Lens for a vehicular lamp

• US 9,151,461 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Min Hsiang Corporation
• Original Assignee: Min Hsiang Corporation
• Inventors: Kuo, Yao-Yuan, Tai, Shang-kuei
• Primary Examiner(s): Hines, Anne
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIAZ, JOSE
• Application Number:
  US14/456,395
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 362/522, 362/520, 362/507, 362/509, 362335-340, 362538-539, 362/475, 362/487
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/239 plate-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/241 of complex shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/245 emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/249 with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide
• 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 43/315 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0066 in the form of an LED array
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces

Abstract

A lens for a vehicular lamp includes an outer annular portion and a central portion. The outer annular portion surrounds a central axis and includes an incident face on a rear thereof. The outer annular portion further includes a light guiding portion in front of the incident face. The light guiding portion includes a reflective face on an outer side thereof. The central portion is surrounded by the outer annular portion and is connected to the light guiding portion. The central portion includes front and rear faces. The front face includes an outer edge connected to the reflective face. The rear face includes a plurality of grooves. A portion of light rays from a light source entering the light guiding portion via the incident face transmits out of the lens via the reflective face. Another portion of the light rays is reflected to the central portion and reaches the grooves.

Claims

1. A lens for a vehicular lamp comprising:

an outer annular portion surrounding a central axis, with the outer annular portion including an incident face on a rear thereof, with the outer annular portion further including a light guiding portion in front of the incident face, and with the light guiding portion including a reflective face on an outer side thereof; and

a central portion surrounded by the outer annular portion and connected to the light guiding portion, with the central portion including a front face and a rear face spaced from the front face along the central axis, with the front face including an outer edge connected to the reflective face, with the rear face including a plurality of grooves recessed towards the front face, with a portion of light rays from a light source entering the light guiding portion via the incident face of the outer annular portion adapted to transmit out of the lens via the reflective face, and with another portion of the light rays adapted to be reflected to the central portion and to reach the plurality of grooves.

2. The lens for a vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, with each of the front face and the rear face extending perpendicularly to the central axis, and with the front face parallel to the rear face.

3. The lens for a vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reflective face is conical.

4. The lens for a vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, with the outer annular portion being a ring surrounding the central axis, and with the reflective face of the outer annular portion having reducing diameters towards the front face of the central portion.

5. The lens for a vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 4, with a plurality of lighting elements adapted to be mounted behind the incident face of the lens, with the plurality of lighting elements arranged in a circumferential direction about the central axis, with each of the plurality of lighting elements forming the light source, with the portion of the light rays emitted by each of the plurality of lighting elements adapted to transmit the lens via the reflective face, with the portions of the light rays from the plurality of lighting elements emitted via the reflective face together forming an annular lighting area, with the another portion of the light rays emitted by each of the plurality of lighting elements adapted to be reflected by the reflective face to the plurality of grooves, with each of the plurality of grooves adapted to focus the second portions of the light rays to form a point light source, and with the plurality of grooves providing a point source lighting area.

6. The lens for a vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the lighting elements is a light emitting diode.