IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,320,490
Granted Patent B2
US 12,320,490 · App. 18/708,748 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Lamp device

Inventor: Masayuki Kanechika (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
F21S45/00B60Q1/0023B60Q1/04F21S41/148F21S41/336G01S13/931G01S2013/93277
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,320,490
App. No.
18/708,748
Granted
Jun 3, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A lamp device of the present invention includes a lamp unit comprised of a light source and a reflector having a mirror part which reflects light from the light source forward, and a radar unit arranged behind the lamp unit. The radar unit is arranged so that at least a portion of the mirror part falls within a radiation range of an electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit. The mirror part includes a resin member and a light reflecting surface formed on a surface of the resin member and comprised of an island-shaped metallic layer having metallic luster.

Claims (61)

1. A lamp device for a vehicle, comprising:

a lamp unit comprised of a light source and a reflector having a mirror part which reflects light from the light source forward, and

a radar unit arranged behind the lamp unit,

wherein the radar unit is arranged so that at least a portion of the mirror part falls within a radiation range of an electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit,

wherein the mirror part includes a resin member and a light reflecting surface formed on a surface of the resin member and comprised of a metallic layer which is partitioned by fine cracks and reflects the light from the light source,

wherein the resin member is comprised of a resin substrate and an intermediate layer formed on the resin substrate, and the metallic layer is formed on the intermediate layer,

wherein the light source emits the light from a position which does not fall within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit, toward the light reflecting surface which is located within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit, and

wherein when a thickness of the resin substrate is TR, the thickness of the resin satisfies following conditions (1) and/or (2):

(1) when an effective wavelength of the radiated electromagnetic wave in the intermediate layer is λr,

TR

=

m

×

λ

⁢

r

/

2

(where m is a natural number) is satisfied; and

(2) when an effective wavelength of the radiated electromagnetic wave in the intermediate layer is λr, TR<λr/2 is satisfied when a reflection loss of the resin substrate with respect to the radiated electromagnetic wave is less than a transmission loss, and when the reflection loss is greater than or equal to the transmission loss, TR is set so that the reflection loss is −10 dB or less.

2. A lamp device, comprising:

a lamp unit comprised of a light source and a reflector having a mirror part which reflects light from the light source forward, and

a radar unit arranged behind the lamp unit,

wherein the radar unit is arranged so that at least a portion of the mirror part falls within a radiation range of an electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit,

wherein the mirror part includes a resin member and a light reflecting surface formed on a surface of the resin member and comprised of an island-shaped metallic layer having metallic luster,

wherein the resin member is comprised of a resin substrate and a base layer formed on the resin substrate and comprised of a metal oxide, and the island-shaped metallic layer is formed on the base layer, and

wherein when a thickness of the resin substrate is TR and an effective wavelength of the radiated electromagnetic wave in the base layer is λr, TR and λr satisfy the following expression:

TR

=

m

×

λ

⁢

r

/

2

(where m is a natural number).

3. The lamp device according to claim 2 , wherein the resin substrate is made of a non-foaming resin.

4. The lamp device according to claim 2 , wherein when the thickness of the base layer is TU, and the effective wavelength of the radiated electromagnetic wave in the base layer is λu, TU≤λu/20 is satisfied.

5. The lamp device according to claim 2 , wherein the island-shaped metallic layer has an island-shaped structure in which a metal layer is partitioned by fine cracks, and metal portions which reflect the light from the light source are arranged.

6. The lamp device according to claim 5 , wherein the metal portions include at least one selected from the group consisting of indium, palladium, nickel, nickel alloy, copper, copper alloy, silver, silver alloy, tin, and tin alloy.

7. The lamp device according to claim 2 , wherein the radar unit radiates a millimeter wave in a 76 to 81 Ghz band as the electromagnetic wave, and includes a receiving antenna for receiving a reflected wave which is reflected by an object.

8. The lamp device according to claim 6 , wherein the radar unit radiates a millimeter wave in a 76 to 81 Ghz band as the electromagnetic wave, and includes a receiving antenna for receiving a reflected wave which is reflected by an object.

9. The lamp device according to claim 2 , wherein the light source emits the light from a position which does not fall within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit, toward the light reflecting surface which is located within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit.

10. The lamp device according to claim 4 , wherein the light source emits the light from a position which does not fall within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit, toward the light reflecting surface which is located within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit.

11. The lamp device according to claim 10 , wherein the radar unit radiates a millimeter wave in a 76 to 81 Ghz band as the electromagnetic wave, and includes a receiving antenna for receiving a reflected wave which is reflected by an object.

12. A lamp device, comprising:

a lamp unit comprised of a light source and a reflector having a mirror part which reflects light from the light source forward; and

a radar unit arranged behind the lamp unit,

wherein the radar unit is arranged so that at least a portion of the mirror part falls within a radiation range of an electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit,

wherein the mirror part includes a resin member and a light reflecting surface formed on a surface of the resin member and comprised of an island-shaped metallic layer having metallic luster,

wherein the resin member is comprised of a resin substrate and a base layer formed on the resin substrate and comprised of a metal oxide, and the island-shaped metallic layer is formed on the base layer, and

wherein when it is assumed that a thickness of the resin substrate is TR, and an effective wavelength of the radiated electromagnetic wave in the base layer is λr, TR<λr/2 is satisfied when a reflection loss of the resin substrate with respect to the radiated electromagnetic wave is less than a transmission loss, and when the reflection loss is greater than or equal to the transmission loss, TR is set so that the reflection loss is −10 dB or less.

13. The lamp device according to claim 12 , wherein when the thickness of the base layer is TU, and the effective wavelength of the radiated electromagnetic wave in the base layer is λu, TU≤λu/20 is satisfied.

14. The lamp device according to claim 12 , wherein the resin substrate is made of a non-foaming resin.

15. The lamp device according to claim 13 , wherein the resin substrate is made of a non-foaming resin.

16. The lamp device according to claim 12 , wherein the island-shaped metallic layer has an island-shaped structure in which a metal layer is partitioned by fine cracks, and metal portions which reflect the light from the light source are arranged.

17. The lamp device according to claim 16 , wherein the metal portions include at least one selected from the group consisting of indium, palladium, nickel, nickel alloy, copper, copper alloy, silver, silver alloy, tin, and tin alloy.

18. The lamp device according to claim 16 , wherein the radar unit radiates a millimeter wave in a 76 to 81 Ghz band as the electromagnetic wave, and includes a receiving antenna for receiving a reflected wave which is reflected by an object.

19. The lamp device according to claim 12 , wherein the light source emits the light from a position which does not fall within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit, toward the light reflecting surface which is located within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit.

20. The lamp device according to claim 13 , wherein the light source emits the light from a position which does not fall within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit, toward the light reflecting surface which is located within the radiation range of the electromagnetic wave radiated from the radar unit.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2024
From: KANECHIKA, MASAYUKI
To: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 067366/0896 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-189687 · Nov 22, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250003570A1 · Jan 2, 2025
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