# US 12,222,078 B2 · Vehicle lamp having two lamp units with a least one comprising a light guide > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,222,078 B2 - Document ID: US12222078B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/240,366 - Filed: 2023-08-31 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-12 - Assignees: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Shohei Kanezuka; Haruka Morii - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12222078B2 ## CPC - F21S 41/24: Light guides - B60Q 1/0041: {of several lamps in relation to each other} - F21S 41/148: the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis - F21S 41/151: arranged in one or more lines - F21S 41/321: {the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated} - F21S 41/33: Multi-surface reflectors, e.g. reflectors with facets or reflectors with portions of different curvature - F21S 41/50: characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers - F21S 43/14: Light emitting diodes [LED] - F21S 43/15: Strips of light sources - F21S 43/19: Attachment of light sources or lamp holders - F21S 43/195: {Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors} - F21S 43/237: rod-shaped - F21S 43/245: emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces - F21S 43/247: with a single light source being coupled into the light guide - F21S 43/26: {Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255} - F21S 43/27: Attachment thereof - F21S 43/315: {using total internal reflection} - F21S 43/40: characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors - G02B 6/00: Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings - B60Q 1/04: the devices being headlights - B60Q 1/32: for indicating vehicle sides {, e.g. clearance lights} - B60Q 1/38: using immovably-mounted light sources, e.g. fixed flashing lamps - B60Q 2400/30: Daytime running lights [DRL], e.g. circuits or arrangements therefor - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - 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 - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - 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 ## Abstract A composite vehicle lamp includes: a lamp unit; and a lamp housing configured to house a plurality of the lamp units. Each of the plurality of the lamp units has: a light source; and an optical system configured to emit light from the light source in a desired light distribution. The plurality of the lamp units includes: one light-guide-type lamp unit having a light guide; and another light-guide-type lamp unit having another light guide whose form is different from that of the one light-guide-type lamp unit. The one light-guide-type lamp unit and the another light-guide-type lamp unit are turned on as lamps having the same function. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle lamp comprising: a light source; and a light guide configured to guide light from the light source to emit the light, wherein the light guide includes: an incident surface on which the light from the light source is incident; an emission surface from which the guided light is emitted outside; and a reflection surface on which the light from the incident surface is internally reflected toward the emission surface, the reflection surface includes a plurality of contiguous reflection surface sections, each boundary between the plurality of reflection surface sections is provided with a reflection step configured to internally reflect the light divergently or diffusely, the light guide is a translucent light-guiding plate, the incident surface is on one plate surface of the light-guiding plate, the reflection surface is on the other plate surface of the light-guiding plate such that the reflection surface faces the incident surface, the emission surface is on an end surface of the light-guiding plate, and the emission surface includes a lateral emission step configured to reflect light guided to an edge of the light-guiding plate in a thickness direction of the light-guiding plate to emit the light in the thickness direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein each of the reflection steps is configured with a plurality of arranged semicylindrical optical steps. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the emission surface inclines, the plurality of reflection surface sections is arranged in a terraced manner along an inclination direction of the emission surface, and each boundary between the plurality of reflection surface sections is provided with a boundary surface extending in a direction intersecting the inclination direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, further comprising: a substrate supported along the one plate surface of the light-guiding plate, a plurality of the light sources is mounted on the substrate such that each of the plurality of the light sources faces respective one of a plurality of the incident surfaces. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the reflection surface includes: a single-reflection surface configured to turn incident light toward the emission surface through a single internal reflection; and a multiple-reflection surface configured to turn incident light toward the emission surface through multiple internal reflections. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the emission surface inclines in the thickness direction from one edge of the light-guiding plate on which the lateral emission step is provided to the other edge. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the light guide includes a supporting piece that extends from the reflection surface in a direction opposite to the emission surface and whose extended portion is bent in a thickness direction of the light-guiding plate, and the supporting piece is configured to be supported by a fixing portion of the vehicle lamp. ### Claim 8 A vehicle lamp comprising: a light source; and a light guide configured to guide light from the light source to emit the light, wherein the light guide includes: an incident surface on which the light from the light source is incident; an emission surface from which the guided light is emitted outside; and a reflection surface on which the light from the incident surface is internally reflected toward the emission surface, the reflection surface includes a plurality of contiguous reflection surface sections, each boundary between the plurality of reflection surface sections is provided with a reflection step configured to internally reflect the light divergently or diffusely, the light guide is a translucent light-guiding plate, the incident surface is on one plate surface of the light-guiding plate, the reflection surface is on the other plate surface of the light-guiding plate such that the reflection surface faces the incident surface, the emission surface is on an end surface of the light-guiding plate, the light guide includes a supporting piece that extends from the reflection surface in a direction opposite to the emission surface and whose extended portion is bent in a thickness direction of the light-guiding plate, and the supporting piece is configured to be supported by a fixing portion of the vehicle lamp.