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`(19) Japan Patent Office (JP)
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`(12) Publication of Utility Model Application (U)
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`(11) Publication Number of Utility Model Application
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`S59-43234
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`(43) Date of Publication of Application March 21, 1984
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`(51) Int. Cl.3 ID Symbol
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`Interoffice Reference Number
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`B 60 Q 1/14
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`F21 M 7/00
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`F21 Q 1/00
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`F21 V 5/00
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`6471-3K
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`6471-3K
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`6908-3K
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`2113-3K
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`Request for Examination made ( pages in total)
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`15
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`(54) LAMP COVER
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`(21) Utility Model Application S57-139694
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`(22) Application Date
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`September 14, 1982
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`(72) Inventor
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`(71) Applicant
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`(74) Agents
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`Hideo TAKAHASHI
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`2377-7, Shimokuzawa, Sagamihara-shi
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`Central Motor Co., Ltd.,
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`4-12, Oyama-cho, Sagamihara-shi
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`Patent Attorney Masayuki YASUHARA and 1 other
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`1
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`Page 1 of 9
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`TOYOTA EXHIBIT 1007
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`1.
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`5
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`SPECIFICATION
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`Title of the Invention
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`Lamp Cover
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`2.
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`Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration
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`A lamp cover characterized in that a plurality of lamp front surfaces is
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`integrally covered by a semitransparent plate.
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`3.
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`Detailed Explanation of the Invention
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`The present invention relates to a lamp cover, and more specifically, to
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`lamp covers of vehicle headlamps and vehicle tail lamps.
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`In these lamps have a light source behind a lens, and light passes through
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`the lens. That is, in headlamp, tail lamps and the like, the light passes through the
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`lens.
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`However, conventional lamps gives complex impression because inside
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`light source such as a light bulb catches people’s eye, and there is a drawback that,
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`when a plurality of lamps are combined to form a headlamp portion or a tail lamp
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`portion, even if it is preferable to treat the portion as a single surface in view of
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`design, an unitary appearance cannot be produced due to the given complex
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`impression. That is, conventional tail lamps are configured as a combination lamp
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`of a backup lamp, a stop lamp, and a turn signal lamp, and headlamps are
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`configured by combining high beam and low beam lamps and other lamps.
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`Therefore, portions where the tail lamp and the headlamp are provided may give
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`complex impression with regard to a design of each lamp-provided portion in view
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`of a design of a vehicle as a whole, or in some cases, may lose a balance of an
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`overall vehicle design due to the light portions. For this reason, there has been a
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`pop-up type light according to which a headlamp is embedded and accommodated
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`inside a vehicle body when not needed and is exposed electromagnetically or
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`pneumatically when needed. However, conventional examples have a drawback
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`in that they are mechanically complex. As for tail lamps, because there is an issue
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`of visibility by others, a portion where a lamp such as a tail lamp is provided cannot
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`be treated unitarily in terms of design.
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`This invention aims to remove the drawbacks described above by providing
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`a lamp cover characterized in that a plurality of lamp front surfaces is integrally
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`covered by a semitransparent plate.
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`Description will be given in accordance with Fig. 1 illustrating a front view of
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`one embodiment of this invention, Fig. 2 illustrating a perspective view of the same,
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`Fig. 3 illustrating a cross-section along A-A of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 illustrating an
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`enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3. (1) is a semitransparent plate, and (2), (2)’
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`and (2)’’ are general lamps. According to this embodiment, the semitransparent
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`plate (1) is a sheet of glass, but may be others such as a semitransparent plastic
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`that has
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`light
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`transmitting property.
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` According
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`to
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`this embodiment,
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`the
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`semitransparent plate (1) is formed by vapor deposition of aluminum, silver or
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`carbon on an inner surface of the glass surface, but such materials may be applied
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`by coating, or a semi-light-blocking body (3) such as a semi-light blocking film may
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`be attached to the inner surface of the glass surface as shown in Fig. 5.
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`According to this embodiment, the semitransparent plate (1) is formed by a flat
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`surface without bending. However, as shown in Fig. 6, the upper end of the
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`semitransparent plate (1) may be bent rearward (rightward in the drawing), and a
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`light source (5) may be provided at an edge portion (6) at the rear end thereof.
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`Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 7, the upper and lower ends of the semitransparent
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`plate (1) may be bet rearward (rightward in the drawing), and the light source (5)
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`may be provided at the edge portion (6) at the rear end thereof. Alternatively, as
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`shown in Fig. 7, the upper and lower ends of the semitransparent plate (1) may be
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`bet rearward (rightward in the drawing), the light source (5) may be provided at the
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`edge portion (6) at the rear end thereof, the light source for the lamp may be
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`provided rearward of the semitransparent plate (1), and a reflecting mirror may be
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`provided around the lamp light source (7). In this case, because a lens (8) for the
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`lamp and the semitransparent plate (1) is integrally provided, the number of
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`components can be reduced. (4) is a groove portion formed on the inner surface
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`of the surface of the semitransparent plate (1), and is provided by engraving in a V
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`shape according to this embodiment. The surface on which the groove (4) is
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`formed may be either the outer air side or the inner surface side at the time when
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`the semitransparent plate (1) is attached, but it is desirable to provide the groove
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`(4) by engraving on the inner surface side in view of preventing adhesion of dirt.
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`(5) is the light source, and provided at the edge portion (6) of the semitransparent
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`plate (1). According to this embodiment, the light source (5) is a light bulb, but an
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`optical fiber may be used. The edge portion (6) of the semitransparent plate (1) is,
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`as is apparent from Fig. 4 showing the enlarged view of the edge portion (6),
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`formed to have a shape that half surrounds the light source (5). (7) is the light
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`source for the lamp, and is provided to the rear (to the right in the drawing) of the
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`semitransparent plate (1) via the lens (8) for the lamp.
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`Accordingly, when the light source (5) and the lamp light source (7) are
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`both not turned on, the lamps (2), (2)’, (2)’’ cannot be seen from the outside by
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`being shielded by the semitransparent plate (1). Next, when electric current is
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`applied to the light source (5) so that the light source (5) is turned on, light entered
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`into the semitransparent plate (1) from the edge portion (6) is refracted at each
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`groove portion (4) and is reflected only at the groove portion (4) to diffuse light.
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`According to this embodiment, because the groove portions (4) are formed as a
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`plurality of grooves parallel to the edge portion (6) and reaching both end portions,
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`the light is diffused by being reflected in lines parallel to the edge portion (6).
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`However, as shown in Fig. 8 illustrating a perspective view of another embodiment
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`of this invention, when the groove portions (4) are formed in a grid pattern, the light
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`can be diffused by being reflected in a grid manner. Alternatively, when provided
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`by engraving a letter, a diagram or other shapes, reflection is made in accordance
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`with the diagram or the like. When provided by engraving along contours of outer
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`shapes of the lamps (2), (2)’, (2)’’, reflection along the outer shapes becomes
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`possible. In this case, when the light source (5) is turned on, only the groove
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`portions (4) reflect, and the lamp light source (7) cannot be seen from the outside.
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`Next, when the lamp light source (7) is turned on, light passes toward the left in the
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`drawing through the lamp lens (8) and the semitransparent (1). When applying
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`this invention to vehicle headlamps and tail lamps, because the unitary design of
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`the light portion from the outside is not lost as long as the lamp light source is not
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`turned on, general lamps can be used as the lamps (2), (2)’, (2)’’ so that productivity
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`is improved. Similarly, when applied to a vehicle tail lamp, general lamps can be
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`used as the lamps (2), (2)’, (2)’’. Description will be made in accordance with Fig.
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`9 and Fig. 10 illustrating enlarged view of a portion of a vehicle headlight portion
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`when applied to a headlamp.
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`Specifically, when the light source (5) and the lamp light source (7) are both
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`turned off, as shown in Fig. 9, the headlamp, the turn signal lamp and the like are
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`obstructed by the semitransparent plate (1) and cannot be seen from the outside.
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`Next, when only the light source (5) is turned on at twilight time or the like, as
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`shown in Fig. 10, only the groove portions diffuse reflected light in accordance with
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`the shape of the groove portions (4), and the lamp light source (7) of the headlamp
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`and the like cannot be seen from the outside. When the lamp light source (7) of
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`the turn signal lamp or the headlamp is turned on, as shown in Fig. 11 or Fig. 12,
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`they function as normal headlamp. In a case of being applied to a tail lamp, when
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`the light source (5) and the lamp light source (7) are both turned off, the inside lamp
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`light source such as a light bulb cannot be seen from the outside, and when only
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`the light source (5) is turned on, only the groove portions (4) reflects and diffuses
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`light. When the lamp light source (7) of a turn signal lamp, a backup lamp or the
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`like is turned on, only the corresponding portion functions as show in Fig. 13
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`illustrating an enlarged view of a portion of a vehicle tail lamp. Similarly, when
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`only a tail stop lamp is turned on, only the corresponding portion is turned on as
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`shown in Fig. 11. Consequently, according to this invention, even when a light
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`transmissive member is used, it is possible to easily make the observer to
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`recognize the entire light transmissive member in an integrated manner.
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`4.
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`Brief Explanation of the Drawings
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`Fig.1 is a front view of an embodiment according to the present invention,
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`Figs. 2 and 8 are perspective views of the same, Figs. 3 and 5 to 7 are sectional
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`views of the same, Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 3, and Figs. 9 to 14
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`are front views illustrating operating states.
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`(1)...semitransparent plate, (2), (2)’, (2)’’...lamps, (3)...semi-light-blocking
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`member, (4)...groove portion, (5)...light source, (6)...edge portion, (7)...light source
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`for lamp, (8)…lens for lamp.
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`Applicant for Utility Model Registration
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`Central Motor Co., Ltd.
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`Agent Patent Attorney
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`Agent Patent Attorney
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`Masayuki YASUHARA
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`Masayoshi YASUHARA
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`Page 5 of 9
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`FIG. 1
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`FIG. 2
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`FIG. 8
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`FIG. 9
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`FIG. 10
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`FIG. 11
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`FIG. 12
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`FIG. 13
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`FIG. 14
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`CERTIFICATE OF TRANSLATION
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`I, Takuya Takahashi, of Tokyo, Japan, hereby certify that I am conversant
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`in both Japanese and English and the following is,
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`to the best of my
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`knowledge and belief, a true and accurate translation of the original
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`document from Japanese to English.
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`I hereby acknowledge that any willfial false statements and the like made in
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`this Declaration are punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both (18 U.S.C.
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`1001).
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`Furthermore,
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`I declare that all statements made of my own
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`knowledge are true and all statements made on information and belief are
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`believed to be true.
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`Translated Material: JP SS9-43234U
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`Executed on this 29th day of December, 2014 at Tokyo, Japan.
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`mks
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`Takuya Takahashi
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