Patent ID: 8262269

Claim:
A license plate lamp for radiating light to a surface of a license plate attached to a rear end of a vehicle body, the license plate lamp comprising: a lamp body disposed above the license plate; a light emitting diode disposed within the lamp body, the light emitting diode having an optical axis extending in a vertical direction for emitting light toward the license plate located under the light emitting diode; and a control lens disposed between the light emitting diode and the license plate for controlling the light emitted by the light emitting diode so that the light is radiated toward the surface of the license plate; wherein the control lens comprises: a first control portion for radiating the light emitted by the light emitting diode toward an upper end part of the surface of the license plate, and a second control portion located rearward with respect to the vehicle body of the first control portion for radiating the light emitted by the light emitting diode toward substantially a whole region of the surface of the license plate that includes a substantial portion of the upper end part of the surface of the license plate illuminated by the first control portion.