Vehicular lamp

• US 9,080,738 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Komatsu, Motohiro, Serizawa, Hiroyuki, Ishida, Hiroyuki, Watanabe, Shigeyuki, Sazuka, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): APENTENG, JESSICA MCMILLAN
• Application Number:
  US12/763,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20100277939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• Field of Search: 362/516, 362/509, 362/545, 362/507, 362/549, 362/546, 362/544, 362/510, 362/511, 362/487, 362/459
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel 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 41/255 Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/275 Lens surfaces, e.g. coatings or surface structures
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/28 Cover glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/10 Protection of lighting devices cooling of lighting devices F21S45/40; waterproofing of lighting devices F21S45/50
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/24 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A vehicular lamp comprising includes a light-emitting diode that is used as a light source and that emits light; and a light transmitting member that is arranged in a path of the emitted light and through which the light is passed. The light transmitting member shields the light-emitting diode from infrared rays that travel in an opposite direction to a traveling direction of the light.

Claims

1. A vehicular headlamp comprising:

a lamp body including an opening at one side;

a light-emitting diode that is used as a light source and that emits visible light;

a light transmitting member that is arranged in a path of the emitted light and through which the light is passed, and

a projection lens, wherein

the light transmitting member contains an infrared ray absorbent which absorbs infrared rays, and

at least one of constituent elements of the vehicular headlamp is arranged at or near a rear focal point of the projection lens,

the light transmitting member is an outer cover that is attached to the lamp body to close the opening,

the lamp body and the outer cover constitute a lamp casing, and

the light-emitting diode and the projection lens are arranged inside the lamp casing;

wherein the projection lens is interposed between the outer cover and the light-emitting diode such that the visible light emitted by the light-emitting diode first passes through the projection lens and then passes through the outer cover.

2. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of lamp units each having the light-emitting diode are arranged inside the lamp casing, and

a portion of the outer cover contains the infrared ray absorbent, and light, emitted from the light-emitting diode of the lamp unit having the smallest irradiated area among the plurality of lamp units, passes through the portion of the outer cover.

3. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 1, further comprising:

a projection lens that disperses the emitted light, wherein

the light transmitting member is arranged so that the dispersed light passes through the light transmitting member.

4. The vehicular head lamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the constituent elements the light-emitting diode.

5. The vehicular head lamp according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the constituent elements is a shade that blocks part of the visible light.