Vehicle lighting assembly

• US 20080165548A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Totani, Chiharu, Misawa, Akihiro, Oba, Tatsuya
• Application Number:
  US12/004,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20080165548A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/487
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2607 comprising at least two indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/48 with means for conducting heat from the inside to the outside of the lighting devices, e.g. with fins on the outer surface of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle lighting assembly, which includes a plurality of light sources, and a light guiding body having a light incident portion and a reflecting portion corresponding to the light sources on a back surface side, for emitting a light generated when a light being incident from the light incident portion is reflected by the reflecting portion from a front portion, wherein the light guiding body is divided into a plurality of blocks whose emergent light modes are different, and a reflection and diffusion area is formed on a boundary portion between two adjacent blocks.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting assembly comprising:

a plurality of light sources; and

a light guiding body having a light incident portion and a reflecting portion corresponding to the light sources on a back surface side, for emitting a light generated when a light being incident from the light incident portion is reflected by the reflecting portion from a front portion;

wherein the light guiding body is divided into a plurality of blocks whose emergent light modes are different, and a reflection and diffusion area is formed on a boundary portion between two adjacent blocks.

2. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reflection and diffusion area is formed on an overall area of the boundary portion except an area located in vicinity of a surface of the light guiding body.

3. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reflection and diffusion area has a multi-layered structure.

4. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the reflection and diffusion area is formed of a set of fine cracks produced by a laser beam machining.

5. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 1, wherein a scattered reflection area that continues from a front surface side to the back surface side is formed on the light guiding body.

6. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 5, wherein the scattered reflection area is formed on either of left and right edge portions of the block.

7. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 5, wherein the scattered reflection area is a planar area.

8. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the light sources is formed of an LED lamp.

9. A vehicle lighting assembly comprising:

a light guiding body having a front light emitting surface, a back surface that underwent a light reflecting process, and a side edge surface; and

a light source arranged in a position that oppose to the side end surface;

wherein the light guiding body has a reflex reflector formed of an elongated portion that is elongated to conceal the light source, and

an external light, which goes directly to the side edge surface, out of the external light that is incident on the light guiding body via the front light emitting surface is totally reflected by a boundary of a side edge portion.

10. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 9, wherein a reflecting layer is formed on a back surface of the elongated portion.

11. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 9, wherein a distance between the front light emitting surface and the back surface of the light guiding body becomes shorter continuously or stepwise as a portion goes away from the side edge surface.

12. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of reflecting portions and coupling portions are formed on the back surface of the light guiding body to be connected alternately in a direction that goes away from the side edge surface, and the reflecting portions reflect the light introduced and reached there and generate the light toward the front light emitting surface.

13. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 9, wherein a thickness of the light guiding body on a side edge surface side is set to 1.5 mm to 50 mm.

14. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 13, wherein the front light emitting surface is shaped into a convex gentle surface.

15. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 13, wherein the light guiding body is fitted in a state that the side edge surface is directed downward.

16. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 9, wherein the side edge surface is a flat smooth surface.

17. A vehicle lighting assembly according to claim 9, wherein the light source is formed of an LED lamp.

18. A rear combination lamp, comprising:

a tail/stop lamp portion for emitting a light of a first lamp;

a turn lamp portion provided over the tail/stop lamp portion, for emitting a light of a second lamp; and

a housing for housing the first lamp and the second lamp therein;

wherein the tail/stop lamp portion and the turn lamp portion are in communication with each other in the housing, and the housing has a first vent hole near the first lamp and a second vent hole near the second lamp.

19. A rear combination lamp according to claim 18, wherein a lens for introducing a light of the first lamp via a light incident portion provided to a lower end and emitting the light from a front is provided to the tail/stop lamp portion, and

the lens is formed such that a thickness is reduced continuously or stepwise as a portion goes away from the lower end and also a plurality of reflecting portions and coupling portions are formed on a back surface side to be connected alternately in a direction to go away from the lower end, whereby each of the reflecting portions reflects a light introduced and reached there by a boundary and generate a light in a direction toward the front.

20. A rear combination lamp according to claim 19, wherein an external light, which goes directly on the lower end of the lens, out of the external light incident on the lens via the front of the lens is totally reflected by a boundary of the lower end.

21. A rear combination lamp according to claim 19, wherein the first lamp is arranged such that a light emitting side opposes to a lower end surface of the lens, the first lamp has a heat sink with rib-like fins, and the fins are parallel with a longitudinal direction of the lens.

22. A rear combination lamp according to claim 19, wherein the first vent hole is provided in a position ahead of the first lamp.

23. A rear combination lamp according to claim 18, wherein the first vent hole is shaped into a slit-like shape.

24. A rear combination lamp according to claim 18, wherein the first lamp and the second lamp are an LED lamp respectively.