Signal lamp for vehicle having a light guide and mirror housing and lamp housing with reflection unit and support unit

• US 9,458,979 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SL Corporation
• Original Assignee: SL Corporation
• Inventors: Song, Do-Yoon, Kim, Yong-Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): MAY, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US14/101,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20140169017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2607 comprising at least two indicating lamps
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/28 for indicating front of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/38 using immovably-mounted light sources, e.g. fixed flashing lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/237 rod-shaped
• 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 43/27 Attachment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/31 Optical layout thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/33 characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/40 characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors

Abstract

A lamp for a vehicle is provided and includes a signal lamp that displays a predetermined image of repetition on an exterior mirror of a vehicle. The lamp further includes a mirror housing into which a mirror is installed and a signal lamp disposed on one surface of the mirror housing. The signal lamp includes a reflection unit, a lens unit disposed at a predetermined distance apart from the reflection unit and having a half mirror installed on at least one surface thereof, and a first light source unit disposed between the reflection unit and the lens unit and is about the same distance apart from the reflection unit and the lens unit.

Claims

1. A lamp for a vehicle, comprising:

a mirror housing into which a mirror is installed;

a lamp housing that is disposed on a portion of the mirror housing and includes a reflection unit disposed on a portion of the lamp housing,

a lens unit that is coupled to the lamp housing so as to form a chamber between the lens unit and the lamp housing and includes a half mirror disposed on a surface portion of the lens unit;

a support unit that is coupled to the lamp housing in the chamber;

a light guide that is supported by the support unit in the chamber; and

one or more light sources that are disposed at one or both ends of the light guide,

wherein the reflection unit is parallel or substantially parallel to the half mirror or the curvature of the reflection unit is same or substantially same as that of the half mirror, and

wherein the distance between the light guide and the reflection unit is same or substantially same as the distance between the light guide and half mirror.

2. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the reflection unit is a metal coating layer formed on the lamp housing.

3. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the reflection unit is configured to reflect light, which was generated by the one or more first light sources and reflected by the half mirror, at a predetermined angle for the light to travel back toward the half mirror.

4. The lamp of claim 3, wherein an angle of incidence and an angle of exit of the light reflected by the reflection unit are same or different.

5. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the half mirror is a metal coating layer formed on, or a film attached onto, the surface portion of the lens unit.

6. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the half mirror is formed on at least one of an inside or an exterior of the lens unit.

7. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the support unit includes an opening and the light guide is disposed on a side of an outer circumferential end of the opening of the support unit.

8. The lamp of claim 7, wherein the support unit includes:

an insertion bore into which one end of the light guide is inserted;

a recess that engages with a protrusion formed on another end of the light guide; and

one or more fixing grooves into which one or more fixing protrusions formed on the light guide are respectively inserted.

9. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the light guide includes an optic formed within at least a part of the light guide.

10. The lamp of claim 1, wherein light generated by the one or more of the first light sources is reflected at a first location on the half mirror, the reflected light from the first location is reflected at a second location on the reflection unit, and the reflected light from the second location is incident upon a third location on the half mirror, which is different from the first location.

11. The lamp of claim 10, wherein an angle of incidence and an angle of exit of the light reflected by the half mirror are same or different.

12. The lamp of claim 10, wherein light transmitted through the half mirror at the first location has a greater brightness than light transmitted through the half mirror at the third location.

13. The lamp of claim 1, further comprising one or more second light sources that are disposed at a portion of the light guide, which portion is different from the portion where the one or more first light sources are disposed.

14. A lamp for a vehicle, comprising;

a mirror housing into which a mirror is installed;

a lamp housing disposed on a portion of the mirror housing; and

a lens unit coupled to the lamp housing to form a chamber disposed between the lens unit and the lamp housing and having a half mirror disposed on a surface portion of the lens unit,

wherein the chamber includes a support unit, a reflector and a light guide, the support unit is coupled to the lamp housing, the light guide is supported by the support unit and at least one light source is disposed on at least one end of the light guide,

wherein the reflector is parallel or substantially parallel to a surface of the lens unit that emits the light of the light guide or the curvature of the reflector is identical or substantially identical to the curvature of a surface of the lens unit that emits the light of the light guide, and

wherein a distance between the light guide and the reflector is identical or substantially identical to the distance between the light guide and the lens unit.

15. The lamp of claim 14, wherein the reflector is configured to reflect light generated by the at least one light source and reflected by the half mirror at a predetermined angle for the light to travel back toward the half mirror.

16. The lamp of claim 15, wherein an angle of incidence and an angle of exit of the light reflected by the reflector are identical or different.

17. The lamp of claim 14, wherein the half mirror is formed on at least one of an inside or an exterior of the lens unit.

18. The lamp of claim 14, wherein the support unit includes an opening and the light guide is disposed on a side of an outer circumferential end of the opening of the support unit.

19. The lamp of claim 14, wherein light generated by the at least one light source is reflected at a first location on the half mirror, the reflected light from the first location is reflected at a second location on the reflector, and the reflected light from the second location is incident upon a third location on the half mirror, which is different from the first location.

20. The lamp of claim 19, wherein light transmitted through the half mirror at the first location has a greater brightness than light transmitted through the half mirror at the third location.