Vehicle lamp and vehicle lamp system

• US 7,686,488 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2006
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Inoue, Takashi, Yagi, Seiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra L
• Assistant Examiner(s): McMillan; Jessica L
• Application Number:
  US11/442,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20060274544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,400 Days
• Field of Search: 362/509, 362/507, 362/538, 362/544, 362/373, 362/547, 362/294, 362/345, 362/475, 362/545, 362/487
• US Class Current: 362/509
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0041 of several lamps in relation to each other
• 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 41/155 Surface emitters, e.g. organic light emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/50 characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/76 with essentially identical parallel planar fins or blades, e.g. with comb-like cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

Five lamp units with light emitting elements are supported by a common metal made support member. Heat generated by the respective light emitting elements is transferred to the metal made support member having a large heat capacity to restrain a temperature rise thereof. The lamp units including the light emitting elements having a relatively large heat generating amount are arranged on lower sides of the lamp units including the light emitting elements having a relatively small heat generating amount.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a plurality of lamp units supported by a common support member, each of the lamp units including a light emitting element as a light source;

wherein

the plurality of lamp units include a first lamp unit and a second lamp unit,

the first lamp unit has a larger heat generating amount than the second lamp unit, and

the first lamp unit is arranged on a lower side of the second lamp unit.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second lamp units are arranged to be contiguous to each other in an up and down direction.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the support member is made of metal.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor provided at a vicinity of a lamp unit of the plurality of lamp units, wherein the lamp unit has a light emitting element whose temperature becomes the highest.

5. A vehicle lamp system comprising the vehicle lamps according to claim 1 on left and right sides of a vehicle body, the vehicle lamp system comprising:

a left side temperature sensor provided at a vicinity of the lamp unit at which a temperature of the light emitting element becomes the highest in the plurality of lamp units constituting the vehicle lamp on the left side;

a right side temperature sensor provided at a vicinity of the lamp unit at which a temperature of the light emitting element becomes the highest in the plurality of lamp units constituting the vehicle lamp on the right side; and

a current controller that controls a current supplied to the respective vehicle lamps in accordance with a value of a higher one of a detecting temperature of the left side temperature sensor and a detecting temperature of the right side temperature sensor.

6. A vehicle lamp system comprising the vehicle lamps according to claim 1 on left and right sides of a vehicle body, the vehicle lamp system comprising:

a temperature sensor provided at a vicinity of the lamp unit at which a temperature of the light emitting element becomes the highest in the plurality of lamp units constituting the vehicle lamp on the left side and the plurality of lamp units constituting the vehicle lamp on the right side; and

a current controller that controls a current supplied to the respective vehicle lamps in accordance with a detecting temperature of the temperature sensor.

7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element in the first lamp unit is configured to emit light with higher brightness than the light emitting element in the second lamp unit.

8. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first lamp unit comprises a projecting lens, and the second lamp unit comprises a projection lens.