Vehicular illumination lamp

• US 20060120094A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Ishida, Hiroyuki, Tsukamoto, Michio, Tatsukawa, Masashi, Sazuka, Kiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,387,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/518
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/147 the main emission direction of the LED being angled to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/148 the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/255 Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/321 the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/323 the reflector having two perpendicular cross sections having regular geometrical curves of a distinct nature
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/365 successively reflecting the light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/43 characterised by the shape thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/60 characterised by a variable light distribution
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An illumination lamp including a projection lens 12 and primary and secondary light source units 14, 16 are disposed rearwards of a projection lens 12 disposed on an optical axis Ax, which extends in a longitudinal direction of a lamp. The primary light source unit 14 includes a primary reflector 34 and an upwardly oriented reflecting surface 36a which extends rearwards from the rear focal point F of the projection lens 12. The secondary light source unit 16 includes a secondary reflector 44 that reflects light upwards so as to be caused to substantially converge on a location lying near the rear focal point F on a downwardly oriented reflecting surface 46a, which extends obliquely downwards from a front end edge of the upwardly oriented reflecting surface 36a towards a rear of the lamp.

Claims

1. A vehicular illumination lamp, comprising:

a projection lens disposed on an optical axis, the optical axis extends in a longitudinal direction of the lamp,

a primary light source unit, and

a secondary light source unit, said primary and secondary light source units disposed rearwards of the projection lens,

wherein the primary light source unit comprises;

a primary light emitting device disposed near the optical axis at a position situated further rearwards than a rear focal point of the projection lens,

a primary reflector disposed in such a manner as to cover the primary light emitting device from above so as to reflect light from the primary light emitting device towards a front of the lamp and towards the optical axis, and

a primary mirror member having an upwardly oriented reflecting surface, which extends rearwards from near the rear focal point of the projecting lens substantially along the optical axis so as to reflect part of reflected light from the primary reflector upwards, and

wherein the secondary light source unit comprises;

a secondary mirror member having a downwardly oriented reflecting surface, which extends obliquely downwardly from a front end edge of the upwardly oriented reflecting surface towards a rear of the lamp,

a secondary light emitting device disposed below the optical axis, and

a secondary reflector adapted to reflect light from the secondary light emitting device upwards so as to cause the light so reflected to substantially converge on a location on the downwardly oriented reflecting surface, which lies near the rear focal point of the projecting lens.

2. The vehicular illumination lamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein the downwardly oriented reflecting surface comprises a flat plane, which extends downwards at an angle of 30 to 60°

relative to a horizontal plane.

3. The vehicular illumination lamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein the primary mirror member and the secondary mirror member are formed integrally with each other.

4. The vehicular illumination lamp as set forth in claim 2, wherein the primary mirror member and the secondary mirror member are formed integrally with each other.

5. The vehicular illumination lamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein the primary reflector comprises a substantially ellipsoidal surface including a primary focal point provided at the primary light emitting device and a secondary focal point provided slightly further forwards than the rear focal point of said projection lens.

6. The vehicular illumination lamp as set forth in claim 2, wherein the secondary reflector comprises a substantially ellipsoidal surface including the secondary light emitting device as a primary focal point thereof.

7. The vehicular illumination lamp as set forth in claim 5, wherein the secondary reflector comprises a substantially ellipsoidal surface including the secondary light emitting device as a primary focal point thereof.