Vehicle lamp

Abstract

A vehicle lamp (1) is provided with an outer cover (20), a light source (30), and a light guide member (40) having a pair of columnar light output parts (51, 61) in which light from the light source (30) propagates and from which the light is output through outer peripheral surfaces thereof toward the outer cover (20). The outer cover (20) includes a light-transmissive part (20a) and a light-shielding part (20b) surrounding the light-transmissive part (20a). The outer surface of the light-transmissive part (20a) protrudes outward beyond the outer surface of the light-shielding part (20b). The pair of light output parts (51, 61) extend along the longitudinal direction of the light-transmissive part (20a) at a predetermined distance from the light-transmissive part (20a). When the light-transmissive part (20a) is viewed from the direction in which the light-transmissive part (20a) protrudes, the pair of light output parts (51, 61) are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light-transmissive part (20a), and at least a portion of each of the light output parts (51, 61) overlaps the light-transmissive part (20a).

Description

Vehicle lighting fixtures

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There are vehicle lamps that include a light source and a light guide member that guides light from the light source, and Patent Document 1 below discloses such a vehicle lamp.

[0003] In the vehicle lamp of Patent Document 1, the light guide member has a columnar light emitting portion that guides light from a light source from one end to the other end and emits the light from an outer peripheral surface. The light emitted from the light emitting portion passes through a light-transmitting outer cover and is emitted to the outside.

[0004] JP 2018-190548 A

[0005] From the standpoint of design, there is a demand for vehicle lighting fixtures in which the light-emitting portion of the outer cover is shaped like a long strip in a predetermined direction. To meet this demand, for example, the portion of the outer cover from which light is desired to be emitted may be made a light-transmitting portion, and the remaining portion may be made a light-shielding portion, with the light-emitting portion of the light-guiding member aligned along the light-transmitting portion. Generally, the light-emitting portion of the light-guiding member is disposed at a predetermined distance from the outer cover. Furthermore, light emitted from the light-emitting portion is emitted at a predetermined divergence angle. Therefore, there is a concern that a portion of the light emitted from the light-emitting portion may be blocked by the light-shielding portion of the outer cover, narrowing the range in which light can be irradiated. Furthermore, the light-transmitting portion appears to emit light, and there is a demand for improving the visibility of such luminescent portions.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle lamp that can improve the visibility of the portion of the outer cover that appears to emit light while preventing the range that can be irradiated with light from becoming narrower.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle lamp of the present invention comprises an outer cover, a light source arranged inside the outer cover, and a light-guiding member arranged inside the outer cover, with a pair of columnar light-emitting portions through which light from the light source propagates and which emits the light from its outer peripheral surface toward the outer cover, wherein the outer cover includes a light-transmitting portion that is elongated in a predetermined in-plane direction of the outer surface of the outer cover, and a light-shielding portion that surrounds the light-transmitting portion, the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion protruding convexly outward from the outer surface of the light-shielding portion, the pair of light-emitting portions extending along the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting portion at a predetermined interval from the light-transmitting portion, and when the light-transmitting portion is viewed from the direction in which the light-transmitting portion protrudes, the pair of light-emitting portions are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting portion, and at least a portion of each of the light-emitting portions overlaps with the light-transmitting portion.

[0008] In this vehicle lamp, the light-emitting portion of the outer cover is a light-transmitting portion that is elongated in a predetermined direction and has a strip-like shape. Furthermore, in this vehicle lamp, as described above, the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion protrudes outward in a convex shape beyond the outer surface of the light-blocking portion, making the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion appear to emit light. Therefore, with this vehicle lamp, the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion has a larger area than when the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion and the outer surface of the light-blocking portion are flush with each other, improving the visibility of the portion that appears to emit light. Furthermore, with this vehicle lamp, when the light-transmitting portion is viewed from the direction in which the light-transmitting portion protrudes, the pair of light-emitting portions are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting portion, and at least a portion of the pair of light-emitting portions overlaps with the light-transmitting portion. Therefore, with this vehicle lamp, light can be incident on the light-transmitting portion from two directions, preventing the illumination range from becoming narrower than when there is only one light-emitting portion.

[0009] When the light transmitting portion is viewed from the direction in which the light transmitting portion protrudes, it is preferable that each of the light emitting portions overlaps with the light transmitting portion continuously from one end of the light transmitting portion in the longitudinal direction.

[0010] With this configuration, it is possible to further prevent the range that can be irradiated with light from being narrowed, compared to when the light emitting portion intermittently overlaps the light transmitting portion.

[0011] The inner surface of the light transmitting portion may be recessed outward from the inner surface of the light blocking portion, or may be flush with the inner surface of the light blocking portion.

[0012] The light-transmitting portion may be elongated in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion may consist of a tip surface and a side surface connected to the entire circumference of the edge of the tip surface, and the tip surface may face downward.

[0013] With this configuration, it is easier to increase the amount of light directed downward from the light transmitting portion compared to when the tip surface faces upward.

[0014] The light-transmitting portion extends from the center of the vehicle in the left-right direction toward the outside and upper side of the vehicle in the left-right direction, and approaches the center of the vehicle in the front-to-rear direction as it moves toward the outside of the vehicle. When the light-transmitting portion is viewed along the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, the area where the light-emitting portion located at the lower of the pair of light-emitting portions overlaps with the light-transmitting portion is wider than the area where the light-emitting portion located at the upper side overlaps with the light-transmitting portion. As the direction in which the light-transmitting portion is viewed is tilted outward in the left-to-right direction with respect to the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, the area where the light-emitting portion located at the lower side overlaps with the light-transmitting portion becomes smaller, and the area where the light-emitting portion located at the upper side overlaps with the light-transmitting portion becomes wider.

[0015] With this configuration, the difference between the amount of light directed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the amount of light directed to the sides of the vehicle can be reduced.

[0016] As described above, according to the present invention, a vehicle lamp can be provided that can improve the visibility of the portion of the outer cover that appears to emit light while preventing the range that can be irradiated with light from becoming narrower.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a vehicle equipped with a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the vehicle lamp according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view schematically showing the vehicle lamp according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a light-guiding member according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal direction of a first light-guiding member. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal direction of a second light-guiding member. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 3. FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a vehicle lamp according to a modified example.

[0018] Preferred embodiments of a vehicle lamp according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments exemplified below are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit thereof. Note that in the drawings referred to below, the dimensions of each component may be changed to facilitate understanding. Also, in the drawings, for ease of viewing, similar components may be assigned reference numerals only in some cases, and some reference numerals may be omitted.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a vehicle equipped with a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment is a sidelight for a motorcycle, and is provided on each of the left and right sides of the front portion of the vehicle 100. The configuration of the sidelight provided on the right side is the same as the configuration of the sidelight provided on the left side, except that the shapes are roughly symmetrical. For this reason, the following description will focus on the sidelight provided on the right side of the vehicle lamp 1, and a description of the sidelight provided on the left side of the vehicle lamp 1 will be omitted. In this specification, "right" means the right side in the forward direction of the vehicle 100, and "left" means the left side in the forward direction of the vehicle.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a front view that schematically shows the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a top view that schematically shows the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment mainly comprises a housing 10, a light source 30, and a light-guiding member 40. Note that Fig. 3 shows the housing 10 in cross section.

[0021] The housing 10 of this embodiment includes a lamp housing 11 and an outer cover 20. The lamp housing 11 is a box-shaped member that is non-transparent to light. The lamp housing 11 extends from the center of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction toward the right and upper side, which is the outer side of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction, and approaches the rear side, which is the center of the vehicle 100 in the fore-aft direction, as it moves toward the right. The lamp housing 11 opens forward, which is the outer side of the vehicle 100. An outer cover 20 is fixed to the lamp housing 11 to close the opening, and the outer cover 20 is exposed to the outside. A light source 30 and a light-guiding member 40 are accommodated within an accommodation space R formed by the lamp housing 11 and the outer cover 20. In other words, the outer cover 20 defines a portion of the accommodation space R, separating the accommodation space R from the external space. The light source 30 and the light-guiding member 40 are disposed inside the outer cover 20 of the vehicle lamp 1. The lamp housing 11 can be made of a material such as resin.

[0022] The outer cover 20 of this embodiment includes a main body 21 and a light-shielding film 29. The main body 21 is a light-transmitting, plate-shaped member disposed to cover the opening of the lamp housing 11. The main body 21 is elongated in the left-right direction and tilts upward and rearward from the center of the vehicle 100 toward the right side of the vehicle 100. The visible light transmittance of the main body 21 is higher than that of the lamp housing 11; for example, the visible light transmittance is preferably 50% or higher. A protrusion 22 is provided in the approximate center of the main body 21 and protrudes from an outer surface 21s1 opposite the lamp housing 11. The protrusion 22 is linear and elongated in a predetermined direction in the in-plane direction of the outer surface 21s1. In this embodiment, the protrusion 22 tilts upward and rearward from the center of the vehicle 100 toward the right side of the vehicle 100, and the protrusion direction of the protrusion 22 is approximately horizontal. The protrusion 22 includes a tip surface 23 and a side surface 24 that connects to the entire periphery of the edge of the tip surface 23, and the tip surface 23 faces downward.

[0023] Resin, for example, can be used as the material for the main body 21. In this embodiment, the material for the main body 21 is a colorless, transparent resin, but the color of the resin is not limited.

[0024] The light-shielding film 29 is a film that blocks visible light. In this embodiment, the light-shielding film 29 is provided in an area of ​​the outer surface 21s1 of the main body 21 other than the protrusion 22, and surrounds the protrusion 22. Therefore, the portion of the outer cover 20 where the protrusion 22 is provided in the main body 21 is a light-transmitting portion 20a that transmits visible light. Furthermore, the portion of the outer cover 20 where the light-shielding film 29 is provided in the main body 21 and the portion consisting of the light-shielding film 29 are light-shielding portions 20b. This light-shielding portion 20b surrounds the light-transmitting portion 20a when the outer surface of the outer cover 20 is viewed from the plane direction of the outer surface. Furthermore, the light-transmitting portion 20a is elongated in a predetermined direction in the in-plane direction of the outer surface of the outer cover 20, and the predetermined direction is a direction from the center of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction toward the upper and rearward side toward the right side of the vehicle 100. The outer surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a is composed of a tip surface 23 and a side surface 24 that connects to the entire periphery of the tip surface 23. Therefore, the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a protrudes outward in a convex shape relative to the outer surface of the light-shielding portion 20b. The inner surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a is part of the inner surface 21s2 of the main body 21, and the inner surface of the light-shielding portion 20b is another part of the inner surface 21s2. The inner surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a is flush with the inner surface of the light-shielding portion 20b. In FIG. 2 , the light-shielding film 29 is indicated by hatching consisting of multiple dots. In this embodiment, visible light incident on the inner surface 21s2 of the main body 21 exits from the protrusion 22 and is not emitted from the periphery of the protrusion 22.

[0025] The visible light transmittance of the light-shielding film 29 is preferably, for example, 1% or less. In this embodiment, the light-shielding film 29 is a film made of black paint, but this is not limited to this. For example, the light-shielding film 29 may be a film made of paint of a color other than black. Furthermore, the light-shielding film 29 may have a multilayer structure, and may be, for example, a multilayer film made of a metal vapor-deposited film such as aluminum provided on the outer surface 21s1 of the main body 21 and paint provided on the metal vapor-deposited film.

[0026] The light source 30 of this embodiment includes a light emitting element 31 that emits white light. The light emitting element 31 of this embodiment is an LED (Light Emitting Diode), but is not limited thereto.

[0027] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the light guide member 40 according to the embodiment, as viewed from the direction in which the light transmission portion 20a of the outer cover 20 protrudes. The light transmission portion 20a is indicated by a dashed line in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, since the protruding portion 22 protrudes in a generally horizontal direction as described above, the light transmission portion 20a protrudes in a generally horizontal direction.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the light-guiding member 40 of this embodiment mainly comprises a columnar first light-guiding member 50, a columnar second light-guiding member 60, and a connecting member 70, and is separated from the outer cover 20.

[0029] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the first light guide member 50 along the longitudinal direction and a cross-sectional view of the first light guide member 50 in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the first light guide member 50 of this embodiment is a translucent, cylindrical member and includes a light exit portion 51, a curved portion 52, and a light introduction portion 53. The light exit portion 51 is a partial section of the first light guide member 50 and extends along the longitudinal direction of the light transmission portion 20a of the outer cover 20 at a predetermined interval from the light transmission portion 20a. Therefore, the light exit portion 51 extends upward and rearward from the center of the vehicle 100 toward the right side of the vehicle 100. The curved portion 52 is another partial section of the first light guide member 50 and is a section that connects to the right end of the light exit portion 51 and curves rearward. The introduction portion 53 is yet another partial section of the first light guide member 50, and is a section that extends rearward from the end of the curved portion 52 opposite to the light exit portion 51. The light exit portion 51, the curved portion 52, and the introduction portion 53 have approximately the same thickness, and the outer circumferential surfaces of the light exit portion 51 and the curved portion 52, and the outer circumferential surfaces of the curved portion 52 and the introduction portion 53 are connected without any steps.

[0030] An end face 53s of the light introduction portion 53 opposite the curved portion 52 side is one end face of the first light guide member 50, and the end face 53s is a flat surface facing rearward. The light source 30 is disposed so that the light emitting element 31 faces the end face 53s, and light L from the light source 30 enters the light introduction portion 53 from the end face 53s. A portion of the light L entering the light introduction portion 53 propagates through the curved portion 52 to the light exit portion 51 and propagates inside the light exit portion 51 from the curved portion 52 side to the opposite side of the curved portion 52. An end face 51s of the light exit portion 51 opposite the curved portion 52 side is the other end face of the first light guide member 50 and is a hemispherical curved surface. Note that the end face 51s may be a flat surface.

[0031] The light emitting portion 51 of this embodiment has a reflecting portion 55 on the rear side of the outer peripheral surface. This reflecting portion 55 is made up of a plurality of steps 56 arranged along the longitudinal direction of the light emitting portion 51. Each step 56 internally reflects light propagating inside the light emitting portion 51 and causes it to exit from the front side of the outer peripheral surface. In this embodiment, the light emitting portion 51 emits light from the front side of the outer peripheral surface in a generally horizontal direction. In other words, the orientation of the steps 56 is adjusted so that light is emitted in this manner.

[0032] Furthermore, the light output portion 51 of this embodiment has a plurality of diffusion portions 57 arranged at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction of the light output portion 51 on the front side of the outer peripheral surface. The diffusion portions 57 of this embodiment are protrusions extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light output portion 51, and the cross-sectional shape of the diffusion portions 57 is generally semicircular. Therefore, each diffusion portion 57 diffuses light output from the front side of the outer peripheral surface of the light output portion 51 in the longitudinal direction of the light output portion 51. Note that the light output portion 51 does not necessarily have to have the diffusion portions 57.

[0033] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the second light guide member 60 along the longitudinal direction and a cross-sectional view of the second light guide member 60 in the front-to-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 , the second light guide member 60 of this embodiment is a translucent cylindrical member that extends along the first light guide member 50 with a predetermined gap therebetween. The second light guide member 60 of this embodiment is located above the first light guide member 50 and includes a light exit portion 61, a curved portion 62, and an introduction portion 63. The light exit portion 61 is a partial section of the second light guide member 60 and extends along the light exit portion 51 of the first light guide member 50. Therefore, like the light exit portion 51, the light exit portion 61 extends along the longitudinal direction of the light transmission portion 20a of the outer cover 20 with a predetermined gap therebetween. That is, like the light exit portion 51, the light exit portion 61 extends upward and rearward from the center of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction toward the right side of the vehicle 100. The curved portion 62 is another partial section of the second light guide member 60, and is a section that connects to the right end of the light exit portion 61 and extends along the curved portion 52 of the first light guide member 50. Therefore, the curved portion 62 curves rearward from the right end of the light exit portion 61. The introduction portion 63 is yet another partial section of the second light guide member 60, and is a section that connects to the end of the curved portion 62 opposite to the light exit portion 61 side and extends along the introduction portion 53 of the first light guide member 50. Therefore, the introduction portion 63 extends rearward from the end of the curved portion 62 opposite to the light exit portion 61. The light exit portion 61, the curved portion 62, and the introduction portion 63 have approximately the same thickness, and there is no step between the outer peripheral surfaces of the light exit portion 61 and the curved portion 62, and between the curved portion 62 and the introduction portion 63. The thickness of the second light guide member 60 is approximately the same as the thickness of the first light guide member 50, but may be different.

[0034] An end face 63s of the light introducing portion 63 opposite to the curved portion 62 side is one end face of the second light guiding member 60, and the end face 63s is a flat surface facing rearward. The end face 63s may be a curved surface. An end face 61s of the light emitting portion 61 opposite to the curved portion 62 side is the other end face of the second light guiding member 60, and is a hemispherical curved surface. The end face 61s may be a flat surface.

[0035] The light emitting portion 61 of this embodiment has a reflecting portion 65 on the rear side of the outer peripheral surface. This reflecting portion 65 is made up of a plurality of steps 66 arranged along the longitudinal direction of the light emitting portion 61. Each step 66 internally reflects light propagating inside the light emitting portion 61 and causes it to exit from the front side of the outer peripheral surface. In this embodiment, the light emitting portion 61 emits light from the front side of the outer peripheral surface in a generally horizontal direction. In other words, the orientation of the steps 66 is adjusted so that light is emitted in this manner.

[0036] The connecting member 70 is a translucent member that is located between the first light guide member 50 and the second light guide member 60 and connects the first light guide member 50 and the second light guide member 60. The connecting member 70 of this embodiment is a plate-like member that extends such that the in-plane direction of one main surface is along the longitudinal direction of the first light guide member 50, and is connected to an upper side of the outer circumferential surface of the first light guide member 50 and a lower side of the outer circumferential surface of the second light guide member 60. Light propagating through the first light guide member 50 is guided to the second light guide member 60 via the connecting member 70. In this embodiment, the connecting member 70 extends along the longitudinal direction of the first light guide member 50 from near one end of the first light guide member 50 to near the other end. Therefore, the connecting member 70 connects the light emitting portion 51 of the first light guide member 50 to the light emitting portion 61 of the second light guide member 60, the curved portion 52 of the first light guide member 50 to the curved portion 62 of the second light guide member 60, and the introduction portion 53 of the first light guide member 50 to the introduction portion 63 of the second light guide member 60. Note that it is only necessary that light propagating through the first light guide member 50 is propagated to the light emitting portion 61 of the second light guide member 60. For example, the connecting member 70 may connect only the introduction portion 53 of the first light guide member 50 to the introduction portion 63 of the second light guide member 60.

[0037] 4 , when the light-transmitting portion 20a of the outer cover 20 is viewed from the direction in which the light-transmitting portion 20a protrudes, the light-emitting portion 51 of the first light-guiding member 50 and the light-emitting portion 61 of the second light-guiding member 60 are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting portion 20a, and at least a portion of each of the light-emitting portions 51, 61 overlaps with the light-transmitting portion 20a. In this embodiment, when the light-transmitting portion 20a is viewed from the direction in which the light-transmitting portion 20a protrudes, each of the light-emitting portions 51, 61 overlaps with the light-transmitting portion 20a continuously from one end of the light-transmitting portion 20a in the longitudinal direction, which is the end closest to the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp 1 taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 3, which is a vertical cross-section that intersects the vehicle lamp 1 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 7, in this cross-section, the area where the light-emitting portion 51 of the first light-guiding member 50 located on the lower side overlaps with the light-transmitting portion 20a is wider than the area where the light-emitting portion 61 of the second light-guiding member 60 located on the upper side overlaps with the light-transmitting portion 20a. Also, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp 1 taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 3, which is a vertical cross-section that intersects perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting portion 20a when viewing the outer cover 20 from above. As shown in FIG. 8, in this cross-section, the area where the light-emitting portion 51 and the light-transmitting portion 20a overlap is narrower than the area where the light-emitting portion 61 and the light-transmitting portion 20a overlap.

[0039] The position of the vertical cross section in Fig. 8 is a position where the cross section in Fig. 7 is tilted outward in the left-right direction with respect to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, as the vertical cross section tilts outward in the left-and-right direction with respect to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100 from a position along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100, the area in which the light emitting portion 51 located on the lower side and the light transmitting portion 20a overlap in the fore-and-aft direction becomes narrower, and the area in which the light emitting portion 61 located on the upper side and the light transmitting portion 20a overlap in the fore-and-aft direction becomes wider. Therefore, when the light transmitting portion 20a is viewed along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100, the area in which the light emitting portion 51 located on the lower side and the light transmitting portion 20a overlap is wider than the area in which the light emitting portion 61 located on the upper side and the light transmitting portion 20a overlap. Furthermore, the more the direction in which the light-transmitting portion 20a is viewed is tilted outward in the left-right direction relative to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100, the smaller the area in which the light-emitting portion 51 located on the lower side overlaps with the light-transmitting portion 20a, and the larger the area in which the light-emitting portion 61 located on the upper side overlaps with the light-transmitting portion 20a.

[0040] Examples of materials that can be used to form the light guide member 40 include transparent resin and glass, and the light guide member 40 of this embodiment is made of a colorless, transparent resin.

[0041] Next, the operation of the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0042] In this embodiment, when the headlights of the vehicle 100 are turned on, the light emitting element 31 of the light source 30 emits white light L. The light L of the light source 30 enters the introduction portion 53 from an end surface 53s of the introduction portion 53 in the first light guide member 50 of the light guide member 40. A portion of the light L entering the introduction portion 53 propagates to the light exit portion 51 via the curved portion 52, and propagates inside the light exit portion 51 from the curved portion 52 side to the opposite side from the curved portion 52. As shown in FIG. 5 , a portion of the light L propagating inside the light exit portion 51 is internally reflected forward at the step 56, and is emitted forward from the forward side of the outer peripheral surface.

[0043] Furthermore, a portion of another light L incident on the introduction portion 53 enters the introduction portion 63 of the second light guide member 60 via the connecting member 70, and this light L propagates to the light exit portion 61 via the curved portion 62. Furthermore, a portion of the light L propagating through the curved portion 52 of the first light guide member 50 enters the curved portion 62 of the second light guide member 60 via the connecting member 70, and this light L propagates to the light exit portion 61. Furthermore, a portion of the light L propagating through the light exit portion 51 of the first light guide member 50 propagates to the light exit portion 61 of the second light guide member 60 via the connecting member 70. In this way, the light L propagating to the light exit portion 61 propagates inside the light exit portion 61 from the curved portion 62 side to the opposite side from the curved portion 62. As shown in FIG. 6, part of the light L propagating inside the light emitting portion 61 is internally reflected toward the front side at the step 66 and is emitted toward the front side from the front side of the outer peripheral surface.

[0044] In this way, light L is emitted forward from the light-guiding member 40 and enters the main body portion 21 of the outer cover 20 from the inner surface 21s2. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, of the light L incident on the main body portion 21, the light L that reaches the tip surface 23 and side surface 24 of the protrusion 22, which are the outer surfaces of the light-transmitting portion 20a, exits the light-transmitting portion 20a, while the light L that reaches the area on the outer surface 21s1 of the main body portion 21 where the light-shielding film 29 is provided is blocked by the light-shielding film 29. In this way, in the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, light L exits from the light-transmitting portion 20a of the outer cover 20, and the exit of light L from the light-shielding portion 20b, which is the portion where the light-shielding film 29 is provided, is suppressed. Furthermore, the tip surface 23 and side surface 24, which are the outer surfaces of the light-transmitting portion 20a, appear to emit light. In this embodiment, the light L emitted from the light emitting portion 51 of the first light-guiding member 50 located on the lower side is mainly irradiated toward the front side of the vehicle 100, and the light L emitted from the light emitting portion 61 of the second light-guiding member 60 located on the upper side is mainly irradiated toward the right side of the vehicle 100.

[0045] As described above, the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment includes the outer cover 20, and the light source 30 and light-guiding member 40 that are arranged inside the outer cover 20. The outer cover 20 includes a light-transmitting portion 20a that is elongated in a predetermined direction in the in-plane direction of the outer surface of the outer cover 20, and a light-shielding portion 20b that surrounds the light-transmitting portion 20a. The outer surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a protrudes outward in a convex shape beyond the outer surface of the light-shielding portion 20b. The light-guiding member 40 has a pair of columnar light-emitting portions 51, 61 through which light L from the light source 30 propagates and that emit the light from the outer peripheral surface toward the outer cover 20. The pair of light-emitting portions 51, 61 extend along the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting portion 20a at a predetermined interval from the light-transmitting portion 20a.

[0046] In the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the portion of the outer cover 20 that emits light is a light-transmitting portion 20a that is elongated in a predetermined direction and has a strip-like shape. Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a protrudes outward in a convex shape beyond the outer surface of the light-blocking portion 20b, and this outer surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a appears to emit light. Therefore, with the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a has a larger area than when the outer surfaces of the light-transmitting portion 20a and the light-blocking portion 20b are flush with each other, improving the visibility of the portion that appears to emit light. Furthermore, because the vehicle lamp 1 used as a sidelight is generally positioned below the line of sight of people in the vicinity, the visibility of the portion that appears to emit light can be improved. 4, when the light-transmitting portion 20a is viewed from the direction in which the light-transmitting portion 20a protrudes, the pair of light-emitting portions 51, 61 are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light-transmitting portion 20a, and at least a portion of each of the light-emitting portions 51, 61 overlaps with the light-transmitting portion 20a. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment allows light to be incident on the light-transmitting portion 20a from two directions, and the irradiable range can be prevented from becoming narrower than when there is only one light-emitting portion.

[0047] Furthermore, by arranging the light-transmitting portion 20a and the light-emitting portions 51, 61 at a predetermined interval, the overlapping state between the light-transmitting portion 20a and the light-emitting portions 51, 61 varies depending on the direction from which the light-transmitting portion 20a is viewed. In this embodiment, the light-transmitting portion 20a extends from the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100 toward the outside and upward, and approaches the center in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100 as it moves outward. In this configuration, when the light-transmitting portion 20a and one light-emitting portion overlap in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100, when the light-transmitting portion 20a is viewed from the side in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100, the light-emitting portion may appear to be located below the light-transmitting portion 20a. In other words, light from the light-emitting portion may not be irradiated to the side in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100. However, in the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the pair of light-emitting portions 51, 61 are aligned vertically. According to the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the light transmitting portion 20a and the lower light emitting portion 51 can overlap when the light transmitting portion 20a is viewed from the front of the vehicle 100, and the upper light emitting portion 61 can overlap with the light transmitting portion 20a when the light transmitting portion 20a is viewed from the left or right side of the vehicle 100. Therefore, according to the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the range that can be irradiated with light L can be an area extending from the front to the side of the vehicle 100.

[0048] In the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, when the light-transmitting portion 20a is viewed from the direction in which the light-transmitting portion 20a protrudes, each light-emitting portion 51, 61 overlaps with the light-transmitting portion 20a continuously from one longitudinal end of the light-transmitting portion 20a, which is the end toward the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100. Therefore, according to the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to further prevent the range in which light can be irradiated from being narrowed, compared to when the light-emitting portions 51, 61 overlap with the light-transmitting portion 20a intermittently from one end of the light-transmitting portion 20a. Note that at least one of the light-emitting portions 51, 61 may overlap with the light-transmitting portion 20a intermittently from one end of the light-transmitting portion 20a, or may be located inside both ends of the light-transmitting portion 20a.

[0049] In the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the light-transmitting portion 20a is elongated in the left-right direction of the vehicle 100, and the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a is composed of a tip surface 23 and a side surface 24 that connects to the entire periphery of the edge of the tip surface 23, and the tip surface 23 faces downward. Therefore, according to the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, it is easier to increase the amount of light that flows downward from the light-transmitting portion 20a compared to when the tip surface 23 faces upward. Note that the tip surface 23 does not have to face downward, and may, for example, face horizontally or upward.

[0050] In the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the light-transmitting portion 20a extends from the center of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction toward the outer and upper sides of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction, and approaches the center of the vehicle 100 in the front-rear direction as it moves toward the outer side of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, when the light-transmitting portion 20a is viewed along the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100, the area where the light-emitting portion 51 located on the lower side of the pair of light-emitting portions 51, 61 and the light-transmitting portion 20a overlap is wider than the area where the light-emitting portion 61 located on the upper side and the light-transmitting portion 20a overlap. Furthermore, as the direction in which the light-transmitting portion 20a is viewed is tilted outward in the left-right direction with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100, the area where the light-emitting portion 51 and the light-transmitting portion 20a overlap becomes smaller, and the area where the light-emitting portion 61 and the light-transmitting portion 20a overlap becomes wider. Therefore, according to the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the difference between the amount of light directed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100 and the amount of light directed to the sides of the vehicle 100 can be reduced.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described above using the above-mentioned embodiments as examples, the present invention is not limited to these.

[0052] For example, in the above embodiment, the light transmitting portion 20a is described as being elongated in a direction extending from the center of the vehicle 100 in the left-right direction toward the upper and rearward sides of the right side of the vehicle 100. However, the elongated direction of the light transmitting portion 20a is not limited.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the outer cover 20 is described as being composed of the main body 21 and the light-shielding film 29 provided on the outer surface 21s1 of the main body 21. However, the outer cover 20 only needs to include the light-transmitting portion 20a that is elongated in a predetermined direction in the in-plane direction of the outer surface of the outer cover 20, and the light-shielding portion 20b that surrounds the light-transmitting portion 20a. For example, the light-shielding film 29 may be provided on the inner surface 21s2 of the main body 21.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the outer cover 20 is described as an example in which the inner surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a is flush with the inner surface of the light-blocking portion 20b. However, as shown in FIG. 9 , the inner surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a does not have to be flush with the inner surface of the light-blocking portion 20b. FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modified vehicle lamp. As shown in FIG. 9 , a recess 28 recessed outward is provided on the inner surface 21s2 of the main body 21. The recess 28 extends along the protrusion 22 of the main body 21 and overlaps with the protrusion 22 in the thickness direction of the main body 21. In this modification, the inner surface of the light-transmitting portion 20a is recessed outward more than the inner surface of the light-blocking portion 20b. This configuration can prevent the light-transmitting portion 20a from being thicker than the light-blocking portion 20b, and is useful when the light-transmitting portion 20a is made of resin.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the light guide member 40 includes the first light guide member 50, the second light guide member 60, and the connecting member 70. However, the light guide member 40 may include a pair of columnar light emitting portions 51, 61. For example, the light guide member 40 does not need to include the connecting member 70. In this case, for example, the vehicle lamp 1 may further include another light source corresponding to the second light guide member 60, and light from the other light source may be incident on the second light guide member 60 from an end surface 63s of the introduction portion 63, which is one end surface of the second light guide member 60. In addition, the first light guide member 50 may not include the introduction portion 53, or the introduction portion 53 and the curved portion 52, and the second light guide member 60 may not include the introduction portion 63, or the introduction portion 63 and the curved portion 62.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the light emitting portion 51 has a reflecting portion 55 formed by a plurality of steps 56, and the light emitting portion 61 has a reflecting portion 65 formed by a plurality of steps 66. However, the light emitting portions 51 and 61 may have other configurations as long as they emit light propagating therethrough from the outer peripheral surface toward the outer cover 20. For example, the light emitting portion 51 may not have a reflecting portion 55, and the light emitting portion 61 may not have a reflecting portion 65. For example, the light emitting portions 51 and 61 may include a light-transmitting columnar substrate made of resin or glass and an optical element portion dispersed in the substrate that reflects or refracts light. Examples of the optical element portion that reflects light include inorganic fine particles such as alumina. Examples of the optical element portion that reflects or refracts light include fine particles made of resin or glass with a refractive index different from that of the substrate, voids, etc. With this configuration, light propagating through the base material of the light emitting portions 51 and 61 can be reflected or refracted by the optical element portion and emitted from the outer peripheral surface of the base material.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the vehicle lamp 1 is described as a sidelight for a motorcycle. However, the vehicle lamp 1 is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle lamp 1 may be a turn lamp, tail lamp, stop lamp, etc., and may be any of these lamps for a four-wheeled vehicle. If the vehicle lamp 1 is a turn lamp, the light source 30 may emit orange light, for example, and if the vehicle lamp 1 is a tail lamp or stop lamp, the light source 30 may emit red light, for example.

[0058] According to the present invention, a vehicle lighting fixture is provided that can improve the visibility of the illuminated parts of the outer cover while preventing the range over which light can be emitted from becoming narrower, and can be used in fields such as vehicle lighting fixtures for automobiles, etc.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising: an outer cover; a light source arranged inside the outer cover; and a light guiding member arranged inside the outer cover, with light from the light source propagating inside and the light exiting from an outer peripheral surface towards the outer cover, wherein the outer cover includes a light transmitting portion that is elongated in a predetermined direction in an in-plane direction of an outer surface of the outer cover, and a light blocking portion surrounding the light transmitting portion, wherein the outer surface of the light transmitting portion protrudes outward in a convex manner from the outer surface of the light blocking portion, the pair of light exiting portions extend along the longitudinal direction of the light transmitting portion with a predetermined interval between them, and when the light transmitting portion is viewed from the direction in which the light transmitting portion protrudes, the pair of light exiting portions are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the light transmitting portion, and at least a portion of each of the light exiting portions overlaps with the light transmitting portion.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the light-transmitting portion is viewed from a direction in which the light-transmitting portion protrudes, each of the light-emitting portions overlaps with the light-transmitting portion continuously from one end of the light-transmitting portion in the longitudinal direction.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner surface of the light transmitting portion is recessed outwardly from the inner surface of the light blocking portion.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner surface of the light transmitting portion is flush with the inner surface of the light blocking portion.

5. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the light-transmitting portion is elongated in the left-right direction of the vehicle, the outer surface of the light-transmitting portion comprises a tip surface and a side surface connected to the entire circumference of the edge of the tip surface, and the tip surface faces downward.

6. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the light-transmitting portion extends from the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle toward the outside and upper side of the vehicle, and approaches the center in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle as it moves toward the outside of the vehicle, and when the light-transmitting portion is viewed along the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, the area where the light-emitting portion and the light-transmitting portion located at the lower of the pair of light-emitting portions overlap is wider than the area where the light-emitting portion and the light-transmitting portion located at the upper side overlap, and the more the direction in which the light-transmitting portion is viewed is inclined outward in the left-to-right direction with respect to the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, the smaller the area where the light-emitting portion and the light-transmitting portion located at the lower side overlaps, and the wider the area where the light-emitting portion and the light-transmitting portion located at the upper side overlaps.