Lamp units, vehicle lighting fixtures

Abstract

To provide a lamp unit capable of forming an irradiation pattern in the vicinity of an own vehicle while suppressing a size in the vertical direction, and to provide a vehicular lighting device using the same.SOLUTION: A lamp unit 20 includes: an installation base part 21 provided with a plurality of light sources (34, 35) aligned along a lamp unit shaft Ar; a condenser lens 23 condensing light from the plurality of light sources; a shading member (24) provided with a plurality of slit parts 46 for partially passing light condensed thereby; and a projection lens 25 forming an irradiation pattern Pi having a plurality of irradiation drawing patterns Di by projecting light passed therethrough. The projection lens 25 and the shading member (24) are rotated downward around a standard focus Fb set on the lamp unit shaft Ar, and the installation base part 21 and the condenser lens 23 are rotated downward around an installation base part standard focus Ph set behind and above the standard focus Fb.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a lamp unit and a vehicle lamp.

Background Art

[0002] It is considered that a vehicle lamp forms an irradiation pattern on the road surface around the vehicle using a lamp unit (see, for example, Patent Documents 1, 2, etc.). These conventional lamp units form an irradiation pattern by projecting light from a light source through a slit portion of a light shielding member (shade) with a projection lens, and can inform a viewer of the intention represented by the irradiation pattern.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a vehicle lamp, when mounted on a vehicle, it is common to provide a lamp unit or the like along the vehicle axis set for the vehicle, and it is required to suppress the dimension in the vertical direction orthogonal to the vehicle axis.

[0005] However, a conventional vehicle lamp forms an irradiation pattern on the road surface by providing a lamp unit in which a light source, a light shielding member, and a projection lens are combined so that the lamp unit axis inclines downward toward the road surface side. Therefore, a conventional vehicle lamp causes an increase in the substantial dimension of the lamp unit in the vertical direction.

[0006] This disclosure is made in view of the above circumstances and aims to provide a lamp unit that can form an illumination pattern near the vehicle while suppressing the vertical dimensions, and a vehicle lighting fixture using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This disclosure Lamp unit The lamp unit comprises: a mounting base provided with a plurality of light sources arranged along the lamp unit axis; a focusing lens for concentrating light from the plurality of light sources; a light-shielding member provided with a plurality of slits for partially passing through the light concentrated by the focusing lens; and a projection lens for projecting the light that has passed through the light-shielding member to form an illumination pattern having a plurality of illumination patterns corresponding to the plurality of slits. The projection lens is characterized in that a reference focal point is set on the lamp unit axis, the projection lens and the light-shielding member are rotated downwards around the reference focal point, and the mounting base and the focusing lens are rotated downwards around a reference point of the mounting base set behind and above the reference focal point. Furthermore, the vehicle lighting fixture of this disclosure is characterized by comprising the lamp unit described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the vehicle lighting device of this disclosure, it is possible to form an illumination pattern near the vehicle while suppressing the dimensions in the vertical direction. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing how the vehicle lighting fixture of Embodiment 1 according to this disclosure is mounted on a vehicle and forms its respective illumination pattern. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing a lamp unit in a vehicle lighting fixture as viewed from the projection lens side in the axial direction. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the lamp unit as viewed in the width direction. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the disassembled components of a lamp unit. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing a cross-section obtained along line II as shown in Figure 2. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the first and second light sources in the light source section. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration and positional relationship of the first slit section, the second slit section, and the third slit section in the shade. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram showing the condensing lens as viewed from the light source side. [Figure 9] This is an explanatory diagram showing the condensing lens as viewed from the shade side. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing how, in a lamp unit, light from the first light source enters the first lens portion from an inclined incident surface, is reflected by a reflective surface, and then travels through the shade (its first and second slit portions) to the projection lens, as viewed from above in the vertical direction. [Figure 11] This is an explanatory diagram showing the luminous flux distribution in the first illumination region formed on the shade by light from a first light source that enters the first lens section from an inclined incident surface, is reflected by a reflective surface, and then exits from the outer exit surface. [Figure 12] This is an explanatory diagram showing how, in a lamp unit, light from the first light source enters the first lens section from the opposing incident surface, then proceeds through the shade (its first and second slit sections) to the projection lens, as viewed from above in the vertical direction. [Figure 13] This is an explanatory diagram showing the light beam distribution in the second irradiation region formed on the shade by light from a first light source that enters the first lens portion from the opposing incident surface and exits from the inner exit surface portion. [Figure 14] This is an explanatory diagram showing how, in a lamp unit, light from the second light source enters the second lens section from the second incident surface, then proceeds through the shade (its third slit section) to the projection lens, as viewed from above in the vertical direction. [Figure 15] This is an explanatory diagram showing the luminous flux distribution in the third irradiation region formed on the shade by light from the second light source that enters the second lens portion from the second incident surface and exits from the second exit surface. [Figure 16] This is an explanatory diagram showing the distribution of light from the first lens portion of the focusing lens of the lamp unit in Comparative Example 1 on the projection lens. [Figure 17] It is an explanatory diagram showing the distribution on the projection lens of the light from the second lens part of the condenser lens of the lamp unit of Comparative Example 1. [Figure 18] It is an explanatory diagram showing the distribution on the projection lens of the light from the first lens part of the condenser lens of the lamp unit of Example 1. [Figure 19] It is an explanatory diagram showing the distribution on the projection lens of the light from the second lens part of the condenser lens of the lamp unit of Example 1.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, Example 1 of the lamp unit 20 and the vehicle lamp 10 as an example of the vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure will be described while referring to the drawings. In FIG. 1, in order to facilitate understanding of the state where the vehicle lamp 10 is provided, the vehicle lamp 10 is emphasized and shown with respect to the vehicle 1, and it does not necessarily match the actual state. Further, in FIG. 5, each slit part 46 of the shade 24 is omitted and shown. Furthermore, in FIGS. 10, 12, and 14, in order to facilitate understanding of the state where light travels, the shade 24 is schematically shown, and the opposing incident surface 53, inclined incident surface 54, reflecting surface 55, inner emission surface part 57, outer emission surface part 58 in the first lens part 51 having a large optical influence in the condenser lens 23, and the second incident surface 61, second emission surface 62 in the second lens part 52, and the incident surface and emission surface in the projection lens 25 are emphasized and shown. In FIGS. 11, 13, and 15, the irradiation (light beam) distribution is shown by partitioning the region corresponding to the height of the light beam (light quantity) with lines, and it is shown like a contour line where the light beam becomes higher toward the center of the region.

Examples

[0011] A vehicle light fixture 10 of Embodiment 1, an embodiment of the vehicle light fixture according to this disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 19. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle light fixture 10 of Embodiment 1 is used as a light fixture for a vehicle 1 (the vehicle itself), such as an automobile. This vehicle light fixture 10 forms an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2 surrounding the rear of the vehicle 1, separate from signal lights such as taillights (stop lamps) and turn signals provided on the vehicle 1, and is installed at the rear of the vehicle 1. The area surrounding the rear of the vehicle 1 is defined by laws and regulations as being within a distance from the vehicle 1, for example, within 3m from the vehicle 1.

[0012] In Embodiment 1, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 constitutes a signal light such as a reverse lamp or turn lamp installed on the vehicle 1. In Embodiment 1, it is configured as a reverse lamp and is installed in pairs on the left and right sides at the rear of the vehicle 1. The vehicle lighting fixture 10 may also constitute other signal lights, such as clearance lamps, turn lamps, or taillights, and is not limited to Embodiment 1. The two vehicle lighting fixtures 10 have basically the same configuration except for differences in their mounting positions and the positions that form the illumination pattern Pi, so they will be described simply as vehicle lighting fixture 10 below.

[0013] The vehicle lighting fixture 10 is constructed by providing a signal light unit and a lamp unit 20 within a lighting chamber formed by enclosing a lamp housing and a lamp lens. In Embodiment 1, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 is positioned higher than the road surface 2 at the front end of the vehicle 1. The vehicle lighting fixture 10 is provided with the lamp unit 20 (see Figures 2, 3, etc.) with the lamp unit axis Ar approximately parallel to the road surface 2. This lamp unit axis Ar is an axis parallel to the vehicle axis set on the vehicle 1 and is the axis that serves as the reference for the mounting position of each component of the lamp unit 20. In the following description, in the lamp unit 20, the direction in which the lamp unit axis Ar extends is referred to as the axial direction (Z in the drawings), the vertical direction when the axial direction is aligned with the horizontal plane is referred to as the up-down direction (Y in the drawings), and the direction perpendicular to the axial direction and the up-down direction (horizontal direction) is referred to as the width direction (X in the drawings) (see Figures 2, 3, etc.).

[0014] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the lamp unit 20 has a light source 22, a focusing lens 23, a shade 24, and a projection lens 25 mounted on a mounting base 21. The lamp unit 20 is a single projection optical system and constitutes a projector-type road surface projection unit. The mounting base 21 is where the light source 22 is located and is made of aluminum die-cast or resin with thermal conductivity, and functions as a heat sink to dissipate the heat generated by the light source 22 to the outside. The mounting base 21 has a base 31 and a pair of mounting arms 32.

[0015] The base portion 31 is flat, and the light source unit 22 is attached to the light source mounting location in the center. This light source mounting location is a flat surface and is provided with two screw holes 31a and two positioning protrusions 31b. The base portion 31 is also provided with multiple heat dissipation fins 31c, which mainly dissipate heat generated by the light source unit 22 installed at the light source mounting location to the outside. Mounting ribs 31d (see Figure 3) are provided on the outermost heat dissipation fins 31c in the width direction. These mounting ribs 31d are long rod-shaped and extend in the vertical direction, and are perpendicular to the lamp unit axis Ar. The mounting base portion 21 is attached to the vehicle lighting fixture 10 using the mounting ribs 31d of the base portion 31 so that the lamp unit axis Ar is parallel to the vehicle axis.

[0016] A pair of mounting arms 32 are provided on both outer sides in the width direction of the light source unit 22, and protrude perpendicularly from the base unit 31 toward the front in the axial direction. The ends of both mounting arms 32 toward the front in the axial direction are formed into a plane perpendicular to their own protruding direction (the reference axis a1 of the mounting base unit, described later). Each end is provided with a positioning projection 32a and a screw hole 32b. The positioning projection 32a is provided on the lower part in the vertical direction of the end of each mounting arm 32 and protrudes toward the front in the axial direction. The screw hole 32b is provided on the upper part in the vertical direction of the end of each mounting arm 32 and allows the focusing lens 23, shade 24, and projection lens 25 to be fixed by screwing in a screw 33.

[0017] As shown in Figure 5, on the mounting base 21, a mounting base reference point Ph is set near the substrate 36 of the light source unit 22, which will be described later, attached to the base unit 31. On this mounting base 21, the mounting base reference axis a1 is defined as a line that passes through the mounting base reference point Ph and is perpendicular to the substrate 36 (light source mounting location). This mounting base reference point Ph is set above the lamp unit axis Ar in the vertical direction. Also, since the mounting base reference point Ph is near the substrate 36, it is set behind the reference focal point Fb, which will be described later, in the axial direction (the direction in which the lamp unit axis Ar extends). Since this mounting base reference point Ph is near the substrate 36, it is located between the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23. Note that the mounting base reference point Ph can be set as appropriate, as long as it is located between the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23. Here, the space between the mounting base 21 and the focusing lens 23 is not limited to the space between them, but also includes the position where the mounting base 21 and the focusing lens 23 overlap. The mounting base 21 has its reference axis a1 tilted with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar, and consequently, the substrate 36 (light source mounting location) is tilted with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar. The tilt of this reference axis a1 of the mounting base, i.e., the mounting base 21 (substrate 36), will be described later.

[0018] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the light source unit 22 includes a first light source 34, a second light source 35, and a substrate 36 on which they are mounted. These two light sources (34, 35) are composed of light-emitting elements such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). In Embodiment 1, the two light sources (34, 35) emit white light (white light) in a Lambertsian distribution centered on the emission optical axis. The two light sources (34, 35) can be configured as appropriate in terms of color (wavelength band), distribution pattern, number of colors, etc., and are not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 6, the two light sources (34, 35) in Embodiment 1 are positioned above the lamp unit axis Ar and arranged vertically. The first light source 34 is located on the lamp unit axis Ar side, and the second light source 35 is located above the first light source 34. In Example 1, both light sources (34, 35) are positioned above the reference axis a1 of the mounting base and are approximately square in shape.

[0019] The substrate 36 is a plate-shaped substrate made of a resin material such as a glass epoxy substrate, and each light source (34, 35) is mounted on it. The substrate 36 has two screw holes 36a corresponding to each screw hole 31a at the light source mounting location on the base portion 31 of the mounting stand portion 21, and two positioning holes 36b corresponding to each positioning projection 31b at the light source mounting location. The substrate 36 is attached to the base portion 31 by passing the positioning projection 31b corresponding to each positioning hole 36b through the screws 37 that are passed through each screw hole 36a and screwed into the corresponding screw holes 31a. In this way, the substrate 36 positions each mounted light source (34, 35) facing the condensing lens 23.

[0020] On the circuit board 36, connector terminals 38 are provided, electrically connected to the wiring pattern. The connector terminals 38 are located at the lower end of the circuit board 36 in the vertical direction, making it easy to attach and detach the connector. When a connector is attached to the connector terminals 38, power can be supplied from the lighting control circuit via the wiring pattern to each light source (34, 35). Therefore, the circuit board 36 appropriately supplies power from the lighting control circuit via the connector terminals 38 to illuminate each light source (34, 35) as appropriate.

[0021] The condensing lens 23 focuses the light emitted from each light source (34, 35), concentrating the light around each slit portion 46 on the shade 24, that is, in the region on the shade 24 where the three slit portions 46 are provided. The condensing lens 23 has a condensing lens body 41 that focuses the light from each light source (34, 35), and a pair of condensing lens mounting pieces 42 that extend from there in the width direction. The condensing lens body 41 and the condensing lens mounting pieces 42 are formed as a single unit, and in Embodiment 1, they are formed as a single unit by resin molding. The optical properties of the condensing lens body 41 are set to form a predetermined illumination area on the shade 24. This will be described later.

[0022] Both condensing lens mounting pieces 42 are flat and plate-shaped, and can be fitted onto the ends of both mounting arms 32 of the base portion 31 of the mounting stand 21. Each condensing lens mounting piece 42 is provided with a condensing lens positioning hole 42a and a condensing lens screw hole 42b. Each condensing lens positioning hole 42a allows the positioning projection 32a to be fitted into the condensing lens mounting piece 42 when it is fitted onto the ends of both mounting arms 32. Each condensing lens screw hole 42b allows a screw 33 to be passed through the screw hole 32b when the condensing lens mounting piece 42 is fitted onto the ends of both mounting arms 32. The condensing lens 23 is attached to both mounting arms 32 (their ends) of the mounting base 21 by passing a positioning projection 32a corresponding to each condensing lens positioning hole 42a through it, and then screwing each screw 33, which is passed through each condensing lens screw hole 42b, into the corresponding screw hole 32b.

[0023] The shade 24 is an example of a light-shielding member that forms an illumination pattern Pi by partially passing light from each light source (34, 35) focused by the condensing lens 23 through each slit portion 46, which will be described later. As shown in Figure 1, the illumination pattern Pi consists of three illumination patterns Di aligned at approximately equal intervals in the direction away from the vehicle 1. Here, when each illumination pattern Di is shown individually, the one furthest from the vehicle 1 is called the first illumination pattern Di1, and as it approaches the vehicle 1, they are sequentially called the second illumination pattern Di2, the third illumination pattern Di3, and so on. In Embodiment 1, each illumination pattern Di is approximately a rectangle with the vehicle 1 side as the shorter side, and is approximately the same size and shape as the others, and is arranged at approximately equal intervals.

[0024] This illumination pattern Pi is formed on the road surface 2, which serves as the projection surface, with the first illumination pattern Di1, the second illumination pattern Di2, and the third illumination pattern Di3 arranged on the same straight line so as to move away from the vehicle 1. Therefore, the illumination pattern Pi can be perceived as a line of light extending in the direction in which the three illumination patterns Di are arranged. This illumination pattern Pi, consisting of the three illumination patterns Di, is formed by the shade 24.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the shade 24 is basically made of a plate-shaped member that obstructs the transmission of light, and has a shade portion 43 and a pair of shade mounting pieces 44. The shade mounting pieces 44 extend from the shade portion 43 on both sides in the width direction and can be fitted onto each of the condensing lens mounting pieces 42 of the condensing lens 23 attached to the ends of both mounting arms 32 of the mounting base portion 21. Each shade mounting piece 44 is provided with a shade positioning hole 44a and a shade screw hole 44b. Each shade positioning hole 44a allows a positioning projection 32a to be fitted into it when the shade mounting piece 44 is fitted onto the condensing lens mounting piece 42. Each shade screw hole 44b allows a screw 33 to be passed through the condensing lens screw hole 42b when the shade mounting piece 44 is fitted onto the condensing lens mounting piece 42. The shade 24 is attached to both mounting arms 32 of the mounting base 21 via the light-gathering lens 23 by passing a positioning projection 32a corresponding to each shade positioning hole 44a through it, and then screwing each screw 33, which is passed through each shade screw hole 44b, into the corresponding screw hole 32b.

[0026] Here, as shown in Figure 5, a shade reference point Ps is set at the center of the shade section 43 of the shade 24, and the line passing through the shade reference point Ps and perpendicular to the shade section 43 is defined as the shade reference axis a2. The shade 24 is positioned on the lamp unit axis Ar by having the shade mounting piece 44 attached to both mounting arms 32. The shade section 43 is inclined so as to be displaced upward in the vertical direction towards the front in the axial direction relative to the two shade mounting pieces 44, and is continuous with the two shade mounting pieces 44. Therefore, when the shade 24 is attached to both mounting arms 32 of the mounting base 21, the shade reference axis a2 is inclined with respect to the mounting base reference axis a1. The inclination of the shade section 43 will be described later.

[0027] The shade portion 43 is provided with multiple slit portions 46 formed by partially cutting out and penetrating a plate-shaped member. Each slit portion 46 partially passes through the light from each light source (34, 35) focused by the condensing lens 23 (its condensing lens body 41), thereby shaping the projected illumination pattern Pi into a predetermined shape. Each slit portion 46 in Embodiment 1 corresponds to the illumination pattern Pi, and three slit portions are provided in Embodiment 1.

[0028] These three slit sections 46 correspond one-to-one with the three illumination patterns Di. Since the projection lens 25 projects the inverted aperture shape of each slit section 46 provided in the shade 24 onto the road surface 2, the slit sections 46 are rotationally symmetrical with respect to the positional relationship of each illumination pattern Di in the illumination pattern Pi, with respect to the optical axis Al of the projection lens, which will be described later. For this reason, the first slit section 461, which is the lowest in the vertical direction, corresponds to the first illumination pattern Di1 of the illumination pattern Pi, the second slit section 462 above it corresponds to the second illumination pattern Di2, and the third slit section 463 above it corresponds to the third illumination pattern Di3.

[0029] Each slit portion 46 is positioned and sized on the shade portion 43 so that each illuminated pattern Di on the road surface 2 is of the desired size and in the desired positional relationship. In the shade 24 of Embodiment 1, as shown in Figure 7, three slit portions 46 are positioned above the lamp unit axis Ar and arranged in a vertical direction. In the shade 24, the first slit portion 461 is located closest to the lamp unit axis Ar, the second slit portion 462 is located above the first slit portion 461, and the third slit portion 463 is located above the second slit portion 462. The first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462 correspond to the first light source 34, and the third slit portion 463 corresponds to the second light source 35. In the vertical direction, the center position C1 of the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462 is located below the center position C2 of the first light source 34. The center position C1 of the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462 is the vertical center of the region in which they are provided, and in Embodiment 1, it is near the lower end of the first light source 34. In addition, the center position C3 of the third slit portion 463 is located below the center position C4 of the second light source 35 in the vertical direction. Therefore, each slit portion 46 is located below the corresponding light source (34, 35) when viewed from its respective center position (C1 to C4). The light transmitted through this shade 24 (each slit portion 46) is projected onto the road surface 2 by the projection lens 25.

[0030] Each of the slit sections 46 is approximately trapezoidal in shape. The size, shape, and spacing of the three slit sections 46 are set according to the distance to the road surface 2, so that each illuminated pattern Di on the road surface 2 forms a rectangle of approximately equal spacing with the size shown in Figure 1 above. In other words, since the optical distance from each slit section 46 to the road surface 2 via the projection lens 25 is different, when projected onto the road surface 2 by the projection lens 25, each slit section 46 (each illuminated pattern Di, which is the light transmitted through it) is set to a size and spacing according to that distance. In Embodiment 1, the first slit section 461 is the smallest approximately trapezoid, the second slit section 462 is a larger approximately trapezoid than the first slit section 461, and the third slit section 463 is a larger approximately trapezoid than the second slit section 462. Furthermore, each slit section 46 is widened in the width direction compared to the corresponding illuminated pattern Di, when viewed in terms of the relative size and shape ratio of the three. Furthermore, the distance between the second slit portion 462 and the third slit portion 463 is greater than the distance between the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462.

[0031] Thus, the three slit sections 46 are of different sizes and shapes, as well as spaced apart, in relative proportion to each projection pattern Di. In each slit section 46, the first slit section 461 is the smallest, and when the light that passes through it is projected onto the road surface 2, it is magnified at the greatest rate to form the first projection pattern Di1. In addition, in each slit section 46, the third slit section 463 is the largest, and when the light that passes through it is projected onto the road surface 2, it is magnified at the smallest rate to form the third projection pattern Di3.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the projection lens 25 has a projection lens body 47 that projects light passed through the shade 24, and a pair of projection lens mounting pieces 48 extending in the width direction from there. The projection lens body 47 is a circular convex lens when viewed in the axial direction, and in Embodiment 1, the incident surface and the exit surface are free-form surfaces with convex surfaces. In the projection lens body 47, the projection lens optical axis Al is inclined with respect to the road surface 2, i.e., the lamp unit axis Ar. This inclination will be described later. The projection lens body 47 forms an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2 by projecting each slit portion 46 of the shade 24 (see Figure 1). Note that the incident surface and the exit surface can be convex or concave, as long as the projection lens body 47 is a convex lens, and are not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0033] Both projection lens mounting pieces 48 are plate-shaped and can be fitted onto each shade mounting piece 44 of the shade 24 attached to the ends of both mounting arms 32 of the mounting base 21. Each projection lens mounting piece 48 is provided with a projection lens positioning hole 48a and a projection lens screw hole 48b. Each projection lens positioning hole 48a allows a positioning projection 32a to be fitted into it when the projection lens mounting piece 48 is fitted onto the shade mounting piece 44. Each projection lens screw hole 48b allows a screw 33 to be passed through the shade screw hole 44b when the projection lens mounting piece 48 is fitted onto the shade mounting piece 44. The projection lens 25 is attached to both mounting arms 32 (their ends) of the mounting base 21 by passing positioning protrusions 32a corresponding to each projection lens positioning hole 48a through them, and then screwing each screw 33, which is passed through each projection lens screw hole 48b, into the corresponding screw hole 32b. In this projection lens 25, the projection lens optical axis Al is tilted to a predetermined angle with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar by setting the angle of the projection lens body 47 with respect to the two projection lens mounting pieces 48.

[0034] Next, the configuration of the condensing lens body 41 of the condensing lens 23 will be explained mainly using Figures 5, 8, and 9. This condensing lens body 41 has a first lens portion 51 corresponding to the first light source 34 and a second lens portion 52 corresponding to the second light source 35. In the condensing lens body 41 of Embodiment 1, the first lens portion 51 and the second lens portion 52 are integrally formed with the second lens portion 52 mounted on top of the first lens portion 51. In the condensing lens 23 of Embodiment 1, the shape of the first lens portion 51 and the second lens portion 52, i.e., the optical setting, is determined so that the light emitted from the light source portion 22, i.e., each light source (34, 35), will appropriately illuminate each slit portion 46 of the shade 24.

[0035] The first lens section 51 is positioned opposite the first light source 34 in the direction in which the reference axis a1 of the mounting base extends (hereinafter also referred to as the direction of the reference axis a1 of the mounting base) (located on the emission optical axis of the first light source 34). The first lens section 51 collects light from the first light source 34 into the region of the shade 24 where the first slit section 461 and the second slit section 462 are provided. In the first lens section 51, the incident surface on the lens side opposite the first light source 34 is recessed in the central part on the opposite side from the light source section 22, and is provided with an opposing incident surface 53 that is curved convex toward the light source section 22 in the center, an inclined incident surface 54 surrounding it, and a reflective surface 55 that surrounds the inclined incident surface 54 in a frustoconical shape.

[0036] The opposing incident surface 53 is positioned on the emission optical axis of the first light source 34, facing it in the direction of the reference axis a1 of the mounting base, and the first light source 34 is located near the rear focal point. The opposing incident surface 53 causes the light emitted from the first light source 34 to enter the first lens section 51 as parallel light traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the first lens section 51, and directs it toward the inner emission surface section 57, which will be described later (see Figure 12). This parallel light refers to light that has been collimated after passing through the opposing incident surface 53.

[0037] The inclined incident surface 54 is provided projecting toward the first light source 34, and directs light from the first light source 34 that does not proceed toward the opposing incident surface 53 into the first lens section 51. The reflective surface 55 is provided at a position where light incident from the inclined incident surface 54 into the condensing lens 23 proceeds (see Figure 10). The reflective surface 55 reflects the light incident from the inclined incident surface 54 and directs it toward the outer exit surface section 58, which will be described later, as parallel light that proceeds approximately parallel to the axis of the first lens section 51 (see Figure 10). The reflective surface 55 may reflect light using total internal reflection, or it may reflect light by bonding aluminum, silver, etc., to it by vapor deposition or painting.

[0038] In this first lens section 51, a first emission surface 56 is provided opposite the region of the shade 24 where the first slit section 461 and the second slit section 462 are located, and the light from the first light source 34 is focused into the region of the shade 24 where the first slit section 461 and the second slit section 462 are located. In the first lens section 51, light that has passed through the opposing incident surface 53 becomes direct light that goes directly toward the first emission surface 56, and light that has passed through the inclined incident surface 54 and been reflected by the reflective surface 55 is reflected internally before becoming reflected light that goes toward the first emission surface 56. Because the first lens section 51 is configured in this way, the light emitted from the corresponding first light source 34 can be utilized efficiently.

[0039] As shown in Figure 9, the first emission surface 56 is circular in shape with a portion of its upper side cut off when viewed from the front, and has an inner emission surface portion 57 and an outer emission surface portion 58 with different optical settings. The inner emission surface portion 57 is provided in the region of the first emission surface 56 where light that has passed through the opposing incident surface 53 travels (see Figure 12), and is substantially circular in shape when viewed from the front. The inner emission surface portion 57 protrudes further toward the projection lens 25 side (forward in the front-rear direction) than the outer emission surface portion 58. This inner emission surface portion 57 refracts the light that has passed from the first light source 34 through the opposing incident surface 53, thereby forming multiple light distribution images of the first light source 34 on the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462 of the shade 24. Each of these light distribution images is formed by appropriately overlapping them in positions corresponding to the optical characteristics of the opposing incident surface 53 and the inner emission surface portion 57. These optical characteristics can be set by adjusting the curvature (surface shape) of the inner exit surface portion 57 along with the opposing incident surface 53 at each location. In Embodiment 1, the curvature is set by gradually changing it.

[0040] The outer emission surface portion 58 is provided so as to surround the region that sandwiches the inner emission surface portion 57 in the width direction and the region below the inner emission surface portion 57, and is located in the region through which light reflected from the first light source 34 via the inclined incident surface 54 and the reflective surface 55 travels (see Figure 10). The outer emission surface portion 58 is located behind the inner emission surface portion 57 in the front-rear direction. The outer emission surface portion 58 refracts the light reflected from the first light source 34 via the inclined incident surface 54 and the reflective surface 55, thereby forming multiple light distribution images of the first light source 34 on the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462 of the shade 24. Each of these light distribution images is formed by appropriately overlapping them in positions according to the optical characteristics of the reflective surface 55 and the outer emission surface portion 58. These optical characteristics can be set by adjusting the curvature (surface shape) of the outer emission surface portion 58 together with the reflective surface 55 at each location, and in Embodiment 1, these curvatures are set by gradually changing them.

[0041] The second lens section 52 is a convex lens that is elongated in the width direction when viewed from the front in the direction of the reference axis a1 of the mounting base, and as a whole, it focuses the spread light emitted from the second light source 35 into the area where the third slit section 463 of the shade 24 is provided (see Figure 14). This second lens section 52 has a second incident surface 61 facing the second light source 35 and a second exit surface 62 facing the opposite side. In Embodiment 1, the second lens section 52 is a free-form surface with the second incident surface 61 and the second exit surface 62 being convex. Note that the second incident surface 61 and the second exit surface 62 can be convex or concave, as long as the second lens section 52 is a convex lens, and are not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0042] The second incident surface 61 faces the second light source 35 in the direction of the reference axis a1 of the mounting base, and the second light source 35 is positioned near the rear focal point. The second incident surface 61 causes the light emitted from the second light source 35 to enter the second lens section 52 as parallel light traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the second lens section 52 (see Figure 14). The second exit surface 62 is provided on the opposite side of the second incident surface 61 and refracts the light that has passed through the second incident surface 61, causing it to travel forward in the front-to-back direction while being focused. The second exit surface 62 irradiates the light from the second light source 35 that has passed through the second incident surface 61, forming multiple light distribution images of the second light source 35 on the shade 24 (shade section 43). Each of these light distribution images is formed by appropriately overlapping them in positions according to the optical characteristics of the second incident surface 61 and the second exit surface 62. These optical characteristics can be set by adjusting the curvature (surface shape) of the second exit surface 62 along with the second incident surface 61 at each location, and in Embodiment 1, the curvature is set by gradually changing it.

[0043] Next, the orientation of the mounting base 21, light source 22, focusing lens 23, shade 24, and projection lens 25 in the vehicle lighting device 10 with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar will be described. First, in the projection lens 25 (projection lens body 47), as shown in Figure 5, the reference focal point Fb is set on the lamp unit axis Ar and near the shade 24. In Embodiment 1, this reference focal point Fb coincides with the shade reference point Ps of the shade 24. Here, in the projection lens 25 (projection lens body 47), the incident surface and the exit surface are free-form surfaces based on a reference curved surface. In this projection lens 25, the center line in the state where the incident surface and the exit surface are reference curved surfaces is defined as the projection lens optical axis Al. The reference focal point Fb is the point where light parallel to the projection lens optical axis Al of the projection lens 25 (projection lens body 47) is incident from the exit surface side, when the incident surface and the exit surface are set as reference curved surfaces, and that light is collected. Furthermore, since the projection lens 25 has free-form surfaces for both its incident and exit surfaces as described above, even if parallel light beams are incident from the exit side, not all of the light beam necessarily passes through the reference focal point Fb. This reference focal point Fb coincides with the shade reference point Ps on the shade 24, and is therefore located between the shade 24 and the projection lens 25. The reference focal point Fb can be set as appropriate, as long as it is located between the shade 24 and the projection lens 25. Here, the space between the shade 24 and the projection lens 25 is not limited to the space between them, but also includes the position where the shade 24 or projection lens 25 overlap.

[0044] The projection lens 25 is positioned rotated (tilted) around a line extending in the width direction while passing through its reference focal point Fb, such that the front side of the projection lens optical axis Al is below the lamp unit axis Ar. The downward angle of the projection lens optical axis Al with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar is defined as the first tilt angle θ1. In Embodiment 1, the first tilt angle θ1 is set to 20 degrees. The projection lens 25 only needs to be positioned around the reference focal point Fb set at the above position, with the front side of the projection lens optical axis Al rotated downwards below the lamp unit axis Ar, and the magnitude of the first tilt angle θ1 is not limited to the configuration in Embodiment 1. Preferably, the first tilt angle θ1 is in the range of 15 to 20 degrees. The first tilt angle θ1 is set according to the position where the illumination pattern Pi is formed on the road surface 2 surrounding the rear of the vehicle 1, and in Embodiment 1, it is set to 20 degrees so that the illumination pattern Pi can be formed in an area within 3 m from the vehicle 1. In other words, the lamp unit 20 of Embodiment 1 can form an illumination pattern Pi in an area within 3m of the vehicle 1 by setting the projection lens 25 to a first inclination angle θ1.

[0045] Furthermore, the shade 24 is positioned such that the front side of the shade reference axis a2 is rotated (tilted) downward from the lamp unit axis Ar, with the axis in the direction of the shade reference axis a2 being rotated (tilted) with respect to a line extending in the width direction while passing through the reference focal point Fb of the projection lens 25, i.e., the shade reference point Ps set for itself. In this shade 24, the angle of the shade reference axis a2 with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar is equal to the angle with respect to the projection lens 25 (projection lens optical axis Al) (first tilt angle θ1). For this reason, in the shade 24 of Embodiment 1, the shade reference axis a2 is set at an angle of 20 degrees downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar, and the shade reference axis a2 coincides with the projection lens optical axis Al. Furthermore, the shade 24 is positioned such that, with respect to the reference focal point Fb set at the above-described position, the front side of the shade's reference axis a2 is rotated downward from the lamp unit axis Ar at an angle equal to that of the projection lens 25 (projection lens optical axis Al) (first inclination angle θ1), and is not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0046] When the projection lens 25 and the shade 24 are attached to the mounting arms 32 (their ends) of the mounting base 21 by the mounting pieces 48 of the projection lens and the mounting pieces 44 of the shade, the projection lens optical axis Al and the shade reference axis a2 are aligned. The projection lens 25 and the shade 24 are positioned such that, starting from the reference focal point Fb, the front side of the projection lens optical axis Al and the shade reference axis a2 is rotated downward by a first inclination angle θ1 (20 degrees) with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar. Therefore, the projection lens 25 and the shade 24 are tilted downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar while remaining in a state where they face each other in the direction in which the projection lens optical axis Al (shade reference axis a2) extends. Since the reference focal point Fb of the projection lens 25 is on the lamp unit axis Ar and coincides with the shade reference point Ps of the shade 24, it can form images of each slit portion 46 of the shade portion 43 on the projection lens optical axis Al in a state with the least aberration according to its own optical settings. For this reason, the projection lens 25 can project the light that has passed through each slit portion 46 of the shade 24, which has a light beam distribution described later, onto the area around the position on the road surface 2 where it intersects with the projection lens optical axis Al.

[0047] Here, since the projection lens 25 is positioned rotated below the lamp unit axis Ar as described above, if it were circular when viewed in the direction of the projection lens optical axis Al, it would protrude downward in the vertical direction compared to the other components of the lamp unit 20 (mounting base 21, light source 22, focusing lens 23, shade 24). To prevent this protrusion, the lower end of the projection lens 25 is cut out in the vertical direction to form a lower end surface 25a. The lower end surface 25a is formed by partially cutting out the portion of the projection lens 25 that protrudes downward compared to the other components, and in Embodiment 1, it is a plane located vertically above the lower end of the mounting base 21 in the vertical direction. As a result, even if the projection lens 25 is tilted at a first inclination angle θ1 with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar, it is possible to prevent it from protruding downward compared to the other components of the lamp unit 20, and to prevent an increase in the vertical dimensions of the lamp unit 20.

[0048] Next, in the base section 31, as described above, a mounting base reference point Ph is set near the substrate 36 of the light source section 22, and a mounting base reference axis a1 is set that passes through the mounting base reference point Ph and is perpendicular to the substrate 36 (light source mounting location). The base section 31 is positioned rotated (tilted) around a line extending in the width direction while passing through the mounting base reference point Ph as the center of rotation, such that the front side in the axial direction of the mounting base reference axis a1 is below the lamp unit axis Ar. The downward angle of the mounting base reference axis a1 with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar is defined as the second inclination angle θ2. In Embodiment 1, this second inclination angle θ2 is set to 10 degrees. Note that the base section 31 only needs to be positioned rotated downwards from the lamp unit axis Ar, around the mounting base reference point Ph which is set above the lamp unit axis Ar in the vertical direction and near the light source section 22 (its substrate 36). In other words, the second inclination angle θ2 can be set to an appropriate size as long as the base portion 31 is rotated as described above, and is not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1. The second inclination angle θ2 is set to be less than or equal to the first inclination angle θ1, and preferably to be approximately half of the first inclination angle θ1. When this base portion 31 is attached to the vehicle lamp 10 using the mounting rib 31d, the reference axis a1 of the mounting base is tilted downward by 10 degrees with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar, as described above.

[0049] Furthermore, the focusing lens 23 is positioned rotated (tilted) downward from the lamp unit axis Ar at an angle equal to that of the base portion 31 (mounting base reference axis a1) (second tilt angle θ2), with a center of rotation on a line extending in the width direction while passing through the mounting base reference point Ph of the base portion 31. Therefore, the focusing lens 23 of Embodiment 1 is tilted in accordance with the base portion 31 while maintaining the position where the first lens portion 51 and the first light source 34 face each other in the direction of the mounting base reference axis a1, and the second lens portion 52 and the second light source 35 face each other in the direction of the mounting base reference axis a1. Note that the focusing lens 23 is not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1, and only needs to be rotated downward from the lamp unit axis Ar along with the base portion 31 with respect to the mounting base reference point Ph, while the positional relationship with the base portion 31 (each light source (34, 35)) is set. When the two condensing lens mounting pieces 42 are attached to the two mounting arms 32 (their ends) of the mounting base 21, the condensing lens 23 is rotated together with the base 31 toward a position below the lamp unit axis Ar, as described above.

[0050] Next, the optical settings of the focusing lens 23 will be explained using Figures 10 to 15. In the focusing lens 23, the first lens portion 51 forms a first illumination region A1 (see Figure 11) with light from the outer emission surface portion 58, and forms a second illumination region A2 (see Figure 13) with light from the inner emission surface portion 57. In addition, the second lens portion 52 of the focusing lens 23 forms a third illumination region A3 (see Figure 15). This will be explained below.

[0051] First, in the first lens section 51, the outer emission surface section 58 is set, as shown in Figure 10, to concentrate the light reflected from the first light source 34 via the inclined incidence surface 54 and the reflection surface 55 at a first position P1 slightly beyond the shade 24, at least in the cross-section (horizontal cross-section). This first position P1 is set from the viewpoint of preventing light from propagating to the peripheral edge of the projection lens 25 (its projection lens body 47). Furthermore, the first position P1 is set near the shade 24 so that the light from the outer emission surface section 58, which is larger than the first slit section 461 and the second slit section 462, can be concentrated on the first slit section 461 and the second slit section 462. This first lens section 51 forms the first illumination region A1 shown in Figure 11 by irradiating the shade 24 with the light reflected from the reflection surface 55 via the inclined incidence surface 54 from the first light source 34 through the outer emission surface section 58. This first irradiation area A1 irradiates the entire area of ​​the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462 to increase the degree of light beam concentration, with the degree of light beam concentration being particularly high in the approximately upper half of the first slit portion 461 and the approximately lower half of the second slit portion 462.

[0052] Furthermore, in the first lens section 51, the inner emission surface section 57 is set, as shown in Figure 12, to concentrate light from the first light source 34 through the opposing incident surface 53 at a second position P2 beyond the shade 24, at least in the cross-section (horizontal cross-section). This second position P2 is positioned to prevent light from propagating to the peripheral edge of the projection lens 25 (its projection lens body 47). Also, the second position P2 is located further from the shade 24 than the first position P1, that is, it is displaced closer to the projection lens 25 than the first position P1. This second position P2 is set between the shade 24 and the projection lens 25 so that light from the inner emission surface section 57 can be concentrated at the first slit section 461 and the second slit section 462. The first lens section 51 forms the second irradiation region A2 shown in Figure 13 by irradiating the shade 24 from the inner emission surface section 57 with light from the first light source 34 through the opposing incident surface 53. This second irradiation area A2 irradiates the entire first slit section 461 to maximize the concentration of the light beam, and also irradiates the entire second slit section 462.

[0053] Therefore, the first lens portion 51 overlaps the first illumination region A1 and the second illumination region A2 on the shade 24 using light from the first light source 34. As a result, the first lens portion 51 maximizes the light beam concentration at the first slit portion 461 and then the second slit portion 462, illuminating the entire area of ​​both the first and second slit portions 461 and 462. It should be noted that the first lens portion 51 is not limited to Embodiment 1, as long as it forms illumination regions that brighten the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462 from the viewpoint of appropriately forming the corresponding first illumination pattern Di1 and second illumination pattern Di2. The brightness distribution and shape of the illumination regions formed by the inner emission surface portion 57 and the outer emission surface portion 58 can be set as appropriate.

[0054] Furthermore, in the second lens section 52, the second emission surface 62 is set, as shown in Figure 14, to concentrate the light from the second light source 35 through the second incident surface 61 at a third position P3 that is far beyond the shade 24, at least in the cross-section (horizontal cross-section). This third position P3 is set from the viewpoint of preventing light from propagating to the peripheral edge of the projection lens 25 (its projection lens body 47). Also, the third position P3 is set to be further from the shade 24 than the second position P2, that is, displaced closer to the projection lens 25 than the second position P2, so as not to excessively concentrate the light from the second emission surface 62 at the third slit section 463, which corresponds to the third illumination pattern Di3, and the third illumination pattern Di3 is formed at the closest position among the illumination patterns Di. The second lens section 52 then irradiates the shade 24 from the second emission surface 62 with light that has passed from the second light source 35 through the second incident surface 61, thereby forming the third irradiation region A3 shown in Figure 15. This third irradiation region A3 irradiates the entire third slit section 463 while increasing the degree of focus of the light beam in the lower half of the third slit section 463. Overall, the degree of focus of the light beam in this third irradiation region A3 is lower than that of the irradiation by the first slit section 461 and the second slit section 462 by the first lens section 51.

[0055] The condensing lens 23 illuminates the entire areas of the first slit section 461 and the second slit section 462 with light from the first light source 34 using the first lens section 51, and illuminates the entire area of ​​the third slit section 463 with light from the second light source 35 using the second lens section 52. The condensing lens 23 has the highest concentration of light beam from the first slit section 461, followed by the second slit section 462, and then the third slit section 463. As a result, the condensing lens 23 can appropriately illuminate the first slit section 461, the second slit section 462, and the third slit section 463 on the shade 24.

[0056] Next, the operation of the vehicle lighting device 10 will be explained. In the lamp unit 20 of the vehicle lighting device 10, power from the lighting control circuit is supplied from the circuit board 36 to each light source (34, 35), which can be turned on and off. The light from each light source (34, 35) is focused by the condensing lens 23 and illuminates the shade 24, and after passing through each slit portion 46 of the shade, it is projected by the projection lens 25 to form an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2. The illumination pattern Pi is formed by projecting by the projection lens 25 the light that has passed through each slit portion 46 of the shade 24, which has the above-described illumination (luminous flux) distribution, i.e., the light from each light source (34, 35) that illuminates each slit portion 46, thereby simultaneously forming three illumination patterns Di aligned in a straight line.

[0057] The vehicle lighting device 10 has a lamp unit 20 that is linked to the reverse lamp. When the reverse lamp is turned on, both the left and right light sources (34, 35) are illuminated, forming an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2. Therefore, when vehicle 1 is reversing, the vehicle lighting device 10 allows other vehicles, pedestrians, and other traffic participants to see the illumination pattern Pi formed on the road surface 2. In addition, the vehicle lighting device 10 allows the driver of vehicle 1 to see the illumination pattern Pi as the direction in which they are actually reversing, thus assisting driving.

[0058] In this context, conventional vehicle lighting fixtures described in prior art documents form an illumination pattern on the road surface by tilting a lamp unit, which is a combination of a light source, a light-shielding member, and a projection lens, downwards. In such vehicle lighting fixtures, it is necessary to form the illumination pattern near the vehicle (the vehicle on which it is mounted), so it is conceivable to increase the tilt of the lamp unit accordingly. However, when mounting vehicle lighting fixtures on a vehicle, it is common to install the lamp unit and other components along the vehicle axis, and it is necessary to suppress the dimensions in the vertical direction perpendicular to the vehicle axis. Furthermore, in vehicle lighting fixtures, for example, other lighting fixtures may be installed in the same lamp chamber as the lamp unit, but there are size limitations to the lamp chamber, and there is a risk that a greatly tilted lamp unit may interfere with other lighting fixtures. For these reasons, conventional vehicle lighting fixtures have limitations in suppressing the dimensions in the vertical direction and bringing the position of the illumination pattern formed by the lamp unit closer to the vehicle.

[0059] In contrast, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 positions the reference focal point Fb of the projection lens 25 on the lamp unit axis Ar and near the shade reference point Ps of the shade 24. The projection lens 25 and the shade 24 are rotated around the reference focal point Fb so that the projection lens optical axis Al and the shade reference axis a2 are tilted downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can project the light emitted from each light source (34, 35) and transmitted through each slit portion 46 onto the projection lens optical axis Al of the shade 24 (its shade portion 43). At this time, since the lamp unit 20 positions the reference focal point Fb near the shade reference point Ps of the shade 24 and positions the shade 24 perpendicular to the projection lens optical axis Al, each slit portion 46 provided near the shade reference point Ps can be positioned near the focal plane of the projection lens 25. Therefore, the lamp unit 20 can project the illuminated state of each slit portion 46 onto the projection lens optical axis Al, with the projection lens 25 exhibiting the least aberration according to its optical settings. As a result, even if the lamp unit axis Ar is positioned parallel to the road surface 2, the lamp unit 20 can appropriately form an illumination pattern Pi near the vehicle 1 on the road surface 2 from a position higher than the road surface 2.

[0060] Furthermore, the lamp unit 20 has a mounting base reference point Ph set above the lamp unit axis Ar and near the substrate 36, and the base portion 31 and the condensing lens 23 are rotated around this mounting base reference point Ph to be tilted downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can concentrate the light from each light source (34, 35) onto each slit portion 46 of the shade 24 with the condensing lens 23, and then appropriately propagate the light that has passed through each slit portion 46 to the projection lens 25. This will be explained using Figures 16 to 19. In Figures 16 to 19, in the projection lens 251 of Comparative Example 1 and the projection lens 25 of Example 1, the central region where the optical design is strongly reflected is defined as the effective region Ea, and the region surrounding it is defined as the outer edge region Oa.

[0061] Figures 16 and 17 show the distribution of light from each light source on the projection lens 251 in the lamp unit 201 of Comparative Example 1. The lamp unit 201 of Comparative Example 1 has the same basic configuration as the lamp unit 20, but unlike the lamp unit 20, the base and the focusing lens are not rotated around the reference point of the mounting base. In other words, the lamp unit of Comparative Example 1 is configured by simply rotating the projection lens 251 and the shade downwards around the reference focal point. That is, the lamp unit 201 of Comparative Example 1 has the projection lens 251 and the shade at a first inclination angle θ1 in order to form an illumination pattern close to the vehicle, but the base and the focusing lens are not tilted downwards. As shown in Figure 16, the lamp unit 201 of Comparative Example 1 forms a distribution area A11 on the projection lens 251 with light from the first light source (34) focused by the first lens part (51). This distribution region A11 is biased towards the upper side of the effective region Ea, and a portion of the upper side extends into the outer edge region Oa. In addition, as shown in Figure 17, the lamp unit 201 of Comparative Example 1 forms a distribution region A12 on the projection lens 251 with light from the second light source (35) focused by the second lens section (52). This distribution region A12 is biased towards the upper side of the effective region Ea, and a portion of the upper side is located in the outer edge region Oa.

[0062] In contrast, as shown in Figure 18, the lamp unit 20 of Example 1 uses light from the first light source 34, focused by the first lens section 51, to form a distribution area A13 on the projection lens 25. This distribution area A13 is entirely within the effective area Ea. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19, the lamp unit 20 of Example 1 uses light from the second light source 35, focused by the second lens section 52, to form a distribution area A14 on the projection lens 25. This distribution area A14 is located near the center of the effective area Ea. Therefore, the lamp unit 20 of Example 1 can be configured to tilt downwards with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar by rotating the mounting base 21 and the focusing lens 23 around the mounting base reference point Ph, thereby allowing light from each light source (34, 35) to proceed into the effective area Ea of the projection lens 25.

[0063] Thus, even when the projection lens 25 and shade 24 of the lamp unit 20 of Embodiment 1 are tilted downward to a first tilt angle θ1, the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23 are tilted downward to allow light from each light source (34, 35) to proceed to the effective area Ea of the projection lens 25 (see Figures 18, 19, and the area enclosed by the dashed line in Figure 5). In other words, the lamp unit 20 can appropriately form an illumination pattern Pi at a position close to the vehicle 1 on the road surface 2 by tilting the projection lens 25 and shade 24 downward, while appropriately guiding light from each light source (34, 35) to the projection lens 25 by tilting the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23 downward. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can efficiently collect light from each light source (34, 35) according to the optical settings of the projection lens 25, project the illuminated state of each slit portion 46 appropriately onto the projection lens optical axis Al, and appropriately form an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2 close to the vehicle 1.

[0064] Furthermore, the lamp unit 20 of Embodiment 1 has a reference focal point Fb on the shade 24 which serves as the rotation center of the projection lens 25 and the shade 24, and a mounting base reference point Ph on the substrate 36 which serves as the rotation center of the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23. The lamp unit 20 has its lamp unit axis Ar aligned horizontally, and the projection lens 25 and the shade 24 are rotated around the reference focal point Fb and tilted downward by 20 degrees, while the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23 are rotated around the mounting base reference point Ph and tilted downward by 10 degrees. In this way, the lamp unit 20 has the projection lens 25 and the shade 24 and the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23 as rotation centers at different positions, and these rotation centers are located between members that rotate together. Therefore, compared to tilting the lamp unit 20 as a whole around a single center of rotation, the amount of vertical movement of the projection lens 25 and shade 24, and the mounting base 21 and focusing lens 23 can be suppressed. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can tilt the projection lens 25 and shade 24 downward by 20 degrees, and the mounting base 21 and focusing lens 23 downward by 10 degrees, while suppressing an increase in height. Therefore, the lamp unit 20 can appropriately form the illumination pattern Pi at a position close to the vehicle 1 on the road surface 2 as described above, while suppressing an increase in vertical dimensions.

[0065] Furthermore, in the lamp unit 20 of Embodiment 1, the mounting base reference point Ph, which is the rotation center of the base 31 and the condensing lens 23, is positioned above the reference focal point Fb, which is the rotation center of the projection lens 25 and the shade 24. In addition, the lamp unit 20 positions each light source (34, 35) of the light source unit 22 provided on the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23 above the lamp unit axis Ar. Therefore, compared to the case where the mounting base reference point Ph is positioned below the lamp unit axis Ar, the lamp unit 20 can have a rotation center closer to each light source (34, 35) and the condensing lens 23, and the amount of movement of each light source (34, 35) and the condensing lens 23 associated with rotation at the second tilt angle θ2 can be suppressed. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can prevent the distance from the condensing lens 23 to the similarly rotated shade 24 from becoming smaller when rotated around the mounting base reference point Ph. Therefore, the lamp unit 20 can adjust the distance between the condensing lens 23 and the shade 24 appropriately, in terms of concentrating the light from each light source (34, 35) with the condensing lens 23 to form each illumination area A on the shade 24 as described above. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can more appropriately form the illumination pattern Pi at a position closer to the vehicle 1 on the road surface 2.

[0066] The vehicle lighting fixture 10 has two light sources (34, 35) positioned above the lamp unit axis Ar in the lamp unit 20, and each slit portion 46 is also positioned above the lamp unit axis Ar. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can direct the direction of light propagation from each light source (34, 35) toward the projection lens 25 through each slit portion 46 downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar, and the direction of light propagation projected by the projection lens 25 downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar. Therefore, the lamp unit 20 can assist in positioning the illumination pattern Pi to be near the vehicle 1 by adjusting the positional relationship between the light source portion 22 and the shade 24 relative to the projection lens 25. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can more appropriately form the illumination pattern Pi in an area within 3 m of the vehicle 1 without tilting the entire lamp unit, i.e., the lamp unit axis Ar. Furthermore, the lamp unit 20 can assist in forming an illumination pattern Pi near the vehicle 1 by adjusting the positional relationship between the light source unit 22 and the shade 24 with respect to the projection lens 25, thereby simplifying the optical settings of the focusing lens 23.

[0067] In the lamp unit 20, the center position C1 of the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462 is located below the center position C2 of the first light source 34, and the center position C3 of the third slit portion 463 is located below the center position C4 of the second light source 35. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can direct the direction of light propagation from each light source (34, 35) toward the corresponding slit portion 46 downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar, further enhancing the downward effect caused by the positional relationship between the light source portion 22 and the shade 24 with respect to the projection lens 25. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can make the optical settings of the focusing lens 23 more natural, suppress the downward tilt of the lamp unit axis Ar within the lamp chamber, and more appropriately form the illumination pattern Pi in an area within 3m of the vehicle 1.

[0068] The lamp unit 20 sets, in order from the shade 24 side, the focusing position of the light reflected by the reflective surface 55 and emitted from the outer emission surface 58 (first position P1), the focusing position of the light emitted from the inner emission surface 57 via the opposing incident surface 53 (second position P2), and the focusing position of the light emitted from the second emission surface 62 via the second incident surface 61 (third position P3). Therefore, by adjusting each of the above focusing positions, the lamp unit 20 adjusts the degree of focusing and distribution of the light beam at each slit portion 46 on the shade 24, so that the irradiation pattern Pi can be appropriately formed with a simple configuration. In particular, in the lamp unit 20 of Embodiment 1, each of the above focusing positions is set from the viewpoint of preventing light from propagating to the periphery of the projection lens 25 (its projection lens body 47), so that the projection lens 25 can project light with less aberration according to the optical setting, and the irradiation pattern Pi can be appropriately formed. This means that since the lamp unit 20 uses white light for each light source (34, 35), it can suppress the occurrence of color fringing (where multiple colors are arranged in a band-like pattern) in the illumination pattern Pi.

[0069] The lamp unit 20 and vehicle lighting fixture 10 of Example 1 can provide the following effects and benefits. The lamp unit 20 comprises multiple light sources (34, 35), a focusing lens 23 that collects the light from them, a shade 24 provided with multiple slits 46 that partially allow the collected light to pass through, and a projection lens 25 that projects the light that has passed through the slits 46 to form an illumination pattern Pi having multiple illumination patterns Di corresponding to the multiple slits 46. In the lamp unit 20, a reference focal point Fb is set on the lamp unit axis Ar in the projection lens 25, and the projection lens 25 and the light-shielding member (shade 24) are rotated downward around the reference focal point Fb, while the mounting base 21 and the focusing lens 23 are rotated downward around a mounting base reference point Ph which is set behind and above the reference focal point Fb. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can appropriately form an illumination pattern Pi at a position close to the vehicle 1 on the road surface 2 while suppressing an increase in the vertical height dimension.

[0070] In the lamp unit 20, the first inclination angle θ1 between the projection lens 25 and the light-shielding member (shade 24) with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar is made larger than the second inclination angle θ2 between the mounting base 21 and the light-gathering lens 23 with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar. Therefore, the lamp unit 20 can set the first inclination angle θ1 of the projection lens 25 and the light-shielding member (shade 24) so ​​that an illumination pattern Pi is appropriately formed at a position close to the vehicle 1 on the road surface 2, while also allowing light from each light source (34, 35) to proceed to an appropriate position on the projection lens 25.

[0071] In the lamp unit 20, the reference focal point Fb is provided between the projection lens 25 and the light-shielding member (shade 24), and the mounting base reference point Ph is provided between the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can more effectively suppress the amount of vertical movement of the projection lens 25 and the shade 24, and the mounting base 21 and the condensing lens 23, and can more effectively suppress the increase in the vertical height dimension.

[0072] In the lamp unit 20, the second tilt angle θ2 is such that the light focused by the condensing lens 23 and passed through the light-shielding member (shade 24) is guided to the effective region Ea of the projection lens 25. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can appropriately guide the light from each light source (34, 35) to the projection lens 25 which is tilted downwards, and can more appropriately form the illumination pattern Pi at a position close to the vehicle 1 on the road surface 2.

[0073] In the lamp unit 20, multiple light sources (34, 35) are provided above the lamp unit axis Ar, and multiple slit portions 46 are provided above the lamp unit axis Ar. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can direct the direction of light propagation from each light source (34, 35) toward the projection lens 25 through each slit portion 46 downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar, and the direction of light propagation projected by the projection lens 25 can also be directed downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar. This allows the lamp unit 20 to form an illumination pattern Pi near the vehicle 1 without tilting the lamp unit axis Ar downward, and simplifies the optical settings of the condensing lens 23.

[0074] In the lamp unit 20, light sources (34, 35) are provided corresponding to at least one slit portion 46, and these light sources (34, 35) are positioned above the central positions (C1, C3) of the corresponding at least one slit portion 46. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can direct the direction of light propagation from each light source (34, 35) toward each corresponding slit portion 46 downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar, further enhancing the downward effect caused by the positional relationship between the light source portion 22 and the shade 24 with respect to the projection lens 25.

[0075] In the lamp unit 20, the illumination pattern Di has a first illumination pattern Di1, a second illumination pattern Di2, and a third illumination pattern Di3, and the lamp unit 20 has multiple slit sections 46, including a first slit section 461 corresponding to the first illumination pattern Di1, a second slit section 462 corresponding to the second illumination pattern Di2, and a third slit section 463 corresponding to the third illumination pattern Di3. The lamp unit 20 also has a first light source 34 corresponding to the first slit section 461 and the second slit section 462, and a second light source 35 corresponding to the third slit section 463 as light sources. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can clearly define the correspondence between each slit section 46 of both light sources (34, 35), making it easy to set the optical configuration of the condensing lens 23.

[0076] In the lamp unit 20, the center position C2 of the first light source 34 is positioned above the center position C1 of the region where the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462 are provided, and the center position C4 of the second light source 35 is positioned above the center position C3 of the third slit portion 463. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can direct the direction of light propagation from both light sources (34, 35) toward the corresponding slit portions 46 downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar, and the direction of light propagation projected from the projection lens 25 can be directed downward with respect to the lamp unit axis Ar more effectively.

[0077] In the lamp unit 20, the condensing lens 23 is configured by stacking a first lens portion 51 corresponding to the first light source 34 and a second lens portion 52 corresponding to the second light source 35. In the lamp unit 20, the first lens portion 51 has an opposing incident surface 53 facing the first light source 34, an inclined incident surface 54 surrounding the opposing incident surface 53, and a reflective surface 55 surrounding the inclined incident surface 54, while the second lens portion 52 is a convex lens that focuses light from the corresponding second light source 35. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can efficiently utilize the light from the first light source 34, and while simplifying the configuration of the first lens portion 51, it can form a predetermined luminous flux distribution in the first slit portion 461 and the second slit portion 462. Furthermore, the lamp unit 20 can form a uniform luminous flux distribution in the third slit portion 463 using the light from the second light source 35 with the second lens portion 52. Based on these findings, the lamp unit 20 can form various light beam distributions for each slit portion 46 even when using a single focusing lens 23, thereby forming a more appropriate irradiation pattern Pi.

[0078] In the lamp unit 20, the first lens section 51 sets the focusing position (second position P2) of light that has passed through the opposing incident surface 53 to the projection lens 25 side of the shade 24, and also sets the focusing position (first position P1) of light reflected by the reflective surface 55 to the projection lens 25 side of the shade 24. Furthermore, in the lamp unit 20, the second lens section 52 sets the focusing position (third position P3) of light from the second light source 35 to the projection lens 25 side of the shade 24. As a result, the lamp unit 20 can form a predetermined luminous flux distribution over the entire area of ​​the corresponding slit section 46 on the shade 24 without excessively concentrating light, and can appropriately form the irradiation pattern Pi.

[0079] In the lamp unit 20, the first lens section 51 is set so that the focusing position of the light that has passed through the opposing incident surface 53 (second position P2) is closer to the shade 24 than the focusing position of the light from the second light source 35 in the second lens section 52 (third position P3), and the focusing position of the light reflected by the reflective surface 55 (first position P1) is also set closer to the shade 24 than the focusing position of the light that has passed through the opposing incident surface 53 (second position P2). Therefore, by adjusting each of the above focusing positions, the lamp unit 20 can adjust the degree of focusing and distribution of the light beam at each slit section 46 on the shade 24, and can also be set so that light does not propagate to the periphery of the projection lens 25, thereby appropriately forming the irradiation pattern Pi with a simple configuration.

[0080] The vehicle lighting fixture 10 includes the lamp unit 20 described above. Therefore, even if the lamp unit 20 is installed so that the lamp unit axis Ar is parallel to the vehicle axis, the illumination pattern Pi can be formed near the vehicle 1, and the lamp unit 20 can be installed while preventing an increase in the size of the lighting chamber.

[0081] Therefore, the lamp unit 20 (vehicle light fixture 10) of Embodiment 1, as a lamp unit (vehicle light fixture) according to the present disclosure, can form an illumination pattern Pi in the vicinity of the vehicle (vehicle 1) while suppressing the dimensions in the vertical direction.

[0082] Although the vehicle lighting device of this disclosure has been described above based on Example 1, the specific configuration is not limited to Example 1, and changes or additions to the design are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention as described in each claim of the patent.

[0083] In Example 1, the three illumination patterns Di are arranged as approximately rectangles with the vehicle 1 side as the shorter side, and the illumination pattern Pi is formed by aligning them at approximately equal intervals in the direction away from the vehicle 1. However, the illumination pattern is not limited to the configuration of Example 1, as long as it is composed of multiple illumination patterns Di formed by a shade (light-shielding member), the symbols used for the illumination patterns Di, their positions, and the number of illumination patterns Di can be set as appropriate.

[0084] Furthermore, in Example 1, each light source (34, 35) emits white light. However, the color of the light emitted from the light source can be set appropriately according to the location and the message to be conveyed, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0085] In Example 1, a shade 24 is used as the light-shielding member, which allows light focused by the condensing lens 23 to pass through each slit portion 46. However, the light-shielding member may have other configurations as long as it is provided with multiple slit portions 46 that partially allow light focused by the condensing lens 23 to pass through, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1. As an example of other configurations, a light-shielding plate (filter) can be made by providing multiple slit portions that partially allow light to pass through a plate-shaped film member that obstructs the transmission of light, and allowing light that has passed through the condensing lens 23 to pass through the multiple slit portions.

[0086] In Example 1, a lamp unit 20 (vehicle light fixture 10) is provided in a vehicle 1 driven by a driver. However, the vehicle light fixture may also be provided in a vehicle with an autonomous driving function, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1. In this case, the vehicle light fixture only needs to form an illumination pattern at a timing appropriate to its intended use, that is, at a timing appropriate to some intention regarding the operation of the vehicle 1, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0087] In Example 1, the lamp unit 20 is provided inside the lamp chamber of the vehicle lighting fixture 10. However, the lamp unit may be provided at any location on the vehicle as long as it has the above-described characteristics and is mounted on the vehicle, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1. Furthermore, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 may consist only of the lamp unit 20, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0088] In Example 1, two light sources 34 and 35 are provided. However, if multiple light sources are provided, the number and arrangement can be set as appropriate, and the configuration is not limited to that of Example 1.

[0089] In Embodiment 1, the lamp unit axis Ar of the lamp unit 20 is parallel to the vehicle axis of the vehicle 1 on which it is mounted. However, the lamp unit axis Ar does not need to be perfectly parallel to the vehicle axis, as long as it is approximately parallel. Here, "approximately parallel" means that the angle between them is limited to 3 degrees, preferably within 1 degree. For this reason, the lamp unit axis Ar may also be tilted to the road surface 2, similarly being approximately parallel, i.e., with an upper limit of 3 degrees. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 10 Vehicle lighting fixture 20 Lamp unit 21 Mounting base 23 Focusing lens 24 Shade (as an example of a light-shielding member) 25 Projection lens 34 First light source 35 Second light source 461 First slit section 462 Second slit section 463 Third slit section 51 First lens section 52 Second lens section 53 Opposing incident surface 54 Inclined incident surface 55 Reflecting surface Ar Lamp unit axis C1 Center position C2 Center position C3 Center position C4 Center position Di1 First illumination pattern Di2 Second illumination pattern Di3 Third illumination pattern Ea Effective area Fb Reference focal point Ph Mounting base reference point Pi Illumination pattern θ1 First inclination angle θ2 Second inclination angle

Claims

1. The lamp unit comprises: an installation base provided with multiple light sources arranged along the lamp unit axis; a focusing lens for concentrating light from the multiple light sources; a light-shielding member provided with multiple slits for partially passing through the light concentrated by the focusing lens; and a projection lens for projecting the light that has passed through the light-shielding member to form an illumination pattern having multiple illumination patterns corresponding to the multiple slits. The projection lens has a reference focal point set on the lamp unit axis. The projection lens and the light-shielding member are positioned such that, with respect to the reference focal point, the front side in the axial direction between the projection lens optical axis of the projection lens and the shade reference axis of the light-shielding member is rotated downward with respect to the lamp unit axis. The lamp unit is characterized in that, when the plurality of light sources provided on the mounting base are facing the condensing lens, the mounting base is positioned such that the front side of the mounting base in the axial direction of the mounting base reference axis is rotated downward with respect to the lamp unit axis, with respect to a mounting base reference point set to be behind and above the reference focal point.

2. The lamp unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the first inclination angle between the projection lens and the light-shielding member with respect to the lamp unit axis is greater than the second inclination angle between the mounting base and the light-gathering lens with respect to the lamp unit axis.

3. The reference focal point is provided between the projection lens and the light-shielding member, The lamp unit according to claim 2, characterized in that the reference point of the mounting base is provided between the mounting base and the light-gathering lens.

4. The lamp unit according to claim 3, characterized in that the second inclination angle is such that the light focused by the condensing lens and passed through the light-shielding member is guided to the effective area of ​​the projection lens.

5. Multiple of the aforementioned light sources are provided above the axis of the lamp unit, The lamp unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of slit portions are provided above the lamp unit axis.

6. The light source is provided corresponding to at least one of the slit portions, The lamp unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the light source is provided above the center position of at least one of the corresponding slit portions.

7. The illumination pattern comprises a first illumination pattern projected at a distant position in the illumination pattern, a second illumination pattern projected at a closer position than the first illumination pattern in the illumination pattern, and a third illumination pattern projected at a closer position than the second illumination pattern in the illumination pattern. The plurality of slit portions include a first slit portion corresponding to the first illumination pattern, a second slit portion corresponding to the second illumination pattern, and a third slit portion corresponding to the third illumination pattern. The lamp unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the light source comprises a first light source corresponding to the first slit portion and the second slit portion, and a second light source corresponding to the third slit portion.

8. The first light source has a central position located above the central position of the region in which the first slit portion and the second slit portion are provided. The lamp unit according to claim 7, characterized in that the center position of the second light source is located above the center position of the third slit portion.

9. The condensing lens comprises a first lens portion corresponding to the first light source and a second lens portion corresponding to the second light source, which are superimposed on each other. The first lens portion has an opposing incident surface facing the first light source, an inclined incident surface surrounding the opposing incident surface, and a reflective surface surrounding the inclined incident surface. The lamp unit according to claim 8, characterized in that the second lens portion is a convex lens that focuses light from the corresponding second light source.

10. The first lens portion is configured such that the light-collecting position of the light passing through the opposing incident surface is set closer to the projection lens than the light-shielding member, and the light-collecting position of the light reflected by the reflective surface is set closer to the projection lens than the light-shielding member. The lamp unit according to claim 9, characterized in that the second lens portion is set so that the light-collecting position from the second light source is on the projection lens side of the light-shielding member.

11. The lamp unit according to claim 10, characterized in that the first lens portion has a light-collecting position for light that has passed through the opposing incident surface set closer to the light-shielding member than the light-collecting position for light from the second light source in the second lens portion, and the light-collecting position for light reflected by the reflective surface is set closer to the light-shielding member than the light-collecting position for light that has passed through the opposing incident surface.

12. A vehicle lighting device characterized by comprising a lamp unit according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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