Substrate module

Abstract

To provide a new configuration of reducing failure when fixing a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate module 60 comprises a substrate 58 on which electronic components are installed, and a base component 56 to which the substrate is fixed. The base component 56 has a guide part 62 that guides the substrate 58 so that the substrate is installed at a predetermined position from above, and a fastening part 66 to which the substrate 58 installed on the base part 56 is fastened while sliding along an upper surface of the base component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate module. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a board on which a light source of a vehicle lamp such as an automobile and a control circuit for controlling the turning on and off of the light source are provided is disposed at an appropriate position on the vehicle lamp or the vehicle body. When disposing the board at the appropriate position, it is common to attach the board to the lamp in a modularized state by fixing it to another member such as a case, rather than directly to the lamp. Therefore, various mechanisms and structures have been devised for fixing the board to another member.

[0003] For example, the fixing method disclosed in Patent Document 1 involves inserting a board obliquely between a board mounting positioning portion and a board fixing portion of an inner case with an open top, rotating the inserted portion of the board toward the inner case using the inserted portion as a fulcrum, inserting the board fixing snap fit into the board fixing hole of the board up to just before the hook portion, and inserting the board positioning protrusion into the board positioning hole of the board. Next, inward force is applied to the knob portion of the board fixing snap fit to bend the board fixing snap fit inward, and in this state, the board is pressed toward the inner case, causing the hook portion of the board fixing snap fit to pass through the board fixing hole. After the hook portion of the board fixing snap fit passes through the board fixing hole, the deflection of the board fixing snap fit is eliminated, causing the hook portion of the board fixing snap fit to hook into the board fixing hole of the board, and the board is fixed to the inner case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-90949 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above-mentioned method of fixing the board to the inner case, when the hook of the board fixing snap fit is inserted into the board fixing hole, the board needs to be pressed against the inner case. At that time, there is a risk that the board will bend and cause distortion, which will put a load on the mounted components and circuits and prevent them from functioning properly.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a new configuration that reduces problems when fixing a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a substrate module according to one aspect of the present invention includes a substrate having electronic components mounted thereon, and a base component to which the substrate is fixed. The base component has a guide portion that guides the substrate so that it is placed in a predetermined position from above, and a fastening portion that fastens the substrate placed on the base component while sliding along an upper surface of the base component.

[0008] According to this embodiment, the board is placed in the predetermined position from above while being guided by the guide portion, so that the board does not accumulate. Also, since the board placed on the base part is fastened in a state in which it slides along the upper surface of the base part, the assembly direction is stable and the stroke during assembly can be shortened.

[0009] The substrate may have a guided portion that is guided by the guide portion when placed on a predetermined position on the base component from above, and a fastened portion that is fastened to the fastening portion when slid along the upper surface of the base component.

[0010] The substrate may be a rectangular plate-like member, the guided portion may be a notch provided on an edge of the rectangle, and the fastened portion may be a convex portion or a concave portion provided on the edge of the rectangle. In this way, the guided portion and the fastened portion can be realized by a simple shape provided on the edge of the substrate.

[0011] The guided portions may be provided on two opposing sides of the rectangle, and the fastened portions may be provided on each of the two sides. This allows the board to be placed on the base component with high accuracy, and allows the board and the base component to be stably fastened to each other.

[0012] The base component may further have an abutting portion against which the board that slides along the upper surface of the base component abuts. The abutting portion may have a first pressing portion that presses the board from above. This stabilizes the positioning of the board in the up-down direction and in the sliding direction of the board to the fastening portion. As a result, when the board module is attached to another component, interference between the electronic components mounted on the board and the other components or components around it is suppressed.

[0013] The guide portion may have a second pressing portion that presses from above the board that has slid along the upper surface of the base component, thereby further stabilizing the positioning of the board in the up-down direction.

[0014] The base component may further have an attachment portion for attachment to a component constituting the vehicle lamp, thereby preventing the electronic components mounted on the board from interfering with the component or other surrounding lamp components when the board module is attached to the component constituting the vehicle lamp.

[0015] Any combination of the above components, and any conversion of the expression of the present invention between a manufacturing method, a device such as a lamp or lighting, a light-emitting module, a light source, etc. are also valid as aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, problems occurring when fixing a substrate can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a vehicle lamp in which a lighting control module according to an embodiment of the present invention can be mounted; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a base part according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of the substrate according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a substrate module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a first step of manufacturing the substrate module according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a perspective view for illustrating a second step of manufacturing the substrate module according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a substrate module according to a first modified example. [Figure 8] 13 is a schematic diagram showing a main part of a substrate module according to a second modified example. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. In addition, the embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0019] (Vehicle lighting fixtures) Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a vehicle lamp in which a lighting control module according to the present embodiment can be mounted. A headlamp 10 as a vehicle lamp shown in Fig. 1 shows one of a left or right headlamp. These headlamps 10 are attached to both sides in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle, and these headlamps 10 illuminate the area ahead of the vehicle.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the exterior of a headlamp 10 is formed by a lamp body 12 that is open at the front, and a front cover 14 that serves as a surface cover that covers the opening of the lamp body 12.

[0021] The lamp body 12 is composed of a rear wall portion 12a that stands up in the vertical direction and a peripheral wall portion 12b that protrudes forward (to the left in FIG. 1) from the peripheral edge of the rear wall portion 12a. The rear wall portion 12a extends in the horizontal direction (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) while maintaining a constant height, and the peripheral wall portion 12b cooperates with the rear wall portion 12a to define a storage space 16, and the tip of the peripheral wall portion 12b forms a horizontally elongated opening 18 in the storage space 16.

[0022] The front cover 14 is detachably attached to the tip of the peripheral wall portion 12b of the lamp body 12. As a result, the front cover 14 and the lamp body 12 form a lamp housing, and a sealed lamp chamber 20 is formed therein. The front cover 14 is translucent, and light emitted in the lamp chamber 20 is irradiated to the outside through the front cover 14. A resin lens is used for the front cover 14 in this embodiment.

[0023] An LED unit 22 is disposed inside the lamp chamber 20. As shown in Fig. 1, the LED unit 22 includes a metal heat sink (e.g., an aluminum die-cast product) 24 as a conductive base. The heat sink 24 according to this embodiment integrally includes a plate-shaped metal support plate portion 26 and a heat dissipation fin portion 28.

[0024] The metal support plate 26 is supported by the rear wall 12a of the lamp body 12 via aiming screws 30 and the like, and the plate surface of the metal support plate 26 faces the front-rear direction and is disposed in a state spaced apart from the rear wall 12a toward the front side. The heat dissipation fins 28 are attached to the rear surface of the metal support plate 26, and the heat dissipation fins 28 are cooled by a heat dissipation fan 32 attached to the heat sink 24.

[0025] The LED unit 22 includes a cylindrical lens holder 34 and a projection lens 36 attached to the lens holder 34. The rear end of the lens holder 34 is attached to the front of the metal support plate portion 26, and the front end of the lens holder 34 extends forward. The projection lens 36 is attached to the front end of the lens holder 34, and thus the projection lens 36 is disposed on an optical axis L extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. A front cover 14 is disposed in front of the projection lens 36. An extension reflector 38 is disposed around the projection lens 36 and the lens holder 34.

[0026] The LED unit 22 includes a light emitting module 40. The light emitting module 40 includes a resin circuit board 42, a plurality of light emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as LEDs) 44, and a power supply connector 46. The circuit board 42 is disposed within the lens holder 34 in a state where it is aligned with the front surface of the metal support plate portion 26, and a board surface 42a of the circuit board 42 faces forward. The circuit board 42 is disposed toward the upper side within the lens holder 34, and a power supply circuit (not shown) is formed on the board surface 42a.

[0027] The LEDs 44 are attached to a lower portion of the board surface 42a of the circuit board 42. The LEDs 44 are arranged as a planar light source that emits light, arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction with their light-emitting surfaces facing forward of the vehicle, and in this embodiment, each LED 44 is configured such that a fluorescent layer is provided on an LED chip so as to emit white light.

[0028] The power supply connector 46 is attached to the upper portion of the board surface 42a. A power source (not shown) is connected to the power supply connector 46 via an LED driver module (LDM) 50 by using a wire harness 48, and each LED 44 is connected via a power supply circuit (not shown) on the board surface 42a. The LED driver module 50 is disposed in the lower portion of the lamp body 12, and includes a metal case 52 as a conductive case and a lighting control circuit board 54 housed in the metal case 52. The power supply connector 46 and the power source (not shown) are connected via the lighting control circuit board 54 in the metal case 52, and the lighting control circuit board 54 controls the turning on and off of the multiple LEDs 44.

[0029] (Board module) In the following, a board module including a base part and a board will be described, with a part of the metal case 52 as the base part and the lighting control circuit board 54 as the board. The board module according to the present embodiment is installed in the lower part of the lamp chamber 20 of the headlamp 10, but it may be installed in another location in the lamp chamber 20, or may be installed inside various vehicle lamps other than the headlamp (taillight, brake light, blinker, etc.).

[0030] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a base component according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a top view of a substrate according to the present embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a substrate module according to the present embodiment. A substrate 58 shown in Fig. 3 is fixed to a base component 56 shown in Fig. 2. Electronic components (not shown) are mounted on the substrate 58. Examples of electronic components include passive elements such as resistors, capacitors, and coils, and active elements such as diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits (ICs). Depending on the application of the substrate module, a light-emitting element may be mounted as an electronic component.

[0031] The base component 56 has a guide portion 62 that guides the substrate 58 so that it is placed in a predetermined position from above, and a fastening portion 66 to which the substrate 58 placed on the base component 56 is fastened while sliding along the upper surface 64 of the base component 56.

[0032] The guide part 62 has a plate-shaped upright part 62a that rises upward from the upper surface 64, and a claw part 62b that curves from the upper part of the upright part 62a toward the inside of the base part 56. The upright part 62a is provided so as to be parallel to a long side 68 of the rectangular base part 56. The claw part 62b is curved in a direction parallel to a short side 70 of the rectangular base part 56.

[0033] The substrate 58 is a printed circuit board made of a rectangular plate-like member. More specifically, the substrate 58 is an FR-4 grade glass epoxy substrate with a thickness of about 1 to 2 mm. Two opposing long sides 72, which are the edges of the substrate 58, are each provided with a rectangular notch 74. In addition, each of the two long sides 72 is provided with a triangular protrusion 76 facing outward.

[0034] Fig. 5 is a perspective view for explaining a first step of manufacturing the substrate module according to the present embodiment. Fig. 6 is a perspective view for explaining a second step of manufacturing the substrate module according to the present embodiment.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5, when the substrate 58 is placed on the base component 56 from above along the direction of the arrow D1 (perpendicular to the upper surface 64), the notch 74 is aligned with the position of the claw portion 62b of the guide portion 62. The notch 74 is shaped so that the claw portion 62b of the guide portion 62 can pass through. In other words, the notch 74 functions as a guided portion guided by the guide portion 62. In addition, a plurality of support portions 78a, 78b (see FIG. 2) are provided on the upper surface 64 of the base component 56 so that the placed substrate 58 is supported in a predetermined position. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the substrate 58 is always placed in a stable position relative to the base component 56. In addition, since the substrate 58 does not bend when placed, deformation or failure of electronic components due to distortion of the substrate is suppressed, and malfunction of the manufactured substrate module is prevented.

[0036] The substrate 58 placed on the base component 56 is slid along the upper surface of the base component in the direction of the arrow D2 shown in FIG. 6, so that the protrusion 76 of the substrate 58 is fastened to the fastening portion 66 of the base component 56. Thus, the protrusion 76 according to this embodiment is a convex portion provided on the edge of the substrate 58, and functions as a fastening portion. The fastening portion 66 has a snap-fit ​​structure provided on the upper surface 64 so as to bend in a direction parallel to the short side 70, and has a hole 66a in which the protrusion 76 is engaged. In this way, the substrate 58 is fastened in a state where it slides along the upper surface 64 of the base component 56 while placed on the base component 56, so that the assembly direction is stable and the stroke during assembly can be shortened. This suppresses interference between electronic components and other components during the manufacture of the substrate module.

[0037] The base component 56 further has an abutment portion 78 against which the board 58 that slides along the upper surface 64 of the base component abuts. The abutment portion 78 is a standing wall that protrudes upward from the upper surface 64, and the short side 73 of the board 58 abuts. The abutment portion 78 also has a first pressing portion 80 that presses the board 58 from above. The first pressing portion 80 is bent from the upper end of the abutment portion 78 toward the center of the base component 56. This stabilizes the positioning of the board 58 in the up-down direction and in the sliding direction of the board 58 to the fastening portion 66. As a result, when the board module 60 is attached to another component, the electronic components mounted on the board 58 are prevented from interfering with the other components or components around it.

[0038] Furthermore, the claw portion 62b according to this embodiment functions as a second pressing portion that presses from above the substrate 58 that has slid along the upper surface 64 of the base component 56. This further stabilizes the positioning of the substrate 58 in the up-down direction. Furthermore, when the protrusion 76 of the substrate 58 is fastened to the fastening portion 66, the upper surface of the substrate 58 is pressed by the first pressing portion 80 and the claw portion 62b, which is the second pressing portion, so that the substrate 58 is firmly held in a predetermined position without coming off the base component 56.

[0039] Moreover, since the notches 74 and the protrusions 76 according to this embodiment are provided on each of the two opposing long sides 72, the board 58 can be placed on the base component 56 with high precision, and the board 58 and the base component 56 can be stably fastened together. Furthermore, a guided portion and a fastened portion can be realized by a simple shape provided on the edge of the board 58.

[0040] The base part 56 according to the present embodiment has a plurality of openings 82 that serve as mounting parts for mounting to components constituting the vehicle lamp (e.g., the lamp body 12). The openings 82 are fitted with claws or snap fits provided on the components constituting the vehicle lamp, thereby fixing the base part 56 to the vehicle lamp. This prevents the electronic components mounted on the board 58 from interfering with the components or other lamp components around them when the board module 60 is attached to the components constituting the vehicle lamp. The rectangular edge of the base part 56 can also be used as the mounting part, and the configuration of the mounting part is not limited to this.

[0041] (First Modification) The hole 66a of the fastening portion 66 in the above-mentioned substrate module 60 is closed all around. Therefore, when manufacturing the portion of the fastening portion 66 having the hole 66a using a mold, in addition to a mold that punches in the vertical direction, another mold that slides in the left-right direction (the direction parallel to the short side 70) is required. Therefore, in the fastening portion of the substrate module according to the first modified example, a configuration that can reduce the number and movement of molds is adopted.

[0042] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a board module according to a first modified example. In the board module 84 shown in Fig. 7, the components other than the fastening portion 86 are given the same reference numerals as those of the board module 60 described above, and the description will be omitted as appropriate. The fastening portion 86 is formed with a slit 86a that is open at the top, and the protrusion 76 enters and engages with the slit 86a, thereby fastening the board 58 to the base component 56. Furthermore, by providing the fastening portion 86 with a slit 86a instead of a hole, the base component 56 having the fastening portion 86 of a predetermined shape can be manufactured simply by removing the upper mold upward.

[0043] (Second Modification) Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a main part of a substrate module according to a second modified example. The substrate module 88 shown in Fig. 8 includes a base component 90 and a substrate 92. Note that the same components of the substrate module 88 shown in Fig. 8 as those of the substrate module 60 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described below. The following mainly describes the components that are different from the substrate module 60.

[0044] The fastening portion of the substrate 92 is a recess 94 provided on an edge of the rectangle. In contrast, the base component 90 is provided with a pair of opposing snap fits 96 instead of the above-mentioned pair of fastening portions 66. Claws 96a are provided on the inside of the snap fits 96, and the substrate 92 is fastened to the base component 90 by the claws 96a entering the recesses 94.

[0045] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiment and each modified example, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and suitable combinations and substitutions of the configurations of the embodiment and each modified example are also included in the present invention. In addition, it is possible to suitably rearrange the combinations and processing order in the embodiment and each modified example based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art, and to make modifications such as various design changes to the embodiment and each modified example, and the embodiment to which such modifications have been made may also be included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10 headlamp, 12 lamp body, 56 base part, 58 board, 60 board module, 62 guide part, 62a upright part, 62b claw part, 64 upper surface, 66 fastening part, 66a hole, 68 long side, 70 short side, 72 long side, 73 short side, 74 notch, 76 protrusion, 78 abutment part, 80 first pressing part, 82 opening, 84 board module, 86 fastening part, 86a slit, 88 board module, 90 base part, 92 board, 94 recess, 96 snap fit, 96a claw.

Claims

1. A substrate on which electronic components are mounted; a base component to which the substrate is fixed; A substrate module characterized in that the base part has a guide portion that guides the substrate so that it is placed in a predetermined position from above, and a fastening portion that fastens the substrate placed on the base part while sliding along the upper surface of the base part.

2. The substrate module according to claim 1, characterized in that the substrate has a guided portion that is guided by the guide portion when placed on a predetermined position of the base component from above, and a fastened portion that is fastened to the fastening portion when slid along the upper surface of the base component.

3. The substrate is a rectangular plate-like member, The guided portion is a notch provided on an edge of a rectangle, 3. The substrate module according to claim 2, wherein the fastening portion is a convex portion or a concave portion provided on an edge portion of a rectangle.

4. The guided portions are provided on two opposing sides of a rectangle, The substrate module according to claim 3 , wherein the fastening portion is provided on each of the two sides.

5. the base part further has an abutment part against which the substrate slides along an upper surface of the base part abuts; 5. The substrate module according to claim 1, wherein the abutting portion has a first pressing portion that presses the substrate from above.

6. 6. The board module according to claim 5, wherein the guide portion has a second pressing portion that presses from above the board that has slid along the upper surface of the base component.

7. 5. The substrate module according to claim 1, wherein the base part further comprises an attachment part for attachment to a part constituting a vehicle lamp.

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