Vehicular lamp

• US 6,485,170 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Natsume, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi, Jacob Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/943,684
• Publication Number:
  US 20020030998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 362/509, 362/517, 362/326, 362/328, 359/839
• US Class Current: 362/509
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/28 Cover glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/26 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/40 characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors

Abstract

A lamp chamber is defined by a translucent cover and a lamp body supporting a light source bulb. A translucent panel is provided within the lamp chamber. A front surface of the translucent panel is half mirror-treated. An upstanding wall portion extends in a fore-aft direction in the lamp body to surround the translucent panel. A plurality of quasi-reflector elements are formed in an inner surface of the upstanding wall portion. The half mirror portion is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the upstanding wall portion. When the lamp is off, a reflection of the quasi-reflector elements of the upstanding wall portion is seen in the half mirror portion.

Claims

1. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a light source member having an optical axis;

a translucent panel provided substantially in front of the light source member, at least a portion of the translucent panel being half mirror-treated; and

an upstanding wall portion extending substantially in a fore-aft direction relative to the optical axis and disposed to surround at least a portion of the translucent panel, said upstanding wall portion comprising a plurality of quasi-reflector elements;

wherein the half mirror-treated portion is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the upstanding wall portion so that when the lamp is off, a reflection of the upstanding wall portion appears in the half-mirror treated portion.

2. A vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the half mirror portion has a curved plane shape.

3. A vehicular lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lamp body for supporting the light source member; and

a translucent cover attached to the lamp body and defining a lamp chamber together with the lamp body;

wherein the translucent panel is provided in the lamp chamber, and the upstanding wall portion is formed as a portion of the translucent cover or the lamp body.

4. A vehicular lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reflector extending from the light source member and coupled to the translucent panel;

said reflector comprising a plurality of reflector elements.

5. A vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein a region in the translucent panel that is in front of the light source member forms an opening.

6. A vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein a region in the translucent panel in front of the light source member has not been half mirror-treated.

7. A vehicular lamp according to claim 6, wherein the translucent panel is formed to extend in a substantially horizontal direction in a generally trapezoidal longitudinal sectional shape, and each of an upper portion and a lower portion of the translucent panel is formed as the half mirror portion, and a central portion of the translucent panel in an up-down direction is formed as the non-half mirror portion, and the central portion in the up-down direction has a plurality of lens elements.

8. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a light source member having an optical axis;

a translucent panel provided substantially in front of the light source member, at least a portion of the translucent panel being half mirror-treated; and

an substantially horizontal wall portion extending substantially in a fore-aft direction relative to the optical axis and disposed to surround at least a portion of the translucent panel, said upstanding wall portion comprising a plurality of quasi-reflector elements;

wherein the half mirror-treated portion is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the upstanding wall portion.