Patent ID: 9689546
Date: 2017-06-27
CPC Classifications: F21S

Claim:
1. A vehicle lighting unit having an optical axis, comprising: a solid light guide having a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface and including a reflection portion, and a light incident surface through which light enters the light guide, the first surface including an internal reflection portion and a light exiting portion that are formed as a single continued surface, the light guide configured such that light entering via the light incident surface reaches and is internally reflected off the internal reflection portion of the first surface, is then internally reflected off the reflection portion of the second surface, and exits through the light exiting portion of the first surface; and an LED light source disposed to face forward and obliquely downward with respect to the optical axis and towards the light incident surface, the light source configured to emit light that enters the light guide through the light incident surface, is internally reflected off the internal reflection portion of the first surface, is internally reflected off the reflection portion of the second surface, and exits through the light exiting portion of the first surface, wherein the light is emitted from the LED light source within a predetermined range and enters the light guide through the light incident surface, is internally reflected off the internal reflection portion of the first surface, is internally reflected off the reflection portion of the second surface, and exits through the light exiting portion of the first surface within a predetermined range, and light entering the light guide at an uppermost position, among the light entering the light guide, exits through the light exiting portion of the first surface above a reference point where light exiting the light guide at a lowermost position is present.