Vehicle lighting

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting fixture capable of forming an irradiation pattern of a desired brightness distribution, while efficiently utilizing light from a light source.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture 10 includes: a plurality of light sources (24, 25, 26); a condensing lens 13 for condensing light from there; a light shielding member (14) in which a plurality of slit parts 36 is provided for partially passing the light condensed there; and a projection lens 15 for forming an irradiation pattern Pi having a plurality of irradiation patterns Di by projecting the light which has passed therethrough. The light sources (24, 25, 26) are provided corresponding to the slit parts 36 individually. On the condensing lens 13, a plurality of lens parts (43, 44, 45) corresponding to the slit parts 36 individually is overlapped, and between the plurality of lens parts (43, 44, 45), dimming parts (71, 72) for dimming the light are provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to vehicle lamps.

Background Art

[0002] Vehicle lamps that form an irradiation pattern on the road surface around the vehicle have been considered (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This conventional vehicle lamp forms an irradiation pattern by projecting light from a light source through a slit of a shade (light shielding member), and can notify a viewer of some intention. This conventional vehicle lamp efficiently uses the light from the light source by guiding the light from the light source to the shade by a light guide.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since the conventional vehicle lamp diffuses the light from the light source in the light guide to make the light distribution (light beam) distribution on the shade uniform, it is difficult to adjust the light distribution on the shade, and it is difficult to make the irradiation pattern to be formed have a desired brightness distribution.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle lamp that can form an irradiation pattern with a desired brightness distribution while efficiently using the light from the light source.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle lighting device of this disclosure comprises a plurality of light sources, 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 that projects the light passed through the light-shielding member to form an illumination pattern having a plurality of illumination patterns corresponding to the plurality of slits, wherein the light sources are provided in accordance with the slits individually, the focusing lens has a plurality of lens portions that are stacked in accordance with the slits individually, and a light-reducing portion is provided between the plurality of lens portions to reduce the amount of light. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the vehicle lighting device of this disclosure, it is possible to efficiently utilize light from a light source while forming an illumination pattern with a desired brightness distribution. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the vehicle lighting fixture of Embodiment 1 according to the present disclosure mounted on a vehicle and forming an illumination pattern (all lights on). [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the components of a vehicle's lighting system in a disassembled state. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration and positional relationship of the first light source, second light source, and third light source in the light source unit. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram showing the condensing lens as viewed from the light source side. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram showing a cross-section obtained along line II, as shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram showing the condensing lens as viewed from the shade side. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram showing the condensing lens as viewed from the light source side, diagonally downwards in the vertical direction. [Figure 8] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating how light from a second light source passes between the first and second lens sections of a focusing lens and becomes stray light. [Figure 9]Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating how, when light from the second light source passing through the second lens section forms a light distribution in the second slit section of the shade, stray light forms an unintended light distribution (stray light region) in the third slit section. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Below, an example of a vehicle lighting device 10 according to this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In Figure 1, the vehicle lighting device 10 is emphasized relative to the vehicle 1 to facilitate understanding of how the vehicle lighting device 10 is installed, and does not necessarily correspond to the actual appearance. In Figure 9, only the periphery of the shade portion 33 (each of its slit portions 36) is shown to facilitate understanding how a second light distribution region is formed in the second slit portion 362 by light from the second light source 25 on the shade portion 14 (the illumination slit 35 of the shade portion 33), and how an unintended light distribution region (stray light region) is formed in the third slit portion 363. In Figure 9, in each region shown, the region corresponding to the height of the luminous flux (light intensity) is enclosed by a dashed line, and the light distribution (luminous flux) is shown like contour lines, with the luminous flux increasing towards the center of the region. [Examples]

[0010] A vehicle lamp 10 of Embodiment 1, an embodiment of the vehicle lamp according to this disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle lamp 10 of Embodiment 1 is used as a lamp for a vehicle 1 such as an automobile, and is installed at the front of the vehicle 1 to form an illumination pattern Pi on the surrounding road surface 2 in front of the vehicle 1, separate from the headlights installed on the vehicle 1. The surrounding area in front of the vehicle 1 always includes a proximity area closer to the vehicle 1 than the headlight area illuminated by the headlights installed on the vehicle 1, and may also partially include the headlight area. The vehicle lamp 10 may also form an illumination pattern Pi on the surrounding road surface 2 behind and to the sides of the vehicle 1, and is not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0011] In Embodiment 1, each vehicle light fixture 10 is positioned higher than the road surface 2 at the front end of the vehicle 1, and is installed with its projected optical axis Lp (see Figure 2, etc.) inclined with respect to the road surface 2. The two vehicle light fixtures 10 are basically identical in configuration, except that their mounting positions and the positions that form the irradiation pattern Pi are different. In the following description, in each vehicle light fixture 10, the direction in which the projected optical axis Lp, which is the direction in which light is emitted (projected), extends is defined as the optical axis direction (Z in the drawings), the vertical direction when the optical axis direction is aligned with the horizontal plane is defined as the up-down direction (Y in the drawings), and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction and the up-down direction (horizontal direction) is defined as the width direction (X in the drawings) (see Figure 2, etc.).

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 consists of a mounting base 11 on which a light source 12, a focusing lens 13, a shade 14, and a projection lens 15 are attached, forming a single projection optical system and constituting a projector-type road surface projection unit. The mounting base 11 is where the light source 12 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 12 to the outside. The mounting base 11 has a base portion 21 and a pair of mounting arms 22.

[0013] The base portion 21 is a flat plate perpendicular to the optical axis, and the light source unit 12 is mounted in the center at the light source mounting location. This light source mounting location is a flat surface and is provided with multiple screw holes and multiple positioning protrusions. In addition, the base portion 21 is provided with multiple heat dissipation fins, which mainly dissipate the heat generated by the light source unit 12 installed at the light source mounting location to the outside.

[0014] A pair of mounting arms 22 are provided on both outer sides in the width direction of the light source unit 12, and protrude forward from the base unit 21 in the direction of the optical axis. The ends of both mounting arms 22 on the front side in the direction of the optical axis are aligned with a plane perpendicular to the optical axis. Each end is provided with a positioning projection 22a and a screw hole 22b. The positioning projection 22a is provided on the lower part in the vertical direction of the end and protrudes forward in the direction of the optical axis. The screw hole 22b is provided on the upper part in the vertical direction of the end and allows for fixing the focusing lens 13, shade 14, and projection lens 15 by screwing in a screw 23.

[0015] The light source unit 12 includes a first light source 24, a second light source 25, a third light source 26 (see Figure 3, etc.), a connector terminal 27, and a substrate 28 on which they are mounted. These three light sources (24, 25, 26) are composed of light-emitting elements such as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). In Embodiment 1, the three light sources (24, 25, 26) emit amber-colored light (amber light) in a Lambertsian distribution centered on the emission optical axis. Note that the color (wavelength band), distribution pattern, number of colors, etc. of the three light sources (24, 25, 26) can be set as appropriate and are not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0016] The three light sources (24, 25, 26) of Example 1 are provided in parallel in the vertical direction with the projection optical axis Lp interposed therebetween, as shown in FIG. 3 and the like. The first light source 24 is located below the projection optical axis Lp, the second light source 25 is located above the projection optical axis Lp, and the third light source 26 is located above the second light source 25. The first light source 24 has a rectangular shape elongated in the width direction and includes two LED chips 24a and a phosphor 24b covering each of them. The second light source 25 has a substantially square shape and includes one LED chip 25a and a phosphor 25b covering each of them. The third light source 26 has a substantially square shape and includes one LED chip 26a and a phosphor 26b covering each of them. The three light sources (24, 25, 26) emit amber-colored light by passing the light from each of the LED chips 24a, 25a, 26a through the phosphors 24b, 25b, 26b. Therefore, in the first light source 24, the phosphor 24b functions as the first light emitting surface, in the second light source 25, the phosphor 25b functions as the second light emitting surface, and in the third light source 26, the phosphor 26b functions as the third light emitting surface.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the connector terminal 27 is electrically connected to the wiring pattern of the substrate 28, and a connection connector connected to the lighting control circuit is detachable. The connector terminal 27 is provided at the lower end in the vertical direction of the substrate 28, and the attachment and detachment of the connection connector are facilitated. When the connection connector is attached to the connector terminal 27, power can be supplied from the lighting control circuit through the wiring pattern to each of the light sources (24, 25, 26).

[0018] The substrate 28 is formed into a plate shape made of a resin material such as a glass epoxy substrate, and each light source (24, 25, 26) is mounted thereon. In the substrate 28, a plurality of screw-through holes are provided corresponding to each screw hole at the light source mounting location of the base portion 21 of the installation table portion 11, and a plurality of positioning holes are provided corresponding to each positioning protrusion at the light source mounting location. This substrate 28 is attached to the base portion 21 by passing the positioning protrusions corresponding to each positioning hole and screwing the screws 29 passed through each screw-through hole into the corresponding screw holes. Thereby, the substrate 28 makes the mounted light sources (24, 25, 26) face the condenser lens 13. The substrate 28 appropriately supplies power from the lighting control circuit via the connector terminal 27 to appropriately light each light source (24, 25, 26).

[0019] The condenser lens 13 condenses the light emitted from each light source (24, 25, 26), and condenses the light in the periphery of each slit portion 36 described later on the shade 14, that is, in the region where all the slit portions 36 are included and each slit portion 36 is provided on the shade 14. The condenser lens 13 has a condenser lens main body 31 that condenses the light from each light source (24, 25, 26), and a pair of condenser lens mounting piece portions 32 that project in the width direction therefrom. The condenser lens main body 31 and the condenser lens mounting piece portions 32 are integrally formed, and in the first embodiment, they are integrally formed by resin molding using a mold. The optical characteristics of the condenser lens main body 31 are set to form a predetermined light distribution region on the shade 14. This will be described later.

[0020] Both condensing lens mounting pieces 32 are plate-shaped and perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and can be fitted onto the ends of both mounting arms 22 of the base portion 21 of the mounting base 11. Each condensing lens mounting piece 32 is provided with a condensing lens positioning hole 32a and a condensing lens screw hole 32b. Each condensing lens positioning hole 32a allows the positioning projection 22a to be fitted into the condensing lens mounting piece 32 when it is fitted to the end. Each condensing lens screw hole 32b allows a screw 23 to be passed through the screw hole 22b when it is fitted to the end. The condensing lens 13 is attached to both mounting arms 22 (their ends) of the mounting base 11 by passing the positioning projection 22a corresponding to each condensing lens positioning hole 32a through the condensing lens screw hole 32b and screwing the screw 23 through the corresponding screw hole 22b.

[0021] The shade 14 is an example of a light-shielding member that forms an illumination pattern Pi by partially passing light from each light source (24, 25, 26) focused by the focusing lens 13 through an illumination slit 35, 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 they approach 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 an approximately isosceles triangle with the vehicle 1 side as the base, and they are approximately the same size and shape as each other.

[0022] 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 aligned on the same straight line so as to move away from the vehicle 1. Therefore, the illumination pattern Pi can be made to look like an arrow pointing in the direction in which the three illumination patterns Di are aligned. The direction pointed to by this arrow in the illumination pattern Pi, that is, the direction in which the vertices of the approximately isosceles triangles of each illumination pattern Di are aligned, is called the arrow direction Da, and the side that points (the side of the first illumination pattern Di1) is the front side of the arrow direction Da. This illumination pattern Pi consisting of the three illumination patterns Di is formed by a shade 14.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the shade 14 is basically made of a plate-shaped member that blocks the transmission of light, and has a shade portion 33 and a pair of shade mounting pieces 34. The shade mounting pieces 34 protrude from the shade portion 33 on both sides in the width direction and can be fitted onto each of the condensing lens mounting pieces 32 of the condensing lens 13 attached to the ends of both mounting arms 22 of the mounting base portion 11. Each shade mounting piece 34 is provided with a shade positioning hole 34a and a shade screw hole 34b. Each shade positioning hole 34a allows a positioning projection 22a to be fitted through it when the shade mounting piece 34 is fitted onto the condensing lens mounting piece 32. Each shade screw hole 34b allows a screw 23 to be passed through the condensing lens screw hole 32b when the shade mounting piece 34 is fitted onto the condensing lens mounting piece 32. The shade 14 is attached to the mounting arms 22 of the mounting base 11 via the focusing lens 13 by passing positioning protrusions 22a corresponding to each shade positioning hole 34a through each shade screw hole 34b and screwing each screw 23 into the corresponding screw hole 22b. With the shade mounting piece 34 attached to the mounting arms 22, the center of the shade 33 is positioned on the projection optical axis Lp.

[0024] The shade portion 33 is provided with an illumination slit 35 formed by partially cutting out and penetrating a plate-shaped member. The illumination slit 35 partially passes through the light from each light source (24, 25, 26) focused by the condensing lens 13 (its condensing lens body 31), thereby shaping the projected illumination pattern Pi into a predetermined shape. The illumination slit 35 corresponds to the illumination pattern Pi and in Embodiment 1, it is composed of three slit portions 36.

[0025] These three slit sections 36 correspond one-to-one with the three illumination patterns Di. Since the projection lens 15 inverts the shade 14 (illumination slit 35) and projects onto the road surface 2, each slit section 36 is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the positional relationship of each illumination pattern Di in the illumination pattern Pi, with respect to the projection optical axis Lp. For this reason, the first slit section 361, which is the lowest in the vertical direction, corresponds to the first illumination pattern Di1 of the illumination pattern Pi, the second slit section 362 above it corresponds to the second illumination pattern Di2, and the third slit section 363 above it corresponds to the third illumination pattern Di3.

[0026] Each slit portion 36 is positioned and sized on the shade portion 33 so that each projected pattern Di is of the desired size and in the desired positional relationship on the road surface 2. In the shade 14 of Embodiment 1, in the vertical direction, the third slit portion 363 is provided above the projection optical axis Lp, the second slit portion 362 is provided on the projection optical axis Lp, and the first slit portion 361 is provided below it (see Figure 9). Light transmitted through this shade 14 (each slit portion 36 of the projection slit 35) is projected onto the road surface 2 by the projection lens 15.

[0027] Each of the slit sections 36 is approximately isosceles triangular in shape, similar to each corresponding illumination pattern Di, and is inverted vertically and horizontally with respect to each illumination pattern Di. The three slit sections 36 are set in size and spacing according to the distance to the road surface 2, so that each illumination pattern Di on the road surface 2 is approximately equally spaced with the size shown in Figure 1 above. In detail, since the vehicle light fixture 10 is installed with the projection optical axis Lp inclined with respect to the road surface 2, the distance from the shade 14 and projection lens 15 to the road surface 2 is different. Therefore, when projected onto the road surface 2 by the projection lens 15, each slit section 36 (each illumination pattern Di, which is the light transmitted through it) is set in size and spacing according to that distance. Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the first slit portion 361 is the smallest and is a roughly isosceles triangle that is compressed in the height direction, the second slit portion 362 is a roughly isosceles triangle that is larger than the first slit portion 361, and the third slit portion 363 is a roughly isosceles triangle that is larger than the second slit portion 362 and has a curved shape that slightly bulges at the base. Furthermore, each slit portion 36 is widened in the width direction compared to the corresponding illumination pattern Di, and the distance between the second slit portion 362 and the third slit portion 363 is greater than the distance between the first slit portion 361 and the second slit portion 362.

[0028] Thus, the three slit sections 36 are of different sizes and are spaced differently from each of the projection patterns Di. In each slit section 36, the reduction ratio with respect to the corresponding projection pattern Di is smallest in the first slit section 361, and when the light that passes through is projected onto the road surface 2, it is magnified at the largest magnification rate to form the first projection pattern Di1. In addition, in each slit section 36, the reduction ratio with respect to the corresponding projection pattern Di is largest in the third slit section 363, and when the light that passes through is projected onto the road surface 2, it is magnified at the smallest magnification rate to form the third projection pattern Di3.

[0029] The projection lens 15 comprises a projection lens body 37 that projects light passed through the shade 14, and a pair of projection lens mounting pieces 38 that protrude from it in the width direction. The projection lens body 37 is a circular convex lens when viewed in the direction of the optical axis, and in Embodiment 1, the incident surface and the exit surface are free-form surfaces with convex surfaces. The projection lens body 37 projects the illumination slit 35 (each of its slit portions 36) of the shade 14, thereby forming an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2 inclined with respect to the projection optical axis Lp (see Figure 1). Note that the incident surface and the exit surface can be convex or concave, as long as the projection lens body 37 is a convex lens, and are not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0030] Both projection lens mounting pieces 38 are plate-shaped and perpendicular to the optical axis, and can be fitted onto each shade mounting piece 34 of the shade 14 attached to the ends of both mounting arms 22 of the mounting base 11. Each projection lens mounting piece 38 is provided with a projection lens positioning hole 38a and a projection lens screw hole. Each projection lens positioning hole 38a allows a positioning projection 22a to be fitted into it when the projection lens mounting piece 38 is fitted onto the shade mounting piece 34. Each projection lens screw hole allows a screw 23 to be passed through the shade screw hole 34b when the projection lens mounting piece 38 is fitted onto the shade mounting piece 34. The projection lens 15 is attached to both mounting arms 22 (their ends) of the mounting base 11 by passing positioning protrusions 22a corresponding to each projection lens positioning hole 38a through them, and then screwing each screw 23, which is passed through each projection lens screw hole, into the corresponding screw hole 22b. As a result, the projection lens 15 has its projection optical axis Lp, which is the optical axis of the projection lens body 37, oriented in a predetermined direction, thereby setting the orientation of the projection optical axis Lp of the vehicle lamp 10.

[0031] Next, the configuration of the condensing lens body 31 of the condensing lens 13 will be explained mainly with reference to Figures 4 to 7. This condensing lens body 31 (condensing lens 13) has a surface 41 facing the shade 14 and a back surface 42 facing the light source unit 12. This condensing lens body 31 has a first lens unit 43 corresponding to the first light source 24, a second lens unit 44 corresponding to the second light source 25, and a third lens unit 45 corresponding to the third light source 26. In the condensing lens 13 (condensing lens body 31) of Embodiment 1, the second lens unit 44 is placed on top of the first lens unit 43, and the third lens unit 45 is placed on top of the second lens unit 44, and the first lens unit 43, the second lens unit 44, and the third lens unit 45 are integrally formed. In the first embodiment, the condensing lens 13 is configured such that the light emitted from the light source unit 12, i.e., each light source (24, 25, 26), appropriately illuminates each slit portion 36 of the shade 14. The shapes (optically) of the front surface 41 and back surface 42 of the first lens portion 43, the second lens portion 44, and the third lens portion 45 are set accordingly.

[0032] The first lens portion 43 is positioned opposite the first light source 24 in the optical axis direction (located on the emission optical axis of the first light source 24), and collects light from the first light source 24 into the region where the first slit portion 361 of the shade 14 is provided. As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, the back surface 42 of the first lens portion 43 is recessed in the center inward of the condensing lens 13 (opposite side from the light source portion 12), and in the center is a first opposing incident surface portion 51 that is curved outwardly convex, a first inclined incident surface portion 52 surrounding it, and a first reflective surface 53 that surrounds the first inclined incident surface portion 52 in a frustoconical shape.

[0033] The first opposing incident surface 51 is positioned opposite the first light source 24 in the optical axis direction and on its output optical axis, with the first light source 24 located near the rear focal point. The first opposing incident surface 51 causes the light emitted from the first light source 24 to enter the first lens section 43 as parallel light traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the first lens section 43, and directs it toward the first inner output surface 55 of the surface 41, which will be described later. This parallel light refers to light that has been collimated after passing through the first opposing incident surface 51.

[0034] The first inclined incident surface portion 52 is provided protruding toward the first light source 24, and directs light from the first light source 24 that does not proceed to the first opposing incident surface portion 51 into the first lens portion 43. The first reflective surface 53 is provided at a position where light incident from the first inclined incident surface portion 52 into the condensing lens 13 proceeds. The first reflective surface 53 reflects the light incident from the first inclined incident surface portion 52 and directs it toward the first outer emission surface portion 56 of the surface 41, which will be described later, as parallel light that proceeds approximately parallel to the axis of the first lens portion 43. The first reflective surface 53 may reflect light using total internal reflection, or it may reflect light by bonding aluminum, silver, etc., to it by vapor deposition or painting. Thus, the back surface 42 efficiently directs the light emitted from the first light source 24 toward the surface 41.

[0035] Therefore, in the first lens section 43, light that has passed through the first opposing incident surface section 51 becomes direct light that goes directly toward the surface 41, and light that has passed through the first inclined incident surface section 52 and been reflected by the first reflective surface 53 becomes reflected light that goes toward the surface 41 after being reflected internally. Because the first lens section 43 is configured in this way, it can efficiently utilize the light emitted from the corresponding first light source 24.

[0036] In this first lens section 43, a first emission surface 54 is provided that causes light incident on the surface 41 to be emitted to the front in the front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 6, the first emission surface 54 is circular in shape with a part of the upper side cut out when viewed from the front, and has a first inner emission surface section 55 and a first outer emission surface section 56 with different optical settings. The first inner emission surface section 55 is provided in the region of the first emission surface 54 where light that has passed through the first opposing incident surface section 51 travels, and is substantially circular in shape when viewed from the front. The first inner emission surface section 55 protrudes outward from the condensing lens 13 (towards the projection lens 15 (front in the front-rear direction)) than the first outer emission surface section 56. The first inner emission surface 55 refracts the light that has passed from the first light source 24 through the first opposing incident surface 51, thereby forming multiple light distribution images of the first light source 24 on the first slit portion 361 of the shade 14, overlapping appropriately at positions according to the optical characteristics. These optical characteristics can be set by adjusting the curvature (surface shape) of the first inner emission surface 55 together with the first opposing incident surface 51 at each location, and in Embodiment 1, the curvature is set by gradually changing it.

[0037] The first outer emission surface portion 56 is provided so as to surround the region that sandwiches the first inner emission surface portion 55 in the width direction and the region below the first inner emission surface portion 55, and is located in the region through which light from the first light source 24, through the first inclined incident surface portion 52, and reflected by the first reflective surface 53 propagates. The first outer emission surface portion 56 is located (recessed) further inward (towards the rear in the front-to-back direction) on the condensing lens 13 than the first inner emission surface portion 55. The first outer emission surface portion 56 refracts the light from the first light source 24, through the first inclined incident surface portion 52, and reflected by the first reflective surface 53, thereby appropriately superimposing multiple light distribution images of the first light source 24 on the first slit portion 361 of the shade 14 at positions corresponding to the optical characteristics. These optical characteristics can be set by adjusting the curvature (surface shape) of the first outer emission surface portion 56 along with the first reflective surface 53 at each location. In Embodiment 1, these curvatures are set by gradually changing them.

[0038] The first lens portion 43 forms a light distribution region that illuminates the entire area of ​​the first slit portion 361 with light passing through the first inner emission surface portion 55, and a light distribution region that illuminates the vicinity of the apex of the first slit portion 361 with light passing through the first outer emission surface portion 56. The first lens portion 43 then superimposes the light passing through the first inner emission surface portion 55 and the light passing through the first outer emission surface portion 56 to form a first light distribution region that illuminates the entire area of ​​the first slit portion 361 while making the vicinity of the apex of the first slit portion 361 the highest luminous flux (light intensity). It should be noted that the first lens portion 43 is not limited to Embodiment 1, as long as it forms a light distribution region that illuminates the first slit portion 361 from the viewpoint of appropriately forming the corresponding first illumination pattern Di1, the brightness distribution and shape of the light distribution region formed by the first inner emission surface portion 55 and the first outer emission surface portion 56 can be set as appropriate.

[0039] The second lens section 44 is positioned opposite the second light source 25 in the optical axis direction (located on the emission optical axis of the second light source 25), and focuses the light from the second light source 25 into the region of the shade 14 where the second slit section 362 is provided. Except for minor optical settings resulting from differences in the size and shape of the corresponding slit section 36, the basic configuration of the back surface 42 and the front surface 41, as well as the basic concept of light focusing for the second slit section 362, are the same for the second lens section 44. For this reason, the configuration and optical settings of the second lens section 44 will be briefly described below.

[0040] As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, the back surface 42 of the second lens portion 44 is recessed in the central part towards the inside of the condensing lens 13 (opposite side from the light source portion 12), and is provided with a second opposing incident surface portion 57 that is curved outward in a convex shape in the center, a second inclined incident surface portion 58 surrounding it, and a second reflective surface 59 that surrounds the second inclined incident surface portion 58 in a frustoconical shape. The second opposing incident surface portion 57 is provided on the emission optical axis of the second light source 25, opposite to the second light source 25 in the optical axis direction, and causes the light emitted from the second light source 25 to enter the condensing lens 13 as parallel light traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the second lens portion 44, and to travel toward the second inner emission surface portion 62 of the surface 41, which will be described later. The second inclined incident surface portion 58 is provided protruding toward the second light source 25, and directs light from the second light source 25 that does not proceed toward the second opposing incident surface portion 57 into the second lens portion 44. The second reflective surface 59 reflects the light that has been incident from the second inclined incident surface portion 58 into the condensing lens 13, and focuses it so that it proceeds toward the second outer emission surface portion 63 of the surface 41, which will be described later, as parallel light that is traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the second lens portion 44.

[0041] In this second lens section 44, a second emission surface 61 is provided that causes light incident on the surface 41 to be emitted to the front in the front-rear direction. The second emission surface 61 is roughly rectangular in shape and elongated in the width direction when viewed from the front, and has a second inner emission surface section 62 and a second outer emission surface section 63 with different optical settings. The second inner emission surface section 62 is provided in the region of the second emission surface 61 where light that has passed through the second opposing incident surface section 57 travels, is roughly circular when viewed from the front, and protrudes outward from the condensing lens 13 (towards the projection lens 15 (front in the front-rear direction)) than the second outer emission surface section 63. The second outer emission surface portion 63 is provided in the region that sandwiches the second inner emission surface portion 62 in the width direction, and is located in the region where light reflected from the second light source 25 via the second inclined incident surface portion 58 and the second reflective surface 59 propagates, and is located (recessed) further inward (towards the rear in the front-to-back direction) on the condensing lens 13 than the second inner emission surface portion 62.

[0042] The second lens portion 44 forms a light distribution region that illuminates the entire area of ​​the second slit portion 362 with light passing through the second inner emission surface portion 62, and a light distribution region that illuminates the vicinity of the apex of the second slit portion 362 with light passing through the second outer emission surface portion 63. The second lens portion 44 then superimposes the light passing through the second inner emission surface portion 62 and the light passing through the second outer emission surface portion 63 to form a second light distribution region AL (see Figure 9) that illuminates the entire area of ​​the second slit portion 362 while making the vicinity of the apex of the second slit portion 362 the area with the highest luminous flux (light intensity). Furthermore, the second lens portion 44 is not limited to Embodiment 1, as long as it forms a light distribution region that brightens the second slit portion 362 from the viewpoint of appropriately forming the corresponding first illumination pattern Di1. The brightness distribution and shape of the light distribution region formed by the second inner emission surface portion 62 and the second outer emission surface portion 63 can be set as appropriate.

[0043] As shown in Figures 4 to 7, the third lens section 45 is a convex lens that is elongated in width when viewed from the front in the direction of the optical axis, and as a whole, it focuses the broad light emitted from the third light source 26 so that it is nearly parallel to the projection optical axis Lp and propagates to the shade section 33. This third lens section 45 has a third incident surface 64 facing the third light source 26 and a third exit surface 65 facing the opposite side. In Embodiment 1, the third lens section 45 has free-form surfaces with the third incident surface 64 and the third exit surface 65 being convex. Note that the third incident surface 64 and the third exit surface 65 can be convex or concave, as long as the third lens section 45 is a convex lens, and are not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0044] The third incident surface 64 faces the third light source 26 in the optical axis direction, and the third light source 26 is positioned near the rear focal point. The third incident surface 64 causes the light emitted from the third light source 26 to enter the third lens section 45 as parallel light traveling approximately parallel to the axis of the third lens section 45. The third exit surface 65 is provided on the opposite side of the third incident surface 64 and refracts the light that has passed through the third incident surface 64, causing it to travel forward in the front-to-back direction while diffusing. By irradiating the third exit surface 65 with light from the third light source 26 that has passed through the third incident surface 64, the third exit surface 65 appropriately superimposes multiple light distribution images of the third light source 26 on the shade 14 (shade section 33) at positions according to the optical characteristics. These optical characteristics can be set by adjusting the curvature (surface shape) of the third exit surface 65 along with the third incident surface 64 at each location, and in Embodiment 1, the curvature is set by gradually changing it.

[0045] This third emission surface 65 appropriately refracts the light emitted from the third light source 26 and passing through the third incident surface 64, thereby forming a third light distribution region in which the entire area of ​​the third slit portion 363 of the shade 14 has a substantially equal luminous flux (luminous intensity). Here, having a substantially equal luminous flux throughout the entire area means that the change in luminous flux is less than that of the first light distribution region and the second light distribution region AL described above, and preferably it means that the luminous flux is substantially uniform. In Example 1, the third light distribution region is set to have a lower luminous flux than the first light distribution region and the second light distribution region AL.

[0046] The condensing lens 13 forms a first light distribution region in the first slit portion 361 with light from the first light source 24 using the first lens portion 43, a second light distribution region AL in the second slit portion 362 with light from the second light source 25 using the second lens portion 44, and a third light distribution region in the third slit portion 363 with light from the third light source 26 using the third lens portion 45. As a result, the condensing lens 13 can form a predetermined light beam distribution with predetermined emphasis (differences in light beam height) for the first slit portion 361 and the second slit portion 362 on the shade 14, and can form a uniform light beam distribution that is lower than that of the first slit portion 361 and the second slit portion 362 for the third slit portion 363.

[0047] In this condensing lens 13, a first light-reducing section 71 and a second light-reducing section 72 are provided in the condensing lens body 31. The first light-reducing section 71 and the second light-reducing section 72 weaken or block the light (luminous flux) from each light source (24, 25, 26) in the condensing lens body 31. The first light-reducing section 71 is located between the first lens section 43 and the second lens section 44, and the second light-reducing section 72 is located between the second lens section 44 and the third lens section 45.

[0048] In Example 1, the first light-reducing portion 71 has a front-side first light-reducing portion 73 and a back-side first light-reducing portion 74, and the second light-reducing portion 72 has a front-side second light-reducing portion 75 and a back-side second light-reducing portion 76. The front-side first light-reducing portion 73 is formed on the surface 41 of the condensing lens body 31 by applying a light-reducing treatment between the first emission surface 54 of the first lens portion 43 and the second emission surface 61 of the second lens portion 44. The front-side second light-reducing portion 75 is formed on the surface 41 of the condensing lens body 31 by applying a light-reducing treatment between the second emission surface 61 of the second lens portion 44 and the third emission surface 65 of the third lens portion 45. Furthermore, the first light-reducing portion 74 on the back surface 42 of the condensing lens body 31 is formed by applying a light-reducing treatment between the first opposing incident surface portion 51, the first inclined incident surface portion 52, and the first reflective surface 53 of the first lens portion 43 and the second opposing incident surface portion 57, the second inclined incident surface portion 58, and the second reflective surface 59 of the second lens portion 44. The second light-reducing portion 76 on the back surface 42 of the condensing lens body 31 is formed by applying a light-reducing treatment between the second opposing incident surface portion 57, the second inclined incident surface portion 58, and the second reflective surface 59 of the second lens portion 44 and the third incident surface 64 of the third lens portion 45.

[0049] The light-reducing treatment can be achieved by applying a light-shielding paint such as black to create a light-shielding surface, or by forming a scattering surface by creating fine optical elements, prisms (unevenness), or textures. In the condensing lens body 31, the light-reducing treatment is applied to a band-shaped area that extends in the width direction and has a predetermined size in the vertical direction at the above-mentioned positions on the surface 41 or back surface 42, thereby providing a first light-reducing section 71 and a second light-reducing section 72. Here, the size of the first light-reducing section 71 and the second light-reducing section 72 in the vertical direction is 1 mm or less, and in Example 1 it is 0.5 mm.

[0050] In addition, in Embodiment 1, the bottom surface 45a of the third lens portion 45, located on the side of the second lens portion 44, is also subjected to a light-reducing treatment, thereby providing a bottom-side second light-reducing portion 77 that constitutes part of the second light-reducing portion 72. The bottom surface 45a is formed by the difference in shape between the third lens portion 45, which is a convex lens and has a convex third incident surface 64, and the second lens portion 44, which has a second opposing incident surface portion 57, a second inclined incident surface portion 58, and a second reflective surface 59 (see Figure 6). Since this bottom surface 45a is located diagonally in front of and above the second light source 25, there is a possibility that light directly traveling from the second light source 25 may be incident into the third lens portion 45. For this reason, in Embodiment 1, the bottom surface 45a of the third lens portion 45 is also subjected to a light-reducing treatment to form a bottom-side second light-reducing portion 77.

[0051] Next, the operation of the vehicle lighting device 10 will be described. The vehicle lighting device 10 supplies power from the lighting control circuit to each light source (24, 25, 26) from the circuit board 28, allowing them to be turned on and off individually, sequentially, or simultaneously. The light from each light source (24, 25, 26) is focused by the focusing lens 13 and illuminates the shade 14. After passing through the illumination slits 35 (each slit portion 36) of the shade 14, the light is projected by the projection lens 15, forming an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2. The illumination pattern Pi is formed by the projection lens 15, where the light that has passed through the illumination slits 35 (each slit portion 36) of the shade 14, which has the above-described light distribution (luminous flux) distribution, forms three illumination patterns Di arranged in the direction of the arrow Da, individually, sequentially, or simultaneously.

[0052] The vehicle lighting device 10 is linked to the turn signals, and when either the left or right turn signal is illuminated, the light sources (24, 25, 26) located on the illuminated side are illuminated, forming an illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2. In Embodiment 1, first the third light source 26 is illuminated, then the second light source 25 is illuminated while the third light source 26 remains illuminated, then the first light source 24 is illuminated while the third light source 26 and the second light source 25 remain illuminated, and then all the light sources (24, 25, 26) are turned off simultaneously, and this is repeated thereafter. As a result, the illumination pattern Pi can be made to appear as if the third illumination pattern Di3, the second illumination pattern Di2, and the first illumination pattern Di1 are illuminated in that order and extend in the direction of the arrow Da. Therefore, when vehicle 1 is moving from one narrow alley to another, the vehicle lights 10 can make the illumination pattern Pi formed on the road surface 2 visible even if a person in the other alley cannot see vehicle 1. In addition, when the hazard lights of vehicle 1 are turned on, the two vehicle lights 10 on the left and right simultaneously form the illumination pattern Pi on the road surface 2 as described above, so that the fact that the hazard lights are on can be recognized more reliably compared to when only the left and right turn signals are flashing.

[0053] In this context, conventional vehicle lighting fixtures described in prior art documents are equipped with multiple light guides, each corresponding to a separate light source, and efficiently utilize the light from each light source. In these conventional vehicle lighting fixtures, each light guide member diffuses light internally, emitting light with a nearly uniform luminous flux distribution. By illuminating the shade (light-shielding member) with light that has passed through each light guide member, the light distribution (luminous flux) on the shade is made nearly uniform. Furthermore, in conventional vehicle lighting fixtures, light from each light source corresponding to a light guide is guided onto the shade separately for each light source. For this reason, it is difficult for conventional vehicle lighting fixtures to obtain a desired light distribution, such as creating a region of high luminous flux while maintaining a continuous change in luminous flux within a region of low luminous flux on the shade.

[0054] In contrast, the vehicle light fixture 10 has a condensing lens 13 that includes a single first lens section 43, a second lens section 44, and a third lens section 45, each concentrating light from three light sources (24, 25, and 26). The first lens section 43, on the shade section 33 of the shade 14, forms a first light distribution region that illuminates the entire area of ​​the first slit section 361 with light from the corresponding first light source 24, while making the area near the apex of the first slit section 361 the brightest. The second lens section 44, on the shade section 33 of the shade 14, forms a second light distribution region AL that illuminates the entire area of ​​the second slit section 362 with light from the corresponding second light source 25, while making the area near the apex of the second slit section 362 the brightest. The third lens portion 45 then forms a third light distribution region on the shade portion 33 of the shade 14, which illuminates the entire area of ​​the third slit portion 363 with a light beam that is lower and more uniform than the first light distribution region and the second light distribution region AL.

[0055] Here, the third slit portion 363 corresponds to the third illumination pattern Di3, which is located closest to the vehicle 1 in the illumination pattern Pi, and is projected to a location close to the vehicle light fixture 10. Therefore, in order to form an easily visible third illumination pattern Di3, it is desirable that the luminous flux of the third slit portion 363 be uniform and lower than that of the other illumination patterns Di. This is because, since the third slit portion 363 corresponds to the third illumination pattern Di3, it has a large area on the shade portion 33. Consequently, if the third slit portion 363 is illuminated using a lens that has a predetermined luminous flux distribution with variations in the luminous flux, such as the first lens portion 43 and the second lens portion 44, it becomes difficult to illuminate the entire area, which may cause uneven brightness, such as dark areas in the formed third illumination pattern Di3, and may prevent the formation of a proper third illumination pattern Di3. In contrast, the first slit portion 361 and the second slit portion 362 correspond to the first illumination pattern Di1 and the second illumination pattern Di2, which are located away from the vehicle 1 in the illumination pattern Pi. Since they are projected to locations far from the vehicle lamp 10, it is desirable that the luminous flux distribution be given a predetermined emphasis (contrast (difference in luminous flux height)) in order to form the first illumination pattern Di1 and the second illumination pattern Di2, which are easy to see.

[0056] Furthermore, the vehicle lamp 10 can illuminate the shade 14 with a desired light distribution by providing a first lens section 43, a second lens section 44, and a third lens section 45 in a single focusing lens 13, each corresponding to a different light source (24, 25, 26). Specifically, the vehicle lamp 10 uses the first lens section 43 and the second lens section 44 to form a first and second light distribution region AL with a predetermined undulating light beam distribution for the first and second slit sections 361 and 362, and the third lens section 45 to form a third light distribution region with a uniform light beam for the third slit section 363. Therefore, even with a single focusing lens 13, the vehicle lamp 10 can simultaneously form areas with a predetermined undulating light beam distribution and areas with a uniform light beam on the shade section 33. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 can make the first illumination pattern Di1 and the second illumination pattern Di2 clearly defined, as well as the entire third illumination pattern Di3, thereby forming a more appropriate illumination pattern Pi. Therefore, compared to conventional vehicle lamps, the vehicle lamp 10 has a simple configuration using a single focusing lens 13, while making it easy to adjust the light distribution of the light distribution area formed on the shade 14, and forming an illumination pattern Pi that is easy to see with a desired brightness distribution.

[0057] In the vehicle light fixture 10, in order to individually correspond each light source (24, 25, 26) with a single focusing lens 13, the focusing lens body 31 of the focusing lens 13 has a first lens section 43, a second lens section 44, and a third lens section 45 with different optical characteristics, which are stacked vertically and integrally provided. As a result, in the vehicle light fixture 10, some of the light from each light source (24, 25, 26) may travel to a lens section (43, 44, 45) that is not the one it corresponds to, and there is a risk that this light may cause an unintended light distribution area to be formed on the shade section 33 of the shade 14. This will be explained below.

[0058] First, as described above, the condensing lens body 31 of the condensing lens 13 is configured such that light from the first light source 24 travels to the first lens section 43 (its first opposing incident surface section 51 and first inclined incident surface section 52), light from the second light source 25 travels to the second lens section 44 (its second opposing incident surface section 57 and second inclined incident surface section 58), and light from the third light source 26 travels to the third lens section 45 (its third incident surface 64). However, since each light source (24, 25, 26) has a predetermined spread in the direction of light emission, there is a risk that some of the light may travel to a lens section adjacent to the corresponding lens section. An example of this is shown in Figures 8 and 9. Note that Figure 8 uses a condensing lens 13 (condensing lens body 31) with the same configuration as the present invention. This is because the same problem occurs even with the condensing lens 13 (condensing lens body 31) if the first light-reducing section 71 and the second light-reducing section 72 are not provided. For this reason, the following explanation will use the unintended light that may occur when the condensing lens 13 (condensing lens body 31) does not have the first light-reducing section 73 and the second light-reducing section 75 on the surface 41, and the first light-reducing section 74 and the second light-reducing section 76 on the back surface 42.

[0059] In the example shown in Figure 8, a portion of the light from the second light source 25 (hereinafter also referred to as stray light S) travels towards the shade 14 through the space between the second lens section 44 and the third lens section 45 (corresponding to the second light-reducing section 72). This stray light S enters the condensing lens body 31 from between the second opposing incident surface 57 and the second inclined incident surface 58 of the second lens section 44 and the third incident surface 64 of the third lens section 45 (referred to as stray light S1). This stray light S travels through the space between the second lens section 44 and the third lens section 45 (corresponding to the second light-reducing section 72) (referred to as stray light S2), exits from between the second exit surface 61 of the second lens section 44 and the third exit surface 65 of the third lens section 45, and heads towards the third slit section 363 of the shade 14 (referred to as stray light S3). Figure 9 shows the light distribution on the shade portion 33 of the shade 14 when only the second light source 25 is lit and the above-mentioned stray light S occurs.

[0060] As described above, in the shade section 33, light from the second light source 25 is irradiated through the second lens section 44, illuminating the entire area of ​​the second slit section 362 while forming a second light distribution region AL that is brightest near the apex of the second slit section 362. When stray light S occurs as described above, this stray light S is directed toward the third slit section 363 of the shade 14, forming an unintended light distribution region (hereinafter referred to as the stray light region AS) in the third slit section 363. This stray light region AS illuminates the area near the center of the third slit section 363 even though the third light source 26 is turned off. Therefore, in the vehicle lighting device 10, when such stray light S occurs, even when the second light source 25 is lit while the third light source 26 is turned off, the second illumination pattern Di2 can be clearly formed, but a part of the area where the third illumination pattern Di3 is formed is dimly illuminated. Furthermore, in the vehicle lighting device 10, if such stray light S occurs, even if the second light source 25 and the third light source 26 are lit simultaneously, the second illumination pattern Di2 can be formed appropriately, but the third illumination pattern Di3 will have unintended areas brightened by the amount of the stray light region AS, resulting in uneven brightness and an appearance different from the intended one.

[0061] In contrast, the vehicle light fixture 10 has a second light-reducing section 72, consisting of a front-side second light-reducing section 75 and a back-side second light-reducing section 76, between the second lens section 44 and the third lens section 45 in the condensing lens body 31. Therefore, the stray light S1 described above is blocked or scattered by the back-side second light-reducing section 76 on the back surface 42 of the condensing lens body 31, preventing it from progressing into the condensing lens body 31 like stray light S2. In other words, the back-side second light-reducing section 76 can prevent stray light S1 from becoming stray light S2 by blocking its incidence, or it can prevent stray light S1 from progressing into the condensing lens body 31 as strong light (high luminous flux) stray light S2 that forms a stray light region AS by diffusing it. Furthermore, after passing through the back-side second light-reducing section 76, the stray light S2 is blocked or scattered by the front-side second light-reducing section 75 on the front surface 41 of the condensing lens body 31. Therefore, stray light S2 is diffused and sufficiently weakened by the second light-reducing section 76 on the back side as described above, and then blocked or diffused by the second light-reducing section 75 on the front side. This prevents it from being emitted from the condensing lens body 31 as strong light (high luminous flux) stray light S3 that would more reliably form a stray light region AS.

[0062] Furthermore, although stray light S2 as described above may occur even if it does not pass through the second light-reducing section 76 on the back side, it is blocked or scattered by the second light-reducing section 75 on the surface 41 of the condensing lens body 31, preventing it from being emitted from the condensing lens body 31 like stray light S3. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can prevent the formation of a stray light region AS in the third slit section 363 of the shade 14 due to stray light S from the second light source 25 as described above. For this reason, when the vehicle light fixture 10 turns on the second light source 25 while turning off the third light source 26, the second illumination pattern Di2 can be clearly formed, and the area where the third illumination pattern Di3 is formed can be kept dark. Also, when the vehicle light fixture 10 turns on the second light source 25 and the third light source 26 simultaneously, the second illumination pattern Di2 and the third illumination pattern Di3 can be properly formed, resulting in the intended appearance.

[0063] Here, the same problem of stray light can occur even if the light from the third light source 26 is directed from between the second lens portion 44 and the third lens portion 45 towards the second slit portion 362 of the shade 14. In contrast, the vehicle light fixture 10 can block or scatter such stray light with the second dimming portion 75 on the front side and the second dimming portion 76 on the back side, which serve as the second dimming portion 72.

[0064] Furthermore, the same problem of stray light can occur when light from the second light source 25 is directed from between the second lens portion 44 and the first lens portion 43 towards the first slit portion 361 of the shade 14, or when light from the first light source 24 is directed from between the second lens portion 44 and the first lens portion 43 towards the second slit portion 362 of the shade 14. In contrast, the vehicle light fixture 10 has a first light-reducing portion 71 in the condensing lens body 31 between the first lens portion 43 and the second lens portion 44, so that such stray light can be blocked or scattered by the first light-reducing portion 73 on the front side and the first light-reducing portion 74 on the back side. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can appropriately form each illumination pattern Di and make each appear as intended.

[0065] In this embodiment, the condensing lens body 31 (condensing lens 13) of Embodiment 1 is composed of a first light-reducing section 71 and a second light-reducing section 72, consisting of a first light-reducing section 73 and a second light-reducing section 75 on the surface 41, and a first light-reducing section 74 and a second light-reducing section 76 on the back surface 42. Therefore, the first light-reducing section 71 and the second light-reducing section 72 cannot block or scatter the propagation of light between the lens sections (43, 44, 45) within the condensing lens body 31. However, since the condensing lens body 31 has three lens sections (43, 44, 45) that correspond individually to the three light sources (24, 25, 26), it is possible to suppress the light incident on the corresponding lens section (43, 44, 45) from each light source (24, 25, 26) from moving toward adjacent lens sections. In particular, the condensing lens body 31 of Example 1 is designed so that each lens portion (43, 44, 45) receives light from the corresponding light source (24, 25, 26) as parallel light traveling in approximately parallel directions, thus minimizing the amount of light directed toward adjacent lens portions. As a result, even if the condensing lens body 31 (condensing lens 13) has first and second light-reducing portions 71 and 72 formed by applying light-reducing treatment to predetermined positions on the front surface 41 and back surface 42, the effects of stray light as described above can be sufficiently suppressed.

[0066] In addition, in the condensing lens body 31 (condensing lens 13) of Example 1, the bottom surface 45a located on the second lens section 44 side of the third lens section 45 is also subjected to a light-reducing treatment, thereby providing a bottom-side second light-reducing section 77 that constitutes part of the second light-reducing section 72. Therefore, in the third lens section 45, the difference in shape between its third incident surface 64 and the second opposing incident surface section 57, second inclined incident surface section 58, and second reflective surface 59 of the second lens section 44 suppresses stray light from entering from the bottom surface 45a facing the second light source 25. As a result, when the second light source 25 is lit while the third light source 26 is turned off, the condensing lens body 31 (condensing lens 13) can keep the area where the third illumination pattern Di3 is formed dark, and when the second light source 25 and the third light source 26 are lit simultaneously, the second illumination pattern Di2 and the third illumination pattern Di3 can be appropriately formed.

[0067] The vehicle lighting device 10 of Example 1 can provide the following effects and benefits. The vehicle light fixture 10 comprises multiple light sources (24, 25, 26), a focusing lens 13 that concentrates the light from these sources, a shade 14 provided with multiple slits 36 that partially allow the concentrated light to pass through, and a projection lens 15 that projects the light that has passed through the slits 36 to form an illumination pattern Pi having multiple illumination patterns Di corresponding to the multiple slits 36. The light sources (24, 25, 26) are provided to correspond individually to the slits 36, and the focusing lens 13 has multiple lens sections (43, 44, 45) that correspond individually to the slits 36 stacked on top of each other, with light-reducing sections (71, 72) provided between the multiple lens sections (43, 44, 45) to reduce the amount of light. As a result, the vehicle light fixture 10 can sufficiently suppress the influence of stray light that is directed from the light incident on the corresponding lens section (43, 44, 45) from each light source (24, 25, 26) toward a slit 36 ​​that is not the corresponding one.

[0068] In the vehicle light fixture 10, the light-reducing sections (71, 72) are formed by applying a light-reducing treatment between multiple lens sections (43, 44, 45) on the back surface 42 of the condensing lens 13, which is on the side of the multiple light sources (24, 25, 26). Therefore, the vehicle light fixture 10 can suppress the brightening of areas of the illuminated pattern Di that are not lit, or the creation of uneven brightness in the formed illuminated pattern Di, which would result in an appearance different from the intended one, due to light (stray light S1→S2) entering the condensing lens 13 from between each lens section (43, 44, 45).

[0069] In the vehicle light fixture 10, the light-reducing sections (71, 72) are formed by applying a light-reducing treatment between multiple lens sections (43, 44, 45) on the surface 41 of the condensing lens 13 that faces the light-shielding member (shade 14). Therefore, the vehicle light fixture 10 can suppress the brightening of areas of the illuminated pattern Di that are not lit, or the creation of uneven brightness in the formed illuminated pattern Di, which would result in an appearance different from the intended one, due to light emitted from between each lens section (43, 44, 45) (stray light S2→S3).

[0070] The vehicle lighting device 10 can sequentially illuminate multiple light sources (24, 25, 26). Therefore, the vehicle lighting device 10 can prevent the illuminated areas of the pattern Di corresponding to the light sources that have been turned off from becoming bright, thus appropriately expressing the intention behind the sequential illumination.

[0071] In the vehicle light fixture 10, the multiple slit portions 36 include a first slit portion 361 corresponding to the first illumination pattern Di1 of the illumination pattern Pi, a second slit portion 362 corresponding to the second illumination pattern Di2 of the illumination pattern Pi, and a third slit portion 363 corresponding to the third illumination pattern Di3 of the illumination pattern Pi. Furthermore, the multiple lens portions (43, 44, 45) include a first lens portion 43 facing the first slit portion 361, a second lens portion 44 facing the second slit portion 362, and a third lens portion 45 facing the third slit portion 363. The first lens portion 43 includes a first opposing incident surface portion 51 facing the corresponding first light source 24, a first inclined incident surface portion 52 surrounding it, and a first reflective surface 53 surrounding it. In addition, the second lens portion 44 has a second opposing incident surface portion 57 facing the corresponding second light source 25, a second inclined incident surface portion 58 surrounding it, and a second reflective surface 59 surrounding it, while the third lens portion 45 is a convex lens that focuses light from the corresponding third light source 26. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 can efficiently utilize the light from the first light source 24 and the second light source 25, and can form a predetermined luminous flux distribution in the first slit portion 361 and the second slit portion 362 while simplifying the configuration of the first lens portion 43 and the second lens portion 44. Furthermore, the vehicle lamp 10 can form a uniform luminous flux distribution in the third slit portion 363 using the third lens portion 45 with respect to the light from the third light source 26. Based on these considerations, the vehicle light fixture 10 can make the first illumination pattern Di1 and the second illumination pattern Di2 clearly defined, centered on their tips, and the entire third illumination pattern Di3 clearly defined, even when using a single focusing lens 13, thereby forming a more appropriate illumination pattern Pi.

[0072] In the vehicle lighting device 10, the bottom surface 45a of the third lens portion 45, located on the side of the second lens portion 44, is also subjected to a light-reducing treatment. Therefore, when the second light source 25 is lit while the third light source 26 is turned off, the area where the third illumination pattern Di3 is formed can remain dark. When the second light source 25 and the third light source 26 are lit simultaneously, the second illumination pattern Di2 and the third illumination pattern Di3 can be properly formed.

[0073] In the vehicle lighting fixture 10, multiple lens sections (43, 44, 45) are integrated into a single unit. As a result, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 can improve the relative positional accuracy of the multiple lens sections (43, 44, 45) and simplify the assembly process.

[0074] Therefore, the vehicle light fixture 10 of Embodiment 1 according to this disclosure can efficiently utilize light from multiple light sources (24, 25, 26) to form an illumination pattern Pi with a desired brightness distribution.

[0075] 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.

[0076] In Example 1, the three illumination patterns Di are arranged as approximately isosceles triangles with the vehicle 1 side as the base, 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.

[0077] Furthermore, although the vehicle light fixture 10 was provided at the front of the vehicle 1 in Embodiment 1, it may be provided on the vehicle 1 in a position that forms an illumination pattern relative to the vehicle 1, such as being housed in a door mirror, placed in the headlight or taillight chambers (the chambers on both the left and right sides of the rear of the vehicle), or provided on the vehicle body, and is not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0078] Furthermore, in Example 1, each light source (24, 25, 26) emits amber-colored light. However, the color of the light emitted from the light sources can be set appropriately according to the location and the message being conveyed, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0079] In Example 1, a shade 14 is used as the light-shielding member, which allows light focused by the focusing lens 13 to pass through the irradiation slit 35. However, the light-shielding member may have other configurations as long as it is provided with multiple slits 36 (irradiation slits 35) that partially allow light focused by the focusing lens 13 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 irradiation slits that partially allow light to pass through a plate-shaped film member that obstructs light transmission, and allowing light that has passed through the focusing lens 13 to pass through the multiple irradiation slits.

[0080] In Example 1, a vehicle light fixture 10 is provided on a vehicle 1 driven by a driver. However, the vehicle light fixture may also be provided on 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.

[0081] In Embodiment 1, the light source unit 12 is mounted on a mounting base unit 11 that functions as a heat sink, and a condensing lens 13, a shade 14, and a projection lens 15 are attached to this mounting base unit 11. However, vehicle lighting fixtures can have other configurations as long as they focus light from a light source onto a light-shielding member with a condensing lens and project it with a projection lens to form an illumination pattern, and are not limited to the configuration of Embodiment 1.

[0082] In Example 1, each light source (24, 25, 26) comprises an LED chip and a phosphor covering it. However, each light source (24, 25, 26) can be configured as appropriate, as long as each corresponds individually to a lens section (43, 44, 45), and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0083] In Example 1, the third light source 26 is turned on first, then the second light source 25 is turned on while the third light source 26 remains lit, then the first light source 24 is turned on while the third light source 26 and the second light source 25 remain lit, and then all the light sources (24, 25, 26) are turned off simultaneously, and this is repeated thereafter. However, all the light sources (24, 25, 26) may be turned on simultaneously, individually, or randomly in combination as appropriate, and the order and manner of illumination can be set as appropriate, and are not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0084] In Example 1, the first light-reducing section 71 and the second light-reducing section 72 are composed of a first light-reducing section 73 and a second light-reducing section 75 on the surface 41 of the condensing lens body 31 (condensing lens 13), and a first light-reducing section 74 and a second light-reducing section 76 on the back surface 42. However, each light-reducing section (71, 72) is provided between the corresponding lens sections (43, 44, 45) to block or scatter the propagation of light, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1. For example, each light-reducing section (71, 72) may be formed in a plate shape between the corresponding lens sections (43, 44, 45), that is, to block or scatter the propagation of light between the lens sections (43, 44, 45) within the condensing lens body 31. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 10 Vehicle lighting fixture 13 Focusing lens 14 Shade (as an example of a light-shielding component) 15 Projection lens 24 First light source 25 Second light source 26 Third light source 36 Slit section 361 First slit section 362 Second slit section 363 Third slit section 41 Front surface 42 Back surface 43 First lens section 44 Second lens section 45 Third lens section 45a Bottom surface 51 First opposing incident surface section 52 First inclined incident surface section 53 First reflective surface 57 Second opposing incident surface section 58 Second inclined incident surface section 59 Second reflective surface 71 First light-reducing section (as an example of a light-reducing section) 72 Second light-reducing section (as an example of a light-reducing section) Di Illumination pattern Di1 First illumination pattern Di2 Second illumination pattern Di3 Third illumination pattern Pi Illumination pattern

Claims

1. Multiple light sources, A single focusing lens that collects light from multiple light sources, A light-shielding member having multiple slits that partially allow light focused by the aforementioned light-gathering lens to pass through, A single projection optical system is configured comprising: a single projection lens that projects light passed through the light-shielding member to form an illumination pattern having multiple illumination patterns corresponding to multiple slit portions; The light sources are provided in accordance with the slit portions, The light-gathering lens is characterized in that a plurality of lens portions corresponding to the slit portion are stacked and integrally formed, and a light-reducing portion is provided between the plurality of lens portions to reduce light.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the light-reducing portion is formed by applying a light-reducing treatment between a plurality of lens portions on the back surface of the plurality of light sources on the light-reducing side of the condensing lens.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light-reducing portion is formed by applying a light-reducing treatment between a plurality of lens portions on the surface of the light-shielding member side of the condensing lens.

4. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the multiple light sources are lit sequentially.

5. The plurality of slit portions include a first slit portion corresponding to a first illumination pattern projected at a distant position in the illumination pattern, a second slit portion corresponding to a second illumination pattern projected at a closer position than the first illumination pattern in the illumination pattern, and a third slit portion corresponding to a third illumination pattern projected at a closer position than the second illumination pattern in the illumination pattern. Each of the aforementioned lens portions includes a first lens portion facing the first slit portion, a second lens portion facing the second slit portion, and a third lens portion facing the third slit portion. The first lens portion includes a first opposing incident surface portion facing the corresponding light source, a first inclined incident surface portion surrounding the first opposing incident surface portion, and a first reflective surface surrounding the first inclined incident surface portion. The second lens portion has a second opposing incident surface portion facing the corresponding light source, a second inclined incident surface portion surrounding the second opposing incident surface portion, and a second reflective surface surrounding the second inclined incident surface portion. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the third lens portion is a convex lens that focuses light from the corresponding light source.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5, characterized in that the third lens portion also has a light-reducing treatment applied to the bottom surface located on the side of the second lens portion.

Images