Vehicle lighting fixtures

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting fixture that can form an irradiation pattern with a desired brightness distribution while efficiently utilizing light from light sources.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture 10 comprises a first light source 31, a second light source 32, a condenser lens 14 for condensing light from them, a light blocking member (15) for passing the light condensed by it from an irradiation slit 53, and a projection lens 16 for forming an irradiation pattern Pi with the light. The condenser lens 14 comprises a first lens part 61 corresponding to the first light source 31, and a second lens part 62 corresponding to the second light source 32. The irradiation slit 53 comprises a near slit part (543) corresponding to a near irradiation figure (Di3) of the irradiation pattern Pi, and far slit parts (541 and 542) corresponding to far irradiation figures (Di1 and Di2) of the irradiation pattern Pi. The first lens part 61 is arranged opposite to the far slit parts. The second lens part 62 is arranged opposite to the near slit part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Vehicle lamps have been considered that form illumination patterns on the road surface around the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). These conventional vehicle lamps form illumination patterns by projecting light from a light source through slits in a shade (light-blocking member), and can inform viewers of some intention. These conventional vehicle lamps efficiently use the light from the light source by guiding the light from the light source to the shade using a light guide. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-192350 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, conventional vehicle lighting fixtures diffuse light from the light source within a light guide to achieve a uniform light distribution (luminous flux) on the shade, making it difficult to adjust the light distribution on the shade and making it difficult to form an illumination pattern with the desired brightness distribution.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle lamp that can form an irradiation pattern with a desired brightness distribution while efficiently utilizing light from a light source. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure comprises a first light source and a second light source arranged in parallel, a focusing lens that focuses light from the first light source and the second light source, a light blocking member provided with an illumination slit that partially passes the light focused by the focusing lens, and a projection lens that projects the light that has passed through the light blocking member to form an illumination pattern, wherein the focusing lens has a first lens portion corresponding to the first light source and a second lens portion corresponding to the second light source, and the illumination slit has a near slit portion corresponding to a near illumination pattern that is projected at a close position in the illumination pattern, and a far slit portion corresponding to a far illumination pattern that is projected at a position farther away than the near illumination pattern in the illumination pattern, and the first lens portion is arranged opposite the far slit portion, and the second lens portion is arranged opposite the near slit portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the vehicle lamp of the present disclosure, it is possible to form an irradiation pattern with a desired brightness distribution while efficiently utilizing light from a light source. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the vehicle lamp of the first embodiment according to the present disclosure is mounted on a vehicle and forms an illumination pattern. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an exploded configuration of a vehicle lamp. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an exploded view of only optical members in the configuration of the vehicle lamp. [Figure 5] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration and positional relationship of a first light source and a second light source. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a condenser lens body of the condenser lens is viewed from the shade side. [Figure 7] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between both light sources and a condenser lens body of a condenser lens. FIG. [Figure 8]FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the light distribution in the inner ring light distribution area formed on the shade by light from the first light source that is incident on the first lens portion of the collecting lens from the curved incident surface portion and exits from the inner exit surface portion of the first exit surface. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a light distribution in an outer ring light distribution region formed on a shade by light from a first light source that enters a first lens portion of a collecting lens through an annular entrance surface portion, is reflected by a reflecting surface, and then exits from an outer exit surface portion of a first exit surface. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the light distribution of a first light distribution area formed by overlapping an inner ring light distribution area and an outer ring light distribution area by a first light source on a shade. [Figure 11] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the light distribution in the second light distribution region formed on the shade by light from the second light source that enters the second lens portion of the condenser lens from the second entrance surface and exits from the second exit surface. FIG. [Figure 12] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the light distribution of a light distribution area on a shade by a first light source and a second light source. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A first embodiment of a vehicle lamp 10 as an example of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, the vehicle lamp 10 is exaggerated relative to the vehicle 1 to facilitate understanding of the manner in which the vehicle lamp 10 is installed, and does not necessarily correspond to the actual appearance. In addition, in FIG. 4, optical components of the vehicle lamp 10, i.e., portions that optically affect the light from both light sources (21, 22) to form the irradiation pattern Pi, are selectively illustrated. Furthermore, in FIGS. 8 to 12, only the periphery of the shade portion 51 (each of its slit portions 54) is illustrated to facilitate understanding of the manner in which each region is formed on the shade 15 (the slit portions 54 of the shade portion 51). In addition, in each of FIGS. 8 to 12, a region corresponding to the height of the luminous flux (light amount) is surrounded by a dashed line, and the light distribution (luminous flux) is shown as a contour line in which the luminous flux increases toward the center of the region. [Example]

[0010] A vehicle lamp 10 according to a first embodiment of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle lamp 10 according to the first embodiment is used as a lamp for a vehicle 1 such as an automobile, and is provided in front of the vehicle 1, separate from the headlights provided on the vehicle 1, to form an irradiation pattern Pi on a road surface 2 in the vicinity in front of the vehicle 1. The vicinity in front of the vehicle 1 necessarily includes a nearby area closer to the vehicle 1 than the headlight area illuminated by the headlights provided on the vehicle 1, and may also include the headlight area partially. Note that the vehicle lamp 10 may also form an irradiation pattern Pi on the road surface 2 in the vicinity behind or to the sides of the vehicle 1, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0011] In the first embodiment, each vehicle lamp 10 is disposed at a position higher than the road surface 2 at the front end of the vehicle 1, and is provided with its projection optical axis Lp (see FIG. 2, etc.) inclined with respect to the road surface 2. The two vehicle lamps 10 have basically the same configuration except for the differences in the mounting positions and the positions at which the irradiation pattern Pi is formed. In the following description, in each vehicle lamp 10, the direction in which the projection optical axis Lp, which is the direction in which light is irradiated (projected), extends is referred to as the optical axis direction (referred to as Z in the drawings), the vertical direction when the optical axis direction is aligned with a horizontal plane is referred to as the up-down direction (referred to as Y in the drawings), and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction and the up-down direction (horizontal direction) is referred to as the width direction (referred to as X in the drawings) (see FIG. 2, etc.).

[0012] 2 to 4, the vehicle lamp 10 comprises a light source unit 12, a light-shielding frame 13, a condenser lens 14, a shade 15, and a projection lens 16 attached to an installation base 11 to form a single projection optical system, constituting a projector-type road projection unit. The installation base 11 is where the light source unit 12 is provided, and is made of thermally conductive aluminum die-cast or resin, and functions as a heat sink as a whole to release heat generated by the light source unit 12 to the outside. The installation base 11 has a base 21, a plurality of heat dissipation fins 22 (see FIG. 4), and a pair of mounting arms 23.

[0013] The base portion 21 is flat and perpendicular to the optical axis direction, with a light source mounting position 24 provided in the center. The light source mounting position 24 defines the location where the light source unit 12 is mounted, and as shown in FIG. 3 , has a flat surface and is provided with a pair of screw holes 24a and a pair of positioning protrusions 24b. The pair of screw holes 24a are provided at diagonal positions in the light source mounting position 24, and can be fixed by screwing in screws 25. The pair of positioning protrusions 24b are provided at widthwise ends of the light source mounting position 24 and protrude forward in the optical axis direction. Each heat dissipation fin 22 is plate-shaped and perpendicular to the width direction on the rear side of the base portion 21 (rear side in the optical axis direction (opposite the direction in which light is emitted)). The heat dissipation fins 22 are arranged side by side (parallel) at predetermined intervals in the width direction.

[0014] The base 21 has a pair of positioning protrusions 21a on the underside of both mounting arms 23, and a screw hole 21b on the upper side of one of the mounting arms 23. The positioning protrusion 21a protrudes forward in the optical axis direction. The screw hole 21b allows the light-shielding frame 13 to be fixed by screwing in a screw 26. The installation base 11 radiates heat generated by the light source unit 12 installed in the light source installation position 24 to the outside mainly through the heat radiation fins 22.

[0015] The pair of mounting arms 23 are provided on both outer sides of the light source mounting location 24 in the width direction, and protrude forward from the base 21 in the optical axis direction. The front ends 23a of both mounting arms 23 in the optical axis direction are formed into a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and the ends 23a are positioned at the same position (on the same plane) in the optical axis direction. Each end 23a is provided with a positioning protrusion 23b and a screw hole 23c. The positioning protrusion 23b is provided at the bottom of the end 23a in the vertical direction and protrudes forward in the optical axis direction. The screw hole 23c is provided at the top of the end 23a in the vertical direction, and allows the condenser lens 14, shade 15, and projection lens 16 to be fixed by screwing in a screw 27.

[0016] The light source unit 12 includes a first light source 31, a second light source 32, a connector terminal 33, and a substrate 34 on which they are mounted. The first light source 31 and the second light source 32 are configured with light-emitting elements such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). In the first embodiment, the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 emit amber light with a Lambertian distribution centered on the emission optical axis. Note that the colors (wavelength bands), distribution patterns, number of colors, etc. of the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 may be set as appropriate and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 5 and other figures, the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 of Example 1 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction across the projection optical axis Lp, with the first light source 31 positioned below the projection optical axis Lp and the second light source 32 positioned above the projection optical axis Lp. The first light source 31 is rectangular and elongated in the width direction, and includes two LED chips 31a and phosphors 31b covering each of them. The second light source 32 is approximately square and includes one LED chip 32a and phosphors 32b covering each of them. The first light source 31 and the second light source 32 emit amber light by passing light from the LED chips 31a and 32a through the phosphors 31b and 32b. Therefore, in the first light source 31, the phosphor 31b functions as a first light-emitting surface, and in the second light source 32, the phosphor 32b functions as a second light-emitting surface.

[0018] The first light source 31 and the second light source 32 have emission optical axes 31L and 32L that extend from their respective centers in the optical axis direction. The emission optical axis 31L and the emission optical axis 32L are substantially parallel to the projection optical axis Lp. The emission optical axes 31L and 32L are positioned such that a line connecting them passes through the projection optical axis Lp. In the first embodiment, the distance from the projection optical axis Lp to the first light source 31 and the emission optical axis 31L in the up-down direction is smaller than the distance from the projection optical axis Lp to the second light source 32 and the emission optical axis 32L. In other words, in the first embodiment, the first light source 31 is positioned closer to the projection optical axis Lp than the second light source 32.

[0019] The connector terminal 33 is electrically connected to the wiring pattern of the substrate 34, and a connector connected to the lighting control circuit is detachable. The connector terminal 33 is provided at the lower end of the substrate 34 in the vertical direction, and the connector is detachable. The connector terminal 33, with the connector attached, enables power to be supplied from the lighting control circuit to each of the light sources 31 and 32 via the wiring pattern.

[0020] The substrate 34 is a plate-like substrate made of a resin material such as a glass epoxy substrate, and has the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 mounted thereon. The substrate 34 has a pair of screw through holes corresponding to the pair of screw holes 24a of the light source mounting location 24 of the base 21 of the installation stand 11, and a pair of positioning holes 34a corresponding to the pair of positioning protrusions 24b of the light source mounting location 24. The substrate 34 is attached to the light source mounting location 24 by threading screws 25 passed through the pair of screw through holes into the corresponding screw holes 24a while the positioning protrusions 24b corresponding to the pair of positioning holes 34a are inserted through the positioning protrusions 24b. This positions the substrate 34 so that the light source mounting location 24, i.e., the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 mounted therein, face the condenser lens 14. The substrate 34 receives appropriate power from a lighting control circuit via connector terminals 33 to light up the first light source 31 and the second light source 32.

[0021] The light-shielding frame 13 prevents light emitted from the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 from leaking out from between the light source unit 12 (substrate 34) and the condenser lens 14, and includes a frame main body 35 and an attachment portion 36. The frame main body 35 is configured as a plate-like member that extends annularly and has a predetermined dimension in the optical axis direction and surrounds substantially the entire light source unit 12 (substrate 34). The frame main body 35 has a lower portion with a smaller dimension in the optical axis direction, allowing the connector terminal 33 of the light source unit 12 to be attached to and detached from the connector. The pair of attachment portions 36 are plate-like and protrude widthwise from the frame main body 35 at positions corresponding to the positioning protrusion 21a and the screw hole 21b of the base portion 21. The attachment portion 36 corresponding to the positioning protrusion 21a is provided with a positioning hole 36a, and the attachment portion 36 corresponding to the screw hole 21b is provided with a screw through-hole through which a screw 26 can be passed. The light-shielding frame 13 is attached to the base 21 of the installation stand 11 by inserting the positioning protrusions 21a into the positioning holes 36a and screwing the screws 26 passed through the screw holes into the screw holes 21b.

[0022] The condensing lens 14 condenses light emitted from the first light source 31 and the second light source 32, and condenses the light around each slit portion 54 (described later) on the shade 15, i.e., in an area on the shade 15 where each slit portion 54 is provided, including all of the slit portions 54. As shown in FIG. 3 , the condensing lens 14 has a condensing lens main body 41 that condenses light from the first light source 31 and the second light source 32, and a pair of condensing lens attachment pieces 42 that protrude from the condensing lens main body 41 in the width direction. The condensing lens main body 41 is basically a convex lens, and its optical characteristics are set so as to form an inner light distribution area Ai and an outer light distribution area Ao (see FIGS. 8 and 9 ) on the shade 15, as will be described later.

[0023] Both condenser lens attachment pieces 42 are plate-shaped and perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and can be fitted to the end portions 23a of both mounting arms 23 of the base 21 of the installation stand 11. Each condenser lens attachment piece 42 is provided with a condenser lens positioning hole 42a and a condenser lens screw through hole 42b. When the condenser lens attachment piece 42 is fitted to the end portion 23a, the positioning protrusion 23b can be fitted into each condenser lens positioning hole 42a. When the condenser lens attachment piece 42 is fitted to the end portion 23a, each condenser lens screw through hole 42b can receive the screw 27 that is screwed into the screw hole 23c. The focusing lens 14 is attached to both mounting arms 23 (ends 23a) of the installation base 11 by passing the positioning protrusions 23b corresponding to each focusing lens positioning hole 42a through, and screwing each screw 27 passed through each focusing lens screw through hole 42b into the corresponding screw hole 23c.

[0024] The shade 15 is an example of a light-blocking member that forms an irradiation pattern Pi by partially transmitting light from the first light source 31 and the second light source 32, which is condensed by the condensing lens 14, through the irradiation slit 53. As shown in FIG. 1 , the irradiation pattern Pi has three irradiation patterns Di aligned at approximately equal intervals in a direction away from the vehicle 1. Here, when each irradiation pattern Di is individually shown, the one farthest from the vehicle 1 is referred to as the first irradiation pattern Di1, and the patterns are sequentially referred to as the second irradiation pattern Di2 and the third irradiation pattern Di3 as they approach the vehicle 1. In Example 1, the first irradiation pattern Di1 and the second irradiation pattern Di2 are represented by a V-shaped symbol that opens widely, and the first irradiation pattern Di1 is larger than the second irradiation pattern Di2. The third illumination pattern Di3 has a long pentagonal shape extending from the vehicle 1 toward the second illumination pattern Di2, with the base end on the vehicle 1 side having corners at both ends of a straight line perpendicular to the arrow direction Da (described later), and the other end away from the vehicle 1 having a V shape matching the first illumination pattern Di1 and the second illumination pattern Di2. The dimension of this third illumination pattern Di3 in the direction perpendicular to the arrow direction Da is smaller than the first illumination pattern Di1 and the second illumination pattern Di2. In this illumination pattern Pi, the first illumination pattern Di1 and the second illumination pattern Di2 are the far-field illumination patterns, and the third illumination pattern Di3 is the near-field illumination pattern.

[0025] This irradiation pattern Pi is formed on the road surface 2, which serves as a projection surface, by arranging the first irradiation pattern Di1, the second irradiation pattern Di2, and the third irradiation pattern Di3 on the same straight line so as to move away from the vehicle 1. Therefore, by arranging the three irradiation patterns Di, the irradiation pattern Pi can appear as an arrow pointing in the arrow direction Da from the vehicle 1. The direction in which the arrow of this irradiation pattern Pi points, i.e., the direction in which the vertices of the V-shape of each irradiation pattern Di are aligned, is defined as the arrow direction Da, and the side pointed by this arrow (the first irradiation pattern Di1 side) is defined as the front side of the arrow direction Da. In Example 1, the three irradiation patterns Di have both side ends Die located in a direction perpendicular to the arrow direction Da. The both side ends Die are located on the same straight line that slopes inward (toward the vehicle 1) as it moves toward the rear side of the arrow direction Da, emphasizing the impression that the three irradiation patterns Di form an arrow pointing in the arrow direction Da. The irradiation pattern Pi consisting of these three irradiation designs Di is formed by the shade 15.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the shade 15 is basically formed of a plate-like member that blocks light transmission and includes a shade portion 51 and a pair of shade mounting pieces 52. The shade mounting pieces 52 protrude from the shade portion 51 on both sides in the width direction and can be fitted to the respective condenser lens mounting pieces 42 of the condenser lenses 14 attached to the ends 23 a of the mounting arms 23 of the installation base 11. Each shade mounting piece 52 is provided with a shade positioning hole 52 a and a shade screw through-hole 52 b. When the shade mounting piece 52 is fitted to the condenser lens mounting piece 42, the positioning protrusion 23 b can be inserted into each shade positioning hole 52 a. When the shade mounting piece 52 is fitted to the condenser lens mounting piece 42, each shade screw through-hole 52 b can be fitted with a screw 27 that is passed through the condenser lens screw through-hole 42 b. The shade 15 is attached to both mounting arms 23 of the installation base 11 via the condenser lens 14 by threading the screws 27 passed through each shade screw through-hole 52b into the corresponding screw holes 23c while the positioning protrusions 23b are passed through each shade positioning hole 52a. By attaching the shade mounting pieces 52 to both mounting arms 23, the center position of the shade part 51 of the shade 15 is positioned on the projection optical axis Lp.

[0027] The shade portion 51 is provided with an illumination slit 53 formed by partially cutting out and penetrating a plate-like member. The illumination slit 53 partially passes light from the first light source 31 and the second light source 32, which is condensed by the condenser lens 14 (the condenser lens body 41 thereof), thereby forming the projection illumination pattern Pi into a predetermined shape. The illumination slit 53 corresponds to the illumination pattern Pi, and in Example 1, is configured with three slit portions 54, as shown in Figures 3, 4, 8, etc.

[0028] The three slit portions 54 correspond one-to-one to the three irradiation patterns Di. Because the projection lens 16 inverts the shade 15 (irradiation slit 53) and projects it onto the road surface 2, the slit portions 54 are rotationally symmetrical about the projection optical axis Lp with respect to the positional relationship of the irradiation patterns Di of the irradiation pattern Pi (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Therefore, among the slit portions 54, the first slit portion 541 located at the bottom in the vertical direction corresponds to the first irradiation pattern Di1 of the irradiation pattern Pi, and the second slit portion 542 located above it corresponds to the second irradiation pattern Di2. Therefore, the first slit portion 541 and the second slit portion 542 are distant slit portions corresponding to the first irradiation pattern Di1 and the second irradiation pattern Di2, which are distant irradiation patterns. Furthermore, among the slit portions 54, the uppermost third slit portion 543 is a near slit portion corresponding to the third irradiation pattern Di3, i.e., the near irradiation pattern.

[0029] The positions of the slit portions 54 on the shade portion 51 are set so that the illumination patterns Di are of the desired size and in the desired positional relationship on the road surface 2. In the shade 15 of Example 1, in the up-down direction, the third slit portion 543 is provided above the projection optical axis Lp, the second slit portion 542 is provided below that, and the first slit portion 541 is provided below that. The second slit portion 542 is located substantially entirely below a horizontal line including the projection optical axis Lp, and portions of both ends in the width direction are located above and straddle the horizontal line including the projection optical axis Lp. Therefore, more than three-quarters of the distant slit portions (the first slit portion 541 and the second slit portion 542) of the shade 15 (shade portion 51) are located below the projection optical axis Lp of the projection lens 16. Light transmitted through this shade 15 (each slit portion 54 of the illumination slit 53) is projected onto the road surface 2 by the projection lens 16.

[0030] The first slit portion 541 and the second slit portion 542, which constitute the far slit portions, are shaped like a wide-open V symbol, similar to the corresponding illumination patterns Di, and are inverted vertically and horizontally relative to the illumination patterns Di. The third slit portion 543, which constitutes the near slit portion, is shaped like a pentagon extending from above toward the second slit portion 542, similar to the corresponding third illumination pattern Di3, and is inverted vertically and horizontally relative to the third illumination pattern Di3. The sizes and intervals of the three slit portions 54 are set according to the distance to the road surface 2 so that the illumination patterns Di are spaced approximately equally apart on the road surface 2 with the sizes shown in FIG. 1 above. In detail, the vehicle lamp 10 is provided with the projection optical axis Lp tilted with respect to the road surface 2, so that the distances from the shade 15 and the projection lens 16 to the road surface 2 vary. Therefore, when projected onto the road surface 2 by the projection lens 16, the slit portions 54 (the illumination patterns Di, which are light transmitted therethrough) are sized and spaced according to the distance.

[0031] For this reason, the size and spacing of each slit portion 54 are set according to the distance to the road surface 2 so that the irradiation patterns Di are spaced at approximately equal intervals and of the above-mentioned size on the road surface 2. Specifically, in Example 1, the first slit portion 541 is shaped to resemble a thin V-shaped symbol, and the second slit portion 542 is shaped to resemble a V-shaped symbol that is thicker than the first slit portion 541. The second slit portion 542 is positioned such that the bending point of the upper outline of the outline of the V-shaped symbol protruding downward in the shade portion 51 coincides with the projection optical axis Lp (see FIG. 8, etc.). Furthermore, the third slit portion 543 is shaped like a regular pentagon protruding toward the second slit portion 542. Each slit portion 54 is shaped to be wider in the width direction than the corresponding irradiation pattern Di.

[0032] In this way, the three slit portions 54 are different in size and spaced apart from each other with respect to the respective illumination patterns Di. In each slit portion 54, the first slit portion 541 has the smallest reduction ratio with respect to the corresponding illumination pattern Di, and the light that has passed through it is enlarged at the largest magnification when projected onto the road surface 2 to form the first illumination pattern Di1. In addition, in each slit portion 54, the third slit portion 543 has the largest reduction ratio with respect to the corresponding illumination pattern Di, and the light that has passed through it is enlarged at the smallest magnification when projected onto the road surface 2 to form the third illumination pattern Di3.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the projection lens 16 has a projection lens main body 55 that projects light that has passed through the shade 15, and a pair of projection lens attachment pieces 56 that protrude from the projection lens main body 55 in the width direction. As shown in FIG. 4 and other figures, the projection lens main body 55 is a convex lens that is circular when viewed in the optical axis direction, and in Example 1, the entrance surface and the exit surface are free-form surfaces that are convex. The projection lens main body 55 projects the illumination slits 53 (each of the slit portions 54) of the shade 15, thereby forming an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2 that is inclined with respect to the projection optical axis Lp, as shown in FIG. 1 . Note that the entrance surface and the exit surface may be convex or concave as long as the projection lens main body 55 is a convex lens, and are not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0034] Both projection lens mounting pieces 56 are plate-shaped and perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and can be fitted to the respective shade mounting pieces 52 of the shade 15 attached to the ends 23a of the respective mounting arms 23 of the installation base 11. Each projection lens mounting piece 56 is provided with a projection lens positioning hole 56a and a projection lens screw through-hole. When the projection lens mounting piece 56 is fitted to the shade mounting piece 52, the positioning protrusion 23b passing through each projection lens positioning hole 56a can be fitted into each projection lens positioning hole 56a. When the projection lens mounting piece 56 is fitted to the shade mounting piece 52, the screw 27 passing through the corresponding shade screw through-hole 52b can be passed through each projection lens screw through-hole. The projection lens 16 is attached to both mounting arms 23 (ends 23a) of the installation base 11 by threading the screws 27 passed through the projection lens screw through-holes into the corresponding screw holes 23c while the positioning protrusions 23b are passed through the projection lens positioning holes 56a. As a result, the projection optical axis Lp of the projection lens 16, which is the optical axis of the projection lens body 55, is oriented in a predetermined direction, and the orientation of the projection optical axis Lp of the vehicle lamp 10 is set.

[0035] Next, the configuration of the condenser lens body 41 of the condenser lens 14 will be described mainly with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The condenser lens body 41 has a first lens portion 61 corresponding to the first light source 31 and a second lens portion 62 corresponding to the second light source 32. In the condenser lens 14 (condenser lens body 41) of Example 1, the first lens portion 61 and the second lens portion 62 are integrally formed with each other, with the second lens portion 62 placed on top of the first lens portion 61.

[0036] The first lens unit 61 has a substantially circular shape when viewed from the front in the optical axis direction. The first lens unit 61 of Example 1 condenses the divergent light emitted from the first light source 31 as a whole to a state nearly parallel to the projection optical axis Lp, and causes the light to travel toward the shade unit 51. The first lens unit 61 has a first incident surface 63 facing the first light source 31 and a first exit surface 64 facing the opposite side.

[0037] 7, the first incident surface 63 has a central portion recessed toward the inside of the first lens portion 61 (the side opposite to the first light source 31), and has a curved incident surface portion 65 that is curved outwardly at the center and convex, and an annular incident surface portion 66 surrounding it. In addition, a truncated cone-shaped reflecting surface 67 that surrounds the annular incident surface portion 66 is provided around the periphery of the first incident surface 63.

[0038] The curved incident surface portion 65 faces the first light source 31 in the optical axis direction, and the first light source 31 is positioned near the rear focal point (rear focal point). The curved incident surface portion 65 causes the light emitted from the first light source 31 to enter the first lens portion 61 as parallel light traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the first lens portion 61. Note that this parallel light (parallel light) refers to light that has been collimated by passing through the curved incident surface portion 65.

[0039] The annular incident surface 66 protrudes from the curved incident surface 65 toward the first light source 31, and allows light from the first light source 31 that does not travel to the curved incident surface 65 to enter the first lens unit 61. The reflective surface 67 is formed at a position where light that has entered the first lens unit 61 from the annular incident surface 66 travels. The reflective surface 67 reflects the light that has entered the annular incident surface 66, converting it into parallel light traveling substantially parallel to the axis of the first lens unit 61. The reflective surface 67 may reflect light using total reflection, or may reflect light by adhering aluminum, silver, or the like by vapor deposition or painting. For these reasons, the first incident surface 63 directs the light emitted from the first light source 31 into the first lens unit 61 as parallel light traveling substantially parallel to the axis of the first lens unit 61, and guides it to the first exit surface 64.

[0040] Therefore, in the first lens portion 61, at the first incident surface 63, light that passes through the curved incident surface portion 65 becomes direct light that goes directly toward the first exit surface 64, and light that passes through the annular incident surface portion 66 and is reflected by the reflecting surface 67 is reflected internally and then becomes reflected light that goes toward the first exit surface 64.

[0041] The first exit surface 64 emits the light that has entered through the first entrance surface 63 and been converted into parallel light toward the front in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the first exit surface 64 has a substantially circular shape when viewed from the front, and includes an inner exit surface portion 68 and an outer exit surface portion 69 that have different optical settings. The inner exit surface portion 68 is provided near the center of the first exit surface 64, in an area where the light that has passed through the curved entrance surface portion 65 travels. The inner exit surface portion 68 of Example 1 has a substantially circular shape when viewed from the front. The inner exit surface portion 68 refracts the light that has passed through the curved entrance surface portion 65, causing the light to travel toward the front in the front-rear direction while being greatly diffused in the width direction (horizontal direction). The inner light exit surface 68 is irradiated with light that has passed through the curved incident surface 65 from the first light source 31, thereby forming a plurality of light distribution images of the first light source 31 that are appropriately superimposed on the shade 15 (shade section 51) at positions according to the optical characteristics. The optical characteristics can be set by adjusting the curvature (surface shape) of the inner light exit surface 68 as well as the curved incident surface 65 for each location, and in the first embodiment, the curvature is set by gradually changing it.

[0042] This inner emission surface portion 68 appropriately refracts the light that is emitted from the first light source 31 and passes through the curved incidence surface portion 65, thereby irradiating the light onto the shade 15 and forming the inner ring light distribution area Ai shown in Fig. 8. This inner ring light distribution area Ai provides a substantially equal amount of light over the entire area of ​​the first slit portion 541 on the shade 15, which corresponds to the far side in the far slit portion (forming the first irradiation pattern Di1 located on the far side in the far irradiation pattern).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6 and other figures, the outer emission surface 69 is provided in an area surrounding the inner emission surface 68 and is located in an area where light emitted from the first light source 31, passing through the annular incident surface 66, and reflected by the reflecting surface 67 travels. The outer emission surface 69 refracts the light emitted from the first light source 31, passing through the annular incident surface 66, and reflected by the reflecting surface 67, causing the light to travel forward in the front-to-rear direction so as to be focused toward the axis of the first lens unit 61. The outer emission surface 69 irradiates the light reflected by the reflecting surface 67, thereby forming multiple light distribution images of the first light source 31 that are appropriately superimposed on the shade 15 at positions according to the optical characteristics. The optical characteristics can be set by adjusting the curvature (surface shape) of the outer emission surface 69 as well as the reflecting surface 67 for each location. In Example 1, these curvatures are set so as to be gradually changed.

[0044] The outer light output surface 69 appropriately refracts light that is emitted from the first light source 31, passes through the annular light input surface 66, and is reflected by the reflecting surface 67, thereby irradiating the light onto the shade 15 and forming an outer ring light distribution area Ao shown in FIG. 9 . The outer ring light distribution area Ao is an area on the shade 15 that forms a high luminous flux (amount of light). The outer ring light distribution area Ao has a maximum luminous flux from the apex of the first slit portion 541 to the middle position in the width direction and near the apex of the second slit portion 542, and surrounds the entire remaining distant slit portion, i.e., the entire remaining area of ​​the first slit portion 541 and the second slit portion 542, with a lower luminous flux. The outer ring light distribution area Ao has a large difference in luminous flux between the area with the maximum luminous flux and the area surrounding it, and the change in luminous flux at the boundary between them is continuous. The outer ring light distribution area Ao has a central luminous flux that is at its maximum value higher than that of the inner ring light distribution area Ai. Here, the first lens portion 61 has its lens optical axis extending toward the apex of the first slit portion 541, which makes it easy to form the outer ring light distribution area Ao as described above.

[0045] In this way, first lens portion 61 forms an inner light distribution area Ai that illuminates the entire first slit portion 541 with light from first light source 31 that has passed through inner exit surface portion 68, and also forms an outer light distribution area Ao that illuminates the entire distant slit portion with light from first light source 31 that has passed through outer exit surface portion 69, with the highest luminous flux near the vertex of first slit portion 541. For this reason, first lens portion 61 causes the light from first light source 31 to travel along different optical paths, as described above, for direct light that passes through curved incident surface portion 65 toward inner exit surface portion 68, and reflected light that passes through annular incident surface portion 66 and is reflected by reflecting surface 67 toward outer exit surface portion 69, thereby forming first light distribution area A1 shown in FIG. This first light distribution area A1 is a combination of the inner light distribution area Ai and outer light distribution area Ao described above, and has the highest luminous flux from the apex of the first slit portion 541 to the middle position in the width direction and near the apex of the second slit portion 542, while irradiating the entire first slit portion 541 and the second slit portion 542, i.e., the distant slit portion.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the second lens unit 62 is a convex lens having a substantially rectangular shape that is elongated in the width direction when viewed from the front in the optical axis direction. As a whole, the second lens unit 62 condenses the divergent light emitted from the second light source 32 to a state nearly parallel to the projection optical axis Lp and causes the light to travel toward the shade unit 51. The second lens unit 62 has a second incident surface 71 facing the second light source 32 and a second exit surface 72 facing the opposite side. Therefore, the second incident surface 71, together with the first incident surface 63 of the first lens unit 61, constitutes the incident surface of the condenser lens 14. Furthermore, the second exit surface 72, together with the first exit surface 64 of the first lens unit 61, constitutes the exit surface of the condenser lens 14. In the first embodiment, the second incident surface 71 and the second exit surface 72 of the second lens unit 62 are free-form surfaces in which the second incident surface 71 and the second exit surface 72 are convex. Second entrance surface 71 and second exit surface 72 may be convex or concave as long as second lens portion 62 is a convex lens, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0047] The second incident surface 71 faces the second light source 32 in the optical axis direction, and the second light source 32 is positioned near the rear focal point (rear focal point). The curved incident surface portion 65 causes light emitted from the second light source 32 to enter the second lens portion 62 as parallel light traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the second lens portion 62. The second exit surface 72 is provided on the opposite side from the second incident surface 71 and refracts the light that has passed through the second incident surface 71, causing the light to travel toward the front in the front-to-rear direction while being diffused. The second exit surface 72 irradiates the light that has passed through the second incident surface 71 from the second light source 32, thereby forming multiple light distribution images of the second light source 32 that are appropriately superimposed on the shade 15 (shade portion 51) at positions according to the optical characteristics. These optical characteristics can be set by adjusting the curvature (surface shape) of second entrance surface 71 as well as second exit surface 72 for each location, and in the first embodiment, the curvature is set by gradually changing it.

[0048] The second light exit surface 72 appropriately refracts light that has been emitted from the second light source 32 and passed through the second light entrance surface 71, thereby irradiating the light onto the shade 15 and forming the second light distribution area A2 shown in FIG. 11 . The second light distribution area A2 has a substantially uniform luminous flux (amount of light) throughout the entire area of ​​the third slit portion 543, which serves as the near slit portion on the shade 15. "Making the luminous flux substantially uniform throughout the entire area" means that the luminous flux varies less than in the outer ring light distribution area Ao, and preferably means that the luminous flux is substantially uniform. The second light distribution area A2 in Example 1 has a lower luminous flux than the first light distribution area A1, i.e., the inner ring light distribution area Ai and the outer ring light distribution area Ao.

[0049] For these reasons, the condensing lens 14 forms the light distribution area A shown in FIG. 12 by overlapping the first light distribution area A1 formed by the first lens portion 61 with the light from the first light source 31 and the second light distribution area A2 formed by the second lens portion 62 with the light from the second light source 32. This light distribution area A has the highest luminous flux from the apex of the first slit portion 541 to the middle position in the width direction and near the apex of the second slit portion 542, the next highest luminous flux in the remaining portions of the first slit portion 541 and the second slit portion 542, and a lower luminous flux that is uniform throughout the entire area of ​​the third slit portion 543. For this reason, the condensing lens 14 of Example 1 has the maximum luminous flux located near the apex of the first slit portion 541 that forms the first illumination pattern Di1 on the shade 15. In this way, the condenser lens 14 can form a predetermined light beam distribution on the shade 15 with a predetermined accent (sharpness (difference in height of the light beam)) for the far slit portion, and can also create a uniform light beam for the near slit portion that is lower than that for the far slit portion.

[0050] Next, the operation of the vehicle lamp 10 will be described. The vehicle lamp 10 can turn on and off both light sources (21, 22) appropriately by supplying power from the lighting control circuit to them via the circuit board 34. Light from both light sources (21, 22) is condensed by the condenser lens 14 and illuminates the shade 15. After passing through the illumination slits 53 (each slit portion 54), the light is projected by the projection lens 16 to form an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2. The illumination pattern Pi is formed by projecting light that has passed through the illumination slits 53 (each slit portion 54) of the shade 15, which has the above-mentioned light distribution (luminous flux), via the projection lens 16, so that the first illumination pattern Di1, particularly the vicinity of its tip, has the highest luminous flux, and the three illumination patterns Di are arranged in a substantially straight line. Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10 of Example 1, the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 emit monochromatic light, so the influence of chromatic aberration in the projection lens 16 can be significantly suppressed, and the irradiation pattern Pi, i.e., each irradiation pattern Di, can be made clear.

[0051] The vehicular lamp 10 is linked to the turn lamps, and when either the left or right turn lamp is turned on, the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 provided on the turned-on side are turned on to form an irradiation pattern Pi on the road surface 2. Therefore, in a situation where the vehicle 1 is about to proceed from an alley with poor visibility to another alley, the vehicular lamp 10 allows people in the other alley to see the irradiation pattern Pi formed on the road surface 2, even if they cannot see the vehicle 1. In addition, when the hazard lamps of the vehicle 1 are turned on, the two left and right vehicular lamps 10 simultaneously form irradiation patterns Pi on the road surface 2, so that people can more reliably recognize that the hazard lamps are on compared to when only the left and right turn lamps are flashing.

[0052] Furthermore, in the irradiation pattern Pi formed by the vehicular lamp 10, the first irradiation pattern Di1 and the second irradiation pattern Di2, which are far-field irradiation patterns, are V-shaped, and the third irradiation pattern Di3, which is a near-field irradiation pattern, is pentagonal and elongated in the arrow direction Da. Therefore, the vehicular lamp 10 can give the impression that the far-field irradiation patterns (first irradiation pattern Di1, second irradiation pattern Di2) correspond to the arrowhead of an arrow symbol, and the near-field irradiation pattern (third irradiation pattern Di3) corresponds to the shaft of an arrow symbol, more effectively giving the impression of pointing in the arrow direction Da. Additionally, in the irradiation pattern Pi of Example 1, both side ends Die of the three irradiation patterns Di are positioned on the same straight line that slopes inward (toward the vehicle 1) as it moves rearward in the arrow direction Da. This allows the vehicular lamp 10 to allow people around the vehicle 1 to more intuitively understand that the irradiation pattern Pi is pointing in the arrow direction Da.

[0053] In the vehicle lamp 10, the first light source 31 of the light source unit 12 is configured so that two LED chips 31a are arranged side by side in the width direction, and the corresponding far slit portions, i.e., the first slit portion 541 and the second slit portion 542, are shaped like a V symbol that is long in the width direction. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can efficiently illuminate the far slit portions over the entire width direction, and can brighten the far illumination patterns formed by the far slit portions, i.e., the first illumination pattern Di1 and the second illumination pattern Di2, over the entire area.

[0054] Here, a conventional vehicle lamp described in a prior art document has multiple light guides corresponding to multiple light sources, and efficiently utilizes light from each light source. In this conventional vehicle lamp, each light guide member diffuses light internally to emit light with a substantially uniform luminous flux distribution. The light that passes through each light guide member illuminates a shade (light-blocking member), thereby achieving a substantially uniform light distribution (luminous flux) on the shade. Furthermore, in conventional vehicle lamps, light from the corresponding light source is guided onto the shade by each light guide, and each light source is guided onto the shade separately. For this reason, it is difficult for conventional vehicle lamps to achieve a desired light distribution on the shade, such as by creating a continuous change in luminous flux within a low-luminous flux region while partially forming a high-luminous flux region.

[0055] In contrast, the vehicle lamp 10 is provided with a single condenser lens 14 that condenses light from each of the two light sources (21, 22). The condenser lens 14 has a first lens portion 61 corresponding to the first light source 31 and a second lens portion 62 corresponding to the second light source 32. The first lens portion 61 allows light emitted from the first light source 31 in a direction substantially along the emission optical axis 31L to enter through a curved incidence surface portion 65 of a first incidence surface 63, and allows light emitted from the first light source 31 in a direction diverging (at a large angle with respect to the emission optical axis 31L) to enter through an annular incidence surface portion 66 of the first incidence surface 63 and be reflected by a reflection surface 67. First lens portion 61 causes light that has passed through curved incident surface portion 65 to exit mainly from inner exit surface portion 68 of first exit surface 64, and causes light that has passed through annular incident surface portion 66 and reflected by reflective surface 67 to exit mainly from outer exit surface portion 69 of first exit surface 64. As a result, first lens portion 61 forms an inner ring light distribution area Ai on shade 15 with light that has passed through curved incident surface portion 65 and inner exit surface portion 68, and forms an inner ring light distribution area Ai on shade 15 with light that has passed through annular incident surface portion 66, reflected by reflective surface 67, and passed through outer exit surface portion 69. In this way, first lens portion 61 forms outer and inner light distribution areas Ao and Ai having different positions, sizes, and light distribution (luminous flux) distributions by utilizing the difference between the optical path that passes through curved entrance surface portion 65 and inner exit surface portion 68 and the optical path that passes through annular entrance surface portion 66, reflective surface 67, and outer exit surface portion 69. By overlapping outer and inner light distribution areas Ao and Ai, which have different light distribution distributions, first lens portion 61 forms first light distribution area A1, which has a luminous flux distribution with a predetermined accent (sharpness (difference in height of luminous flux)), on the far slit portions (first slit portion 541, second slit portion 542).

[0056] Furthermore, because the second lens portion 62 is a convex lens, light from the second light source 32 enters through the second entrance surface 71 and exits through the second exit surface 72, forming a second light distribution area A2 with a lower and more uniform luminous flux than the first light distribution area A1 on the near slit portion (third slit portion 543) of the shade 15. Here, the near slit portion corresponds to the third illumination pattern Di3 that becomes the near illumination pattern in the illumination pattern Pi, and since it is projected at a location close to the vehicle 1, i.e., a location close to the vehicle lamp 10, it is desirable that the near slit portion have a lower and more uniform luminous flux than the far slit portion in order to form an easy-to-see near illumination pattern.

[0057] Therefore, by using a single condenser lens 14 for both light sources (21, 22), the vehicle lamp 10 can illuminate the shade 15 with a desired light distribution and form a first light distribution area A1 with a desired luminous flux distribution and a second light distribution area A2 with a lower, more uniform luminous flux. The vehicle lamp 10 can form an easy-to-see irradiation pattern Pi with a desired brightness distribution by forming a light distribution area A by overlapping the first light distribution area A1 and the second light distribution area A2 on the shade 15. Therefore, compared to conventional vehicle lamps, the vehicle lamp 10 has a simple configuration using a single condenser lens 14, while making it easy to adjust the light distribution of the light distribution area A formed on the shade 15, and can form the irradiation pattern Pi with a desired brightness distribution.

[0058] Here, the third illumination pattern Di3 in Example 1 has an elongated shape in the direction of the arrow Da and extends to the vicinity of the vehicle 1 on which the vehicular lamp 10 is mounted. In other words, the third illumination pattern Di3 in Example 1 has an elongated shape in the direction of the arrow Da so as to reduce the distance from the vehicle 1. Since the third slit portion 543 corresponds to the third illumination pattern Di3, it has a large area on the shade portion 51. If the third slit portion 543 is illuminated using a lens that provides a predetermined luminous flux distribution with accentuated luminous flux, such as the first lens portion 61, it becomes difficult to illuminate the entire area. This may result in uneven brightness, such as dark areas, in the formed third illumination pattern Di3, making it impossible to form an appropriate third illumination pattern Di3.

[0059] In contrast, the vehicular lamp 10 forms a first light distribution area A1 with a predetermined luminous flux distribution for the far slit portions (first slit portion 541, second slit portion 542) using the first lens portion 61, and forms a second light distribution area A2 with a uniform luminous flux for the near slit portion (third slit portion 543) using the second lens portion 62. Therefore, even if the vehicular lamp 10 uses a single condenser lens 14, it can form both areas with a predetermined luminous flux distribution with variations and areas with a uniform luminous flux on the shade portion 51. Therefore, the vehicular lamp 10 can make the distal end centers of the far illumination patterns (first illumination pattern Di1, second illumination pattern Di2) clear, and can also make the entire near illumination pattern (third illumination pattern Di3) clear, thereby forming a more appropriate illumination pattern P.

[0060] The vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment can provide the following effects. The vehicle lamp 10 includes a first light source 31 and a second light source 32 arranged in parallel, a condenser lens 14 that condenses light from the light sources, a shade 15 as a light-blocking member having an illumination slit 53 that partially transmits the condensed light, and a projection lens 16 that projects the light that has passed through the condenser lens 14 to form an illumination pattern Pi. The condenser lens 14 has a first lens portion 61 corresponding to the first light source 31 and a second lens portion 62 corresponding to the second light source 32. The illumination slit 53 has a near slit portion (third slit portion 543) corresponding to the near illumination pattern (third illumination pattern Di3) and far slit portions (first slit portion 541, second slit portion 542) corresponding to the far illumination patterns (first illumination pattern Di1, second illumination pattern Di2). The first lens portion 61 is disposed opposite the far slit portion, and the second lens portion 62 is disposed opposite the near slit portion. Therefore, the vehicular lamp 10 uses a single condenser lens 14 for two light sources (21, 22) and passes light through two different optical paths through the first lens portion 61 and the second lens portion 62, thereby forming two light distribution areas (first light distribution area A1 and second light distribution area A2 in the first embodiment) with different positions, sizes, and light distribution (luminous flux) distributions. Furthermore, the vehicular lamp 10 can set the optical characteristics of the first lens portion 61 to match the light distribution area required on the far slit portion, and can set the optical characteristics of the second lens portion 62 to match the light distribution area required on the near slit portion. Therefore, the vehicular lamp 10 can efficiently utilize light from both light sources (21, 22) and can irradiate the near slit portion and the far slit portion with a desired luminous flux distribution while simplifying the configurations of the first lens portion 61 and the second lens portion 62. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can easily adjust the light distribution on the light blocking member, and can form an irradiation pattern Pi with a desired brightness distribution.

[0061] In the vehicular lamp 10, the first lens portion 61 forms a first light distribution area A1 on the light-blocking member (shade 15) that illuminates the entire area of ​​the far slit portion with light from the first light source 31, and the second lens portion 62 forms a second light distribution area A2 on the light-blocking member (shade 15) that illuminates the entire area of ​​the near slit portion with light from the second light source 32. Therefore, the vehicular lamp 10 can set the positions and optical characteristics of the first light source 31 and the first lens portion 61 to form the first light distribution area A1, and can also set the positions and optical characteristics of the second light source 32 and the second lens portion 62 to form the second light distribution area A2. As a result, the vehicular lamp 10 can form an illumination pattern Pi with a desired brightness distribution while simplifying the configuration of the condenser lens 14.

[0062] In the vehicle lamp 10, the first lens portion 61 has a curved incident surface portion 65 facing the first light source 31, an annular incident surface portion 66 surrounding the curved incident surface portion 65, and a reflecting surface 67 surrounding the annular incident surface portion 66. The second lens portion 62 is a convex lens that collects light from the second light source 32. The first lens portion 61 forms, on the light-blocking member (shade 15), an inner light distribution area Ai that illuminates the far slit portion with light from the first light source 31 that has passed through the curved incident surface portion 65. The first lens portion 61 also forms, on the light-blocking member (shade 15), an outer light distribution area Ao that illuminates the entire far slit portion while making the vicinity of the center of the far slit portion higher in luminous flux than the periphery with light from the first light source 31 that has passed through the annular incident surface portion 66 and been reflected by the reflecting surface 67. For this reason, the vehicle lamp 10 utilizes the difference in the optical path in the first lens portion 61 to form an outer light distribution area Ao and an inner light distribution area Ai with mutually different positions, sizes and light distribution (luminous flux) distributions, and by overlapping these, it is possible to form a first light distribution area A1 with a luminous flux distribution with a predetermined accent, and to form a distant illumination pattern with a desired brightness distribution.

[0063] In the vehicle lamp 10, the second light distribution area A2 has a lower luminous flux than the inner ring light distribution area Ai and the outer ring light distribution area Ao, and the luminous flux difference is smaller than that of the outer ring light distribution area Ao. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can easily form the second light distribution area A2 as described above by using the second lens portion 62 that is a convex lens, and can form a near-field illumination pattern with a desired brightness distribution.

[0064] The vehicle lamp 10 integrates the first lens portion 61 and the second lens portion 62. This allows the vehicle lamp 10 to improve the relative positional accuracy of the first lens portion 61 and the second lens portion 62, and also makes the assembly process easier.

[0065] In the vehicle lamp 10, three-quarters or more of the far slit portions (first slit portion 541, second slit portion 542) of the light blocking member (shade 15) are provided below the projection optical axis Lp of the projection lens 16. Therefore, in the condenser lens 14, the first lens portion 61 and the second lens portion 62 (their center positions (axis)) can be arranged one above the other so as to sandwich the projection optical axis Lp, and the vehicle lamp 10 can have a small overall configuration.

[0066] In the vehicle lamp 10, the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and the first light source 31 is positioned below the second light source 32. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can provide the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 in accordance with the arrangement of the first lens portion 61 and the second lens portion 62 in the condenser lens 14, and can have a small overall configuration.

[0067] In the vehicular lamp 10, the far-field illumination pattern has a first illumination pattern Di1 and a second illumination pattern Di2, and the far-field slit portion has a first slit portion 541 corresponding to the first illumination pattern Di1 and a second slit portion 542 corresponding to the second illumination pattern Di2. In the vehicular lamp 10, the first light distribution area A1 has the highest luminous flux in the first light distribution area A1 and the second light distribution area A2 near the center of the first slit portion 541. Therefore, the vehicular lamp 10 can illuminate the center of the far-field slit portion with the highest luminous flux, making the center of the far-field illumination pattern of the illumination pattern Pi clear, and can improve visibility by achieving a desired brightness distribution of the illumination pattern Pi.

[0068] Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment as a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure can form an irradiation pattern Pi with a desired brightness distribution while efficiently utilizing the light from both light sources (11, 12).

[0069] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure has been described above based on Example 1, but the specific configuration is not limited to Example 1, and design changes and additions are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention according to each claim in the scope of the claims.

[0070] In the first embodiment, the irradiation pattern Pi is configured by aligning two V-shaped symbols, the first irradiation pattern Di1 and the second irradiation pattern Di2, and a third irradiation pattern Di3 of an equal angular shape that matches the first irradiation pattern Di1 and the second irradiation pattern Di2, at approximately equal intervals in a direction away from the vehicle 1. However, the irradiation pattern is formed by a shade (light-blocking member), and as long as it has a far-field irradiation pattern and a near-field irradiation pattern, the symbol design as the irradiation pattern Di, the position at which it is formed, the number of irradiation patterns Di, and the like may be set appropriately, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. The near-field irradiation pattern may be projected at a closer position in the irradiation pattern Pi, and the corresponding near slit portion may be arranged opposite the second lens unit 62, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the far-field irradiation pattern may be projected at a farther position than the near-field irradiation pattern in the irradiation pattern Pi, and the corresponding far-field slit portion may be arranged opposite the first lens unit 61, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0071] Furthermore, although the vehicle lamp 10 was provided at the front of the vehicle 1 in the first embodiment, it may be housed in a door mirror, placed in a headlight lamp chamber or a taillight lamp chamber (lamp chambers on both the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle), or provided on the vehicle body, as long as it is provided on the vehicle 1 at a position that corresponds to the position at which the illumination pattern is formed, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0072] Furthermore, in Example 1, the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 emit amber light. However, the color of the light emitted from the light source may be appropriately set according to the location where the light source is installed and the content to be conveyed, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0073] In Example 1, the shade 15 that transmits the light collected by the collecting lens 14 through the irradiation slit 53 is used as the light blocking member. However, the light blocking member may have other configurations as long as it is provided with the irradiation slit 53 that partially transmits the light collected by the collecting lens 14, and is not limited to the configurations of the examples. As another configuration, for example, a plate-shaped film member that blocks the transmission of light can be provided with an irradiation slit that partially transmits light, and a light blocking plate (filter) can be used that transmits the light that has passed through the collecting lens 14 through the irradiation slit.

[0074] In the first embodiment, the vehicle lamp 10 is provided in a vehicle 1 driven by a driver. However, the vehicle lamp may be provided in a vehicle having an automatic driving function, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. In this case, the vehicle lamp only needs to form an illumination pattern at a timing according to the application for which it is provided, that is, at a timing according to some intention regarding the operation of the vehicle 1, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0075] In the first embodiment, the light source unit 12 is provided on an installation base 11 that also functions as a heat sink, and a light-shielding frame 13, a condenser lens 14, a shade 15, and a projection lens 16 are attached to the installation base 11. However, the vehicle lamp may have any other configuration as long as it forms an irradiation pattern by condensing light from the light source onto a light-shielding member with a condenser lens and projecting it with a projection lens, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0076] In the first embodiment, the first light source 31 has two LED chips 31a and a phosphor 31b covering them, and the second light source 32 has one LED chip 32a and a phosphor 32b covering it. However, as long as the first light source 31 corresponds to the first lens portion 61 and the second light source 32 corresponds to the second lens portion 62, the configurations of the two light sources may be set appropriately and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10 Vehicle lamp 14 Condenser lens 15 Shade (as an example of a light blocking member) 16 Projection lens 31 First light source 32 Second light source 53 Illumination slit 541 First slit portion (as an example of a far slit portion) 542 Second slit portion (as an example of a far slit portion) 543 Third slit portion (as an example of a near slit portion) 61 First lens portion 62 Second lens portion 65 Curved entrance surface portion 66 Annular entrance surface portion 67 Reflection surface Ai Inner ring light distribution area Ao Outer ring light distribution area A1 First light distribution area A2 Second light distribution area Di1 First irradiation pattern (as an example of a far irradiation pattern) Di2 Second irradiation pattern (as an example of a far irradiation pattern) Di3 Third irradiation pattern (as an example of a near irradiation pattern) Lp Projection optical axis Pi Illumination pattern

Claims

1. a first light source and a second light source arranged in parallel; a condenser lens that condenses light from the first light source and the second light source; a light blocking member provided with an irradiation slit that partially transmits the light focused by the focusing lens; a projection lens that projects the light that has passed through the light blocking member to form an irradiation pattern, the condenser lens has a first lens portion corresponding to the first light source and a second lens portion corresponding to the second light source, The irradiation slit has a near slit portion corresponding to a near irradiation pattern projected at a near position in the irradiation pattern, and a far slit portion corresponding to a far irradiation pattern projected at a position farther away than the near irradiation pattern in the irradiation pattern, the first lens portion is disposed opposite the far slit portion, The vehicle lamp is characterized in that the second lens portion is disposed opposite the near slit portion.

2. the first lens portion forms a first light distribution area on the light blocking member that irradiates the entire area of ​​the far slit portion with light from the first light source, 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the second lens portion forms a second light distribution area on the light blocking member, which illuminates the entire area of ​​the near slit portion with light from the second light source.

3. the first lens portion has a curved incident surface portion facing the first light source, an annular incident surface portion surrounding the curved incident surface portion, and a reflecting surface surrounding the annular incident surface portion, the second lens portion is a convex lens that condenses light from the second light source, the first lens portion forms, on the light-blocking member, an inner light distribution area that irradiates the distant slit portion with light from the first light source that has passed through the curved incident surface portion, and an outer light distribution area that irradiates the entire distant slit portion with light from the first light source that has passed through the annular incident surface portion and is reflected by the reflecting surface while making the vicinity of the center of the distant slit portion have a higher luminous flux than the periphery, 3. The vehicular lamp according to claim 2, wherein the first light distribution area is formed by overlapping the inner and outer ring light distribution areas.

4. 4. The vehicular lamp according to claim 3, wherein the second light distribution area has a lower luminous flux than the inner ring light distribution area and the outer ring light distribution area, and has a smaller luminous flux difference than the outer ring light distribution area.

5. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first lens portion and the second lens portion are integral with each other.

6. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein three-quarters or more of the far slit portion is provided on the light blocking member below the projection optical axis of the projection lens.

7. the first light source and the second light source are arranged side by side in a vertical direction, 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first light source is positioned below the second light source.

8. The far-field irradiation pattern has a first irradiation pattern on the far side and a second irradiation pattern on the near-field irradiation pattern side, The distant slit portion has a first slit portion corresponding to the first illumination pattern and a second slit portion corresponding to the second illumination pattern, 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the first light distribution area has a luminous flux that is highest in the first light distribution area and the second light distribution area near a center of the first slit portion.

Images