JP2012101726A - Vehicle lighting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle lighting system that can illuminate a plurality of areas with one light source.SOLUTION: An indoor lamp 13 includes: one semiconductor type light source 22; and a lens 23 which distributes light of the semiconductor type light source 22 to the plurality of luminous fluxes L1 and L2 of which lighting directions differ. Lighting of arbitrary areas in the cabin is enabled by the plurality of luminous fluxes L1 and L2 distributed by the lens 23, respectively.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular illumination device that illuminates a vehicle interior.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a roof installation type vehicle lighting device that can illuminate a specific area such as a driver's seat, a passenger seat, and a rear seat using a plurality of LED light sources.

JP 2003-165383 A

  The disclosed technology of Patent Document 1 is configured to switch and illuminate a driver seat, a passenger seat, a rear seat, and the like by a LED light source for specific area illumination among a plurality of LED light sources in a single lamp unit. . For this reason, in order to illuminate a plurality of areas, a plurality of LED light sources directed to the illumination areas each having the optical axis as a target are required, which is disadvantageous in terms of cost.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a vehicular illumination device that can illuminate a plurality of areas with a single light source.

  The vehicle illumination device of the present invention includes one light source and a lens that distributes the light from the light source into a plurality of light beams having different illumination directions.

  An arbitrary area in the passenger compartment can be illuminated by a plurality of light beams distributed by the lens.

  According to the present invention, even light from a single light source is distributed into a plurality of light beams having different illumination directions depending on the lens. It is possible to brightly illuminate the area simultaneously.

  As a result, the number of parts can be reduced and the lamp unit can be downsized, and the power consumption can be reduced.

The schematic plane explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement | positioning condition of the indoor lamp in the illuminating device for vehicles which concerns on this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Schematic cross-sectional explanatory drawing which shows 1st Embodiment of the illuminating device for vehicles of this invention. The schematic explanatory drawing which shows the vehicle interior lighting condition of 1st Embodiment. The schematic cross-sectional explanatory drawing which shows 2nd Embodiment of this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the light beam distribution of 2nd Embodiment. The schematic explanatory drawing which shows the vehicle interior lighting condition of 2nd Embodiment. The schematic cross-sectional explanatory drawing which shows 3rd Embodiment of this invention. The schematic cross-sectional explanatory drawing which shows 4th Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  A vehicle 1 according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 includes a pair of left and right map lamps 11 for a driver seat 2 and a passenger seat 3, a console lamp 12 for a floor center console attached to the map lamp 11, and a rear seat 4. Indoor lamps such as a pair of left and right personal lamps 13 are provided.

  These indoor lamps 11, 12, and 13 are controlled by a controller 10 mounted in an engine room, for example.

  The map lamp 11 and the console lamp 12 are disposed in the vehicle center portion of the front roof rail. The personal lamp 13 is disposed in the vicinity of the rear seats of the left and right roof side rails.

  Each of the indoor lamps 11, 12, and 13 uses a semiconductor-type light source using luminescence obtained by applying a voltage to a semiconductor, such as an LED or an EL.

  The indoor lamps 11, 12, and 13 are controlled by the controller 10 to perform various operation controls such as turning on / off, illuminance adjustment and luminance adjustment by PWM control, and light distribution mode control.

  FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the structure of the personal lamp 13 as a representative of the indoor lamp described above.

  The personal lamp 13 includes a lamp case 21, one semiconductor light source 22 disposed on the substrate of the lamp case 21, and a lens 23 that distributes the light from the semiconductor light source 22 into a plurality of light beams L1 and L2 having different illumination directions. And.

  The lens 23 is made of a material having excellent light guide properties such as acrylic resin, and is formed on a flat light projecting surface 23a and a side surface opposite to the light projecting surface 23a to receive the semiconductor-type light source 22, and its emitted light. A light incident portion 23b that guides light into the lens 23, and a plurality of reflection surfaces 23c that are provided on the circumferential side and reflect light guided from the light incident portion 23b by surface reflection in a required direction. I have.

  In the example shown in FIG. 2, the light of the semiconductor light source 22 guided into the lens 23 is distributed in the front and rear two directions by the reflecting surfaces 23c and 23c and totally reflected, so that one side portion of the rear seat 4 is provided. And a light beam L2 directed to the back surface of the front seat 2 or 3 are formed.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the light beam L <b> 1 has a beam angle θ <b> 1 that can illuminate a region extending from the seat cushion 4 a to the lower side of the seat back 4 b on one side of the rear seat 4.

  On the other hand, the light beam L2 has a beam angle θ2 that can illuminate the feet of the passenger P in the rear seat 4 from the back of the front seat (driver's seat 2 or front passenger seat 3) in front of the light beam L1.

According to the structure of the first embodiment, even the light from one semiconductor-type light source 22 is distributed by the lens 23 into light beams L1 and L2 having different illumination directions. By directing L2 to a required area in the vehicle compartment, it becomes possible to illuminate a plurality of areas simultaneously and brightly. For example, in the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the seating equivalent region in the seat cushion 4a of the rear seat 4 is illuminated by the light beam L1, and the rear seat occupant from the back of the front seat 2 or 3 in front of the rear seat occupant P by the light beam L2. The area around P's feet is illuminated.

  As a result, when the rear seat occupant P gets into the vehicle 1, the portions to be seated and the surroundings of the feet are illuminated in a spot shape by the luminous fluxes L1 and L2, and the rear seat 4 is illuminated as a whole. It feels bright. Therefore, the user can get into the vehicle interior with a sense of security, and when seated, the front seat back of the front seat is illuminated in a spot shape by the light beam L2, so that it can be felt brighter than the illuminance.

  As a result, the number of parts can be reduced and the lamp unit can be downsized, and the power consumption can be reduced.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the light of one semiconductor type light source 22 is irradiated with a plurality of light beams having different irradiation directions by a so-called edge light illumination function using the light guide action by one lens 23 and the total surface reflection of the plurality of reflecting surfaces 23c. Since the light beams L1 and L2 are formed, the structure can be simplified.

  The transmission area of the light beams L1 and L2 on the light projecting surface 23a of the lens 23 is unambiguously narrowed depending on the formation angle of the reflection surfaces 23c and 23c. You may make it raise the definition of the light distribution pattern of the light beams L1 and L2.

  4 to 6 show a second embodiment of the present invention.

  In the present embodiment, the beam angle θ2 of the light beam L2 is set smaller than the beam angle θ1 of the light beam L1 irradiated from the light projecting surface 23a of the lens 23, and the light amount of the light beam L2 is set to the light beam L1. I try to make it smaller.

  In the example shown in FIG. 4, the position of the semiconductor light source 22 and the light incident part 23 b of the lens 23 that receives the semiconductor light source 22 is shifted to the reflecting surface 23 c (vehicle rear side) side on the side where the light beam L <b> 1 is formed. The beam angle θ2 of the light beam L2 is made smaller than the beam angle θ1 of the light beam L1 by making the light guide distance of the semiconductor light source 22 in FIG.

  Thus, by making the beam angles θ1 and θ2 of the light beams L1 and L2 different, as shown in FIG. 5, the irradiation surface, that is, the seat cushion 4a of the rear seat 4 in this example, and the front seat in front thereof The illumination ranges S1 and S2 on the back surface of 2 or 3 are made large and small to change the brightness.

  As in this embodiment, one semiconductor-type light source can be obtained by reducing the irradiation range S2 on the back of the upper end of the front seat 2 or 3 (that is, the back of the headrest), which is the irradiation surface in front of the rear seat occupant P. Even if the light having the same illuminance emitted from the light source 22 is given an uncomfortable feeling that it is too bright, that is, too bright, compared to the large irradiation range S1 on the seat cushion 4a of the rear seat 4 where the irradiation surface moves away from the light source. It can be avoided.

  Further, if the beam angle θ2 of the light beam L2 is made smaller, the amount of light becomes lower by that amount than that of the light beam L1 having a larger beam angle θ1, and the above-mentioned effect of suppressing the uncomfortable feeling is improved.

  Moreover, according to the present embodiment, such light amount adjustment and beam angle adjustment of the light beams L1 and L2 can be easily performed by simple means of adjusting the light guide distance in the lens 23 by setting the light source position. .

FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the present invention, in which the color temperatures of light beams L1 and L2 distributed and projected from the lens 22 in the vehicle front-rear direction are made different from each other.

  In this embodiment, the basic structure is the structure of the second embodiment shown in FIG. The lens 23 is divided into a lens rear portion 23R that forms the light beam L1 and a lens front portion 23F that forms the light beam L2, and the lens material is changed. Due to the difference in lens material, the color temperature of the light beam L1 formed at the lens rear portion 23R is high, and the color temperature of the light beam L2 formed at the lens front portion 23F is low.

  In this way, by devising the lens 23 to give a color temperature difference to the light beams L1 and L2, the color temperature of the light beam L1 can be adjusted even for light of the same illuminance emitted from one semiconductor light source 22. The seat cushion 4a of the rear seat 4 is made brighter and the color temperature of the light beam L2 is reduced to make the rear surface of the front seat 2 or 3 in front of the rear seat occupant P look too bright. Can be avoided.

  Further, by changing the color temperatures of the light beams L1 and L2, the color of the light beams L1 and L2 changes, and it looks as if they are illuminated by a plurality of lamp units, and an atmosphere such as a high-class feeling can be produced.

  In the example shown in FIG. 7, the lens 23 has a two-divided configuration of the lens rear portion 23R and the lens front portion 23F. However, without dividing the lens 23, a chromatic film having a different color temperature is pasted on the light projecting surface 23a. It is also possible to obtain a similar lighting effect by applying a colored coating.

  FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, as the lens 23, a first lens portion 31 that separates light from the semiconductor light source 22 into a plurality of light beams L1 and L2. And a second lens unit 32 that condenses, expands and projects the light beams L1 and L2 separated and formed by the first lens unit 31 to the outside. Yes.

  The first lens unit 31 is a prism lens in which a plurality of reflecting wedges are arranged on one side surface, and the second lens unit 32 is a gradient index lens.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, the first lens unit 31 and the second lens unit 32 are configured separately, but can be integrally molded.

  As in this embodiment, the light emitted from one semiconductor-type light source 22 is separated and formed as a plurality of light beams L1 and L2 by the first lens unit 31, whereby the clarity of the light beams L1 and L2 can be increased. At the same time, since the light beams L1 and L2 are enlarged and projected to the outside by the second lens unit 32, it is possible to meet the needs for expanding the irradiation range.

  Further, when the combination of the prism lens and the gradient index lens is used as described above, the semiconductor light source 22 is not seen through the lens 23 from the outside of the lamp unit when the lamp is turned off, and the quality and appearance can be improved. it can.

  In the above embodiment, the personal lamp 13 has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied to the map lamp 11, the console lamp 12, or other indoor lighting lamps.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Car body 2 ... Driver's seat 3 ... Passenger seat 4 ... Rear seat 10 ... Controller 11 ... Map lamp (indoor lamp)
12 ... Console lamp (indoor lamp)
13 ... Personal lamp (indoor lamp)
21 ... Lamp case 22 ... Semiconductor light source (light source)
23 ... Lens 23a ... Projecting surface 23c ... Reflecting surface 31 ... First lens unit 32 ... Second lens unit

Claims (7)

One light source,
A lens that distributes the light of the light source to a plurality of light fluxes having different illumination directions,
A vehicular illuminating device characterized in that an arbitrary area in a passenger compartment can be illuminated by a plurality of light beams distributed by the lens.   The lens includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces that reflect the light of the light source guided into the lens toward a required direction in the lens, and forms the light flux by a reflecting action of these reflecting surfaces. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein   3. The vehicular illumination device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of luminous flux distributed and projected from the lens is made different.   The vehicular illumination device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein color temperatures of light beams distributed and projected from the lens are made different from each other.   The vehicular illumination device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein beam angles of light beams distributed and projected from the lens are made different from each other.   The light amount and beam angle of each of the luminous fluxes distributed and projected from the lens into a plurality are set by varying the light guide distance of the light of the light source in the lens. Vehicle lighting device. The lens includes a first lens unit that separates light from the light source into a plurality of light fluxes;
2. The vehicular illumination according to claim 1, further comprising: a second lens unit that condenses each of the light beams separated by the first lens unit and expands and projects the light to the outside. apparatus.

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