Vehicular lamp and inner lens mounted on vehicular lamp

Abstract

Provided are: a vehicular lamp which suppresses an increase in the number of components and has a design part that emits light as a decorative part; and an inner lens mounted on said vehicular lamp. This vehicular lamp comprises: a light source; and an inner lens in which a light shielding film is laminated on at least a part of the front surface of a translucent resin containing a light diffusing material. The inner lens includes: a light shielding part covered with the light shielding film; and a design part which is surrounded by the light shielding film and in which the light shielding film is not laminated. The inner lens is struck by light emitted from the light source, guides a portion of the incident light and emits the light from the front surface, and forms a predetermined light distribution on the front side, and at the same time guides a portion of the incident light and emits the light from the design part to form a design, expressed by light, on the surface.

Description

Vehicle lighting fixture and inner lens mounted in the vehicle lighting fixture

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp and an inner lens mounted in the vehicle lamp.

[0002] Decorations in which predetermined marks or patterns are applied to the surface of a resin substrate by, for example, irradiating it with a laser are known as decorative parts for vehicles. In recent years, there has been a demand for luminous decorations to make brand logos and other items stand out.

[0003] For example, in the decorative member for a vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, a reflective metal film is formed on the surface of a transparent resin substrate, and a decorative portion is formed by irradiating a laser and peeling off a portion of the reflective metal film. The decorative portion forms a design that is represented by light (emits light) when the lamp is turned on.

[0004] JP 2019-107789 A

[0005] When illuminating a predetermined mark applied to a transparent resin substrate such as an inner lens, it is necessary to diffuse the light from the light source using a light guide as in Patent Document 1 to prevent point light from the light source, but using a light guide increases the number of parts. If an attempt is made to increase the number of light sources and disperse the light to prevent point light, the number of parts also increases accordingly. Adding a lamp to light up the predetermined mark would significantly increase the number of parts.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of this, and provides a vehicle lamp that forms a design represented by light while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, and an inner lens to be mounted on the vehicle lamp.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, in one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle lamp is configured to include a light source and an inner lens made of translucent resin containing a light diffusing material, with a light-blocking coating laminated on at least a portion of the front surface thereof, the inner lens having a light-blocking portion covered with the light-blocking coating and a design portion surrounded by the light-blocking coating and on which the light-blocking coating is not laminated, and to receive light emitted from the light source and guide a portion of the incident light to emit it from the front surface, thereby forming a predetermined light distribution forward, and to guide a portion of the incident light to emit it from the design portion, thereby forming a design represented by light on the surface.

[0008] According to the above-mentioned aspect, the inner lens receives light directly from the light source to form a predetermined light distribution and also forms a design that emits light in the design area. A single light source and inner lens fulfill two functions: forming a light distribution and emitting light in the design area. By integrating the functions and integrating the structure, an increase in the number of parts is suppressed.

[0009] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the outer periphery of the inner lens is bent toward the light source, which increases the volume of the inner lens and improves the rigidity of the inner lens.

[0010] According to one aspect, a light-shielding coating is laminated on at least a portion of the front surface of a light-transmitting resin containing a light-diffusing material, and the inner lens has a light-shielding portion covered with the light-shielding coating and a design portion surrounded by the light-shielding coating and not laminated with the light-shielding coating, and is configured so that light emitted from a light source is directly incident on the inner lens, and part of the incident light is guided to exit the design portion to form a design represented by light on the surface, and part of the incident light is guided to exit the front surface to form a predetermined light distribution forward.

[0011] As is clear from the above description, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp that forms a design represented by light while suppressing an increase in the number of parts, and an inner lens to be mounted on the vehicle lamp.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a front view illustrating a schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp including an inner lens according to the present invention. Fig. 2 is an end view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. Fig. 3(A) to Fig. 3(C) are views illustrating an example of a molding process for an inner lens. Fig. 4 is a front view illustrating a schematic configuration of another vehicle lamp including an inner lens according to the present invention.

[0013] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. In addition, in the following description of the embodiments and modifications, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate. In each drawing, the dimensions and ratios do not reflect actual values, but are used to schematically represent the components. Furthermore, the colors in the drawings are not the actual colors, but are used to make the description easier to understand.

[0014] (Embodiment) Fig. 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp 1 including an inner lens 30 according to a preferred embodiment of the disclosed configuration.

[0015] The vehicle lamp 1 is a headlamp mounted on the front of a motorcycle. The vehicle lamp 1 comprises a lamp body 2, which is a housing with an opening at the front, and a lamp cover 4 made of transparent resin. The lamp cover 4 is attached to the opening of the lamp body 2, and defines a lamp chamber S inside.

[0016] The vehicle lamp 1 is a combination lamp including a headlamp HEAD, a positioning lamp PO, and a turn signal lamp TURN.

[0017] The headlamps HEAD are arranged in a region below the center of the lamp chamber S in the vertical direction, and radiate light forward to form a high beam light distribution / low beam light distribution.

[0018] The positioning lamp PO is disposed in an upper region of the lamp chamber S, with the vertical center as the boundary. The positioning lamp PO has light-emitting portions that are separated into multiple locations and emit light when lit, and includes an upper light-emitting portion 11 and a lower light-emitting portion 12 that are narrow and long and extend in the width direction (horizontal direction) of the lamp. When the light source of the positioning lamp PO is lit, the upper light-emitting portion 11 and the lower light-emitting portion 12 emit light, which are visible as two parallel lines of light extending horizontally, one above the other.

[0019] The turn signal lamps TURN are a pair of lamps, one on the left and one on the right, arranged separately at the left and right ends between the upper light-emitting portion 11 and the lower light-emitting portion 12 of the positioning lamp PO. When the motorcycle equipped with the vehicle lamp 1 moves left or right, either the left or right lamp lights up with an amber light to notify those around it of the direction the motorcycle is moving.

[0020] In the central area surrounded by the upper light-emitting portion 11, the lower light-emitting portion 12, and the pair of left and right turn signal lamps TURN, there is provided a design portion 13 that emits a predetermined mark such as a brand logo. A non-illuminating light-shielding portion 15 is formed around the design portion 13 to separate it from the other lights (note that in FIG. 1 , the light-shielding portion 15 is shown in light ink for easy understanding). When illuminated, the design portion 13 provides a clear contrast with the non-illuminating light-shielding portion 15, creating an attractive decorative effect. The design portion 13 is one of the light-emitting portions of the positioning lamp PO, and it turns on and off in synchronization with the upper light-emitting portion 11 and the lower light-emitting portion 12 of the positioning lamp PO.

[0021] Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the headlamp HEAD is configured to include a light source 51, a reflector 52, and a fixing member 53 that fixes them. The reflector 52 has a reflective inner surface and is configured to reflect light emitted from the light source 51 forward to form a predetermined light distribution in front of the vehicle. A plurality of light sources 51 are provided in the width direction of the lamp, and a low beam light distribution or a high beam light distribution is formed by combining the on and off states of the light sources 51. The configuration of the headlamp HEAD is not limited to the above, and any known lamp configuration may be used.

[0022] The positioning lamp PO has an inner lens 30, light sources 61 and 62, and a holding member 63 that holds these.

[0023] The light sources 61, 62 are light-emitting elements that emit white light when powered, and are arranged spaced apart from one another vertically, with their light-emitting surfaces facing the forward lamp cover 4 and held by a holding member 63. A plurality of light sources 61, 62 are provided in the horizontal direction (the depth direction of the paper in FIG. 2 ), and are arranged in two parallel rows vertically corresponding to the upper light-emitting portion 11 and the lower light-emitting portion 12, respectively.

[0024] (Inner Lens 30) The inner lens 30 is a light-guiding member that diffuses light, and is disposed in front of the light sources 61 and 62 to diffuse the light emitted from the light sources 61 and 62 and emit the diffused light.

[0025] The inner lens 30 is made of a translucent resin containing a light diffusing material, such as titanium dioxide particles with an average particle diameter of 170 to 450 nm, and the content of the light diffusing material is, for example, 0.1 to 100 ppm by mass. For example, the visible light transmittance in the normal direction (thickness direction) of at least a portion of the surface side of the inner lens 30 having a plate thickness of 4 mm is, for example, 60% to 92%.

[0026] The inner lens 30 is a thin, generally rectangular plate when viewed from the front, bent at a substantially right angle at its upper end and extending toward the rear. The translucent resin that makes up the inner lens 30 is, for example, an acrylic resin, which has lower rigidity than polycarbonate and other materials. By bending the inner lens 30 from a portion of its outer periphery toward the rear where the light source is located, the volume of the inner lens 30 is increased, improving the rigidity of the inner lens 30 while suppressing the effect on the light distribution formation. Furthermore, the bending also improves vibration resistance.

[0027] 2, a recess 35 recessed toward the rear surface is formed in the center in the vertical direction of the inner lens 30. The recess 35 is formed to extend in the width direction, and an upper relative convex portion 31 and a lower relative convex portion 32, which are convex portions relative to the recess 35, respectively become the upper light-emitting portion 11 and the lower light-emitting portion 12.

[0028] A light-shielding coating 40 is laminated on the bottom surface of the recess 35. The light-shielding coating 40 is a thin film made of a black material, such as an acrylic or urethane resin paint containing a black pigment (e.g., a black azo pigment) as a pigment, and is laminated on the front surface of the inner lens 30. This black material absorbs light.

[0029] A portion of the light-shielding coating 40 is removed, and an area surrounded by the light-shielding coating 40 and not laminated with the light-shielding coating 40 is formed as a non-coated portion 43. The non-coated portion 43 has a predetermined shape such as a brand logo or mark. On the bottom surface of the recess 35, the coated portion 45, which is the area covered with the light-shielding coating 40, constitutes the light-shielding portion 15, and the non-coated portion 43 not covered with the light-shielding coating 40 constitutes the design portion 13. The design portion 13, which is not laminated with the light-shielding coating 40 and is surrounded by the light-shielding portion 15, has a clear boundary with its surroundings.

[0030] Light emitted from light sources 61, 62 enters the interior of inner lens 30 located in the front, is diffused and reflected by the light diffusing material inside inner lens 30, and exits from the front surface side of inner lens 30. The light that enters and is guided into inner lens 30 does not exit forward from light-shielding portion 15 where light-shielding coating 40 is present (it is absorbed by light-shielding coating 40), but exits from upper relative convex portion 31 and lower relative convex portion 32 where light-shielding coating 40 is not present. The light also exits from design portion 13 that is not covered with light-shielding coating 40, forming a design represented by light.

[0031] The shape of the design portion 13 is not limited to letters such as a brand name, a mark such as a brand logo, etc., but may be any shape such as a pattern, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the configuration of the present disclosure is not limited to an inner lens, and may be applied to an outer lens, and the same effect can be achieved.

[0032] The shape of the light-shielding portion 15 is not limited to a rectangle, but may be a triangle, a circle, a ring, or any other free shape, and may be adapted to the design and shape of the lamp. The light-shielding portion 15 and the design portion 13 may be a part of a predetermined shape, such as the left or right end or the four corners, or may be provided in multiple separate areas.

[0033] (Effects) When the light sources 61, 62 are lit, the design portion 13 emits light, and the vivid contrast between light and dark and the non-light-emitting shading portion 15 creates a striking luminous decoration that can be seen from afar. The design portion 13 is visible from afar as a predetermined luminous mark. Even when the light sources 61, 62 are turned off, the design portion 13 is made of transparent resin, and the black shading portion 15 that frames it allows it to be seen as a clear predetermined mark with depth, resulting in a decoration with clear boundaries and a striking appearance.

[0034] When the light sources 61 and 62 are lit, the light distribution of the positioning lamp PO is formed by the upper light-emitting portion 11 and the lower light-emitting portion 12, and the light emitted from the design portion 13 forms a design represented by light on the surface of the inner lens 30. In the positioning lamp PO of this embodiment, the function as a positioning lamp is ensured by the upper light-emitting portion 11 and the lower light-emitting portion 12, and the design portion 13 is made to emit light as a decorative portion by the light sources 61 and 62 and the inner lens 30 of the lamp. When adding a light-emitting decorative portion to a lighting fixture, if a decorative lamp for decoration is added to the lighting fixture, a decorative light source and decorative optical components will be added, significantly increasing the overall number of parts. When providing a decorative portion by reusing the light source of an existing lamp, a light guide is required to guide light from the existing light source to the decorative portion and to prevent the light source from shining point-like, but the light guide also increases the number of parts. Furthermore, this requires additional space, which leads to an increase in the weight and size of the lighting fixture.

[0035] In contrast, in this embodiment, the inner lens 30 is made of a translucent resin containing a diffusing material, and also functions as a light guide. Furthermore, a light-shielding portion 15 and a design portion 13 are provided in a portion of the inner lens 30, making that portion an illuminating decorative portion. This prevents point light from the light source, eliminates the need for a light guide to guide light to the decorative portion, and integrates the functions and configuration of the positioning lamp and the illuminating decorative portion. This prevents an increase in the number of parts and an increase in the size of the lamp due to the addition of the illuminating decorative portion, and reduces the size and weight of the lamp by saving space.

[0036] The diffusing material prevents steps or other reflective parts from being formed in the inner lens 30 itself, allowing the internally guided light to be diffused, and the inner lens 30 itself has high translucency. Most of the light that enters the inner lens 30 is diffusely reflected by the light diffusing material, so a large amount of light is emitted from the upper relative convex portion 31 and the lower relative convex portion 32, resulting in a large amount of light being emitted. The upper light-emitting portion 11, the lower light-emitting portion 12, and the design portion 13 emit bright light without causing the light from the light sources 61, 62 arranged on the back surface of the inner lens 30 to emit in a spot-like manner.

[0037] (Process for Molding Inner Lens 30) The process for molding the inner lens 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3A, first, a light-transmitting resin containing a light diffusing material is injected into a mold to form an inner lens substrate 30A made of the light-transmitting resin.

[0039] Next, as shown in Figure 3 (B), for example, a mask is applied to the inner lens substrate 30A and a black material is painted or vapor-deposited, thereby forming a thin film made of a black material laminated on a portion of the surface of the inner lens substrate 30A, thereby forming a light-shielding coating 40.

[0040] 3(C), for example, a laser is irradiated onto the light-shielding coating 40 to remove the light-shielding coating 40 in the area corresponding to the design portion 13. The laser for removing the coating is not particularly limited, and an infrared laser such as a YVO4 laser, a YAG laser, or a CO2 laser can be used, and the laser irradiation method can also be selected from a laser plotter, a galvano laser, or the like.

[0041] Using a black material for the light-blocking coating 40 provides a clear contrast between the design portion 13 and the light-blocking portion 15, creating an appearance with a sense of depth, so the color of the light-blocking coating 40 is preferably black. The light-blocking coating 40 is not limited to this color; any color may be used for the light-blocking coating 40 as long as it is made of a light-absorbing material. For example, resin-based paints such as acrylic urethane, acrylic silicone, and acrylic lacquer using pigments such as azo red (red), phthalocyanine blue (blue), and azo yellow (yellow) can also be used. The color of the light-blocking coating 40 can be selected to match the paint of the motorcycle on which the vehicle lamp 1 is mounted, thereby creating a unified look and further improving the design of the motorcycle.

[0042] After a vapor deposition film / painted film is formed on the surface of the inner lens substrate 30A by vapor deposition, the vapor deposition film / painted film in the area of ​​the design portion 13 can be removed by peeling it off with a laser. Alternatively, when forming the light-shielding coating 40, a mask can be applied to the non-coated portion 43 so that the light-shielding coating 40 is not initially laminated on the non-coated portion 43, and the design portion 13 can be formed.

[0043] Lamps including the inner lens 30 forming the design portion 13 are not limited to positioning lamps. They can also be applied to turn signal lamps, fog lamps, daytime running lamps, clearance lamps, and the like. By applying the above-described configuration to a lamp, light emitted from a light source can be guided to form the required light distribution forward, and a design represented by light can be formed on the surface of the inner lens, i.e., a light-emitting design portion can be added. Note that the "predetermined light distribution" refers to the form of light emitted to satisfy the regulations established for the lamp, regardless of the type of lamp, such as a headlamp or a marker lamp. Furthermore, the illumination direction of the vehicular lamp 1 has been described as the direction in which the lamp primarily emits light forward, and the directions of each component have been described as coinciding with the forward direction of the vehicle. However, this is a relative direction, and it goes without saying that the orientation of the vehicular lamp will change relative to the vehicle depending on the installation orientation of the vehicular lamp.

[0044] 4 shows a vehicle lamp 101 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle lamp 101 is a rear combination lamp including a tail lamp TALE, a turn signal lamp TURN2, and a stop lamp STOP, and is disposed on the rear of the vehicle.

[0045] The vehicle lamp 101 comprises a lamp body 102 and a lamp cover 104 as a housing, and the lamp cover 104 made of transparent resin is attached to the opening of the lamp body 102, which is a box-like body that is open at the front, and a lamp chamber S is defined inside.

[0046] The stop lamp STOP is disposed in the lower region of the vehicle lighting device 101, and emits a red light when the driver applies the brakes to indicate to following vehicles that the vehicle is controlling the brakes.

[0047] The tail lamp TALE and the turn signal lamp TURN2 are disposed above the stop lamp STOP.

[0048] The tail lamp TALE has the same configuration as the positioning lamp PO. That is, the light-emitting portion of the tail lamp TALE is divided into multiple parts, and the light-emitting portion includes an upper light-emitting portion 111 and a lower light-emitting portion 112 that are narrow and long and extend across the entire width of the lamp, and a design portion 113 with a predetermined mark located between the two light-emitting portions. When the tail lamp TALE is turned on, the upper light-emitting portion 111 and the lower light-emitting portion 112 emit red light, and the design portion 113 also emits red light.

[0049] The turn signal lamps TURN2 have the same configuration as the turn signal lamp TURN. The turn signal lamps TURN2 are arranged separately on the left and right ends between the upper light emitting portion 111 and the lower light emitting portion 112 of the tail lamp TALE, and emit amber light.

[0050] The inner lens (not shown) of the tail lamp TALE is made of a red translucent resin containing a diffusing material, and the white light emitted from the light source (not shown) of the tail lamp TALE is diffused by the inner lens and emitted as red light from the upper light-emitting portion 111, the lower light-emitting portion 112, and the design portion 113.

[0051] In this way, the inner lens may be made of a colored translucent resin material to match the light color of the lamp to which the illuminating decorative portion is added. A transparent resin material may be used for the inner lens, and a light source that emits light of the color required for the lamp may be used for the light beam of the lamp. The lamp cover 4 may be made of a translucent colored resin material of the color required for the lamp. Of course, the lamp cover 104 may be a two-color molded product, using a colored translucent resin material for the tail lamp portion.

[0052] The above describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the above embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and these can be combined based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such forms are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0053] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-104731, filed on June 28, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0054] The above descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms described. Numerous modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above description.

[0055] 1: Vehicle lamp 13: Design part 15: Light-shielding part 30: Inner lens 40: Light-shielding coating 61, 62: Light source

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising: a light source; and an inner lens made of translucent resin containing a light diffusing material, with a light-blocking coating laminated on at least a portion of the front surface thereof, wherein the inner lens has a light-blocking portion covered with the light-blocking coating and a design portion surrounded by the light-blocking coating and on which the light-blocking coating is not laminated, wherein light emitted from the light source is incident on the inner lens, and a portion of the incident light is guided to exit the front surface to form a predetermined light distribution forward, and a portion of the incident light is guided to exit the design portion to form a design represented by light on the surface.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the outer periphery of the inner lens is bent toward the light source.

3. An inner lens to be mounted in a vehicle lamp, characterized in that a light-shielding coating is laminated on at least a portion of the front surface of a light-transmitting resin containing a light diffusing material, the inner lens having a light-shielding portion covered with the light-shielding coating and a design portion surrounded by the light-shielding coating and not laminated with the light-shielding coating, wherein light emitted from a light source is directly incident on the inner lens, a portion of the incident light is guided to exit the design portion, and a portion of the incident light is guided to exit the front surface, forming a predetermined light distribution forward and forming a design represented by light on the surface.

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