Patent Abstract:
The invention is to provide an interior illumination lamp which can change lighting directions, not directly touching lenses by the fingers. If rotating fins in the forward direction of the lenses, outer bezels are rotated together, so that a light emitting direction can be adjusted, not directly contacting the lenses with the fingers as conventionally. Even if the lenses are heated, the light emitting directions can be adjusted thereby. Not directly contacting the lenses by the fingers, the lenses are prevented from being stained to decrease illumination. In addition, since the fins avoid the light diffusion, a driver and other riding people are kept off dazzling by the light.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an interior illumination lamp to be furnished to, for example, a door or a ceiling of an automobile. 
   2. Related Art 
   As an existing interior illumination lamp, such a device shown, for example, in  FIG. 8  is disclosure as shown in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 2000-1141. 
   This interior illumination lamp is furnished to, e.g., a back-door of a wagon, and if changing a lighting direction, the interior illumination lamp lights a luggage room at the rear part of the wagon or the opened back-door. 
   As shown in  FIG. 8 , in this interior illumination lamp  100 , a lamp housing  102  is furnished to a trim  101  forming a wall of a back-door, and in the forward direction of this lamp housing  102 , a spherical opening  103  is provided. In the backward side from the opening  103  (the right side in  FIG. 8 ), there is equipped a lamp supporter  104  having a spherical inside where a partially spherical lamp main body  105  is equipped as rotatably 360° within a determined range. Inside of the lamp main body  105 , a bulb  106  is attached, and in the forward side (the left side in  FIG. 8 ), there is equipped a lens part  107  projecting from the opening  103  of the lamp housing  102 . Between the lens part  107  and the opening  103 , a space S is provided to regulate the rotating amount of the lamp  105 . 
   By the way, in the above mentioned interior illumination lamp  100 , the lamp  105  attached with the bulb  106  can rotate 360° within the determined range by the fingers. In case the lens part  107  is heated (for example, around 65° C.) for a long time and if directly touching, burn is affected on the fingers, and an attention should be paid especially to children. When the lens part  107  is not heated if directly touching the lens part  107  with the fingers, it is stained to inconveniently decrease illuminance. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In view of the above mentioned problems involved with the prior art, the invention has been realized, and it is an object of the invention to provide an interior illumination lamp which can change lighting directions, not directly touching the lenses by the fingers. 
   For accomplishing the object, the invention is the interior illumination lamp, comprising a functioning main body secured to a car body and bezel parts being rotatably supported to supporters furnished to the functioning main body and having lenses for transmitting lights from light sources, said bezel parts being rotated with respect to functioning the main body so as to adjust directions of optical axes, provided in that fins are equipped in the forward direction of the lenses, said fins being rotated together with the bezel parts. 
   In the thus composed interior illumination lamp, the bezel part can be rotated together with the lenses by rotating the fins furnished in front of the lenses, so that the lighting direction can be adjusted, not directly contacting the lenses as conventionally. Even if the lenses are heated, the lighting directions can be adjusted thereby with ease. Not directly contacting the lenses by the fingers, the lenses are prevented from being stained to decrease illumination. 
   In addition, the invention is provided in that a plurality of parallel plate members are furnished in parallel with a direction combining the light source and a lighting object, said parallel plate members composing the fins. 
   In the interior illumination lamp composed as mentioned above, the plate members of the fins are parallel with the direction combining the light source and the lighting object, so that it is possible to prevent the light from diffusion, and other riding people are kept off dazzling by the light. 
   According to the invention, the bezel part can be rotated together with the lenses by rotating the fins furnished in front of the lenses, so that the emitting direction can be adjusted not contacting the lenses as conventionally. Even if the lenses are heated, the lighting directions can be adjusted thereby with ease. Not directly contacting the lenses by the fingers, the lenses are prevented from being stained to decrease illumination. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a disassembled perspective view showing the embodiment of the interior illumination lamp according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear view of the interior illumination lamp seen from the II direction in  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view seen from the III direction in  FIG. 2 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view showing the condition of attaching the interior illumination lamp of the invention to the car body; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view showing one example of the relation of the bulb, the position of the lens, and an angle of the plate member of the fin; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross sectional view showing another example of the relation of the bulb, the position of the lens, and an angle of the plate member of the fin; 
       FIG. 7(A)  is a view for explaining the case of providing the interior illumination lamps to both of left and right side walls of the room; and 
       FIG. 7(B)  is a view for explaining the effect thereof; and 
       FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view showing one example of the conventional interior illumination lamp. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   In the following description, an embodiment of the invention will be made in detail with reference to the attached drawings. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , the interior illumination lamp  10  as the embodiment of the invention comprises a designed part  20  exposed in a car room  12  (see  FIG. 4 ) and a functioning part main body  30  which is a placed inside of the designed part  20  and equipped with various kinds of electrical parts. 
   As shown in  FIG. 4 , the interior illumination lamp  10  is provided by equipping the designed part  20  to an interior member (trim)  13  furnished to the inside of the car body  11 , and is ready for connecting to a wire harness W/H previously wired to the backside of the interior member  13 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the designed part  20  has a housing  21  in, e.g., rectangular shape, exposed at its surface  21   a  in the car room  12 . The housing  21 : is provided at the center with switch holes  22 L,  22 R for exposing left and right switches  51 L,  51 R in the car room  12 , while the housing  21  is provided at the left and right parts with lamp holes  23 L,  23 R for exposing left and right lamps  50 L,  50 R in the car room  12 . Each of the lamp holes  23 L,  23 R is furnished with an attaching part  24  in almost pillar shape facing from a rear side  21   b  to the inside of the housing  21  for equipping the functioning main body  30  to the housing  21 . By the way, the housing  21  has clips  25  (see  FIG. 4 ) on the rear side  21   b  for attaching the housing  21  to the ceiling of the car room  12 . 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the functioning main body  30  is a housing member of overall oblong shape, has holes  31 L,  31 R at left and right ends for receiving the lamps  50 L,  50 R, and has switch receiving parts  32 L,  32 R at the center for providing the switches  51 L,  51 R. The switches  51 L,  51 R are ready for detachably attaching by furnishing connectors  14  placed at the front ends of the wire harness W/H to the connecting terminals thereof ( FIG. 4 ). 
   Both of lamp receiving holes  31 L,  31 R have circular ring members  33  on their circumferences as supporters for supporting the lamps  50 L,  50 R. The respective ring members  33  have guide members  38  of pillar shape projecting at the back side of the functioning main body  30  (the right side in  FIG. 1 ). The left and right guide members  38  have cutouts in the opposite parts, enabling to attach the electrical parts such as the switches  51 L,  51 R, the bulb as the light source and others. The guide members  38  are highest than all of the attached electrical parts, and serve to prevent them from colliding with the cab body  11 . The left and right guide members  38  are attached inside with the respective bulbs  37 . At the rear sides of the bulbs  37  (upper part in  FIG. 3 ), reflective plates  37   a  are provided for efficiently emitting the light issued from the bulbs  37  in desired directions. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , at positions, for example, trisecting the inner circumference of the ring member  33 , concaves  35  are provided for holding sliding members  34 . The sliding members  34  are attached by inserting into the sliding member holding concaves  35 . 
   The sliding members  34  are metallic members shaped in T having elasticity, which are always pressed to spherical faces  52   a  by elasticity. The sliding member  34  may be made of resin, and have other shapes than T. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , at the outsides of the ring members  33  of the lamp receiving holes  31 L,  31 R, guide parts  36  are stepwise projected. The guide parts  36 , when fitting to attach the sliding members  34  in the concaves  35 , concentrically bury the spaces between the adjacent sliding members  34 , and are provided to position inside than the concentric circle (spherical face  52   a ) combining the front ends of the sliding faces by the sliding members  34 . 
   Further, on the outsides of the ring members  33 , a plurality of holding pawls  39  are provided at appropriate intervals for attaching the functioning main body  30 . Therefore, if holding the attaching parts  24  of the designed part  20  between the holding pawls  39  and the ring members  33 , the functioning main body  30  and the housing  21  of the designed part  20  are connected. 
   As shown in  FIG. 1 , between the designed part  20  and the functioning main body  30 , the left and right lamps  50 L,  50 R are equipped. Being the same, the left and right lamps  50 L,  50 R will be simply referred to with “lamp  50 ” in the following explanation excepting an especially necessary case. 
   The lamps  50  have outer bezels  52 , inner bezels  53  and lenses  54 , and radiate the light emitted from the bulbs  37  in the desired directions. 
   The outer bezels  52  as the bezel parts have sizes projecting at the front ends into the car room from the lamp holes  23 L,  23 R of the designed part  20 , and the whole body is partially spherical, formed inside with concaved spheres  52   a , and having windows  52   b  at the center for fitting the lenses  54 . 
   The inner bezels  53  have pillar shaped bezel main bodies  53   a  and lens pressers  53   b  furnished in opening and closing manner to the bezel main bodies  53   a  via hinges  53   c . Therefore, the lenses  54  are held by fitting the convexes of the lenses  54  to the rear parts of the bezel main bodies  53   a  and closing the lens pressers  53   b.    
   By fitting the inner bezels  53  to the insides of the outer bezels  52 , the inner bezels  53  are double engaged to the outer bezels  52 . 
   The left and right laps  50 L,  50 R are furnished rotatably in the lamp receiving holes  31 L,  31 R of the functioning main body  30  and positioned fixedly in the determined places. That is, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the three sliding members  34  furnished in the functioning main body  30  are positioned inside of the outer bezels  52  and elastically urged to the spherical faces  54   a . The outer bezels  52  are rotatable to the functioning main body  30 , and secured in the determined position. 
   In the forward direction of the lenses  54 , there are furnished fins  40  composed by arranging a plurality of narrow plates  41  in parallel. The fins  40  are furnished to, for example, the outer bezels  52  so as to rotate together with the outer bezels  52 , and when rotating the outer bezels  52  by the fins  40 , the light emitting direction may be controlled. The fin  40  may be formed as one body with the outer bezel  52 , and is sufficient to be formed separately and attached to the outer bezel  52 . 
   The plates  41  of the fin  40  are angled such that the plates  41  are parallel with a direction combining the bulb  37  and the lighting object. Therefore, in case, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the bulb  37  and the reflecting plate  37   a  are offset, the plates  41  are inclined. In case, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the bulb  37  and the reflecting plate  37   a  are furnished with the axial line of the lens  54 , and emit the lights in straight, the plates  41  are furnished parallel with the axial line of the lens  54 . The respective plates  41  should not directly contact the lens  54 , but keep the intervals narrow not to escape the light, for example, around 0.5 mm. 
   According to the interior illumination lamp  10 , if rotating the fins  40  in the forward direction of the lenses  54 , the outer bezels  52  are rotated together, so that the emitting direction can be adjusted not contacting the lenses  54  as conventionally. Even if the lenses  54  are heated, the light emitting directions can be adjusted thereby with ease. Not directly contacting the lenses  54  by the fingers, the lenses  54  are prevented from being stained to decrease illumination. 
   Since the plates  41  of the fins  40  are parallel with the lighting direction, the light is prevented from others&#39; illumination. In particular, the light is prevented from entering into a driver&#39;s eyes via a room mirror, and hindrance of driving is checked. 
   The interior illumination lamp  10  of the invention is not limited to the above mentioned embodiment, and appropriate modifications or improvements are available. 
   For example, the above mentioned embodiment has referred to the interior illumination lamp  10  of two-lighting type having a couple of left and right lamps  50 L,  50 R, but the number of the lamps is arbitrary, and the invention may be applied to a case as shown in  FIG. 7A  where the interior illumination lamp  10 A of one-lighting type having one lamp  50  is equipped to each of left and right side walls, or further as shown in  FIG. 7B , the directions of the plates  41  of the fins  40  are parallel with the lighting direction, so that an adjacent rising person is avoided from dazzling by the light irradiation. 
   In the above mentioned embodiment, the tilting angle of the plate  41  of the fin  40  is fixed in parallel with the radiating direction combining the bulb  37  and the lighting object, and the angle of the plate  41  can be made changeable. 
   As far as accomplishing the invention, others exemplified in the embodiment are arbitrary and not limited in such as the sliding members, outer and inner bezels, functioning main body, material qualities, shapes, dimensions, forms, numbers, or arranging places.

Technology Classification (CPC): 5