Electronic unit, vehicle lamp, and method for assembling vehicle lamp

Abstract

The invention provides an electronic unit capable of realizing a novel waterproof structure, a vehicle lamp, and a method for assembling the vehicle lamp. An electronic unit (16) is provided with: a circuit board (34) on which an electronic component (32) is mounted; a first connector (36) that is mounted on the circuit board (34) and that is connected to a vehicle-side wire harness; a second connector (38) that is mounted on the circuit board (34) and that is connected to the light source-side wire harness; and covers (40a, 40b) that cover the circuit board (34). The first connector (36) has a connector housing (36a) attached from the inside to an opening formed in a lamp body that accommodates a light source.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to, for example, an electronic unit that performs lighting control of a vehicle lamp. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an electronic unit is designed that includes a control substrate that controls the lighting state of a vehicle lamp based on control information from the vehicle side. The electronic unit needs to be arranged in an appropriate location according to its function and size. For example, a vehicle lamp is designed in which an electronic unit that controls the lighting of a light source unit is arranged at the lower outer portion of a lamp body in which a light source unit is arranged (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-066067 Summary of the invention Problem that the invention aims to solve The aforementioned electronic unit is electrically connected to the light source unit via the lamp side harness, and is electrically connected to the external power supply and the vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) via the vehicle side harness. Therefore, a connector is provided at the end of each harness connected to the electronic unit, and the waterproof structure of the connection portion connected to the connector of the electronic unit becomes important. In particular, in the case of the aforementioned vehicle lamp in which the electronic unit is arranged outside the lamp body, an opening is required at the lower part of the lamp body (or the rear part of the lamp body, the side part of the lamp body) as a path for the lamp side harness connected to the electronic unit to pass. Therefore, a waterproof structure is required to prevent water from penetrating into the interior of the lamp body from the vicinity of the opening.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and one of its exemplary objects is to provide an electronic unit capable of realizing a new waterproof structure.

[0005] Means used to solve problems In order to solve the above problems, an electronic unit of one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a substrate on which electronic components are mounted; a first connector mounted on the substrate and connected to a vehicle-side harness; a second connector mounted on the substrate and connected to a light source-side harness; and a cover covering the substrate. The first connector has a connector housing, which is mounted from the inside to an opening formed in a lamp body that accommodates the light source.

[0006] According to this aspect, since the electronic unit can be arranged inside the lamp body, it is sufficient to achieve waterproofing between the opening of the lamp body and the first connector. Therefore, the waterproof structure of the electronic unit can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0007] Alternatively, the connector housing may be a cylindrical member, and a cylindrical sealing member for sealing the opening of the lamp body may be fixed to the outer periphery. Thus, a waterproof structure can be realized by attaching the first connector to the opening of the lamp body.

[0008] The connector housing may include a locking portion that restricts movement of the connector housing to the opposite side of the mounting direction when the connector housing is mounted in the opening. Thus, the first connector mounted in the opening of the lamp body becomes difficult to be detached.

[0009] Alternatively, the cover has a fastened portion that is fixed to the lamp body by a fastening member from the same direction as the mounting direction of the connector housing. Thus, the first connector is positioned with high precision relative to the opening of the lamp body, and the sealing member is in stable contact with the inner periphery of the opening of the lamp body.

[0010] Alternatively, the substrate may be rectangular, the first connector may be disposed at an edge of a first side of the substrate, and the second connector may be disposed at an edge of a second side opposite to the first side. Thus, the direction in which the wiring harness is connected to the second connector can be made consistent with the direction in which the first connector is mounted to the opening of the lamp body, and the assembly of the vehicle lamp having the electronic unit can be facilitated. Here, the rectangle is not limited to a mathematically perfect rectangle, and also includes a shape in which a cutout or protrusion is provided at a portion of the edge.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle lamp. The vehicle lamp includes: a light source that illuminates the front of a vehicle; a lamp body that constitutes a lamp chamber that accommodates the light source; and an electronic unit that is fixed inside the lamp body. The lamp body includes: an opening that is formed on the rear side of the vehicle; and a placement portion that places the electronic unit disposed near the opening. The electronic unit is fixed to the lamp body when the first connector is mounted in the opening.

[0012] According to this aspect, since the electronic unit can be arranged inside the lamp body, it is sufficient to achieve waterproofing between the opening of the lamp body and the first connector. Therefore, the waterproof structure of the electronic unit can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0013] Another embodiment of the present invention is a method for assembling a vehicle lamp, the method comprising: installing an electronic unit from the front of the lamp toward the rear of the lamp in an opening formed on the rear side of a lamp body where a light source is arranged; and connecting a vehicle-side wiring harness to a first connector from the outside of the lamp body.

[0014] According to this aspect, since the vehicle-side wire harness can be connected to the first connector from the outside of the lamp body in a state where the electronic unit is arranged inside the lamp body, the connection work of the vehicle-side wire harness is facilitated.

[0015] Arbitrary combinations of the above-described constituent elements and modes in which the present invention is expressed in the form of a manufacturing method, a lamp or lighting device, a light emitting module, a light source, etc., are also effective as modes of the present invention.

[0016] Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an electronic unit that can realize a new waterproof structure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a vehicle lamp including an electronic unit.

[0018] Figure 2 It is an exploded perspective view of the electronic unit according to the present embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 It is used to Figure 2 The figure illustrates how the electronic unit is mounted on the lamp body.

[0020] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing a state where the electronic unit is mounted on the lamp body.

[0021] Description of Reference Numerals 10: vehicle lamp; 12: housing; 14: light source unit; 16: electronic unit; 18: lamp body; 18a: opening; 18b: inner circumference; 19: convex space; 19a: mounting portion; 22: light source; 32: electronic component; 34: circuit board; 34a: first side; 34b: second side; 36: first connector; 36a: connector housing; 36b: locking portion; 38: second connector; 40a: cover; 40b: cover; 40c: fastened portion; 41: screw; 42: waterproof seal; 44: screw; D4: installation direction; HB: vehicle side wiring harness; HA: light source side wiring harness. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings based on the preferred embodiments. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in the drawings are marked with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are appropriately omitted. In addition, the embodiments do not limit the invention, but are exemplified, and all the features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily the essential contents of the invention.

[0023] (Vehicle lighting) Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a vehicle lamp including an electronic unit. Figure 1 The vehicle lamp 10 shown is a device for lighting the exterior of a vehicle. The vehicle lamp 10 is, for example, a headlamp. The vehicle lamp 10 includes a housing 12 , a light source unit 14 , and an electronic unit 16 .

[0024] The housing 12 is a member that serves as a housing of the vehicle lamp 10. The housing 12 holds the light source unit 14 and the electronic unit 16. For example, the housing 12 includes a lamp body 18 that constitutes a lamp chamber that accommodates the light source unit 14, and a front cover 20.

[0025] The light source unit 14 is a unit for emitting light. The light source unit 14 includes a light source 22 for emitting light for emitting light in front of the vehicle. Figure 1 In the figure, only one light emitting element constituting the light source 22 is depicted, but there are usually multiple light emitting elements. The light source unit 14 has a switch circuit not shown. In addition, the light source unit 14 also has other components such as a reflector 24, a projection lens 26, an extension portion 28, and a base member 30. The light source unit 14 is accommodated inside the housing 12.

[0026] The electronic unit 16 is a unit that controls the lighting of the light source 22 of the light source unit 14. In other words, the electronic unit 16 is a unit that controls each switch of the switch circuit (not shown) of the light source unit 14. The electronic unit 16 is mounted on the mounting portion 19a of the convex space 19 on the back side (vehicle body side) of the lamp body 18. The electronic unit 16 is electrically connected to the light source unit 14 via the light source side harness HA. In addition, the electronic unit 16 is electrically connected to an external power supply and a vehicle ECU via the vehicle side harness HB.

[0027] (Electronic unit) Figure 2 It is an exploded perspective view of the electronic unit according to the present embodiment. Figure 3 It is used to Figure 2 The figure illustrates how the electronic unit is mounted on the lamp body. Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram showing a state where the electronic unit is mounted on the lamp body.

[0028] Figure 2 The electronic unit 16 shown includes: a circuit substrate 34, which is equipped with electronic components 32; a first connector 36, which is mounted on the circuit substrate 34 and connected to the vehicle side harness HB; a second connector 38, which is mounted on the circuit substrate 34 and connected to the light source side harness HA; and covers 40a, 40b, which cover the substrate.

[0029] The electronic component 32 is, for example, a coil, a capacitor, a resistor, an IC, a CPU, a memory, etc. The cover 40a and the cover 40b sandwich the circuit board 34 and are fixed to each other by screws 41. The first connector 36 has a connector housing 36a, which is mounted from the inside to the opening 18a formed on the vehicle rear side of the lamp body 18 that accommodates the light source unit 14.

[0030] Thus, since the electronic unit 16 can be arranged inside the lamp body 18, it is sufficient to achieve waterproofing between the opening 18a of the lamp body 18 and the first connector 36. Therefore, the waterproofing structure of the electronic unit 16 can be achieved by a simple structure. Specifically, the connector housing 36a involved in the present embodiment is a cylindrical component, and a waterproof seal 42 as a cylindrical sealing member for sealing the opening 18a of the lamp body 18 is fixed to the outer periphery. Thus, a waterproofing structure can be achieved by installing the first connector 36 to the opening 18a of the lamp body 18. In addition, even if the electronic unit 16 is arranged inside the lamp body 18, by directly connecting the first connector 36 to the vehicle-side harness HB, there is no need for a cord that is connected to the first connector 36 and is led out to the outside of the lamp housing and then connected to the vehicle-side harness HB.

[0031] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the assembling method of the vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment includes the following steps: a step of installing the electronic unit 16 from the front of the lamp toward the rear of the lamp to the opening 18a formed on the rear side of the lamp body 18 where the light source 22 is arranged; and a step of connecting the vehicle-side wire harness HB from the outside of the lamp body 18 to the first connector 36. Thus, since the vehicle-side wire harness HB can be connected to the first connector 36 from the outside of the lamp body 18 in a state where the electronic unit 16 is arranged inside the lamp body 18, the connection operation of the vehicle-side wire harness HB becomes easy.

[0032] In addition, the circuit board 34 involved in this embodiment is rectangular, the first connector 36 is provided at the edge of the first side 34a of the circuit board 34, and the second connector 38 is provided at the edge of the second side 34b opposite to the first side 34a. Thus, the direction D1 (refer to Figure 1 ) and the direction D2 (refer to Figure 1 ) can facilitate assembly of the vehicle lamp 10 having the electronic unit 16. Here, the rectangle is not limited to a mathematically perfect rectangle, and also includes a shape in which a cutout or a protrusion is provided in a part of the edge portion.

[0033] The cover 40a has a fastened portion 40c, which is fixed to the lamp body 18 by a screw 44 as a fastening member from the same direction D3 as the mounting direction of the connector housing 36a. As a result, the first connector 36 is positioned with high accuracy relative to the opening 18a of the lamp body 18, and the waterproof seal 42 is in stable contact with the inner peripheral portion 18b of the opening 18a of the lamp body 18.

[0034] The lamp body 18 also has a placement portion 19a for placing the electronic unit 16 disposed near the opening 18a. The electronic unit 16 is fixed to the lamp body 18 in a state where the first connector 36 is attached to the opening 18a.

[0035] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown in the figure, the connector housing 36a has a locking portion 36b, which restricts the connector housing 36a from moving to the opposite side of the installation direction D4 when the connector housing 36a is installed in the opening portion 18a. The locking portion 36b involved in this embodiment is a lance for preventing disengagement. As a result, the first connector 36 installed in the opening portion 18a of the lamp body 18 becomes difficult to disengage.

[0036] The present invention has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and embodiments formed by appropriately combining the configurations of the embodiments or embodiments formed by replacing the configurations of the embodiments are also included in the present invention. In addition, based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, the combination in the embodiments or the order of processing can be appropriately reorganized or various design changes can be added to the embodiments, and the embodiments to which the above-mentioned modifications are applied can also be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic unit, characterized in that: The electronic unit comprises: a substrate on which electronic components are mounted; A first connector, which is mounted on the substrate and connected to a vehicle-side wiring harness; A second connector, mounted on the substrate and connected to the light source side wiring harness; as well as a cover covering the substrate, The first connector includes a connector housing that is mounted from the inside to an opening formed in a lamp body that accommodates a light source.

2. The electronic unit according to claim 1, characterized in that The connector housing is a cylindrical member, and a cylindrical sealing member for sealing the opening of the lamp body is fixed to the outer periphery.

3. The electronic unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The connector housing has a locking portion that restricts movement of the connector housing to a side opposite to a mounting direction when the connector housing is mounted in the opening.

4. The electronic unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The cover has a fastened portion that is fixed to the lamp body by a fastening member from the same direction as a mounting direction of the connector housing.

5. The electronic unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The substrate is rectangular. The first connector is disposed at an edge portion of a first side of the substrate, The second connector is disposed at an edge portion of a second side opposite to the first side.

6. A vehicle lamp, characterized in that: The vehicle lamp comprises: a light source that illuminates the front of the vehicle; a lamp body, which constitutes a lamp chamber accommodating the light source; and The electronic unit according to claim 1 or 2, which is fixed inside the lamp body, The lamp body has an opening formed on the rear side of the vehicle and a placement portion for placing the electronic unit disposed near the opening. The electronic unit is fixed to the lamp body in a state where the first connector is mounted in the opening.

7. A method for assembling a vehicle lamp, characterized in that: The assembly method of the vehicle lamp comprises: The step of installing the electronic unit according to claim 1 or 2 from the front of the lamp toward the rear of the lamp in an opening formed on the rear side of the lamp body where the light source is arranged; as well as A step of connecting a vehicle-side wire harness to the first connector from the outside of the lamp body.

Images