Patent ID: 8616742

Claim:
A vehicle lighting unit, having an upper first optical axis configured to extend in a front-rear direction of a vehicle and a lower second optical axis configured to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and positioned below the first optical axis, the vehicle lighting unit comprising: a first lens disposed on the first optical axis and having a focal point on a vehicle rear-side of the first lens; a second lens disposed on the second optical axis and having a focal point on a vehicle rear-side of the second lens; a first semiconductor light-emitting device disposed substantially at the vehicle rear-side focal point of the first lens and having a light emission surface configured to direct light during operation to the first lens and along an element optical axis such that light emitted from the first semiconductor light-emitting device in a narrow angle direction with respect to the element optical axis is incident on the first lens; a first reflector disposed diagonally forward and downward with respect to the first semiconductor light-emitting device such that light emitted from the first semiconductor light-emitting device in a wide angle direction, wider than the narrow angle direction with respect to the element optical axis, is incident on the first reflector and reflected diagonally rearward and downward, the light emitted in the narrow angle direction and incident on the first lens having a luminous intensity higher than luminous intensity of the light emitted in the wide angle direction and incident on the first reflector; and a second reflector disposed diagonally rearward and downward with respect to the first reflector such that the light reflected diagonally rearward and downward from the first reflector is incident on the second reflector, wherein the second reflector extends from a point substantially at the vehicle rear-side focal point of the second lens to an area diagonally forward and downward with respect to the vehicle rear-side focal point of the second lens and the second optical axis, respectively.