IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,883,693
Granted Patent B2
US 10,883,693 · App. 16/479,018 · Granted Jan 5, 2021

Vehicle lamp

Inventors: Tomoaki Harada (Shizuoka, JP); Masaya Shido (Shizuoka, JP); Toru Ito (Shizuoka, JP)
Assignee: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
F21S43/145F21S43/195H01L25/048H01L51/5215H01L51/5246B60Q1/30F21Y2115/15H01L2251/5361
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,883,693
App. No.
16/479,018
Granted
Jan 5, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle lamp 100 includes: an organic EL element 120 ; a lighting circuit 200 configured to switch between lighting and lighting-off of the organic EL element 120 ; and a lighting control unit 202 configured to control the lighting circuit 200 so as to repeat instantaneous lighting-off in a state in which the organic EL element 120 is to be lighted. The lighting circuit 200 includes a discharge path 210 formed at least during the instantaneous lighting-off so as to discharge accumulated charges from the organic EL element 120.

Claims (18)

1. A vehicle lamp, comprising:

an organic EL element;

a lighting circuit configured to switch between lighting and lighting-off of the organic EL element; and

a lighting control unit configured to control the lighting circuit so as to repeat instantaneous lighting-off in a state in which the organic EL element is to be lighted,

wherein the lighting circuit includes a discharge path formed at least during the instantaneous lighting-off so as to discharge an accumulated charge from the organic EL element, and

a repetition interval of the instantaneous lighting-off is set to 2 minutes or longer.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge path includes a switch and a discharge resistor that are connected in parallel to the organic EL element, and

the lighting control unit forms the discharge path by turning on the switch during the instantaneous lighting-off.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting circuit includes a first switch configured to switch between the lighting and lighting-off of the organic EL element,

the discharge path includes a second switch and a discharge resistor that are connected in parallel to the organic EL element, and

the lighting control unit forms the discharge path by turning on the second switch during the instantaneous lighting-off.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein a time length of the instantaneous lighting-off is set to 10 milliseconds or shorter.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the repetition interval of the instantaneous lighting-off is set to 15 minutes or shorter.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge path includes a discharge resistor connected in parallel to the organic EL element, and the discharge path is formed also during the lighting of the organic EL element.

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

a transparent substrate, which includes a surface having a three-dimensional curved surface shape; and

a sealing member, which has a three-dimensional curved surface shape matching the three-dimensional curved surface shape of the transparent substrate,

wherein the organic EL element is formed on the surface of three-dimensional curved surface shape of the transparent substrate and is covered by the sealing member.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2019
From: HARADA, TOMOAKI; SHIDO, MASAYA; ITO, TORU
To: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 049792/0162 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2017-011452 · Jan 25, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190353322A1 · Nov 21, 2019