Vehicular lamp

• US 20050219851A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Ito, Masayasu, Takeda, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,309,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2603 Attenuation of the light according to ambient luminiosity, e.g. for braking or direction indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/486 for indicating that vehicle is in a parked state
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2400/30 Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor

Abstract

There is provided a vehicular lamp that can inform walkers or drivers in the other vehicles of the existence of the moving vehicle even where the circumference of the vehicle is bright by emitting a light amount larger than that of normal times when the circumference is bright. The vehicular lamp that is used for a vehicle includes a semiconductor light-emitting element, and a current controlling unit operable to increase an electric current flowing into the semiconductor light-emitting element according to a signal output from a sensor depending on a brightness of the circumference of the vehicle when the circumference of the vehicle is bright.

Claims

1. A vehicular lamp that is used for a vehicle, comprising:

a semiconductor light-emitting element; and

a current controlling unit operable to increase an electric current flowing into said semiconductor light-emitting element according to a signal output from a sensor depending on a brightness of the circumference of the vehicle when the circumference of the vehicle is bright.

2. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a position-controlled current supplying unit operable to supply an electric current to said semiconductor light-emitting element via said current controlling unit when a DRL signal input from a vehicle main body is active and a position signal input from the vehicle main body is non-active and to supply an electric current smaller than that flowing into said semiconductor light-emitting element when the DRL signal is active and the position signal is non-active to said semiconductor light-emitting element without passing through said current controlling unit when the position signal is active.

3. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a turn switch-controlled current supplying unit operable to supply an electric current to said semiconductor light-emitting element via said current controlling unit when a DRL signal input from a vehicle main body is active and a turn switch signal and a position signal input from the vehicle main body are non-active, to supply an electric current sufficient to illuminate said semiconductor light-emitting element as a turn signal lamp to said semiconductor light-emitting element without passing through said current controlling unit when the turn switch signal is active and a turn signal input from the vehicle main body is active, and not to supply an electric current to said current controlling unit and said semiconductor light-emitting element when the position signal is active and the turn switch signal is non-active.

4. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the sensor outputs a voltage depending on brightness of the circumference of the vehicle,

said current controlling unit controls the current flowing into said semiconductor light-emitting element according to the received voltage, and

the vehicular lamp further comprises a turn switch-controlled voltage applying unit operable to apply a voltage output from the sensor to said current controlling unit when a DRL signal input from a vehicle main body is active and a turn switch signal and a position signal input from the vehicle main body are non-active, to apply a voltage, by which said current controlling unit flows an electric current sufficient to illuminate said semiconductor light-emitting element as a turn signal lamp into said semiconductor light-emitting element, to said current controlling unit without applying the voltage output from the sensor to said current controlling unit when the turn switch signal is active and a turn signal input from the vehicle main body is active, and to apply a voltage, by which said current controlling unit does not flow an electric current into said semiconductor light-emitting element, to said current controlling unit without applying the voltage output from the sensor to said current controlling unit when the position signal is active and the turn switch signal is non-active.