Vehicle lamp fixture and method of use

• US 6,367,950 B1
• Filed: 08/26/1999
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamada, Tetsuo, Umemoto, Masaki, Mitani, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US09/383,380
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 362/488, 362/509, 362/516, 362/520, 362/545, 362/237, 362/245, 362/297, 362/304, 362/309, 362/327, 362/800, 362/241, 362/328, 362/341, 362/342, 362/343, 362/347, 362/350
• US Class Current: 362/245
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/322 the reflector using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/241 of complex shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/243 emitting light from one or more of its extremities
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/247 with a single light source being coupled into the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/249 with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/315 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/40 characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A vehicle lamp fixture is disclosed in which a truncated bowl-shaped reflector 6 is formed as a single unit in front of each respective LED 5. Each reflector is formed from a transparent substance and has an aperture in the front surface. Each reflector also has a reflective surface 6b that totally reflects light from the LED 5 and a light conductive member 6c that conducts at least a portion of light reflected by the reflective surface toward the front of the light fixture. A transparent front lens can thereby be used that does not include light-distributing facets.

Claims

1. A lamp fixture comprising:

a housing having a front portion with an aperture in said front portion;

a lens located adjacent said aperture in said front portion of the housing;

an LED placed at a predetermined location within the housing; and

a reflector member formed as a single unit and including a truncated bowl-shaped portion located in front of said LED, said reflector member being formed from a transparent substance and including;

a front surface with an aperture,

a reflective surface that reflects light from the LED, and

a light conductive portion that conducts at least a portion of light reflected by the reflective surface in a predetermined direction.

2. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reflector member includes a plurality of reflectors with aperture edges, and the reflector member is formed as a single unit by connection of adjacent reflectors at their respective aperture edges.

3. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflector member includes a plurality of reflectors with aperture edges, and the reflector member is formed as a contiguous single unit by connection of adjacent reflectors at their respective aperture edges without gaps, and the aperture edges form substantially polygonal shapes.

4. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflector member includes a backside-apex portion and a frontside surface, and a concavity adapted to be adjacent the LED is formed in the backside-apex portion of the reflector member, and an opposing protuberance is formed in the frontside surface of the reflector member.

5. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lamp fixture is adapted for use in a vehicle.

6. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a board located within the housing, said LED being located on said board.

7. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lamp fixture includes a front portion and said predetermined direction in which said light conductive member conducts at least a portion of light reflected by said reflective surface is towards said front portion of said lamp fixture.

8. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reflective surface of said reflector totally reflects light emitted from said LED.

9. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of LEDs located at predetermined positions within said housing.

10. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 9, wherein said reflector member includes a plurality of reflectors, each of said reflectors including an aperture located adjacent a corresponding one of said plurality of LEDs.

11. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 10, wherein each of said reflectors includes a truncated bowl-shaped portion located in front of a corresponding one of said plurality of LEDs.

12. A lamp fixture, comprising:

a housing having an aperture and an interior area viewable through said aperture;

an LED located within said interior area of said housing;

a transparent lens located in said aperture of said housing, said lens having a substantially smooth inner surface and a substantially smooth outer surface such that said interior area of said housing can be viewed from a location outside said housing; and

a reflector member located adjacent said LED, viewable from a location outside of said housing and including;

means for illuminating the entire reflector member when the LED is illuminated; and

a plurality of reflectors having a concave portion and an edge formed about a perimeter of the concave portion, each of said reflectors being connected to an adjacent one of said reflectors at their respective edges without gaps such that the reflectors form an uninterrupted and continuous reflector member, and the edges form substantially polygonal shapes.

13. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 12, wherein the reflector member includes a front side having a concave portion and a back side with a partial reflective coating, said back side having a concave portion located adjacent said LED.

14. The lamp fixture as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of LEDs located within said housing; and

a reflector member including a plurality of reflectors located adjacent a corresponding one of said plurality of LEDs, wherein said reflector member is formed from a transparent substance and includes;

a front surface with an aperture;

a reflective surface that can reflect light emitted from the LED; and

a light conductive portion that can conduct at least a portion of light reflected by the reflective surface in a predetermined direction.

15. A method for illuminating a vehicle lamp fixture, comprising:

providing a housing with a reflector member located therein, said reflector member being partially constructed from a transparent material;

providing a plurality of LEDs and a plurality of reflectors in said housing, each of said reflectors connected to an adjacent one of said reflectors without gaps to form said reflector member, each of said reflectors including a concave portion located adjacent to a corresponding one of said plurality of LEDs and an edge substantially forming a polygonal shape; and

illuminating each of the plurality of reflectors by supplying power to the LEDs such that substantially the entire reflector member is illuminated and the reflectors can be viewed at a plurality of viewing angles from outside said housing.