# US 11,079,087 B2 · Vehicle lamp

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- Number: US 11,079,087 B2
- Document ID: US11079087B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/314,154
- Filed: 2017-06-06
- Published: 2019-07-04
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-29
- Assignees: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Fumitaka Ichinohe
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079087B2

## CPC

- F21S 43/239: plate-shaped
- F21S 43/315: {using total internal reflection}
- F21S 43/14: Light emitting diodes [LED]
- F21S 43/243: emitting light from one or more of its extremities
- F21S 43/249: with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide
- B60Q 1/0011: {with light guides for distributing the light between several lighting or signalling devices}
- B60Q 3/62: using light guides
- B60Q 3/64: for a single lighting device
- F21S 41/24: Light guides
- F21S 41/285: {Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805}
- F21S 43/241: of complex shape
- F21V 7/0091: {using total internal reflection}
- F21W 2103/10: Position lights
- F21W 2103/15: Side marker lights
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- 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)}
- G02B 6/0011: {the light guides being planar or of plate-like form}
- G02B 6/0013: {Means for improving the coupling-in of light from the light source into the light guide (coupling light into light guides in general G02B6/42)}
- G02B 6/0015: {provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it}
- G02B 6/0018: {Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide}
- G02B 6/002: {by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces}
- G02B 6/0033: {Means for improving the coupling-out of light from the light guide}
- G02B 6/0035: {provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it}
- G02B 6/0045: {by shaping at least a portion of the light guide}
- G02B 6/0073: {Light emitting diode [LED]}
- G02B 6/0078: {Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays}
- G02B 6/0091: {of the light source relative to the light guide (G02B6/0021 takes precedence)}
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- B60Q: ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS

## Abstract

Provided is a vehicle lamp configured such that light emitted from a light emitting element (30) and incident from an incident portion (22e) formed on a top surface (22c) of a plate-like light guide (22B) is reflected toward a front end surface (22a) of the plate-like light guide (22B) by a first reflecting portion (22f) formed on a bottom surface (22d) of the plate-like light guide (22B). At that time, the incident portion (22e) is positioned on a step-up surface (22c1) formed to protrude from a general portion (22c0) of the top surface (22c). Further, the first reflecting portion (22f) is formed such that its upper end edge (22f1) is located closer to the step-up surface (22c1) than the general portion (22c0) of the top surface (22c). In this way, a wide reflecting area of the first reflecting portion (22f) can be secured.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle lamp comprising:
a plate-like light guide disposed to extend substantially in a front direction and a rear direction of the vehicle lamp; and
a light emitting element disposed to cause light to be incident on the plate-like light guide from an incident portion formed on a first plate surface of the plate-like light guide, the first plate surface being an upper surface of the plate-like light guide,
wherein a first reflecting portion, which is configured to reflect incident light from the incident portion in the front direction and toward a front end surface of the plate-like light guide, is formed on a second plate surface of the plate-like light guide opposite to the first plate surface, the second plate surface being a lower surface of the plate-like light guide,
wherein an area other than the first reflecting portion of the second plate surface is constructed as a single plane,
wherein the first plate surface has a general portion that is directly opposite to the area other than the first reflecting portion of the second plate surface with respect to an up direction and a down direction and is constructed as a single plane extending parallel to the second plate surface;
wherein a portion of the first plate surface where the incident portion is located is formed as a step-up surface protruding from the general portion of the first plate surface, and
wherein the first reflecting portion is formed such that a peripheral end edge of the first reflecting portion on a side of the first plate surface is located closer to the step-up surface than the general portion of the first plate surface, and the peripheral end edge of the first reflecting portion on a side of the first plate surface is located above the general portion of the first plate surface with respect to the up direction and the down direction;
wherein a second reflecting portion, which is configured to reflect the incident light from the incident portion in the rear direction and toward a rear end surface of the plate-like light guide, is formed on the second plate surface of the plate-like light guide, and
wherein a third reflecting portion, which is configured to reflect the light reflected from the second reflecting portion in the front direction and toward the front end surface, is formed on the rear end surface of the plate-like light guide;
wherein each of the first plate surface and the second plate surface is parallel to the front direction and to the rear direction;
wherein the area other than the first reflecting portion of the second plate surface constructed as the single plane extends directly from the first reflecting portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,
wherein a plurality of sets of plate-like light guides and light emitting elements are arranged side by side substantially in a direction intersecting with the front and rear direction,
wherein the plate-like light guides in respective sets are formed integrally with each other, and
wherein the light emitting elements in respective sets are supported on a common substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 2,
wherein the step-up surfaces of the plate-like light guides in respective sets are formed to be substantially flush with each other.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 1,
wherein a plate-like extension portion which extends to be bent in a plate thickness direction of the plate-like light guide is formed at a front end portion of the plate-like light guide,
wherein a front end surface of the plate-like light guide comprises a reflecting surface configured to reflect reflected light from the first reflecting portion toward the plate-like extension portion, and
wherein the plate-like extension portion is configured such that reflected light from the reflecting surface is reflected by a rear surface of the plate-like extension portion and emitted from a front surface of the plate-like extension portion.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the incident portion formed on the first plate surface of the plate-like light guide is a flat surface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the area other than the first reflecting portion of the second plate surface constructed as the single plane is a lowermost surface of the plate-like light guide.