Lamp

• US 9,541,703 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Jidoshokki, Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Moriyama, Akira, Uchino, Koji, Nishijima, Mitsuhiko, Terai, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): COUGHLIN, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US14/189,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20140254196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 362/494, 362/511, 362/576, 362/583, 362/606, 362/618, 362/619
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 43/241 of complex shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/243 emitting light from one or more of its extremities
• 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 43/50 characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2202 Reconstruction geometries or arrangements

Abstract

A lamp comprises a light guide, a light source and a subject member; wherein an exit surface of the light guide is arranged at a position exposed to a front side of the subject member or located on a rear side of the subject member while being visible from the front side; wherein a surface of a light-guiding part about the exit surface located on the rear side is covered with paint or an opaque member so that the exit surface seen from the front side appears to have the same color as with surroundings thereof; wherein the subject member is molded by an opaque material or the rear side about the exit surface is covered with the paint or the opaque member; and wherein the light guide and the subject member are molded integrally with each other.

Claims

1. A lamp comprising:

a transparent light guide having an entrance surface for receiving light from a light source, an exit surface for emitting the light entering from the entrance surface, and a light-guiding part for guiding the light entering from the entrance surface to the exit surface; and

a pair of subject members for attaching the light guide thereto, the subject members having a front side and a rear side, wherein the front side of the subject members are visible from outside the lamp, wherein the rear side of the subject members are covered by an opaque color part;

wherein the opaque color part further covers a portion of the light-guiding part of the light guide and is in contact with the portion of the light-guiding part;

wherein the light source is positioned within an interior of the lamp at a position opposing the entrance surface of the light guide and posterior to the rear side of the subject members such that the light source is covered by the color part and thereby not visible from outside the lamp;

wherein the light guide is arranged such that the exit surface of the light guide is adjacent to the front side of each subject member such that the exit surface is exposed relative to the front side of the subject members and thereby visible from outside the lamp, wherein the entrance surface of the light guide is arranged within the interior of the lamp posterior to the rear side of the subject members such that the entrance surface is covered by the color part and thereby not visible from outside the lamp such that the light guide is operable to guide light from a position not visible from outside the lamp to a position visible from outside the lamp; and

wherein the subject members are transparent.

2. A lamp according to claim 1, wherein the light-guiding part of the light guide has a bent form from the entrance surface to the exit surface.

3. A lamp according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the light-guiding part of the light guide extends angularly between the exit surface and the entrance surface relative to an axis normal to the exit surface.

4. A lamp according to claim 1, wherein the exit surface of the light guide is flush with the front side of each subject member.

5. A lamp according to claim 1, wherein the exit surface of the light guide is arranged at an outermost edge part on the front side of the subject members.

6. A lamp according to claim 5, wherein the light guide has a tilted surface, at least one subject member of the pair of subject members has a tilted surface, and the light guide and the at least one subject member are molded integrally such that the tilted surface of the light guide and the tilted surface of the at least one subject member are in contact with each other.

7. A lamp comprising:

a transparent light guide having an entrance surface for receiving light from a light source, an exit surface for emitting the light entering from the entrance surface, and a light-guiding part for guiding the light entering from the entrance surface to the exit surface; and

a transparent subject member for attaching the light guide thereto, the subject member having a front side and a rear side, wherein the front side of the subject member is visible from outside the lamp, wherein the rear side of the subject member is substantially covered by an opaque color part;

wherein the opaque color part further covers a portion of the light-guiding part of the light guide and is in contact with the portion of the light-guiding part;

wherein the light source is positioned within an interior of the lamp at a position opposing the entrance surface of the light guide and posterior to the rear side of the subject member such that the light source is covered by the color part and thereby not visible from outside the lamp;

wherein the exit surface of the light guide is arranged to abut the rear side of the subject member not covered by the color part such that the exit surface is not exposed relative to the subject member and such that the light guide, including the light guiding part, extends from the exit surface of the light guide within the interior of the lamp, wherein the light guiding part which extends from the exit surface of the light guide is substantially covered by the opaque color part, and

wherein the entrance surface of the light guide is arranged within the interior of the lamp posterior to the rear side of the subject member such that the entrance surface is covered by the color part and thereby not visible from outside the lamp such that the light guide is operable to guide light from a position not visible from outside the lamp to a position visible from outside the lamp.

8. A lamp according to claim 7, wherein the light-guiding part of the light guide has a bent form from the entrance surface to the exit surface.

9. A lamp according to claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the light-guiding part of the light guide extends angularly between the exit surface and the entrance surface relative to an axis normal to the exit surface.