Vehicular lamp

• US 20080013333A1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Natsume, Kazunori, Koizumi, Hiroya
• Application Number:
  US11/811,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/511
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/239 plate-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/243 emitting light from one or more of its extremities
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/249 with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources

Abstract

A vehicular lamp including an LED(s), a reflector having a reflective surface that reflects light from the LED(s) in the forward direction of the lamp, and a flat (plate-like) light guide(s) to which the light from the LED(s) is incident from one side of the light guide(s) and which radiates the light in the forward direction from another side. Light in the vicinity of the optical axis of the LED(s) is incident to the light guide(s), and other light is reflected by the reflective surface of the reflector, so that a part of light of the LED(s) is irradiated by the light guide(s), and other light is reflected and irradiated by the reflector, thus reducing the number of LEDs used and the size and power consumption of the lamp.

Claims

1. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a light-emitting element;

a reflector having a reflective surface for reflecting light radiated from the light-emitting element in a forward direction of the lamp; and

a flat plate-shaped light guide provided on a front side of the reflector, light radiated from the light-emitting element being incident from one side surface of the light guide and radiated in a forward direction from another side surface of the light guide, wherein

among light radiated from the light-emitting element, light in the vicinity of an optical axis of the light-emitting element is incident to the light guide, and light other than that in the vicinity of the optical axis of the light-emitting element is projected onto the reflective surface of the reflector.

2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein a side surface of at least a part of the light guide is provided to face the reflective surface of the reflector, thus allowing light, which is incident to the light guide and radiated from the side surface of the light guide, to be re-incident to the light guide.

3. The vehicular lamp according to claim 2, wherein

a plurality of the light-emitting elements are provided at a predetermined interval in a direction along a flat surface of the light guide,

light from the respective light-emitting elements is incident to the light guide at a plurality of locations of the flat surface of the light guide, and

the reflector is provided with a plurality of reflective portions that reflect light, which is radiated from the light guide at a plurality of locations on the flat surface of the light guide, to be re-incident to the light guide.

4. The vehicular lamp according to claims 1, wherein a plurality of the flat plate-shaped light guides are laminated in a thickness direction of the light guide.

5. The vehicular lamp according to claims 1, wherein the light guide is colored so as to have a color similar to a color of light emitted from the light-emitting element.

6. The vehicular lamp according to claim 4, wherein the light guide is colored so as to have a color similar to a color of light emitted from the light-emitting element.