Vehicle lighting fixture and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

To provide a low-cost vehicle lighting fixture in which the light source support member and the shade are integrally formed. [Solution] The vehicle light fixture 100 comprises at least one light source 14, a support member 16 on which the light source 14 is mounted, and a shade portion 17 that blocks a portion of the light emitted from the light source 14 in order to form a cutoff line in the light distribution pattern to be formed. The support member 16 is made of a metal plate, and the shade portion 17 is integrally formed with the tip portion 16b of the metal plate.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp and a method for manufacturing the same.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle lamps capable of forming a low beam light distribution pattern are known. The low beam light distribution pattern is a light distribution pattern that does not irradiate light above a cut-off line extending substantially horizontally and is used when vehicles pass by each other.

[0003] For this purpose, a vehicle lamp that forms a low beam light distribution pattern has a shade portion having a shape corresponding to the cut-off line, and by blocking a part of the light emitted from the light source with the shade portion, it is configured to form a low beam light distribution pattern having a cut-off line at the upper edge portion.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle lamp that forms a low beam light distribution pattern, in which a support member on which a light source is mounted and a shade are integrally formed by aluminum die casting.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, there are problems that manufacturing by aluminum die casting is costly and the process is complicated. Also, high precision is required for the shade shape, but there is a problem that it is difficult to manufacture with the precision required due to the characteristics of casting.

[0007] This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle lighting fixture in which a support member for mounting a light source and a shade are integrally formed, at a low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above objective, a vehicle lighting device according to one aspect of the present invention has the following configuration. 1. The device comprises at least one light source, a support member on which the light source is mounted, and a shade portion that blocks a portion of the light emitted from the light source in order to form a cutoff line in the light distribution pattern to be formed, wherein the support member is made of a metal plate, and the shade portion is integrally formed with the tip of the metal plate.

[0009] 2. In the configuration described in 1 above, it is also preferable that a heat sink for dissipating heat from the light source is further provided, and that the heat sink is formed of at least a part of the metal plate.

[0010] 3. In the configurations of 1 and 2 above, it is also preferable that the at least one light source includes two light sources, the first light source mounted on the first surface of the metal plate, the second light source mounted on the second surface of the metal plate, and when the first light source is lit, it forms a first light distribution pattern that forms a cutoff line at the upper edge that conforms to the shape of the shade portion, and when the second light source is lit, it forms a second light distribution pattern that forms a cutoff line at the lower edge that conforms to the shape of the shade portion.

[0011] 4. In the configurations described in 1 to 3 above, it is also preferable that the shade portion is formed at the tip of the metal plate such that it becomes thinner towards the tip.

[0012] 5. In the configurations described in 1 to 4 above, it is also preferable that the light source is a light-emitting diode, and that the light source is bonded to the support member in the form of an LED package without a circuit board.

[0013] Furthermore, a method for manufacturing a vehicle lighting device in another aspect of the present invention has the following configuration. 6. A method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp, comprising a support member on which at least one light source is mounted, and a shade portion that blocks a portion of the light emitted from the light source in order to form a cutoff line in the light distribution pattern, wherein the shape of the shade portion corresponding to the cutoff line is formed at the tip of the metal plate by press-forming the tip of the metal plate.

[0014] 7. In the embodiment of 6 above, it is also preferable to form the tip of the metal plate by a first press working such that it becomes thinner towards the tip, and to form the shape of the shade portion corresponding to the cutoff line by a second press working.

[0015] 8. In the embodiment of 6 above, it is also preferable to form the tip of the metal plate by cutting so that it becomes thinner towards the tip, and to form the shape of the shade portion corresponding to the cutoff line by press working. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the above embodiment of the vehicle lighting fixture and its manufacturing method, it is possible to provide a vehicle lighting fixture in which a support member for mounting a light source and a shade are integrally formed, at a low cost. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a vehicle light fixture according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the main components of the vehicle's lighting system. [Figure 3] This is a front view of the tip of the support member that makes up the vehicle's lighting fixture. [Figure 4] This diagram illustrates the light distribution pattern formed by the vehicle's lighting fixture. [Figure 5]This is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for manufacturing a support member that constitutes a vehicle lamp. [Figure 6] This is a longitudinal sectional view of a vehicle lamp according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a diagram for explaining a light distribution pattern formed by the vehicle lamp. [Figure 8] This is a diagram for explaining an example of a method for manufacturing a support member that constitutes a vehicle lamp. [Figure 9] This is a diagram for explaining another example of a method for manufacturing a support member that constitutes a vehicle lamp. [Figure 10] This is a longitudinal sectional view of a support member that constitutes a vehicle lamp according to a modification of the first embodiment. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Components, members, and processes common to each embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. Further, the embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the present invention. Also, all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0019] 1. First Embodiment 1.1 Vehicle Lamp 100 The vehicle lamp 100 according to the first embodiment is an application of the present invention as a vehicle headlamp provided on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle and capable of irradiating a low beam light distribution pattern irradiated during passing. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vehicle lamp 100. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the lamp unit 10 that constitutes the vehicle lamp 100. However, for convenience of explanation, the reflector 18 and the heat sink portion 19 are shown with a partial cutout.

[0020] In each drawing, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set, and the X-axis direction represents the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the Y-axis direction represents the left-right direction of the vehicle, and the Z-axis direction represents the up-down direction of the vehicle, respectively.

[0021] The vehicle lighting fixture 100 generally comprises a housing 2, a front cover 4, and a lighting unit 10. The housing 2 is container-shaped with an opening at the front. The front cover 4 is a transparent lens made of a light-transmitting resin such as acrylic resin or polycarbonate resin. The front cover 4 closes the opening of the housing 2 from the front, defining the lighting chamber S. Inside the lighting chamber S, the lighting unit 10 is attached to the housing 2 via a bracket 22.

[0022] The lighting unit 10 generally comprises a projection lens 12, a light source 14 positioned behind the projection lens 12, a support member 16 that supports the light source 14, and a reflector 18 that reflects the light from the light source 14 toward the projection lens 12.

[0023] The projection lens 12 has an optical axis Ax extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is a plano-convex lens with a convex curved surface on the front surface 12a and a flat surface on the rear surface 12b. The projection lens 12 is held by a lens holder (not shown) at the flange portion 12c on its outer circumference.

[0024] The projection lens 12 projects the light source image, which is formed on the focal plane including the rear focal point F, as an inverted image onto a virtual vertical screen in front of the light fixture.

[0025] The light source 14 is a light source equipped with a semiconductor light-emitting element, such as a white light-emitting diode (LED). The semiconductor light-emitting element is not limited to an LED element, but may also be a laser diode (LD) element or an organic electroluminescence (EL) element, etc.

[0026] The light source 14 is mounted on the upper surface 16a, which is the first surface of the support member 16, with its light-emitting surface facing upward. In this embodiment, the light source 14 is directly bonded to the support member 16 in the form of a surface-mount LED package, in which an LED element is placed on a substrate to which electrodes are attached, and the area around the LED element is sealed with sealing resin. The circuit board 15 for controlling the light source 14 is mounted behind the light source 14. Although not shown in the figures, the circuit board 15 and the light source 14 are wire-bonded together with gold wire or the like.

[0027] The support member 16 has a uniform thickness in the front-to-back direction and is formed from a substantially rectangular metal plate. The support member 16 is positioned so that its front end is located at the rear focal plane of the projection lens 12. A reflector 18 is attached to the upper surface 16a of the support member 16, behind the light source 14. The material of the support member 16 can be appropriately selected from available metals, but it is preferable to use a metal with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum or copper.

[0028] A shade portion 17 is formed at the tip 16b of the support member 16 to form a cutoff line CL, which will be described later. In other words, the shade portion 17 and the support member 16 are integrally formed from a single metal plate. As shown in Figure 2, the tip of the shade portion 17 (the front end of the support member) is shaped to follow the rear focal curve that includes the rear focal point F of the projection lens 12.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the shade portion 17 has, at its tip, a first horizontal portion 17a that extends on the same plane as the plane on which the light source 14 is mounted, to the right of the optical axis Ax in a front view; a second horizontal portion 17b located below the first horizontal portion 17a and extending to the left of the optical axis Ax in a front view; and an inclined portion 17c connecting the first horizontal portion 17a and the second horizontal portion 17b. As a result, the tip edge of the shade portion 17 has a shape that corresponds to the cutoff line CL.

[0030] For this purpose, the support member 16 is bent at the rear end of the shade portion 17 with respect to the optical axis Ax, forming an inclined surface 17d that slopes downward toward the second horizontal portion 17b. At the same time, the tip portion 16b of the support member 16 is bent along the optical axis Ax from the rear end to the tip of the shade portion 17, forming an inclined surface 17e that slopes downward toward the inclined surface 17d. The inclined surface 17e is formed to be slightly thinner than the overall thickness of the support member 16.

[0031] The reflector 18 is attached to the upper surface 16a of the support member 16, behind the light source 14, for example by screw fastening. The reflector 18 is formed in the shape of a substantially ellipsoidal spheroid with the optical axis Ax as its central axis, and a reflective surface 18a is formed on its inner circumferential surface. The reflector 18 is formed of, for example, a transparent or opaque resin, and the reflective surface 18a is formed by, for example, vapor deposition of a metal such as aluminum. The light source 14 is positioned at or near the first focal point of the reflective surface 18a, and the tip of the shade portion 17 is positioned at or near the second focal point.

[0032] The heat sink portion 19 extends as part of the support member 16, behind the mounting position of the reflector 18 on the support member 16. The heat sink portion 19 conducts heat generated by the light source 14 and dissipates heat from its upper and lower surfaces. In this embodiment, it is not essential that the heat sink portion 19 is integrally formed as part of the support member 16; for example, a known heat sink may be attached behind the reflector of the support member, or attached to the lower surface, which is the second surface of the support member 16.

[0033] Between the mounting position of the reflector 18 and the heat sink portion 19 of the support member 16, a screw hole 16c is formed for attaching the support member 16 to the bracket 22.

[0034] Bracket 22 is fixed to housing 2 via two aiming screws and a ball joint (not shown). Bracket 22 is tiltable via two aiming screws 24 and a ball joint (not shown), thereby allowing for optical axis adjustment.

[0035] Next, the light distribution of the vehicle lamp 100 when the light source 14 is lit will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the light emitted from the light source 14 is reflected by the reflector 18 and focused at the leading edge of the shade portion 17. The focused light is inverted vertically and horizontally by the projection lens and illuminated in front of the vehicle lamp 100. At this time, a portion of the light is blocked by the leading edge of the shade portion 17, so a dark area corresponding to the leading edge shape of the shade portion 17 is formed in the light distribution pattern formed in front of the vehicle lamp 100, as will be described later.

[0036] Figure 4 shows the light distribution pattern formed by the vehicle light fixture 100 when projected onto a virtual vertical screen placed 25 m in front of the vehicle light fixture 100. As shown in Figure 4, the vehicle light fixture 100 forms a low beam light distribution pattern PL with a cutoff line CL on its upper edge. Thus, the cutoff line CL has a shape that follows the tip shape of the shade portion 17.

[0037] 1.2 Manufacturing method of the support member 16 Next, the manufacturing method of the support member 16 will be described. The manufacturing method of the support member 16 is carried out as one step in the manufacturing method of the vehicle lighting device. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the manufacturing method of the support member, with the left figure being a front view and the right figure being a right side view.

[0038] First, as shown in Figure 5(A), a metal plate 40 of a predetermined size is prepared as the material for the support member 16. The overall shape of the metal plate 40 corresponds to the dimensions of the support member 16, and its thickness is 1 to 2 mm. In addition, a press machine 50 equipped with a die 51 and a punch 52 that conform to the shape of the shade portion 17 is prepared.

[0039] Next, as shown in Figure 5(B), the shape of the shade portion 17 corresponding to the cutoff line CL is formed by press working. In this way, the support member 16 can be manufactured as shown in Figure 5(C).

[0040] 1.3 Effects In the vehicle lighting fixture 100 according to this embodiment, the support member 16 on which the light source 14 is mounted and the shade portion 17 for forming the cutoff line CL are integrally formed from a single metal plate. This configuration improves the positioning accuracy between the light source 14 and the shade portion 17. Furthermore, since the number of parts and materials can be reduced, the number of man-hours can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the vehicle lighting fixture 100 can be lowered.

[0041] Furthermore, according to the manufacturing method of the vehicle light fixture 100 in this embodiment, the shade portion 17 is formed at the tip of the support member 16 by press working. As shown in Patent Document 1, it is also possible to integrally form the support member and the shade portion by casting such as aluminum die casting. However, this has the problem of being a complex process and costly. As in this embodiment, by forming the shade portion 17 by press working, which is low cost and easy to process, it is possible to manufacture in small batches at a low cost, such as by changing the shape of the shade portion 17 for each shipping destination.

[0042] Furthermore, in the vehicle lighting fixture 100, if the heat sink portion 19 is also formed integrally with the support member 16, the number of parts can be further reduced, thereby lowering manufacturing costs.

[0043] It is not essential to directly bond the light source 14 to the support member 16 in the form of an LED package. As is commonly done, the LED package may be mounted on a circuit board and attached to the support member 16.

[0044] However, as illustrated in this embodiment, if the light source 14 is directly bonded to the support member 16 without going through the circuit board 15 in the vehicle lighting device 100, the heat generated by the light source 14 is directly conducted to the metal support member 16 and then to the heat sink portion 19, thereby improving heat dissipation efficiency. In addition, the positioning accuracy of the light source 14 is also improved by not going through the circuit board 15.

[0045] 2. Second Embodiment 2.1 Vehicle lighting fixtures 200 Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a vehicle lamp 200 according to the second embodiment. Figures 7(A) and 7(B) illustrate the light distribution pattern of the vehicle lamp 200 projected onto a virtual vertical screen placed 25 m in front of the vehicle lamp 100. The vehicle lamp 200 applies the present invention to a bifunction vehicle headlight that switches between a low beam light distribution pattern PL and a high beam light distribution pattern PH.

[0046] The lighting unit 210 of the vehicle lighting fixture 200 includes a support member 216, a first light source 141 and a second light source 142 as light sources, and a first reflector 181 and a second reflector 182 as reflectors.

[0047] The first light source 141 and the second light source 142 are light sources equipped with semiconductor light-emitting elements equivalent to those of light source 14. The first light source 141 is mounted on the upper surface 216a, which is the first surface of the support member 216, with its light-emitting surface facing upward. The second light source 142 is mounted on the lower surface 216c, which is the second surface of the support member, with its light-emitting surface facing downward. The first light source 141 emits light directed toward the rear focal point F of the projection lens 12. The second light source 142 also emits light directed toward the rear focal point F of the projection lens 12.

[0048] The first light source 141 is illuminated not only when the low beam light distribution pattern PL is formed, but also when the high beam light distribution pattern PH is formed. On the other hand, the second light source 142 is illuminated only when the high beam light distribution pattern PH is formed. Circuit boards 151 and 152 are mounted behind the first light source 141 and the second light source 142, respectively.

[0049] The first reflector 181 has the same configuration as the reflector 18 and is mounted on the upper surface 216a of the support member 216 behind the first light source 141. The first light source 141 is positioned near the first focal point of the reflective surface, which is a spheroidal ellipsoid, and the second focal point of the reflective surface is positioned near the rear focal point F of the projection lens 12. The second focal point of the reflective surface and the rear focal point F of the projection lens 12 may coincide.

[0050] The second reflector 182 has a configuration that is the inverted of the reflector 18 and is mounted on the lower surface 216c of the support member 216 behind the second light source 142. The second light source 142 is positioned near the first focal point of the reflective surface, which is a spheroid, and the second focal point of the reflective surface is positioned near the rear focal point F of the projection lens 12. The second focal point of the reflective surface and the rear focal point F of the projection lens 12 may coincide.

[0051] The support member 216 is made of a single metal plate, similar to the support member 16. However, it is formed so that the thickness of the shade portion 217 at the tip portion 216b decreases from the rear end towards the tip. For example, if the thickness of the metal plate constituting the support member 216 is 1 mm to 2 mm, it is formed to be 0.5 mm at the tip. The shade portion 217 partially blocks the light emitted from the first light source 141 and reflected by the reflective surface of the first reflector 181. The shade portion 217 also partially blocks the light emitted from the second light source 142 and reflected by the reflective surface 182a of the second reflector 182.

[0052] As a result, when the first light source 141 is lit, a portion is blocked, and a low-beam light distribution pattern PL having a cutoff line CL1 at the upper edge is formed as the first light distribution pattern, as shown in Figure 7(A).

[0053] On the other hand, when the second light source 142 is lit, an additional light distribution pattern PA for high beams, which has a cutoff line CL2 at the lower edge, is formed as the second light distribution pattern, as shown in Figure 7(B). Therefore, by liting the first light source 141 and the second light source 142, a high beam light distribution pattern PH is formed, which is a combination of the low beam light distribution pattern PL and the additional light distribution pattern PA for high beams, as shown in Figure 7(B).

[0054] Figure 7(C) shows the high-beam light distribution pattern PHx in the vehicle lamp 200 when the tip of the shade portion 217 is not thinned. As shown in Figure 7(C), if the thickness of the tip of the shade portion 217 is large, the cutoff line CL2 is shifted upward by the amount of that thickness. As a result, a non-illuminated area NRA may occur between the cutoff line CL1 of the low-beam light distribution pattern PL and the cutoff line CL2 of the additional light distribution pattern PA for high beam. In this embodiment, the shade portion 217 is formed to become thinner towards the tip, so it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a non-illuminated area NRA.

[0055] Furthermore, when a single vehicle lamp is configured to form both a low-beam and a high-beam light distribution pattern, it is not necessarily required to make the tip of the shade portion 217 thin. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-149158 by the applicant of this patent, the tip of the shade portion may be positioned behind the rear focal point F to prevent the occurrence of unilluminated areas. However, as in the vehicle lamp according to this embodiment, by forming the tip of the shade portion 217 thin, it is possible to configure it as a more general bifunction headlight with the tip of the shade portion positioned near the rear focal point of the projection lens.

[0056] 2.2 Method for manufacturing the support member 216 1 Next, an example of a method for manufacturing a support member 216, which is carried out as one step in the manufacturing process of the vehicle lighting fixture 200, will be described. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing method, with the left figure being a front view and the right figure being a right side view.

[0057] First, a metal plate 40 of a predetermined size is prepared as the material for the support member 216 (Figure 8(A)). The overall shape of the metal plate 40 corresponds to the dimensions of the support member 16.

[0058] Next, the tip portion 40a of the metal plate is formed by a first press process so that it becomes thinner towards the tip (Figure 8(B)). As a result, as shown in Figure 8(C), an intermediate body 41 is formed in which the tip portion becomes thinner towards the tip.

[0059] Next, the intermediate body 41 is subjected to a second press process to form the shape of the shade portion 217 corresponding to the cutoff line CL1 (Figure 8(D)), thereby manufacturing a support member 216 with the shape of the shade portion 217 formed on the tip portion 216b (Figure 8(E)). The process in Figure 8(D) is the same as the process shown in Figure 5(B).

[0060] In this way, it is possible to manufacture a support member 216 having a shade portion 217 by a two-stage pressing process.

[0061] 2.3 Method for manufacturing the support member 216 Next, another example of a method for manufacturing a support member 216, which is carried out as one step in the manufacturing method of the vehicle lighting fixture 200, will be described. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the manufacturing method, with the left figure being a front view and the right figure being a right side view.

[0062] First, a metal plate 40 of a predetermined size is prepared as the material for the support member 216 (Figure 9(A)). The overall shape of the metal plate 40 corresponds to the dimensions of the support member 16.

[0063] Next, the tip portion 40a of the metal plate 40 is formed by cutting so that it becomes thinner towards the tip (Figure 9(B)). As a result, as shown in Figure 9(C), an intermediate body 42 is formed in which the tip portion 42a becomes thinner towards the tip.

[0064] Next, the intermediate body 42 is press-formed to create the shape of the shade portion 217 corresponding to the cutoff line CL1 (Figure 9(D)), thereby manufacturing a support member 216 with the shape of the shade portion 217 formed on the tip portion 216b (Figure 9(E)). The process in Figure 9(D) is the same as the process shown in Figure 5(B).

[0065] 2.4 Effects In this embodiment, light sources are mounted on the first surface (upper surface) and the second surface (lower surface) of the support member, respectively. One surface is configured to form a first light distribution pattern, which is a low beam light distribution pattern PL, and the other surface is configured to form a second light distribution pattern, which, together with the low beam light distribution pattern PL, forms an additional high beam light distribution pattern PA. This makes it possible to achieve the same technical effects as the vehicle lighting device according to the first embodiment in a vehicle lighting device that can switch between two light distribution patterns, low beam and high beam.

[0066] In particular, in this embodiment, if the tip of the shade portion 217 is formed to be thin, as illustrated, it becomes possible to prevent the formation of a non-illuminated area (NRA) between the upper edge of the first light distribution pattern and the lower edge of the second light distribution pattern.

[0067] Furthermore, according to manufacturing method 1, it is possible to manufacture a support member 216 having a shade portion 217 using only press working, which is a low-cost and simple process. As a result, it is possible to manufacture a vehicle light fixture 200 with a shade portion 217 that has high shape accuracy at a low cost.

[0068] Furthermore, according to manufacturing method 2, it is possible to manufacture a support member 216 having a shade portion 217 by combining cutting and pressing, which are low-cost and simple processes. As a result, it is possible to manufacture a vehicle light fixture 200 with a shade portion 217 that has high shape accuracy at a low cost.

[0069] 3. Variant In the above embodiment, the following modifications may be made. Figure 10 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the optical axis Ax of a support member 16A constituting a vehicle lamp 100A according to one modified example of the first embodiment. The vehicle lamp 100A has the same configuration as the vehicle lamp 100, except for the support member 16A. The support member 16A has a substantially similar configuration to the support member 16, but the shape of the heat sink portion 19A formed on the rear end side is different. Specifically, the heat sink portion 19A is bent in a crank shape in cross-section behind the reflector mounting position.

[0070] In this way, by configuring the heat sink portion 19A located behind the reflector 18 to bend, the depth dimension of the vehicle light fixture 100A can be reduced, making the vehicle light fixture 100A more compact. Furthermore, if the vehicle light fixture 100A has the same depth dimension as the vehicle light fixture 100, the surface area of ​​the heat sink portion 19A can be increased, thereby improving heat dissipation efficiency.

[0071] Furthermore, the shape of the heat sink portion 19A is not limited to a crank shape in cross-section; it may also be V-shaped or W-shaped in cross-section, etc., as long as the surface area is increased within a range that does not reduce conductivity efficiency.

[0072] Furthermore, the heat sink portion 19A is simply a flat plate that has been bent. Therefore, the heat sink portion 19A, which provides the above-mentioned advantageous effects, can be formed by press-forming the metal plate 40, which is the material of the support member 16. In this way, if the heat sink portion 19A can be formed by press-forming, it becomes possible to form the shade portion 17 and the heat sink portion 19A in a single press-forming process, thereby reducing manufacturing man-hours and costs. Even if the shade portion 17 and the heat sink portion 19A are formed in separate processes, the support member 16A can be formed by press-forming alone, which is a simple and low-cost process, thereby reducing man-hours and costs.

[0073] The modifications according to the first embodiment described above may also be applied to the vehicle lighting fixture 200 according to the second embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 14,141,142:Light source 15,151,152: Circuit board 16,16A,216: Support members 16b,216b:Tip 17: Shade section 19,19A: Heatsink section (heatsink) 100, 100A, 200: Vehicle lighting fixtures 216a: First face 216c: Second side 217: Shade section

Claims

1. At least one light source, A support member on which the light source is mounted, In order to form a cutoff line in the light distribution pattern to be formed, a shade portion that blocks a portion of the light emitted from the light source, Equipped with, The support member is formed of a metal plate, The vehicle light fixture is characterized in that the shade portion is integrally formed with the tip of the metal plate.

2. The system further includes a heat sink for dissipating heat from the aforementioned light source, The heat sink is characterized in that it is formed from a part of the metal plate. A vehicle light fixture according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned at least one light source includes two light sources, The first light source is mounted on the first surface of the metal plate, and the second light source is mounted on the second surface of the metal plate. When the first light source is turned on, a first light distribution pattern is formed that forms a cutoff line at the upper edge that conforms to the shape of the shade portion. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that when the second light source is turned on, a second light distribution pattern is formed that forms a cutoff line at the lower edge that conforms to the shape of the shade portion.

4. The shade portion is formed at the tip of the metal plate such that it becomes thinner towards the tip. A vehicle light fixture according to feature 1 or 3.

5. The light source is a light-emitting diode, and the light source is bonded to the support member in the form of an LED package without a circuit board. A vehicle light fixture according to feature 1 or 2.

6. A method for manufacturing a vehicle light fixture, comprising a support member on which at least one light source is mounted, and a shade portion that blocks a portion of the light emitted from the light source in order to form a cutoff line in the light distribution pattern, all of which are formed from a single metal plate, By press-forming the tip of the metal plate, the shape of the shade portion corresponding to the cutoff line is formed at the tip of the metal plate. A method characterized by the following:

7. In the first press working process, the tip of the metal plate is formed so that it becomes thinner towards the tip. The method according to 6, characterized in that the shape of the shade portion corresponding to the cutoff line is formed by a second press working process.

8. By machining, the tip of the metal plate is formed so that it becomes thinner towards the tip. The method according to 6, characterized in that the shape of the shade portion corresponding to the cutoff line is formed by press working.

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