Vehicle lens, vehicle lamp, and method for manufacturing vehicle lens

Abstract

This vehicle lens comprises: a body part having an incident surface on which light from a light-emitting part is incident and an emission surface from which light incident from the incident surface is emitted to the front side; a relief pattern provided on one pattern surface of the incident surface or the emission surface of the body part and having a plurality of recesses and protrusions; and a coating layer covering at least a part of the pattern surface, wherein the coating layer is provided in at least the recesses of the relief pattern, and the coating layer provided in the recesses is formed to have a thickness capable of blocking light from the light-emitting part.

Description

Vehicle lens, vehicle lighting fixture, and method for manufacturing a vehicle lens

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lens, a vehicle lamp, and a method for manufacturing a vehicle lens.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle lamp including a light-emitting portion and an outer lens disposed in front of the light-emitting portion is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-154949

[0004] In the above-mentioned vehicle lighting fixtures, there is a demand for a configuration that can achieve a design that is integrated with the vehicle body when the light-emitting part is not lit, while at the same time achieving an illumination pattern that makes it appear as if part of the vehicle body is lit when the light-emitting part is lit.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide a vehicle lens, a vehicle lighting fixture, and a method for manufacturing a vehicle lens that can achieve an appropriate appearance when the light-emitting part is not lit and when it is lit.

[0006] The vehicle lens of the present invention comprises a main body portion having an incident surface on which light from a light-emitting portion is incident and an exit surface that emits the light incident from the incident surface to the front side, a concave-convex pattern having a plurality of concave and convex portions provided on a pattern surface of one of the incident surface or the exit surface of the main body portion, and a paint layer covering at least a portion of the pattern surface, the paint layer being provided on at least the concave portions of the concave-convex pattern, and the paint layer provided on the concave portions being formed to a thickness that can block light from the light-emitting portion.

[0007] A vehicle lamp according to the present invention includes a light emitting section and the above-described vehicle lens arranged in front of the light emitting section.

[0008] The method for manufacturing a vehicle lens according to the present invention includes a main body forming process for forming a main body so that an uneven pattern having a plurality of recesses and protrusions is formed on one of the pattern surfaces of an incident surface on which light from a light-emitting unit is incident and an exit surface through which light incident from the incident surface is transmitted and exits to the front side, and a paint layer forming process for forming a paint layer on at least a part of the pattern surface, wherein in the paint layer forming process, the paint layer is formed on at least the recesses of the uneven pattern, and when the paint layer is formed on the recesses, the thickness of the paint layer is formed to a thickness that can block light from the light-emitting unit.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an appropriate appearance when the light emitting section is turned on and when it is not turned on.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a front view showing an example of an outer lens (vehicle lens) and a vehicle lamp according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of an outer lens and a vehicle lamp. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the outer lens. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for manufacturing an outer lens. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing process for an outer lens. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing process for an outer lens. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a manufacturing process for an outer lens. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state when the light-emitting section is turned on. FIG. 9 is a front view showing a state when the light-emitting section is turned on.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle lens, a vehicle lamp, and a manufacturing method for a vehicle lens according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that 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 the present embodiments, the up-down direction is parallel to the vertical direction, and the left-right direction is horizontal. Furthermore, in the present embodiments, 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).

[0012] Fig. 1 is a front view showing an example of an outer lens (vehicle lens) 20 according to this embodiment and a vehicle lamp 100. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the outer lens 20 and the vehicle lamp 100.

[0013] 1 and 2, the vehicle lamp 100 is mounted, for example, on the front of a vehicle M. The vehicle lamp 100 includes a light-emitting unit 10, an outer lens 20, and an outer housing 30. A panel unit PN is provided on the front of the vehicle M. The vehicle lamp 100 is designed to appear integrated with the panel unit PN.

[0014] The light-emitting unit 10 has a light source 11 and a light-guiding member 12. The light source 11 may be, for example, a semiconductor light source such as an LED, a laser light source, or the like. The light source 11 has a light-emitting surface that emits light. The light source 11 is mounted on a circuit board (not shown). One or more light sources 11 may be provided. The light-guiding member 12 transmits light from the light source 11 and emits it to the front side. The light-guiding member 12 is, for example, plate-shaped. The light-guiding member 12 has an incident surface 12a and an exit surface 12b. The light-guiding member 12 is formed by molding using, for example, acrylic resin. The light-guiding member 12 may be provided with a light-diffusing portion, for example, a grained surface.

[0015] The outer lens 20 outputs light emitted from the light-emitting surface 12b of the light-guiding member 12 of the light-emitting unit 10 to the front side. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a portion of the outer lens 20. The outer lens 20 is disposed on the front side of the light-emitting unit 10. The outer lens 20 includes a main body 21, a concave-convex pattern 22, and a coating layer 23.

[0016] The main body 21 has an incident surface 21a and an exit surface 21b. The incident surface 21a receives light from the light emitting unit 10. The exit surface 21b emits the light that has entered through the incident surface 21a toward the front side.

[0017] The uneven pattern 22 has a plurality of recesses 22a and protrusions 22b. The uneven pattern 22 is provided, for example, on the emission surface 21b of the main body 21. Note that the uneven pattern 22 may also be provided on the incidence surface 21a of the main body 21. In this embodiment, the uneven pattern 22 is configured such that a plurality of recesses 22a are formed in the depth direction on the emission surface 21b of the main body 21. In this configuration, portions where no recesses 22a are formed are protrusions 22b relative to the recesses 22a. The height dimensions of the recesses 22a and protrusions 22b can be set, for example, in the range of 50 μm to 1000 μm. Note that the range of the height dimensions of the recesses 22a and protrusions 22b is not limited to the above.

[0018] When the light exit surface 21b is viewed from the front, the uneven pattern 22 is formed in a predetermined range corresponding to the light emission pattern of the vehicle lamp 100. When the light exit surface 21b is viewed from the front, the area W1 of the recesses 22a is larger than the area W2 of the protrusions 22b.

[0019] The paint layer 23 is provided on at least the recesses 22a of the concave-convex pattern 22. The paint layer 23 is the same color as the color of the vehicle body B of the vehicle M. Examples of the color of the vehicle body B include the color of the sheet metal parts and the color of the panel parts. The paint layer 23 is made of a thermosetting material such as polyurethane or polyurea. The paint layer 23 can be formed by molding the thermosetting material onto the concave-convex pattern 22 using an in-mold coating method.

[0020] In this embodiment, the coating layer 23 is provided over the entire uneven pattern 22. The coating layer 23 is provided so as to cover the entire area of ​​the uneven pattern 22. The coating layer 23 is provided so as to fill the interior of each recess 22a of the uneven pattern 22. The coating layer 23 includes a first portion 23a, which is a portion disposed inside the recess 22a, and a second portion 23b, which is a portion disposed on the protrusion 22b. The first portion 23a is thicker than the second portion 23b. The first portion 23a is formed to a thickness that can block light from the light-emitting unit 10 so that it is not emitted to the front side. For example, the first portion 23a can be formed so that the transmittance of light from the light-emitting unit 10 is 5% or less. The second portion 23b is formed to a thickness that allows light from the light-emitting unit 10 to transmit and be emitted to the front side. The coating layer 23 has a first portion 23a with a large thickness formed by using the depth of the recessed portion 22a, and a second portion 23b with a small thickness formed by using the height of the protruding portion 22b. With this configuration, the coating layer 23 has a locally high transmittance of light from the light-emitting unit 10 in the second portion 23b.

[0021] The coating layer 23 is formed so that the surface is flush in a cross-sectional view. Therefore, when the coating layer 23 is viewed from the emission surface 21b side with the light-emitting unit 10 turned off, it appears as if a member of the same color as the vehicle body B of the vehicle M is arranged flush on the surface. This makes it possible to realize a design in which the outer lens 20 appears to be integrated with the vehicle body B.

[0022] The coating layer 23 has a gate-removed portion 23g. The gate-removed portion 23g is a portion where a portion used as an injection port for the coating layer 23 material has been removed after the coating layer 23 has been formed by the in-mold coating method. The gate-removed portion 23g is formed when the coating layer 23 is formed by the in-mold coating method. In other words, when the gate-removed portion 23g is provided, it can be assumed that the coating layer 23 was formed by the in-mold coating method.

[0023] The outer housing 30 holds the light emitting unit 10 and the outer lens 20. The outer housing 30 supports, for example, the legs 25 of the outer lens 20. The outer housing 30 and the outer lens 20 form a lamp chamber.

[0024] Next, a method for manufacturing the outer lens 20 formed as described above will be described. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a method for manufacturing the outer lens 20. Figs. 5 to 7 are diagrams showing an example of a manufacturing process for the outer lens 20. As shown in Fig. 4, the method for manufacturing the outer lens 20 includes a main body forming step S10 and a coating layer forming step S20.

[0025] In the main body portion forming process S10, a mold is used to form the main body portion 21 of the outer lens 20. In this configuration, the main body portion 21 is formed so that an uneven pattern 22 having a plurality of recesses 22a and protrusions 22b is formed on one of the pattern surfaces of the incident surface 21a and the exit surface 21b. The specific shape of the uneven pattern 22 and the dimensions of the recesses 22a and protrusions 22b can be designed in advance and reflected in the mold 40. As a result, by pouring the constituent material of the main body portion 21 into the mold 40 and solidifying it, the main body portion 21 having the uneven pattern 22 formed thereon can be easily formed, as shown in FIG.

[0026] In the coating layer forming step S20, a coating layer 23 is formed by an in-mold coating method on at least a portion of the pattern surface on which the concave-convex pattern 22 is formed (hereinafter, the case where the light-emitting surface 21b is the pattern surface will be described as an example). In the coating layer forming step S20, the coating layer 23 is formed on at least the recesses 22a of the concave-convex pattern 22. When the coating layer 23 is formed on the recesses 22a, the coating layer 23 is formed to a thickness that can block light from the light-emitting unit 10. In this embodiment, the coating layer 23 is formed on the entire concave-convex pattern 22 as an example. In this case, the coating layer 23 is formed so that the thickness of the first portions 23a provided on the recesses 22a is thicker than the thickness of the second portions 23b provided on the protrusions 22b, and so that the thickness of the second portions 23b is thick enough to transmit light from the light-emitting unit 10.

[0027] In the paint layer forming process S20, as shown in Fig. 6, a fluid constituent material 52 of the paint layer 23 is poured through a gate portion 51 of a mold 50, and the constituent material 52 is solidified along the mold 50. Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 7, the mold 50 is removed, and a solidified portion 53 of the solidified constituent material formed at the gate portion 51 is removed. By removing the solidified portion 53, a gate-removed portion 23g is formed in the remaining paint layer 23. In this manner, the outer lens 20 is formed.

[0028] Next, the operation of the vehicle lamp 100 formed as described above will be described. When the vehicle lamp 100 is viewed from the light-emitting surface 21b of the outer lens 20 while the light-emitting unit 10 is turned off, it appears as if a member of the same color as the vehicle body B of the vehicle M is arranged flush with the surface (see, for example, FIG. 1). Therefore, the outer lens 20 appears to be integrated with the vehicle body B.

[0029] In response to this, when the light-emitting unit 10 is turned on, light is emitted from the light-emitting unit 10. The light from the light-emitting unit 10 enters the outer lens 20 through the incident surface 21a and reaches the exit surface 21b. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the state when the light-emitting unit 10 is turned on. FIG. 8 illustrates an example of some light rays L1 and L2. As shown in FIG. 8, the light ray L1 reaching the recess 22a is blocked by the first portion 23a of the paint layer 23 provided in the recess 22a. Therefore, the light ray L1 is not emitted toward the front of the vehicle. On the other hand, the paint layer 23 has a locally high transmittance for light from the light-emitting unit 10 in the second portion 23b. Therefore, the light ray L2 reaching the convex portion 22b passes through the second portion 23b of the paint layer 23 provided in the convex portion 22b and is emitted toward the front of the vehicle. FIG. 9 is a front view showing the state when the light-emitting unit 10 is turned on. 9, the light is emitted from the outer lens 20 so as to form a predetermined light emitting pattern P. Therefore, an observer can be given the impression that the light emitting pattern P is formed in a part that was integral with the panel portion PN of the vehicle body B.

[0030] As such, the outer lens 20 of this embodiment comprises a main body 21 having an incident surface 21a through which light from the light-emitting unit 10 is incident and an exit surface 21b through which the light incident from the incident surface 21a is emitted to the front side, an uneven pattern 22 having a plurality of recesses 22a and protrusions 22b provided on one pattern surface of the incident surface 21a or the exit surface 21b of the main body 21, and a paint layer 23 covering at least a portion of the pattern surface, the paint layer 23 being provided on at least the recesses 22a of the uneven pattern 22, and the paint layer 23 provided on the recesses 22a being formed to a thickness capable of blocking light from the light-emitting unit 10.

[0031] According to this configuration, the paint layer 23 provided in the recess 22a is formed to a thickness that can block light from the light emitting unit 10, so that when the outer lens 20 is viewed from the front side, it is possible to form a portion through which light from the light emitting unit 10 passes and is emitted to the front of the vehicle, and a portion that is covered and blocked by the paint layer 23. This makes it possible to realize a design that is integrated with the vehicle body B when the light emitting unit 10 is not lit, and to realize a light emission pattern that makes it appear as if part of the vehicle body B is lit when the light emitting unit 10 is lit.

[0032] In the outer lens 20 according to this embodiment, the coating layer 23 is provided on the recesses 22a and the protrusions 22b of the uneven pattern 22, and the thickness of the first portion 23a of the coating layer 23 provided on the recesses 22a is thicker than the thickness of the second portion 23b provided on the protrusions 22b, and the thickness of the second portion 23b is formed to a thickness that allows light from the light-emitting unit 10 to pass through.

[0033] With this configuration, the entire uneven pattern 22, including the portion through which light from the light-emitting unit 10 passes, is covered with the paint layer 23, thereby enhancing the sense of unity with the vehicle body B when the outer lens 20 is viewed from the front side.

[0034] In the outer lens 20 according to this embodiment, the coating layer 23 is formed so that the surface is flush.

[0035] According to this configuration, the surface of the paint layer 23 is formed flush, so that when the outer lens 20 is viewed from the front side, the sense of unity of the outer lens 20 itself can be enhanced.

[0036] In the outer lens 20 according to this embodiment, the paint layer 23 has the same color as the body color of the vehicle.

[0037] According to this configuration, the paint layer 23 is the same color as the body B of the vehicle M, so that the sense of unity with the body B can be enhanced.

[0038] In the outer lens 20 according to this embodiment, the paint layer 23 has a gate-removed portion 23g.

[0039] According to this configuration, the coating layer 23 can be formed efficiently by using an in-mold coating process.

[0040] In the outer lens 20 according to this embodiment, the concave portion 22a has a larger area than the convex portion 22b when the light exit surface 21b is viewed from the front side.

[0041] With this configuration, when viewed from the front side, the concave portion 22a of the portion that is shaded by the paint layer 23 has a larger area than the convex portion 22b, making it possible to make the configuration on the back side of the outer lens 20 less visible.

[0042] The vehicle lamp 100 according to this embodiment includes a light emitting section 10 and the outer lens 20 described above, which is disposed on the front side of the light emitting section 10 .

[0043] With this configuration, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp 100 that can realize a design that is integrated with the vehicle body B when the light-emitting unit 10 is not lit, and can realize an illumination pattern that makes it appear as if part of the vehicle body B is lit when the light-emitting unit 10 is lit.

[0044] The manufacturing method of the outer lens 20 according to this embodiment includes a main body forming process S10 in which the main body 21 is formed so that an uneven pattern 22 having a plurality of recesses 22a and protrusions 22b is formed on one of the pattern surfaces of the incident surface 21a, where light from the light-emitting unit 10 is incident, and the exit surface 21b, where the light incident from the incident surface 21a is transmitted to the front side and exits, and a coating layer forming process S20 in which a coating layer 23 is formed on at least a part of the pattern surface by an in-mold coating method. In the coating layer forming process S20, a mold is used to form the coating layer 23 on at least the recesses 22a of the uneven pattern 22, and when the coating layer 23 is formed on the recesses 22a, the thickness of the coating layer 23 is formed to a thickness that can block light from the light-emitting unit 10.

[0045] According to this configuration, the coating layer 23 is formed by an in-mold coating method, so that the outer lens 20 having the coating layer 23 can be manufactured without carrying out burdensome processes such as laser ablation, coating film etching, and hard coat application.

[0046] In the manufacturing method of the outer lens 20 according to this embodiment, in the coating layer forming process S20, a fluid constituent material 52 of the coating layer 23 is injected from the gate portion 51 of the mold 50, and the constituent material 52 is solidified along the mold 50, and then the solidified portion 53 formed at the gate portion 51 is removed.

[0047] According to this configuration, by removing the solidified portion 53 formed in the gate portion 51, the shape of the coating layer 23 can be adjusted to an appropriate shape.

[0048] 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 uneven pattern 22 and the paint layer 23 are provided on the light-emitting surface 21 b of the outer lens 20, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The uneven pattern 22 and the paint layer 23 may be provided on the light-incident surface 21 a of the outer lens 20.

[0049] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, a configuration in which the coating layer 23 is formed to cover the entire concave-convex pattern 22 has been described as an example, but this configuration is not limiting. The coating layer 23 may be provided on the concave portions 22a of the concave-convex pattern 22, but not on the convex portions 22b. In this case, the convex portions 22b may be configured to be exposed to the outside. In this case, another layer, such as a hard coat layer, may be provided on the front or entire surface of the coating layer 23 (convex portions 22b).

[0050] The vehicle lens according to the present embodiment includes a main body having an incident surface on which light from a light-emitting unit is incident and an exit surface that emits the light incident from the incident surface toward the front, a concave-convex pattern formed on one of the main body's incident and exit surfaces, the concave-convex pattern having a plurality of concave and convex portions, and a paint layer covering at least a portion of the pattern surface, the paint layer being formed on at least the concave portions of the concave-convex pattern, and the paint layer formed on the concave portions being formed to a thickness that can block light from the light-emitting unit. The vehicle lamp according to the present embodiment also includes a light-emitting unit and the above-described vehicle lens disposed on the front side of the light-emitting unit. In the above embodiment, the outer lens 20 was used as an example of a vehicle lens configured in this manner, but this configuration is not limited thereto. The vehicle lens may also be another optically transparent lens, such as an inner lens.

[0051] The manufacturing method of the vehicle lens according to the present embodiment includes a main body forming step of forming a main body so that a concave-convex pattern having a plurality of concave and convex portions is formed on one of the patterned surfaces of the incident surface on which light from the light-emitting unit is incident and the exit surface through which the light incident from the incident surface is transmitted to the front side and exits, and a coating layer forming step of forming a paint layer on at least a portion of the patterned surface. In the coating layer forming step, a paint layer is formed on at least the concave portions of the concave-convex pattern, and when a paint layer is formed on the concave portions, the paint layer is formed to a thickness that can block light from the light-emitting unit. In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the coating layer forming step is performed using an in-mold coating method using a mold has been described, but this is not limited thereto. In the coating layer forming step, the paint layer may be formed by, for example, a pad printing method.

[0052] B...vehicle body, M...vehicle, L1, L2...light beam, P...light emitting pattern, PN...panel portion, S10...main body portion forming process, S20...paint layer forming process, 10...light emitting portion, 11...light source, 12...light guiding member, 12a, 21a...incident surface, 12b, 21b...exiting surface, 20...outer lens, 21...main body portion, 22...concave and concave pattern, 22a...concave portion, 22b...convex portion, 23...paint layer, 23a...first portion, 23b...second portion, 23g...gate removed portion, 25...leg portion, 30...outer housing, 51...gate portion, 52...constituent material, 53...solidified portion, 100...vehicle lamp

Claims

1. A vehicle lens comprising: a main body having an incident surface on which light from a light emitting unit is incident and an exit surface that emits the light incident from the incident surface to the front side; a concave-convex pattern having a plurality of concave and convex portions provided on a pattern surface of one of the incident surface or the exit surface of the main body; and a paint layer covering at least a part of the pattern surface, wherein the paint layer is provided on at least the concave portions of the concave-convex pattern, and the paint layer provided on the concave portions is formed to a thickness that can block light from the light emitting unit.

2. The vehicle lens according to claim 1, wherein the coating layer is provided on the recesses and protrusions of the uneven pattern, the thickness of a first portion of the coating layer provided on the recesses is thicker than the thickness of a second portion of the coating layer provided on the protrusions, and the thickness of the second portion is formed to a thickness that allows light from the light-emitting portion to pass through.

3. The vehicle lens according to claim 2, wherein the coating layer is formed so that the surface is flush.

4. The vehicle lens according to claim 1, wherein the paint layer is the same color as the body color of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle lens according to claim 1, wherein the paint layer has a gate removal portion.

6. The vehicle lens according to claim 1, wherein the recessed portions have a larger area than the protruding portions when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the pattern surface.

7. The vehicle lens according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle lens is an outer lens for a vehicle that emits light from the light emitting portion to the front of the vehicle.

8. A vehicle lamp comprising: a light-emitting unit; and a vehicle lens according to any one of claims 1 to 7, arranged on the front side of the light-emitting unit.

9. A method for manufacturing a vehicle lens, comprising: a main body forming step of forming a main body so that a concave-convex pattern having a plurality of concave and convex portions is formed on one of the pattern surfaces of an incident surface on which light from a light emitting portion is incident and an exit surface through which light incident from the incident surface is transmitted and exits to the front side; and a paint layer forming step of forming a paint layer on at least a part of the pattern surface, wherein in the paint layer forming step, the paint layer is formed on at least the concave portions of the concave-convex pattern, and when the paint layer is formed on the concave portions, the thickness of the paint layer is formed to a thickness that can block light from the light emitting portion.

10. The method for manufacturing a vehicle lens according to claim 9, wherein the coating layer forming step is carried out by an in-mold coating method using a mold or by pad printing.

11. A method for manufacturing a vehicle lens as set forth in claim 9, wherein the paint layer forming process is carried out by an in-mold coating method using a mold, and in the paint layer forming process, a fluid constituent material of the paint layer is injected from a gate portion of the mold, the constituent material is solidified along the mold, and then the solidified portion formed in the gate portion is removed.

12. The method for manufacturing a vehicle lens according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle lens is an outer lens for a vehicle that emits light from the light-emitting portion to the front of the vehicle.

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