CN221497831U - Lighting structure for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model provides a vehicle lighting structure capable of suppressing uneven light intensity of a linear lighting part for passengers. A vehicle lighting structure (1) is provided with a decorative plate (11) and a lighting device (30) provided on the decorative plate, wherein an elongated slit (23) is formed through the decorative plate, and the lighting device is provided with: an LED; an elongated light guide (33) capable of guiding light emitted from the LED; and a light-transmitting member (41) that transmits light and closes the slit, the light guide having: a parallel arrangement part (33A) which is arranged along the slit on the carriage outer surface side of the decorative board; and a separation part (33B) which is deviated from the extending direction of the slit, wherein a light diffusion part (57) is arranged at a position on or near the extending line of the sight line from the eyes of the passengers to the slit in the light-transmitting member and is a region for arranging the light guide body.

Description

Lighting structure for vehicle

Technical Field

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a lighting structure for a vehicle.

Background

For the purpose of improving the aesthetic appearance or for the purpose of improving the visibility and convenience at night, an illumination device may be mounted on a vehicle interior material such as an automobile. For example, patent document 1 below discloses a case where a linear light-emitting lighting device is attached to a door trim constituting a cabin interior surface of a vehicle door. Specifically, such an illumination device includes a light source and a linear light guide body that guides light emitted from the light source, and patent document 1 discloses a structure in which: by disposing the light guide along the slit provided in the door trim, the light emitted from the light guide is transmitted through the slit to irradiate the interior of the vehicle cabin.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2015-009663

Disclosure of utility model

Problems to be solved by the utility model

However, when the linear illumination portion is to be provided at the end of the interior material, for example, a space for disposing the light source at the end of the light guide cannot be ensured. Therefore, the following structure is thought: the end of the light guide arranged in a straight line is bent, and the light source is arranged at a position deviated from the extension line of the slit. However, in such a configuration, the light guide is curved, so that the distance and arrangement between the slit and the light guide may change, and the light visible to the passenger may be strong or weak, which may reduce the appearance.

The technology disclosed in the present specification has been made in view of the above-described situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle illumination structure capable of suppressing a situation in which the intensity of light from a linear illumination portion appears uneven to a passenger.

Solution for solving the problem

The vehicle illumination structure disclosed in the present specification includes a vehicle interior material and an illumination device provided to the vehicle interior material, wherein the vehicle interior material has a long slit formed therethrough, and the illumination device includes: a light source; an elongated light guide body capable of guiding light emitted from the light source, the elongated light guide body being disposed outside a vehicle compartment of the vehicle interior material; and a light-transmitting member that transmits light and closes the slit, wherein the light guide has: a parallel arrangement portion arranged along the slit; and a separation portion that extends in a direction different from the extending direction of the slit, wherein a light diffusion portion that diffuses light irradiated from the light guide toward the inside of the vehicle compartment is provided in a region of the light-transmitting member that is located at a position on an extension line of a line of sight from eyes of a passenger to the slit and in which the light guide is disposed.

In the case where the light guide has the parallel portion and the separation portion, that is, in the case where the distance and direction from the slit to the light guide are not constant, a difference in intensity of light seen by the passenger occurs. According to the above configuration, even when the intensity of the light from the slit is strong or weak, the light diffusing portion is provided in the region of the light transmitting member where the light is likely to be strong for the passenger, so that the intensity of the light seen by the passenger can be made nearly uniform throughout the slit. That is, the aesthetic appearance of the illumination portion is improved for the passengers. In addition, since the intensity of light seen by the passenger is adjustable in this way, the degree of freedom in designing the light source arrangement can be improved.

The light-transmitting member may be integrally provided with a groove-shaped receiving recess for receiving the light guide in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the light guide, the receiving recess may have a bottom wall and at least two side walls extending from the bottom wall so as to face each other, one of the at least two side walls may be disposed between the light guide and the slit, and the light diffusion portion may be disposed on one of the side walls disposed between the light guide and the slit.

The intensity of light emitted from the light guide body having the parallel arrangement portion and the separation portion into the vehicle cabin through the slit is not uniform, but since the light diffusion portion is provided on one side wall disposed between the light guide body and the slit, light having a high intensity is diffused by the light diffusion portion and emitted from the slit into the vehicle cabin. Therefore, the intensity of light seen by the passenger can be made nearly uniform throughout the slit.

The slit may extend to an end portion of the vehicle interior material, and the separation portion may be a portion of the light guide body close to the light source.

When the slit extends to a position close to the end of the vehicle interior material, the light source cannot be arranged on the extension line of the slit due to a space problem, and it is necessary to bend the light guide from the vicinity of the end of the slit to secure a space for the light source. In the case where the light guide has to be arranged at a position deviated from the extending direction of the slit, the light which is seen by the passenger is likely to be strong or weak, and therefore the technique disclosed in the present specification is particularly effective.

The vehicle interior material may be a door trim constituting an inner surface of a cabin of a vehicle door, the slit may be provided at a position that can be directly visually recognized by a passenger, and at least a part of the separation portion in the light guide may be disposed on an extension line of a line of sight from eyes of the passenger to the slit.

In a vehicle door, various functional components are accommodated in a narrow space between a door trim and a vehicle body, and therefore, the entire light guide cannot be disposed along a slit in some cases. In addition, in the case where the slit is provided at the end of the door trim, there is a case where a portion of the light guide close to the light source cannot be arranged along the slit due to a problem of a space of the light source. In such a case, the light seen by the passenger is likely to be strong or weak, and thus the technique disclosed in the present specification is particularly effective for such a case.

The light diffusion portion may be formed of a plurality of grooves extending from the bottom wall of the housing recess toward the opening of the housing recess. According to such a configuration, when the light-transmitting member having the accommodating recess is molded, a plurality of grooves extending from the bottom wall of the groove-shaped accommodating recess toward the opening of the accommodating recess are simultaneously molded in the mold-drawing direction, so that the light diffusion portion can be formed. Thus, the light diffusion portion can be formed simply and inexpensively.

A part of the light guide disposed in the region of the light-transmitting member may be disposed below the opening of the slit.

According to this structure, the light emitted into the vehicle cabin through the slit from the region of the light-transmitting member that is disposed on the extension line of the downward-looking line of sight of the passenger appears bright. However, since the light diffusion portion is provided in such a region, the light having a high intensity, which appears bright, is diffused by the light diffusion portion and emitted from the slit into the vehicle cabin through the light transmitting member. Therefore, the intensity of light seen by the passenger can be made nearly uniform throughout the slit.

The region of the light-transmitting member may be provided in correspondence with the separation portion. The intensity of light emitted from the light guide body having the parallel arrangement portion and the separation portion through the slit is not uniform, but since the light diffusion portion is provided in the light transmitting member so as to correspond to the separation portion, light emitted from the separation portion through the slit and appearing bright is diffused by the light diffusion portion and emitted into the vehicle. Therefore, the intensity of light seen by the passenger can be made nearly uniform throughout the slit.

The light-transmitting member may be integrally provided with a groove-shaped housing recess for housing the light guide body in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the light guide body, the housing recess having a 1 st housing recess for housing the parallel arrangement portion and a 2 nd housing recess for housing the separation portion, the 2 nd housing recess having a bottom wall and at least two side walls extending from the bottom wall so as to face each other, one of the at least two side walls being arranged between the separation portion and the slit, and the light diffusion portion being arranged at one of the side walls arranged between the separation portion and the slit.

The intensity of light emitted from the light guide body having the parallel arrangement portion and the separation portion into the vehicle cabin through the slit is not uniform, but since the light diffusion portion is provided on one side wall disposed between the separation portion and the slit, light having a high intensity is diffused by the light diffusion portion and emitted from the slit into the vehicle cabin. Therefore, the intensity of light seen by the passenger can be made nearly uniform throughout the slit.

The bottom wall of the 2 nd housing recess may be located below the slit, and one of the two side walls may extend to a position below the slit. In such a configuration, since the light diffusion portion is provided in one of the side walls, the light emitted into the vehicle cabin from the light guide body disposed in the 2 nd housing portion can be diffused by the light diffusion portion, and the intensity of the light seen by the passenger can be made nearly uniform throughout the slit.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the technology disclosed in the present specification, it is possible to provide a vehicle lighting structure capable of suppressing a situation in which the intensity of light from a linear lighting portion appears uneven to a passenger.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a door trim provided with a vehicle illumination structure according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is an I-I cross-sectional view of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the light transmitting member.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the light transmitting member.

Fig. 5 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the lighting device.

Fig. 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view of the lighting device in a state of being mounted to the door trim.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of fig. 1 at II-II.

Fig. 8 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a light transmitting member having a light diffusing part according to another embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a partially enlarged perspective view of a light transmitting member having a light diffusing part according to another embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

1. Vehicle lighting structure (vehicle lighting structure); 10. door trim (interior material for vehicle); 11. decorative panels (interior materials for vehicles); 23. a slit; 30. a lighting device; 31. a light source unit (light source); 33. a light guide; 33A, parallel arrangement portions; 33B, a separation section; 41. a light-transmitting member; 42. a housing portion (housing recess); 43. a 1 st accommodation portion (accommodation recess); 44. a bottom wall; 45. an outer side wall portion (side wall); 46. an inner side wall portion (side wall); 47. a support wall portion; 48. a lens section; 53. a 2 nd accommodating portion (accommodating recess); 54. a 2 nd bottom wall; 55. a 2 nd outer side wall portion (side wall); 56. a 2 nd inner side wall portion (side wall); 57. and a light diffusion section.

Detailed Description

A vehicle lighting structure (an example of a vehicle lighting structure) 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 7. In the present embodiment, an illumination structure of the illumination device 30 in the door trim 10 for a vehicle such as an automobile (an example of a vehicle interior material) is illustrated. IN each of the drawings, arrows FR and RR indicate the front and rear of the vehicle, arrows UP and DW indicate the upper and lower of the vehicle, and arrows IN and OUT indicate the inner (inner) and outer (outer) sides of the vehicle, respectively.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a structure of a door trim 10 as seen from the inside of a cabin of a vehicle. The door trim 10 is mainly composed of a substantially plate-shaped trim 11, and is attached to the inside of a vehicle cabin by a clip or the like, not shown, which is made of a metal, so as to improve the aesthetic appearance and the comfort of the vehicle cabin. The decorative sheet 11 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin material (thermoplastic resin material) such as polypropylene, or a composite material formed by mixing a plant fiber (for example, kenaf) and a synthetic resin. The surface of the decorative plate 11 of the present embodiment is covered with a skin material 22 (see fig. 2).

The door trim 10 is provided with the armrest 12, the door pocket 13, the speaker 14, the inside door handle 15, and the like shown in fig. 1. The decorative plate 11 is formed by assembling a plurality of decorative plate members to each other in view of the ease of mounting these components, the aesthetic appearance, and the like. The decorative plate 11 of the present embodiment includes an upper plate 16, a handrail plate 17, a lower plate 18, a pocket plate 19, and the like.

The upper plate 16 constitutes an upper portion of the decorative plate 11, and a lower end thereof is disposed adjacent to the lower plate 18 at a front portion and is disposed adjacent to the armrest plate 17 at a central portion. The armrest plate 17 protrudes toward the cabin interior, and an upper surface thereof is provided with an armrest 12 extending in a substantially horizontal direction. A door handle recessed downward from the armrest 12 is provided between the rear portion of the upper plate 16 and the armrest plate 17. That is, the upper plate 16 is disposed adjacent to the door handle plate 20 at the rear portion (see fig. 2).

Elongated slits 23 extending continuously in the substantially front-rear direction are provided between the lower end of the upper panel 16 and the upper end of the armrest panel 17, and between the lower end of the upper panel 16 and the upper end of the door handle panel 20, which are adjacently disposed in the car interior surface. The slit 23 extends substantially linearly when viewed from the vehicle interior-exterior direction. Light is irradiated from the slit 23 toward the cabin interior side, and the door trim 10 is decorated with linear light. Light is emitted from the illumination device 30 mounted to the cabin exterior side of the slit 23.

The surface (car inner side surface) of the skin material 22 of the upper plate 16 is disposed further to the car inner side than the lower edge of the slit 23 (see fig. 2).

As shown in fig. 5, the lighting device 30 includes a light source unit 31, a light guide 33, a connector portion 34, and a light-transmitting member 41.

The light source unit 31 includes an LED (LIGHT EMITTING Diode) (not shown) capable of emitting visible light as a light source and a housing 32 accommodating the LED. The LEDs are disposed at predetermined locations within the housing 32. The connector 34 is electrically connected to the LED in the housing 32 via a lead wire, and is configured to be connectable to a harness or the like, not shown. The lighting device 30 is electrically connected to a power supply device (not shown) such as a battery mounted on the vehicle via a wire harness or the like, and can emit light from the LED by using electric power supplied from the power supply device.

The light guide 33 is formed in a substantially circular cross section, and the light guide 33 is made of a light guide material having a flexible long shape (rod shape). The light guide material is a material having a refractive index sufficiently higher than that of air and transmitting light, and examples thereof include an acrylic resin. The dimension of the light guide 33 in the longitudinal direction is set to be larger than the dimension of the slit 23 in the longitudinal direction.

The light guide 33 is attached to the housing 32 in a state where an end surface on one end side in the longitudinal direction is arranged to face the light emitting surface of the LED. Thus, the one end face is a light incident surface on which light emitted from the LED is incident. The light guide 33 has the following structure: light traveling inside undergoes total reflection and propagates inside when entering an interface with an external air layer at an incident angle larger than a critical angle. That is, the light guide 33 has a structure capable of guiding light to the other end side inside thereof.

The outer peripheral surface (side surface) of the light guide 33 is, for example, coated with a fluorine-based resin, and the light introduced into the light guide 33 is emitted to the outside. That is, light incident from one end (light incident surface) side of the light guide 33 is repeatedly totally reflected inside the light guide 33 to guide the light, and a part of the light can be emitted from the entire surface of the outer peripheral surface in the middle of the light guide. Thus, the light guide 33 is a linear light source as a whole, and can illuminate the periphery thereof. As described above, the outer peripheral surface of the light guide 33 is a light emission surface for emitting the light incident from one end (light incident surface) side into the light guide 33 to the outside.

In the lighting device 30 of the present example, the LED is of a top emission type, the upper surface of which emits light, and the housing 32 is configured to be attachable to the light guide 33 such that the light emitting surface (upper surface) of the LED faces the light incident surface of the light guide 33. The connector portion 34 of the illumination device 30 is fixed to the outside of the vehicle cabin in the vicinity of the rear end of the decorative plate 11 in a state where the illumination device 30 is installed on the decorative plate.

On the other hand, the light transmitting member 41 is the following: the light guide 33 has a lens function of emitting light emitted from the light guide 33 from the slit 23 into the cabin, and the light guide 33 is held at an appropriate position with respect to the slit 23 of the decorative plate 11. The light transmitting member 41 is attached to the decorative plate 11 from the outside of the vehicle cabin in a state where the light guide 33 is accommodated.

Specifically, the light-transmitting member 41 is formed in a long plate shape extending in the substantially front-rear direction as a whole, and includes a housing portion (an example of a housing recess) 42 for housing the long light guide 33, as shown in fig. 2 and 3. The cross section of the housing portion 42 orthogonal to the longitudinal direction is substantially U-shaped and is formed in a substantially entire range in the front-rear direction. More specifically, the 1 st housing portion 43 of the housing portions 42 includes a bottom wall 44, an outer side wall portion 45, and an inner side wall portion 46. The bottom wall 44 extends in the substantially front-rear direction so that the plate surface is arranged in the substantially horizontal direction. The outer side wall portion 45 is raised upward from a side edge portion of the bottom wall 44 on the vehicle outer side. The inner wall portion 46 is raised upward from a side edge portion of the bottom wall 44 on the vehicle inner side. The 1 st accommodation portion 43 has a substantially U-shaped groove shape. The outer side wall 45 also extends downward from the bottom wall 44. The housing 42 is set to a size that can stably house the light guide 33 with an appropriate clearance.

As shown in fig. 2, the light-transmitting member 41 further includes a support wall portion 47 and a lens portion 48. The support wall 47 is plate-shaped and extends from the vicinity of the lower end of the inner wall 46 toward the cabin interior in a flange shape. The lens portion 48 extends upward from the tip (cabin inner side) of the support wall portion 47. The lens portion 48 is fitted into the slit 23 so as to close the slit 23. That is, the dimension (width dimension) of the lens portion 48 in the up-down direction is designed to be substantially equal to the width dimension of the slit 23. The cross section of the lens portion 48 along the up-down direction and along the vehicle interior-exterior direction is semicircular in shape that bulges toward the cabin interior side. The support wall 47 is supported from below by the vertical wall 21 of the door handle plate 20 that is vertical in the substantially vertical direction. In a state where the slit 23 is blocked by the light transmitting member 41 (lens portion 48), the lens portion 48 and the light guide 33 are arranged in a lateral arrangement aligned in a substantially horizontal direction. That is, the light guides 33 (parallel arrangement portions 33A to be discussed later) are arranged in a state of being aligned in the lateral direction in parallel with the slits 23 in the substantially horizontal direction. The parallel arrangement portion 33A of the light guide 33 is arranged to overlap the slit 23 in the vehicle inner-outer direction.

According to such a configuration, the light emitted from the light guide 33 is irradiated from the slit 23 into the vehicle cabin through the light transmitting member 41, more specifically, through at least the inner wall portion 46 and the lens portion 48. A part of the light emitted from the light guide 33 passes through the inner wall 46, the support wall 47, and the lens 48, and is irradiated from the slit 23 into the vehicle cabin. When a seated passenger views the slit 23, the line of sight thereof is directed obliquely downward from above, and therefore, the light guide 33 disposed outside the vehicle cabin of the lens portion 48 is not easily seen by the passenger through the light transmitting member 41 (see fig. 2).

In addition, the light transmitting member 41 is preferably composed mainly of a resin material (for example, a so-called optical resin represented by an acrylic resin or the like) having high light transmittance with respect to light emitted from the LED, in that light loss is suppressed to be low, similarly to the light guide 33.

In the present embodiment, the slit 23 is provided in the upper portion of the armrest 12 that can be directly visually recognized by the occupant, and the range of formation thereof is set from the front portion to the rear end portion of the door trim 10 (see fig. 1). Specifically, the slit 23 extends from a portion of the door trim 10 forward of the center in the front-rear direction to the rear end portion. The light guide 33 extends along the slit 23 over substantially the entire length of the slit 23 outside the vehicle cabin of the slit 23. The light guide 33 is disposed outside the vehicle cabin in a state of being aligned in the lateral direction substantially parallel to the horizontal direction with respect to the slit 23. In such a configuration, when the light source unit 31 (LED) is to be mounted on the rear end portion of the door trim 10, a space for mounting the light source unit 31 on the extension line of the light guide 33 disposed along the slit 23 cannot be secured. Therefore, it is necessary to bend the vicinity of the rear end portion of the light guide 33 upward or downward to secure a space at a position facing the light incident surface of the rear end portion of the light guide 33. The light source unit 31 can be attached to the light guide 33 in the secured space.

In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the light source unit 31 is mounted to the decorative plate 11 below the light guide 33 by bending the vicinity of the rear end portion of the light guide 33 downward. Specifically, the light guide 33 is arranged so that the incident surface faces downward, and the light source unit 31 is arranged below the incident surface. The light guide 33 has a parallel portion 33A and a separation portion 33B. The parallel arrangement portion 33A is a portion of the light guide 33 that extends along the slit 23 in a state of being arranged in parallel with the slit 23 in the substantially horizontal direction. The parallel arrangement portion 33A is arranged to oppose or overlap the slit 23 in the vehicle inner-outer direction. The separation portion 33B includes a rear end portion of the light guide 33 and extends from the parallel portion 33A by being bent downward. The separation portion 33B is a portion disposed so as to extend in a direction different from the extending direction of the slit 23. That is, the separation portion 33B is not arranged laterally to the slit 23, but extends so as to intersect with the extending direction of the slit 23. The parallel arrangement portions 33A are arranged so that the distance from the slit 23 and the direction relative to the slit 23 are constant. The separation portion 33B is provided so as to extend at a distance from the slit 23 and in a direction varying with respect to the slit 23. The housing portion 42 has a1 st housing portion 43 and a2 nd housing portion 53. The parallel arrangement portion 33A as a main portion of the light guide 33 is disposed in the 1 st housing portion 43, and the separation portion 33B is disposed in the 2 nd housing portion 53.

The 2 nd housing 53 in which the separation portion 33B of the light guide 33 is disposed extends obliquely so as to gradually descend from the 1 st housing 43 in which the parallel portion 33A of the light guide 33 is disposed. The 2 nd housing portion 53 is curved and extends so as to be gradually distant from the lens portion 48 toward the cabin outer side as going toward the vehicle rear (see fig. 3, 4, and 7). That is, in a state where the light transmitting member 41 is attached to the decorative plate 11, the 2 nd housing portion 53 gradually descends with respect to the extending direction of the slit 23 as it goes toward the vehicle rear and extends away from the slit 23 toward the vehicle cabin outer side. The 2 nd bottom wall 54 of the 2 nd housing 53 is formed in an inclined shape having a step.

As shown in fig. 3, 4 and 7, the 2 nd housing portion 53 is formed as a substantially U-shaped groove having a 2 nd bottom wall 54, a 2 nd outer side wall portion 55 and a 2 nd inner side wall portion 56. The 2 nd bottom wall 54 is connected to the bottom wall 44 of the 1 st housing portion 43, is inclined downward as going rearward in the vehicle, and extends in a direction slightly away from the lens portion 48 toward the cabin exterior. In addition, the 2 nd bottom wall 54 has an inclined surface provided with a step. The 2 nd outer side wall portion 55 is intermittently connected to the outer side wall portion 45 of the 1 st housing portion 43, and rises upward from a part of the vehicle-outer side edge portion of the 2 nd bottom wall 54. The 2 nd inner wall portion 56 branches from the inner wall portion 46 of the 1 st housing portion 43, extends toward the cabin outer side, and rises upward from the side edge portion of the 2 nd bottom wall 54 on the vehicle inner side.

The inner wall 46 of the 1 st housing 43 is arranged in parallel with the lens 48 and extends to the rear end of the light-transmitting member 41 (see fig. 4). Therefore, as shown in fig. 7, the inner wall portion 46 and the 2 nd inner wall portion 56 are arranged so as to be offset from each other in the up-down direction and the vehicle inner-outer direction. That is, the inner wall portion 46 is disposed on the cabin inner side than the 2 nd inner wall portion 56, and the inner wall portion 46 is disposed above the 2 nd inner wall portion 56 with respect to the support wall portion 47.

As shown in fig. 3, the 2 nd bottom wall 54 of the 2 nd housing portion 53 does not extend to the rear wall 61 constituting the rear end of the light transmitting member 41, and the rear end of the 2 nd bottom wall 54 is located slightly forward of the rear wall 61. Therefore, a space is formed between the rear end of the 2 nd bottom wall 54 and the rear wall 61 extending in the up-down direction. The rear end portion of the light guide 33 (the separation portion 33B) accommodated in the 2 nd accommodation portion 53 can be guided downward at the rear end of the light-transmitting member 41 along the rear wall 61 extending in the up-down direction by the space. In addition, at the rear end portion of the light-transmitting member 41, a housing holding portion 62 for holding the light source unit 31 (housing 32) is provided integrally with the 2 nd housing portion 53 below the 2 nd housing portion 53. Thereby, the light source unit 31 connected to the end of the light guide 33 can be held at a position deviated from the extension line along the extending direction of the lens portion 48 (slit 23).

The light-transmitting member 41 has a plate-like coating 63 extending forward from the rear wall 61. Specifically, the coating portion 63 protrudes obliquely upward from the front side surface of the rear wall 61. The coating portion 63 is disposed between the rear wall 61 and the 2 nd inner wall portion 56, and is disposed at a corner of the light-transmitting member 41. The coating portion 63 covers the light guide body 33 (the separation portion 33B) bent downward at the rear end portion of the 2 nd housing portion 53 from above. The coating portion 63 suppresses the floating of the light guide 33 (the separation portion 33B) in a bent state.

The light transmitting member 41 also has a mounting wall portion 64. The attachment wall portion 64 extends downward from the vehicle-cabin-outer side edge portion of the 2 nd bottom wall 54, and is connected to the housing holding portion 62. The mounting wall 64 is formed with a fastening hole 65 through which the mounting boss 25 (see fig. 6) protruding from the decorative plate 11 side is inserted.

However, when the vicinity of the rear end portion of the light guide 33 is bent downward in order to mount the light source unit 31 below the light guide 33 in this manner, the following problem arises.

At the center of the door trim 10, the parallel-arranged portions 33A of the light guides 33 are arranged along the slit 23 at substantially the same height as the slit 23 on the outside of the vehicle cabin of the slit 23. In such a configuration, when the passenger observes the slit 23, that is, when the line of sight of the passenger is in the direction from top to bottom, the light guide 33 (parallel arrangement portion 33A) is arranged at a position (a position above the line of sight) deviated from the line of sight extending line. Therefore, the light guide 33 is not easily seen by the passenger (see fig. 2).

On the other hand, at the rear end of the door trim 10, the separation portion 33B of the light guide 33 is bent downward of the slit 23 in order to secure the installation space of the light source unit 31. In such a configuration, as shown in fig. 7, the light guide 33 (the separation portion 33B) is disposed at a lower level than the slit 23 on the outside of the cabin of the slit 23. At least a portion of the separation portion 33B disposed in the 2 nd housing portion 53 is disposed at a position lower than the slit 23, and does not overlap the slit 23 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, a part of the upper side of the light guide 33 is disposed on the extension line of the line of sight when the passenger looks at the slit 23 as viewed from above or at a position close to the extension line. A portion (at least a portion of the upper side of the separation portion 33B) of the light guide disposed on or near the extension line of the line of sight of the passenger is easily visible to the passenger through the light transmitting member 41. Therefore, light from a portion of the light guide 33 located on the extension line of the line of sight or at a position close to the extension line appears brighter (light intensity is higher) than light from other portions, and uniformity of light is impaired as a whole of the linear illumination portion. That is, the aesthetic degree of the cabin interior side surface is reduced for the passengers.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the separation portion 33B of the light guide 33 extending in a direction different from the extending direction of the slit 23 is arranged in the 2 nd housing portion 53, and the light diffusion portion 57 is provided in a part of the inner surface of the 2 nd inner wall portion 56 of the 2 nd housing portion 53. The light diffusing unit 57 is configured to diffuse light emitted from the light guide 33 into the vehicle cabin. Specifically, the light diffusion portion 57 is disposed on the inner surface of the portion of the 2 nd inner wall portion 56 corresponding to the portion of the lens portion 48 in the slit 34 where the intensity of light is supposed to be strong when the passenger observes the slit 23. That is, the light diffusion portion 57 is disposed at a portion of the 2 nd inner wall portion 56 located on an extension line of a line of sight from the passenger to the slit 23 or at a portion of the 2 nd inner wall portion 56 located near the extension line and disposed for the light guide 33. The light diffusion portion 57 is provided on a surface of the 2 nd inner wall portion 56 facing the light guide 33.

As shown in fig. 3, the light diffusion portion 57 in the present embodiment has a plurality of grooves extending in the up-down direction (longitudinal direction). More specifically, the plurality of grooves constituting the light diffusion portion 57 extend from the bottom wall 44 in the rising direction of the inner wall portion 46, and are arranged at equal intervals. The plurality of grooves constituting the light diffusion portion 57 extend in the mold-drawing direction of the 1 st housing portion 43 when the light-transmitting member 41 is molded. Such a light diffusion portion 57 is provided in a part of the 2 nd inner wall portion 56, and diffuses light emitted from a portion of the light guide 33 located on an extension line of the line of sight of the passenger or a portion (a part of the separation portion 33B) disposed at a position close to the extension line and irradiated from the lens portion 48. Therefore, the condition that the intensity of light from the slit 23 appears nonuniform can be suppressed.

Next, the operational effects will be described. The vehicle lighting structure 1 of the present embodiment includes a decorative plate 11 and a lighting device 30 provided on the decorative plate 11. The decorative plate 11 is formed with a long slit 23 therethrough, and the lighting device 30 includes: an LED; an elongated light guide 33 capable of guiding light emitted from the LED; and a light-transmitting member 41 that transmits light and closes the slit 23. The light guide 33 has: a parallel arrangement portion 33A arranged along the slit 23 on the vehicle exterior surface side of the decorative panel 11; and a separation portion 33B extending in a direction different from the extending direction of the slit 23. The light diffusion portion 57 for diffusing light irradiated from the light guide 33 into the vehicle cabin is provided in a portion of the light transmitting member 41 located on or near an extension line of a line of sight from the eyes of the passenger to the slit 23, and is a region where the light guide 33 is disposed.

The light guide 33 has the parallel arrangement portion 33A and the separation portion 33B, and when the distance and direction from the slit 23 to the light guide 33 are not constant in the longitudinal direction of the light guide 33, the intensity of the light emitted from the slit 23 into the vehicle cabin is not uniform, and therefore, the difference in intensity of the light seen by the passengers occurs. In the present embodiment, in the region where the light guide 33 (the separated portion) is arranged at a position on or near the extension line of the line of sight from the eyes of the passenger to the slit 23 in the light transmitting member 41, the light guide 33 is easily seen from the slit 23 through the light transmitting member 41 by the passenger, and therefore the light appears to be strong. The light guide 33 is not easily visible in the portion (portion corresponding to the parallel arrangement portion 33A) other than the above-described region in the light transmitting member 41, and thus the light appears weak. According to the above configuration, since the light diffusing portion 57 is provided in the light transmitting member 41 corresponding to the region where the light is likely to be relatively strong for the passenger, even when the intensity of the light from the slit 23 is generated as seen by the passenger, the intensity of the light as seen by the passenger can be made nearly uniform throughout the slit 23. That is, the aesthetic appearance of the illumination portion is improved for the passengers. In addition, since the intensity of light seen by the passenger is adjustable in this way, the degree of freedom in design of the arrangement of the light source unit 31 can be improved.

The light transmitting member 41 integrally includes a groove-shaped housing portion 42 that houses the light guide body 33 in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the light guide body 33, and a2 nd inner wall portion 56, which is one of two side walls of the housing portion 42 facing each other, is disposed between the light guide body 33 and the slit 23, and the light diffusing portion 57 is provided in the 2 nd inner wall portion 56 and is constituted by a plurality of grooves extending from the bottom wall 44 of the housing portion 42 toward the opening of the housing portion 42.

According to the above configuration, when the light-transmitting member 41 having the housing portion 42 is molded, a plurality of grooves extending in the mold-drawing direction thereof, that is, from the bottom wall 44 of the groove-shaped housing portion 42 toward the opening of the housing portion 42 are simultaneously molded, whereby the light diffusion portion 57 can be formed. Thus, the light diffusion portion 57 can be formed simply and inexpensively.

The slit 23 extends to an end of the decorative plate, and the separation portion 33B is provided in the light guide 33 at a position close to the light source unit 31.

When the slit 23 extends to a position close to the end of the decorative plate 11, the light source unit 31 cannot be arranged on the extension line of the slit 23 due to a space problem, and it is necessary to bend the light guide 33 from the vicinity of the end of the slit 23 to secure a space of the light source unit 31. Even when the light guide 33 has to be arranged at a position deviated from the extending direction of the slit 23 in this way, it is possible to suppress the situation where the intensity of light appears uneven to the occupant.

The slit 23 is provided at a position that can be visually recognized directly by the occupant, and a part of the separation portion 33B in the light guide 33 is disposed on or near an extension line of the line of sight from the eyes of the occupant to the slit 23.

In the vehicle door, since various functional components are accommodated in a narrow space between the door trim 10 and the vehicle body, the entire light guide 33 may not be disposed along the slit 23. In addition, when the slit 23 is provided at the end of the door trim 10, there is a case where a portion of the light guide 33 close to the light source cannot be arranged along the slit 23 due to a problem of a space of the light source. Even in such a case, the light intensity can be suppressed from appearing uneven to the passengers.

< Other embodiments >

The technology disclosed in the present specification is not limited to the embodiments described by the above description and drawings, and, for example, the following embodiments are also included in the scope of protection.

(1) The above embodiment shows the following modes: the light diffusion portion 57 is constituted by a plurality of grooves extending from the bottom wall 44 of the housing portion 42 toward the opening of the housing portion 42 and arranged at equal intervals from each other, but the light diffusion portion is not limited thereto and may be of another form. For example, as shown in fig. 8, the light diffusion portion 77 may be constituted by a plurality of grooves arranged at different intervals from each other. As shown in fig. 9, the light diffusing portion 87 may be formed by embossing an inner wall portion of the housing portion in which the separation portion is disposed. Alternatively, the light diffusion film may be adhered to the inner wall portion.

(2) In the above embodiment, the light diffusion portion 57 is provided in the 2 nd inner wall portion 56, but the light diffusion portion may be provided in the lens portion. In this case, the light diffusion portion may be provided on a surface of the lens portion facing the light guide.

(3) In the above embodiment, the case where the light of the separation portion 33B in the slit 23 appears strong to the passenger has been exemplified, but the present invention can be applied to the case where the light of the parallel-arranged portion appears strong to the passenger. In this case, the light diffusing portion is provided not in the 2 nd inner wall portion 56 but in the inner wall portion 46, for example, so that the light intensity can be suppressed from appearing uneven.

(4) While the illumination structure of the door trim 10 of the vehicle is shown in the above embodiment, the illumination structure for a vehicle disclosed in the present specification can be applied to, for example, a roof portion, a side wall, a floor, and other portions of a vehicle other than the door trim.

Claims (9)

1. A vehicle lighting structure comprising a vehicle interior material and a lighting device provided to the vehicle interior material, characterized in that,

The interior material for vehicles has a long slit formed therethrough,

The lighting device is provided with:

A light source;

An elongated light guide body capable of guiding light emitted from the light source, the elongated light guide body being disposed outside a vehicle compartment of the vehicle interior material; and

A light-transmitting member that transmits light and closes the slit,

The light guide body has: a parallel arrangement portion arranged along the slit; and a separation portion extending in a direction different from an extending direction of the slit,

A light diffusion section for diffusing light emitted from the light guide body toward the inside of the vehicle compartment is provided in a region of the light-transmitting member which is located at a position on an extension line of a line of sight from the eyes of the passenger to the slit and in which the light guide body is disposed.

2. The vehicle lighting structure according to claim 1, wherein,

The light-transmitting member integrally includes a groove-shaped receiving recess for receiving the light guide in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the light guide,

The housing recess has a bottom wall and at least two side walls extending from the bottom wall in such a manner as to oppose each other, one of the at least two side walls being arranged between the light guide body and the slit,

The light diffusion portion is provided on one of the side walls disposed between the light guide body and the slit.

3. The vehicle lighting structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The slit extends to an end of the vehicle interior material,

The separation portion is a portion of the light guide body near the light source.

4. The vehicle lighting structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The interior material for a vehicle is a door trim constituting an inner surface of a compartment of a door for a vehicle,

The slit is provided at a position that can be directly visually recognized by the passenger,

At least a part of the separation portion in the light guide body is disposed on an extension line of a line of sight from the eyes of the passenger to the slit.

5. The vehicle lighting structure according to claim 2, wherein,

The light diffusion portion is constituted by a plurality of grooves extending from the bottom wall of the accommodating recess toward the opening of the accommodating recess.

6. The vehicle lighting structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

A part of the light guide arranged in the region of the light transmitting member is arranged below the opening of the slit.

7. The vehicle lighting structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

The region of the light-transmitting member is disposed in correspondence with the separation portion.

8. The vehicle lighting structure according to claim 1, wherein,

The light-transmitting member integrally includes a groove-shaped receiving recess for receiving the light guide in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the light guide,

The accommodating recess has a 1 st accommodating recess for accommodating the parallel arrangement part and a 2 nd accommodating recess for accommodating the separation part,

The 2 nd housing recess has a bottom wall and at least two side walls extending from the bottom wall in such a manner as to oppose each other, one of the at least two side walls being arranged between the separation portion and the slit,

The light diffusion portion is provided to one of the side walls disposed between the separation portion and the slit.

9. The vehicle lighting structure of claim 8, wherein,

The bottom wall of the 2 nd housing recess is located below the slit, and one of the two side walls is extended to a position below the slit.