阅读说明：本技术 车辆用灯具 (Vehicle lamp ) 是由 堀川彰仁 于 2020-03-31 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种车辆用灯具,该车辆用灯具具有板状导光体,提高灯具点灯时及灯具非点灯时的外观设计性。作为板状导光体(32),构成为使来自光源的光在由在第1板面(32a)形成的多个反射元件(32As)进行全反射后,从其第2板面(32b)朝向灯具前方射出。此时,将各反射元件的表面形状设为半径Rs＝R0.01～0.1mm的凹球面状,且将彼此相邻的反射元件相互的中心间距离(Ps)相对于上述凹球面的半径(Rs)而设定为5～15倍的值。由此,在灯具点灯时,使得多个反射元件看上去2维地大致均一地发光,另一方面,在灯具非点灯时,由于反射元件彼此间的通透部的存在而使板状导光体具有透明感。(The invention provides a vehicle lamp, which has a plate-shaped light guide body and improves the appearance design when the lamp is lighted and when the lamp is not lighted. The plate-shaped light guide (32) is configured such that light from a light source is totally reflected by a plurality of reflective elements (32As) formed on a1 st plate surface (32a) and then emitted from a2 nd plate surface (32b) toward the front of the lamp. In this case, the surface shape of each reflecting element is a concave spherical surface having a radius Rs of 0.01 to 0.1mm, and the center-to-center distance (Ps) between adjacent reflecting elements is set to a value of 5 to 15 times the radius (Rs) of the concave spherical surface. Thus, the plurality of reflecting elements are made to emit light substantially uniformly in 2-dimensional manner when the lamp is turned on, while the plate-shaped light guide is provided with a transparent feeling due to the presence of the through portions between the reflecting elements when the lamp is not turned on.)

1. A vehicle lamp has a light source and a plate-shaped light guide,

the lamp for a vehicle is characterized in that,

the plate-shaped light guide is configured such that light from the light source incident on the plate-shaped light guide is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements formed on the 1 st plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide and then emitted from the 2 nd plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide toward the front of the lamp,

the plurality of reflective elements are arranged in 2-dimensions at intervals from each other,

each of the reflecting elements has a spherical surface shape with a radius set to a value of R0.01 to 0.1mm,

the distance between the centers of the adjacent reflecting elements is set to be 5 to 15 times of the radius of the spherical surface.

2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1,

and a reflective element formation region in which the plurality of reflective elements are formed on the 1 st plate surface, wherein a ratio of an area occupied by the plurality of reflective elements to an area of the entire reflective element formation region is set to a value of 1 to 10%.

3. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1 or 2,

the plurality of reflective elements are arranged in a regular triangular lattice shape.

4. The vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

a rod-shaped light guide extending along an outer peripheral edge of the plate-shaped light guide so as to surround the plate-shaped light guide from three directions, and having a plurality of the light sources,

the light sources are arranged to emit light toward the rod-shaped light guide at a plurality of positions of the rod-shaped light guide.

5. The vehicular lamp according to claim 4,

the rod-shaped light guide has a 1-pair light incident portion formed therein, and the 1-pair light incident portion causes light from 1-pair light sources of the plurality of light sources to enter the rod-shaped light guide from opposite directions to each other.

6. The vehicular lamp according to claim 4 or 5,

the plate-like light guide is configured such that a groove portion extending along a connecting portion with the rod-like light guide is formed in a vicinity of each of the plurality of portions in the connecting portion.

7. The vehicular lamp according to claim 6,

the groove portion is formed to have a depth that decreases as it goes away from each of the plurality of portions.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp having a plate-shaped light guide.

Background

Conventionally, there is known a vehicle lamp configured such that light from a light source incident on a plate-shaped light guide is totally reflected by a plurality of reflection elements formed on a1 st plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide and then emitted from a2 nd plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide toward a front side of a lamp.

As the vehicle lamp described above, patent document 1 describes a vehicle lamp configured to allow light emitted from a plurality of light sources arranged along a rear end surface of a plate-shaped light guide to enter the plate-shaped light guide from the rear end surface.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2013-16386

By adopting the structure described in the above-mentioned "patent document 1", the plate-like light guide can be made to emit light substantially uniformly in a front view of the lamp.

However, since the plate-shaped light guide has a structure in which the plurality of reflecting elements are formed in a stepped shape on the 1 st plate surface on the back surface side, the line of sight in which the plate-shaped light guide appears to emit light brightly is limited. In addition, in the plate-shaped light guide, a plurality of reflective elements formed on the 1 st plate surface are also visible when the lamp is not lit.

In contrast, as a vehicle lamp, it is desired to improve the design when the lamp is turned on and when the lamp is not turned on.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle lamp including a plate-shaped light guide body, which can improve design characteristics when the lamp is turned on and when the lamp is not turned off.

The present invention achieves the above-described object by improving the structure of a plate-like light guide.

That is, the vehicle lamp according to the present invention includes a light source and a plate-shaped light guide,

the lamp for a vehicle is characterized in that,

the plate-shaped light guide is configured such that light from the light source incident on the plate-shaped light guide is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements formed on the 1 st plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide and then emitted from the 2 nd plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide toward the front of the lamp,

the plurality of reflective elements are arranged in 2-dimensions at intervals from each other,

each of the reflecting elements has a spherical surface shape with a radius set to a value of R0.01 to 0.1mm,

the distance between the centers of the adjacent reflecting elements is set to be 5 to 15 times of the radius of the spherical surface.

The type of the "light source" is not particularly limited, and for example, a light emitting diode, an incandescent bulb, a laser diode, or the like can be used.

The "plate-shaped light guide" is not particularly limited in specific shape such as its outer shape and surface shape as long as it is configured such that light from the light source incident on the plate-shaped light guide is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements formed on the 1 st plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide and then emitted from the 2 nd plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide toward the front of the lamp.

The "spherical surface" may be a concave spherical surface or a convex spherical surface.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

The vehicle lamp according to the present invention is configured such that light from a light source incident on a plate-shaped light guide is totally reflected by a plurality of reflection elements formed on the 1 st plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide and then emitted from the 2 nd plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide toward the front of the lamp, but the plurality of reflection elements are arranged at intervals of 2 dimensions, and each reflection element has a spherical surface shape, and therefore, the following operational effects can be obtained.

That is, since light reflection by total reflection at each reflecting element proceeds substantially uniformly in all directions, even if the direction of the line of sight when the plate-shaped light guide is viewed from the front of the lamp is changed greatly, the state in which the reflecting element formation region (i.e., the region in which the plurality of reflecting elements are formed) on the 1 st plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide emits light in 2 dimensions can be maintained.

In this case, the radius of the spherical surface formed by the surface shape of each reflecting element is set to a value of R0.01 to 0.1mm, and the center-to-center distance between the adjacent reflecting elements is set to a value of 5 to 15 times the radius of the spherical surface, so that the reflecting element forming region on the 1 st plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide can be seen to emit light substantially uniformly in 2 dimensions when the lamp is turned on, and on the other hand, the transparent part between the reflecting elements is present when the lamp is not turned on, so that the plate-shaped light guide can have a transparent feeling. This improves the design of the vehicle lamp, both when the lamp is turned on and when the lamp is not turned on.

Further, the plate-shaped light guide looks like a transparent plate when the lamp is not lit, but the reflective element formation region looks to emit light when the lamp is lit, so that a change in design accompanying switching between lighting and extinction can be made unexpected.

As described above, according to the present invention, in the vehicle lamp including the plate-shaped light guide, the design characteristics can be improved when the lamp is turned on and when the lamp is not turned on. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to make the change of the design accompanying the switching between the lighting and the extinction unexpected.

In the above configuration, if the ratio of the area occupied by the plurality of reflecting elements to the area of the entire reflecting element forming region is set to a value of 1 to 10% as the structure of the reflecting element forming region in the 1 st plate surface of the plate-shaped light guide, it is possible to easily achieve both the brightness when the lamp is turned on and the transparency when the lamp is not turned on.

In the above configuration, if the plurality of reflecting elements are further arranged in a regular triangular lattice shape, the intervals between the reflecting elements become constant, and therefore, the uniform light emitting function when the lamp is lit and the transparency feeling when the lamp is unlit can be maximized.

In the above configuration, if the vehicle lamp is further configured to include the rod-shaped light guide extending along the outer peripheral edge of the plate-shaped light guide so as to surround the plate-shaped light guide from three directions, and the plurality of light sources are arranged so that the light is incident on the rod-shaped light guide at each of the plurality of portions of the rod-shaped light guide, the following operational effects can be obtained.

That is, since light from the plurality of light sources enters the plate-shaped light guide from a plurality of positions of the rod-shaped light guide, a large amount of light can reach the plurality of reflecting elements configured by the reflecting element forming regions from different directions. Thus, the reflecting element forming region can be seen brighter and can emit light more uniformly when the lamp is turned on.

Further, since the bar-shaped light guide is disposed so as to surround the plate-shaped light guide from three directions, the end face of the plate-shaped light guide positioned in the remaining one direction can be configured to be positioned at the end portion of the vehicle lamp. Thus, the vehicle lamp can be easily disposed at a position adjacent to the back door or the trunk lid (or a position adjacent to the vehicle body in the back door or the trunk lid), for example, at the rear end portion of the vehicle body, and the degree of freedom in layout thereof can be improved.

In this case, if the bar-shaped light guide is configured to have 1 pair of light incident portions for allowing the lights from 1 pair of light sources out of the plurality of light sources to enter from opposite directions with respect to the bar-shaped light guide, the lights entering the bar-shaped light guide from the plurality of light sources can be easily introduced into the plate-shaped light guide while being guided substantially uniformly over the entire length of the bar-shaped light guide. Thus, even in a lamp configuration in which it is difficult to cause light from the light source to enter the rod-shaped light guide from the end face thereof (for example, in a case where the vehicle lamp is disposed at a position adjacent to a back door or a trunk lid at the rear end portion of the vehicle body as described above), the reflecting element formation region can be made to appear brighter and emit light more uniformly when the lamp is turned on.

In the above configuration, if the plate-shaped light guide is further configured such that the groove portions extending along the connecting portion are formed in the vicinity of each of the plurality of portions in the connecting portion with the rod-shaped light guide, the following operational effects can be obtained.

That is, the light incident from the plurality of light sources to the plate-like light guide via the rod-like light guide increases in the vicinity of each of the plurality of portions where the light from the plurality of light sources enters the rod-like light guide. Therefore, the vicinity area of each of the plurality of portions tends to be relatively bright in the reflective element formation area of the plate-like light guide.

In contrast, since the plate-shaped light guide is configured such that the groove portions are formed in the vicinity of each of the plurality of portions in the portion connected to the rod-shaped light guide, the amount of incident light from the vicinity can be reduced, and therefore the reflection element formation region can be suppressed from becoming relatively bright in the vicinity, and the reflection element formation region can be made to appear to emit light more uniformly.

In this case, if the groove portion is formed so that the depth decreases as the groove portion is separated from each of the plurality of portions, the reflective element formation region can be seen to emit light more uniformly.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a vehicle lamp according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the vehicle lamp with the lamp unit removed.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the lamp unit.

FIG. 4(a) is a detailed view taken along line IVa-IVa of FIG. 2, (b) is a detailed view of part b of (a), (c) is a detailed view of part c of (b), and (d) is a detailed view of part d of (b).

Fig. 5 is a V-direction sagittal view of fig. 4 (c).

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of section VI of fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a front view showing the lamp unit in a lighting state.

Fig. 8(a) is a front view showing a lamp unit of the vehicular lamp according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, and (b) is a front view showing the lamp unit according to embodiment 2 in a lit state.

Fig. 9 is a front view showing a lamp unit of a vehicle lamp according to embodiment 3 of the present invention.

Fig. 10(a) is a detailed view of the section along the line Xa-Xa in fig. 9, (b) is a view similar to (a) showing the 1 st modification of the 3 rd embodiment, and (c) is a view similar to (a) showing the 2 nd modification of the 3 rd embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a front view showing a lamp unit according to modification 3 of embodiment 3.

FIG. 12(a) is a detailed view of line XIIa-XIIa in FIG. 11, (b) is a detailed view of line XIIb-XIIb in FIG. 11, and (c) is a detailed view of line XIIc-XIIc in FIG. 11.

Description of the reference numerals

10. 100, 110 vehicle lamp

12 lamp body

14 light-transmitting cover

16 extension part

16a opening part

20. 120, 220, 520 luminaire unit

30. 230, 330, 430, 530 light-transmitting member

32. 132, 232, 332, 432, 532 plate-shaped light guide

32a, 132a, 232a, 332a, 432a, 532a No. 1 plate surface

32A, 232A, 332A, 432A, 532A, region 1

32A1, 132A, 332A1, 432A1, 532A1 reflective element forming region

32As, 132s reflective element

32b, 132b, 232b, 332b, 432b, 532b No. 2 plate surface

32B, 232B region 2

32Bs reflective element

32C, 232C region 3

34. 234, 334, 434, 534 rod-shaped light guide

34a ear part

34A, 234A, 334A, 434A, 534A upper region

34a1, 34a2, 34B1, 34B2, 34C1, 34C2, 234a1, 234a2, 234B1, 234B2, 234C1, 234C2, 534a1, 534a2, 534B1, 534B2, 534C1, 534C2 light incident part

34A1a, 34A2a, 34B1a, 34B2a, 34C1a, 34C2a front end face

34B, 234B, 534B

34C, 234C, 534C side area

40A1, 40A2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, 40C2 and 140 light source

42A, 42B, 42C, 142 substrate

132c left end face

232Aa, 232Ab, 232Ac, 332Ac, 432Ac, 532Aa, 532Ab, 532Ac groove part

Ps distance between centers

Radius of Rs

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, embodiment 1 of the present invention will be explained.

Fig. 1 is a front view showing a vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment. In addition, the first and second substrates are,

fig. 2 is a front view of the vehicle lamp 10 with the lamp unit 20 removed, and fig. 3 is a side view thereof.

In these figures, the direction indicated by X is the "front" as the vehicle lamp 10 (the "rear" as the vehicle), the direction indicated by Y is the "right direction" (the "right direction" as the vehicle), and the direction indicated by Z is the "upper direction". The same applies to drawings other than these drawings.

As shown in fig. 1, the vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment is configured as a tail lamp disposed at a right rear end portion of a vehicle. In this case, the vehicle lamp 10 is configured to be mounted on the vehicle body in a state of being disposed adjacent to the right side of another vehicle lamp 100 mounted on the rear door (or trunk lid) of the vehicle. The vehicle lamp 100 also has substantially the same configuration as the vehicle lamp 10.

The vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment is configured such that a lamp unit 20 is incorporated into a lamp chamber formed by a lamp body 12 and a transparent (transparent) translucent cover 14 attached to an opening portion at a front end thereof.

In the lamp chamber, a protruding member 16 is disposed to cover a peripheral edge portion of the lamp unit 20 when the lamp is viewed from the front. The extension member 16 is a panel-shaped member, and is supported by the lamp body 12 at its outer peripheral edge.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the lamp unit 20 is configured to include the light transmitting member 30 and 3 pairs of light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, and 40C 2.

The light transmitting member 30 is a colorless and transparent resin (for example, acrylic resin) member, and is configured by integrally forming a plate-shaped light guide 32 and a rod-shaped light guide 34 extending along the outer peripheral edge of the plate-shaped light guide 32.

The plate-like light guide 32 is formed to have a plate thickness of about 1 to 3mm (for example, a plate thickness of about 2 mm). The plate-like light guide 32 has a substantially inverted trapezoidal outer shape with a right end inclined in an oblique upward direction when viewed from the front of the lamp, and is formed so as to curve and extend from the left end toward the right end toward the rear of the lamp.

The specific structure of the plate-like light guide 32 will be described later.

The rod-shaped light guide 34 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a diameter of approximately 4 to 8mm (for example, a diameter of approximately 6 mm), and extends along the outer peripheral edge of the plate-shaped light guide 32 so as to surround the light guide from three directions.

Specifically, the bar-shaped light guide 34 is formed by continuously forming an upper region 34A, a lower region 34B, and a side region 34C, the upper region 34A extending along the upper end edge of the plate-shaped light guide 32, the lower region 34B extending along the lower end edge of the plate-shaped light guide 32, and the side region 34C extending along the right end edge of the plate-shaped light guide 32. In this case, the side region 34C is formed to extend obliquely from its lower end toward its upper end toward the lamp rear side and the right side, and its upper and lower ends are smoothly connected to the upper region 34A and the lower region 34B along a substantially circular arc shape, respectively.

In the rod-shaped light guide 34, 1 pair of light incident portions 34A1, 34A2 are formed near the left end of the upper region 34A, 1 pair of light incident portions 34B1, 34B2 are formed near the left end of the lower region 34B, and 1 pair of light incident portions 34C1, 34C2 are formed at the upper end of the side region 34C.

The 1-pair light incident portions 34A1, 34A2 formed in the upper region 34A are formed such that one light incident portion 34A1 extends upward to the left from a vicinity of a left end of the upper region 34A, and the other light incident portion 34A2 extends upward to the right from a middle portion separated to some extent in the right direction with respect to the light incident portion 34A 1.

At this time, the light incident portions 34A1 and 34A2 extend substantially in an arc shape so as to smoothly connect to the upper region 34A, and the front end faces 34A1a and 34A2a thereof are directed in a direction slightly inclined toward the lamp rear side with respect to the direction directly above.

The 1-pair light incident portions 34B1, 34B2 formed in the lower region 34B are formed such that one light incident portion 34B1 extends leftward and downward from a portion near the left end of the lower region 34B, and the other light incident portion 34B2 extends rightward and downward from a middle portion that is separated to some extent in the rightward direction with respect to the light incident portion 34B 1.

At this time, the light incident portions 34B1, 34B2 extend substantially in an arc shape so as to smoothly connect with the lower region 34B, and the distal end surfaces 34B1a, 34B2a thereof are directed in a direction slightly inclined toward the lamp direction side with respect to the direction directly below.

The 1-pair light incident portions 34C1, 34C2 formed at the upper end of the side region 34C are formed such that one light incident portion 34C1 extends curvedly in a substantially horizontal direction from the right end of the upper region 34A toward the lamp rear, and the other light incident portion 34C2 extends curvedly in an upward direction from a middle portion separated to a certain extent from the downward direction with respect to the light incident portion 34C1 toward the lamp rear.

At this time, the light incident portions 34C1 and 34C2 are formed to smoothly connect to the upper region 34A and the side region 34C, respectively, and the front end surfaces 34C1a and 34C2a thereof face the rear of the lamp.

The 3 pairs of light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, 40C2 are all constituted by red light emitting diodes.

The 1-pair light sources 40A1, 40A2 are disposed in the vicinity of the front end surfaces 34A1a, 34A2a of the 1-pair light incident portions 34A1, 34A2 with their light emitting surfaces facing the front end surfaces 34A1a, 34A2 a. The 1-pair light sources 40a1, 40a2 are configured such that the outgoing light beams from the light sources 40a1, 40a2 enter the upper region 34A of the rod-shaped light guide 34 from opposite directions to each other via the 1-pair light incident portions 34A1, 34A 2.

The 1-pair light sources 40B1, 40B2 are disposed in the vicinity of the distal end surfaces 34B1a, 34B2a of the 1-pair light incident portions 34B1, 34B2 with their light emitting surfaces facing the distal end surfaces 34B1a, 34B2 a. The 1-pair light sources 40B1, 40B2 are configured such that the outgoing light beams from the light sources 40B1, 40B2 enter the lower region 34B of the rod-shaped light guide 34 from opposite directions to each other via the 1-pair light incident portions 34B1, 34B 2.

The 1-pair light sources 40C1 and 40C2 are disposed in the vicinity of the distal end surfaces 34C1a and 34C2a of the 1-pair light incident portions 34C1 and 34C2 with the light emitting surfaces thereof directed toward the distal end surfaces 34C1a and 34C2 a. The light source 40C1 located on the upper side is configured such that the light emitted from the light source 40C1 enters the upper region 34A of the rod-shaped light guide 34 through the light incident portion 34C1, and the light source 40C2 located on the lower side is configured such that the light emitted from the light source 40C2 enters the side region 34C of the rod-shaped light guide 34 through the light incident portion 34C 2.

The 1 pair of light sources 40a1, 40a2 are mounted on a common substrate 42A, the 1 pair of light sources 40B1, 40B2 are mounted on a common substrate 42B, and the 1 pair of light sources 40C1, 40C2 are mounted on a common substrate 42C.

As shown in fig. 1, the base plates 42A, 42B, and 42C are supported by the lamp body 12.

The transparent member 30 is supported by the lamp body 12 by fastening with screws or the like at tab portions 34A formed at 2 positions in the upper region 34A and 1 position in the lower region 34B of the rod-shaped light guide 34.

The extension member 16 has an opening 16a, and the opening 16a is formed to expose substantially the entire area of the plate-shaped light guide 32 and a partial area of the rod-shaped light guide 34 of the transparent member 30 when viewed from the front of the lamp. Specifically, the opening 16a has an opening shape extending along the rod-shaped light guide 34 and extending along the vicinity of the left end edge of the plate-shaped light guide 32.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the plate-like light guide 32 includes: a1 st region 32A adjacent to the inner peripheral side of the rod-like light guide 34; a2 nd region 32B adjacent to the inner peripheral side of the 1 st region 32A; and a 3 rd region 32C adjacent to an inner peripheral side of the 2 nd region 32B.

The 1 st region 32A is formed to extend in a stripe shape along a vertical plane, and a plurality of reflective elements 32As are formed on the 1 st plate surface 32A on the rear surface side thereof. At this time, the plurality of reflective elements 32As are formed in the strip-shaped reflective element forming region 32A1, and the reflective element forming region 32A1 is located at the center in the width direction of the 1 st region 32A. In the 1 st region 32A, band-shaped regions located on both sides of the reflective element formation region 32A1 are formed to be transparent.

The 2 nd region 32B is formed to extend obliquely from the inner peripheral edge of the 1 st region 32A with respect to the vertical plane toward the back side (i.e., the lamp rear side and the left side) of the plate-like light guide 32. The 2 nd region 32B is also formed to extend in a band shape, and a plurality of reflecting elements 32Bs are formed on the 1 st plate surface 32a on the back surface side thereof. At this time, the plurality of reflecting elements 32Bs are arranged at a constant pitch in the direction in which the 2 nd region 32B extends in a band shape, but are arranged so that the pitch gradually increases from the 1 st region 32A toward the 3 rd region 32C in the width direction thereof.

The 3 rd region 32C is formed to extend in a horizontal band shape along the vertical plane. The 3 rd region 32C is formed to be through-penetrating.

In the lamp unit 20 according to the present embodiment, the light from the light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, and 40C2 incident from the rod-shaped light guide 34 to the 1 st region 32A of the plate-shaped light guide 32 is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements 32As formed in the reflection element formation region 32A1 on the 1 st plate surface 32A of the plate-shaped light guide 32, and is then emitted from the 2 nd plate surface 32B of the plate-shaped light guide 32 toward the front of the lamp.

At this time, the light emitted from the light sources 40a1, 40a2, and 40C1 is incident on the upper region 34A of the rod-shaped light guide 34 via the light incident portions 34A1, 34A2, and 34C1, is then guided in the direction in which the upper region 34A extends, and is incident on the 1 st region 32A of the plate-shaped light guide 32 during the light guiding process. The light emitted from the light sources 40B1, 40B2 is incident on the lower region 34B of the rod-shaped light guide 34 via the light incident portions 34B1, 34B2, is guided in the direction in which the lower region 34B extends, and is incident on the 1 st region 32A of the plate-shaped light guide 32 during the light guiding process. The light emitted from the light source 40C2 enters the side region 34C of the rod-shaped light guide 34 through the light entrance part 34C2, is guided in the direction in which the side region 34C extends, and enters the 1 st region 32A of the plate-shaped light guide 32 during the light guiding process.

FIG. 4(a) is a detailed view taken along line IVa-IVa of FIG. 2. Fig. 4(b) is a detailed view of a portion b of fig. 4(a), fig. 4(c) is a detailed view of a portion c of fig. 4(b), and fig. 4(d) is a detailed view of a portion d of fig. 4 (b). Fig. 5 is a V-direction sagittal view of fig. 4 (c).

As shown in these figures, the plurality of reflective elements 32As formed in the reflective element formation region 32A1 of the 1 st region 32A are arranged in 2 dimensions at equal intervals.

As shown in fig. 4(c), each of the reflecting elements 32As has a concave spherical surface shape of the same size. Specifically, each of the reflecting elements 32As is formed into a substantially hemispherical shape, and the radius Rs of a concave spherical surface constituting the surface shape thereof is set to a value of Rs 0.01 to 0.1mm (more preferably 0.03 to 0.05mm (e.g., about 0.04 mm)).

As shown in fig. 5, the plurality of reflective elements 32As are arranged in a regular triangular lattice shape. In this case, the center-to-center distance Ps between the adjacent reflection elements 32As is set to a value 5 to 15 times (for example, about 10 times) the radius Rs of the concave spherical surface formed by the surface shape of each reflection element 32 As.

The reflective element forming region 32a1 is set to have a ratio of the area occupied by the plurality of reflective elements 32As to the area of the entire reflective element forming region 32a1 of 1 to 10% (e.g., about 5%).

As shown in fig. 4(d), each of the reflective elements 32Bs formed in the 2 nd region 32B has a concave spherical surface shape having the same size As each of the reflective elements 32As formed in the reflective element formation region 32A1 of the 1 st region 32A.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of section VI of fig. 2.

As shown in fig. 6 and 4(C), the light from the light sources 40a1, 40a2, and 40C1 incident from the upper region 34A of the rod-shaped light guide 34 to the 1 st region 32A of the plate-shaped light guide 32 is guided in the 1 st region 32A in different directions from each other, and in the light guiding process, is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements 32As formed in the reflection element formation region 32A1, and then is emitted from the 2 nd plate surface 32b toward the front of the lamp.

At this time, since each of the reflecting elements 32As has a concave spherical surface shape, light reflection by total reflection at the reflecting element 32As proceeds substantially uniformly in all directions.

Further, after entering the 1 st region 32A of the plate-like light guide 32 from the upper region 34A of the rod-like light guide 34, the light from the light sources 40a1, 40a2, and 40C1 reaching the 2 nd region 32B is also guided in the 2 nd region 32B in directions different from each other, and in the light guiding process, is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements 32Bs formed on the 1 st plate surface 32A of the 2 nd region 32B, and then is emitted from the 2 nd plate surface 32B toward the front of the lamp.

Fig. 7 is a front view showing the lamp unit 20 in a lighting state.

As shown in fig. 7, when the lamp unit 20 in which the light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, and 40C2 are lit is viewed 3 from the front direction of the lamp (i.e., the vehicle rear direction), the light from the light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, and 40C2 incident on the 1 st region 32A of the plate-shaped light guide 32 via the rod-shaped light guide 34 is totally reflected by the plurality of reflective elements 32As formed in the reflective element formation region 32A1, and the reflective element formation region 32A1 extending in a band shape emits light substantially uniformly over the entire region.

After being incident on the 1 st region 32A of the plate-like light guide 32 via the rod-like light guide 34, the light from the light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, and 40C2 reaching the 2 nd region 32B is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements 32Bs formed in the 2 nd region 32B, and the 2 nd region 32B extending in a band shape appears to emit light. At this time, although the plurality of reflection elements 32Bs are arranged at a constant pitch in the direction in which the 2 nd region 32B extends in a band shape, the pitch gradually increases from the 1 st region 32A toward the 3 rd region 32C in the width direction, and therefore, it appears that light is emitted with brightness gradually decreasing from the 1 st region 32A toward the 3 rd region 32C.

Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described.

The vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment is configured such that the light from the light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, and 40C2 incident on the plate-shaped light guide 32 is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements 32As formed on the 1 st plate surface 32a of the plate-shaped light guide 32 and then emitted from the 2 nd plate surface 32B of the plate-shaped light guide 32 toward the front of the lamp, but the plurality of reflection elements 32As are arranged 2-dimensionally at intervals, and each reflection element 32As has a concave spherical surface shape, and therefore, the following operational effects can be obtained.

That is, since the light reflection by the total reflection at each of the reflection elements 32As is substantially uniform in all directions, even if the direction of the line of sight when the plate-shaped light guide 32 is observed is greatly changed from the direction of the front of the lamp, the state in which the reflection element formation region 32a1 (i.e., the region in which the plurality of reflection elements 32As are formed) in the 1 st plate surface 32a of the plate-shaped light guide 32 emits light seemingly in 2 dimensions can be maintained.

At this time, since the radius Rs of the concave spherical surface constituting the surface shape of each of the reflecting elements 32As is set to a value of R0.01 to 0.1mm and the center-to-center distance Ps between the adjacent reflecting elements 32As is set to a value of 5 to 15 times the radius Rs of the concave spherical surface, the reflecting element forming region 32a1 in the 1 st plate surface 32a of the plate-shaped light guide 32 can be seen to emit light substantially uniformly in 2 dimensions when the lamp is lit, and the plate-shaped light guide 32 can be kept transparent due to the presence of the through part between the reflecting elements 32As when the lamp is not lit. This can improve the design of the vehicle lamp 10 both when the lamp is turned on and when the lamp is not turned on.

Further, the plate-shaped light guide 32 looks just like a transparent plate when the lamp is not lit, but the reflective element formation region 32a1 looks luminous when the lamp is lit, so that a change in the design due to switching between lighting and extinction can be made unexpected.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the vehicle lamp 10 including the plate-shaped light guide 32, the design characteristics can be improved when the lamp is turned on and when the lamp is not turned on. Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to make the change in the design accompanying the switching between lighting and extinction unexpected.

In this case, in the present embodiment, the reflection element forming region 32a1 on the 1 st plate surface 32a of the plate-shaped light guide 32 is configured such that the ratio of the area occupied by the plurality of reflection elements 32As to the area of the entire reflection element forming region 32a1 is set to a value of 1 to 10%, and therefore, it is possible to easily achieve both the brightness when the lamp is lit and the transparency when the lamp is unlit.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of reflecting elements 32As are arranged in the regular triangular lattice shape, and the intervals between the reflecting elements 32As are constant, so that the uniform light emitting function when the lamp is lit and the transparency feeling when the lamp is not lit can be maximized.

Further, the vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment is configured to include the rod-shaped light guide 34 extending along the outer peripheral edge thereof so as to surround the plate-shaped light guide 32 from three directions, and to include the plurality of light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, and 40C2, and the vehicle lamp 10 is configured such that the light sources 40a1 to 40C2 are arranged to inject light into the rod-shaped light guide 34 at a plurality of locations of the rod-shaped light guide 34, respectively, and therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can obtain the following operational effects.

That is, since light from the plurality of light sources 40a1 to 40C2 enters the plate-shaped light guide 32 from a plurality of locations of the rod-shaped light guide 34, a large amount of light can reach the plurality of reflection elements 32As constituting the reflection element forming region 32a1 from directions different from each other. This makes it possible to make the reflective element formation region 32a1 appear brighter and emit light more uniformly when the lamp is turned on.

In this case, in the present embodiment, since the plate-like light guide 32 and the rod-like light guide 34 are integrally formed as the light transmitting member 30, the light incidence efficiency from the rod-like light guide 34 to the plate-like light guide 32 can be improved.

Further, since the bar-shaped light guide 34 is disposed so as to surround the plate-shaped light guide 32 from three directions, the end face positioned in the remaining one direction of the plate-shaped light guide 32 can be configured to be positioned at the end portion of the vehicle lamp 10. Thus, as in the vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment, the vehicle lamp can be mounted on the vehicle body in a state of being disposed adjacent to the vehicle lamp 100 mounted on the rear door (or trunk lid) of the vehicle, and the degree of freedom of layout can be improved.

In this case, the vehicle lamp 100 also has substantially the same configuration as the vehicle lamp 10, and therefore, the design of both can be designed to be continuous.

Further, since the 1-pair light incident portions 34A1, 34A2 are formed in the upper region 34A of the rod-shaped light guide 34, and the light from the 1-pair light sources 40a1, 40a2 is incident on the upper region 34A from opposite directions to each other, the light incident on the upper region 34A of the rod-shaped light guide 34 from the 1-pair light sources 40a1, 40a2 can be easily guided substantially uniformly over the entire length of the upper region 34A, and incident light can be easily guided to the plate-shaped light guide 32. Further, since the 1-pair light incident portions 34B1, 34B2 are formed in the lower region 34B of the rod-shaped light guide 34, and the light from the 1-pair light sources 40B1, 40B2 is incident on the lower region 34B from opposite directions to each other, the light incident on the lower region 34B of the rod-shaped light guide 34 from the 1-pair light sources 40B1, 40B2 can be easily guided substantially uniformly over the entire length of the lower region 34B, and incident light can be easily guided to the plate-shaped light guide 32.

Thus, as in the vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment, even in the case of a lamp configuration in which it is difficult to cause light from the light source to enter the rod-shaped light guide 34 from the end face thereof, the reflective element formation region 32a1 appears brighter and emits light more uniformly when the lamp is turned on.

In the present embodiment, since the plurality of reflecting elements 32Bs having the concave spherical surface shape are formed in the 2 nd region 32B located on the inner peripheral side of the 1 st region 32A in the plate-shaped light guide 32, the light from the light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, and 40C2 reaching the 2 nd region 32B through the 1 st region 32A of the plate-shaped light guide 32 is totally reflected by the plurality of reflecting elements 32Bs formed on the 1 st plate surface 32A of the 2 nd region 32B, and the 2 nd region 32B extending in a band shape can be seen to emit light.

At this time, although the plurality of reflecting elements 32Bs are arranged at a constant pitch in the direction in which the 2 nd region 32B extends in a band shape, the plurality of reflecting elements 32Bs are arranged at a pitch that gradually increases as they extend from the 1 st region 32A toward the 3 rd region 32C in the width direction, and therefore, light can be emitted so as to appear as brightness gradually decreases as they extend from the 1 st region 32A toward the 3 rd region 32C, and the design at the time of lighting the lamp can be further improved.

In the above-described embodiment 1, the configuration in which the plurality of reflecting elements 32Bs are arranged at a constant pitch in the direction in which the 2 nd region 32B extends in a band shape was described, but a configuration may be adopted in which the pitch gradually increases from the 1 st region 32A toward the 3 rd region 32C also in the direction in which the 2 nd region 32B extends in a band shape.

In embodiment 1, the concave spherical surface formed by the surface shapes of the respective reflection elements 32As, 32Bs has been described As a substantially hemispherical surface, but a spherical surface shape shallower than this may be adopted.

In the above-described embodiment 1, the structure in which the surface shape of each of the reflecting elements 32As, 32Bs is a concave spherical surface was described, but it is also possible to form the surface shape into a convex spherical surface.

In the above-described embodiment 1, the description has been given of the case where the vehicle lamp 10 is a tail lamp, but the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained by adopting the same configuration as those of the above-described embodiment, except for the tail lamp, for a brake lamp, a turn signal lamp, a blinker lamp, a daytime running lamp, and the like, regardless of the location and the function provided in the vehicle.

Next, embodiment 2 of the present invention will be explained.

Fig. 8(a) is a front view showing a lamp unit 120 of the vehicle lamp according to the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 8(a), the lamp unit 120 according to the present embodiment includes a plate-shaped light guide 132 and 3 light sources 140.

The plate-shaped light guide 132 is a colorless and transparent plate-shaped member made of resin (e.g., acrylic resin), and is formed to have a plate thickness of about 1 to 3mm (e.g., about 2 mm). The plate-like light guide 132 is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape when viewed from the front of the lamp.

The plate-like light guide 132 is configured such that a plurality of reflecting elements 132s are formed on the 1 st plate surface 132a on the rear surface side thereof. In this case, the reflective element forming region 132A in which the plurality of reflective elements 132s are formed on the 1 st plate surface 132A is disposed at a plurality of locations (specifically, 4 locations) with a constant interval therebetween in the left-right direction. Each of the reflective element forming regions 132A is formed as a band-like region having a shape bent in the right direction.

The plurality of reflective elements 132s are arranged in 2-dimensions at intervals in each reflective element formation region 132A. In this case, the arrangement of the plurality of reflection elements 132s is the same As that in the case of embodiment 1, and each reflection element 132s has the same shape As that of each reflection element 32As in embodiment 1.

The 3 light sources 140 are each constituted by a red light emitting diode. The 3 light sources 140 are arranged in the vicinity of the left end surface 132c of the plate-shaped light guide 132 with their light-emitting surfaces facing the left end surface 132c at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. The 3 light sources 140 are arranged such that light emitted from the light sources 140 enters the plate-shaped light guide 132 from the left end surface 132c thereof.

The 3 light sources 140 are mounted on a common substrate 142.

The light from each light source 140 incident on the plate-shaped light guide 132 from the left end surface 132c thereof is guided in the rightward direction inside the plate-shaped light guide 132, and in the light guiding process, is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements 132s formed in the respective reflection element forming regions 132A of the 1 st plate surface 132A, and then is emitted from the 2 nd plate surface 132b of the plate-shaped light guide 132 toward the front of the lamp. At this time, since each of the reflecting elements 132s has a concave spherical surface shape, light reflection by total reflection at the reflecting element 132s proceeds substantially uniformly in all directions.

Fig. 8(b) is a front view showing the lamp unit 120 in a lighting state.

As shown in fig. 8(b), when the lamp unit 120 in which the 3 light sources 140 are lit is viewed from the front direction of the lamp (i.e., the rear direction of the vehicle), the light from each light source 140 incident on the plate-shaped light guide 132 is totally reflected by the plurality of reflection elements 132s formed in the reflection element formation regions 132A at a plurality of locations, and thus each reflection element formation region 132A appears to emit light substantially uniformly over the entire region.

Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described.

In the present embodiment, since light reflection by total reflection at each reflecting element 132s is performed substantially equally in all directions, even if the direction of the line of sight when the plate-shaped light guide 132 is observed is changed greatly from the direction of the front of the lamp, it is possible to maintain the state in which each reflecting element formation region 132A on the 1 st plate surface 132A of the plate-shaped light guide 132 emits light in 2 dimensions as viewed.

In this case, also in the present embodiment, since the plurality of reflective elements 132s formed in each reflective element formation region 32A have the same arrangement and the same shape as those in the case of embodiment 1 described above, each reflective element formation region 132A can be made to appear to emit light substantially uniformly in 2 dimensions when the lamp is lit, while the plate-shaped light guide 132 can be made to maintain a transparent feeling due to the presence of the through portions between the reflective elements 132s when the lamp is not lit. This can improve the design of the lamp unit 120 both when the lamp is turned on and when the lamp is not turned on.

Further, the plate-shaped light guide 132 looks like a transparent plate when the lamp is not lit, but changes in design due to switching between lighting and extinction can be made unexpected because the reflective element forming regions 132A at a plurality of locations appear to emit light when the lamp is lit.

Next, embodiment 3 of the present invention will be explained.

Fig. 9 is a front view showing a lamp unit 220 of the vehicle lamp according to the present embodiment.

As shown in fig. 9, the basic configuration of lamp unit 220 according to the present embodiment is the same as that of embodiment 1, but a part of the configuration of light-transmitting member 230 is different from that of embodiment 1.

The light transmitting member 230 of the present embodiment is also configured such that a plate-shaped light guide 232 and a rod-shaped light guide 234 extending along the outer periphery thereof are integrally formed, as in the light transmitting member 30 of embodiment 1.

The configuration of the rod-shaped light guide 234 is completely the same as that of the rod-shaped light guide 34 according to embodiment 1.

On the other hand, the plate-shaped light guide 232 includes, similarly to the plate-shaped light guide 32 of embodiment 1: a1 st region 232A adjacent to the inner peripheral side of the rod-like light guide 234; a2 nd region 232B adjacent to the inner peripheral side of the 1 st region 232A; and a 3 rd region 232C adjacent to the inner peripheral side of the 2 nd region 232B, but is different from the plate-like light guide 32 of embodiment 1 in that groove portions 232Aa, 232Ab, and 232Ac extending along the connecting portions are formed in 3 portions of the 1 st region 232A at the connecting portions with the rod-like light guide 234.

Specifically, the groove 232Aa is formed along the lower edge of the upper region 234A of the rod-shaped light guide 234 so as to extend from a position on the left side of the base end of the light entrance part 234A1 to a position on the right side of the base end of the light entrance part 234A 2.

The groove 232Ab extends from a position on the left side of the base end of the light entrance part 234B1 to a position on the right side of the base end of the light entrance part 234B2 along the upper edge of the lower region 234B of the rod-shaped light guide 234.

The groove 232Ac is formed to extend from a position on the left side of the base end of the light entrance part 234C1 to a position below the base end of the light entrance part 234C2 along the inner peripheral edge of the corner that turns from the upper region 234A to the side region 234C of the rod-shaped light guide 234.

FIG. 10(a) is a detailed view taken along line Xa-Xa of FIG. 9.

As shown in fig. 10(a), the groove 232Ac is formed in both the 1 st and 2 nd plate surfaces 232A, 232b in the 1 st region 232A of the plate-like light guide 232. Each groove 232Ac is formed by cutting out the upper end edge portion of each of the 1 st and 2 nd plate surfaces 232a, 232b in a wedge-like cross-sectional shape within a predetermined length range.

Thus, the thickness of the portion of the 1 st region 232A of the plate-like light guide 232 connected to the upper region 234A of the rod-like light guide 234 is set to a value of 1/3 to 2/3 (e.g., about 1/2) of the thickness of the other general portion where 1 pair of groove portions 232Ac are formed.

The grooves 232Aa and 232Ab formed in the other 2 locations are also formed in the same cross-sectional shape as the groove 232 Ac.

Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described.

In the plate-like light guide 232 of the present embodiment, the groove portions 232Aa, 232Ab, and 232Ac extending along the connecting portions are formed in 3 portions of the connecting portions with the rod-like light guide 234 in the 1 st region 232A, and therefore, the following operational effects can be obtained.

That is, the light beams entering the plate-shaped light guide 232 from the 3 pairs of light sources 40a1, 40a2, 40B1, 40B2, 40C1, and 40C2 via the rod-shaped light guide 234 increase in the vicinity of the position where the light beams from the 1 pair of light sources 40a1 and 40a2 enter via the 1 pair of light incident portions 234A1 and 234A2 (i.e., the position near the left end of the upper region 234A), the vicinity of the position where the light beams from the 1 pair of light sources 40B1 and 40B2 enter via the 1 pair of light incident portions 234B1 and 234B2 (i.e., the position near the left end of the lower region 234B), and the vicinity of the corner region where the light beams from the 1 pair of light sources 40C1 and 40C2 enter via the 1 pair of light incident portions 234C1 and 234C2 (i.e., the position where the light beams enter from the upper region 234A to the side region 234C).

However, in the plate-like light guide 232 of the present embodiment, since the groove portions 232Aa, 232Ab, and 232Ac extending along the 3 portions of the connection portion with the rod-like light guide 234 in the 1 st region 232A are formed in the vicinity of the 3 portions, the amount of incident light from the vicinity of the 3 portions into the 1 st region 232A can be reduced.

Therefore, the reflective element formation region 232a1 can be suppressed from becoming relatively bright in the vicinity of the 3 locations, and the reflective element formation region 232a1 can be made to appear to emit light more uniformly.

Next, a modification of embodiment 3 will be described.

Fig. 10(b) and (c) are views similar to fig. 10(a) showing essential parts of the transparent members 330 and 430 according to the 1 st and 2 nd modifications of embodiment 3.

As shown in fig. 10(b), the light-transmitting member 330 according to modification 1 is also configured such that, in both the 1 st and 2 nd plate surfaces 332A, 332b in the 1 st region 332A of the plate-shaped light guide 332, the groove portions 332Ac having a wedge-like cross-sectional shape are formed at substantially the same depth as the groove portions 232Ac of embodiment 3, but the opening width of the groove portions 332Ac is narrower than the opening width of the groove portions 232Aa of embodiment 3.

As shown in fig. 10(c), the plate-like light guide 432 according to modification 2 is configured such that the groove 432Ac is formed only on the 1 st plate surface 432A in the 1 st region 432A, and no groove is formed on the 2 nd plate surface 432 b. The groove 432Ac has the same cross-sectional shape as the groove 232Aa of embodiment 3, but has a depth larger than that of the groove 232 Aa.

In the case of any of the configurations of the 1 st and 2 nd modifications, the reflective element formation regions 332A1, 432A1 of the 1 st regions 332A, 432A can be made to appear to emit light more uniformly by incident light from the upper regions 334A, 434A of the rod-like light guide 334, 434.

Fig. 11 is a front view showing a lamp unit 520 according to modification 3 of embodiment 3. Fig. 12(a) is a detailed cross-sectional view taken along line XIIa-XIIa of fig. 11, fig. 12(b) is a detailed cross-sectional view taken along line XIIb-XIIb of fig. 11, and fig. 12(c) is a detailed cross-sectional view taken along line XIIc-XIIc of fig. 11.

As shown in fig. 11, the basic configuration of the lamp unit 520 according to this modification is the same as that of embodiment 3, but a part of the configuration of the plate-like light guide 532 of the light transmitting member 530 is different from that of embodiment 1.

That is, the plate-shaped light guide 532 of the present modification is configured such that the groove portions 532Aa, 532Ab, and 532Ac extending along the connection portions between the 1 st and 2 nd plate surfaces 532A and 532b of the 1 st region 532A and the rod-shaped light guide 534 are formed at 3 locations of the connection portions, similarly to the plate-shaped light guide 232 of the above-described embodiment 3, but the sectional shapes of the groove portions 532Aa, 532Ab, and 532Ac are different from those of the above-described embodiment 3.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 12(a), the groove 532Ac formed in the vicinity of the position where the light from the 1-pair light sources 40C1, 40C2 is incident on the rod-shaped light guide 534 via the 1-pair light incident parts 534C1, 534C2 (i.e., the position of the corner around from the upper region 534A to the side region 534C) has the same wedge-shaped cross-sectional shape as the groove 232Ac of the above-described embodiment 3, but as shown in fig. 12(b), (C), the depth thereof is formed so as to gradually decrease as the distance from the corner increases.

As shown in fig. 11, the groove 532Aa formed in the vicinity of the position (i.e., the position closer to the left end of the upper region 534A) where the light from the 1 pair of light sources 40a1, 40a2 is incident through the 1 pair of light incident portions 534A1, 534A2 is gradually reduced in depth as the position is separated from the incident position, and the groove 532Ab formed in the vicinity of the position (i.e., the position closer to the left end of the lower region 534B) where the light from the 1 pair of light sources 40B1, 40B2 is incident through the 1 pair of light incident portions 534B1, 534B2 is gradually reduced in depth as the position is separated from the incident position.

By adopting the configuration of the present modification, the amount of light incident from the rod-shaped light guide 534 to the 1 st region 532A of the plate-like light guide 532 can be made substantially constant over the entire length, and thus the reflecting element formation region 532A1 can be made to appear to emit light more uniformly.

Note that the numerical values shown as elements in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it is needless to say that these elements may be set to different values as appropriate.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment, and various modifications other than the above may be added.