Vehicular lamp

• US 4,733,335 A
• Filed: 12/23/1985
• Issued: 03/22/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Takasaki, Toshinobu, Miyagawa, Jiro, Saaki, Masaru, Serizawa, Hiroyuki, Arima, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/812,592
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/268, 362/294, 362/800, 362/368, 362/373, 362/246, 362/234, 362/235, 362/326, 362/327, 362/331, 362/296, 362/297, 362/308, 340/87, 340/84, 340/97
• US Class Current: 362/503
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/56 for illuminating registrations or the like , e.g. for licence plates
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• 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 43/27 Attachment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/37 specially adapted for signal lamps
• 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 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A vehicular lamp employing light-emitting diodes providing a good illumination efficiency, and which can be readily mounted on many different types of vehicles. The lamp includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes arranged on a supporting board, condenser lenses provided in front of each of the light-emitting diodes, and diffusion lenses arranged in front of the condenser lenses. A housing member supports the supporting board, the condenser lenses, and the diffusion lenses, the housing member having air holes formed therein to provide for ventilation. With this arrangement, the light produced by the light-emitting diodes is applied in the form of parallel beams to the front lens member by the condenser lenses, and the parallel light beams are diffused by the diffusion lenses on the front lens member. Accordingly, the front surface of the front lens member is illuminated in its entirety and illuminated uniformly.

Claims

1. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a supporting board (210);

a plurality of light-emitting diodes (209) arranged on said supporting board;

condenser lenses (223) provided in front of respective ones of said light-emitting diodes;

diffusion lenses (222) arranged in front of said condenser lenses; and

a housing member (204) supporting said supporting board, said condenser lenses, and said diffusion lenses, said housing member having air holes (216) formed therein, and said diodes are arranged on one side of said supporting board, and the other side of said supporting board and walls of said housing member form a chamber, said air holes being provided in the walls of said housing which form said chamber.

2. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, in which said condenser lenses and said diffusion lenses are convex lenses.

3. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, in which a radius of curvature of said diffusion lenses is smaller than a radius of curvature of said condenser lenses.

4. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, in which each said light-emitting diode is positioned at or near a focal point of the respective condenser lens.

5. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, in which said housing member comprises:

a first lamp body which is the form of a box having a front opening and a rear opening;

a second lamp body secured to said lamp body in such a manner as to close said rear opening of said first lamp body; and

a lamp mounting member detachably secured to a lower surface of said first lamp body and fixedly mounted on a vehicle body.

6. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 5, in which said condenser lenses and said diffusion lenses are mounted on said first lamp body in such a manner as to close said front opening of said first lamp body, and said supporting board is arranged in said first lamp body.

7. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 5, in which said second lamp body is elastically engaged with said first lamp body.

8. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1 or 5, in which said air holes are formed in said second lamp communicating the inside of said housing member with the outside.

9. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 5, in which said lamp mounting member is replaceable.

10. The vehicle lamp as claimed in claim 5, further comprising means for installing said housing member on the inside of a rear window of a vehicle.

11. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, in which said housing member comprises a lamp body in the form of a box, said box having an opening facing rearwardly of a vehicle body, said lamp body being mounted through a lower surface thereof to said vehicle body.

12. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 11, in which said condenser lenses and said diffusion lenses are secured to the opening of said lamp body in such a manner that said condenser lenses and said diffusion lenses are inside said lamp body.

13. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 12, in which an upper surface of said lamp body is roughened.

14. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 12, in which said air holes are formed in an upper portion of a rear wall of said lamp body.

15. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 11, in which said housing member is mounted on the outside of a rear window of said vehicle body.

16. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a diode segregating member having a plurality of diode accommodating chambers which surround respective ones of said light-emitting diodes, wherein each condenser lens is substantially equal in size to an opening of a respective diode segregating chamber formed in one side of said diode segregating member, the other side of which is secured to said supporting board.

17. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 16, in which each of said diode accommodating chambers is tapered, and the opening thereof in the other side of said diode segregating member is smaller than the opening thereof in the one side of said diode segregating member.

18. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 11, further comprising light shielding films formed at predetermined intervals on the outside of a plate on the inside of which said diffusion lenses are formed, thus providing light transmitting regions and light blocking regions alternately thereon.

19. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 16, in which said diode segregating member is made of an opaque material, and walls of each of said diode accommodating chambers reflect light from the respective light-emitting diode towards the respective condenser lens.

20. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising terminal seats disposed between said supporting board and respective ones of said light-emitting diodes, each terminal seat having a peripheral part inclined towards the respective condenser lens to thus provide a reflecting surface.

21. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 17, in which each of said diode accommodating chambers is pyramidally shaped.

22. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, in which each of said light-emitting diodes comprises:

a semiconductor chip, a transparent resin part, a pair of lead wires, and a metal wire, said semiconductor chip, lead wires and metal wire being molded in said transparent resin part.

23. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 22, in which each of said light-emitting diodes further comprises:

a semiconductor chip mounting part molded in said transparent resin part, said semiconductor chip mounting part having a chip receiving surface which serves also as a parabolic reflecting surface.

24. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for mounting said housing member on a rear fender of a two-wheeled vehicle.

25. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 24, in which an outer surface of a plate, on an inner surface of which said diffusion lenses are formed, provides a tail lamp region, a pair of direction indicating regions, and a reflective reflector region.

26. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 25, in which said housing member is integral with a license plate mounting board, and an outer surface of said plate further provides a license plate illuminating region.

31. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein a drain hole (217) is provided in said housing member.

32. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for defining a bent drain hole in said housing.

27. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a supporting board (210);

a plurality of light-emitting diodes (209) arranged on said supporting board;

condenser lenses (223) provided in front of respective ones of said light-emitting diodes.

diffusion lenses (222) arranged in front of said condenser lenses;

a housing member (204) supporting said supporting board, said condenser lenses, and said diffusion lenses, said housing member having air holes (216) formed therein; and

a diode segregating member having a plurality of diode accommodating chambers which surround respective ones of said light-emitting diodes, wherein each condenser lens is substantially equal in size to an opening of a respective diode segregating chamber formed in one side of said diode segregating member, the other side of which is secured to said supporting board,

wherein one side of said supporting board opposite the side on which said diode segregating member is provided is covered with a resin of a type in which said light-emitting diodes are molded.

28. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a supporting board (210);

a plurality of light-emitting diodes (209) arranged on said supporting board;

condenser lenses (223) provided in front of respective ones of said light-emitting diodes;

diffusion lenses (222) arranged in front of said condenser lenses;

a housing member (204) supporting said supporting board, said condenser lenses, and said diffusion lenses, said housing member having air holes (216) formed therein; and

a diode segregating member having a plurality of diode accommodating chambers which surround respective ones of said light-emitting diodes, wherein each condenser lens is substantially equal in size to an opening of a respective diode segregating chamber formed in one side of said diode segregating member, the other side of which is secured to said supporting board,

wherein said condenser lenses occupy respective ones of said diode accommodating chambers and are integral with said diode segregating member.

29. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 28, in which each of said diode accommodating chambers is parabolic in section.

30. A vehicular lamp comprising:

a supporting board (210);

a plurality of light-emitting diodes (209) arranged on said supporting board;

condenser lenses (223) provided in front of respective ones of said light-emitting diodes;

diffusion lenses (222) arranged in front of said condenser lenses;

a housing member (204) supporting said supporting board, said condenser lenses, and said diffusion lenses, said housing member having air holes (216) formed therein; and

a diode segregating member having a plurality of diode accommodating chambers which surround respective ones of said light-emitting diodes, wherein each condenser lens is substantially equal in size to an opening of a respective diode segregating chamber formed in one side of said diode segregating member, the other side of which is secured to said supporting board,

wherein said supporting board has a plurality of fins (103) on a rear side thereof.