Vehicle and vehicle interior lighting device

Abstract

According to the present invention, an automobile (1), which is an example of a mobile vehicle, comprises: a body (2); and a lighting device (3) installed in the interior (2a) of the body (2). The lighting device (3) has: a light source (100); a lens (200) that controls light distribution of light emitted from the light source (100); a housing (300) that includes the lens (200) and has an opening (310) through which light emitted from the lens (200) passes; and an optical attenuation unit (400) that attenuates light from the lighting device (3) toward the face of an occupant of the interior (2a) of the vehicle.

Description

Vehicle and interior lighting devices

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle such as an automobile and a vehicle interior lighting device.

[0002] In recent years, the interior of a vehicle such as an automobile is expected to be an environment that passengers can feel comfortable in. In particular, in the future, automated driving technology will enable passengers, including the driver, to engage in various activities unrelated to driving while the vehicle is in motion, so the interior of the vehicle will need to be a living space that is easier to use and more comfortable.

[0003] Therefore, a technology has been proposed in the past to create a space within a vehicle cabin by installing a lighting device in the cabin and changing the brightness and color of the illumination light emitted from the lighting device (Patent Document 1).

[0004] JP 2024-18953 A

[0005] However, when the lighting device is turned on inside the vehicle, the illumination light is irradiated onto the faces of the occupants, which may cause glare to the occupants.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has an object to provide a vehicle and a vehicle interior lighting device that can suppress glare felt by occupants.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the moving body according to the present invention comprises a vehicle and an interior lighting device installed in the interior of the vehicle, the interior lighting device having a light source, a lens that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source, a housing that contains the lens and has an opening through which the light emitted from the lens passes, and a light attenuation unit that attenuates light emitted from the light source and directed toward the faces of occupants in the interior of the vehicle.

[0008] Furthermore, one aspect of the vehicle interior lighting device according to the present invention is an interior lighting device installed in a vehicle interior, and includes a light source, a lens that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source, a housing that contains the lens, and a light attenuation unit that attenuates light directed from the vehicle interior lighting device toward the faces of occupants in the vehicle interior.

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress glare felt by occupants.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a top view of an automobile according to embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the automobile according to embodiment 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an illumination device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a front view of an illumination device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the optical action of a lens in the illumination device according to embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a top view of an automobile according to embodiment 2. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an illumination device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 8 is a front view of an illumination device according to embodiment 2. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the optical action of a lens in the illumination device according to embodiment 2.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that each of the embodiments described below represents a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, etc. shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Therefore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in the independent claims that represent the highest concept of the present invention will be described as optional components.

[0012] The drawings are schematic diagrams and are not necessarily drawn to scale. Therefore, the scales of the drawings are not necessarily the same. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate substantially the same components, and redundant explanations will be omitted or simplified.

[0013] In this specification, "forward" refers to the direction of travel when the vehicle is moving forward, "rearward" refers to the direction of travel when the vehicle is moving backward, the direction to the right (right side) when the vehicle is moving forward is the "right direction," the direction to the left (left direction) when the vehicle is moving forward is the "left direction," the ceiling side of the vehicle is the "above" or "upper side," and the floor side of the vehicle is the "below" or "lower side." Note that in this specification, the terms "above" and "below" do not refer to the upward direction (vertically upward) and downward direction (vertically downward) in absolute spatial recognition, but are sometimes used as terms defined by relative positional relationships.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) An automobile 1 according to embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 1 and Figure 2. Figure 1 is a top view of the automobile 1 according to embodiment 1, and Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the automobile 1.

[0015] 1 and 2, an automobile 1 includes a vehicle 2 and a lighting device 3 installed in the vehicle 2. The vehicle 2 and the lighting device 3 constitute an interior lighting system.

[0016] The automobile 1 is an example of a moving body and includes a vehicle 2 having a passenger compartment 2a. The passenger compartment 2a of the vehicle 2 is composed of a plurality of interior lining members. The passenger compartment 2a has a ceiling 10, a floor 20, a pillar trim 30, and a door trim 40 as the plurality of interior lining members.

[0017] The automobile 1 has a front door 51 and a rear door 52. By opening and closing the front door 51 or the rear door 52, passengers can enter or exit the vehicle interior 2a. Each of the front door 51 and the rear door 52 is provided with a window glass.

[0018] The vehicle interior 2a is provided with seats 60 for occupants. Specifically, the vehicle interior 2a is provided with a plurality of seats 60, including a front seat 61 and a rear seat 62. The front seat 61 is a front seat provided in the front of the vehicle interior 2a, and includes a driver's seat 61a where the driver sits and a passenger seat 61b located next to the driver's seat 61a. In this embodiment, since the steering wheel is provided on the right side, the driver's seat 61a is located on the right side, and the passenger seat 61b is located on the left side. The rear seat 62 is a rear seat provided at the rear of the vehicle interior 2a. The rear seat 62 can accommodate two or three passengers.

[0019] 1 shows a state in which three occupants U are riding in the automobile 1. Specifically, occupant U1, who is the driver, is seated in the driver's seat 61a, and occupants U2 and U3 are seated in the rear seat 62. Occupant U2 is seated in the rear seat 62 located behind the driver's seat 61a, and occupant U3 is seated in the rear seat 62 located behind the passenger seat 61b. An occupant may also be seated in the passenger seat 61b.

[0020] The ceiling 10 is a roof trim. Specifically, the ceiling 10 is a headlining. The ceiling 10 is fixed to the roof 2b of the vehicle 2. In this case, the ceiling 10 may be directly attached to the inner surface of the roof 2b, or may be suspended from the roof 2b.

[0021] The floor 20 is a floor trim. Specifically, the floor 20 is a floor carpet fixed to a frame that constitutes the body framework of the vehicle 2 (automobile 1). Although not shown, a floor mat is laid on the floor 20.

[0022] The pillar trim 30 is made up of multiple pillars. Specifically, the pillar trim 30 has an A-pillar 31, which is a front pillar provided next to the windshield, and a B-pillar 32, which is a central pillar provided between the front seat 61 and the rear seat 62. The pillar trim 30 may further have a C-pillar and a D-pillar provided diagonally behind the rear seat 62.

[0023] The door trim 40 is a lining member that covers the door panels of the front door 51 and the rear door 52. The door trim 40, which forms the inner surface of the front door 51 and the rear door 52, is fabricated with a concave-convex portion (concave-convex structure). One or more functional parts are provided in the concave-convex portion of the door trim 40. Specifically, the functional parts provided in the concave-convex portion of the door trim 40 include an armrest, an operation switch (operation button), a cup holder, a door handle, and a storage space. The operation switch is, for example, an opening / closing switch for opening and closing the window glass. Note that the front door 51 of the driver's seat 61a is provided with various switches other than the opening / closing switch as operation buttons.

[0024] The lighting device 3 is an interior lighting device installed in the passenger compartment 2a of the vehicle 2. In this embodiment, the lighting device 3 is installed on the ceiling 10 in the passenger compartment 2a. Specifically, the lighting device 3 is installed on the ceiling 10 above the passenger seat 61b. The illumination light emitted from the lighting device 3 serves as light that illuminates the space in the passenger compartment 2a.

[0025] Here, a detailed structure of the lighting device 3 will be described using Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 while referring to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the lighting device 3 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a front view of the lighting device 3 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Fig. 4.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the lighting device 3 is a lighting fixture that emits illumination light, and includes a light source 100 , a lens 200 , a housing 300 , and a light attenuating unit 400 .

[0027] The light source 100 is, for example, an LED light source configured by a light-emitting diode (LED), and therefore the illumination device 3 is an LED illumination device.

[0028] The light source 100 is, for example, a white LED light source that emits white light. As an example, the light source 100 is a chip-on-board (COB) type LED module that includes a substrate, an LED chip mounted on the substrate, and a sealing member that seals the LED chip.

[0029] The substrate is a mounting substrate for mounting the LED chip, and may be, for example, a ceramic substrate, a resin substrate, or a metal-based substrate. The substrate is provided with a pair of electrode terminals for receiving DC power from an external source to cause the LED chip to emit light, and metal wiring for supplying DC power to the LED chip. The electrode terminals are electrically connected to a power supply circuit by an electric wire. The power supply circuit may be, for example, built into the lighting device 3 or disposed externally to the lighting device 3.

[0030] The LED chip is an example of a semiconductor light-emitting element that emits light using a predetermined DC power, and is a bare chip that emits monochromatic visible light. Specifically, the LED chip is a blue LED chip that emits blue light when powered. One or more LED chips are arranged on a substrate, for example, and are electrically connected to each other by metal wiring formed on the substrate.

[0031] The sealing member is, for example, a translucent resin. The sealing member in this embodiment contains a phosphor as a wavelength conversion material that converts the wavelength of light from the LED chip. The sealing member is, for example, a phosphor-containing resin in which a phosphor is dispersed in a silicone resin. When the LED chip is a blue LED chip, for example, a YAG-based yellow phosphor can be used as the phosphor particles to obtain white light. As a result, the yellow phosphor absorbs a portion of the blue light emitted by the blue LED chip, becomes excited, and emits yellow light. This yellow light then mixes with the blue light not absorbed by the yellow phosphor to form white light, which is then emitted from the sealing member (light-emitting portion).

[0032] In addition, when multiple LED chips are mounted on the substrate, the sealing member may be formed to seal all of the LED chips together, or may seal multiple LED chips in a line by row, or may seal each LED chip individually.

[0033] Furthermore, the light source 100 is not limited to a COB-type LED module. For example, the light source 100 may be an LED module with a surface-mounted device (SMD) structure in which one or more SMD-type LED elements are mounted on a substrate. In this case, the LED elements are individually packaged SMD-type LED light sources, and include a white resin or ceramic container (package) with a recess, one or more LED chips primarily mounted on the bottom of the container's recess, and a sealing member filled in the container's recess and sealing the LED chips. The sealing member is made of a translucent resin material such as silicone resin. When the LED chip is a blue LED chip, a phosphor-containing resin containing a wavelength conversion material such as a phosphor is used as the sealing member. This allows the LED element to emit white light.

[0034] Lens 200 is a translucent optical member that controls the distribution of incident light. In this embodiment, light emitted by light source 100 is incident on lens 200, and lens 200 controls the distribution of light emitted from light source 100. Specifically, lens 200 is a condensing lens that condenses the light emitted from light source 100.

[0035] The lens 200 is disposed in front of the light source 100. Specifically, the lens 200 is disposed on the light emission side of the light source 100 with a predetermined distance therebetween. Therefore, the lens 200 controls the light distribution of the light that is emitted from the light source 100 and enters the lens 200. It is preferable that the optical axis (lens axis) of the lens 200 coincides with the optical axis of the light source 100.

[0036] The lens 200 is formed in a predetermined shape so as to have a predetermined lens function. The lens 200 is formed using a light-transmitting material. Specifically, the lens 200 is made of a transparent material such as a transparent resin material, such as acrylic or polycarbonate, or a transparent material, such as glass.

[0037] The lens 200 has a light incident surface 200a onto which light from the light source 100 is incident, and a light exit surface 200b from which the light incident on the lens 200 exits.

[0038] The lens 200 has an annular protrusion 210 that protrudes toward the light source 100, and a main body 220 that is located on the opposite side of the protrusion 210 from the light source 100. Both the protrusion 210 and the main body 220 control the light distribution of light emitted from the light source 100. Therefore, the light emitted from the light source 100 is incident on both the protrusion 210 and the main body 220.

[0039] The protrusion 210 is provided on the outer periphery of the main body 220. The protrusion 210 is annular, and is provided so as to surround the light source 100 when viewed in the direction of the optical axis of the light source 100. In other words, the annular protrusion 210 is provided so as to surround the optical axis of the light source 100. In this embodiment, the protrusion 210 has a substantially triangular shape in a cross-sectional view, and tapers toward the light source 100.

[0040] Furthermore, by forming the protrusion 210 on the lens 200, a recess is formed in the lens 200. This recess is formed so as to recess in a direction away from the light source 100. The recess formed by the protrusion 210 is located at a position facing the light source 100. Light emitted from the light source 100 is incident on this recess.

[0041] The inner surface of the protrusion 210 is a light incident surface 210a onto which light from the light source 100 is incident, and constitutes part of the inner surface of the recess. The light incident surface 210a of this protrusion 210 is part of the light incident surface 200a of the lens 200. On the other hand, the outer surface of the protrusion 210 is a light reflecting surface 210b (total reflection surface) that totally reflects the light that has entered the protrusion 210 from the light incident surface 210a. The tip of the protrusion 210 constitutes a connection between the light incident surface 210a and the light reflecting surface 210b. The light incident surface 210a and the light reflecting surface 210b are inclined with respect to the optical axis of the light source 100.

[0042] The main body 220 is a lens body and includes the optical axis of the light source 100. The optical axis of the main body 220 coincides with the optical axis of the light source 100. The main body 220 is a condensing lens that condenses incident light. In other words, the main body 220 condenses the light emitted from the light source 100. Specifically, the main body 220 condenses the light of the light source 100 that is incident from the inner surface of the recess formed by the protrusion 210.

[0043] The surface of the main body 220 facing the light source 100 is a light incident surface 220a onto which light from the light source 100 is incident, and constitutes part of the inner surface of the recess. This light incident surface 220a of the main body 220 is part of the light incident surface 200a of the lens 200. The light incident surface 220a is curved convexly toward the light source 100 side, but is not limited to this. For example, the light incident surface 220a may be flat. The light incident surface 200a of the lens 200 is constituted by the light incident surface 210a of the protrusion 210 and the light incident surface 220a of the main body 220.

[0044] The surface of the main body 220 opposite to the light source 100 side is a light exit surface 220b from which light that has entered the main body 220 from the light incident surface 220a exits. In this embodiment, the light exit surface 220b of the main body 220 is the light exit surface 200b of the lens 200.

[0045] As shown in Fig. 3, the housing 300 contains the lens 200. That is, the lens 200 is stored in the housing 300. The lens 200 is fixed to the housing 300. Therefore, the housing 300 functions as a lens holder. In this embodiment, the housing 300 is an outer member that constitutes the outer shell of the lighting device 3.

[0046] The housing 300 has an opening 310 through which light emitted from the lens 200 passes. Specifically, the housing 300 is a cylindrical body having the opening 310. The opening 310 is formed on the front end surface of the housing 300. In this embodiment, the housing 300 is cylindrical. Therefore, the shape of the opening 310 in a plan view is circular. Note that the cylindrical axis of the housing 300 and the lens axis of the lens 200 coincide with each other.

[0047] The housing 300 may be made of a metal material or a resin material. The inner surface of the housing 300 is preferably black. This allows light incident on the inner surface of the housing 300 to be absorbed, thereby preventing stray light from deteriorating the light distribution characteristics of the lighting device 3.

[0048] The light attenuating unit 400 (light reducing unit) attenuates the light emitted from the light source 100 and directed toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a. In this embodiment, the light attenuating unit 400 attenuates the light emitted from the lens 200 and directed toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a. In other words, the light attenuating unit 400 has a function of attenuating the light after it has been emitted from the lens 200.

[0049] Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400 is a light-blocking unit that blocks light that is emitted from the lens 200 and heads toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a. In other words, the light attenuating unit 400 has a function of blocking light after it has been emitted from the lens 200.

[0050] In this case, the light-attenuating unit 400 may block light by absorbing it, or by specularly reflecting or diffusely reflecting it. When the light-attenuating unit 400 blocks light, it is preferable that the light-attenuating unit 400 be made of an opaque material with a light transmittance of 90% or more. In this case, a resin material or a metal material can be used as the opaque material.

[0051] For example, if the light attenuating unit 400 absorbs light, the light attenuating unit 400 can be made of a black resin material. If the light attenuating unit 400 specularly reflects light, the light attenuating unit 400 can be made of a mirror made of a metal material. If the light attenuating unit 400 diffusely reflects light, the light attenuating unit 400 can be made of a metal material or a white resin material.

[0052] The light attenuating unit 400 is provided at the opening end 320 of the housing 300. Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400 is provided so as to protrude from the inner surface of the opening end 320. The light attenuating unit 400 has a plate shape, but is not limited to this. The light attenuating unit 400 may be provided separately from the housing 300, or may be provided integrally with the housing 300.

[0053] 4, the light attenuating unit 400 is provided so as to cover a portion of the opening 310. Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400 is provided partially in a circumferential direction along the inner surface of the opening end 320. In this embodiment, the light attenuating unit 400 is provided so as to cover one-quarter of the circumferential direction along the inner surface of the opening end 320. As an example, the light attenuating unit 400 has a shape obtained by cutting a plate-like member having a ring-like (Baumkuchen-like) shape in a plan view into one-quarter. Note that the light attenuating unit 400 does not overlap with the light source 100 when viewed in the optical axis direction of the light source 100.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1 , when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above, the light attenuating unit 400 is located between an occupant U riding in the automobile 1 and the light source 100. In the present embodiment, the light attenuating unit 400 is located between the occupant U and the light source 100 for any of the occupant U1, occupant U2, and occupant U3. Note that the light attenuating unit 400 may be formed in a shape that allows it to be located between any one or two of the multiple occupants U and the light source 100. For example, the light attenuating unit 400 may be formed in a shape that allows it to be located between any one or two of the occupants U1, occupant U2, and occupant U3 and the light source 100.

[0055] In the lighting device 3 configured as described above, light emitted from the light source 100 passes through the opening 310 of the housing 300 as the illumination light of the lighting device 3 and is irradiated onto a predetermined illumination area. In this embodiment, the lighting device 3 is installed on the ceiling 10 of the vehicle 2 and irradiates the illumination light toward the floor 20. In this case, the lighting device 3 irradiates the illumination light directly downward, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the lighting device 3 may irradiate the illumination light diagonally downward.

[0056] Furthermore, the lighting device 3 is turned on when the driver is driving the automobile 1 (during driving). In other words, illumination light is emitted from the lighting device 3 while driving. Furthermore, the lighting device 3 may not only be turned on while driving, but may also be turned on at times other than when driving. For example, the lighting device 3 may also be turned on when the occupant U gets into the automobile 1 or when the occupant gets out of the automobile 1. Furthermore, the lighting device 3 may not only be turned on at night, but may also be turned on during the day. By turning on the lighting device 3 during the day, an open-air illuminated space can be created.

[0057] The illumination light emitted from the lighting device 3 (LED light source) is white light, but is not limited to this. The lighting device 3 may also have a function to control the dimming and color of the illumination light. This allows the brightness and color temperature of the illumination light emitted from the lighting device 3 to be changed, thereby enabling the spatial presentation of the vehicle interior 2a.

[0058] Next, the optical action of lens 200 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the optical action of lens 200 in lighting device 3 according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 5, the solid line indicates the trajectory of light emitted from light source 100.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 5, light emitted from the light source 100 enters the lens 200 from the light incident surface 200a of the lens 200, passes through the protrusion 210 or the main body 220, and exits from the light exit surface 200b of the lens 200 to the outside.

[0060] In this case, light emitted from light source 100 and incident on protrusion 210 is incident on light incident surface 210a, which is the inner surface of protrusion 210, travels straight inside protrusion 210, and is totally reflected by light reflecting surface 210b, which is the outer surface of protrusion 210. The totally reflected light travels straight through protrusion 210 and is emitted to the outside from light exit surface 200b of lens 200. In this way, the light incident on protrusion 210 is condensed by protrusion 210.

[0061] On the other hand, light emitted from the light source 100 that enters the main body 220 enters the light incident surface 220a of the main body 220, is refracted by the refraction action in the main body 220, and is emitted to the outside from the light exit surface 220b of the main body 220. Specifically, the light emitted from the light source 100 is refracted so as to be focused at each of the light incident surface 220a and the light exit surface 220b of the main body 220, and is emitted to the outside from the light exit surface 220b of the main body 220. In this way, the light that enters the main body 220 is also focused by the main body 220.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 5 , in this embodiment, a cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the lens 200. That is, the lens 200 is shaped so that the cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the lens 200. Specifically, the cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the protrusion 210. That is, the protrusion 210 is shaped so that the cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the protrusion 210. Note that the cross point CP can be easily formed by increasing the gradient (inclination angle) of the inclination of the light reflecting surface 210b of the protrusion 210. For example, if the inner diameter of the housing 300 is reduced to make the lighting device 3 smaller, the gradient of the inclination of the light reflecting surface 210b of the protrusion 210 becomes larger (the inclination becomes steeper), making it easier for the cross point CP to be formed.

[0063] In this embodiment, the cross point CP is located inside the housing 300. The cross point CP has a circular shape when viewed from the optical axis direction of the light source 100. As shown in Fig. 5 , in a cross-sectional view of the lighting device 3, at least a part of the cross point CP is located between the light attenuating unit 400 and the lens 200. In other words, the light attenuating unit 400 is located closer to the light output side than the cross point CP. Note that the cross point CP may be formed closer to the light output side than the opening 310 of the housing 300.

[0064] 5, in the lighting device 3 of this embodiment, light L directed from the lighting device 3 toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a is blocked by the light attenuating unit 400. In other words, the light attenuating unit 400 is a light blocking unit that blocks the light L emitted from the lens 200 and directed toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a.

[0065] In this way, by using the light attenuation section 400 to block the light L directed toward the face of the occupant U, it is possible to prevent the occupant U from feeling glare.

[0066] 1, when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above, the light-attenuating unit 400 is positioned between each of the occupants U1, U2, and U3 and the light source 100, and blocks light directed toward each of the occupants U1, U2, and U3. This makes it possible to prevent all of the occupants U1, U2, and U3 from feeling glare.

[0067] Furthermore, if the light from the lighting device 3 is irradiated onto the face of the occupant U when the lighting device 3 is turned on at night (in a dark place), the face of the occupant U may appear to be inconspicuous, which may infringe on the privacy of the occupant U. However, as in this embodiment, by blocking the light L directed toward the face of the occupant U with the light-attenuating unit 400, the light from the lighting device 3 is no longer irradiated onto the face of the occupant U. This makes it possible to prevent the face of the occupant U from appearing to be inconspicuous due to the light from the lighting device 3, and to prevent the privacy of the occupant U from being infringed.

[0068] In the present embodiment, the light attenuating unit 400 completely blocks light directed toward the face of the occupant U, but this is not limiting. For example, the light attenuating unit 400 may attenuate light directed toward the face of the occupant U. This reduces the amount of light irradiated onto the face of the occupant U, thereby preventing the occupant U from feeling glare. In this case, the light attenuating unit 400 may be light-transmitting, as long as it can attenuate light.

[0069] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the light attenuating section 400 is provided along a portion of the circumferential direction along the inner surface of the opening end 320, but this is not limiting. That is, the light attenuating section 400 may be provided along the entire circumferential direction along the inner surface of the opening end 320. In this case, the light attenuating section 400 has an annular shape with a constant width when viewed from the optical axis direction of the light source 100.

[0070] (Embodiment 2) Next, an automobile 1A and an illumination device 3A according to embodiment 2 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9. Fig. 6 is a top view of automobile 1A according to embodiment 2. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of illumination device 3A according to embodiment 2. Fig. 8 is a front view of illumination device 3A according to embodiment 2. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in Fig. 8. Fig. 9 is a diagram for explaining the optical action of lens 200 in illumination device 3A according to embodiment 2.

[0071] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, an automobile 1A according to this embodiment differs from the automobile 1 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of an illumination device 3A.

[0072] Specifically, the lighting device 3A according to the present embodiment and the lighting device 3 according to the above-described first embodiment differ in the position of the light attenuating unit 400A in the housing 300. That is, the light attenuating unit 400 in the above-described first embodiment is provided at the open end 320 of the housing 300 and is provided at a position between the occupant U and the light source 100 when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above, whereas the light attenuating unit 400A in the present embodiment is provided on the inner surface of the housing 300 as shown in Fig. 7 and is provided at a position opposite to the occupant U side when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above as shown in Fig. 6. That is, in the present embodiment, the light source 100 is located between the light attenuating unit 400A and the occupant U when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above.

[0073] 7, the light attenuating unit 400A is provided at a position set back from the opening end 320 of the housing 300. Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400A is provided at a position closer to the lens 200 between the opening 310 of the housing 300 and the lens 200.

[0074] 9 , in the present embodiment as well, a cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from lens 200. Furthermore, in the present embodiment as well, cross point CP is located inside housing 300. However, while in the first embodiment above light attenuating unit 400 was located on the light emission side of cross point CP, in the present embodiment light attenuating unit 400A is located on the lens 200 side of cross point CP. In other words, light attenuating unit 400A is located between cross point CP and lens 200.

[0075] Also in the lighting device 3A of this embodiment, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 9, the light L directed from the lighting device 3A toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a is blocked by the light attenuation portion 400A.

[0076] This makes it possible to suppress the occupant U from feeling glare, as in the first embodiment. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 , when the vehicle 2 is viewed from above, the light-attenuating unit 400A blocks light directed toward each of the occupant U1, the occupant U2, and the occupant U3. This makes it possible to suppress the occupant U1, the occupant U2, and the occupant U3 from feeling glare. Furthermore, in this embodiment as well, when the lighting device 3A is turned on at night, the face of the occupant U can be prevented from being revealed by the light from the lighting device 3A, and the privacy of the occupant U can be prevented from being infringed.

[0077] In the present embodiment, the light attenuating unit 400A completely blocks light directed toward the face of the occupant U, but this is not limiting. For example, the light attenuating unit 400A may attenuate the light L directed toward the face of the occupant U. This reduces the amount of light irradiated onto the face of the occupant U, thereby preventing the occupant U from feeling glare. In this case, the light attenuating unit 400A may be light-transmitting, as long as it can attenuate light.

[0078] In the present embodiment, the light attenuating section 400A is provided on a portion of the circumferential surface of the inner surface of the housing 300, but this is not limiting. That is, the light attenuating section 400A may be provided on the entire circumferential surface of the inner surface of the housing 300. In this case, the light attenuating section 400A has an annular shape with a constant width when viewed from the optical axis direction of the light source 100.

[0079] (Modifications) The automobile and lighting device (vehicle interior lighting device) according to the present invention have been described above based on the first and second embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments.

[0080] For example, in the first and second embodiments, the light attenuating units 400 and 400A are provided on the housing 300, but this is not limiting. For example, the light attenuating units may be part of the lens 200. That is, a light attenuating unit that attenuates light directed toward the face of the occupant U may be provided in a portion of the lens 200. In this case, the light attenuating unit that is part of the lens 200 may have an uneven structure formed on the light exit surface 200b of the lens 200. The uneven structure may be, for example, a micro-uneven structure formed by texturing, or an uneven pattern such as multiple dimples, multiple semi-cylindrical or wave-shaped patterns. Alternatively, the light attenuating unit that is part of the lens 200 may be a cut portion formed by cutting a portion of the lens 200, or may be a light reflecting surface 210b of the protrusion 210 with a gentle draft.

[0081] In this way, the light attenuating unit may attenuate light as it passes through the lens 200, rather than attenuating light emitted from the lens 200. Note that the light attenuating unit may also attenuate light that is incident on the lens 200, as long as it can attenuate light that is emitted from the light source 100 and directed toward the face of the occupant U in the vehicle interior 2a.

[0082] Furthermore, the lighting device may be configured such that the light attenuating unit 400 in the first embodiment is the first light attenuating unit and the light attenuating unit 400A in the second embodiment is the second light attenuating unit, and the lighting device is provided with the first light attenuating unit and the second light attenuating unit. Specifically, the light attenuating unit 400A in the second embodiment may be applied to the lighting device 3 in the first embodiment, or the light attenuating unit 400 in the first embodiment may be applied to the lighting device 3A in the second embodiment. In this way, by providing the light attenuating unit 400 and the light attenuating unit 400A, it is possible to suppress variations in the light blocking performance due to positional misalignment of the lighting device.

[0083] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, the lens 200 has a shape in which a cross point CP is formed in the ray trajectory of the light emitted from the lens 200, but this is not limiting. In other words, the lens 200 may have a shape in which a cross point CP is not formed in the ray trajectory of the light emitted from the lens 200. For example, a collimating lens can be used as such a lens 200.

[0084] In the first and second embodiments, the illumination light emitted from the lighting device 3, 3A is also used to create a spatial atmosphere in the vehicle interior 2a, but this is not limiting. For example, the illumination light emitted from the lighting device 3, 3A may be used as light for the occupant U to perform tasks in the vehicle interior 2a.

[0085] Furthermore, although an automobile is used as an example of a moving body in the first and second embodiments, the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the moving body may be a vehicle other than an automobile, such as a railway vehicle, as long as it has a passenger compartment.

[0086] In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications that would occur to those skilled in the art, and forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention also includes any combination of one or more components in each of the multiple claims described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, when the dependent claims described in the claims at the time of filing are made into a multiple claim or multiple multiple claim that cites any multiple claims (for example, when a multiple claim or multiple multiple claim is made so that each claim cites all of its parent claims), all forms obtained by combining all of the claims included in that multiple claim or multiple multiple claim are also included in the present invention.

[0087] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1, 1A Automobile (mobile body) 2 Vehicle 2a Vehicle interior 2b Roof 3, 3A Lighting device (vehicle interior lighting device) 100 Light source 200 Lens 200a Light incident surface 200b Light exit surface 210 Protrusion 210a Light incident surface 210b Light reflecting surface 220 Main body 220a Light incident surface 220b Light exit surface 300 Housing 310 Opening 320 Opening end 400, 400A Light attenuating portion CP Cross point

Claims

1. A moving body comprising: a vehicle; and an interior lighting device installed in the interior of the vehicle, wherein the interior lighting device has: a light source; a lens that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source; a housing that contains the lens and has an opening through which the light emitted from the lens passes; and a light attenuation unit that attenuates light emitted from the light source toward the faces of occupants in the interior of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the light attenuating section is a light blocking section that blocks light emitted from the lens and directed toward the face of an occupant in the vehicle compartment.

3. The moving body according to claim 2, wherein the light blocking portion is positioned between the occupant and the light source when the vehicle is viewed from above.

4. A moving body according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the lens has a shape that forms a cross point in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the lens, and the cross point is located within the housing and between the light-shielding portion and the lens.

5. The moving body according to claim 4, wherein the light-shielding portion is provided at an open end of the housing.

6. The moving body according to claim 2, wherein the light source is located between the light blocking portion and the occupant when the vehicle is viewed from above.

7. A moving body according to claim 2 or 6, wherein the lens has a shape in which a cross point is formed in the ray trajectory of light emitted from the lens, the cross point is located within the housing, and the light-shielding portion is located between the cross point and the lens.

8. The moving body according to claim 7, wherein the light-shielding portion is provided on the inner surface of the housing.

9. A moving body as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6, wherein the lens has an annular protrusion that protrudes towards the light source, and a main body located on the side of the protrusion opposite the light source, the inner surface of the protrusion being a light incident surface onto which light from the light source is incident, and the outer surface of the protrusion being a light reflecting surface that totally reflects light that has entered the protrusion from the light incident surface.

10. A moving object according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6, wherein the light attenuating section is provided integrally with the housing.

11. The moving body according to claim 2, wherein the light attenuating portion is a part of the lens.

12. The moving body according to claim 11, wherein the light attenuation portion is an uneven structure formed on the light exit surface of the lens.

13. The moving body according to claim 11, wherein the light attenuating portion is a cut portion formed by cutting a part of the lens.

14. An interior lighting device to be installed inside a vehicle, comprising: a light source; a lens that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source; a housing that contains the lens; and a light attenuation unit that attenuates light directed from the interior lighting device toward the faces of occupants inside the vehicle.

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