Vehicle lamp

Abstract

This vehicle lamp comprises: a first light source; a first light source side lens for emitting light from the first light source; a second light source; a second light source side lens for emitting light from the second light source and light from the first light source side lens; and a projection lens for forming a first irradiation pattern by emitting light from the second light source side lens frontward of a vehicle. The second light source side lens has: a lower side light entering part from which the light from the second light source enters; a light guiding part which guides light having entered from the lower side light entering part; a frontward reflection surface which is bent frontward from the upper end of the rear surface of the light guiding part and which reflects light guided by the light guiding part frontward; a projecting edge part which is formed between the rear surface of the light guiding part and a bent portion of the frontward reflection surface and which extends in the left-right direction; and an upper side light entering part which is provided to an upper margin portion of the rear surface of the light guiding part along the edge part and from which the light from the first light source side lens enters. The first light source side lens has a light emitting part which emits light toward the upper side light entering part. A cutoff formation part is provided in the light emitting part or the edge part.

Description

Vehicle lighting fixtures

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

[0002] A vehicle lamp is known that includes a light source that emits light upward, a reflector that is positioned above the light source and reflects the light from the light source forward, a shade that is positioned in front of the reflector, and a projection lens that is positioned in front of the shade and emits light that has passed through the shade in front of the vehicle to form a pattern (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-212169

[0004] The vehicle lamp described in Patent Document 1 has a shade disposed near the focal point of the projection lens and a reflector disposed behind it, resulting in a large size in the front-to-rear direction.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a vehicle lamp that can be made compact in the longitudinal direction.

[0006] A vehicle lamp according to the present invention includes a first light source that emits light forward, a first light source side lens that is arranged in front of the first light source and emits light from the first light source forward, a plurality of second light sources that are arranged below the first light source and are provided in the left and right directions and emit light forward, a second light source side lens that is arranged in front of the second light source and the first light source side lens and emits light from the second light source and light from the first light source side lens forward, and a projection lens that is arranged in front of the second light source side lens and emits light from the second light source side lens forward to form a first irradiation pattern having a cutoff line, and the second light source side lens has a lower incident portion into which light from the second light source is incident, and the first light source side lens has an exit portion that emits light toward the upper entrance portion, and the exit portion or the edge portion has a cutoff forming portion for forming the cutoff line of the first irradiation pattern.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp that can be made compact in the longitudinal direction.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a vehicle lamp according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a portion of the vehicle lamp. FIG. 3 is a view showing a cross-sectional configuration of the vehicle lamp. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the first light source side lens and its vicinity in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the first light source side lens. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the first light source side lens. FIG. 7 is a view showing a configuration along the A-A cross section in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a view showing an example of the second light source side lens as seen from the front side. FIG. 9 is a view showing an example of an illumination pattern projected onto a virtual screen in front of the vehicle. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a first light source side lens according to a modified example. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a first light source side lens according to a modified example. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a first light source side lens according to a modified example. FIG. 13 is a view showing the configuration of a projection lens according to a modified example. FIG. 14 is a view showing the configuration of a projection lens according to a modified example.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle lamp according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that are easily replaceable by those skilled in the art, or those that are substantially identical. In the following description, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions refer to directions when the vehicle lamp is mounted on a vehicle and viewed from the driver's seat in the direction of vehicle travel. In this embodiment, the up-down direction is parallel to the vertical direction, and the left-right direction is horizontal. In this embodiment, the front and rear directions refer to directions when the vehicle lamp is mounted on a vehicle (mounted on a vehicle). For example, when mounted on the front of a vehicle, the front is the front direction (front side), and the rear is the rear direction (rear side).

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a portion of the configuration of the vehicle lamp 100. Fig. 2 is a view seen from the rear and above, and components such as a support member 60 and a lens holder 70 are omitted. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional configuration of the vehicle lamp 100. Fig. 3 shows the cross-sectional configuration when cutting the center portion in the left-right direction along a plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle lamp 100 includes a light source unit 10, a first light source side lens 20, a second light source side lens 30, a third light source side lens 40, a projection lens 50, and a support member 60.

[0012] The light source unit 10 includes a first light source 11, a second light source 12, a third light source 13, and substrates 14 and 15. The first light source 11, the second light source 12, and the third light source 13 are semiconductor light sources such as LEDs. The first light source 11, the second light source 12, and the third light source 13 are arranged such that their light-emitting surfaces 11a, 12a, and 13a face forward. The first light source 11, the second light source 12, and the third light source 13 each emit light forward.

[0013] The first light source 11 emits light (indicated by light ray L1) for forming, for example, a central portion P1a (see FIG. 9 ) of a low beam pattern (first irradiation pattern) P1 (see FIG. 9 ), which is a portion having a cutoff line CL (see FIG. 9 ). In this embodiment, for example, one first light source 11 is provided. Two or more first light sources 11 may be provided. When two or more first light sources 11 are provided, they can be arranged side by side in the left-right direction, for example.

[0014] The second light source 12 emits light (indicated by light rays L2) for forming, for example, a diffusion portion P1b (see FIG. 9) around a central portion P1a of the low beam pattern P1 (see FIG. 9). In this embodiment, the second light source 12 is disposed below the first light source 11. A plurality of second light sources 12 are provided in the left-right direction.

[0015] The third light source 13 emits light (indicated by light rays L3) for forming a second irradiation pattern P2 (see FIG. 9 ), such as a high beam pattern, an ADB pattern, or an auxiliary pattern. The third light source 13 is disposed above the first light source 11. As described above, the first light source 11, the second light source 12, and the third light source 13 are disposed separately above and below. One or more third light sources 13 are provided in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, multiple third light sources 13 are provided in the left-right direction. When an ADB pattern is formed in front of the vehicle, multiple third light sources 13 that can be individually turned on can be disposed. The third light source 13 is disposed forward of the first light source 11 and the second light source 12. The third light source 13 is disposed forward of an edge portion 37 of the second light source side lens 30, which will be described later.

[0016] The first light source 11 and the second light source 12 are mounted on a mounting surface 14a of the substrate 14. The substrate 14 is supported by a first base portion 61 of the support member 60. The mounting surface 14a is planar and faces forward. The first light source 11 and the second light source 12 have their light-emitting surfaces 11a facing forward. The first light source 11 and the second light source 12 are arranged on the same plane. The third light source 13 is mounted on a mounting surface 15a of the substrate 15. The substrate 15 is supported by a second base portion 62 of the support member 60. The mounting surface 15a is planar and faces forward.

[0017] The first light-source side lens 20 is disposed in front of the first light source 11. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the first light-source side lens 20 and its vicinity in FIG. 3 . FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing an example of the first light-source side lens 20. FIG. 5 shows the configuration as seen from the incident portion 21 side, and FIG. 6 shows the configuration as seen from the exit portion 23 side. The first light-source side lens 20 is formed with dimensions in the front-rear direction so as to fit between the first light source 11 and an edge portion 37 (described later) of the second light-source side lens 30. The first light-source side lens 20 has an incident portion 21, a light-guiding portion 22, and an exit portion 23. Light emitted from the first light source 11 is incident on the incident portion 21. The incident portion 21 has an opposing incident surface 21a, a lateral incident surface 21b, and a reflecting surface 21c.

[0018] The opposing incident surface 21a faces the light-emitting surface 11a of the first light source 11. Light emitted forward from the light-emitting surface 11a is incident on the opposing incident surface 21a. The opposing incident surface 21a is formed, for example, in the shape of an ellipse that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from behind. The opposing incident surface 21a may be formed in other shapes, such as a circle or an ellipse, when viewed from behind. The opposing incident surface 21a is, for example, a convex surface that protrudes toward the first light source 11, but may also be a flat surface. The opposing incident surface 21a diffuses the incident light.

[0019] The side incident surface 21b is disposed along the outer periphery of the opposing incident surface 21a. The side incident surface 21b is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround the opposing incident surface 21a. Light emitted laterally from the light emitting surface 11a is incident on the side incident surface 21b. The side incident surface 21b may be formed so that its diameter decreases toward the front.

[0020] The reflecting surface 21c is disposed along the outer periphery of the side entrance surface 21b, and internally reflects the light incident from the side entrance surface 21b forward so as to condense the light.

[0021] The light guide 22 guides light incident from the incident portion 21. The light guide 22 is disposed so as to extend downward toward the front. The light guide 22 has an internal reflection surface 22a at its upper portion. The internal reflection surface 22a internally reflects light incident from the incident portion 21 toward the exit portion 23. The internal reflection surface 22a has a curved shape that protrudes upward from the rear end to the front end. By disposing the light guide 22 at an angle diagonally forward and disposing the internal reflection surface 22a at its upper portion, it is possible to appropriately guide light incident from the incident portion 21 to the exit portion 23 while reducing the longitudinal dimension. Furthermore, the internal reflection surface 22a can focus light from the first light source 11 near the lower end side of the exit portion 23, i.e., near the edge portion 25, and near the edge portion 37 of the second light source side lens 30. This improves the amount of light near the cutoff line of the low beam pattern.

[0022] The exit section 23 emits light forward that has entered through the entrance section 21 and been guided by the light-guiding section 22. The exit section 23 has an exit surface 23a. The exit surface 23a is arranged so as to be perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to an optical axis AX1 of a first entrance surface 51 of the projection lens 50, which will be described later. An edge section 25 is formed at the lower end of the exit surface 23a. The edge section 25 is formed by the exit surface 23a and a lower surface 24. The lower surface 24 is arranged at the bottom of the first light-source side lens 20 so as to be parallel or nearly parallel to, for example, a horizontal plane. The edge section 25 is arranged above the optical axis AX1.

[0023] The second light-source side lens 30 is disposed in front of the second light source 12 and the first light-source side lens 20. The second light-source side lens 30 has an incident portion 31, a light-guiding portion 32, a front reflecting surface 33, and an exit surface 34.

[0024] The incident portion 31 receives light emitted from the second light source 12 and light emitted from the first light source side lens 20. The incident portion 31 has a lower incident portion 35 and an upper incident portion 36. The light emitted from the second light source 12 is incident on the lower incident portion 35. One lower incident portion 35 is provided for each second light source 12. A plurality of lower incident portions 35 are arranged in the left-right direction to correspond to the second light sources 12. Each lower incident portion 35 has an opposing incident surface 35a, a lateral incident surface 35b, and a reflecting surface 35c.

[0025] The opposing incident surface 35a faces the light-emitting surface 12a of the second light source 12. Light emitted forward from the light-emitting surface 12a is incident on the opposing incident surface 35a. The opposing incident surface 35a is formed, for example, in a circular shape when viewed from behind. The opposing incident surface 35a may be formed in other shapes, such as an oval or elliptical shape, when viewed from behind. The opposing incident surface 35a is, for example, a convex surface that protrudes toward the second light source 12, but may also be a flat surface. The opposing incident surface 35a diffuses the incident light.

[0026] The side incident surface 35b is disposed along the outer periphery of the opposing incident surface 35a. The side incident surface 35b is formed in a cylindrical shape so as to surround the opposing incident surface 35a. Light emitted laterally from the light emitting surface 12a is incident on the side incident surface 35b. The side incident surface 35b may be formed so that its diameter decreases toward the front.

[0027] The reflecting surface 35c is disposed along the outer periphery of the side entrance surface 35b, and internally reflects the light incident from the side entrance surface 35b forward so as to condense the light.

[0028] The upper incident portion 36 receives light from the first light source side lens 20. The upper incident portion 36 is set at the upper edge portion of the light guiding portion rear surface 32b of the light guiding portion 32, which will be described later, along an edge portion 37.

[0029] The light guide 32 guides light incident from the incident portion 31. The light guide 32 has an upper reflective surface 32a and a light guide rear surface 32b. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration along the A-A cross section in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the second light source side lens 30 as viewed from the front side. The upper reflective surface 32a internally reflects light incident from the lower incident portion 35 and traveling forward, toward the upper side or diagonally upward toward the front. Note that the upper reflective surface 32a may be formed to internally reflect light toward an edge portion 37, which will be described later. An upper reflective surface 32a is provided for each second light source 12. The multiple upper reflective surfaces 32a are formed such that, in a cross-sectional view, one curved surface is divided into sawtooth shapes for each second light source 12. Note that the upper reflective surface 32a is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the multiple upper reflective surfaces 32a may be formed by a single curved surface.

[0030] The light-guiding rear surface 32b constitutes the rear surface of the light-guiding unit 32. The light-guiding rear surface 32b is, for example, planar and slopes forward as it extends upward. By tilting the light-guiding rear surface 32b in this manner, the edge portion 37 can be positioned forward relative to the lower incident portion 35. This ensures space for arranging the first light-source side lens 20. The shape of the light-guiding rear surface 32b is not limited to a planar shape and may be a curved surface, or a combination of a flat surface and a curved surface. An edge portion 37 is provided at the upper end of the light-guiding rear surface 32b. The edge portion 37 is formed to extend in the left-right direction at the boundary between the light-guiding rear surface 32b and the forward reflecting surface 33 (described later). The upper incident portion 36 described above may be set in a portion including the edge portion 37.

[0031] A cutoff forming portion 38 is provided on the edge portion 37. The cutoff forming portion 38 is provided in a portion corresponding to the exit portion 23 of the first light-source side lens 20. The cutoff forming portion 38 forms a cutoff line CL in the low beam pattern by passing light from the first light-source side lens 20. The cutoff forming portion 38 has a first linear portion 38a, an inclined portion 38b, and a second linear portion 38c. The first linear portion 38a and the second linear portion 38c are portions for forming horizontal cutoff lines CLa and CLc (see FIG. 9) of the low beam pattern. The inclined portion 38b is a portion for forming an oblique cutoff line CLb (see FIG. 9) of the low beam pattern. The above-mentioned upper incident portion 36 can be set in a portion of the edge portion 37 that includes the cutoff forming portion 38.

[0032] The front reflective surface 33 reflects forward the light guided upward by the light guiding unit 32. The front reflective surface 33 is, for example, planar, and is provided in a state of being bent forward and upward from the upper end of the light guiding unit rear surface 32b of the light guiding unit 32. The shape of the front reflective surface 33 is not limited to a planar shape, and may be a curved surface, or a combination of a flat surface and a curved surface.

[0033] The light exit surface 34 emits forward the light that has entered through the light entrance portion 31 and been guided by the light guide portion 32. The light exit surface 34 has a curved shape that is convex forward from both sides in the vertical direction to the center.

[0034] The third light source side lens 40 is disposed in front of the third light source 13. The third light source side lens 40 emits light from the third light source 13 toward the projection lens 50. The third light source side lens 40 has a shape that extends in the left-right direction. The third light source side lens 40 has an incident surface 41 and an exit surface 42. The incident surface 41 has a curved shape that protrudes toward the third light source 13 from both the upper and lower ends in the vertical direction toward the center. The exit surface 42 emits light that has entered from the incident surface 41 forward.

[0035] The projection lens 50 is disposed in front of the second light-source side lens 30 and the third light-source side lens 40. The projection lens 50 is held by a lens holder 70. The lens holder 70 is fixed to a support member 60. The projection lens 50 forms an irradiation pattern by irradiating light from the second light-source side lens 30 and the third light-source side lens 40 forward of the vehicle. Specifically, the projection lens 50 irradiates light from the second light-source side lens 30 forward of the vehicle to form a low beam pattern as a first irradiation pattern. In addition, the projection lens 50 irradiates light from the third light-source side lens 40 forward of the vehicle to form various patterns such as a high beam pattern, an ADB pattern, an auxiliary pattern, etc. as a second irradiation pattern.

[0036] The projection lens 50 has a first incident surface (first convex surface) 51, a second incident surface (second convex surface) 52, and an exit surface 53. Light from the second light source side lens 30 is incident on the first incident surface 51. The first incident surface 51 has a shape that is convexly curved toward the second light source side lens 30. Light from the third light source side lens 40 is incident on the second incident surface 52. The second incident surface 52 has a shape that is convexly curved toward the third light source side lens 40. The exit surface 53 emits light that has entered from the first incident surface 51 and the second incident surface 52 toward the front of the vehicle. The exit surface 53 has a shape that is convexly curved toward the front of the vehicle.

[0037] The support member 60 supports the substrates 14 and 15. The support member 60 has a first base portion 61 that supports the substrate 14 and a second base portion 62 that supports the substrate 15. The first base portion 61 and the second base portion 62 are, for example, planar. The support member 60 dissipates heat generated by the first light source 11, the second light source 12, and the third light source 13. The support member 60 may be provided with a heat dissipation portion such as fins 64 on the rear portion.

[0038] Next, the operation of the vehicle lamp 100 configured as described above will be described. When the first light source 11 of the light source unit 10 is turned on, a light ray L1 is emitted forward from the light-emitting surface 11a. As shown in Fig. 3, the light ray L1 is incident on the first light-source-side lens 20 from the opposing incident surface 21a or the side incident surface 21b of the incident unit 21. Fig. 3 shows an example of the light ray L1 incident from the opposing incident surface 21a. Note that the light ray incident from the side incident surface 21b is internally reflected forward by the reflecting surface 21c.

[0039] The light ray L1 incident from the incident portion 21 is guided by the light guiding portion 22 and is internally reflected by the internal reflection surface 22a toward the exit portion 23. The light ray L1 internally reflected by the internal reflection surface 22a reaches the lower part of the exit portion 23. In this way, the internal reflection surface 22a can condense the light ray L1 from the first light source 11 near the lower end side of the exit portion 23, that is, near the edge portion 25, and near the edge portion 37 of the second-light-source-side lens 30.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 4, the light ray L1 that reaches the lower part of the exit portion 23 is emitted forward from the exit surface 23a. The light ray L1 that is emitted from the exit surface 23a reaches the upper edge portion of the light-guiding portion rear surface 32b of the second-light-source-side lens 30. A portion of this light ray L1 passes below the edge portion 37 and the cutoff forming portion 38 formed on the edge portion 37, and is incident on the second-light-source-side lens 30 from the upper incident portion 36. The light ray L1 that is incident on the second-light-source-side lens 30 is emitted forward from the exit surface 34. On the other hand, the other portion of the light ray L1 that passes above the edge portion 37 and the cutoff forming portion 38 does not enter the second-light-source-side lens 30, but is reflected upward by the outer surface of the forward reflecting surface 33.

[0041] The light ray L1 emitted from the exit surface 34 enters the projection lens 50 from the first entrance surface 51 and is emitted from the exit surface 53 .

[0042] Furthermore, by turning on the second light source 12 of the light source unit 10, a light ray L2 is emitted forward from the light-emitting surface 12a. As shown in Fig. 3, the light ray L2 is incident on the second light-source-side lens 30 from the opposing incident surface 35a or the side incident surface 35b of the lower incident unit 35. Fig. 3 shows an example of the light ray L2 incident from the opposing incident surface 35a. Note that the light ray incident from the side incident surface 35b is internally reflected forward by the reflecting surface 35c.

[0043] The light ray L2 incident from the lower incident portion 35 is guided by the light guiding portion 32 and is internally reflected forward by the forward reflecting surface 33. The light ray L2 internally reflected by the forward reflecting surface 33 is emitted forward from the exit surface 34.

[0044] The light ray L2 emitted from the exit surface 34 enters the projection lens 50 from the first entrance surface 51 and is emitted from the exit surface 53 .

[0045] Furthermore, by turning on the third light source 13 of the light source unit 10, a light ray L3 is emitted forward from the light-emitting surface 13a. As shown in Fig. 3, the light ray L3 is incident on the third light-source-side lens 40 from the incident surface 41. The light ray L3 incident on the incident surface 41 is emitted forward from the exit surface 42.

[0046] The light ray L3 emitted from the exit surface 42 enters the projection lens 50 from the second entrance surface 52 and exits from the exit surface 53 .

[0047] 9 is a diagram showing an example of an irradiation pattern PF projected onto a virtual screen in front of a vehicle, and shows a pattern corresponding to a vehicle driving on the left side of the road. In FIG. 9, line V-V indicates the vertical line of the screen, and line H-H indicates the horizontal lines on the left and right sides of the screen. In addition, here, the intersection of the vertical line and the horizontal line is assumed to be the reference position in the horizontal direction.

[0048] For example, a central portion P1a of the low beam pattern P1 is formed by light rays L1 emitted from the exit surface 53 of the projection lens 50. The central portion P1a is a portion that includes the cutoff line CL. The light rays L1 that form the central portion P1a are incident on the second light source side lens 30 via the cutoff forming portion 38, thereby forming the cutoff line CL. Horizontal cutoff lines CLa and CLc are formed by light rays that pass through the first linear portion 38a and the second linear portion 38c of the cutoff forming portion 38. Furthermore, an oblique cutoff line CLb is formed by light rays that pass through the inclined portion 38b of the cutoff forming portion 38. As described above, the internal reflection surface 22a can condense the light rays L1 from the first light source 11 toward the lower end side of the exit portion 23, thereby improving the amount of light near the cutoff line CL.

[0049] Furthermore, the diffusion portion P1b of the low beam pattern P1 is formed by the light beam L2 emitted from the exit surface 53 of the projection lens 50. The diffusion portion P1b is formed so as to diffuse downward and to both left and right sides of the central portion P1a.

[0050] The central portion P1a and the diffusion portion P1b are combined to form the low beam pattern P1. In this manner, in this embodiment, the low beam pattern P1 is formed by the light beams L1 and L2.

[0051] Furthermore, a second irradiation pattern P2 is formed by light rays L3 emitted from the exit surface 53 of the projection lens 50. The second irradiation pattern P2 is formed, for example, based on the information of the low beam pattern P1. Although a high beam pattern is shown as an example of the second irradiation pattern P2, other patterns such as an ADB pattern or an auxiliary pattern may also be used.

[0052] In the above operation example, the first light source 11, the second light source 12, and the third light source 13 are all turned on. However, this is not limiting. For example, the first light source 11 may be turned off and only the second light source 12 and the third light source 13 may be turned on. This operation ensures brightness on the road surface with the low beam pattern (P1b) of the second light source 12 and the second irradiation pattern P2 of the third light source 13, while turning off the first light source 11 reduces power consumption and suppresses heat generation in the entire lamp. Furthermore, the formation of a high-intensity portion where light is concentrated in one area can be suppressed even in the low beam pattern.

[0053] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a first light-source side lens according to a modified example. In the above description, a configuration in which a cutoff forming portion 38 is provided on an edge portion 37 has been described as an example, but this configuration is not limited thereto. As in the first light-source side lens 20A shown in FIG. 10 , a cutoff forming portion 26 may be provided on an edge portion 25 of the exit portion 23. In this case, no cutoff forming portion is provided on the edge portion 37 of the second light-source side lens 30. The cutoff forming portion 26 forms a cutoff line CL in the low beam pattern by passing light emitted from the exit surface 23a. The cutoff forming portion 26 has a first linear portion 26a, an inclined portion 26b, and a second linear portion 26c. The first linear portion 26a and the second linear portion 26c are portions for forming horizontal cutoff lines CLa and CLc (see FIG. 9 ) of the low beam pattern. The inclined portion 26b is a portion for forming an oblique cutoff line CLb (see FIG. 9 ) of the low beam pattern. In this way, by configuring the cutoff forming portion (38, 26) to be disposed on the exit portion 23 of the first light source side lens 20 or the edge portion 37 of the second light source side lens 30, design freedom can be ensured.

[0054] 11 and 12 are perspective views showing the configuration of a first-light-source side lens according to a modified example. In the above description, a configuration in which one first light source 11 is provided has been described as an example. However, a configuration in which two or more first light sources 11 are provided may also be used. The first-light-source side lens 20B shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 shows an example of a configuration in which two first light sources 11 are provided. FIG. 11 shows the configuration as viewed from the incident portion 21 side, and FIG. 12 shows the configuration as viewed from the exit portion 23 side. In this case, the first-light-source side lens 20B is provided with an incident portion 21 for each first light source 11. Two incident portions 21 are provided in the left-right direction corresponding to the first light sources 11. The configuration of the incident portions 21 is the same as that of the first-light-source side lens 20 described above. While FIGS. 11 and 12 show an example in which the incident portions 21 are circular when viewed from the rear, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. It should be noted that the first light source side lens 20B may also have a cutoff forming portion 26 provided at the edge portion 25 of the exit portion 23 .

[0055] 13 and 14 are diagrams showing the configuration of a projection lens according to a modified example. In the above description, a configuration has been described in which the first incident surface 51, which is a first convex surface, and the second incident surface 52, which is a second convex surface, are provided on the incident surface side of the projection lens 50, but the configuration is not limited to this.

[0056] 13 shows a projection lens 50A having a first incident surface 51, which is a first convex surface, and a second incident surface 52, which is a second convex surface, on the incident surface side, and further having a first exit surface 54, which is a first convex surface, and a second exit surface 55, which is a second convex surface, on the exit surface side. In this configuration, light rays L1 and L2 emitted from the second light-source-side lens 30 enter through the first incident surface 51 and are emitted in a direction forward of the vehicle from the first exit surface 54. Furthermore, light ray L3 emitted from the third light-source-side lens 40 enters through the second incident surface 52 and is emitted in a direction forward of the vehicle from the second exit surface 55.

[0057] 14 has a configuration in which the projection lens 50B has a single convex incident surface 56 on the incident surface side, and a first convex first exit surface 54 and a second convex second exit surface 55 on the exit surface side. In this configuration, light rays L1 and L2 emitted from the second light-source-side lens 30 enter through the incident surface 56 and are emitted in the direction ahead of the vehicle from the first exit surface 54. Furthermore, light ray L3 emitted from the third light-source-side lens 40 enters through the incident surface 56 and is emitted in the direction ahead of the vehicle from the second exit surface 55.

[0058] In this way, like the projection lenses 50, 50A, and 50B described above, the number of convex surfaces on the entrance surface side and the exit surface side can be set to a wide range.

[0059] As described above, the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment includes the first light source 11 that emits light forward, the first light source side lens 20 that is arranged in front of the first light source 11 and emits light from the first light source 11 forward, the second light sources 12 that are arranged below the first light source 11 and are provided in plurality in the left and right direction and emit light forward, the second light source side lens 30 that is arranged in front of the second light source 12 and the first light source side lens 20 and emits light from the second light source 12 and the first light source side lens 20 forward, and the projection lens 50 that is arranged in front of the second light source side lens 30 and irradiates light from the second light source side lens 30 forward in front of the vehicle to form a low beam pattern P1 having a cutoff line CL, and the second light source side lens 30 has a lower incident portion 35 into which light from the second light source 12 is incident, the light guide portion 32 that guides light incident from the lower incident portion 35 upward; a forward reflecting surface 33 that is bent forward from the upper end of a light guide portion rear surface 32b that is located at the rear of the light guide portion 32 and that reflects forward the light that has been guided upward by the light guide portion 32; a convex edge portion 37 that is formed at the bent portion of the forward reflecting surface 33 from the light guide portion rear surface 32b and extends in the left-right direction; and an upper incident portion 36 that is provided at the upper edge portion of the light guide portion rear surface 32b and along the edge portion 37 and into which light from the first light source side lens 20 is incident, the first light source side lens 20 having an exit portion 23 that emits light toward the upper incident portion 36, and a cutoff forming portion (26, 38) that forms a cutoff line CL of the low beam pattern P1 is provided on the exit surface 23a or the edge portion 37.

[0060] According to this embodiment, light from the first light source 11 is incident on the second light-source-side lens 30 via the first light-source-side lens 20. By providing a cutoff-forming portion (26, 38) on the exit portion 23 of the first light-source-side lens 20 or the edge portion 37 on the entrance side of the second light-source-side lens 30, a low beam pattern P1 having a cutoff line CL can be formed without providing a shade or a reflector. This allows for a more compact design in the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, because the first light source 11, the second light source 12, and the third light source 13 are configured to emit light in the same direction (forward), the assembly direction of each light source can be the same (front-to-rear direction). This reduces the assembly man-hours.

[0061] In the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment, the edge portion 25 at the lower end of the light emitting portion 23 is disposed below the edge portion 37 .

[0062] According to this configuration, the exit portion 23 and the upper entrance portion 36 can be opposed to each other, so that the light ray L1 emitted from the exit portion 23 can be reliably made incident on the second light source side lens 30 .

[0063] The vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment further includes a third light source 13 that is arranged above the first light source 11 and emits light forward, and a third light source side lens 40 that is arranged in front of the third light source 13 and emits the light emitted from the third light source 13 forward toward the projection lens 50. In the vehicle lamp 100 of this embodiment, the projection lens 50 emits light from the third light source side lens 40 forward of the vehicle to form a second irradiation pattern P2 that is different from the low beam pattern P1.

[0064] According to this configuration, by arranging the third light source 13 and the third light source side lens 40 above the first light source 11, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp 100 that is compact in the fore-and-aft direction while being able to form different illumination patterns in front of the vehicle.

[0065] In the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment, the first light source 11 and the second light source 12 are arranged so that their positions in the fore-and-aft direction are aligned, and the third light source 13 is arranged forward of the first light source 11 and the second light source 12.

[0066] According to this configuration, by disposing the third light source 13 further forward than the first light source 11 and the second light source 12, it is possible to achieve further compactness in the front-to-rear direction.

[0067] In the vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment, the projection lens 50 has two convex incident surfaces: a first incident surface 51 which is a first convex surface that corresponds to light from the second light source side lens 30, and a second incident surface 52 which is a second convex surface that is disposed above the first incident surface 51 and corresponds to light from the third light source side lens 40.

[0068] With this configuration, it is possible to secure, in one projection lens 50, entrance and exit surfaces corresponding to the light rays L1 and L2 that form the low beam pattern P1 and the light ray L3 that forms the second irradiation pattern P2, respectively.

[0069] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and appropriate modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the edge portion 25 of the first light-source-side lens 20 is disposed below the edge portion 37 of the second light-source-side lens 30, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The edge portion 25 and the edge portion 37 may be disposed at the same height in the vertical direction, or the edge portion 37 may be disposed above the edge portion 25.

[0070] AX1...optical axis, CL...cutoff line, CLa, CLc...horizontal cutoff line, CLb...oblique cutoff line, L1, L2, L3...light ray, P1...low beam pattern, P1a...center portion, P1b...diffusion portion, P2...second irradiation pattern, 10...light source portion, 11...first light source, 11a, 12a, 13a...light emitting surface, 12...second light source, 13...third light source, 14, 15...substrate, 14a, 15a...mounting surface, 20, 20A, 20B...first light source side lens, 21, 31...incident portion, 21a, 35a...opposing incident surface, 21b, 35b...side incident surface, 21c, 35c...reflecting surface, 22, 32...light guiding portion, 22a...internal reflecting surface, 23...exit portion, 23a , 34, 42, 53... exit surface, 24... lower surface, 25, 37... edge portion, 26, 38... cutoff forming portion, 26a, 38a... first linear portion, 26b, 38b... inclined portion, 26c, 38c... second linear portion, 30... second light source side lens, 32a... upper reflective surface, 32b... rear surface of light guiding portion, 33... front reflective surface, 35... lower incident portion, 36... upper incident portion, 40... third light source side lens, 41, 56... incident surface, 50, 50A, 50B... projection lens, 51... first incident surface, 52... second incident surface, 54... first exit surface, 55... second exit surface, 60... support member, 61... first base portion, 62... second base portion, 64... fin, 70... lens holder, 100... vehicular lamp

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a first light source that emits light forward; a first light source side lens that is arranged in front of the first light source and emits light from the first light source forward; a plurality of second light sources that are arranged below the first light source and are provided in the left and right directions and emit light forward; a second light source side lens that is arranged in front of the second light source and the first light source side lens and emits light from the second light source and the first light source side lens forward; and a projection lens that is arranged in front of the second light source side lens and emits light from the second light source side lens forward to form a first irradiation pattern having a cutoff line, wherein the second light source side lens has: a lower incident portion into which light from the second light source is incident; a light guiding portion that guides the light incident from the lower incident portion upward; and a forward reflecting surface that is bent forward from the upper end of the rear surface of the light guiding portion located at the rear of the light guiding portion and reflects forward the light guided upward by the light guiding portion. a convex edge portion extending in the left-right direction and formed from the rear surface of the light guide portion to a bent portion of the forward reflective surface; and an upper incident portion provided on an upper edge portion of the rear surface of the light guide portion along the edge portion, and into which light from the first light source side lens is incident, wherein the first light source side lens has an exit portion that emits light toward the upper incident portion, and a cutoff forming portion is provided on the exit portion or the edge portion to form the cutoff line of the first irradiation pattern.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the light emitting portion is positioned below the edge portion.

3. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1, further comprising: a third light source arranged above the first light source and emitting light forward; and a third light source side lens arranged in front of the third light source and emitting light emitted from the third light source forward towards the projection lens, wherein the projection lens emits light from the third light source side lens forward of the vehicle to form a second irradiation pattern different from the first irradiation pattern.

4. A vehicle lamp according to claim 3, wherein the first light source and the second light source are arranged so as to be aligned in the longitudinal direction, and the third light source is arranged further forward than the first light source and the second light source.

5. A vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the entrance surface and exit surface of the projection lens has two convex surfaces: a first convex surface that corresponds to light from the second light source side lens, and a second convex surface that is disposed above the first convex surface and corresponds to light from the third light source side lens.

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