Vehicle lamp and a method of forming a reflector of the vehicle lamp

Abstract

A reference parabola is drawn in a vertical plane containing a principal optical axis of a reflector. A reference point of a curve demarcating the right side of a peripheral region of the reflector is set in the horizontal plane containing the principal optical axis. A boundary line of the peripheral region, which is extended along a design line of an outer lens when viewed from the side of a vehicle lamp, is drawn. The end points of the boundary line, and the end points of the reference parabola are determined by an external frame defining outer lines of the reflector viewed from the front side thereof. Of those points, the associated ones are connected by circular arcs, to thereby form a curved surface. The peripheral region forms a part of the curved surface. A region of the reflector intersecting the principal optical axis and continuous to the peripheral region is shaped to have a paraboloid of revolution. A plurality of paraboloids of revolution with different focal distances are set for the peripheral region, to thereby determine intersecting lines where the peripheral region intersects the paraboloids of revolution. A plurality of reflecting steps are disposed on the peripheral region between the adjacent intersecting lines. The reflecting steps are defined by parts of the paraboloids of revolution.