IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,120,418
Granted Patent B2
US 9,120,418 · App. 13/602,647 · Granted Sep 1, 2015

Vehicle lamp with vibrator

Inventors: Naoki Tatara (Shizuoka, JP); Toru Takahashi (Shizuoka, JP); Yuji Sugiyama (Shizuoka, JP); Atsushi Sugimoto (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
B60Q1/0017B60Q5/008G10K9/13G10K9/20G10K9/22
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,120,418
App. No.
13/602,647
Granted
Sep 1, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle lamp includes a light source, a front cover made of a transparent material to transmit light emitted by the light source, a lamp body forming a lamp housing together with the front cover, and a vibrator configured to vibrate the front cover to generate a vibration sound. The vibrator is supported by the lamp housing such that the vibrator contacts the front cover at a location where, when the vehicle lamp is mounted on a vehicle, the vibrator is not visible from an outside of the vehicle lamp.

Claims (40)

1. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a light source;

a front cover made of a transparent material to transmit the light emitted by the light source;

a lamp body forming a lamp housing together with the front cover; and

a vibrator directly contacted with the front cover to generate a vibration sound,

wherein the vibrator is supported by the lamp housing such that the vibrator contacts the front cover at a location where, when the vehicle lamp is mounted on a vehicle, the vibrator is not visible from an outside of the vehicle lamp,

wherein the front cover comprises a flat extended portion, and the vibrator is provided on the extended portion, and

wherein the front cover, including the extended portion, is formed as a one-piece structure.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the extended portion is opaque.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrator is an electromagnetic vibrator comprising a coil and a magnet.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a reflector that reflects light emitted by the light source in a forward direction,

wherein the vibrator is positioned further in the forward direction than the reflector.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , further comprising a back cover supporting the vibrator, wherein the lamp body comprises a mounting hole, and the back cover is detachably attached to a portion of the lamp body to close the mounting hole.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5 , further comprising a sounding controller connected to the vibrator to control the vibrator, wherein the sounding controller is provided on the back cover.

7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , further comprising an extension arranged inside the lamp housing and between the front cover and the vibrator.

8. The vehicle lamp according to claim 7 , wherein the vibrator is arranged below the extension.

9. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a light source;

a front cover made of a transparent material to transmit light emitted by the light source;

a lamp body forming a lamp housing together with the front cover; and

a vibrator configured to vibrate the front cover to generate a vibration sound,

wherein the vibrator is supported by the lamp housing such that the vibrator contacts the front cover at a location where, when the vehicle lamp is mounted on a vehicle, the vibrator is not visible from an outside of the vehicle lamp, and

wherein the front cover comprises a fastening seat provided on a curved inner surface of the front cover, wherein the fastening seat is a portion of a one-piece structure of the front cover, and the fastening seat comprises a flat surface on which the vibrator is provided.

10. The vehicle lamp according to claim 9 , wherein an opening is formed through one of the fastening seat and the vibrator, and the vibrator is fixed to the fastening seat by a fastener inserted into the opening.

11. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a light source;

a front cover made of a transparent material to transmit light emitted by the light source;

a lamp body forming a lamp housing together with the front cover; and

a vibrator configured to vibrate the front cover to generate a vibration sound,

wherein the vibrator is supported by the lamp housing such that the vibrator contacts the front cover at a location where, when the vehicle lamp is mounted on a vehicle, the vibrator is not visible from an outside of the vehicle lamp, and

wherein one of the front cover and the vibrator comprises a protrusion, and the front cover and the vibrator are in contact with each other at the protrusion.

12. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a light source;

a front cover made of a transparent material to transmit light emitted by the light source;

a lamp body forming a lamp housing together with the front cover; and

a vibrator configured to vibrate the front cover to generate a vibration sound,

wherein the vibrator is supported by the lamp housing such that the vibrator contacts the front cover at a location where, when the vehicle lamp is mounted on a vehicle, the vibrator is not visible from an outside of the vehicle lamp,

wherein the vehicle lamp further comprises a resilient member via which the vibrator is supported on the lamp body, and

wherein the vibrator elastically contacts an inner surface of the front cover by an elastic force of the resilient member.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2012
From: TATARA, NAOKI; TAKAHASHI, TORU; SUGIYAMA, YUJI; SUGIMOTO, ATSUSHI
To: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 028924/0400 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2011-191262 · Sep 2, 2011 · national
JP 2012-108985 · May 11, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130058121A1 · Mar 7, 2013