JP3122979B2 - Interior lights for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an interior light installed in a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle having an increased light emitting area, an improved lighting effect, and an enhanced luxurious feeling as a lamp. It relates to a room light.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various interior lights have been conventionally proposed as interior lights which are installed in the interior of an automobile to ensure illumination at night. FIG. 11 shows a conventional example of this type of interior light. In this interior light 1, a front lens 4 and a switch lever 5 are provided on the front surface of a body 3 on which a light source 2 is provided. Is configured to blink the light source 2 by the switching operation of. In this case, the interior light 1 is usually
When the switch lever 5 is switched to the “OFF” position, the light source 2 is turned off, and when the switch lever 5 is switched to the “ON” position,
The light source 2 can be maintained in the lighting state regardless of the open / closed state of the door. When the door is switched to the “DOOR” position, the door switch is turned ON when the door is opened, so that the light source 2 is turned on. Is turned off so that the circuit is turned off.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional indoor lamp 1, there is a problem that the light emitting area of the light emitting portion A composed of the front lens 4 is small and a sufficient lighting effect cannot be obtained. there were. That is, the interior light 1 is composed of two portions, a light emitting portion A and a switch lever portion B. If the switch lever portion B is provided on the front side of the body main body 3, the proportion of the light emitting portion A in the entire lamp is reduced accordingly, and the lighting is reduced. The effect decreases. In addition, since the switch lever portion B is located on the front surface of the body main body 3, the appearance as a lamp is poor, and there is also a problem of lack of luxury.

[0004] As another interior light, there is also known an interior light in which a switch lever 5 'is arranged so as to protrude from one side of a body main body 3 as shown by a two-dot chain line to increase the area of a light emitting portion. However, even in such an interior light, since the switch lever 5 ′ protrudes to the side of the body 3, there is a problem that, similarly to the interior light 1, the appearance is poor and the sense of quality is lacking.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve the lighting effect by increasing the ratio of the light emitting portion to the entire lamp. To provide a vehicle interior light. It is another object of the present invention to provide a vehicle interior light in which a switch lever constitutes a part of a side surface of a body main body and is inconspicuous, so as to improve appearance and luxury of a lamp.

[0006]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a body, a light source disposed on the body, and a front lens for covering the entire front surface of the body. A switch member disposed slidably between the main body and the front lens, and a switch member having both end operation portions exposed on both side surfaces of the body main body and the front lens, forming a switch circuit on the front surface of the body main body;
The switch member is provided with a contact for switching the switch circuit. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the front lens is made of a transparent material, and a light blocking member is provided between the switch member and the front lens to prevent the switch member from being viewed from outside. It is characterized by having been done. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the front lens has a reflecting portion on the rear side for reflecting light from the light source forward, and converts the point light source into a surface light source. It is characterized by including a light guide plate.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the front lens covers substantially the entire front surface of the body and forms a wide light emitting portion. The switch member is slidably disposed between the body main body and the front lens. The operation members at both ends are only exposed on the side surfaces of the body main body, so that they are not noticeable and make the appearance of the lamp clear. In the invention described in claim 2, the light shielding member covers the switch member, and prevents the switch member from being visually recognized through the front lens. Claim 3
In the invention described in (1), the front lens includes a light guide plate, and reflects the light from the light source forward and emits the light, thereby converting the point light source to the surface light source.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of a vehicle interior light according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the interior light, FIG. 3 is a rear view of the interior light, and FIG. 4 is a line AA in FIG. Enlarged sectional view,
5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1, FIG. 6 is a front view showing the interior of the interior light with the front lens broken, and FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the interior light. Mainly in FIG. 7, the interior light indicated by reference numeral 10 is a body light 3 for housing the light source 2,
A front lens 4 that covers the entire front surface of the body body 3 to protect the light source 2, a pair of contact members 11A and 11B that elastically hold both end terminals 2A and 2B of the light source 2, and a switch circuit 14 of the interior light 10 are switched. Switch member 1
2. The body main body 3 is composed of a light shielding member 13 covering the switch member 12 and the like.
(FIG. 2) is fixed by a plurality of set screws 16.

The body body 3 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape using an insulating material such as resin, and a concave portion 17 for accommodating the light source 2 is formed in the center. The concave portion 17 is formed to be long in the width direction of the body main body 3, and contact member mounting portions 18 a and 18 b to which the contact members 11 A and 11 B are fixed are provided at opposite ends in the longitudinal direction. The front surfaces of the contact member mounting portions 18a and 18b are recessed into the recess 17 from the front surface of the body 3. This is to prevent the light source 2 from projecting forward of the body main body 3. A metal plate on which the switch circuit 14 is formed is provided on the front surface of the body main body 3 around the recess 17 by heat-sealing the body plate 3, inserting and fixing, insert molding, or the like. On the other hand, a rectangular cylindrical protective wall 20 (FIGS. 2, 4 and 5) surrounding the light source 2 is integrally protruded around the recess 17 at the center of the rear surface of the body main body 3, and the rear side thereof is provided. The opening is a reflector 2 made of a stainless steel plate or the like.
1 closed. Further, a socket 24 to which the connector 23 of the external cord 22 is inserted and connected is integrally provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the rear surface of the body main body 3.

As the light source 2, for example, a bulb bulb is used, and the terminal portions 2A, 2B provided at both ends thereof.
Are connected to and held by the contact members 11A and 11B. Each of the terminals 2A and 2B is formed in a conical shape, and the top is inserted into a small hole (not shown) of each of the contact members 11A and 11B, and is electrically connected. Contact members 11A, 1
1B is formed by bending and forming an elastic metal plate, and is caulked and fixed to the front surfaces of the contact member mounting portions 18a and 18b, and is electrically connected to the switch circuit 14. The switch circuit 14 is connected to the socket portion. 24 are electrically connected to terminals 25 (FIG. 3). If the contact members 11A and 11B are formed integrally with the body body 3 by the outsert molding method or the like at the time of molding, the mounting operation is not required, and the number of assembly operations at the time of manufacturing can be reduced. Further, the switch circuit 14 and the contact member 11
If the A, 11B and terminal 25 are formed as an integral metal plate and insert-molded, the number of assembling work steps during manufacturing can be further reduced.

The front lens 4 is composed of a light guide plate 26 constituting a lens body and a frame 27 surrounding the periphery of the light guide plate 26. The light guide plate 26 is formed of a resin having excellent translucency such as an acrylic resin. The light guide plate 26 has a thick central portion in the longitudinal direction, and gradually decreases toward both ends. At the center of the back surface of the light guide plate 26, a light input portion 30 formed of a semicircular concave portion for allowing light from the light source 2 to enter the light guide plate 26 is formed to be concave over the entire width of the light guide plate 26. The light source 2 is disposed in the concave portion 17 of the body main body 3 so that the filament of the light source 2 is located at the center O of the portion 30 (FIG. 5).

An area of the light guide plate 26 near the light source 2 (an area near the light source) and an area far from the light source 2 (an area far from the light source) are:
Each of them forms a direct illuminator 31 and an indirect illuminator 32, and these two illuminators 31, 32 are separated by two parallel grooves 33 formed on the surface side of the light guide plate 26. The grooves 33 are formed over the entire width of the light guide plate 26 so as to be respectively located on both sides of the light entrance section 30. On the back side of the indirect illumination section 32, a stippling section 35 is formed as a reflection section for reflecting light 34 (FIG. 5) emitted from the light source 2 and traveling in the light guide plate 26 forward. Stippling 35
Consists of a number of small conical recesses,
In order to realize uniform illumination, the dot density is increased as the distance from the light source 2 increases. In order to reflect the light from the light source 2 in the direction of the indirect illumination part 32, the bottom surface of the groove 33 is curvedly inclined so that the light source 2 side is deep and the opposite side is shallow.

The frame 27 is made of a milky resin in the shape of an "eye" in a front view so as to diffuse light from the light source 2, so that a rectangular outer frame 27A and an outer frame 27A are formed. And two cross sections 27B connecting two long sides 38a and 38b parallel to each other.
B respectively cover the grooves 33 of the light guide plate 26. The frame 27 may be formed integrally with the light guide plate 26 or may be formed separately. The outer frame portion 27A and the light guide plate 26 block the light from the light source 2 to clarify the spot illumination region by the direct illumination unit 31 and the indirect illumination region by the indirect illumination unit 32.
The two long sides 38a forming the outer frame 27A,
A cutout window 40 is formed in the center of the rear surface of the switch 38b to expose the operation sections (43a, 43b) of the switch member 12 to the outside.

The switch member 12 includes a pair of left and right contact mounting members 42a, 4a made of an insulating material.
2b and a pair of connecting plates 43a and 43b for connecting both ends of the contact mounting members 42a and 42b, respectively, are formed in a frame-like body larger than the concave portion 17 of the body main body 3, and have substantially the same width as the body main body 3. And a width slightly smaller than the width of the notch window 40, and the contacts 44a,
44b are provided corresponding to the switch circuits 14, respectively. Also, the contact mounting plates 42a, 42b
Is slidably held in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the body 3 by four guide members 45 disposed on the front surface of the body 3. The guide member 45 is formed in a U-shape in a side view so that the contact mounting member 4 is formed.
A guide groove 45a for slidably holding the guide grooves 2a and 42b is provided. Two guide grooves 45a are provided on both long sides of the recess 17 with the recess 17 interposed therebetween. The pair of connecting plates 43a and 43b are exposed to the outside through the cutout window 40 of the front lens 4 to form an operating portion of the switch member 12. In this case, each of the operation units 43a and 43b is
When held at the F position, it forms substantially the same plane as the side surfaces of the body main body 3 and the front lens 4 and does not protrude to the sides thereof. Is good. The contact mounting members 42a and 42b and the operation portions 43a and 43b are made of a material having high rigidity so as not to be deformed by a load at the time of the switching operation.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the contact 44a is formed by bending an elastic metal plate.
The central contact portion 44a-1 and both end portions 44a-2 are inserted into holes 46a to 46c formed in the contact mounting member 42a from the front, respectively.
The center contact portion 44a-1 is free with respect to the hole 46a, and when the switch member 12 is slid, the switch circuit 14
Each time it comes into contact with or separates from the contact portions 47a to 47d,
Elastically deformed in the direction perpendicular to the surface of the In this case, the central contact portion 44a-1 switches the switch circuit 14 by simultaneously and elastically contacting two adjacent ones of the contact portions 47a to 47d. For example, contact part 4
When contact is made with 7a and 47b, it is in the “ON” state.
b and 47c are in the “OFF” state when contacting the contact portion 47
When touching c and 47d, the state is switched to "DOOR". Both ends 44a-2 are inserted into the respective holes 44b and 44c and are locked on the back surface of the contact mounting plate 42a to prevent the end portions 44a-2 from coming off. The contact portions 47a to 47d are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the sliding direction of the switch member 12. The stroke of the switch member 12 is 3 mm
It is about. The contact 44b is also a contact 44
It has the same configuration as a. In addition, when the contact portions 47a to 47d are formed in a convex curved shape as shown in (b), the contact with the central contact portion 44a-1 can be improved.

The light-shielding member 13 comprises a light-shielding sheet 50 made of polyester or the like and having an opening 51 in the center, and a pair of rising walls 52a and 52b provided on two long sides of the light-shielding sheet 50 facing each other. Since the light guide plate 26 of the front lens 4 is transparent, the light guide plate 26 is inserted between the body 3 and the front lens 4 to prevent the internal switch member 12, switch circuit 14 and the like from being viewed. I have. The opening 51 has substantially the same size as the concave portion 17 of the body 3. The rising walls 52a, 52b regulate the stroke of the switch member 12 by being located inside the respective operation portions 43a, 43b of the switch member 12. The rising walls 52a and 52b may be either light-blocking or light-transmitting. In the case of light-transmitting, the light from the light source 2 is transmitted and illuminates the frame 27, so that brighter illumination can be obtained. If it has a light-shielding property, it can be appropriately colored to enhance the design effect of the lamp or differentiate it, and if it is white, the reflection efficiency can be increased.

When mounting the interior light 10 having such a configuration, first, the body main body 3 in which the light source 2 is incorporated is brought into close contact with the mounting portion of the ceiling 15 and is fixed by a set screw 16. Next, one of the operation sections 43a and 43b is removed to remove the pair of contact mounting members 42a and 42a.
42b is inserted into the groove 45a of the guide member 45 from the side,
In this state, the operation unit removed is fixed to the ends of the contact attachment members 42a and 42b, and the switch member 12 is assembled into the original frame. Next, the light blocking member 13 is placed on the switch member 12 and the front lens 4 is fixed to the body 3. The front lens 4 is fixed to the body 3 by a plurality of engagement pieces 55 and engagement recesses 56 (FIGS. 3 and 5).
And detachably fixed with one touch. Then, the plug 23 of the cord 22 is connected to the socket part 24, and the work of mounting the room light 10 is completed.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a switch circuit of the interior light 10. In the drawings, the same components as those in FIGS. 1 to 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Reference numeral 60 denotes a door switch that is turned ON and OFF by opening and closing the vehicle body door. The light source 2 is "OFF" when the contact 44a (44b) contacts the contact portions 47b and 47c shown in FIG.
In this state, the contact 44a is not turned on regardless of the open / closed state of the door switch 560, and the contacts 44a and 47b
In the “ON” state in contact with the door switch 560
Illuminates regardless of the open / closed state of the door switch 6 and in the “DOOR” state in which it contacts the contact portions 47c and 47d.
Lights up when 0 is open and goes out when closed. Such a switch circuit 14 itself is exactly the same as the circuit of a conventional room light.

In the interior lamp 10 having such a configuration, the direct illuminator 31 formed in the area near the light source emits direct light having a small emission angle with respect to the center line of the interior light 10 out of the light emitted from the light source 2. Is transmitted in the thickness direction of the light guide plate 26, thereby ensuring sufficient brightness and performing spot illumination.
On the other hand, the light having a large exit angle enters the light guide plate obliquely from the light incident portion 30 and is reflected toward the back surface at the bottom surface of the groove 33 and the surface of the indirect illumination portion 32.
As a result, the light is reflected forward, and passes through the indirect lighting unit 32 of the light guide plate 26 to perform illumination as a normal room light. Therefore, in the present invention, normal illumination and spot illumination can be performed simultaneously by one light source 2. In addition, by setting the width of the direct light illuminating section 31 to be larger than the width of the light input section 30, the direct light can be used as illumination as a normal room light and the indirect light can be used as accessory illumination.

Further, since the front lens 4 forming the light emitting portion of the interior lamp 10 has a size that covers the entire front surface of the lamp itself, it can illuminate a wide area to improve the illumination effect. Further, in the ON state or the DOOR state of the switch member 12, since the operation portion 44 a or 44 b only slightly projects to the side of the body main body 3,
It is not easy to know where the switch member 12 is provided, so that the exterior of the interior light 10 can be refreshed and a sense of quality can be imparted.

In this embodiment, since the direct illuminating section 31 and the indirect illuminating section 32 are separated by the cross section 27B of the frame 27, the spot illuminating area and the normal illuminating area can be clarified. It is possible to reduce and alleviate a sense of incongruity at the time of illumination that occurs between two regions having originally different light amounts. Further, the crosspiece 27B cuts off glare light having a relatively small emission angle and high luminance, so that glare can be prevented.

Further, the indirect illumination unit 32 reduces the loss of light by changing the density of the stippling 35 so as to increase as the distance from the light source 2 increases, thereby enabling uniform illumination over a wide area. In addition, the stippled reflecting portion (35) can make the appearance when turned off a crystal tone compared to an interior light using a milky white lens, and can further produce a sense of quality.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a front lens showing another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the front lens 4 is integrally formed of a translucent milky white resin. In such a configuration, the manufacture of the front lens 4 is easy, the inside of the lamp is not visually recognized, and the above-described light shielding member 13 is used.
Can be abolished.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified and modified. For example, instead of forming the switch member 12 in a frame-like body, the switch member 12 may be traversed across the body 3. It is good also as comprising a plate-shaped body of a book, and both ends may be an operation part.

[0025]

As described above, the vehicle interior light according to the present invention comprises a body, a light source disposed on the body and a lens covering the entire front surface of the body, the body and the front lens. A switch member disposed so as to be slidable across them and having both ends exposed to the sides of the body main body and the front lens, forming a switch circuit on the front surface of the body main body; Since the contact for switching the switch circuit is provided, the ratio of the light-emitting portion to the entire lamp is large, and the lighting effect can be improved. Therefore, the appearance of the interior light can be made clear and a sense of quality can be given. Further, the light shielding member covers the switch member and prevents the switch member from being seen through the front lens, so that the appearance is not impaired. Further, the front lens includes a light guide plate and emits light from the light source forward, thereby converting the point light source to the surface light source, thereby enabling uniform illumination.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a vehicle interior light according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the room light.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the room light.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the interior of the interior light with the front lens broken.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the room light.

8A and 8B are an enlarged sectional view of a main part of a switch member and a view showing another embodiment of a contact portion.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a switch circuit.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the front lens.

FIG. 11 is an external perspective view showing a conventional example of an interior light.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Interior light, 2 ... Light source, 3 ... Body main body, 4 ... Front lens, 5 ... Switch lever, 10 ... Interior light, 11A, 11
B: contact, 12: switch member, 13: light shielding member, 14: switch circuit, 26: light guide plate, 27: frame-shaped body, 44a, 44b: contact.

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A body, a light source disposed on the body, and a front lens covering the entire front surface of the body, and a body slidably disposed between the body and the front lens, and a both-end operation unit. Switch members exposed on both sides of the body body and the front lens, respectively, forming a switch circuit on the front surface of the body body,
A vehicle interior light, wherein a contact for switching the switch circuit is provided on the switch member. 2. The vehicle interior light according to claim 1, wherein
An interior light for a vehicle, wherein the front lens is made of a transparent material, and a light-blocking member is provided between the switch member and the front lens to prevent the switch member from being viewed from outside. 3. A light guide plate according to claim 1, wherein the front lens has a reflecting portion on the back side for reflecting light from the light source forward, and converts the point light source into a surface light source. An interior light for a vehicle, comprising: