Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-25
2001-07-31
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S520000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267490
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp that has a red color light emitting portion, an amber color light emitting portion and a clear light emitting portion which are surrounded by a dummy portion.
2. Prior Art
A typical vehicular marker lamp such as a rear combination lamp comprises a red color light emitting portion, an amber color light emitting portion and a clear light emitting portion. The front portion of each one of these light emitting portions is formed with a lens that has the same color as the luminescent color of each one of the light emitting portions. In other words, the front portion of the red color light emitting portion is red, the front portion of the amber color light emitting portion is amber, and the front portion of the clear light emitting portion is clear or has no color. In some marker lamps, due to designing demands, the surrounding areas of these three light emitting portions are formed as a dummy portion, and this dummy portion has a design color (e.g., a smoky or body color) which is different from any one of the luminescent colors of the three light emitting portions.
By forming the front portion of the dummy portion with a dummy lens that has a different color from the lenses of three light emitting portions in a vehicular marker lamp of the type described above, it becomes unnecessary to apply a surface treatment such as a coating that is required to obtain the design color.
When the dummy lens as described above is manufactured, however, a four-color molding is required, because such a front lens that includes the dummy lens needs to be formed in four colors including red, amber, clear (i.e., colorless and transparent) and design colors. A three-color molding is generally used when the front lenses for rear combination lamps are molded; however, when such front lenses are formed by a four-color molding, new molding facilities become necessary, and additional processing steps are required due to the addition of one color. Thus, the lamp manufacturing costs tend to increase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular lamp at low manufacturing costs that includes a red color light emitting portion, an amber color light emitting portion and a clear light emitting portion which are surrounded by a dummy portion.
Thus, in the present invention, in order to accomplish the object, the vehicular lamp is arranged so that the front portion of one of two light emitting portions consisting of the red color light emitting portion and the amber color light emitting portion is formed with a clear lens, and the other one of these two light emitting portions has a color developing function. As a result, the front lens of a marker lamp can be manufactured by a three-color molding.
More specifically, a vehicular lamp of the present invention comprises a red color light emitting portion, an amber color light emitting portion and a clear light emitting portion which are surrounded by a dummy portion, and the lamp is characterized in that:
the front portion of one of two light emitting portions consisting of the red color light emitting portion and the amber color light emitting portion is formed with a colored lens that has the same color as such one of two light emitting portions;
the front portion of the other one of these two light emitting portions and the front portion of the clear light emitting portion are formed with a clear lens;
the front portion of the dummy portion is formed with a dummy lens that has a color other than red and amber; and
a predetermined optical member of the other one of two light emitting portions except for the clear lens comprises a luminescent member that develops light which is the same color as the luminescent color of the other one of the two light emitting portions when such other one of two light emitting portions is lighted.
The “predetermined optical member” is not limited to a particular optical member as long as it can develop the same color as the luminescent color of the other one of the two light emitting portions; and it may be, for example, a light bulb, a reflector, a colored transparent cap, an inner lens and the like or a selective combination of these elements.
As seen from the above, the vehicular lamp according to the present invention is provided with the red color light emitting portion, the amber color light emitting portion and the clear light emitting portion, and these light emitting portions are surrounded by the dummy portion; and further, the front portion of either one of the two light emitting portions (the red color light emitting portion, for instance) is formed with a colored lens that has the same color (red, for instance) as the color of such the light emitting portions, and the front portion of the other one of the two light emitting portions (the amber color light emitting portion, for instance) and the front portion of the clear light emitting portion are formed with the clear lens. Further, the front portion of the dummy portion is formed with the dummy lens that has a color different from these colors (red and amber). Therefore, the front lens, that includes those front portions, for the lamp can be manufactured using an existing three-color molding. Also, in the above structure, the predetermined optical member, except for the clear lens, of the other one of the two light emitting portions (the amber color light emitting portion, for instance) functions as a color developing member which develops the light of the same color (amber) as the luminescent color of the amber color light emitting portion when it is lighted. Accordingly, even the front portion of the other one of the two light emitting portions (the amber color light emitting portion) is formed clear with the clear lens, the other one of the two light emitting portions (the amber color light emitting portion) emits amber light, thus fulfilling the intended lamp function.
Accordingly, the vehicular lamp of the present invention, that is provided with the red color light emitting portion, the amber color light emitting portion and the clear light emitting portion which are surrounded by the dummy portion, can be manufactured at lower costs.
The “predetermined optical member” is not limited to a particular optical member as described above. When a light bulb and reflector are the “predetermined optical member”, the entire inside area of the lamp chamber of the other one of the two light emitting portions (the amber color light emitting portion, for instance) looks substantially uniformly luminous, without using any extra parts, when such other one of the two light emitting portions is lighted.
The other one of the two light emitting portions and the clear light emitting portion may be formed continuously adjacent to each other. Alternatively, they can be provided away from each other. In this case, a portion that connects the front portion of the other one of the two light emitting portions and the front portion of the clear light emitting portion in the clear lens is covered by a dummy lens. With this structure, the other one of the two light emitting portions and the clear light emitting portion look independent from each other, though the clear lens is shared by both of these light emitting portions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4680680 (1987-07-01), Iwaki
patent: 5642228 (1997-06-01), Takezawa et al.
patent: 5692824 (1997-12-01), Ooishi
patent: 5756013 (1998-05-01), Yanagihara et al.
patent: 6024474 (2000-02-01), Tanaka
patent: 2178154A (1987-02-01), None
patent: 2345126A (2000-06-01), None
Koda & Androlia
Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
O'Shea Sandra
Sawhney Hargobind S.
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