Vehicle lamp

Abstract

In the present invention, when a vehicle lamp is provided with a light source which is at least one of a tail lamp (11) or a brake lamp (12) of a vehicle (1), and a reflector having a reflective surface which reflects light emitted from the light source toward the rear of the vehicle (1), the reflectance of a visible portion of the reflective surface which is visible from the rear of the vehicle (1) in a state of being mounted on the vehicle (1) is set to be higher than the reflectance of a portion of the reflective surface other than the visible portion.

Description

Vehicle lamp

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

[0002] An LED lamp unit that irradiates light from an LED light source downward onto a reflector inclined forward and upward of a vehicle is provided. The LED lamp unit includes a heat sink extending downward from the LED light source. The heat sink has a base portion, heat radiation fins formed to stand upright from the front side and the rear side of the base portion, and a black cover portion that covers the lower heat radiation fins from above and extends horizontally at a position in front of the LED light source. A vehicle headlamp is known (Patent Document 1). In this vehicle headlamp, when the LED light source is not emitting light, the black cover portion facing the reflector is reflected in the reflector, so the LED lamp unit is less conspicuous when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-112954

[0004] In the above prior art, when the LED light source emits light, there is a problem that the black cover portion is reflected in the light irradiated from the reflector, and the color of the light irradiated from the reflector becomes non-uniform.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp capable of suppressing the non-uniformity of the color of the light irradiated from the reflector.

[0006] When a vehicle lamp according to the present invention includes at least one of a tail lamp and a brake lamp light source of a vehicle and a reflector having a reflecting surface that reflects light irradiated from the light source toward the rear of the vehicle, the reflectance of the visible portion of the reflecting surface that can be visually recognized from the rear of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle is set higher than the reflectance of the portion of the reflecting surface other than the visible portion to solve the above problem.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the non-uniformity of the color of the light irradiated from the reflector.

[0008] This is a rear view showing a vehicle equipped with a vehicle lamp according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is an enlarged rear view showing the first lamp and the second lamp in Figure 1. This is a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 2. This is a cross-sectional view along line B-B in Figure 2. This is a cross-sectional view along line C-C in Figure 2.

[0009] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, "front" refers to the front of the vehicle, "rear" refers to the rear of the vehicle, "right" refers to the right side of the vehicle, "left" refers to the left side of the vehicle, "up" refers to the top of the vehicle, and "down" refers to the bottom of the vehicle. The front-rear direction of the vehicle is also simply referred to as the front-rear direction, the left-right direction of the vehicle is also referred to as the vehicle width direction, and the up-down direction of the vehicle is also referred to as the height direction.

[0010] In the following explanation, the front of the vehicle, the rear of the vehicle, the right side of the vehicle, the left side of the vehicle, the top of the vehicle, and the bottom of the vehicle correspond to the front, back, right, left, top, and bottom sides of the vehicle, respectively. The right and / or left sides of the vehicle are also referred to as the vehicle sides.

[0011] Furthermore, the front of the vehicle's power source (e.g., the engine) is defined as the front side, and viewing the vehicle from the front of the power source is called a front view of the vehicle. Similarly, viewing the vehicle from the rear is called a rear view of the vehicle, viewing the vehicle from the right or left side is called a side view of the vehicle, viewing the vehicle from above is called a top view of the vehicle, and viewing the vehicle from below is called a bottom view of the vehicle.

[0012] [Configuration of Vehicle Lamp] Figure 1 shows a vehicle equipped with a vehicle lamp according to one embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as this embodiment). The vehicle lamp of this embodiment is a lighting device installed at the rear of the vehicle (for example, the left rear and right rear of the vehicle), and is a combination lamp in which a taillight, brake light, turn signal and reverse light are integrated. The vehicle is not particularly limited as long as the vehicle lamp of this embodiment can be mounted on it.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment includes a first lamp 10 provided on the left rear of the vehicle 1, a third lamp 30 provided on the right rear of the vehicle 1, and a second lamp 20 provided on the back door of the vehicle 1 and extending in the vehicle width direction between the first lamp 10 and the third lamp 30. The first lamp 10 and the third lamp 30 have a shape that is symmetrical with respect to a plane (hereinafter also referred to as the plane of symmetry) that passes through the center of the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1 and is perpendicular to the vehicle width direction. The second lamp 20 also has a shape that is symmetrical with respect to the plane of symmetry. The first lamp 10, the second lamp 20, and the third lamp 30 correspond to vehicle lamps according to the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 is an enlarged rear view showing the first lamp 10 and the second lamp 20 of Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the first lamp 10 is a combination lamp equipped with a taillight 11, a brake light 12, and a turn signal 13, and the second lamp 20 is a combination lamp equipped with a taillight 21, a reverse light 22, and a fog light 23. The taillight 11 is located above the first lamp 10, the turn signal 13 is located below the first lamp 10, and the brake light 12 is located between the taillight 11 and the turn signal 13. Both the reverse light 22 and the fog light 23 are located below the taillight 21.

[0015] The taillights 11 and 21 are lights that indicate the presence and width of vehicle 1 when viewed from the rear. The brake light 12 is a light that indicates to other road users behind vehicle 1 that the driver is using the brakes. The light of the brake light 12 is red. The turn signal 13 is a light that indicates to other road users that the driver is changing the direction of vehicle 1. The reverse light 22 is a light that illuminates the road behind vehicle 1 and warns other road users that vehicle 1 is reversing or about to reverse. The fog light 23 is a light that further enhances the visibility of vehicle 1 from the rear by transmitting a red signal (or yellow signal) with a higher intensity than the taillights 11 and 21. Note that other road users are moving objects other than vehicle 1, and include automobiles, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, etc.

[0016] The vehicle lamp according to the present invention is not limited to the first lamp 10, second lamp 20, and third lamp 30 shown in Figure 1. For example, the taillight 11 and brake light 12 may be integrated into a single light fixture. The vehicle lamp of this embodiment does not necessarily need to have both taillights 11, 21 and brake light 12, but may have at least one of the taillights 11, 21 and brake light 12. The turn signal 13, reverse light 22, and fog light 23 are not essential components of the vehicle lamp of this embodiment and may be omitted as needed.

[0017] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the first lamp 10 has a space formed by an outer lens 15 supported by a support member 14 and a housing 16, and the elements constituting the taillight 11, brake light 12, and turn signal 13 are housed in this space.

[0018] The support member 14 is a component molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate or ASA (Acrylonitrile-Styrene-Acrylate) resin. The support member 14 is joined to the housing 16 while supporting the outer lens 15. The shape of the support member 14 is not particularly limited as long as it can properly support the outer lens 15.

[0019] The outer lens 15 is a plate-shaped member made of a highly transparent resin material such as acrylic resin, and is specifically formed by injection molding of resin materials such as polymethyl methacrylate and polycarbonate. The outer lens 15 emits light from the light sources of the taillight 11, brake light 12, and turn signal 13 to the outside of the first lamp 10. The outer lens 15 has a shape that curves forward from the inside to the outside of the vehicle 1, in accordance with the shape of the vehicle body 1.

[0020] The housing 16 is a box-shaped component formed by injection molding of a resin material such as ASA resin. The housing 16 supports the outer lens 15, which is supported by the support member 14, and also houses and holds the elements that constitute the taillight 11, brake light 12, and turn signal 13. The housing 16 has a shape that curves forward from the inside to the outside of the vehicle 1, in accordance with the shape of the vehicle body 1.

[0021] The first lamp 10 houses a light guide tube 111, a reflector 112, a support member 113, and an inner lens 114 as components of the taillight 11.

[0022] The light guide tube 111 is a cylindrical member equipped with a light source at least at one end and / or inside, which guides light emitted from the light source and illuminates the reflector 112. Examples of light sources for the light guide tube 111 include incandescent light bulbs and white-emitting LED (light-emitting diode) lamps. The light guide tube 111 is a tube formed by extrusion molding of a resin material such as polymethyl methacrylate or polycarbonate, and the size of the tube is not particularly limited as long as a signal of a desired luminous intensity (for example, luminous intensity defined by road traffic regulations) is displayed from the taillight 11 and it can be housed inside the first lamp 10. The light guide tube 111 extends in the vehicle width direction between the left and right ends of the first lamp 10 and is attached to the housing 16 by a bracket (not shown) or the like. The light guide tube 111 corresponds to the first light source according to the present invention.

[0023] The reflector 112 is a component that reflects light emitted from the light guide tube 111 and illuminates it toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The reflector 112 has a bowl-shaped (cup-shaped) form that is open toward the rear of the vehicle (i.e., has an opening on the rear side of the vehicle), and is fixed to the housing 16 or the like with its bottom facing toward the front of the vehicle. The reflector 112 is molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate. The reflector 112 corresponds to the first reflector according to the present invention.

[0024] The reflector 112 has a reflective surface S1 that reflects light emitted from the light guide tube 111 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The shape of the reflective surface S1 is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately illuminate the light emitted from the light guide tube 111 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. For example, the reflector 112 surrounds the light guide tube 111 and has a shape that protrudes from the light guide tube 111 toward the rear of the vehicle 1, and the cross-section of the reflector 112 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction and the height direction each has a parabolic shape with the apex on the front side of the vehicle. The light guide tube 111 may also be positioned at the focal point of the reflective surface S1 of the reflector 112. The shape of the cross-section of the reflector 112 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction and the height direction each corresponds to the shape of the reflective surface S1. The reflective surface S1 corresponds to the first reflective surface according to the present invention.

[0025] The support member 113 is a component molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate or ASA resin. The support member 113 is attached to the housing 16 while supporting the inner lens 114. The shape of the support member 113 is not particularly limited, as long as it can properly support the inner lens 114 and be housed inside the first lamp 10.

[0026] The inner lens 114 is a plate-shaped member made of a highly transparent resin material such as acrylic resin, and is specifically formed by injection molding of a resin material such as polymethyl methacrylate or polycarbonate. The inner lens 114 emits light from the light guide tube 111 and reflected by the reflector 112 to the outer lens 15. The inner lens 114 has an appropriate color (for example, red) depending on the color of the light emitted from the light guide tube 111. If the inner lens 114 is red, red light is emitted to the outer lens 15. The inner lens 114 has an appropriate shape that conforms to the shape of the taillight 11.

[0027] The brake light 12 is composed of the following elements: the first lamp 10 houses a red LED lamp 121, a reflector 122, and a support member 123.

[0028] The red LED lamp 121 comprises a base printed circuit board, a lamp housing H1 disposed on one surface of the printed circuit board, an LED element mounted on the printed circuit board inside the lamp housing H1, and a sealing resin that fills the lamp housing H1 and seals the LED element. The printed circuit board has a circuit pattern formed of metal conductors, and die bonding pads for mounting the LED element and wire bonding pads for connecting bonding wires are formed thereon. The color of the printed circuit board is, for example, black. The lamp housing H1 is made of a highly reflective material such as a white resin material and has a cylindrical shape with an opening at the bottom of the vehicle. The sealing resin is a resin in which a phosphor is mixed with a light-transmitting resin. The LED element of the red LED lamp 121 emits red light. As a result, the red LED lamp 121 irradiates red light from the lamp housing H1 toward the reflector 122. The red LED lamp 121 corresponds to the first light source according to the present invention.

[0029] The reflector 122 is a component that reflects light emitted from the red LED lamp 121 and illuminates it toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The reflector 122 has a box-like shape that is open toward the top and rear of the vehicle (i.e., it has openings on the top and rear sides of the vehicle) and is fixed to the housing 16 or the like. The reflector 122 is molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate. The reflector 122 corresponds to the first reflector according to the present invention.

[0030] The reflector 122 has a reflective surface S2 that reflects the red light emitted from the red LED lamp 121 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The shape of the reflective surface S2 is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately reflect the red light emitted from the red LED lamp 121 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. For example, the reflector 122 covers the lamp housing H1 of the red LED lamp 121 from below the vehicle and has a reflective surface S2 on the lower side of the vehicle that is a concave mirror-like reflective surface. Also, the cross-section of the reflector 122 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction may have a parabolic shape with its apex on the lower side of the vehicle. The shape of the cross-section of the reflector 122 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction corresponds to the shape of the reflective surface S2. Note that the reflective surface S2 corresponds to the first reflective surface according to the present invention.

[0031] The support member 123 is a component molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate or ASA resin. The support member 123 is attached to the housing 16 while supporting the red LED lamp 121. The shape of the support member 123 is not particularly limited, as long as it can properly support the red LED lamp 121 and be housed inside the first lamp 10.

[0032] The elements constituting the turn signal 13 include a light bulb 131, a reflector 132, a support member 133, and an inner lens 134 housed in the first lamp 10.

[0033] The light bulb 131 is a lighting device in which a substance that becomes a light-emitting material when electricity is passed through it is enclosed in a glass sphere. Examples of light bulbs 131 include incandescent light bulbs and halogen lamps. Any known light bulb 131 can be used without particular limitation, as long as it can display a signal of the desired luminous intensity (for example, the luminous intensity stipulated by road traffic regulations) from the turn signal 13 and can be housed inside the first lamp 10. The light bulb 131 is attached to the housing 16 via a socket 131a or the like. The light bulb 131 corresponds to the second light source according to the present invention. In addition to the light bulb 131, the second light source may also be an HID (high-intensity discharge) lamp, an LED lamp, or the like.

[0034] The reflector 132 is a component that reflects light emitted from the light bulb 131 and illuminates the rear of the vehicle 1. The reflector 132 has a bowl-shaped (cup-shaped) form that is open towards the rear of the vehicle (i.e., has an opening on the rear side of the vehicle), and is fixed to the housing 16 or the like with its bottom facing the front of the vehicle. The reflector 132 is molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate. Note that the reflector 132 corresponds to the second reflector according to the present invention.

[0035] The reflector 132 has a reflective surface S3 that reflects light emitted from the light bulb 131 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The shape of the reflective surface S3 is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately illuminate the light emitted from the light bulb 131 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. For example, the reflector 132 surrounds the light bulb 131 and has a shape that protrudes from the light bulb 131 toward the rear of the vehicle 1, and the cross-section of the reflector 132 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction and the height direction each has a parabolic shape with the apex on the front side of the vehicle. The shape of the cross-section of the reflector 132 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction and the height direction each corresponds to the shape of the reflective surface S3. The light bulb 131 may also be positioned at the focal point of the reflective surface S3 of the reflector 132. Note that the reflective surface S3 corresponds to the second reflective surface according to the present invention.

[0036] The support member 133 is a component molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate or ASA resin. The support member 133 is attached to the housing 16 while supporting the inner lens 134. The shape of the support member 133 is not particularly limited, as long as it can properly support the inner lens 134 and be housed inside the first lamp 10.

[0037] The inner lens 134 is a plate-shaped member made of a highly transparent resin material such as acrylic resin, and is specifically formed by injection molding of a resin material such as polymethyl methacrylate or polycarbonate. The inner lens 134 emits light from the light bulb 131 and reflected by the reflector 132 to the outer lens 15. The inner lens 134 has an appropriate color (for example, yellow) depending on the color of the light emitted from the light bulb 131. If the inner lens 134 is yellow, yellow light is emitted to the outer lens 15. The inner lens 134 has an appropriate shape that conforms to the shape of the turn signal 13.

[0038] When the first lamp 10 shown in Figure 2 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, a portion of the elements housed in the first lamp 10 is visible. When the first lamp 10 mounted on the vehicle 1 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the visible portion S1a, which is a part of the reflective surface S1 of the reflector 112 shown in Figure 3, the visible portion S2a, which is a part of the reflective surface S2 of the reflector 122, and the visible portion S3a, which is a part of the reflective surface S3 of the reflector 132, are visible through the inner lenses 114, 134 and the outer lens 15. The visible portions S1a and S2a correspond to the first visible portion according to the present invention, and the visible portion S3a corresponds to the second visible portion according to the present invention.

[0039] Since the first lamp 10 is an exterior part of the vehicle 1, the user satisfaction of the vehicle 1 can be increased by appropriately setting the shape and color of the elements that make up the first lamp 10 to improve its design (appearance). For example, the reflector 112 is molded by injection molding of polycarbonate mixed with a black coloring agent (e.g., carbon black), making the reflector 112 a black material. As a result, when the first lamp 10 is mounted on the vehicle 1 and viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the visible portion S1a of the taillight 11 appears black through the inner lens 114 and outer lens 15, improving the appearance of the first lamp 10.

[0040] When the entire reflective surface S1 of the reflector 112 is black, and no light is irradiated from the light guide tube 111, the black visible portion S1a is visible through the outer lens 15. On the other hand, in the same case, when light is irradiated from the light guide tube 111, when the first lamp 10 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the black of the visible portion S1a overlaps with the red light irradiated from the reflector 112 and transmitted through the inner lens 114, resulting in an uneven color of light that is a mixture of red and black visible through the outer lens 15. In addition, the reflection of the black visible portion S1a in the red light transmitted through the inner lens 114 reduces the luminosity of the signal displayed by the taillight 11.

[0041] Therefore, in the first lamp 10 of this embodiment, in order to prevent the light intensity of the signal displayed by the taillight 11 from decreasing due to the visibility portion S1a being reflected in the red light transmitted through the inner lens 114, causing the color of the light emitted from the inner lens 114 and the outer lens 15 to become uneven, the reflectance of the visibility portion S1a of the reflective surface S1 shown in Figure 3 is set higher than the reflectance of the parts of the reflective surface S1 other than the visibility portion S1a. Similarly, in the brake light 12, in order to prevent the light intensity of the signal displayed by the brake light 12 from decreasing due to the visibility portion S2a being reflected in the red light emitted from the red LED lamp 121, causing the color of the light emitted from the outer lens 15 to become uneven, the reflectance of the visibility portion S2a of the reflective surface S2 is set higher than the reflectance of the parts of the reflective surface S2 other than the visibility portion S2a. On the other hand, the light bulb 131 only flashes when the turn signal 13 is activated, and the time it emits light is shorter than that of the light guide tube 111 and the red LED lamp 121. Therefore, in order to improve the aesthetics while increasing the luminosity of the signal displayed by the turn signal 13, the reflectance of the visible portion S3a of the reflective surface S3 is set lower than the reflectance of the portion of the reflective surface S3 other than the visible portion S3a.

[0042] The reflectance of the visible portion (hereinafter also simply referred to as reflectance) is defined in JIS Z8120:2001 (Optical Terminology) as the ratio of the luminous flux reflected by the visible portion to the luminous flux incident on the visible portion, and is expressed as a percentage (%). The reflectance is measured according to the procedures specified in JIS C 9502:2014 (Bicycle lighting devices), JIS D 5500:1995 (Automotive lamps), JIS D 9452:2018 (Bicycles - Reflex reflectors), JIS Z 9107:2008 (Safety signs - Classification of performance, performance standards and test methods), JIS Z 9117:2011 (Retroreflective materials), etc.

[0043] The reflectance of the visible portions S1a, S2a, and S3a is adjusted by performing surface treatment on at least one of the visible portions S1a, S2a, S3a and the portions of the reflecting surfaces S1, S2, S3 other than the visible portions S1a, S2a, S3a. As an example, when setting the reflectance of the visible portions S1a, S2a of the reflecting surfaces S1, S2 to be higher than the reflectance of the portions of the reflecting surfaces S1, S2 other than the visible portions S1a, S2a, a thin film of a metal (such as aluminum or silver) is formed on the visible portions S1a, S2a by a forming method such as vacuum evaporation, sputtering, thermal CVD (chemical vapor deposition), plating, or coating. As another example, when setting the reflectance of the visible portion S3a of the reflecting surface S3 to be lower than the reflectance of the portions of the reflecting surface S3 other than the visible portion S3a, a thin film of a metal (such as aluminum or silver) is formed on the portions of the reflecting surface S3 other than the visible portion S3a by a forming method such as vacuum evaporation, sputtering, thermal CVD, plating, or coating.

[0044] Note that it is not always necessary to set the reflectance of the visible portion S1a of the reflecting surface S1 (hereinafter also referred to as reflectance R1) to be higher than the reflectance of the portion of the reflecting surface S1 other than the visible portion S1a (hereinafter also referred to as reflectance R2), and the reflectance of the visible portion S2a of the reflecting surface S2 (hereinafter also referred to as reflectance R3) to be higher than the reflectance of the portion of the reflecting surface S2 other than the visible portion S2a (hereinafter also referred to as reflectance R4). That is, the first lamp 10 of the present embodiment only needs to satisfy at least one of the conditions that reflectance R1 is higher than reflectance R2 and reflectance R3 is higher than reflectance R4.

[0045] Next, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B - B of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the second lamp 20 has a space formed by an outer lens 25 supported by a support member 24 and a housing 26, and elements constituting the tail lamp 21 and the reverse lamp 22 are accommodated in the space.

[0046] The support member 24 is a member formed by injection molding a resin material such as polycarbonate or ASA resin, similar to the support member 14. The support member 24 is joined to the housing 26 while supporting the outer lens 25. The shape of the support member 24 is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately support the outer lens 25.

[0047] The outer lens 25 is a plate-like member made of a highly transparent resin material such as acrylic resin, similar to the outer lens 15. The outer lens 25 emits the light irradiated from the light sources of the tail lamp 21 and the reverse lamp 22 to the outside of the second lamp 20. The outer lens 25 extends in the vehicle width direction in accordance with the shape of the back door of the vehicle 1.

[0048] The housing 26 is a box-shaped member formed by injection molding a resin material such as ASA resin, similar to the housing 16. The housing 26 supports the outer lens 25 supported by the support member 24, and houses and holds the elements constituting the tail lamp 21 and the reverse lamp 22. The housing 26 extends in the vehicle width direction in accordance with the shape of the back door of the vehicle 1.

[0049] As elements constituting the tail lamp 21, the second lamp 20 houses a light guide tube 211, a reflector 212, a support member 213, and an inner lens 214.

[0050] The light guide tube 211 is a cylindrical member that includes a light source at at least one of its end and inside, guides the light irradiated from the light source, and irradiates the reflector 212, similar to the light guide tube 111. The light source included in the light guide tube 211 is the same as that of the light guide tube 111. The light guide tube 211 is formed by the same material and molding method as the light guide tube 111. The size of the light guide tube 211 is not particularly limited as long as a signal of a desired luminous intensity (for example, the luminous intensity defined by the Road Traffic Act) is displayed from the tail lamp 21 and it can be housed inside the second lamp 20. The light guide tube 211 extends in the vehicle width direction between the left and right ends of the second lamp 20 and is attached to the housing 26 by a bracket (not shown). Note that the light guide tube 211 corresponds to the first light source according to the present invention.

[0051] The reflector 212, like the reflector 112, is a component that reflects light emitted from the light guide tube 211 and illuminates it toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The reflector 212 has a bowl-shaped (cup-shaped) form that is open toward the rear of the vehicle (i.e., has an opening on the rear side of the vehicle), and is fixed to the housing 26 or the like with its bottom facing toward the front of the vehicle. The reflector 212 is molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate. Note that the reflector 212 corresponds to the first reflector according to the present invention.

[0052] The reflector 212 has a reflective surface S4 that reflects light emitted from the light guide tube 211 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The shape of the reflective surface S4 is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately illuminate the light emitted from the light guide tube 211 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. For example, the reflector 212 surrounds the light guide tube 211 and has a shape that protrudes from the light guide tube 211 toward the rear of the vehicle 1, and the cross-section of the reflector 212 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction and the height direction each has a parabolic shape with the apex on the front side of the vehicle. The shape of the cross-section of the reflector 212 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction and the height direction each corresponds to the shape of the reflective surface S4. The light guide tube 211 may also be positioned at the focal point of the reflective surface S4 of the reflector 212. The reflective surface S4 corresponds to the first reflective surface according to the present invention.

[0053] The support member 213, like the support member 113, is a component molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate or ASA resin. The support member 213 is attached to the housing 26 while supporting the inner lens 214. The shape of the support member 213 is not particularly limited, as long as it can properly support the inner lens 214 and be housed inside the second lamp 20.

[0054] The inner lens 214, like the inner lens 114, is a plate-shaped component made of a highly transparent resin material such as acrylic resin. The inner lens 214 emits light from the light guide tube 211 and reflected by the reflector 212 to the outer lens 25. The inner lens 214 has an appropriate color (for example, red) corresponding to the color of the light emitted from the light guide tube 211. The inner lens 214 has an appropriate shape that conforms to the shape of the taillight 21.

[0055] As elements constituting the reverse light 22, the second lamp 20 houses an LED lamp 221 and a reflector 222.

[0056] The LED lamp 221, like the red LED lamp 121, comprises a printed circuit board, a lamp housing H2, an LED element, and a sealing resin. The color of the printed circuit board is, for example, black. The LED element of the LED lamp 221 emits white light. As a result, the LED lamp 221 irradiates white light from the lamp housing H2 toward the reflector 222. The LED lamp 221 is mounted in the housing 26 with the reflector 212 supporting it.

[0057] The reflector 222, like the reflector 122, is a component that reflects light emitted from the LED lamp 221 and illuminates it toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The reflector 222 has a box-like shape that is open toward the top and rear of the vehicle (i.e., it has openings on the top and rear sides of the vehicle) and is fixed to the housing 26 or the like. The reflector 222 is molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate.

[0058] The reflector 222, like the reflector 122, has a reflective surface S5 that reflects light emitted from the LED lamp 221 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The shape of the reflective surface S5 is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately reflect light emitted from the LED lamp 221 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. For example, the reflector 222 covers the lamp housing H2 of the LED lamp 221 from below the vehicle and has a reflective surface S5 consisting of a concave specular reflective surface on the lower side of the vehicle. Also, the cross-section of the reflector 222 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction may have a parabolic shape with its apex on the lower side of the vehicle.

[0059] When the second lamp 20 shown in Figure 2 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, a portion of the elements housed in the second lamp 20 is visible. When the second lamp 20 mounted on the vehicle 1 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the visible portion S4a, which is a part of the reflective surface S4 of the reflector 212 shown in Figure 4, and the visible portion S5a, which is a part of the reflective surface S5 of the reflector 222, are visible through the inner lens 214 and the outer lens 25. The visible portion S4a corresponds to the first visible portion according to the present invention.

[0060] Similar to the visible portion S1a of the reflective surface S1 of the taillight 11, the reflectivity of the visible portion S5a of the reflective surface S5 of the taillight 21 is set higher than the reflectivity of the parts of the reflective surface S5 other than the visible portion S5a. In addition, in the reverse light 22, the reflectivity of the visible portion S5a of the reflective surface S5 is set higher than the reflectivity of the parts of the reflective surface S5 other than the visible portion S5a. This is to prevent the color of the light emitted from the outer lens 25 from becoming uneven due to the reflection of the visible portion S5a in the light emitted from the LED lamp 221, which would reduce the luminosity of the signal displayed by the reverse light 22.

[0061] The reflectance of the visible portions S4a and S5a is adjusted by performing surface treatment on at least one of the visible portions S4a and S5a and the portions of the reflective surfaces S4 and S5 other than the visible portions S4a and S5a. For example, if the reflectance of the visible portions S4a and S5a of the reflective surfaces S4 and S5 is to be set higher than the reflectance of the portions of the reflective surfaces S4 and S5 other than the visible portions S4a and S5a, a thin film of metal (aluminum, silver, etc.) is formed on the visible portions S4a and S5a by a molding method such as vacuum deposition, sputtering, thermal CVD, plating, or coating.

[0062] Next, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line C-C in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 5, the second lamp 20 has a space formed by an outer lens 25 supported by a support member 24 and a housing 26, and the elements constituting the taillight 21 and foglight 23 are housed in this space. Note that in the explanation of Figure 5, the explanation of the configuration that overlaps with the configuration shown in Figure 4 will be omitted.

[0063] The second lamp 20 houses an LED lamp 221, a reflector 222, a support member 223, and an inner lens 234 as components of the fog lamp 23.

[0064] The LED lamp 231, like the red LED lamp 121, comprises a printed circuit board, a lamp housing H3, an LED element, and a sealing resin. The color of the printed circuit board is, for example, black. The LED element of the LED lamp 231 emits white light. As a result, the LED lamp 231 irradiates white light from the lamp housing H3 toward the reflector 232. The LED lamp 231 is mounted on the housing 26 with support from a bracket (not shown).

[0065] The reflector 232, like the reflector 122, is a component that reflects light emitted from the LED lamp 231 and illuminates it toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The reflector 232 has a bowl-shaped (cup-shaped) form that is open toward the rear of the vehicle (i.e., has an opening on the rear side of the vehicle) and is fixed to the housing 26 or the like. The reflector 232 is molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate.

[0066] The reflector 232, like the reflector 122, has a reflective surface S6 that reflects light emitted from the LED lamp 231 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The shape of the reflective surface S6 is not particularly limited as long as it can appropriately illuminate the light emitted from the LED lamp 231 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. For example, the reflector 232 has a shape that surrounds the LED lamp 231 and protrudes from the LED lamp 231 toward the rear of the vehicle 1, and the cross-section of the reflector 232 perpendicular to the vehicle width direction and height direction each has a parabolic shape with the apex on the front side of the vehicle. The LED lamp 231 may also be positioned at the focal point of the reflective surface S6 of the reflector 232.

[0067] The support member 233, like the support member 113, is a component molded by injection molding of a resin material such as polycarbonate or ASA resin. The support member 233 is attached to the housing 26 while supporting the inner lens 234. The shape of the support member 233 is not particularly limited, as long as it can properly support the inner lens 234 and be housed inside the second lamp 20.

[0068] The inner lens 234, like the inner lens 114, is a plate-shaped member made of a highly transparent resin material such as acrylic resin. The inner lens 234 emits light from the LED lamp 231 and reflected by the reflector 232 onto the outer lens 25. The inner lens 234 has an appropriate color (for example, orange) corresponding to the color of the light emitted from the LED lamp 231. The inner lens 234 has an appropriate shape that conforms to the shape of the fog lamp 23.

[0069] When the second lamp 20 mounted on vehicle 1 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the visible portion S4a, which is part of the reflective surface S4 of the reflector 212 shown in Figure 5, and the visible portion S6a, which is part of the reflective surface S6 of the reflector 232, can be seen through the inner lens 214 and the outer lens 25. In the fog lamp 23 as well, in order to prevent the light emitted from the outer lens 25 from becoming uneven in color due to the visible portion S6a being reflected in the light emitted from the LED lamp 231, and to suppress a decrease in the luminosity of the signal displayed by the fog lamp 23, the reflectance of the visible portion S6a of the reflective surface S6 is set higher than the reflectance of the parts of the reflective surface S6 other than the visible portion S6a.

[0070] The reflectance of the visible portion S6a is adjusted by performing surface treatment on at least one of the visible portion S6a and the portion of the reflective surface S6 other than the visible portion S6a. For example, if the reflectance of the visible portion S6a of the reflective surface S6 is to be set higher than the reflectance of the portion of the reflective surface S6 other than the visible portion S6a, a thin film of metal (aluminum, silver, etc.) is formed on the visible portion S6a by a molding method such as vacuum deposition, sputtering, thermal CVD, plating, or coating.

[0071] The viewing portion S1a shown in Figure 3 may be located at a predetermined distance from the light guide tube 111 to the rear of the vehicle 1. Similarly, the viewing portion S2a may be located at a predetermined distance from the red LED lamp 121 to the rear of the vehicle 1. Similarly, the viewing portion S4a shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be located at a predetermined distance from the light guide tube 211 to the rear of the vehicle 1. The predetermined distance can be set to an appropriate value within a range that can suppress uneven color of the light emitted from the outer lens 15, for example, 5 to 50% of the length of the reflectors 112, 122, and 212 in the front-rear direction. In the example shown in Figure 3, the viewing portion S1a is located at a distance D from the light guide tube 111 to the rear of the vehicle 1, and distance D is longer than the predetermined distance.

[0072] The first light source according to the present invention may include at least one of light guide tubes 111, 211 that guide light emitted from an LED lamp, and a red LED lamp 121 that directly illuminates the reflector 122. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, if the reflector has a bowl shape surrounding the light source, and the viewing portion S1a is located below the light guide tube 111 in the height direction of the vehicle 1 when the reflector 112 is mounted on the vehicle 1, the reflectance of the portion of the reflective surface S1 at the same height as the light guide tube 111 and the portion above the light guide tube 111 may be set lower than the reflectance of the viewing portion S1a.

[0073] To ensure uniform light reflection in the visible portions S1a, S2a, S3a, and S4a, a textured pattern may be provided on these portions. The textured pattern is a pattern that mimics the texture of real leather and consists of a collection of generally elliptical unit patterns. Each unit pattern is an elliptical or similarly elongated oval-shaped protrusion (e.g., a frustum) and is formed to protrude from the visible portions S1a, S2a, S3a, and S4a, which are the surfaces of the reflectors 112, 122, 132, and 212. Multiple unit patterns are randomly arranged in the portions to which the textured pattern is applied. The size of each unit pattern is also random.

[0074] When the visible portions S1a and S4a are used as the base height for the protrusions that make up the textured pattern, the height of the protrusions formed near the light guide tubes 111 and 211 may be set higher than the height of the protrusions formed further away from the light guide tubes 111 and 211. Similarly, when the visible portion S2a is used as the base height for the protrusions that make up the textured pattern, the height of the protrusions formed near the red LED lamp 121 may be set higher than the height of the protrusions formed further away from the red LED lamp 121. Similarly, when the visible portion S3a is used as the base height for the protrusions that make up the textured pattern, the height of the protrusions formed near the light bulb 131 may be set higher than the height of the protrusions formed further away from the light bulb 131.

[0075] If at least one of the light sources of the taillights 11, 21 and the brake light 12 is a light guide tube that transmits light emitted from an LED lamp, a red inner lens supported by a black support member may be provided at a position through which the light emitted from the light guide tube and reflected by the reflector passes. In the example shown in Figure 3, since the light source of the taillight 11 is a light guide tube 111, a red inner lens 114 supported by a black support member 113 is provided at a position between the reflector 112 and the outer lens 15 in the front-rear direction. Similarly, in the examples shown in Figures 4 and 5, since the light source of the taillight 21 is a light guide tube 211, a red inner lens 214 supported by a black support member 213 is provided at a position between the reflector 212 and the outer lens 25 in the front-rear direction.

[0076] The first reflector may have a shape that surrounds the illuminating portion of the first light source that emits light. Similarly, the second reflector may have a shape that surrounds the illuminating portion of the second light source that emits light. The illuminating portion refers, for example, if the first light source (second light source) is a light bulb, to the portion of the light bulb other than the socket portion, and refers to the portion formed of a light-transmitting material.

[0077] In the above description, the light guide tubes 111, 211 and the red LED lamp 121 were given as examples of the first light source, but the first light source is not particularly limited as long as it can illuminate at least one of the reflector 112 of the taillight 11 and / or the reflector 122 of the brakelight 12. Similarly, in the above description, the light bulb 131 was given as an example of the second light source, but the second light source is not particularly limited as long as it can illuminate the reflector 132 of the turn signal 13.

[0078] [Reflector Function] In the first lamp 10 shown in Figure 3, the reflector 112 is formed by injection molding of polycarbonate mixed with carbon black, a mirror surface of a thin metal film is formed on the visible portion S1a by vacuum deposition of aluminum, and the inner lens 114 is red in color. When light is not irradiated from the light guide tube 111, the reflection from the mirror surface (arrow A1 shown as a dashed line in Figure 3) allows the portion of the reflective surface S1 opposite the mirror surface (visible portion S1a) to be seen through the inner lens 114 and outer lens 15. That is, when the first lamp 10 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the taillight 11 appears black. On the other hand, when light is irradiated from the light guide tube 111, the light reflected by the reflective surface S1 passes through the inner lens 114, and red light is emitted from the outer lens 15 (arrow A2 shown as a solid line in Figure 3). Even in the visible portion S1a, the light emitted from the light guide tube 111 is reflected, so when the first lamp 10 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the taillight 11 appears uniformly red.

[0079] In the first lamp 10 shown in Figure 3, the printed circuit board of the red LED lamp 121 is painted black, and a mirror surface of a thin metal film is formed on the visible portion S2a by vacuum deposition of aluminum. When no light is being emitted from the red LED lamp 121, the black printed circuit board of the red LED lamp 121 is visible through the outer lens 15 due to the reflection from the mirror surface (arrow A3 shown as a dashed line in Figure 3). That is, when the first lamp 10 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the brake light 12 appears black. On the other hand, when red light is being emitted from the red LED lamp 121, the red light reflected by the reflective surface S2 is emitted from the outer lens 15 (arrow A4 shown as a solid line in Figure 3), and when the first lamp 10 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the brake light 12 appears uniformly red.

[0080] In the first lamp 10 shown in Figure 3, the reflector 132 is formed by injection molding of polycarbonate mixed with carbon black, and a mirror surface of a thin metal film is formed on the part of the reflective surface S3 other than the visible portion S3a by vacuum deposition of aluminum, and the inner lens 134 is yellow. When light is not irradiated from the bulb 131, the black visible portion S3a is visible through the inner lens 134 and outer lens 15 (arrow A5 shown as a dashed line in Figure 3). That is, when the first lamp 10 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the turn signal 13 appears black. On the other hand, when light is irradiated from the bulb 131, the light reflected by the reflective surface S3 passes through the inner lens 134, and yellow light is emitted from the outer lens 15 (arrow A6 shown as a solid line in Figure 3), and when the first lamp 10 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the turn signal 13 appears yellow.

[0081] In the second lamp 20 shown in Figure 4, the reflector 212 is formed by injection molding of polycarbonate mixed with carbon black, a mirror surface of a thin metal film is formed on the visible portion S4a by vacuum deposition of aluminum, and the inner lens 214 is red in color. When light is not irradiated from the light guide tube 211, the reflection from the mirror surface (arrow A7 shown as a dashed line in Figure 4) allows the portion of the reflective surface S4 opposite the mirror surface (visible portion S4a) to be seen through the inner lens 214 and outer lens 25. That is, when the second lamp 20 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the taillight 21 appears black. On the other hand, when light is irradiated from the light guide tube 211, the light reflected by the reflective surface S4 passes through the inner lens 214, and red light is emitted from the outer lens 25 (arrow A8 shown as a solid line in Figure 4). Since the light emitted from the light guide tube 211 is reflected in the visible portion S4a, the taillight 21 appears uniformly red when the second lamp 20 is viewed from the rear of the vehicle.

[0082] Furthermore, the reverse lights 22 provide the same function and effect as the brake lights 12, and the fog lights 23 provide the same function and effect as the taillights 21.

[0083] [Embodiment of the Invention] According to this embodiment, a vehicle lamp is provided comprising a first light source, at least one of the taillights 11 and brakelights 12 of a vehicle 1, and a first reflector having a first reflective surface that reflects light emitted from the first light source toward the rear of the vehicle 1, wherein the reflectivity of a first visible portion of the first reflective surface that can be seen from the rear of the vehicle 1 when mounted on the vehicle 1 is set to be higher than the reflectivity of the portion of the first reflective surface other than the first visible portion. This makes it possible to suppress unevenness in the color of the light emitted from the reflector. Furthermore, when the first light source is lit, the light from the first light source is reflected by the first visible portion with relatively high reflectivity, and the color of the signal displayed by the taillights 11 and brakelights 12 can be seen through the outer lens 15, and when the first light source is off, the first reflective surface opposite the first visible portion is reflected and seen in the first visible portion, improving the design of the vehicle lamp.

[0084] In the vehicle lamp of this embodiment, the first viewing portion is located at a predetermined distance behind the vehicle 1 from the first light source. This makes it possible to suppress uneven coloration of the light emitted from the first reflector.

[0085] In the vehicle lamp of this embodiment, the first light source includes at least one of a light guide tube 111 that guides light emitted from an LED lamp and a red LED lamp 121. When the first visible portion is located below the first light source in the height direction of the vehicle 1 when the first reflector is mounted on the vehicle 1, the reflectance of the portion of the first reflective surface at the same height as the first light source and the portion above the first light source is set lower than the reflectance of the first visible portion. As a result, when the first light source is turned off, the first reflective surface opposite the first visible portion appears to reflect light from the first visible portion, improving the aesthetic design of the vehicle lamp.

[0086] In the vehicle lamp of this embodiment, the first viewing portion is provided with a textured pattern including a plurality of protrusions formed on the surface of the first reflector. This suppresses uneven reflection in the first viewing portion.

[0087] In the vehicle lamp of this embodiment, when the first reflective surface is used as the base height of the protrusion, the height of the protrusion formed closer to the first light source is set higher than the height of the protrusion formed further away from the first light source. This further suppresses uneven reflection in the first viewing area.

[0088] The vehicle lamp of this embodiment further comprises a second light source for the turn signal 13 of the vehicle 1, and a second reflector having a second reflective surface that reflects the light emitted from the second light source toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The reflectance of the second visible portion of the second reflective surface, which can be seen from the rear of the vehicle 1 when mounted on the vehicle 1, is set lower than the reflectance of the portion of the second reflective surface other than the second visible portion. This makes it possible to increase the luminosity of the signal displayed by the turn signal 13 while improving the design of the vehicle lamp.

[0089] In the vehicle lamp of this embodiment, if the first light source is a light guide tube 111 that transmits light emitted from an LED lamp, a red inner lens 114 supported by a black support member 113 is provided at a position through which the light emitted from the light guide tube 111 and reflected by the first reflector passes. This makes it possible to further improve the design of the vehicle lamp.

[0090] 1...Vehicle 10...First lamp 11...Tail light 111...Light guide tube 112...Reflector 113...Support member 114...Inner lens 12...Brake light 121...Red LED lamp 122...Reflector 123...Support member 13...Turn indicator 131...Bulb 131a...Socket 132...Reflector 133...Support member 134...Inner lens 14...Support member 15...Outer lens 16...Housing 20...Second lamp 21...Tail light 211...Light guide tube 212...Reflector 213...Support member 214...Inner lens 22...Reverse light 221...LED lamp 222...Reflector 23...Fog light 231...LED lamp 232...Reflector 233...Support member 234...Inner lens 24...Support member 25...Outer lens 26...Housing 30...Third lamp A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8...Arrows D...Determined distance H1, H2, H3...Lamp housing S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6...Reflective surface S1a, S2a, S3a, S4a, S5a, S6a...Visible part

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising a first light source for at least one of a vehicle's taillight and brake light, and a first reflector having a first reflective surface that reflects light emitted from the first light source toward the rear of the vehicle, wherein the reflectance of a first visible portion of the first reflective surface that is visible from the rear of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle is set to be higher than the reflectance of the portion of the first reflective surface other than the first visible portion.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first viewing portion is provided at a predetermined distance from the first light source to the rear of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first light source includes at least one of a light guide tube for guiding light emitted from an LED lamp and a red LED lamp, and when the first visible portion is located below the first light source in the height direction of the vehicle when the first reflector is mounted on the vehicle, the reflectance of the portion of the first reflective surface at the same height as the first light source and the portion above the first light source is set to be lower than the reflectance of the first visible portion.

4. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first visible portion is provided with a textured pattern including a plurality of protrusions formed on the surface of the first reflector.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein, when the first reflective surface is used as the base height of the protrusion, the height of the protrusion formed near the first light source is set higher than the height of the protrusion formed farther from the first light source.

6. A vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a second light source for the vehicle's turn signal and a second reflector having a second reflective surface that reflects light emitted from the second light source toward the rear of the vehicle, wherein the reflectance of a second visible portion of the second reflective surface that is visible from the rear of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle is set lower than the reflectance of the portion of the second reflective surface other than the second visible portion.

7. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first light source is a light guide tube that transmits light emitted from an LED lamp, and a red inner lens supported by a black support member is provided at a position through which the light emitted from the light guide tube and reflected by the first reflector passes.

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