Stanley Electric Co., Ltd

Nalux Co., Ltd.

Sadayuki Konishi

Yasuo Toko

Shuichi Ajiki

Koichi Masuyama

Naoya Sone

Kayuri Kinoshita

Daisuke Seki

Norihisa Sakagami

Kenta Ishii

Provided is a vehicle lighting fixture capable of suppressing the luminous intensity at a portion (e.g., a portion around 4 degrees below the horizontal line) of a low-beam light distribution pattern from becoming relatively high, and also capable of forming a low-beam light distribution pattern with a uniform vertical thickness with respect to the horizontal direction. The vehicle lighting fixture includes a projection lens, a separator disposed behind the projection lens, and a low-beam light source that is disposed behind the separator and emits light for forming a low-beam light distribution pattern by being irradiated forward through the separator and the projection lens in this order. This vehicle lighting fixture is characterized in that: the separator includes an upper separator body that has a front surface and a rear surface on the opposite side thereof, and a first light guide portion that extends from a lower portion of the upper separator body toward the low-beam light source and has a first light incident surface located at a tip end thereof and faces the low-beam light source; that the projection lens has a front surface and a rear surface on the opposite side thereof, and the rear surface of the projection lens has an upper light incident surface facing the front surface of the upper separate body; that the low-beam light source, the first light guide portion, the upper separator body, and the upper light incident surface are each disposed above a reference axis passing through the focal point of the projection lens and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction; that the lower portion of the front surface of the upper separator body is in surface contact with the lower portion of the upper light incident surface of the rear surface of the projection lens; and that a space is formed between a portion above the lower portion of the front surface of the upper separator body and a portion above the lower portion of the upper light incident surface of the rear surface of the projection lens.

Vehicular lighting fixture

An illumination optical system having a light source and a single convex lens with a diffractive structure, wherein the phase function of the diffractive structure is represented by where r represents distance from the central axis of the lens, the relationship|&#x3b2;|&#xb7;(0.3)&#x3c;|&#x3b2;|&#xb7;(0.3)is satisfied where R represents effective radius of the lens, the second derivative of the phase function has at least one extreme value and at least one point of inflection where r is greater than 30% of R, and the area of a surface of the light source is equal to or greater than 3% of the area of the entrance pupil when the light source side of the lens is defined as the image side.

Illumination optical system

A vehicular lamp fitting, comprising a projection lens, a separator that is disposed behind the projection lens, a low beam light source and an ADB light source that are disposed behind the separator, wherein the separator includes an upper separator main body, and a lower separator main body, and a first region (a lower portion of an upper entry surface of the projection lens and an upper portion of a lower entry surface of the projection lens) matches the focal plane of the projection lens, a second region (a portion above the lower portion of the upper entry surface of the projection lens) is disposed ahead of or behind the focal plane of the projection lens, and a third region (a portion below the upper portion of the lower entry surface of the projection lens) is disposed ahead of or behind the focal plane of the projection lens.

Vehicular lamp fitting

A vehicle lighting unit is capable of enhancing the light utilization efficiency by effectively utilizing the part of light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting element that typically does not enter the light guide lens while being reflected by the light incident surface of the lens. The vehicle lighting unit can include a light guide lens a first surface configured to be disposed on a front side of a vehicle body, a second surface configured to be disposed on a rear side thereof and a recessed portion including a third surface; and a light emitting element disposed substantially at a reference point of the light guide lens. The second surface can include a reflection area extending from the recessed portion. The third surface can surround the semiconductor light emitting element, so that the light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting element can be incident on the third surface.

Vehicle lighting unit

A vehicle lighting unit serving as a vehicle headlight can form a light distribution pattern optimized according to the country or the area with a smaller number of parts when compared with the conventional vehicle headlights of this type. Further, there can be provided a light guide lens for use in such a vehicle lighting unit.

Vehicle lighting unit and light guide lens

A vehicle light can electrically change over between a horizontally wide light distribution pattern and an AFS suitable light distribution pattern for projecting light beams leftward (or rightward according to the traffic system). The vehicle light can include a projection lens having a light incident surface and a light exiting surface; and a horizontally long rectangular surface light source including a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices that are horizontally disposed on both sides with respect to a focus of the projection lens and are independently controlled to be turned on/off. The projection lens can vertically converge and horizontally diffuse light beams for projection. Respective optical axes of the projection lens and the rectangular surface light source are inclined by an angle &#x3b8; toward an outer side with respect to a front-to-rear direction of a vehicle body where the vehicle light is to be mounted, whereby a light distribution pattern horizontally uniform can be formed by light beams emitted from the semiconductor light emitting devices disposed on the outer side with respect to the focus of the projection lens.

Vehicle light

A vehicle headlamp can include a daytime running lamp with favorable light distribution characteristics. The vehicle headlamp can also include a headlight such as a low beam/high beam, a fog lamp, and the like. The vehicle headlamp can include a parabolic type reflector, a halogen bulb, and a driving circuit. The halogen bulb can include a first filament, a second filament and a shield member if necessary or desired. The first filament can be used as the above headlight, and the second filament adjacent the first filament can be used as the daytime running lamp. Because the second filament can be located at a closer position than the first filament with respect to the reflector, light emitted from the second filament can form a wider light distribution than that of the first filament. Therefore, the vehicle headlamp can provide a daytime running lamp with a favorable light distribution pattern along with the above headlight.

Vehicle lamp

A vehicle lamp can include a light source unit including a light guide plate with a light emission surface, and a point or line light source opposed to one end face of the light guide plate. The light guide plate can be made of a transparent plate-like material. A convex projection lens can be configured to focus light emitted from the light source unit and project the light forward in a direction of light illumination. The light guide plate can have a prism array on a rear surface thereof extending with a serrated cross section from the one end face to the opposite end face of the light guide plate, and in a direction parallel with the end face. The prism array can include a plurality of prism surfaces, with each prism surface being obliquely formed so that when light enters the light guide plate from the light source side and impinges thereon, a substantial amount of the light can be totally reflected into small angles of incidence to the emission surface. The projection lens can be disposed such that a focus thereof on a light source unit side is located on the light emission surface of the light guide plate.

A lighting fixture for use with a vehicle can switch a plurality of functions (for example, a fog lamp function and a cornering lamp function) without depending on a mechanical action. The lighting fixture can be mounted on a vehicle and can include a first light source, a second light source, and a first reflecting surface which can reflect light emitted by the first light source to form a first light distribution pattern when the first light source is turned on and can reflect light emitted by the second light source to form a second light distribution pattern different from the first light distribution pattern when the second light source is turned on.

Vehicle lighting fixture and method

A vehicle lamp can create a desired distribution pattern easily with a simple configuration while having a thin body and light weight. The vehicle lamp can include a light source unit and a convex projection lens configured to project light from the light source unit forward in the direction of light illumination. The light source unit can include a light guide plate having a light emission surface and made of a transparent material to the visible light range and can include a light source disposed in front of one end face of the light guide plate. The projection lens can have a focus arranged on or near the light emission surface of the light guide plate. The light source unit can include a reflection sheet configured to reflect light from the light guide plate back into the light guide plate and can have a shape configured to provide a cutoff pattern. The reflection sheet can be located adjacent an edge of the light guide plate adjacent the light source. A high beam light source unit can be disposed adjacent or on the reflection sheet closer to the projection lens.

An LED light source device can have a simple configuration which can easily create a desired light distribution pattern with a low profile and light weight. An illumination apparatus and a vehicle lighting device can also be configured to use the LED light source device. The light source device can include a light guide plate made of a flat plate-like material that is transparent in the visible range, and which has a front surface serving as a light emission surface. A point light source can be opposed to an end surface of the light guide plate. A rear surface of the light guide plate can include a luminance control element configured to control a luminance distribution on the light emission surface. The luminance control element controls light from the light source, incident through the end surface of the light guide plate, so that a reduced inversion of a light distribution pattern that is to be emitted is formed on the light emission surface as the luminance distribution. The light guide plate can include a polarizing film for making the light emission surface emit p-polarized (parallel polarized) light.

Light source device and vehicle lighting device

An LED light source device and an illumination device using the same, including vehicle lighting devices, can have a light weight and thin profile and can form a desired light distribution pattern while employing a simple configuration. The light source device can include a plate shaped light guide member made of a material that is transparent in a visible range. The light guide member can have a front surface serving as a light emitting surface and having a plate shape, and a rear surface having a luminance control element for controlling a luminance distribution on the light emitting surface. A point or linear light source facing towards an end surface of the light guide member can be provided. The luminance control element controls light reaching the element from the end surface of the light guide member and configures the luminance distribution on the light emitting surface, the luminance distribution being obtained by reducing a light distribution pattern to be projected (and in some cases horizontally and vertically reversing the pattern).

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Sadayuki Konishi