Illumination, waterproof structure of illumination and member to be mounted

Abstract

To enhance luminous efficiency in illumination, and to suppress light leakage.SOLUTION: An illumination 1 which is an indicator illumination for vehicle is mounted on a rear side of a vehicular panel. The illumination 1 includes: a substrate 5 on which two LEDs 54 are mounted; a housing 3; two bus bars 4; a first cover 2 and a second cover 6; and a waterproof member 7 made of sponge. The waterproof member 7 is attached to a second translucent plate 61 of the second cover 6. The waterproof member 7 is formed in a square frame-shape having a square passing hole 70 for passing light from the two LEDs 54. The outside size of the waterproof member 7 is almost equal to the outside size of the second translucent plate 61. The light from the two LEDs 54 transmits a first translucent plate 21 of the first cover 2 and the second translucent plate 61 of the second cover 6, passes the passing hole 70 of the waterproof member 7 and a through-hole of the vehicular panel, and is radiated to the surface side of the vehicular panel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to lighting. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Automobiles are equipped with lighting in various locations (for example, room lamps, map lamps, courtesy lamps, charging port lighting, etc.) (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-13674 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] 9 to 11 are diagrams showing an automotive lighting device of a reference example developed by the inventor of the present application. This lighting device 501 is an indicator lighting device attached to a vehicle panel.

[0005] The lighting 501 includes a substrate 5 on which two LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 54 serving as light sources are mounted, a bus bar, a housing 3, a first cover 2 and a second cover 6, and a waterproof member 507 made of sponge.

[0006] The housing 3 is made of an opaque synthetic resin. The housing 3 has a hood portion 31 into which a mating connector connected to a power source is fitted, and a component storage portion 32. The board 5 is stored in the component storage portion 32. The bus bar has a terminal portion disposed within the hood portion 31 and electrically connected to the mating connector, and a board connection portion disposed in the component storage portion 32 and electrically connected to the board 5.

[0007] The first cover 2 is made of a translucent synthetic resin. The first cover 2 is attached to the housing 3 and closes the opening of the component storage section 32. The second cover 6 is made of a translucent synthetic resin. The second cover 6 is attached to the first cover 2 by being placed on top of it. The waterproof member 507 is attached to the surface of the second cover 6. The waterproof member 507 is formed in a ring shape having a circular through-hole 570 that allows light from the two LEDs 54 to pass through.

[0008] The lighting 501 is attached to the back side of the vehicle panel in which a through hole is formed. With the lighting 501 attached to the back side of the vehicle panel, the waterproofing member 507 is in a compressed state and abuts on the outer periphery of the through hole, thereby sealing off the space between the vehicle panel and the second cover 6. Furthermore, light from the two LEDs 54 passes through the first cover 2 and the second cover 6, passes through the through hole 570 of the waterproofing member 507 and the through hole of the vehicle panel, and is irradiated onto the front side of the vehicle panel.

[0009] In the above-described lighting device 501, the waterproofing member 507 is ring-shaped, and when multiple LEDs 54 are used, the ring-shaped waterproofing member 507 blocks edge light from the LEDs 54 (shown by dashed lines in FIG. 11 ) as shown in FIG. 11 . That is, FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a portion off-center of the waterproofing member 507. Because the portion is off-center, the through-hole 570 is narrow, which blocks edge light from the LEDs 54. Note that FIG. 11 does not illustrate the first cover 2, second cover 6, and housing 3. Furthermore, because the waterproofing member 507 is ring-shaped, light-transmitting portions exist at the four corners of the mounting surface of the second cover 6 to which the waterproofing member 507 is attached, which may result in light leakage from the four corners.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the luminous efficiency of lighting and suppress light leakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention provides a lighting device comprising a plurality of light sources, a housing that houses the plurality of light sources, a cover that is attached to the housing and that transmits light from the plurality of light sources, and a waterproof member made of sponge that is attached to the cover, wherein the waterproof member is formed in the shape of a square frame having square through holes that allow light from the plurality of light sources to pass through.

[0012] The present invention is a waterproof structure for the above-mentioned lighting and the mounting member to which the lighting is attached, wherein a through hole is formed in the mounting member, and the waterproof member is compressed and presses against the outer periphery of the through hole in the mounting member, thereby sealing off the space between the mounting member and the cover, and light from the multiple light sources passes through the cover and passes through the through hole in the waterproof member and the through hole in the mounting member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the luminous efficiency of lighting and suppress light leakage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lighting device of FIG. 1 turned upside down. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the lighting of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the waterproof structure between the lighting device and the mounting base in FIG. 1, illustrating the state before the lighting device is mounted on the mounting base. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the lighting device of FIG. 4 is attached to a mounting base. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lighting of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram illustrating the waterproof member of FIG. 1 and the waterproof member of FIG. 9 superimposed on each other. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automotive lighting device according to a reference example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the lighting in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] A "lighting device" and a "waterproof structure between a lighting device and a mounting target" according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0016] The lighting 1 of this example shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 and 6 is an indicator lighting that is installed near a charging inlet provided in an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle and indicates the charging state of the battery by light.

[0017] Panel 9 (corresponding to the "mounting member") shown in Figures 4 and 5 is a vehicle panel (inlet panel) to which a charging inlet and lighting 1 are attached. Panel 9 has a through-hole 90 formed therein through which light from lighting 1 passes. As shown in Figure 5, lighting 1 is attached to the back side of panel 9, and emits light from through-hole 90 to the front side of panel 9. A mating connector connected to the automobile's power supply is fitted to lighting 1, and power is supplied to lighting 1 from the vehicle side.

[0018] The lighting 1 comprises a substrate 5 on which two LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 54 serving as light sources are mounted, a housing 3, two bus bars 4, a first cover 2 and a second cover 6, and a waterproof member 7 made of sponge.

[0019] The substrate 5 is a printed circuit board in which a wiring pattern is formed on the surface of a substrate body 50 formed in the shape of a rectangular plate from an insulating material. As shown in Fig. 3, two LEDs 54 and electronic components for emitting light from the LEDs 54 are mounted on one surface of the substrate body 50. The two LEDs 54 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the substrate body 50.

[0020] The housing 3 is made of an opaque synthetic resin. The housing 3 integrally includes a hood portion 31 into which a mating connector is fitted, and a component storage portion 32 provided behind the hood portion 31. The hood portion 31 is formed in a box shape capable of receiving the mating connector and is open to the front. The component storage portion 32 has a box-like outer shape that is connected to the back wall of the hood portion 31. The component storage portion 32 is open in two directions, upward and backward. The circuit board 5 is accommodated in the component storage portion 32. In addition, locking protrusions 34 (see FIG. 3) that lock with the first cover 2 are provided on both side surfaces of the component storage portion 32.

[0021] In this specification, the side of the lighting 1 that mates with the mating connector will be referred to as the "front," and the side opposite the side that mates with the mating connector will be referred to as the "rear." Additionally, the side of the first light-transmitting plate 21 of the first cover 2 will be referred to as the "top," and the side of the housing 3 opposite the side on which the first light-transmitting plate 21 is positioned will be referred to as the "bottom." These terms are used for the convenience of explaining the configuration of the lighting 1, and do not necessarily correspond to the directions in the location where it is actually used.

[0022] The two bus bars 4 have the same shape and size. These bus bars 4 are formed by punching a conductive metal plate into the shape shown in Fig. 3. Each bus bar 4 has a terminal portion 41 that is disposed within the hood portion 31 and electrically connected to a mating connector, and a board connection portion 42 that is disposed within the component accommodating portion 32 and electrically connected to the board 5.

[0023] The first cover 2 is made of a translucent synthetic resin. The first cover 2 is attached to the housing 3 and closes the opening of the component storage section 32. That is, the first cover 2 integrally includes a rectangular first translucent plate 21 facing the board 5, a pair of first side plates 23 connected perpendicularly to the edges forming the long sides of the first translucent plate 21, and a rear plate 22 connected perpendicularly to the edges forming the short sides of the first translucent plate 21.

[0024] The first light-transmitting plate 21 closes the opening at the top of the component storage section 32. Light from the two LEDs 54 passes through the first light-transmitting plate 21. The first light-transmitting plate 21 is subjected to lens cutting as a light diffusion treatment. A pair of first side plates 23 are overlapped on both side surfaces of the component storage section 32. Each first side plate 23 is provided with a locking hole 24 that locks with the locking protrusion 34 of the component storage section 32. Each first side plate 23 is also provided with a locking protrusion 25 that locks with the second cover 6. The rear plate 22 closes the opening at the rear of the component storage section 32.

[0025] The second cover 6 is made of translucent synthetic resin. The second cover 6 is integrally provided with a rectangular second translucent plate 61 overlapped on the first translucent plate 21 and a pair of second side plates 63 overlapped on the pair of first side plates 23. Light from the two LEDs 54 passes through the first translucent plate 21 and the second translucent plate 61. Each second side plate 63 is provided with a locking hole 65 that engages with the locking protrusion 25 of the first cover 2. The second cover 6 is attached to the first cover 2 by engaging the locking protrusion 25 with the locking hole 65. Each second side plate 63 is also provided with a vehicle assembly lock 66 that engages with the panel 9. The lighting 1 is attached to the panel 9 by engaging the vehicle assembly lock 66 with the panel 9.

[0026] The waterproof member 7 is attached to the surface of the second light-transmitting plate 61 opposite to the first light-transmitting plate 21. The waterproof member 7 is formed in the shape of a rectangular frame having rectangular through-holes 70 that allow light from the two LEDs 54 to pass through. The external size of the waterproof member 7 is approximately equal to the external size of the second light-transmitting plate 61.

[0027] An example of the procedure for assembling the lighting 1 will be described. First, the two bus bars 4 are attached to the housing 3. Next, the substrate 5 is attached to the housing 3. Next, the first cover 2 is attached to the housing 3. Next, the waterproof member 7 is attached to the second cover 6. Then, the second cover 6 is attached to the first cover 2. Through these procedures, the lighting 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is assembled.

[0028] In this example, the first cover 2 and the second cover 6 are formed as separate bodies and then assembled together. One reason for this is to facilitate the work of attaching the waterproofing member 7. When prioritizing reducing the number of parts, the first cover 2 and the second cover 6 may be formed as a single body.

[0029] Next, the waterproof structure 10 between the lighting 1 and the panel 9 to which the lighting 1 is attached will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. As shown in Figure 5, when the lighting 1 is attached to the panel 9, the waterproof member 7 is in a compressed state and abuts against the outer periphery of the through-hole 90 in the panel 9. This prevents water from entering between the panel 9 and the second cover 6. Light from the two LEDs 54 passes through the first light-transmitting plate 21 and the second light-transmitting plate 61, passes through the through-hole 70 in the waterproof member 7 and the through-hole 90 in the panel 9, and is irradiated onto the front side of the panel 9.

[0030] The lighting 1 described above has higher luminous efficiency than the lighting 501 of the reference example (see FIGS. 9 to 11). FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the waterproofing member 7 of this example superimposed on the waterproofing member 507 of the reference example. The shaded area P is the area where the waterproofing member 507 blocks the edge light of the LED 54 in the lighting 501 of the reference example. In contrast, the shaded area P in the lighting 1 of this example is the area where the waterproofing member 7 is not present and the light of the LED 54 passes through. That is, the illumination range of the LED light of this example shown in FIG. 7 is wider than the illumination range of the LED light of the reference example shown by the solid line in FIG. 11. The illumination range shown by the dashed line in FIG. 11 is the illumination range of this example. That is, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion off-center of the waterproofing member 7, but because the through-hole 70 of the waterproofing member 7 is rectangular, the through-hole 70 does not narrow even when it is off-center.

[0031] Furthermore, in the lighting device 1 described above, the four corners of the second light-transmitting plate 61, which are the mounting surfaces of the waterproofing member 7, are covered with the waterproofing member 7, so that light leakage from the four corners can be suppressed.

[0032] In the above-described embodiment, an indicator light for an automobile is described as an example of lighting, but the lighting of the present invention is not limited to indicator lights. In addition, the lighting of the present invention can be attached to machines, devices, structures, etc. other than automobiles.

[0033] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the lighting device is provided with two light sources, but the lighting device of the present invention may be provided with three or more light sources.

[0034] The above-described embodiment merely shows a typical form of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In other words, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the gist of the present invention. As long as such modifications still include the configuration of the present invention, they are of course included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1. Lighting 2. First cover (cover) 3. Housing 4 Busbars 5. Substrate 6 Second cover (cover) 7 Waterproofing materials 9 Panel (mounting component) 10 Waterproof structure 54 LED (light source)

Claims

1. Multiple light sources; a housing containing the plurality of light sources; a cover attached to the housing and transmitting light from the plurality of light sources; a waterproof member made of sponge attached to the cover, The waterproof member is formed in a rectangular frame shape having rectangular through-holes through which light from the plurality of light sources passes. A lighting characterized by:

2. The cover includes two parts: a first cover assembled to the housing, and a second cover assembled to the first cover and having the waterproof member attached thereto.

2. The lighting device according to claim 1 .

3. a substrate on which the plurality of light sources are mounted, the first cover faces the substrate and includes a first light-transmitting plate that transmits light from the plurality of light sources, and a first side plate that intersects with the first light-transmitting plate; the second cover includes a second light-transmitting plate overlapping the first light-transmitting plate and a second side plate overlapping the first side plate, The first side plate and the second side plate are provided with a locking structure that locks them together.

3. The lighting device according to claim 2.

4. A waterproof structure for the lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and a mounting member to which the lighting device is attached, A through hole is formed in the attachment member, The waterproof member is in a compressed state against the outer periphery of the through hole of the attachment member, thereby sealing off water between the attachment member and the cover, The light from the plurality of light sources is transmitted through the cover and passes through the through-hole of the waterproof member and the through-hole of the attached member. A waterproof structure for a lighting fixture and a mounting member.

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