Vehicle lamp

• US 4,862,330 A
• Filed: 09/21/1988
• Issued: 08/29/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Sasaki, Masaru, Machida, Tsutomu, Mochizuki, Toshiyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/247,012
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/219, 362/244, 362/291, 362/336, 362/339, 362/340, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/522
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• 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 45/37 specially adapted for signal lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A stop lamp for a vehicle, such as a stop lamp adapted for mounting on a rear spoiler of an automobile, having an improved efficiency of light utilization. The lamp includes a lamp body, a front lens, and a plural number of light-emitting diodes juxtaposed at predetermined intervals. Light control parts are formed in the inner wall of the front lens for directing the light output from the light-emitting diodes in predetermined directions. Each light control part is composed of nine prisms arranged in a 3×3 matrix. The central one of the prisms faces a respective one of the light-emitting diodes.

Claims

1. A lamp for a vehicle, comprising:

a lamp unit comprising a lamp body, a front lens, and a plurality of light-emitting diodes juxtaposed at predetermined intervals; and

a plurality of light control parts each comprising nine prisms arranged in a 3×

3 matrix formed in an inner wall of said front lens in correspondence to each of the respective light-emitting diodes to direct output light beams of said light-emitting diodes in a predetermined direction, a central one of said nine prisms of each of said light control parts facing the respective light-emitting diode, and each of the four prisms adjacent said central one of said nine prisms having a step along inner edges thereof.

2. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein each of said prisms is generally square shaped.

3. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein said central one of said nine prisms has a concave surface.

4. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein said four prisms adjacent said central one of said nine prisms are smaller in thickness towards outer edges thereof than towards inner edges.

5. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein said front lens is inclined rearward of the vehicle body, and wherein a height of said step of a one of said four prisms below said central one of said nine prisms is larger than a height of said step of a one of said four prisms above said central one of said nine prisms.

6. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein said front lens is inclined forwardly of the vehicle body, and wherein a height of said step of a one of said four prisms below said central one of said nine prisms is smaller than a height of said step of a one of said four prisms above said central one of said nine prisms.

7. The vehicle lamp of claim 5, wherein a height of said steps of the prisms to the right and left of said central one of said four prisms is larger than said one of said four prisms below said central one of said nine prisms and smaller than said one of said nine prisms above said central one of said nine prisms.

8. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein the four prisms located at the four corners of said central one of said nine prisms have a concave surface and are inclined from an inner corner thereof closer to said central one of said nine prisms towards an outer corner thereof diametrically opposite to said inner corner.

9. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein each of said nine prisms of each of said light control parts has a planar surface.

10. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein a surface of said central one of said nine prisms has a concave surface and the remaining eight prisms are S shaped in horizontal sectional so as to have a concave surface close to said central one of said nine prisms and a convex surface remote from said central one of said nine prisms.

11. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein V-shaped grooves are formed between adjacent ones of said light control parts.

12. The vehicle lamp of claim 1, wherein said front lens has formed therein a side step comprising a plurality of cylindrical lenses extending longitudinally of said vehicle.

13. A lamp for a vehicle, comprising:

a lamp unit comprising a lamp body, a front lens, and a plurality of light-emitting diodes juxtaposed at predetermined intervals; and

a plurality of light control parts each comprising nine prisms arranged in a 3×

3 matrix formed in an inner wall of said front lens in correspondence to each of the respective light-emitting diodes to direct output light beams of said light-emitting diodes in a predetermined direction, a central one of said nine prisms of each of said light control parts facing the respective light-emitting diode, wherein said front lens is curved such that distances between ones of said light emitting diodes and distances between respective one of said light control parts are different from one another, and wherein widths of said light control parts are varied in accordance with a directivity of the respective ones of said light-emitting diodes.