VEHICLE LAMP AND SUBSTRATE

• US 20180363874A1
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Published: 12/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: KAWAI, Hiroki, HONDA, Takahiko, KAGIYAMA, Shinji, UCHIDA, Naoki, SATO, Ryuho, MATSUMOTO, Akinori, ISHIDA, Hiroyuki, INOUE, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/19 Attachment of light sources or lamp holders achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/275 Lens surfaces, e.g. coatings or surface structures
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/285 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/321 the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/36 Combinations of two or more separate reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/365 successively reflecting the light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/37 characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/43 using gas
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/13 for high-beam region or low-beam region
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/145 wherein the light is emitted between two parallel vertical cutoff lines, e.g. selectively emitted rectangular-shaped high beam

Abstract

A vehicle lamp configured to selectively perform a low-beam irradiation and a high-beam irradiation includes a projector lens, a light emitting element disposed behind the projector lens and configured to emit light for forming a low-beam light distribution pattern, a light emitting element disposed behind the projector lens and configured to emit light for forming an additional high-beam light distribution pattern, a upward reflecting surface (shade) disposed behind the projector lens and configured to form a cutoff line of the low-beam light distribution pattern, and an optical path change portion configured to change an optical path of a part of light emitted from the light emitting element so as to travel toward a portion between the low-beam light distribution pattern and the additional high-beam light distribution pattern.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp configured to selectively perform a low-beam irradiation and a high-beam irradiation, the vehicle lamp comprising:

a projector lens;

a first light source disposed behind the projector lens and configured to emit light for forming a low-beam light distribution pattern;

a second light source disposed behind the projector lens and configured to emit light for forming an additional high-beam light distribution pattern;

a shade disposed behind the projector lens and configured to form a cutoff line of the low-beam light distribution pattern; and

an optical path change portion configured to change an optical path of a part of light emitted from the second light source so as to travel toward a portion between the low-beam light distribution pattern and the additional high-beam light distribution pattern.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,

wherein the optical path change portion is formed in a region of an exit surface of the projector lens where an emission rate of light emitted from the second light source is higher than that of light emitted from the first light source.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2,

wherein the optical path change portion is formed as a texture on the region of the exit surface.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2,

wherein the optical path change portion is formed as a lens step on the region of the exit surface.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,

wherein the optical path change portion is formed in a region of an incident surface of the projector lens where an incident rate of light emitted from the second light source is higher than that of light emitted from the first light source.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5,

wherein the optical path change portion is formed as a lens step on the region of the incident surface.

7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5,

wherein the optical path change portion is formed as a texture on the region of the incident surface.

8. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,

wherein the optical path change portion is formed in a region between the projector lens and the second light source where a passing rate of light emitted from the second light source is higher than that of light emitted from the first light source.

9. The vehicle lamp according to claim 8,

wherein the optical path change portion includes an additional optical member provided in the region.

10. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,

wherein the second light source includes a plurality of light emitting elements, and the plurality of light emitting elements are arranged in a left-right direction below a rear focal point of the projector lens and configured to be individually turned on.

11. A vehicle lamp configured to selectively perform a low-beam irradiation and a high-beam irradiation, the vehicle lamp comprising:

a projector lens;

a first light source disposed behind the projector lens and configured to emit light for forming a low-beam light distribution pattern;

a second light source disposed behind the projector lens and configured to emit light for forming an additional high-beam light distribution pattern;

a base member on which the first light source and the second light source are disposed; and

an optical member being a member separate from the base member and configured to serve as a shade for forming a cutoff line of the low-beam light distribution pattern in a state of being attached to the base member.

12. The vehicle lamp according to claim 11,

wherein in a state where the optical member is attached to the base member, the optical member serves as the shade for forming the cutoff line of the low-beam light distribution pattern and also serve as a reflector for reflecting at least a part of light emitted from the second light source toward the projector lens.

13. The vehicle lamp according to claim 11,

wherein an opening portion is formed in the optical member, and

wherein in a state where the optical member is attached to the base member, the second light source is exposed from the opening portion toward a front of the lamp.

14. The vehicle lamp according to claim 13,

wherein the optical member is formed with an upper plate portion above the opening portion, and

wherein an upper surface of the upper plate portion includes a first reflective surface configured to reflect light emitted from the first light source toward the projector lens.

15. The vehicle lamp according to claim 14,

wherein a lower surface of the upper plate portion on a side opposite to the upper surface includes a second reflective surface configured to reflect light emitted from the second light source toward the projector lens.

16. The vehicle lamp according to claim 14,

wherein a tip end of the upper plate portion in a front-rear direction of the lamp is configured to form a cutoff line of the low-beam light distribution pattern.

17. The vehicle lamp according to claim 14,

wherein the optical member is formed with a lower plate portion below the opening in the optical member, and

wherein an upper surface of the lower plate portion includes a third reflective surface configured to reflect light emitted from the second light source toward the projector lens.

18. The vehicle lamp according to claim 11,

wherein the second light source includes a light emitting element and a substrate on which the light emitting element is disposed,

wherein an upper end portion of the substrate is arranged above an optical axis of the projector lens, and

wherein the vehicle lamp includes a cover member covering the upper end portion from above and configured to reflect light emitted from the first light source toward the projector lens.

19. The vehicle lamp according to claim 11,

wherein the second light source includes a light emitting element and a substrate on which the light emitting element is disposed,

wherein the base member includes a first surface on which the first light source is disposed and a second surface to which the substrate of the second light source is fixed, and

wherein in a state where the optical member is attached to the base member, a gap in which an upper end portion of the substrate enters is formed between the optical member and a tip end of the first surface in the front-rear direction of the lamp.

20. The vehicle lamp according to claim 18,

wherein the substrate is interposed between the base member and the optical member and is fixed, together with the optical member, to the base member by a fixing member.

21-32. -32. (canceled)