 1. The blinker lamp 1 shown in the drawings is a blinker lamp located on the front right side of a motorcycle. The blinker lamp 1 is equipped with a lamp unit 12 including a light-emitting element 10 such as an LED as a light source and a light-guiding member 11 made of a transparent resin material such as acrylic resin. The lamp unit 12 is located inside a lamp housing 13.

[0020] The lamp housing 13 includes a base 13a attached to the vehicle body and a unit receiving portion 13b extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the base 13a. The unit receiving portion 13b is open toward the front of the vehicle, and the lamp unit 12 is received in the opening 13c. When viewed from the front, the opening 13c of the unit receiving portion 13b is formed in a generally polygonal shape that is elongated in the vehicle width direction (a generally pentagonal shape formed by combining a triangle shape with a rectangular shape that extends elongated in the vehicle width direction at the outer end of the vehicle width direction). The front side of the opening 13c of the lamp housing 13 is closed by an outer lens 14 attached to the front of the unit receiving portion 13b.

[0021] 3, the outer lens 14 includes a substantially flat lens main wall 14a disposed in front of the opening 13c, and a peripheral wall 14b protruding rearward from the peripheral edge of the lens main wall 14a. The outer lens 14 is fixed to the lamp housing 13 in this state by means of a concave-convex engagement, screw fastening, or the like, with the end face of the peripheral wall 14b abutting against the peripheral edge of the opening 13c of the lamp housing 13. The outer lens 14 is made of a transparent resin material that allows light to pass through.

[0022] The lighting unit 12 comprises the above-mentioned light-emitting element 10, a substrate 15 on which the light-emitting element 10 is mounted on the front surface, the above-mentioned light-guiding member 11, and a shielding cover 16 that shields the area in the center of the front surface of the light-guiding member 11 where no light guiding is required.

[0023] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of light guide member 11 as seen from the rear side, and Fig. 5 is a rear view of a part of light guide member 11. Fig. 6 is a side view of light guide member 11, and Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 6. The light-guiding member 11 includes an incident portion 17 into which light from the light-emitting element 10 is incident, an exit wall 18 disposed substantially along a portion of the opening 13c of the unit accommodating portion 13b (the upper side 13cu, the inclined sides 13ci and 13cj, and the lower side 13cl), and an intermediate light-guiding wall 19 that guides the light that has entered the incident portion 17 to the base side (the other end side) of the exit wall 18. The tip surface of the exit wall 18 facing the front side of the vehicle is an exit surface 50 that emits the light that has entered the incident portion 17 from the light-emitting element 10 toward the front side of the vehicle. The exit surface 50 is provided with a diffusion portion 51 having a fine uneven shape for diffusing the light that is to be emitted toward the front side of the vehicle in multiple directions.

[0024] The intermediate light-guiding wall 19 is slightly smaller than the opening 13c of the unit accommodating portion 13b and has a shape similar to that of the opening 13c when viewed from the front. The intermediate light-guiding wall 19 is a light-guiding wall that stands upright with its front surface facing directly ahead of the vehicle. The incident portion 17 is located in the central region of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 when viewed from the rear. The incident portion 17 bulges in a truncated cone shape from the rear surface of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0025] 3, a contact seat 40 that contacts the front surface of the substrate 15 is protruded from the rear surface of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19. The substrate 15 is supported by a support rib 39 that protrudes from within the unit accommodating portion 13b of the lamp housing 13, and the contact seat 40 of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 contacts the front surface of the substrate 15. A boss 41 that penetrates the substrate 15 and the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 is protruded from within the unit accommodating portion 13b of the lamp housing 13. A threaded hole (not shown) is formed on an end surface of the boss 41. A shank of a screw 42 that penetrates the shielding cover 16 from the front side is threadedly engaged with the threaded hole. When the shielding cover 16 is tightened into the boss 41 by the screw 42, the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 is pressed against the substrate 15, and the light-guiding member 11 is fixed to the lamp housing 13.

[0026] The exit wall 18 rises from the peripheral edge of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 toward the front of the vehicle. The rising direction of the exit wall 18 is approximately perpendicular to the extending direction of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19. In this embodiment, the exit wall 18 rises from the peripheral edge of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19, excluding the inner side in the vehicle width direction, toward the front of the vehicle. The exit wall 18 has a curved or bent contour shape so as to surround at least the outer region in the vehicle width direction of the incident portion 17. The exit wall 18 has a contour portion that extends approximately along the vehicle width direction in the outer region in the vehicle width direction of the incident portion 17.

[0027] 3, the tip region of the exit wall 18, which stands from the peripheral edge of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 toward the front of the vehicle, protrudes further toward the front of the vehicle than the front end surface of the unit accommodating portion 13b of the lamp housing 13. In other words, a part of the outer side surface of the exit wall 18 faces the inner surface of the peripheral wall 14b of the outer lens 14, which is positioned further toward the front of the vehicle than the unit accommodating portion 13b.

[0028] A first reflecting surface 20 is provided in the incident region of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 (a region in front of the incident portion 17) to internally reflect the light incident on the incident portion 17 as a first parallel light L1 that travels toward the base end of the exit wall 18. The first reflecting surface 20 is configured as a curved surface of revolution that is recessed in a substantially conical shape toward the vehicle rear with respect to the front surface of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19. The curved surface of revolution that forms the first reflecting surface 20 is a curved surface of revolution about an axis o that passes through the centers of the incident portion 17 and the light-emitting element 10 (or near the centers). The light that has entered the incident portion 17 from the light-emitting element 10 is radially internally reflected (total reflected) by the substantially conical first reflecting surface 20 and travels inside the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 toward the base end of the exit wall 18 as the first parallel light L1.

[0029] A second reflecting surface 21 is provided in an incident region on the base end side of the exit wall 18 (an outer end region of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19) to internally reflect the first parallel light L1 that has reached the incident region as second parallel light L2 that travels toward the tip end side of the exit wall 18 (toward the front of the vehicle). The second reflecting surface 21 reflects the light (first parallel light L1) that has been internally reflected evenly in the radial direction from the substantially conical first reflecting surface 20 as second parallel light L2 toward the front of the vehicle on the outer circumferential side of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19. For this reason, the second reflecting surface 21 is not a single continuous surface, but is configured by being divided into a plurality of surface elements 21a in a direction along the outer circumferential edge of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19.

[0030] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, if a line along the outline of the exit wall 18 when the light-guiding member 11 is viewed from behind is referred to as an outline 18L, the second reflecting surface 21 is divided into a plurality of surface elements 21a by a plurality of steps 22, each of which has a step ridge 22r extending in a direction intersecting with the outline 18L. The steps 22 and the step ridges 22r that divide the second reflecting surface 21 into each surface element 21a extend in a substantially radial direction around the axis o, which is the center of the first reflecting surface 20. Each surface element 21a divided by the steps 22 emits the first parallel light L1 (see Fig. 3) that has traveled radially from the first reflecting surface 20 as second parallel light L2 (see Fig. 3) toward a region on the exit surface 50 located in front of each surface element 21a.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the multiple surface elements 21a of the second reflecting surface 21 arranged on the base end side of the exit wall 18 are arranged along the contour line 18L of the exit wall 18, which extends longitudinally in the vehicle width direction. The surface elements 21a-1 arranged directly above and directly below the center (axis o) of the first reflecting surface 20 are formed in an isosceles trapezoidal shape whose width narrows toward the center of the first reflecting surface 20. The surface element 21a-2 arranged adjacent to the outer side of this surface element 21a-1 in the vehicle width direction is formed in a trapezoidal shape whose entire shape is distortedly inclined outward in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the surface element 21a-3 arranged adjacent to the outer side of this surface element 21a-2 in the vehicle width direction is formed in a trapezoidal shape whose entire shape is further distortedly inclined outward in the vehicle width direction. The surface elements 21a-1, 21a-2, and 21a-3 have gradually narrower widths at the portions contacting the contour line 18L in this order. The other surface elements 21a arranged further outward in the vehicle width direction than the surface element 21a-3 are formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a width in the direction along the contour line 18L narrower than the surface elements 21a-1 to 21a-3.

[0032] Furthermore, surface element 21a-4, which is arranged adjacent to surface element 21a-1 on the vehicle widthwise inner side of surface element 21a-1, which is arranged directly above and below the center (axis o) of first reflecting surface 20, is formed into a trapezoidal shape that is distortedly inclined inward in the vehicle widthwise direction. Furthermore, surface element 21a-5, which is arranged adjacent to surface element 21a-4 on the vehicle widthwise inner side, is formed into a trapezoidal shape that is even more distortedly inclined inward in the vehicle widthwise direction. The surface elements 21a-1, 21a-4, and 21a-5 have gradually narrower widths at their portions that contact the contour line 18L in this order. The other surface elements 21a, which are arranged more inward in the vehicle widthwise direction than surface element 21a-5, are formed into approximately rectangular shapes that have narrower widths along the contour line 18L than surface elements 21a-4 and 21a-5.

[0033] Of the multiple surface elements 21a of the second reflecting surface 21, the step ridge 22r between the surface elements 21a-1 and 21a-2, which are positioned above and below the first reflecting surface 20, and the step ridge 22r between the surface elements 21a-2 and 21a-3, are provided with arcuate surfaces 23 having a larger radius of curvature than the other step ridges 22r located outside in the vehicle width direction. In the present embodiment, the step ridges 22r on which the arcuate surfaces 23 having a larger radius of curvature are provided are only located outside in the vehicle width direction of the center line c (see FIG. 5) in the vehicle width direction that passes through the center (axis) of the first reflecting surface 20. In this embodiment, arc surfaces 23 with a large radius of curvature are provided on each step ridge 22r between surface elements 21a-1 and 21a-2 and between surface elements 21a-2 and 21a-3, but arc surfaces 23 with a large radius of curvature may be provided on any step ridge 22r that defines a surface element 21a located close to first reflecting surface 20. In this case, when center line c in the vehicle width direction passing through the center (axis o) of first reflecting surface 20 is used as a reference, arc surfaces 23 with a large radius of curvature are desirably provided on step ridge lines 22r in a range in which the central angle about the center (axis o) of first reflecting surface 20 does not exceed 45°. In this embodiment as well, arc surfaces 23 with a large radius of curvature are provided on two step ridge lines 22r in this range.

[0034] The winker lamp 1 configured as described above can irradiate the light emitted from the light emitting element 10 to the outside of the vehicle in the following manner. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the light guiding member 11 as seen from the front side. The following description will be made mainly with reference to Figs. 3, 5, and 9. When light is emitted from the light-emitting element 10 on the substrate 15, the light is input to the incident portion 17 of the light-guiding member 11. The light input to the incident portion 17 is radially guided as a first parallel light L1 within the intermediate light-guiding wall 19 toward the base end side of the exit wall 18 by internal reflection (total reflection) by the first reflecting surface 20 of the light-guiding member 11. At this time, the first parallel light L1 is guided to the base end side of the entire area of ​​the exit wall 18, which extends approximately along the outer edge of the intermediate light-guiding wall 19. The light guided to the base end side of the exit wall 18 is guided as a second parallel light L2 within the exit wall 18 toward the tip side by internal reflection (total reflection) by each surface element 21a of the second reflecting surface 21, which extends along the contour line 18L. The light guided to the exit surface 50 is diffused in multiple directions by the diffusing portion 51 and emitted toward the front of the vehicle. The light thus emitted passes through the outer lens 14 and becomes visible from the front side of the vehicle.

[0035] Furthermore, a portion of the first collimated light L1 guided upward and downward from the first reflecting surface 20 of the light-guiding member 11 is also reflected by a portion of the step ridge 22r at the base end of the exit wall 18, where the arcuate surface 23 with a large radius of curvature is provided. As shown in FIG. 8, the first collimated light L1 reflected by the arcuate surface 23 with a large radius of curvature travels diagonally forward outward in the vehicle width direction as bent reflected light L3. The light that travels diagonally forward outward in the vehicle width direction passes through the diffusing portion 51 of the exit surface 50 and is emitted further outward in the vehicle width direction. The light emitted in this manner becomes visible from the front and side of the vehicle through the outer lens 14. In Figure 8, an arrow indicating the behavior of the bent reflected light L3 is drawn only on one of the two upper arc surfaces 23 with a larger radius of curvature, but the first parallel light L1 is similarly bent and reflected outward in the vehicle width direction on the other arc surface 23.

[0036] In the turn signal lamp 1 of this embodiment, the arc surface 23 of the step ridge 22r, which has a large radius of curvature, internally reflects the first parallel light L1 so that the final light emission direction from the light-guiding member 11 is inclined by 80° or more outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction.

[0037] <Effects of the embodiment> In the winker lamp 1 of this embodiment, the second reflecting surface 21 of the light-guiding member 11 is divided into a plurality of surface elements 21a by a plurality of steps 22, and a step ridge 22r that contacts the surface element 21a located close to the first reflecting surface 20 is provided with an arcuate surface 23 having a larger radius of curvature than other step ridges 22r located in the outer region in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when the first parallel light L1 is reflected by the arcuate surface 23 of the step ridge 22r located close to the first reflecting surface 20, the reflected light is emitted more outward in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when the turn signal lamp 1 of this embodiment is employed, the direction of the emitted light can be expanded further outward in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, in the turn signal lamp 1 of this embodiment, an arc surface 23 is provided on the step ridge 22r that is close to the first reflecting surface 20 and is in contact with the surface element 21a that originally has a large amount of light guided from the first reflecting surface 20, and therefore, a decrease in visibility due to a decrease in the amount of light emitted from the surface element 21a forward of the emission surface 50 can be suppressed.

[0038] Furthermore, in the turn signal lamp 1 of this embodiment, the arcuate surface 23 having a large radius of curvature is provided on the step ridge 22r, which is located within a range where the central angle about the center (axis o) of the first reflecting surface 20 does not exceed 45° when the center line c in the vehicle width direction passing through the center (axis o) of the first reflecting surface 20 is used as a reference. Therefore, the light reflected by the arcuate surface 23 travels in a direction closer to the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the first parallel light L1 reflected by the first reflecting surface 20 can be efficiently guided outward in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, when the arcuate surface 23 having a large radius of curvature is provided on the step ridge 22r, which is located within a range where the central angle does not exceed 45°, as in this embodiment, the decrease in visibility due to the decrease in light intensity at the surface elements 21a adjacent to the step ridge 22r is also reduced.

[0039] Furthermore, in the turn signal lamp 1 of this embodiment, the step ridge 22r on which the arcuate surface 23 with a large radius of curvature is provided is provided only on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the center line c in the vehicle width direction that passes through the center of the first reflecting surface 20. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the amount of emitted light in the inner region in the vehicle width direction and ensure a sufficient amount of light in the inner region in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when the turn signal lamp 1 of this embodiment is used, visibility from the front of the vehicle can be further improved.

[0040] Furthermore, in the winker lamp 1 of this embodiment, the arcuate surface 23 internally reflects the first parallel light L1 so that the final light emission direction from the light-guiding member 11 is inclined by 80° or more outward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the lighting of the lamp body (emission of light from the light-emitting element 10) can be clearly seen even by a person viewing from a direction approximately perpendicular to the vehicle.

[0041] As described above, the turn signal lamp 1 (vehicle lighting device) of this embodiment can expand the visible range of the light emitted to the outside, thereby stabilizing the quality of the turn signal lamp 1 (vehicle lighting device) and making it possible to contribute to Goal 7 of the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to "Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all."

[0042] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the above-described embodiments illustrate a turn signal lamp 1 disposed on the front right side of a motorcycle as an example of a vehicle lighting device, but the vehicle lighting device is not limited to this. The vehicle lighting device may also be a turn signal lamp disposed on the front left side of the vehicle or a turn signal lamp disposed on the rear side of the vehicle. Furthermore, the vehicle lighting device is not limited to a turn signal lamp, and may be a brake lamp, a sidelight, or any other type of lighting device that irradiates light to the front or rear of the vehicle.

[0043] Furthermore, the vehicle to which the vehicle lighting device is applied is not limited to motorcycles, but may be other types of vehicles such as three-wheeled vehicles, four-wheeled vehicles, etc. Furthermore, the vehicle lighting device can also be installed in vehicles that do not have a drive source such as an engine or a motor.

[0044] Furthermore, the light source of the vehicle-mounted device is not limited to an LED, and may be any type other than an LED as long as it can input light to the incident portion of the light-guiding member. Furthermore, the number of light sources is not limited to one, and two or more light sources may be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1... turn signal lamp (vehicle lamp), 10... light emitting element (light source), 11... light guide member, 12... lamp unit, 13... lamp housing, 13a... base, 13b... unit accommodating section, 13c... opening, 13cu... upper edge, 13ci, 13cj... inclined edges, 13cl... lower edge, 14... outer lens, 14a... lens main wall, 14b... peripheral wall, 15... substrate, 16... shielding cover, 16a... reflective surface covering portion, 17...incident portion, 18...exit wall, 18L...contour line, 19...intermediate light-guiding wall, 20...first reflecting surface, 21...second reflecting surface, 21a...surface element, 22...step portion, 22r...step portion ridge line, 23...arcuate surface, 39...support rib, 40...abutment seat, 41...boss portion, 42...screw, 50...exit surface, 51...diffusing portion, c...center line in the vehicle width direction, L1...first parallel light, L2...second parallel light, L3...reflected reflected light, o...axis line

Claims

1. A light source and a light guide member that guides the light incident from the light source to an exit surface facing the front-rear direction of the vehicle, The light guide member is an incident portion to which light is incident from the light source; an exit wall having a contour portion extending substantially along the vehicle width direction in an outer region of the incident portion in the vehicle width direction, and one end side facing the vehicle front-rear direction serves as the exit surface; an intermediate light-guiding wall that guides the light incident on the incident portion toward the other end of the exit wall that faces the vehicle front-rear direction; a first reflecting surface disposed in an incident region of the intermediate light-guiding wall, the first reflecting surface radially internally reflecting the light incident on the incident portion as a first parallel light beam directed toward the other end of the exit wall; a second reflecting surface that is disposed on the other end side of the exit wall and that internally reflects the first parallel light as second parallel light that travels toward the one end side of the exit wall, the second reflecting surface is divided into a plurality of surface elements by a plurality of step portions whose step ridgelines extend in a direction intersecting with a contour line along the contour portion, a step ridge line contacting the surface element located close to the first reflecting surface has an arcuate surface having a larger radius of curvature than other step ridge lines located in the outer region in the vehicle width direction.

2. 2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein, when a center line in the vehicle width direction passing through the center of the first reflecting surface is used as a reference, the step ridge line on which the arc surface having the large radius of curvature is provided is positioned within a range in which a central angle centered on the center of the first reflecting surface does not exceed 45°.

3. 3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the step ridge line on which the arc surface having the large radius of curvature is provided is provided only on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of a center line in the vehicle width direction that passes through the center of the first reflective surface.

4. 3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the arc surface having the large radius of curvature internally reflects the first parallel light so that the final light emission direction from the light-guiding member is inclined by 80° or more outward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

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