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

Abstract

To provide an electronic unit capable of realizing a new waterproof structure.SOLUTION: An electronic unit 16 includes a circuit board 34 on which electronic components 32 are mounted, a first connector 36 mounted on the circuit board 34 and connected to a vehicle-side harness, a second connector 38 mounted on the circuit board 34 and connected to a light source-side harness, and covers 40a, 40b that cover the circuit board 34. The first connector 36 has a connector housing 36a that is attached from the inside to an opening formed in a lamp body that houses the light source.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic unit that controls the lighting of vehicle lamps, for example.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an electronic unit provided with a control board that controls the lighting state of vehicle lamps based on control information from the vehicle side has been devised. The electronic unit needs to be arranged at an appropriate location depending on its function and size. For example, a vehicle lamp has been devised in which an electronic unit that controls the lighting of a light source unit is provided at the lower outer part of a lamp body in which the light source unit is arranged inside (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The above-described electronic unit is electrically connected to the light source unit via a lamp-side harness and is electrically connected to an external power source or a vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) via a vehicle-side harness. Therefore, connectors are provided at the ends of each harness connected to the electronic unit, and a waterproof structure for the connection portion that connects to the connector of the electronic unit becomes important. In particular, in the case of the above-described vehicle lamp in which the electronic unit is arranged outside the lamp body, an opening is required in the lower part (or the rear part or the side surface of the lamp body) of the lamp body as a path through which the lamp-side harness connected to the electronic unit passes. Therefore, a waterproof structure is required to prevent water from entering the lamp body from the vicinity of the opening.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and one of its exemplary purposes is to provide an electronic unit capable of realizing a new waterproof structure.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, an electronic unit according to an aspect of the present invention includes 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 that covers the substrate. The first connector has a connector housing that is mounted from the inside into an opening formed in a lamp body that houses a light source.

[0007] According to this aspect, since the electronic unit can be disposed inside the lamp body, it is only necessary to provide waterproofing between the opening of the lamp body and the first connector. Therefore, a waterproof structure of the electronic unit can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0008] The connector housing may be a cylindrical component, and a cylindrical sealing member that seals the opening of the lamp body may be fixed to the outer periphery thereof. Thereby, a waterproof structure can be realized by mounting the first connector to the opening of the lamp body.

[0009] The connector housing may have a locking portion that restricts movement in a direction opposite to the mounting direction in a state where it is mounted to the opening. Thereby, the first connector mounted to the opening of the lamp body is less likely to come off.

[0010] The cover may have a fastened portion that is fixed to the lamp body with a fastening component from the same direction as the mounting direction of the connector housing. Thereby, the first connector is accurately positioned with respect to the opening of the lamp body, and the sealing member stably contacts the inner peripheral portion of the opening of the lamp body.

[0011] The substrate is rectangular, the first connector is provided at the edge of the first side of the substrate, and the second connector may be provided at the edge of the second side opposite to the first side. Thereby, the direction of connecting the harness to the second connector and the direction of attaching the first connector to the opening of the lamp body can be aligned, and the assembly of the vehicle lamp including the electronic unit can be facilitated. Here, the rectangle includes not only a mathematically perfect rectangle but also a shape with a notch or protrusion provided at a part of the edge.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle lamp. This vehicle lamp includes a light source that irradiates the front of the vehicle, a lamp body that constitutes a lamp chamber for housing the light source, and an electronic unit fixed inside the lamp body. The lamp body has an opening formed on the rear side of the vehicle and a mounting portion provided in the vicinity of the opening for mounting the electronic unit. The electronic unit is fixed to the lamp body with the first connector attached to the opening.

[0013] According to this aspect, since the electronic unit can be arranged inside the lamp body, it is only necessary to provide waterproofing between the opening of the lamp body and the first connector. Therefore, a waterproof structure for the electronic unit can be realized with a simple configuration.

[0014] Still another aspect of the present invention is a method for assembling a vehicle lamp. This assembly method includes a step of attaching an electronic unit from the front of the lamp to the rear of the lamp with respect to an opening formed on the rear side of the lamp body where the light source is arranged, and a step of connecting a vehicle-side harness to the first connector from the outside of the lamp body.

[0015] According to this aspect, since the vehicle-side harness can be connected to the first connector from the outside of the lamp body with the electronic unit arranged inside the lamp body, the connection work of the vehicle-side harness becomes easy.

[0016] Any combination of the above components, and those obtained by converting the expression of the present invention among a manufacturing method, an apparatus such as a lamp or lighting, a light-emitting module, a light source, etc. are also effective as aspects of the present invention.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, an electronic unit capable of realizing a new waterproof structure can be realized.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate. Further, the embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0020] (Vehicle lamp) FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp equipped with an electronic unit. The vehicle lamp 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a device for external lighting 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.

[0021] The housing 12 is a member that serves as the 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 has a lamp body 18 and a front cover 20, and the lamp body 18 constitutes a lamp chamber that houses the light source unit 14.

[0022] The light source unit 14 is a unit that emits light. The light source unit 14 has a light source 22 that emits light for irradiating the front of the vehicle. In FIG. 1, only one light-emitting element that constitutes the light source 22 is depicted, but usually, there are a plurality of light-emitting elements. The light source unit 14 has a switch circuit (not shown). The light source unit 14 also has other members such as a reflector 24, a projection lens 26, an extension 28, and a base member 30. The light source unit 14 is housed inside the housing 12.

[0023] 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 placed on the placement 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 lamp-side harness HA. The electronic unit 16 is also electrically connected to an external power source and the vehicle ECU via the vehicle-side harness HB.

[0024] (Electronic unit) FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic unit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining how the electronic unit shown in FIG. 2 is attached to the lamp body. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state where the electronic unit is attached to the lamp body.

[0025] The electronic unit 16 shown in FIG. 2 includes a circuit board 34 on which electronic components 32 are mounted, a first connector 36 that is mounted on the circuit board 34 and connected to the vehicle-side harness HB, a second connector 38 that is mounted on the circuit board 34 and connected to the light-source-side harness HA, and covers 40a and 40b that cover the board.

[0026] The electronic component 32 is, for example, a coil, a capacitor, a resistor, an IC, a CPU, a memory, or the like. The cover 40a and the cover 40b are fixed to each other with screws 41 with the circuit board 34 therebetween. The first connector 36 has a connector housing 36a that is mounted from the inside to an opening 18a formed on the vehicle rear side of the lamp body 18 that houses the light source unit 14.

[0027] Thereby, since the electronic unit 16 can be disposed inside the lamp body 18, waterproofing between the opening 18a of the lamp body 18 and the first connector 36 may be achieved. Therefore, a waterproof structure of the electronic unit 16 can be realized with a simple configuration. Specifically, the connector housing 36a according to the present embodiment is a cylindrical component, and a waterproof packing 42 as a cylindrical sealing member that seals the opening 18a of the lamp body 18 is fixed to the outer periphery. Thereby, a waterproof structure can be realized by mounting the first connector 36 to the opening 18a of the lamp body 18. Further, even when the electronic unit 16 is disposed inside the lamp body 18, by directly connecting the first connector 36 and the vehicle-side harness HB, a cord for connecting to the first connector 36 and then leading it out to the outside of the lamp housing and connecting it to the vehicle-side harness HB becomes unnecessary.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, the assembling method of the vehicle lamp 10 according to the present embodiment includes a step of mounting the electronic unit 16 from the front of the lamp toward the rear of the lamp with respect to an opening 18a formed on the rear side of the lamp of the lamp body 18 where the light source 22 is disposed, and a step of connecting the vehicle-side harness HB to the first connector 36 from the outside of the lamp body 18. Thereby, since the vehicle-side harness HB can be connected to the first connector 36 from the outside of the lamp body 18 with the electronic unit 16 disposed inside the lamp body 18, the connection work of the vehicle-side harness HB becomes easy.

[0029] Further, the circuit board 34 according to the present 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 facing the first side 34a. Thereby, the direction D1 (see FIG. 1) of connecting the lamp-side harness HA to the second connector 38 and the direction D2 (see FIG. 1) of attaching the first connector 36 to the opening 18a of the lamp body 18 can be aligned, facilitating the assembly of the vehicle lamp 10 including the electronic unit 16. Here, the rectangle includes not only a mathematically perfect rectangle but also a shape with notches or protrusions provided at a part of the edge.

[0030] The cover 40a has a fastened portion 40c that is fixed to the lamp body 18 with a screw 44, which is a fastening component, from the same direction D3 as the mounting direction of the connector housing 36a. Thereby, the first connector 36 is accurately positioned with respect to the opening 18a of the lamp body 18, and the waterproof packing 42 stably contacts the inner peripheral portion 18b of the opening 18a of the lamp body 18.

[0031] Further, the lamp body 18 has a mounting portion 19a on which the electronic unit 16 provided near the opening 18a is mounted. The electronic unit 16 is fixed to the lamp body 18 with the first connector 36 attached to the opening 18a.

[0032] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, the connector housing 36a has a locking portion 36b that restricts movement to the side opposite to the mounting direction D4 when mounted in the opening 18a. The locking portion 36b according to the present embodiment is a retaining lance. Thereby, the first connector 36 mounted in the opening 18a of the lamp body 18 is less likely to come off.

[0033] As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the above-described embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention also includes combinations and substitutions of the configurations of the embodiments as appropriate. Further, it is possible to appropriately rearrange the combinations and processing orders in the embodiments based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art and to add various design changes and other modifications to the embodiments. Embodiments with such modifications may also be included in the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0034] 10 Vehicle lamp, 12 Housing, 14 Light source unit, 16 Electronic unit, 18 Lamp body, 18a Opening, 18b Inner peripheral portion, 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 packing, 44 Screw, D4 Mounting direction, HB Vehicle-side harness, HA Lamp-side harness.

Claims

1. A board on which electronic components are mounted; a first connector mounted on the board and connected to a vehicle-side harness; a second connector mounted on the board and connected to a light source side harness; a cover for covering the substrate; The electronic unit is characterized in that the first connector has a connector housing that is attached from the inside to an opening formed in a lamp body that houses a light source.

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

3. 3. The electronic unit according to claim 1, wherein the connector housing has a locking portion that prevents the connector housing from moving in a direction opposite to a mounting direction when the connector housing is mounted in the opening.

4. 3. The electronic unit according to claim 1, wherein the cover has a fastening portion that is fixed to the lamp body by a fastening part in the same direction as the mounting direction of the connector housing.

5. the substrate is rectangular; the first connector is provided on an edge of a first side of the substrate, 3. The electronic unit according to claim 1, wherein the second connector is provided on an edge of a second side opposite to the first side.

6. A light source that illuminates the front of the vehicle; a lamp body that constitutes a lamp chamber that houses the light source; and an electronic unit according to claim 1 or 2, which is fixed inside the lamp body, The lamp body has an opening formed on a vehicle rear side, and a mounting portion for mounting the electronic unit provided near the opening, The electronic unit is fixed to the lamp body with the first connector attached to the opening.

7. a step of mounting 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 in which the light source is disposed; connecting a vehicle side harness to the first connector from outside the lamp body; A method for assembling a vehicle lamp, comprising the steps of:

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