Vehicular lighting equipment

Abstract

Provided is vehicular lighting equipment with which a light-emitting region in which a plurality of minute light-transmitting parts are mixed in a non-light-transmitting part can be seen as a color surface of the non-light-transmitting part in a non-lighting condition. This vehicular lighting equipment (10) is provided with: a light source unit (13); a panel member (16) provided with a light-emitting region (12) that emits light by light from the light source unit (13); and an inner housing (15) that supports the light source unit (13) on the back side of the panel member (16). The light-emitting region (12) is configured such that a plurality of light-transmitting parts (43) capable of partially transmitting light are mixed with a non-light-transmitting part (44) constituted by the rest of the panel member (16), and the inner housing (15) has the same color as the non-light-transmitting part (44).

Description

Vehicle lighting fixtures

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

[0002] A vehicle lamp that partially illuminates a light-emitting area provided on a panel member with light from a light source has been considered (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This vehicle lamp can illuminate the light-emitting area while improving design by mixing a plurality of minute light-transmitting areas with light-opaque areas within the light-emitting area of ​​the panel member, making it difficult to see the internal configuration from the outside. As a result, the vehicle lamp can make the light-emitting area appear to be illuminated within the light-emitting area when the vehicle lamp is turned on, and can make the light-emitting area appear to be a surface the color of the light-opaque areas when the vehicle lamp is turned off.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-140010

[0004] In the above-described vehicle lamp, by enlarging each light-transmitting portion, the amount of light emitted from the light source to the outside of the panel member can be increased, and the light-emitting area can be brightened. However, in the above-described vehicle lamp, if each light-transmitting portion is enlarged, there is a risk that the internal configuration will be visible through each light-transmitting portion in the unlit state, and the light-emitting area will not appear as a surface of the color of the light-opaque portion.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle lamp that can make an emitting area, in which a non-light-transmitting portion is mixed with multiple tiny light-transmitting portions, appear as a surface of the same color as the non-light-transmitting portion when not lit.

[0006] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure comprises a light source unit, a panel member having a light-emitting area that emits light using light from the light source unit, and an inner housing that supports the light source unit on the back side of the panel member, wherein the light-emitting area is composed of a mixture of multiple light-transmitting sections that are partially capable of transmitting light and light-opaque sections that are made up of the remaining panel member, and the inner housing is the same color as the light-opaque sections.

[0007] According to the vehicle lamp of the present disclosure, a light-emitting area in which a non-light-transmitting portion is mixed with a plurality of minute light-transmitting portions can be made to look like a surface of the color of the non-light-transmitting portion when not lit.

[0008] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a vehicle lamp according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is installed. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section taken along line II shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a light source unit. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing light-emitting regions and non-light-emitting regions in a panel member of the vehicle lamp. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section taken along line II-II shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing light-emitting regions and non-light-emitting regions in a panel member in a non-lit state when assembled as a vehicle lamp according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram explaining gap dimensions and difference dimensions in a vehicle lamp, and showing the panel member as viewed from above.

[0009] A first embodiment of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a state in which a plurality of light-emitting regions 12 are lit. Figs. 2 and 7 show a continuous coating layer 42 on a plate-like member 41 in the panel member 16, but in reality, as shown in Fig. 5, a plurality of fine light-transmitting portions 43 are provided. Fig. 4 shows a state in which the panel member 16 exists alone, with each light-transmitting portion 43 appearing transparent.

[0010] A vehicle lamp 10 according to Example 1, which is one embodiment of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure, will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7 . The vehicle lamp 10 is used as a decorative lighting device that illuminates various modes on a vehicle such as an automobile. As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle lamp 10 according to Example 1 is provided in the position of a grille on the front of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle (EV), and the grille does not have an opening for air intake. Instead, the vehicle lamp 10 is provided. Note that the vehicle lamp 10 may be provided in other positions on the vehicle 1 or on vehicles other than electric vehicles, as long as it illuminates various modes, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1. In the following description, in the vehicle lamp 10, the direction in which the vehicle travels is defined as the longitudinal direction (referred to as Z in the drawings), the vertical direction when the longitudinal direction is aligned with a horizontal plane is defined as the up-down direction (referred to as Y in the drawings), and the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the up-down direction (the horizontal direction) is defined as the width direction (referred to as X in the drawings). The directions used herein refer to the front and rear in the longitudinal direction, the top and bottom in the vertical direction, and the left and right sides in the width direction as seen by the occupants in the vehicle.

[0011] The vehicle lamp 10 of Example 1 forms multiple light-emitting regions 12 within a non-light-emitting region 11 at the position of the grille of the vehicle 1. The non-light-emitting region 11 has the same appearance as an exterior panel of the vehicle 1, and in Example 1, it has the same color and appearance as the panel surrounding the grille of the vehicle 1. Each light-emitting region 12 can be recognized when lit (see FIG. 1 ), and when turned off, it has approximately the same appearance as the non-light-emitting region 11, making it almost indistinguishable (see FIG. 7 , etc.). In other words, each light-emitting region 12 basically looks like a panel painted the same as the non-light-emitting region 11, and only glows when lit, allowing its shape to be recognized. Each light-emitting region 12 of Example 1 is approximately rectangular and is arranged vertically and horizontally at intervals.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle lamp 10 includes a light source unit 13, an inner screen 14, an inner housing 15, and a panel member 16. The light source unit 13 emits light to light up each light-emitting region 12, and in Example 1, as shown in Fig. 3, includes a light source 21, a substrate 22 on which the light source 21 is mounted, and a light-guiding member 23 that guides the light from the light source 21 toward the inner housing 15. In Example 1, the light source 21 and the substrate 22 are positioned outside the inner housing 15.

[0013] The light source 21 is composed of a light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The substrate 22 is a plate-shaped aluminum substrate. The substrate 22 may be made of a resin material such as a glass epoxy substrate, or may be made of other materials. The substrate 22 is provided with a wiring pattern and connector terminals for electrically connecting the light source 21. The substrate 22 receives an appropriate supply of power from a lighting control circuit via the connector terminals to appropriately light the light source 21.

[0014] A heat sink made of, for example, a thermally conductive aluminum plate, aluminum die-cast, or resin is attached to the substrate 22. This heat sink may be provided with, for example, a plurality of heat dissipation fins, and dissipate heat generated by the light source 21 mainly from the heat dissipation fins to the outside. The heat sink may also be configured as a part of the inner housing 15.

[0015] The light guide member 23 guides the light emitted from the light source 21 toward the inner housing 15 and has a long, rod-like shape. The light guide member 23 is formed of a colorless, transparent resin material (transparent member) that allows light to pass through. Here, the colorless, transparent material means that the light emitted from the light source 21 is transmitted without changing its color. The light guide member 23 has a long, rod-like shape with a substantially circular cross section, one end of which is an incident portion 24, and the portion from the middle to the vicinity of the other end of which is an exit portion 25. In the light guide member 23 of Example 1, the incident portion 24 is located outside the inner housing 15, and the remaining portions of the light guide member 23 are located inside the inner housing 15 (support portion 31, which will be described later).

[0016] This light guide member 23 uses total reflection to guide the light incident from the incident portion 24 in the direction of its extension without emitting the light to the outside, and guides it to the emission portion 25. Note that the light guide member 23 may be made to reflect light by adhering aluminum, silver, or the like to the outer peripheral surface by vapor deposition, painting, or the like.

[0017] The incident portion 24 has an incident surface 26 facing the light source 21 (the exit surface thereof). The incident surface 26 allows the light emitted from the light source 21 to enter the inside of the light-guiding member 23, and is a flat surface in Example 1. The shape of the lens of the incident surface 26 may be set appropriately as long as it allows the light from the light source 21 to efficiently enter, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0018] The light exit section 25 is provided on the rear side of the inner screen 14 and the panel member 16 in the front-to-rear direction, extending in the width direction. The light exit section 25 has a surface facing the inner screen 14 as an light exit surface 27, and a reflecting portion 28 is provided on the opposite surface. The reflecting portion 28 is formed by concave and convex portions extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the light-guiding member 23, which are alternately arranged in the extension direction of the light-guiding member 23. The reflecting portion 28 reflects light guided to the light exit section 25 toward the light exit surface 27 while diffusing the light by utilizing total reflection in accordance with the shape of the concave and convex portions. Note that the reflecting portion 28 may reflect light toward the light exit surface 27 by adhering aluminum, silver, or the like by vapor deposition or painting, or may have another shape, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1, as long as it reflects light toward the light exit surface 27.

[0019] For this reason, as shown in FIG. 2 , the light exit unit 25 reflects light incident on and guided from the incident unit 24 (incident surface 26) at the reflection points 28 in the light guide member 23, causing the light to exit from the exit surface 27 toward the inner screen 14 facing the incident unit 24. As a result, the light source unit 13 can guide light from the light source 21 positioned outside the inner housing 15 toward the inside of the inner housing 15 (support points 31) using the light guide member 23, thereby illuminating the entire inner screen 14 extending in the vertical and width directions. Note that while the light source unit 13 is shown as a single light source 21 in FIG. 3 , multiple light sources 21 may be provided, and the configuration is not limited to that of Example 1. Furthermore, although the light source unit 13 guides light from the light source 21 using the light guide member 23, it is sufficient that the light source unit 13 illuminates the inner screen 14 from the rear side in the front-to-rear direction, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0020] The inner screen 14 is disposed opposite the emission section 25 (emission surface 27) of the light-guiding member 23 of the light source unit 13 and is formed of a transparent member that transmits light from the emission section 25. The inner screen 14 causes the light emitted from the emission section 25 to travel toward the panel member 16 with a predetermined intensity distribution. The inner screen 14 of Example 1 diffuses the light emitted from the emission section 25 and causes the light to travel toward the panel member 16, thereby substantially uniformly irradiating the entire corresponding light-emitting region 12 of the panel member 16. Note that the inner screen 14 may be a light-condensing screen or may have other configurations as long as it causes the light from the light source unit 13 to travel in accordance with the configuration of the corresponding light-emitting region 12, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1. For example, the inner screen 14 may cause the light to travel so as to create variations in brightness within the corresponding light-emitting region 12, or may cause the light to travel so as to provide different brightness levels for each light-emitting region 12. Furthermore, the inner screen 14 may not be provided as long as the light from the light source unit 13 matches the form of the corresponding light-emitting area 12, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0021] The inner housing 15 supports the light source unit 13 at a position facing the inner screen 14 and prevents light from the light source unit 13 from leaking to the outside. The inner housing 15 of Example 1 has a support point 31 at its rear end in the front-to-rear direction. This support point 31 supports the light guide member 23 of the light source unit 13 and is cylindrical with an open front end in the front-to-rear direction so that it can receive the light guide member 23. Although not shown, the support point 31 has a plurality of protrusions at its open front end in the front-to-rear direction to prevent the supported light guide member 23 from falling out.

[0022] The inner housing 15 is also provided with a pair of shielding walls 32, one above the other, that are continuous with the support point 31. Each shielding wall 32 allows light from the light source unit 13 to travel toward the corresponding light-emitting region 12 while preventing it from traveling in any other direction. Each shielding wall 32 is formed in the shape of a flat plate that extends forward from the support point 31 in the front-to-rear direction and extends in the width direction along the support point 31, and is inclined so that the distance between them increases as it approaches the front in the front-to-rear direction.

[0023] In this way, the inner housing 15 is provided so as to cover the area from the light source unit 13 to the inner screen 14. Therefore, the inner housing 15 can position the light source unit 13 and prevent light from the light source unit 13 from leaking to the outside.

[0024] 1 and 2, the panel member 16 forms the outer surface of the vehicle lamp 10. The panel member 16 of Example 1 forms the outer surface at the position of the grill of the vehicle 1. This panel member 16 is provided with a plurality of light-emitting regions 12 within a non-light-emitting region 11, and each light-emitting region 12 can be made to glow appropriately within the non-light-emitting region 11 that does not glow.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2 , the panel member 16 has a plate-like member 41 and a paint layer 42. The plate-like member 41 is a plate-like member formed from a transparent material that allows light from the light source 21 to pass through, and can be formed from a resin material, for example. The paint layer 42 is provided inside the plate-like member 41, i.e., on the inner screen 14 and light source unit 13 side, and forms the substantial appearance of the panel member 16. The paint layer 42 of Example 1 is provided on the plate-like member 41 and determines the color that determines the appearance of the panel member 16. The paint layer 42 of Example 1 is the same color as the panel surrounding the grille in the vehicle 1, providing a unified appearance throughout the vehicle 1 (see FIGS. 1 and 4 ).

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the panel member 16 has a plurality of light-transmitting portions 43 in a predetermined region. Each light-transmitting portion 43 is formed by partially removing the paint layer 42, leaving only the plate-like member 41. That is, each light-transmitting portion 43 has a through-hole portion 43a in the paint layer 42 and a transparent portion 43b outside the through-hole portion 43a, which is made of the plate-like member 41. Each through-hole portion 43a can be formed, for example, by partially irradiating the paint layer 42 with laser light L (laser processing). Alternatively, each through-hole portion 43a may be formed, for example, by providing a mask over the portion to be the light-opaque portion 44 (described later) and performing etching using a solvent, blasting, or cutting.

[0027] In the panel member 16, a predetermined region where a plurality of light-transmitting portions 43 are interspersed is defined as the light-emitting region 12 (see FIG. 4 ). In this light-emitting region 12, the paint layer 42 remaining between each light-transmitting portion 43 forms a non-light-transmitting portion 44 that does not transmit light. In the example of FIG. 4 , this non-light-transmitting portion 44 is a single region because it is the remaining region where the light-transmitting portions 43 are individually interspersed. Note that, like the plurality of light-transmitting portions 43, the non-light-transmitting portions 44 may be interspersed, i.e., may be divided into multiple regions by each light-transmitting portion 43, and this is not limited to the example of FIG. 4 . This light-emitting region 12 includes a mixture of a plurality of light-transmitting portions 43 and non-light-transmitting portions 44. Here, in the non-illuminating state where the light-transmitting portions 43 are not illuminated, the light-emitting region 12 appears similar to the non-light-emitting region 11 where no light-transmitting portions 43 are provided, because the non-light-transmitting portions 44 (the paint layer 42) are present to fill the spaces between the light-transmitting portions 43 (see the left side of FIG. 4 ). That is, each light transmitting portion 43 has a size (opening area) that is basically hardly noticeable in the non-light-emitting state, and has an area ratio to the non-light-transmitting portion 44 such that the light transmitting portion 43 is buried in the non-light-transmitting portion 44. Each light transmitting portion 43 in Example 1 has a cylindrical shape (circular in front view) with a diameter of 0.08 mm to 0.5 mm. Note that the shape and size of each light transmitting portion 43 may be appropriately set, such as linear or polygonal in front view, as long as the light transmitting portion 43 is hardly noticeable in the non-light-emitting state, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0028] In the panel member 16 of Example 1, as shown in FIG. 2 , a back wall member 17 is provided behind the non-light-emitting region 11. This back wall member 17 is provided along the non-light-emitting region 11 and is formed of a light-opaque material or a material coated with a paint that is difficult to transmit colors such as black. Here, the non-light-emitting region 11 is configured in the panel member 16 by providing a paint layer 42 on a plate-shaped member 41 and not providing any light-transmitting portions 43. By providing the back wall member 17 behind the non-light-emitting region 11, even the non-light-emitting region 11 configured with a paint layer 42 provided on a light-transmitting plate-shaped member 41 can be made to resemble the color of the surrounding panels. The surrounding panels are painted on a light-opaque material. In contrast, unless the thickness of the paint layer 42 is increased, the non-light-emitting region 11 may transmit some light, resulting in a different appearance from the surrounding panels painted on an opaque material. Therefore, the non-light-emitting area 11 can be made to look the same as the surrounding panel by providing a back wall member 17 on the back side. Note that the paint layer 42 may be configured such that a black layer portion is provided under a decorative color layer portion of a desired color, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0029] Next, the characteristic configuration of the inner housing 15 will be described. First, the inner housing 15 is the same color as the paint layer 42 of the panel member 16. "The same color" here means that the color difference ΔE, which is expressed as the difference (interval) between coordinates in the L*a*b* color space, is less than 12, and preferably ΔE is 5 or less. Furthermore, the inner housing 15 of Example 1 is the same color, but brighter than the paint layer 42. In this case, even if there is a difference in brightness, by satisfying the above condition, the color can be perceived as the same to the naked eye.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 7 , the inner housing 15 has a gap Gap between the panel member 16 and its leading end 15a on the panel member 16 (inner screen 14) side, which satisfies the condition of the following formula (1). Here, the gap Gap is the distance (mm) between the panel member 16 and the leading end 15a. The difference between the positions of the end 12a of the light-emitting region 12 and the leading end 15a in the direction along the panel member 16 is defined as a height difference H (mm). While the upper and lower sides are shown upside down in FIG. 7 , if the upper gap Gap and the difference H are different between the upper and lower sides, the upper gap Gap and the difference H must satisfy the following formula (1), and the lower gap Gap and the difference H must also satisfy the following formula (1): H / Gap>0.5 (1)

[0031] The vehicular lamp 10 operates as follows. The vehicular lamp 10 supplies power from the lighting control circuit to the light source 21 via the circuit board 22, turning on the light source 21. The vehicular lamp 10 then causes light from the light source 21 to enter the light-input portion 24 (the light-input surface 26) into the light-guiding member 23, where it is guided in the width direction within the light-guiding member 23, and the light that reaches the reflection point 28 is reflected forward in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the vehicular lamp 10 causes light from the light source 21 to exit from the light-output surface 27 over substantially the entire width of the light-guiding member 23 toward the inner screen 14, illuminating the entire inner screen 14. The inner screen 14 diffuses the incident light and causes it to travel toward the panel member 16.

[0032] As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 has an appearance that is unchanged from before the light source 21 is turned on, because the non-light-emitting regions 11 of the panel member 16 block the transmission of light from the light source 21. Furthermore, the vehicle lamp 10 can illuminate the light-emitting regions 12 by transmitting light through the light-transmitting portions 43 of each light-emitting region 12 in the panel member 16 (see FIG. 1 , etc.). Since each light-emitting region 12 includes a mixture of light-transmitting portions 43 and non-light-transmitting portions 44 and each light-transmitting portion 43 is extremely small, the illumination of the light source 21 is prevented from being directly visible. The brightness of each light-emitting region 12 can be set by adjusting the area ratio between the light-transmitting portions 43 and the non-light-transmitting portions 44 and the dimensions (opening area) of each light-transmitting portion 43. This allows the vehicle lamp 10 to illuminate the light-transmitting portions 43 in any manner within the non-light-emitting regions 11 of the panel member 16.

[0033] Furthermore, when the vehicle lamp 10 is in an unlit state where the light source 21 is not lit, the non-light-emitting region 11 and each light-emitting region 12 are almost indistinguishable from each other, making the position of the grille on the front of the vehicle 1 look like a single-color panel (see FIG. 7 ). This is because each light-emitting region 12 looks the same as the non-light-emitting region 11 by mixing light-transmitting portions 43 and non-light-transmitting portions 44 and making each light-transmitting portion 43 extremely small.

[0034] Because the vehicle lamp 10 has the above-described configuration, increasing the size of each light-transmitting portion 43 increases the amount of light emitted from each light-transmitting portion 43, thereby increasing the brightness of each light-emitting region 12 in the lit state and making it appear more vivid. However, increasing the size of each light-transmitting portion 43 in the vehicle lamp 10 may cause the rear components of the panel member 16 to be slightly visible through the light-transmitting portions 43 in the unlit state. If the rear components of the vehicle lamp 10 are visible through the light-transmitting portions 43, the light-transmitting portions 43 will be perceived as having a color different from the color of the rear components, resulting in the appearance of each light-emitting region 12 having a different color mixed into the light-opaque portions 44 (see the enlarged view on the right side of FIG. 4 ). 4 shows a state in which there is nothing on the back side of the panel member 16 and each light-transmitting portion 43 appears white, for the purpose of explaining the configuration of the panel member 16, and the appearance is one in which the white light-transmitting portions 43 are mixed with the non-light-transmitting portions 44. Since each light-transmitting portion 43 allows the back side of the panel member 16 to be seen, it appears as the color of the object on the back side, and each light-emitting region 12 of that color appears as if a different color is mixed with the light-non-transmitting portion 44. Therefore, the non-light-emitting region 11 and each light-emitting region 12 of the vehicle lamp 10 are perceived as different colors, and there is a risk that the vehicle lamp 10 will no longer look like a panel painted in the same manner.

[0035] In contrast, the vehicle lamp 10 of the present disclosure has an inner housing 15 that is the same color as the paint layer 42 of the panel member 16. Therefore, even if the configuration behind the vehicle lamp 10 is visible through the light-transmitting portions 43, the light-transmitting portions 43 can be recognized as being substantially the same color as the non-light-transmitting portions 44, and the light-emitting regions 12 can appear to be substantially the same color as the non-light-emitting regions 11 (see FIG. 7 ). This allows the light-transmitting portions 43 of the vehicle lamp 10 to be larger, increasing the brightness of the light-emitting regions 12 when lit, and making them appear more vivid.

[0036] Furthermore, the vehicle lamp 10 has a color difference ΔE between the inner housing 15 and the paint layer 42 of less than 12. In other words, the vehicle lamp 10 does not require the inner housing 15 to be an exact match in color to the paint layer 42, as long as it appears to be the same color. For this reason, the vehicle lamp 10 can have a different configuration from the non-light-emitting region 11 of the panel member 16, for example, by forming the inner housing 15 from a colored resin, and can be formed from an appropriate material depending on the location, making manufacturing easier and preventing increases in manufacturing costs.

[0037] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the gap dimension Gap between the tip 15a of the inner housing 15 and the panel member 16 and the difference dimension H, which is the difference between the end 12a of the light-emitting region 12 and the tip 15a in the direction along the panel member 16, satisfy the condition of formula (1). This formula (1) indicates that the gap dimension Gap can be increased by increasing the difference dimension H, and that the gap dimension Gap must be decreased by decreasing the difference dimension H. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7 , the vehicle lamp 10 can position the inner housing 15 behind substantially all of the light-transmitting portions 43 even when the panel member 16 is viewed obliquely from above (or below) rather than from the front of the panel member 16. In other words, the vehicle lamp 10 can position the inner housing 15 behind substantially all of the light-transmitting portions 43 within an angular range in which the rear side can be seen through the light-transmitting portions 43 of the panel member 16. Therefore, even when the panel member 16 of the vehicle lamp 10 is viewed obliquely from above or below, each light-emitting area 12 can be made to look as if it is of substantially the same color as the non-light-emitting area 11.

[0038] The vehicle lamp 10 as an example according to the present disclosure can achieve the following effects.

[0039] The vehicle lamp 10 includes a light source 21, a panel member 16 having a light-emitting region 12 that emits light from the light source 21, and an inner housing 15 supporting the light source unit 13 on its rear side. The light-emitting region 12 is configured by a mixture of multiple light-transmitting portions 43 that are partially light-transmitting and a non-light-transmitting portion 44 that is formed by the remaining panel member 16. The inner housing 15 is the same color as the non-light-transmitting portions 44. Therefore, even if the rear configuration of the vehicle lamp 10 is visible through the light-transmitting portions 43, the light-transmitting portions 43 can be recognized as being substantially the same color as the non-light-transmitting portions 44, making the light-emitting regions 12 and non-light-emitting regions 11 appear to be substantially the same color. This allows the vehicle lamp 10 to enlarge the light-transmitting portions 43, increasing the brightness of the light-emitting regions 12 when lit, resulting in a more vivid appearance.

[0040] In addition, the panel member 16 of the vehicle lamp 10 has a plate-like member 41 that allows light from the light source unit 13 to pass through, and a paint layer 42 that is provided on the plate-like member 41 and blocks light from passing through. The plurality of light-transmitting portions 43 are formed where the paint layer 42 has been partially removed, and the light-non-transmitting portions 44 are formed by the remaining paint layer 42. The inner housing 15 is the same color as the paint layer 42. Therefore, even if the configuration behind the vehicle lamp 10 can be seen through the light-transmitting portions 43, the light-transmitting portions 43 can be recognized as being substantially the same color as the paint layer 42, and the light-emitting regions 12 and non-light-emitting regions 11 can appear to be substantially the same color.

[0041] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the light source unit 13 has a light source 21 and a light-guiding member 23 that guides light from the light source 21 to the light-emitting region 12. The inner housing 15 surrounds the light-guiding member 23. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the color of the inner housing 15 can be seen on the panel member 16 side through the light-guiding member 23, and the effect of having the inner housing 15 and the paint layer 42 the same color can be more appropriately achieved.

[0042] In particular, the vehicle lamp 10 of Example 1 is configured such that the light source 21 and the substrate 22 are positioned outside the inner housing 15, and the light from the light source 21 is guided into the inner housing 15 by the light guide member 23. For this reason, the vehicle lamp 10 of Example 1 has only the transparent light guide member 23 and the inner screen 14 between the panel member 16 and the inner housing 15. This allows the color of the inner housing 15 to be more reliably seen on the panel member 16 side, and more appropriately achieves the effect of having the inner housing 15 and the paint layer 42 the same color.

[0043] In the vehicle lamp 10, the inner housing 15 extends from the periphery of the light-guiding member 23 to the vicinity of the panel member 16, and is the same color as the light-opaque portion 44 up to the tip portion 15a on the panel member 16 side. Therefore, even when the panel member 16 is viewed from an oblique direction, the vehicle lamp 10 can position the inner housing 15 of the same color as the light-opaque portion 44 on the rear side of each light-transmitting portion 43, and can make each light-emitting region 12 appear to be approximately the same color as the non-light-emitting region 11.

[0044] In the vehicle lamp 10, the difference H between the vertical end of the light-emitting region 12 and the tip 15a in the direction along the panel member 16, and the gap Gap from the tip 15a to the panel member 16, satisfy the above-mentioned formula (1). Therefore, even when the panel member 16 is viewed obliquely from above or below, the vehicle lamp 10 can position the inner housing 15 behind almost all of the light-transmitting portions 43, and can more reliably make each light-emitting region 12 appear to be the same color as the non-light-emitting region 11.

[0045] In the vehicle lamp 10, the inner housing 15 is the same color as the paint layer 42 but brighter than the paint layer 42. Therefore, even if the inner housing 15 is located at the back and is therefore dark, the brightness of the color of the inner housing 15 can compensate for the difference in brightness between the paint layer 42 (light-opaque portions 44) when seen through the light-transmitting portions 43. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can more appropriately make each light-emitting region 12 appear to be approximately the same color as the non-light-emitting region 11.

[0046] In the vehicle lamp 10, the inner housing 15 and the paint layer 42 are the same color with a color difference ΔE, which indicates the color difference, of less than 12. Therefore, even if the panel member 16 and the inner housing 15 are made of different materials or have different installation positions, the vehicle lamp 10 has clear criteria for selecting the color of the inner housing 15, and each light-emitting area 12 and non-light-emitting area 11 can be made to appear to be approximately the same color.

[0047] Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 of Example 1, which is a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure, can make the light-emitting area 12, in which a plurality of tiny light-transmitting portions 43 are mixed with a light-opaque portion 44, appear as a surface of the same color as the light-opaque portion 44 when not lit.

[0048] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure has been described above based on Example 1, but the specific configuration is not limited to Example 1, and design changes and additions are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention according to each claim in the scope of the claims.

[0049] In the above-described first embodiment, the panel member 16 is formed by providing the paint layer 42, the plurality of light-transmitting portions 43, and the light-opaque portions 44 on the light source 21 side of the plate-shaped member 41 of the vehicle lamp 10. However, the panel member 16 may be formed by providing the paint layer 42, the plurality of light-transmitting portions 43, and the light-opaque portions 44 on the side of the plate-shaped member 41 opposite the light source 21, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0050] In the first embodiment, the light-emitting regions 12 are generally rectangular and are arranged vertically and horizontally at intervals. However, the size, shape, and number of the light-emitting regions 12 may be appropriately set as long as the light-transmitting portions 43 and the light-non-transmitting portions 44 are mixed together, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0051] Furthermore, in the above-described first embodiment, the panel member 16 is configured by forming a plurality of light-transmitting portions 43 in the coating layer 42 provided on the plate-like member 41, while the remaining portion is configured as the light-non-transmitting portion 44. However, the panel member 16 is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment as long as the light-emitting region 12 is formed by mixing a plurality of light-transmitting portions 43 that are partially capable of transmitting light with the light-non-transmitting portion 44 that is configured by the remaining panel member 16. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0052] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-053009, filed with the Japan Patent Office on March 28, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising a light source unit, a panel member having a light-emitting area that emits light when exposed to light from the light source unit, and an inner housing that supports the light source unit on the back side of the panel member, wherein the light-emitting area is composed of a mixture of multiple light-transmitting areas that are partially capable of transmitting light and light-opaque areas that are made up of the remaining panel member, and wherein the inner housing is the same color as the light-opaque areas.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the panel member has a plate-like member that allows light from the light source portion to pass through, and a paint layer that is provided on the plate-like member and prevents light from passing through, the plurality of light-transmitting portions are formed from areas where the paint layer has been partially removed, the light-non-transmitting portions are formed from the remaining paint layer, and the inner housing is the same color as the paint layer.

3. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light source section has a light source and a light-guiding member that guides light from the light source to the light-emitting region, and the inner housing surrounds the light-guiding member.

4. A vehicle lamp as described in claim 3, characterized in that the inner housing extends from the periphery of the light-guiding member to the vicinity of the panel member, and is the same color as the light-opaque portion up to its tip on the panel member side.

5. A vehicle lamp as described in claim 4, characterized in that H is the difference in dimension between the vertical end of the light-emitting area and the tip in the direction along the panel member, and Gap is the gap dimension from the tip to the panel member, satisfying H / Gap > 0.

5.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the inner housing is the same color as the paint layer but is lighter than the paint layer.

7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the inner housing and the paint layer are the same color with a color difference ΔE of less than 12.

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