Vehicle lighting structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle lighting structure which can inhibit intensity of light of a linear lighting part from looking ununiformly to occupants.SOLUTION: A vehicle lighting structure 1 includes a trim board 11 and a lighting device 30 provided at the trim board 11. In the trim board 11, a long slit 23 is formed penetrating through the trim board 11. The lighting device 30 includes: an LED; a long transparent material 33 which may guide light emitted from the LED; and a translucent member 41 which closes the slit 23 and has translucency. The transparent material 33 has, at the passenger compartment outer surface side of the trim board 11, a parallel arrangement part 33A disposed along the slit 23, and a separation part 33B which deviates from an extending direction of the slit 23. A light diffusion part 57 configured to diffuse light radiated from the transparent material 33 into a passenger compartment is provided at an area, where the transparent material 33 is disposed on an extension line of a visual line from eyes of an occupant to the slit 23 or close to the extension line, of the translucent member 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a lighting structure for vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] For interior materials for vehicles such as automobiles, lighting devices may be attached for the purpose of enhancing design, or for the purpose of enhancing visibility and convenience at night. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses attaching a linearly emitting lighting device to a door trim that constitutes the inner side surface of a vehicle door. Specifically, such a lighting device includes a light source and a linear light guide that guides the light emitted from the light source, and by arranging the light guide along a slit provided in the door trim, a structure for irradiating the interior of the vehicle through the slit with the light emitted from the light guide is disclosed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, for example, when it is desired to provide a linear lighting portion up to the end of the interior material, since it is not possible to secure a space for arranging a light source at the end of the light guide, a configuration is considered in which the end of the linearly arranged light guide is curved and the light source is arranged at a position deviated from the extension line of the slit. However, when such a configuration is adopted, due to the light guide being in a curved shape, changes occur in the distance and arrangement between the slit and the light guide, and the light seen by the passengers may have intensity variations, which may reduce the design quality.

[0005] The technology disclosed herein has been achieved in view of the above circumstances and aims to provide a vehicle lighting structure that can suppress the appearance of uneven light intensity in linear lighting sections to passengers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle lighting structure disclosed herein comprises a vehicle interior material and a lighting device provided in the vehicle interior material, wherein the vehicle interior material has a long slit formed through it, and the lighting device comprises a light source, an elongated light guide capable of guiding light emitted from the light source, and a light-transmitting member that closes the slit, wherein the light guide has a parallel portion arranged along the slit on the vehicle interior outer surface side of the vehicle interior material and a separated portion that is offset from the direction of extension of the slit, and the light-transmitting member is provided with a light-diffusing portion in the region where the light guide is positioned on the extension of the line of sight from the passenger's eyes to the slit, which diffuses the light irradiated from the light guide toward the vehicle interior.

[0007] When the light guide has both parallel and separated sections, that is, when the distance and direction from the slit to the light guide are not constant, differences in the intensity of the light visible to the passenger will occur. With the above configuration, even if there are differences in the intensity of the light from the slit visible to the passenger, by providing a light diffusion section in the area of ​​the light-transmitting member where the light is relatively strong and easily visible to the passenger, the intensity of the light visible to the passenger can be made closer to a uniform state throughout the slit. In other words, the aesthetic appeal of the lighting section is improved for the passenger. Furthermore, since the intensity of the light visible to the passenger can be adjusted in this way, the degree of freedom in designing the light source arrangement can be increased.

[0008] The light-transmitting member integrally includes a groove-shaped receiving recess for accommodating the light guide in a direction along its longitudinal direction, wherein one of two opposing side walls of the receiving recess is positioned between the light guide and the slit, and the light-diffusing portion may be provided on the one side wall positioned between the light guide and the slit and consist of a number of grooves extending from the bottom wall of the receiving recess toward the opening of the receiving recess.

[0009] According to the above configuration, when forming a light-transmitting member having a receiving recess, a light-diffusing portion can be formed by simultaneously forming a number of grooves extending in the demolding direction, that is, from the bottom wall of the groove-shaped receiving recess toward the opening of the receiving recess. Therefore, the light-diffusing portion can be formed easily and inexpensively.

[0010] The slit extends to the end of the interior material for the vehicle, and the separation portion may be provided in the light guide at a position close to the light source.

[0011] When the slit extends close to the edge of the interior material of the vehicle, space constraints prevent the light source from being placed on the extension of the slit. In such cases, the light guide must be curved from near the end of the slit to secure space for the light source. When the light guide must be placed in a position that deviates from the direction of the slit's extension, variations in the intensity of the light visible to the occupant are likely to occur, making the technology disclosed herein particularly effective.

[0012] The interior material for the vehicle is a door trim that constitutes the interior surface of the vehicle door, the slit is provided in a position that is directly visible to the occupant, and at least a portion of the separation portion of the light guide may be positioned on the extension of the line of sight from the occupant's eyes to the slit.

[0013] In vehicle doors, various functional components are housed in the narrow space between the door trim and the vehicle body, making it impossible to position the entire light guide along the slit. Furthermore, even when the slit extends to the edge of the door trim, space limitations for the light source may prevent the portion of the light guide closest to the light source from being positioned along the slit. In such cases, variations in light intensity are likely to occur, making the technology disclosed herein particularly effective. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The technology disclosed herein provides a vehicle lighting structure that can suppress the appearance of uneven light intensity in linear lighting sections to passengers. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] Schematic diagram of a door trim equipped with a vehicle lighting structure according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view II in Figure 1 [Figure 3] Partial enlarged perspective view of the light-transmitting material [Figure 4] Top view of the light-transmitting member [Figure 5] Enlarged perspective view of a part of the lighting device [Figure 6] Partially enlarged perspective view showing the lighting device installed on the door trim. [Figure 7] Section II-II in Figure 1 [Figure 8] Partially enlarged perspective view of a light-transmitting member having a light-diffusing portion of another embodiment. [Figure 9] Partially enlarged perspective view of a light-transmitting member having a light-diffusing portion of another embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] A vehicle lighting structure (an example of a vehicle interior lighting structure) 1 of an embodiment will be described while referring to FIGS. 1 to 7. In the present embodiment, a lighting structure by a lighting device 30 in a door trim 10 (an example of a vehicle interior material) for a vehicle such as an automobile will be exemplified. In each figure, the arrows FR and RR indicate the front and rear of the vehicle, respectively, the arrows UP and DW indicate the upper and lower of the vehicle, respectively, and the arrows IN and OUT indicate the inside (inside the vehicle) and outside (outside the vehicle) of the vehicle interior, respectively.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic view for explaining the configuration of the door trim 10 as seen from the vehicle interior side. The door trim 10 mainly includes a trim board 11 generally in a plate shape, and is attached to a metal door inner panel (not shown) on the vehicle interior side by clips or the like (not shown), thereby enhancing the design and habitability of the vehicle interior. The trim board 11 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material (a thermoplastic resin material) such as polypropylene, or may be made of, for example, a composite material obtained by mixing plant fibers (for example, kenaf) and synthetic resin. The surface of the trim board 11 of the present embodiment is covered with a skin material 22 (see FIG. 2).

[0018] The door trim 10 is provided with an armrest 12, a door pocket 13, a speaker 14, an inside door handle 15, etc. shown in FIG. 1. The trim board 11 is generally configured by assembling a plurality of trim board members in consideration of the mountability and design of these parts. The trim board 11 of the present embodiment includes an upper board 16, an armrest board 17, a lower board 18, a pocket board 19, etc.

[0019] The upper board 16 constitutes the upper part of the trim board 11. Its lower end is arranged adjacent to the lower board 18 in the front part and adjacent to the armrest board 17 in the central part. The armrest board 17 projects inward of the vehicle interior, and its upper surface is the armrest 12 extending in a substantially horizontal direction. Further, between the rear part of the upper board 16 and the armrest board 17, a door grip that is recessed downward from the armrest 12 is provided. That is, the upper board 16 is arranged adjacent to the door grip board 20 in the rear part (see FIG. 2).

[0020] Between the lower end of the upper board 16 and the upper end of the armrest board 17, and between the lower end of the upper board 16 and the upper end of the door grip board 20, which are arranged adjacent to each other on the interior design surface, a long slit 23 that extends continuously along the front-rear direction is provided. The slit 23 extends in a substantially linear shape when viewed from the inside and outside of the vehicle. Then, by irradiating light from the outside of the vehicle into the vehicle interior through this slit 23, the door trim 10 is decorated by the linear light. The light is emitted from a lighting device 30 attached to the outside of the vehicle of the slit 23.

[0021] Note that the surface of the skin material 22 of the upper board 16 is arranged at a position bulging inward of the vehicle interior from the lower edge of the slit 23 (see FIG. 2).

[0022] As shown in FIG. 5, the lighting device 30 includes a light source unit 31, a light guide 33, a connector portion 34, and a light-transmitting member 41.

[0023] The light source unit 31 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) (not shown) capable of emitting visible light as a light source, and a housing 32 that houses the LED. The LED is positioned in a predetermined location within the housing 32. The connector section 34 is electrically connected to the LED in the housing 32 via lead wires and is configured to allow connection of a wire harness or the like (not shown). The lighting device 30 is electrically connected to a power supply device (not shown), such as a battery mounted on the vehicle, via a wire harness or the like, and is capable of emitting light from the LED by utilizing the power supplied from the power supply device.

[0024] The light guide 33 is made of a flexible, elongated (rod-shaped) light guide material with a substantially circular cross-section. The light guide material is a material that transmits light and has a refractive index sufficiently higher than that of air, such as acrylic resin. The longitudinal dimension of the light guide 33 is set to be larger than the longitudinal dimension of the slit 23.

[0025] The light guide 33 is attached to the housing 32 with one end face in the longitudinal direction facing the light-emitting surface of the LED. This makes the end face on one side the light incident surface to which the light emitted from the LED enters. The light guide 33 is configured such that when light traveling inside it enters the interface with the external air layer at an incident angle greater than the critical angle, it undergoes total internal reflection and propagates through the interior. In other words, it is configured to guide light to the other end from within its interior.

[0026] The outer surface (side) of the light guide 33 is treated, for example, by coating it with a fluororesin, so that the light introduced into the light guide 33 is emitted outwards. In other words, light incident from one end (light incident surface) of the light guide 33 is guided by repeated total internal reflection inside the light guide 33, and a portion of it is emitted from the entire outer surface during the light guidance process. As a result, the entire light guide 33 becomes a linear light source, illuminating its surroundings. Thus, the outer surface of the light guide 33 is a light emission surface that emits light incident into the light guide 33 from one end (light incident surface) to the outside.

[0027] In the lighting device 30 of this example, the LED is a top-view type with its upper surface emitting light, and the housing 32 is configured to be mounted on the light guide 33 so that the light-emitting surface (upper surface) of the LED faces the light-receiving surface of the light guide 33. Furthermore, the connector portion 34 of the lighting device 30 is configured to be fixed to the outside of the vehicle interior near the rear end of the trim board 11 when the lighting device 30 is installed on the trim board.

[0028] On the other hand, the light-transmitting member 41 has a lens function that causes the light emitted from the light guide 33 to be emitted from the slit 23 towards the interior of the room, and is also a member that holds the light guide 33 in an appropriate position relative to the slit 23 of the trim board 11. The light-transmitting member 41 is attached to the trim board 11 from the outside of the vehicle interior with the light guide 33 housed inside.

[0029] Specifically, the light-transmitting member 41 is a long plate-like shape that extends generally in the front-to-back direction, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is provided with a housing section (an example of a housing recess) 42 for housing a long light guide 33. The housing section 42 has a roughly U-shaped groove-like cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and is formed over roughly the entire length in the front-to-back direction. More specifically, the housing section 42 (the first housing section 43 described later) has a roughly U-shaped groove-like shape, comprising a bottom wall 44 with a plate surface arranged roughly horizontally and extending roughly in the front-to-back direction, an outer wall section 45 rising upward from the side edge of the bottom wall 44 on the vehicle side, and an inner wall section 46 rising upward from the side edge of the bottom wall 44 on the vehicle side. The outer wall section 45 extends below the bottom wall 44. The dimensions of the housing section 42 are set to allow for stable housing of the light guide 33 with appropriate clearance.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, a plate-shaped support wall portion 47 is provided near the lower end of the inner wall portion 46, extending in a flange-like manner toward the interior of the vehicle. A lens portion 48 rises up from the tip of the support wall portion 47 (facing the interior of the vehicle) and is fitted into the slit 23 to close it. In other words, the vertical dimension (thickness direction) of the lens portion 48 is designed to be approximately the same as the width dimension of the slit 23. The lens portion 48 has a semicircular cross-section that bulges toward the interior of the vehicle. The support wall portion 47 is supported from below by a vertical wall 21 that rises approximately vertically from the door grip board 20. When the light-transmitting member 41 (lens portion 48) closes the slit 23, the lens portion 48 and the light guide 33 are arranged side by side in an approximately horizontal direction. In other words, the light guide 33 (parallel arrangement portion 33A, described later) is arranged side by side in an approximately horizontal direction with respect to the slit 23.

[0031] With this configuration, the light emitted from the light guide 33 is projected into the passenger compartment through the slit 23 via the light-transmitting member 41, more specifically, via at least the inner wall portion 46 and the lens portion 48, and partially via the support wall portion 47. At this time, when an occupant looks at the slit 23, their line of sight is directed from above to diagonally downward, so the light guide 33, which is arranged horizontally on the outside of the passenger compartment of the lens portion 48, is difficult for the occupant to see through the light-transmitting member 41 (see Figure 2).

[0032] Furthermore, it is preferable that the light-transmitting member 41, like the light guide 33, is mainly composed of a resin material with high light transmittance to the light emitted by the LED (for example, a so-called optical resin such as acrylic resin), in order to keep light loss low.

[0033] In this embodiment, the slit 23 is provided in the upper part of the armrest 12, which is directly visible to the occupant, and its formation range extends from the front to the rear end of the door trim 10 (see Figure 1). The light guide 33 is positioned on the outside of the slit 23 in a manner that is roughly horizontal to the slit 23, generally along the entire length of the slit 23. In this configuration, if it is desired to attach the light source unit 31 (LED) to the rear end of the door trim 10, there is no space to attach the light source unit 31 on the extension of the light guide 33 that is positioned along the slit 23. Therefore, it is necessary to curve the rear end of the light guide 33 upward or downward so that the light source unit 31 can be attached at a position where space can be secured.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, the rear end of the light guide 33 is curved downward, and the light source unit 31 is mounted on the trim board 11 below the light guide 33. Hereinafter, the portion of the light guide 33 that is aligned with the slit 23 and positioned side by side with the slit 23 in a substantially horizontal direction will be referred to as the parallel section 33A, and the portion that curves downward from the parallel section 33A and is positioned away from the direction of extension of the slit 23, that is, the portion that is not aligned with the slit 23 but intersects with the direction of extension of the slit 23 will be referred to as the separated section 33B. The parallel section 33A can also be said to be the portion that is positioned so that the distance and direction from the slit are constant, while the separated section 33B can be said to be the portion that is positioned so that the distance and direction from the slit change. The above description of the housing section 42 of the light-transmitting member 41 refers to the first housing section 43 where the parallel arrangement section 33A, which is the main part of the light guide 33, is located. The following description will focus on the second housing section 53 of the housing section 42 where the separated section 33B is located.

[0035] The second housing section 53, where the separation portion 33B of the light guide 33 is located, is inclined with a step, gradually descending from the first housing section 43 where the parallel portion 33A of the light guide 33 is located, and gradually moving away from the lens portion 48 towards the outside of the vehicle interior (see Figures 3, 4, and 7). In other words, the second housing section 53 is inclined with a step, gradually descending from the direction of extension of the slit 23 and moving away from the outside of the vehicle interior when the light-transmitting member 41 is attached to the trim board 11.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 7, the second housing section 53 comprises a roughly U-shaped groove, which includes a second bottom wall 54 that is continuous with the bottom wall 44 of the first housing section 43, slopes downward with a step, and extends slightly away from the lens section 48 towards the outside of the vehicle compartment; a second outer wall section 55 that is intermittently continuous with the outer wall section 45 of the first housing section 43 and rises upward from a part of the side edge of the second bottom wall 54 on the outside of the vehicle; and a second inner wall section 56 that branches off from the inner wall section 46 of the first housing section 43 and rises upward from the side edge of the second bottom wall 54 on the inside of the vehicle.

[0037] Furthermore, the inner wall portion 46 of the first housing portion 43 extends alongside the lens portion 48 to the rear end of the light-transmitting member 41 (see Figure 4). For this reason, as shown in Figure 7, the inner wall portion 46 and the second inner wall portion 56 are offset from each other in the vertical and inward / outward directions of the vehicle, i.e., they are arranged in a stepped cross-section.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3, the second bottom wall 54 of the second housing section 53 is interrupted slightly in front of the rear end of the light-transmitting member 41, allowing the rear end of the light guide 33 (separation section 33B) housed in the second housing section 53 to be guided downward along the rear wall 61 that extends vertically at the rear end of the light-transmitting member 41. Furthermore, a housing holding section 62 for holding the light source unit 31 (housing 32) is integrally provided below the second housing section 53 at the rear end of the light-transmitting member 41. This allows the light source unit 31, which is connected to the end of the light guide 33, to be held in a position away from the extending direction of the lens section 48 (slit 23).

[0039] Furthermore, at the corner between the rear wall 61 and the second inner wall 56 of the light-transmitting member 41, a plate-shaped covering portion 63 is formed to rise from above, covering the light guide 33 (separation portion 33B) which is curved downward at the rear end of the second housing portion 53. This covering portion 63 suppresses the lifting of the curved light guide 33 (separation portion 33B).

[0040] Furthermore, a mounting wall portion 64 is provided on the side edge of the second bottom wall 54 on the outside of the vehicle interior, extending downward and connected to the housing holding portion 62 described above. This mounting wall portion 64 has fastening holes 65 formed therein for inserting mounting bosses 25 (see Figure 6) that protrude from the trim board 11 side.

[0041] By the way, if the light source unit 31 is mounted below the light guide 33 in this manner, and the rear end of the light guide 33 is curved downward, the following problems arise.

[0042] In parallel arrangement sections 33A, such as the central part of the door trim 10, where the light guide 33 is positioned horizontally along the slit 23 at approximately the same height as the slit 23 on the passenger side of the slit 23, when an occupant looks at the slit 23, that is, when their line of sight is directed downwards, the light guide 33 is positioned off-line (above the line of sight). As a result, the light guide 33 is difficult for the occupant to see (see Figure 2).

[0043] On the other hand, in the separation section 33B, such as the rear end of the door trim 10, where the light guide 33 is curved downwards from the slit 23 to secure mounting space for the light source unit 31, the light guide 33 is positioned on the outside of the slit 23, at a lower height than the slit 23, as shown in Figure 7. As a result, there are parts where the light guide 33 is positioned on or close to the extension of the line of sight when an occupant looks down at the slit 23 from above. In such parts (at least a part of the separation section 33B) where the light guide 33 is positioned on or close to the extension of the line of sight, the occupant can see the light guide 33 through the light-transmitting member 41, or the parts close to the light guide 33 become easier to see. Therefore, the light in those parts appears brighter (the light intensity is higher) compared to other parts, and the uniformity of light in the linear illumination section as a whole is impaired. In other words, the aesthetic appeal for the occupant is reduced.

[0044] Therefore, in this embodiment, a light diffusion section 57 is provided on a part of the inner surface of the second inner wall 56 of the second housing section 53, where a separation section 33B is arranged so that the light guide 33 is out of the direction of extension of the slit 23, to diffuse the light irradiated into the vehicle interior from the light guide 33. Specifically, the part of the inner surface of the second inner wall 56 refers to the part where the light intensity is expected to appear strong when an occupant looks at the slit 23, that is, the part where the light guide 33 is arranged on or close to the extension line of the line of sight from the occupant to the slit 23.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3, the light diffusion section 57 in this embodiment is made up of numerous grooves extending in the vertical direction. More specifically, it is made up of numerous grooves extending at equal intervals in the direction of the die-cutting of the longitudinally shaped first housing section 43 when forming the light-transmitting member 41, that is, in the direction of the rise from the bottom wall 44 to the inner wall section 46. By providing such a light diffusion section 57 in a part of the second inner wall section 56, the light irradiated from the lens section 48 is diffused in the part where the light guide 33 is positioned on or near the extension of the passenger's line of sight (a part of the separation section 33B), thereby suppressing the appearance of uneven light intensity from the slit 23.

[0046] Next, the effects will be explained. The vehicle lighting structure 1 of this embodiment comprises a trim board 11 and a lighting device 30 provided on the trim board 11. The trim board 11 has a long slit 23 formed through it. The lighting device 30 comprises an LED, a longitudinal light guide 33 capable of guiding the light emitted from the LED, and a light-transmitting member 41 that closes the slit 23. The light guide 33 has a parallel portion 33A arranged along the slit 23 on the exterior side of the trim board 11, and a separated portion 33B that is offset from the direction of extension of the slit 23. Of the light-transmitting member 41, a light-diffusing portion 57 is provided in the region where the light guide 33 is positioned on or near the extension of the line of sight from the occupant's eyes to the slit 23, diffusing the light irradiated from the light guide 33 towards the interior of the vehicle.

[0047] When the light guide 33 has a parallel section 33A and a separated section 33B, that is, when the distance and direction from the slit 23 to the light guide 33 are not constant, differences in the intensity of the light visible to the passenger will occur. In this embodiment, in the region where the light guide 33 is positioned on or close to the extension of the passenger's line of sight from the passenger's eyes to the slit 23 (separated section 33B), the passenger can easily see the light guide 33 through the light-transmitting member 41 from the slit 23, so the light appears strong. In other regions (parallel section 33A), the light guide 33 is difficult to see, so the light appears weak. With the above configuration, even if there are differences in the intensity of the light from the slit 23 visible to the passenger, by providing a light-diffusing section 57 in the region of the light-transmitting member 41 where the light appears relatively strong to the passenger, the intensity of the light visible to the passenger can be made closer to a uniform state across the entire slit 23. In other words, the aesthetic appeal of the lighting section is improved for the passenger. Furthermore, since the intensity of light visible to the passengers can be adjusted in this way, the design flexibility for the placement of the light source unit 31 can be increased.

[0048] The light-transmitting member 41 integrally includes a groove-shaped housing portion 42 that accommodates the light guide 33 in a direction along its longitudinal direction. The housing portion 42 has a second inner wall portion 56, which is one of two opposing side walls, positioned between the light guide 33 and the slit 23. The light-diffusing portion 57 is provided on the second inner wall portion 56 and consists of a number of grooves extending from the bottom wall 44 of the housing portion 42 toward the opening of the housing portion 42.

[0049] According to the above configuration, when molding the light-transmitting member 41 having a housing portion 42, a light-diffusing portion 57 can be formed by simultaneously molding a number of grooves extending in the demolding direction, that is, from the bottom wall 44 of the groove-shaped housing portion 42 toward the opening of the housing portion 42. Therefore, the light-diffusing portion 57 can be formed easily and inexpensively.

[0050] The slit 23 extends to the edge of the trim board, and the separation portion 33B is provided in a position close to the light source unit 31 within the light guide 33.

[0051] If the slit 23 extends close to the end of the trim board 11, space constraints may prevent the light source unit 31 from being positioned on the extension of the slit 23. In such cases, the light guide 33 must be curved from near the end of the slit 23 to secure space for the light source unit 31. Even when the light guide 33 must be positioned outside the direction of the slit 23's extension, it is still possible to suppress the appearance of uneven light intensity to the passenger.

[0052] The slit 23 is positioned in a location that is directly visible to the occupant, and a portion of the separation section 33B of the light guide 33 is positioned on or close to the extension of the line of sight from the occupant's eyes to the slit 23.

[0053] In vehicle doors, various functional components are housed in the narrow space between the door trim 10 and the vehicle body, so it may not be possible to position the entire light guide 33 along the slit 23. Furthermore, even when the slit 23 extends to the end of the door trim 10, space limitations for the light source may prevent the portion of the light guide 33 closest to the light source from being positioned along the slit 23. Even in such cases, it is possible to suppress the appearance of uneven light intensity to the occupant.

[0054] <Other Embodiments> The technologies disclosed herein are not limited to the embodiments described above in the description and drawings, but also include, for example, the following embodiments.

[0055] (1) In the above embodiment, the light diffusing section 57 is shown to be composed of a number of grooves extending at equal intervals from the bottom wall 44 of the housing section 42 toward the opening of the housing section 42. However, the light diffusing section is not limited to this and may take other forms. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the light diffusing section 77 may be composed of a number of grooves with different groove intervals, or as shown in Figure 9, the light diffusing section 87 may be composed by applying a textured finish to the inner wall of the separated section. Alternatively, a light diffusing film may be attached.

[0056] (2) In the above embodiment, the light diffusion portion 57 is provided on the second inner wall portion 56, but the light diffusion portion can also be provided on the lens portion.

[0057] (3) In the above embodiment, the example was given of a case in which the light from the separating portion 33B of the slit 23 appears strong to the passenger, but it can also be applied when the light from the adjacent portion appears strong to the passenger. In such cases, the appearance of uneven light intensity can be suppressed by providing the light diffusion portion on the inner wall portion 46, for example, instead of the second inner wall portion 56.

[0058] (4) In the above embodiment, a lighting structure for the door trim 10 of a vehicle has been described, but the vehicle lighting structures disclosed herein can also be applied to parts other than the door trim, such as the ceiling, side walls, and floor of a vehicle. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1: Vehicle lighting structure (vehicle lighting structure), 10: Door trim (vehicle interior material), 11: Trim board (vehicle interior material), 23: Slit, 30: Lighting device, 31: Light source unit (light source), 33: Light guide, 33A: Side-by-side section, 33B: Separation section, 41: Light-transmitting member, 42: Housing section (housing recess), 43: First housing section (housing recess), 44: Bottom wall, 45: Outer wall section (side wall), 46: Inner wall section (side wall), 47: Support wall section, 48: Lens section, 53: Second housing section (housing recess), 54: Second bottom wall, 55: Second outer wall section (side wall), 56: Second inner wall section (side wall), 57: Light diffusion section

Claims

1. The vehicle comprises interior materials and a lighting device provided on the vehicle interior materials, The aforementioned interior material for vehicles has a long slit formed through it, The lighting device comprises a light source, an elongated light guide capable of guiding light emitted from the light source, and a light-transmitting member that closes the slit. The light guide has a parallel portion arranged along the slit on the exterior surface side of the vehicle interior material, and a separated portion that is offset from the direction of extension of the slit. In the light-transmitting member, a light-diffusing portion is provided in the region where the light guide is positioned on the extension of the line of sight from the passenger's eyes to the slit, which diffuses the light irradiated from the light guide toward the interior of the vehicle. The aforementioned interior material for the vehicle is a door trim that constitutes the interior surface of the vehicle door. The aforementioned slit is provided in a position that is directly visible to the passenger. A vehicle lighting structure in which at least a portion of the separation portion of the light guide is positioned on the extension of the line of sight from the passenger's eyes to the slit.

2. The light-transmitting member is integrally provided with a groove-shaped receiving recess for accommodating the light guide in a direction along its longitudinal direction. The aforementioned receiving recess has one of its two opposing side walls positioned between the light guide and the slit. The vehicle lighting structure according to claim 1, wherein the light diffusing portion is provided on one of the side walls positioned between the light guide and the slit, and is composed of a number of grooves extending from the bottom wall of the housing recess toward the opening of the housing recess.

3. The slit extends to the end of the interior material for the vehicle, The vehicle lighting structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the separation portion is provided in the light guide at a position close to the light source.

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