Patent Publication Number: US-2023160551-A1

Title: Lamp for vehicle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0162553, filed on Nov. 23, 2021, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1 Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp, and more particularly, to a vehicle lamp for forming a beam pattern of uniform brightness. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In general, a vehicle is provided with a lamp for the purpose of illumination function for easily identifying an object located around the vehicle during low-light conditions (e.g., night driving) and signaling function for notifying other vehicles or road users of the driving state of the vehicle. 
     For example, head lamps and fog lamps are mainly for the purpose of illumination, and turn signal lamps, tail lamps and brake lamps are mainly for the purpose of signaling. The installation standards and specification of each lamp are stipulated by laws and regulations so that each function can be fully exhibited. 
     In recent years, not only the functional aspect of enabling the driver&#39;s visibility for safe driving, which is the basic role of a vehicle lamp, but also the aesthetic aspect that consumers perceive has a great influence on the purchase decision of a vehicle. 
     To this end, there is a need for a means of using a plurality of miniaturized lamps instead of using a single lamp module to realize a slimmer form factor and to form an optimal beam pattern. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle lamp that allows a beam pattern of uniform brightness to be formed as a whole. Objects of the present disclosure are not limited to the objects mentioned above, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. 
     According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle lamp may include a light source unit that generates light, and an optical unit disposed in front of the light source unit. The optical unit may include an incident surface on which the light is incident from the light source unit and an emitting surface through which the light is transmitted to form a predetermined beam pattern. The incident surface of the optical unit may include a plurality of divided regions that are divided in a grid shape, and the plurality of divided regions may include at least a first divided region and a second divided region having different distances from a center line that connects centers of the incident surface and the emitting surface of the optical unit. The first divided region and the second divided region may be formed to have different inclination angles with respect to a vertical plane in at least one direction. 
     The plurality of divided regions may convert the light incident from the light source unit into parallel light. Among the plurality of divided regions, two divided regions disposed on opposite sides with respect to the center line may be formed to have a same inclination angle with respect to the vertical plane. In each of the first divided region and the second divided region, a distal end that is farther from the center line may be disposed more forward compared to a proximate end that is closer to the center line. 
     The second divided region may have a greater distance from the center line than the first divided region, and the second divided region may have a greater inclination angle than an inclination angle of the first divided region with respect to the vertical plane. 
     A plurality of optical patterns corresponding to the plurality of divided regions may be formed on the emitting surface of the optical unit. The plurality of divided regions and the plurality of optical patterns may correspond to each other one-to-one. Each of the plurality of optical patterns may have a curved shape that is convex forward. Further, each of the plurality of optical patterns may have different radii of curvature in different directions. For example, each of the plurality of optical patterns may have a radius of curvature in a horizontal direction different from a radius of curvature in a vertical direction. 
     The light source unit may include a plurality of light sources for generating light of different colors, and any one of the plurality of light sources may be disposed at a different distance from the center line than the rest of the plurality of light sources. 
     According to the vehicle lamp of the present disclosure as described herein, there are one or more of the following effects. A beam pattern of substantially uniform brightness can be formed as a whole because unnecessary dark zones can be prevented due to a configuration of one-to-one correspondence between the divided region where light is incident from the light source and the optical pattern from which the light incident to the divided region is emitted. The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIGS.  1  and  2    are perspective views showing a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS.  3  and  4    are exploded perspective views showing a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS.  5  and  6    are perspective views showing an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  7    is a front view showing an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  8    is a rear view showing an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS.  9  and  10    are schematic views showing divided regions having different separation distances from the center line of the optical unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  11    is a schematic diagram illustrating divided regions and optical patterns corresponding to each other one-to-one according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  12    is a schematic view showing a beam pattern formed by a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG.  13    is a schematic diagram showing an optical pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG.  14    is a schematic diagram illustrating positions of a plurality of light sources according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Advantages and features of the present disclosure and methods of accomplishing the same may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings. The present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concept of the disclosure to those skilled in the art, and the present disclosure will only be defined by the appended claims. Throughout the specification, like reference numerals in the drawings denote like elements. 
     In some embodiments, well-known steps, structures and techniques will not be described in detail to avoid obscuring the disclosure. 
     The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
     Embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to plan and cross-section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the disclosure should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. In the drawings, respective components may be enlarged or reduced in size for convenience of explanation. 
     Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining a vehicle lamp according to embodiments of the present disclosure. 
       FIGS.  1  and  2    are perspective views illustrating a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and  FIGS.  3  and  4    are exploded perspective views showing a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  1  to  4   , a vehicle lamp  1  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a light source unit  100  and an optical unit  200 . 
     In the embodiment of the present disclosure, an example in which the vehicle lamp  1  is used for the purpose of a signaling function that can inform surrounding vehicles or pedestrians of the driving state of the vehicle, such as a daytime running lamp (DRL), a turn signal lamp, a position lamp, and the like, is described. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure may be used for the purpose of various lamps installed in a vehicle having an illumination function or a signaling function. 
     In particular, two or more of the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure may be used and arranged in at least one direction according to the design consideration so that a desired beam pattern may be formed while a slim form factor is implemented. 
     The light source unit  100  may include a substrate  110  and one or more light sources  121  and  122  that are installed on the substrate  110 . In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the light source unit  100  may include a plurality of light sources  121  and  122  that emit light having different colors. Hereinafter, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of light sources  121  and  122  will be referred to as a first light source  121  and a second light source  122 , respectively. 
     In particular, the reason that the light source unit  100  includes a plurality of light sources  121  and  122  may be to enable the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure to be used for two or more purposes. For example, yellow light may be generated from the first light source  121 , and white light may be generated from the second light source  122 . As such, depending on the purpose of the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure, light may be generated from at least one of the first light source  121  or the second light source  122 . 
     The number of light sources and the color of light included in the light source unit  100  are not limited to the above-described examples, and the number of light sources and/or the color of light included in the light source unit  100  may vary according to the purpose of the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure. Even when the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure is used for a single purpose, two or more light sources that emit light of the same color may be included so that the required amount of light may be satisfied. 
     The optical unit  200  may form a beam pattern suitable for the purpose of the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure by allowing the light generated from the light source unit  100  to be transmitted and irradiated to exterior of the vehicle. The position of the optical unit  200  may be fixed by a light guide unit  300 , in which a guide aperture  310  is formed to allow the light generated from the light source unit  100  to be guided to the optical unit  200 , and a holder  400  coupled to the front of the light guide unit  300 . An opening  410  may be formed in the holder  400  to allow the light emitted from the optical unit  200  to pass therethrough. At least one coupling unit  420  that extends rearwardly may be formed on the edge of the holder  400 , and at least one coupling protrusion  320  may be formed in the light guide unit  300  to be inserted into a coupling groove  421  formed in the at least one coupling unit  420 . However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and a coupling protrusion  320  may be formed in any one of the light guide unit  300  or the holder  400 , and a coupling groove  421  may be formed in the other of the light guide unit  300  or the holder  400 . 
     In the embodiment of the present disclosure, an example in which the light guide unit  300  and the holder  400  are coupled by at least one coupling protrusion  320  and at least one coupling groove  421  is described. However, this is merely an example for helping understanding of the disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The light guide unit  300  and the holder  400  may be coupled by various methods such as hook coupling, screw coupling, adhesive, and the like. When the light guide unit  300  and the holder  400  are coupled, the edge of an incident surface  210  of the optical unit  200  and the edge of an emitting surface of the optical unit  200  may be disposed to be in contact with the front end of the light guide unit  300  and the rear end of the holder  400 , respectively, so that the position of the optical unit  200  may be fixed. 
       FIGS.  5  and  6    are perspective views showing an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,  FIG.  7    is a front view showing an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and  FIG.  8    is a rear view showing an optical unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  5  to  8   , an incident surface  210  of the optical unit  200 , on which the light is incident from the light source unit  100 , may be divided into a plurality of divided regions D that are arranged in a grid shape. In particular, the plurality of divided regions D may be formed to have different inclination angles in at least one direction depending on a separation distance and direction with respect to a center line C that connects the center of the incident surface  210  of the optical unit  200  and the center of the emitting surface  220  of the optical unit  200  so that the light incident from the light source unit  100  may be converted into parallel light. 
     The plurality of divided regions D may be disposed to be symmetrical vertically and/or horizontally with respect to the center line C of the optical unit  200 , and thus the divided regions disposed on the opposite side with respect to the center line C of the optical unit  200  among the plurality of divided regions D may be formed to have the same inclination angle. 
     In the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the plurality of divided regions D are divided in a grid shape, the plurality of divided regions D may be understood as being formed to have different inclination angles in the left-right direction, the up-down direction, or a combined direction thereof depending on the separation distance and direction with respect to the center line C of the optical unit  200 . The expression that the plurality of divided regions D have different inclination angles depending on the separation distance from the center line C of the optical unit  200  may be understood that, as shown in  FIGS.  9  and  10   , a first divided region D 1  having a first separation distance from the center line C of the optical unit  200  and a second divided region D 2  having a second separation distance greater than the first separation distance from the center line C of the optical unit  200  may have different inclination angles. Herein, the first divided region D 1  and the second divided region D 2  may collectively refer to two divided regions having different separation distances from each other in the radial direction from the center line C of the optical unit  20 . 
     Each of the plurality of divided regions D may be formed to be inclined so that an end closer to the center line C may be disposed more forward than an end farther from the center line C. More specifically, the plurality of divided regions D may be formed to have a greater inclination angle as they go away from the center line C in the radial direction with respect to the center line C. In other words, among the plurality of divided regions D, a divided region that is disposed farther from the center line C may have a greater distance between both ends (e.g., the upper end and the lower end) along the front-rear direction. 
     In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of divided regions D may be formed to have a greater inclination angle as they are located farther from the center line C in the radial direction with respect to the center line C. Due to this configuration, the light incident from the light source unit  100  to a point farther from the center line C may be refracted at a greater refraction angle. For example, when the first divided region D 1  is disposed farther upward from the center line C than the second divided region D 2 , the vertical inclination angle of the first divided region D 1  with respect to the vertical plane may be set to be greater than the vertical inclination angle of the second divided region D 2 . When the first divided region D 1  is disposed farther rightward from the center line C than the second divided region D 2 , the horizontal inclination angle of the first divided region D 1  with respect to the vertical plane may be set to be greater than the horizontal inclination angle of the second divided region D 2 . Further, when the first divided region D 1  is disposed farther upward and farther rightward, both the vertical inclination angle and the horizontal inclination angle of the first divided region D 1  with respect to the vertical plane may be set to be greater than the vertical inclination and the horizontal inclination angle of the second divided region D 2 , respectively. 
     Accordingly, as the light incident from the light source unit  100  to the optical unit  200  is farther away from the center line C of the optical unit  200 , the angle of refraction may gradually increase, and thus the light incident on the incident surface  210  of the optical unit  200  may be converted into parallel light as a whole. Although  FIG.  10    depicts an example of light incident from the first light source  121  to the optical unit  200 , the second light source  122  may be applied similarly as the first light source  121 . 
     A plurality of optical patterns  221  corresponding to each of the plurality of divided regions D may be formed on the emitting surface  220  of the optical unit  200 , and in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the plurality of divided regions D and the plurality of optical patterns  221  may be formed to correspond to each other one-to-one. With such a configuration, unnecessary dark zones due to the boundary line between the divided regions adjacent to each other among the plurality of divided regions D may not be formed, unlike a configuration where two or more of the plurality of optical patterns  221  correspond to any one of the plurality of division regions D. 
     In other words, when the plurality of divided regions D and the plurality of optical patterns  221  correspond to each other one-to-one as shown in  FIG.  11   , since the boundary (broken lines) between the divided regions adjacent to each other among the plurality of divided regions D and the boundary between the adjacent optical patterns among the plurality of optical patterns  221  are the same, a dark zone may be prevented from being formed due to the boundary between the adjacent divided regions among the plurality of divided regions D (see left column of  FIG.  11   ). On the other hand, when the plurality of divided regions D and the plurality of optical patterns  221  correspond to each other one-to-many, that is, when two or more of the plurality of optical patterns  221  correspond to one of the plurality of divided regions D, there is a high possibility that a dark zone is generated due to a boundary (dotted line) between divided regions adjacent to each other among the plurality of divided regions D (see right column of  FIG.  11   ). 
     The plurality of optical patterns  221  may diffuse the light so that a beam pattern of an appropriate size may be formed by the light that is incident on the incident surface  210  and emitted. To this end, the plurality of optical patterns  221  may have a curved shape that is convex forward. In particular, the plurality of optical patterns  221  may be formed to have different radii of curvature in different directions with respect to the center line C based on the size or shape of the beam pattern to be formed by the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure. 
     For example, when a beam pattern P having a larger width in the left-right direction than a height in the up-down direction is to be formed by the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure as shown in  FIG.  12   , the light may be diffused more in the left-right direction. Accordingly, by forming the radius of curvature R 1  in the left-right direction to be smaller than the radius of curvature R 2  in the up-down direction as shown in  FIG.  13   , a beam pattern having a larger size in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction may be formed as shown in  FIG.  12   . 
     The radius of curvature of each of the plurality of optical patterns  221  is not limited to the above-described example, and the plurality of optical patterns  221  may be formed to have different radii of curvature in at least one direction based on the shape and/or size of the beam pattern to be formed by the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure. 
     On the other hand, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle lamp  1  may include a first light source  121  and a second light source  122  so that they can be used together for two or more purposes, and based on the intensity of light required according to each purpose, the first light source  121  and the second light source  122  may be disposed at different distances from the center line C of the optical unit  200 . 
     For example, when a higher intensity of yellow light than white light is required, the first light source  121  configured to generate yellow light may be disposed closer to the center line C of the optical unit  200  compared to the second light source  122  configured to generate white light, as shown in  FIG.  14   . 
     As described above, in the vehicle lamp  1  of the present disclosure, the plurality of divided regions D of the incident surface  210  of the optical unit  200  and the plurality of optical patterns  221  of the emitting surface  220  of the optical unit  200  may correspond to one another one-to-one as described above, so that unnecessary dark zones are prevented from being formed in the light generated from at least one of the plurality of optical patterns  221 , thereby forming a beam pattern of substantially uniform brightness and preventing deterioration of optical efficiency. 
     In concluding the detailed description, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments without substantially departing from the principles of the present disclosure. Therefore, the disclosed exemplary embodiments of the disclosure are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.