Vehicle lamp

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp and, more specifically, to a vehicle lamp capable of forming an optimal beam pattern while reducing installation space. A vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: at least one light source for emitting light in a vertical direction; and a light guide unit for guiding, in a forward direction, the light emitted from the at least one light source. The light guide unit may comprise: at least one incident unit on which the light emitted from the at least one light source is incident; an optical path adjustment unit for adjusting an optical path so that the light incident on the at least one incident unit and traveling in the vertical direction travels in a forward direction; an emission unit positioned in front of the optical path adjustment unit so that at least part of the light made to travel in the forward direction by the optical path adjustment unit is emitted and forms a predetermined beam pattern; and a transmission unit for transmitting, to the emission unit, the light made to travel in the forward direction by the optical path adjustment unit.

Description

car lamps

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp, and more particularly, to a vehicle lamp capable of forming an optimal beam pattern while reducing installation space.

[0002] Typically, vehicles are equipped with various lamps that have a lighting function to easily identify objects located around the vehicle when driving at night and a signaling function to inform surrounding vehicles or pedestrians of the vehicle's driving status.

[0003] For example, headlamps and fog lamps are primarily intended for lighting purposes, while turn signal lamps, tail lamps, and brake lamps are primarily intended for signaling purposes, and the installation standards and specifications for each lamp are stipulated by law to ensure that each function is fully realized.

[0004] These vehicle lamps generally have optical elements, including lenses, arranged along the optical axis of the light source to form a beam pattern. However, in this case, the space required for installation increases in the direction of the optical axis of the light source.

[0005] In addition, in order to form different beam patterns, a separate optical system for forming each beam pattern needs to be provided, but in this case, the number of parts increases, which increases the assembly process and increases the cost.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a method that simplifies the assembly process and reduces costs by reducing the number of parts while allowing for the common use of components for forming different beam patterns, thereby reducing the space required for installing vehicle lamps.

[0007] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp that can reduce installation space.

[0008] Additionally, it provides a vehicle lamp that enables the sharing of components for forming different beam patterns.

[0009] The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention may include: at least one light source emitting light in an up-and-down direction; and a light guide portion guiding light emitted from the at least one light source to propagate forward, wherein the light guide portion may include: at least one incident portion into which light emitted from the at least one light source is incident; a light path adjustment portion that adjusts a light path so that light incident on the at least one incident portion and propagating in an up-and-down direction propagates forward; an emission portion positioned in front of the light path adjustment portion so that at least a portion of the light propagating forward by the light path adjustment portion is emitted to form a predetermined beam pattern; and a transmission portion so that the light propagating forward by the light path adjustment portion is transmitted to the emission portion.

[0011] The at least one light source may be positioned so that its optical axis intersects the central axis of the emission portion.

[0012] The central axis of the above-mentioned emission unit is positioned parallel to the front-rear direction, and the at least one optical axis can be positioned perpendicular to the central axis of the above-mentioned emission unit.

[0013] The above light path adjustment unit may be formed to be inclined so that the other end is positioned forward compared to the one end closer to the at least one light source in the vertical direction.

[0014] The above transmission unit may include an exit surface through which light traveling forward is emitted by the light path adjustment unit; an entrance surface through which light emitted through the exit surface is re-entered and travels toward the exit unit; and a connecting surface connecting the exit surface and the entrance surface.

[0015] The above-mentioned emission surface can be formed so that both sides have a greater curvature than the center.

[0016] The above optical path adjusting unit may include a first region that allows some of the light incident on the at least one incident portion to be emitted through the exit surface to form the beam pattern; and a second region that allows another portion of the light incident on the at least one incident portion to proceed to the exit portion through a space between one surface of the light guide portion and the connection surface to form an additional beam pattern.

[0017] The above connecting surface is formed such that one end is positioned at the rear focus of the emission portion and the other end extends toward the rear, and one end of each of the emission portion and the incident portion in the vertical direction, which is closer to the central axis of the emission portion, can be positioned to be connected to each of the two ends of the connecting surface.

[0018] The at least one light source may include at least one first light source emitting light for forming a first beam pattern; and at least one second light source positioned along the front-back direction with the at least one first light source and emitting light for forming a second beam pattern, and the at least one incident portion may include at least one first incident portion that allows light emitted and incident from the at least one first light source to proceed to the optical path adjusting portion; and at least one second incident portion that is positioned along the front-back direction with the at least one first incident portion and allows light emitted and incident from the at least one second light source to proceed to the optical path adjusting portion.

[0019] The above optical path adjustment unit may include a first adjustment unit that adjusts the path of light so that light incident on the at least one first incident portion travels forward; and a second adjustment unit that adjusts the path of light so that light incident on the at least one second incident portion travels forward.

[0020] The first adjustment unit may be formed to be inclined so that the other end is positioned forward compared to one end closer to the at least one first light source in the vertical direction, and the second adjustment unit may be formed to be inclined so that the other end is positioned forward compared to one end closer to the at least one second light source in the vertical direction.

[0021] The first adjustment unit is positioned above the second adjustment unit, and one of the first adjustment unit and the second adjustment unit can be positioned in front of the other.

[0022] Light that advances forward by the first adjustment unit can advance to the emission unit through an upper space based on the central axis of the emission unit by the transmission unit, and light that advances forward by the second adjustment unit can advance to the emission unit through a lower space based on the central axis of the emission unit by the transmission unit.

[0023] The above transmission unit includes an exit surface through which light traveling forward by the first adjustment unit is emitted; an incident surface through which light traveling forward through the exit surface is re-incident and travels toward the exit unit; and a connecting surface having both ends connected to one end closer to the central axis of the exit unit among the opposite ends of the exit surface and the incident surface in the vertical direction, and the light traveling forward by the first adjustment unit can travel through an upper space based on the connecting surface to be focused on a rear focus of the exit unit, and the light traveling forward by the second adjustment unit can travel through a lower space based on the connecting surface to be focused on a rear focus of the exit unit.

[0024] Other specific details of the present invention are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0025] According to the vehicle lamp of the present invention as described above, one or more of the following effects are provided.

[0026] Since the optical axis of the light source and the central axis of the light guide portion's emission section are positioned to intersect each other, there is an effect that the installation space can be reduced.

[0027] In addition, since the light sources provided for forming different beam patterns are installed on a common substrate, the components for forming different beam patterns can be shared, which reduces the number of parts and simplifies the assembly process, thereby reducing costs.

[0028] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0029] Figures 1 to 3 are perspective views illustrating a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 is a side view illustrating a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of Fig. 5.

[0033] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating a beam pattern formed by a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an optical path adjustment unit for forming an additional beam pattern according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an additional beam pattern formed by a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIGS. 10 to 12 are perspective views illustrating a vehicle lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 13 is a side view illustrating a vehicle lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Fig. 14 is a plan view illustrating a vehicle lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B' of Fig. 14.

[0040] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating a beam pattern formed by a vehicle lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] The advantages and features of the present invention, and the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

[0043] Accordingly, in some embodiments, well-known process steps, well-known structures, and well-known techniques are not specifically described to avoid obscuring the present invention.

[0044] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise. As used herein, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" are used to mean that they do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / or elements other than the mentioned components, steps, operations, and / or elements. In addition, "and / or" includes each and every combination of one or more of the mentioned items.

[0045] In addition, the embodiments described in this specification will be described with reference to cross-sectional drawings and / or schematic drawings, which are ideal examples of the present invention. Accordingly, the form of the examples may be modified due to manufacturing technology and / or tolerances, etc. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific forms illustrated, but also include changes in form resulting from the manufacturing process. In addition, each component in each drawing illustrated in the present invention may be illustrated to some extent enlarged or reduced for convenience of explanation. Like reference numerals refer to like components throughout the specification.

[0046] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to drawings for explaining a vehicle lamp according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0047] FIGS. 1 to 3 are perspective views illustrating a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 5.

[0048] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, a vehicle lamp (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one light source (1000) and a light guide part (2000), and an example will be described in which the X-axis represents the vehicle width direction in the left-right direction, the Y-axis represents the driving direction in the front-back direction, and the Z-axis represents the garage direction in the up-down direction, but is not limited thereto, and the directions actually signified by the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis may vary depending on the position or direction in which the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention is installed.

[0049] In the embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle lamp (1) is used as a head lamp to secure the driver's forward field of vision by irradiating light in the direction of travel of the vehicle when driving at night, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention can be used as various lamps installed in a vehicle, such as a head lamp, a tail lamp, a brake lamp, a daytime running lamp, a turn signal lamp, a fog lamp, a backup lamp, a position lamp, etc.

[0050] When the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention is used as a headlamp, at least one of a low beam pattern in which light is irradiated to the lower side of a cut-off line of a predetermined shape to ensure a wide field of vision in front of the vehicle so as not to cause glare to the driver of a preceding vehicle, such as a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, and a high beam pattern in which at least a portion of the light is positioned above the cut-off line so as to ensure a long field of vision in front of the vehicle can be formed.

[0051] At least one light source (1000) can emit light to form a predetermined beam pattern, and the position, number, light quantity, color, etc. of the at least one light source (1000) can be changed depending on the light distribution characteristics of the beam pattern formed by the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention, i.e., the position, size, shape, brightness, color, etc. of the area to which light is irradiated.

[0052] Hereinafter, in an embodiment of the present invention, a case in which a low beam pattern (P) having a cut-off line (CL) of a predetermined shape as shown in FIG. 7 is formed by a vehicle lamp (1) will be described as an example, and the low beam pattern (P) of FIG. 7 can be understood as a beam pattern formed by light irradiated on a screen located at a set distance in front of the vehicle.

[0053] In the embodiment of the present invention, a case where a semiconductor light-emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) is used as at least one light source (1000) will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the at least one light source may be not only an LED but also various types of light sources such as an LD (Laser Diode) or a Bulb, and depending on the type of light source, optical elements such as a reflector, a phosphor, a mirror, and a prism may be additionally used to adjust the path, brightness, color, etc. of the light.

[0054] At least one light source (1000) can emit light in an up-down direction, which is intended to reduce the space occupied by the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention in the front-back direction, and a detailed description thereof will be provided later.

[0055] The light guide unit (2000) may include at least one entrance unit (2100), an optical path adjustment unit (2200), an exit unit (2300), and a transmission unit (2400).

[0056] Each of at least one incident portion (2100) may be positioned on a path of light emitted from at least one light source (1000) so that light emitted from each of at least one light source (1000) is incident thereon, and in an embodiment of the present invention, since at least one light source (1000) emits light in a vertical direction, corresponding light sources and incident portions among at least one light source (1000) and at least one incident portion (2100) may be positioned along the vertical direction.

[0057] At least one incident portion (2100) may include a central plane (2102) centered on an optical axis (Ax) of at least one light source (1000), a protruding surface (2104) protruding from the central plane (2102) toward at least one light source (1000), and a reflecting surface (2106) that reflects light incident on the protruding surface (2104) so ​​that it travels in an up-down direction, and the protruding surface (2104) and the reflecting surface (2106) allow light emitted from at least one light source (1000) to be incident without loss while reducing the size of the at least one incident portion (2100).

[0058] That is, in the case where the protruding surface (2104) and the reflecting surface (2106) are omitted from at least one incident portion (2100), the size of at least one incident portion (2100) needs to be relatively large because the center surface (2102) must have a size corresponding to the light irradiation angle of at least one light source (1000) in order for the light emitted from at least one light source (1000) to be incident without loss. However, in the embodiment of the present invention, since the light incident on the protruding surface (2104) is reflected by the reflecting surface (2106) so as to proceed in the up-and-down direction, the size of at least one incident portion (2100) can be reduced, while still allowing the light emitted from at least one light source (1000) to be incident without loss.

[0059] The path of light incident on at least one incident portion (2100) can be controlled by the angle or curvature of each of the central surface (2102), the protruding surface (2104), and the reflecting surface (2106). In an embodiment of the present invention, a case in which light incident on at least one incident portion (2100) is incident as parallel light that is approximately parallel to the optical axis (Ax) of at least one light source (1000) will be described as an example.

[0060] The optical path adjustment unit (2200) can adjust the path of light so that light that is incident on at least one incident portion (2100) and travels in an up-and-down direction travels forward, and the path of light that is incident on at least one incident portion (2100) can be controlled by the formation angle or curvature of the optical path adjustment unit (2200).

[0061] In an embodiment of the present invention, a case in which the light path adjustment unit (2200) is formed to be inclined so that the other end is positioned forward compared to the end closer to at least one light source (1000) in the vertical direction, and the light incident on at least one incident unit (2100) is reflected so that it travels forward will be described as an example.

[0062] At this time, the light path adjustment unit (2200) reflects the light incident on at least one incident portion (2100) to adjust the path of the light is merely an example to help understanding of the present invention, and is not limited thereto. The light path adjustment unit (2200) can adjust the path of the light so that the light incident on at least one incident portion (2100) travels forward by at least one of refraction and reflection of the light incident on at least one incident portion (2100).

[0063] The emission unit (2300) may serve to form a low beam pattern (P) by emitting at least a portion of the light that is directed forward by the light path adjustment unit (2200), and the emission unit (2300) may be formed to have a forward convex shape to focus the light emitted forward.

[0064] At this time, at least one light source (1000) may be positioned so that its optical axis (Ax) intersects the central axis (C) of the emission unit (2300), that is, the axis that is parallel to the front-back direction but passes through the center of the emission unit (2300) and the rear focus (F). This is to reduce the space occupied by the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention in the front-back direction as described above. In the embodiment of the present invention, an example will be described in which the optical axis (Ax) of at least one light source (1000) is positioned perpendicular to the central axis (C) of the emission unit (2300).

[0065] In other words, when the optical axis (Ax) of at least one light source (1000) is positioned so as to coincide with the central axis (C) of the emission portion (2300), the light guide portion (2000) is positioned in front of at least one light source (1000), and in this case, since at least one incident portion (2100) is also positioned along the central axis (C) of the emission portion (2300), the space occupied by the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention in the front-back direction increases, whereas in the embodiment of the present invention, since the optical axis (Ax) of at least one light source (1000) is positioned so as to intersect the central axis (C) of the emission portion (2300), the space occupied by the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention in the front-back direction decreases.

[0066] The transmission unit (2400) can serve to transmit light whose optical path has been adjusted by the optical path adjustment unit (2200) to the emission unit (2300), and since at least one incident unit (2100) can be formed integrally with the emission unit (2300) by the transmission unit (2400), the number of parts is reduced compared to when at least one incident unit (2100) and the emission unit (2300) are assembled separately, thereby simplifying the assembly process and reducing costs.

[0067] The transmission unit (2400) may include an exit surface (2410) through which light whose light path is adjusted by the light path adjustment unit (2200) is emitted, an entrance surface (2420) through which light emitted through the exit surface (2410) is re-entered and transmitted to the exit unit (2300), and a connection surface (2430) connecting the exit surface (2410) and the entrance surface (2420).

[0068] At this time, the connecting surface (2430) can be formed such that the other end extends rearward from one end located at or near the rear focus (F) of the output unit (2300), and this is to block light that travels to the output unit (2300) through the lower space based on the rear focus (F) of the output unit (2300) so that a cut-off line is formed.

[0069] In other words, the light that travels to the exit portion (2300) through the lower space based on the rear focus (F) of the exit portion (2300) is refracted in the direction toward the central axis (C) of the exit portion (2300), that is, in the upward direction, and may be irradiated above the cut-off line of the low beam pattern (P), which may cause glare that causes dazzling to the driver of the vehicle in front. Therefore, the light that travels to the exit portion (2300) through the lower space based on the rear focus (F) of the exit portion (2300) is blocked.

[0070] In the embodiment of the present invention, since the light whose optical path is adjusted by the optical path adjustment unit (2200) travels to the emission unit (2300) through the emission surface (2410) and the incident surface (2420) to form a low beam pattern (P), it can be understood that the connection surface (2430) forms a part of the upper surface of the light guide unit (2000).

[0071] Meanwhile, both ends of the connecting surface (2430) can be connected to one end of each of the exit surface (2410) and the incident surface (2420) in the vertical direction, which is closer to the central axis (C) of the exit portion (2300), and this is to allow the light (L) whose optical path has been adjusted by the optical path adjustment unit (2200) as shown in the above-described FIG. 6 to proceed to the exit portion (2300) through the upper space based on the rear focus (F) of the exit portion (2300). In this case, it can be understood that the lower ends of each of the exit surface (2410) and the incident surface (2420) are connected by both ends of the connecting surface (2430), and an air gap is formed between the exit surface (2410) and the incident surface (2420).

[0072] In the embodiment of the present invention, an example will be described in which both ends of the connection surface (2430) are positioned on the central axis (C) of the emission portion (2300). In this case, among the both ends of the emission surface (2410) and the incident surface (2420), one end closer to the central axis (C) of the emission portion (2300) may be positioned on the central axis (C) of the emission portion (2300).

[0073] The light whose light path has been adjusted by the aforementioned light path adjustment unit (2200) can be emitted through the exit surface (2410), re-entered through the incident surface (2420), and then emitted through the exit unit (2300), thereby forming a low beam pattern (P) having a cut-off line (CL) corresponding to the shape of one side of the connecting surface (2430) as shown in the aforementioned FIG. 7.

[0074] At this time, the exit surface (2410) can be formed to have a greater curvature on both sides than the center in the left-right direction, which is to improve the light collection so that the light emitted through both sides of the exit surface (2410) can be collected at the rear focus (F) of the exit portion (2300) or its vicinity.

[0075] In the embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 7, a case is described in which a step is formed so that the cut-off line (CL) has different heights on both sides based on the center, so that one end of the connecting surface (2430) may also have a step formed so that the two sides have different heights based on the center, but is not limited thereto. In the case in which the cut-off line (CL) is formed so that the two sides do not have a step based on the center, one end of the connecting surface (2430) may also be formed so that the two sides do not have a step based on the center.

[0076] Meanwhile, in the embodiment of the present invention, the light incident on at least one incident portion (2100) is emitted through the exit surface (2410) and re-incident on the entrance surface (2420). This can be understood as allowing the low beam pattern (P) to be formed at a more accurate position by enabling the light path control by the curvature of the exit surface (2410) in addition to the light path control by the at least one incident portion (2100) and the light path adjustment portion (2200) so that the low beam pattern (P) can be formed at a more accurate position because the low beam pattern (P) can secure a sufficient field of view without causing glare to the driver of the vehicle in front only when the cut-off line (CL) is formed at the correct position.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the light whose optical path is adjusted by the optical path adjustment unit (2200) is emitted through the exit surface (2410) to form a low beam pattern (P) is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The optical path adjustment unit (2200) may be configured with a first region (A1) and a second region (A2) as in FIG. 8, and some of the light (L, L') incident on at least one incident portion (2100) may have its optical path adjusted to be emitted through the exit surface (2410) by the first region (A1), and other light (L') may proceed to the exit portion (2300) through the space between the connection surface (2430) and the lower surface of the light guide portion (2000) by the second region (A2) to form an additional beam pattern.

[0078] In an embodiment of the present invention, the light (L') whose optical path is adjusted by the second area (A2) is emitted so as to be refracted in the direction toward the central axis (C) of the emission area (2300), that is, in the upward direction, as it proceeds to the emission area (2300) through the lower space based on the rear focus (F) of the emission area (2300), and thereby, as shown in FIG. 9, at least a portion of the additional beam pattern (P') is formed above the low beam pattern (P), thereby forming a signal beam pattern that enables easy identification of road signs, etc. located above the driver's line of sight. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the light distribution characteristics and purpose of the additional beam pattern (P') may be variously changed depending on the position or curvature of the second area (A2).

[0079] In the above-described embodiment, a case is described as an example in which a low beam pattern (P) is formed or a low beam pattern (P) and an additional beam pattern (P') are formed together when light is emitted from at least one light source (1000), but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention may be configured such that light sources for forming different beam patterns are each separately provided so that different beam patterns are formed.

[0080] FIGS. 10 to 12 are perspective views illustrating a vehicle lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 13 is a side view illustrating a vehicle lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 14 is a plan view illustrating a vehicle lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B' of FIG. 14.

[0081] Referring to FIGS. 10 to 15, a vehicle lamp (1) according to another embodiment of the present invention may include at least one first light source (1100), at least one second light source (1200), and a light guide portion (2000). Components that play the same role as those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and a detailed description of their roles is omitted.

[0082] At least one first light source (1100) can emit light for forming a first beam pattern, and at least one second light source (1200) can emit light for forming a second beam pattern. An example in which at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200) use LEDs similar to at least one light source (1000) of the above-described embodiment will be described.

[0083] In another embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 16, a case will be described as an example in which the first beam pattern is a low beam pattern (P1) having a cut-off line (CL) of a predetermined shape, and the second beam pattern is a high beam pattern (P2) at least part of which is located above the cut-off line (CL), and the high beam pattern (P2) can be formed together with the low beam pattern (P1) to secure a wide field of view and a long field of view in front of the vehicle.

[0084] The optical axis (Ax1) of at least one first light source (1100) and the optical axis (Ax2) of at least one second light source (1200) can be positioned parallel to each other, so that at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200) can be installed on a common substrate (1300), and since the substrate on which at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200) are installed can be shared, the number of parts is reduced compared to when individual substrates are used for at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200), so that the assembly process can be simplified and costs can be reduced, and more efficient heat dissipation structure and heat dissipation performance can be implemented.

[0085] The light guide unit (2000) may include at least one first incident unit (2110), at least one second incident unit (2120), a light path adjustment unit (2200), an emission unit (2300), and a transmission unit (2400).

[0086] At least one first incident portion (2110) may include a central plane (2111) centered on an optical axis (Ax1) of at least one first light source (1100), a protruding surface (2112) formed to protrude from the central plane (2111) toward at least one first light source (1100), and a reflecting surface (2113) that reflects light incident from the protruding surface (2112) so that it travels in an up-down direction.

[0087] In addition, at least one second incident portion (2120) may include a central plane (2121) centered on an optical axis (Ax2) of at least one second light source (1200), a protruding surface (2122) formed to protrude from the central plane (2121) toward at least one second light source (1200), and a reflecting surface (2123) that reflects light incident from the protruding surface (2122) so that it travels in an up-down direction.

[0088] The light path adjustment unit (2200) may include a first adjustment unit (2210) and a second adjustment unit (2220) that adjust the path of light so that light incident on at least one first incident portion (2110) and at least one second incident portion (2120) proceeds forward. In another embodiment of the present invention, each of the first adjustment unit (2210) and the second adjustment unit (2220) is formed to be inclined so that the other end is positioned forward compared to one end closer to at least one first incident portion (2110) and at least one second incident portion (2120) in the vertical direction, so that light incident on at least one first incident portion (2110) and at least one second incident portion (2120) is reflected so that it proceeds forward. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and each of the first adjustment unit (2210) and the second adjustment unit (2220) may include at least one first incident portion (2110) and at least one second The path of light can be adjusted by at least one of refraction and reflection of light entering the entrance portion (2120).

[0089] At this time, since at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200) are arranged in the front-back direction, at least one first incident portion (2110) and at least one second incident portion (2120) can also be arranged in the front-back direction, and in this case, the first adjustment portion (2210) and the second adjustment portion (2220) are arranged along the up-and-down direction so that the light incident on each of the at least one first incident portion (2110) and the at least one second incident portion (2120) travels forward, and at the same time, they are arranged along the front-back direction so that the path of the light is adjusted so that the light incident on the at least one first incident portion (2110) and the at least one second incident portion (2120) travels forward, thereby preventing structural interference from occurring with each other.

[0090] In the embodiment of the present invention, an example will be described in which the first adjustment unit (2210) is positioned above the second adjustment unit (2220). This is to ensure that the light, whose path is adjusted to proceed forward by the first adjustment unit (2210), is emitted through the emission surface (2410) of the transmission unit (2400) and focused at or near the rear focus (F) of the emission unit (2300). This is to ensure that the cut-off line (CL) of the low beam pattern (P1) is formed at the correct position so as not to cause glare to the driver of the vehicle ahead, while also ensuring a sufficient field of vision.

[0091] At this time, the first adjustment unit (2210) may be positioned forward compared to the second adjustment unit (2220) so that the light whose light path is adjusted by the first adjustment unit (2210) is emitted through the emission surface (2410). In this case, at least one first light source (1100) and at least one first incident portion (2110) may be positioned forward compared to at least one second light source (1200) and at least one second incident portion (2120).

[0092] In addition, the first adjustment unit (2210) and the second adjustment unit (2220) in the vertical direction can be positioned on both sides based on the central axis (C) of the emission unit (2300), so that the light (L1) traveling forward by the first adjustment unit (2210) as shown in FIG. 15 described above is emitted through the emission surface (2410) to form a low beam pattern (P1), and the light (L2) traveling forward by the second adjustment unit (2220) located lower than the first adjustment unit (2210) is focused on the rear focus (F) of the emission unit (2300) or its vicinity through the space between the connection surface (2430) and the lower surface of the light guide unit (200) to form a high beam pattern (P2).

[0093] Meanwhile, since the optical axis (Ax1) of at least one first light source (1100) and the optical axis (Ax2) of at least one second light source (1200) are positioned to intersect the central axis (C) of the emission portion (2300) similarly to the above-described embodiment, the space occupied by the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention in the front-rear direction can be reduced.

[0094] In another embodiment of the present invention, a case is described as an example in which light is emitted in an upward direction from at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200), and at least one first incident portion (2110) and at least one second incident portion (2120) are positioned above each of at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200), but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the opposite case is also possible.

[0095] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a vehicle lamp according to another embodiment of the present invention. Unlike FIG. 15 described above, light is emitted in a downward direction from at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200), and at least one first incident portion (2110) and at least one second incident portion (2120) may be positioned below each of the at least one first light source (1100) and the at least one second light source (1200).

[0096] At this time, it can be seen that each of the first adjustment unit (2210) and the second adjustment unit (2220) in FIG. 17 is formed to be inclined so that the lower end is positioned forward compared to the upper end close to at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200), and this is similar to FIG. 15 described above, to adjust the path of the light so that the light that is incident on each of the at least one first incident unit (2110) and at least one second incident unit (2120) and travels in the up-down direction travels forward.

[0097] Meanwhile, in FIG. 17, unlike FIG. 15 described above, it can be seen that at least one second light source (1200) and at least one second incident portion (2120) are positioned forward compared to at least one first light source (1100) and at least one first incident portion (2110). This is because, when light is emitted in a downward direction from at least one first light source (1100) and at least one second light source (1200), in order for the light whose optical path is adjusted by the first adjustment portion (2210) to be emitted through the emission surface (2410), the first adjustment portion (2210) must be positioned above and behind the second adjustment portion (2220) so that structural interference does not occur between them.

[0098] As described above, since the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention is positioned so that the optical axes (Ax, Ax1, Ax2) of at least one light source (1000, 1100, 1200) and the central axis (C) of the emission portion (2300) intersect each other, the space occupied by the vehicle lamp (1) of the present invention in the front-rear direction can be reduced, and since the light sources (1100, 1200) respectively provided for forming different beam patterns are installed on a common substrate (1300), the common use of components for forming different beam patterns is possible, so that the number of parts is reduced and the assembly process is simplified, which not only reduces costs but also enables the implementation of a more efficient heat dissipation structure and heat dissipation performance.

[0099] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical concept or essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. At least one light source emitting light in an up-down direction; and It includes a light guide unit that guides light emitted from at least one light source to proceed forward, The above light guide part, At least one incident portion onto which light emitted from at least one light source is incident; An optical path adjusting unit that adjusts an optical path so that light that is incident on at least one of the above-mentioned incident units and propagates in an up-and-down direction propagates forward; An emission unit located in front of the optical path adjustment unit so that at least a portion of the light traveling forward by the optical path adjustment unit is emitted to form a predetermined beam pattern; and A vehicle lamp including a transmission unit that transmits light traveling forward by the light path adjustment unit to the emission unit.

2. In paragraph 1, At least one light source, A vehicle lamp positioned so that the optical axis intersects the central axis of the above-mentioned emission unit.

3. In paragraph 2, The central axis of the above-mentioned projection part is They are positioned parallel to each other in the front-back direction, At least one optical axis is, A vehicle lamp positioned perpendicular to the central axis of the above-mentioned emission unit.

4. In paragraph 1, The above optical path adjustment unit is, A vehicle lamp formed to be inclined so that the other end is positioned forward compared to one end closer to at least one light source in the vertical direction.

5. In paragraph 1, The above transmission unit, An emission surface from which light traveling forward is emitted by the above optical path adjustment unit; An entrance surface through which light emitted through the above exit surface is re-entered and proceeds to the exit portion; and A vehicle lamp including a connecting surface connecting the above-mentioned emission surface and the above-mentioned incidence surface.

6. In paragraph 5, The above-mentioned emission surface is, A vehicle lamp formed so that both sides have a greater curvature than the center.

7. In paragraph 5, The above optical path adjustment unit is, A first region that allows a portion of light incident on at least one of the incident portions to be emitted through the exit surface to form the beam pattern; and A vehicle lamp including a second region that allows another portion of the light incident on at least one of the light sources to travel through a space between one surface of the light guide portion and the connecting surface to the emission portion, thereby forming an additional beam pattern.

8. In paragraph 5, The above connecting surface is, It is formed so that one end is positioned at the rear focus of the above-mentioned emission unit and the other end extends toward the rear, Among the two ends of the above-mentioned emission surface and the above-mentioned entrance surface in the vertical direction, the end closer to the central axis of the above-mentioned emission portion is, A vehicle lamp positioned to be connected to each end of the above connecting surface.

9. In paragraph 1, At least one light source, At least one first light source emitting light for forming a first beam pattern; and At least one first light source and at least one second light source positioned along the front-back direction and emitting light for forming a second beam pattern, At least one of the above entrances, At least one first incident portion that allows light emitted and incident from at least one first light source to proceed to the light path adjustment portion; and A vehicle lamp comprising at least one first incident portion and at least one second incident portion positioned along the front-rear direction and allowing light emitted and incident from the at least one second light source to proceed to the light path adjustment portion.

10. In paragraph 9, The above optical path adjustment unit is, A first adjusting unit that adjusts the path of light so that light incident on at least one of the first incident units proceeds forward; and A vehicle lamp comprising a second adjusting section for adjusting the path of light so that light incident on at least one of the second incident sections proceeds forward.

11. In paragraph 10, The above first adjustment department, It is formed to be inclined so that the other end is positioned forward compared to the one end closer to the at least one first light source in the vertical direction, The above second adjustment department, A vehicle lamp formed to be inclined so that the other end is positioned forward compared to the one end closer to the at least one second light source in the vertical direction.

12. In paragraph 10, The above first adjustment department, It is located above the second adjustment section, A vehicle lamp, wherein one of the first adjustment unit and the second adjustment unit is located in front of the other.

13. In paragraph 12, The light that advances forward by the above first adjustment unit is By the above transmission unit, it proceeds to the above output unit through the upper space based on the central axis of the above output unit, The light that advances forward by the second adjustment unit is A vehicle lamp that advances to the emission unit through a lower space based on the central axis of the emission unit by the transmission unit.

14. In paragraph 13, The above transmission unit, An emission surface through which light traveling forward is emitted by the first adjustment unit; An entrance surface through which light emitted through the above exit surface is re-entered and proceeds to the exit portion; and It includes a connecting surface in which one end is positioned at the rear focus of the above-mentioned emission section and the other end extends rearward, and the two ends are connected to the lower end closer to the central axis of the above-mentioned emission section among the two ends of the above-mentioned emission section and the above-mentioned entrance surface in the vertical direction, The light that advances forward by the above first adjustment unit is Based on the above connection surface, the light is focused on the rear focus of the output unit through the upper space, The light that advances forward by the second adjustment unit is A vehicle lamp that is focused on the rear focus of the emission unit through the lower space based on the above connection surface.

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