Vehicle lighting fixtures

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting fixture capable of efficiently dissipating heat from a light source while suppressing moisture from entering a light source side.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture 10 comprises a light source 21, a heat radiation member 22 which dissipates heat from the light source 21 with the light source 21 applied to an installation surface 43, and a socket 23 which is fitted with the heat radiation member 22. The heat radiation member 22 has a heat radiation fin part 42 protruded from the heat radiation surface 44 on the opposite side from the installation surface 43, and a heat radiation-side positioning part (positioning projection 53) provided on the heat radiation surface 44, and the socket 23 has, on a fitting surface 63 opposed to the heat radiation surface 44, a fin recessed part 66 in which the heat radiation fin part 42 is fit, and a socket-side positioning part (positioning hole 68) which cooperates with the heat radiation-side positioning part to determine position relationship between the heat radiation member 22 and socket 23.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicle lamps are required to use high-output, high-brightness light sources. For this reason, vehicle lamps that efficiently dissipate heat from the light source have been considered (for example, see Patent Document 1, etc.).

[0003] The vehicle lamp has a heat dissipation member to which a board on which a light source is mounted is attached, and a connector portion (socket) is combined with the heat dissipation member by insert molding so as to fill the spaces between the fins. Therefore, the vehicle lamp can appropriately join the fins and the connector portion, and can efficiently dissipate heat from the light source from the heat dissipation member through the connector portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-253774 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, in the above-mentioned vehicle lamp, in order to place the heat dissipation member provided with a plurality of fins in an appropriate position in the mold during insert molding, it is necessary to provide a support member in the mold that supports the heat dissipation member from the side where the fins are provided. Therefore, in the above-mentioned vehicle lamp, a through hole that leads from the side where the fins of the heat dissipation member are provided to the outside is formed in the connector part at the site where the support member is removed. Here, in the above-mentioned vehicle lamp, when the above-mentioned through hole is formed in the connector part, it becomes a passage for air through the heat dissipation member including the fins (its surroundings) to the outside and the side where the board in the connector part, i.e., the light source is arranged (light source side). Then, the above-mentioned vehicle lamp has a risk of moisture entering the light source side, i.e., the space where the light source etc. are provided, through the through hole, and there is room for improvement.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle lamp that can efficiently dissipate heat from the light source while suppressing the intrusion of moisture into the light source side. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle lamp disclosed herein comprises a light source, a heat dissipation member that is placed against an installation surface to dissipate heat from the light source, and a socket to which the heat dissipation member is attached, wherein the heat dissipation member has a heat dissipation fin portion protruding from a heat dissipation surface opposite the installation surface, and a heat dissipation side positioning portion provided on the heat dissipation surface, and the socket has, on an installation surface facing the heat dissipation surface, a fin groove portion into which the heat dissipation fin portion is fitted, and a socket side positioning portion that cooperates with the heat dissipation side positioning portion to determine the positional relationship between the heat dissipation member and the socket. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the vehicle lamp of the present disclosure, it is possible to efficiently release heat from the light source while suppressing the intrusion of moisture into the light source side. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle lamp according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a light source unit of a vehicle lamp. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an exploded configuration of a light source unit. [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a heat dissipation member of the light source unit as viewed from the heat dissipation surface side. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the socket of the light source unit is viewed from the mounting surface side. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section taken along line II in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a light source unit of a vehicle lamp according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an exploded configuration of a light source unit according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the heat dissipation member of Example 2 as viewed from the heat dissipation surface side. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the socket of the second embodiment as viewed from the mounting surface side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle lamp 10 as one example of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. EXAMPLES

[0011] A vehicle lamp 10 of Example 1 according to an embodiment of the vehicle lamp of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. The vehicle lamp 10 of Example 1 is used as a lamp for vehicles such as automobiles, and is used, for example, as a headlamp, fog lamp, daytime running lamp, clearance lamp, etc. In the following description, in the vehicle lamp 10, the direction in which light is emitted that is the traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling straight is defined as the optical axis direction (referred to as Z in the drawings, and the side that is emitted is defined as the front side), the up-down direction when mounted on the vehicle is defined as the up-down direction (referred to as Y in the drawings), and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction and the up-down direction is defined as the width direction (referred to as X in the drawings).

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle lamp 10 includes a lamp housing 11, a lamp lens 12, a reflector 13, and a light source unit 20. The lamp housing 11 is formed of a light-impermeable material such as a colored or painted resin material, and has a hollow shape with an open front and a closed rear. The lamp housing 11 is provided with a mounting hole 11a that penetrates the closed rear end. A plurality of notches and stoppers are provided at approximately equal intervals on the edge of the mounting hole 11a.

[0013] The lamp lens 12 is made of a light-transmitting material such as a transparent resin material or a glass material, and is shaped to cover the open front end of the lamp housing 11. The lamp lens 12 is fixed in a sealed state to the opening of the lamp housing 11, ensuring watertightness. A lamp chamber 14 is formed by being partitioned between the lamp housing 11 and the lamp lens 12.

[0014] The reflector 13 is a light distribution control section that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source unit 20, and is fixed to the lamp housing 11 or the like and disposed in the lamp chamber 14. The reflector 13 has a curved shape with a focal point near the light source 21 (see FIG. 2, etc.) of the light source unit 20, an inner surface is a reflective surface 13a that reflects light, and a mounting hole 13b is provided at the bottom. The mounting hole 13b is in a positional relationship that communicates with the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11 when the reflector 13 is disposed in the lamp chamber 14. In the first embodiment, the reflector 13 is formed as a member separate from the lamp housing 11, but it may be an integral configuration, i.e., the inner surface of the lamp housing 11 may be the reflective surface, or another configuration may be used, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. In addition, instead of the reflector (reflective surface), a light guide member may be provided on the front side of the light source unit 20 in the optical axis direction to emit light at a position or a region with a different size from that of the light source 21, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. Even when a light guide member is provided in this manner, the vehicle lamp 10 can be used as, for example, a headlamp, a fog lamp, a daytime running lamp, a clearance lamp, or the like.

[0015] A light source unit 20 is disposed in the lamp chamber 14, passing through a mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11 and a mounting hole 13b of the reflector 13. The light source unit 20 is detachably attached to the mounting hole 11a with a sealing member (O-ring) 15 interposed between the light source unit 20 and the lamp housing 11. The light source unit 20 may be provided in the lamp chamber 14 via an optical axis adjustment mechanism for the up-down direction or an optical axis adjustment mechanism for the left-right direction.

[0016] The light source unit 20 includes a light source 21, a heat dissipation member 22, a socket 23, and a power supply member 24, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The light source 21 is formed as a submount-type light-emitting element in which a light-emitting chip 32 is provided on a submount substrate 31. The mounting surface 31a of the submount substrate 31 is substantially rectangular when viewed from the front in the optical axis direction, and the light-emitting chip 32 is attached to the upper half when viewed from the front in Fig. 2, and connection terminals 31b are provided in pairs at two lower corners. In the light source 21, the light-emitting chip 32 and both connection terminals 31b are electrically connected via the submount substrate 31 (its electric path), and when power is supplied between both connection terminals 31b, the light-emitting chip 32 is turned on.

[0017] The light emitting chip 32 is a self-luminous semiconductor light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an EL (Organic EL) LD chip (Laser Diode chip), etc., and is an LED chip in the embodiment 1. The light emitting chip 32 is located near the focal point of the reflector 13 in a state where the light source unit 20 is assembled.

[0018] The heat dissipation member 22 is a heat sink member that transfers (dissipates) heat generated by the light source 21 to the socket 23, and is formed of a metal material or a resin material with high thermal conductivity. In the first embodiment, the heat dissipation member 22 is formed of aluminum die casting among metal die castings. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the heat dissipation member 22 has a base portion 41 and a heat dissipation fin portion 42. The base portion 41 is formed in a plate shape perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and the front side of the base portion 41 in the optical axis direction is the installation surface 43, and the opposite side (the rear side of the optical axis direction) is the heat dissipation surface 44 that is continuous with the heat dissipation fin portion 42. The installation surface 43 is provided with a convex surface portion 43a that protrudes relatively to the front side in the optical axis direction, and a concave surface portion 43b that is relatively concave to the rear side in the optical axis direction. The convex surface portion 43a is formed in a T-shape including a central region of the installation surface 43, and the light source 21 is installed in the central region. The light source 21 is attached to the convex surface portion 43a (its central region) via a thermally conductive adhesive layer 33. This adhesive layer 33 is used to attach the light source 21 (its submount substrate 31) to the convex portion 43a, and is made of a material such as an epoxy-based resin adhesive, a silicone-based resin adhesive, an acrylic-based resin adhesive, or the like, and is in a liquid, fluid, tape, or other form.

[0019] The concave surface portion 43b is U-shaped to surround the portion of the convex surface portion 43a where the light source 21 is attached, and is provided with a pair of crimping projections 45 and a pair of terminal holes 46. Both crimping projections 45 are cylindrical and protrude from the concave surface portion 43b in the optical axis direction, and are provided in pairs to sandwich the light source 21 in the width direction. Each crimping projection 45 is provided on the same straight line as a connecting fin 52 (described later) in the optical axis direction (see FIG. 6). Both terminal holes 46 are through holes that penetrate the base portion 41, and allow the pin terminals 24a of the power supply member 24 to pass through.

[0020] A circuit board 47 is provided on this concave portion 43b. This circuit board 47 transmits a control signal from a control circuit mounted on the vehicle to the light source 21, and is appropriately provided with a plurality of elements such as a capacitor. The circuit board 47 is a U-shaped plate member that is shaped to fit into the concave portion 43b, i.e., surrounds the portion of the convex portion 43a where the light source 21 is attached, and when the circuit board 47 is provided on the concave portion 43b in the optical axis direction, it is at a height position substantially equal to that of the convex portion 43a.

[0021] The circuit board 47 is provided with a pair of crimping holes 47a, a pair of terminal connection holes 47b, and a pair of connection terminals 47c. The crimping holes 47a are through holes penetrating the circuit board 47 in the optical axis direction, and are paired to sandwich the light source 21 in the width direction. Each crimping hole 47a is provided at a position corresponding to a pair of crimping protrusions 45 provided on the concave portion 43b of the heat dissipation member 22, and the corresponding crimping protrusions 45 can be passed through each of the crimping holes 47a. Each terminal connection hole 47b is a through hole penetrating the circuit board 47 in the optical axis direction, and is provided at a position corresponding to a pair of terminal holes 46 provided on the concave portion 43b of the heat dissipation member 22, and the pin terminals 24a of the power supply member 24 can be passed through each of the terminal connection holes 47b. Each terminal connection hole 47b is electrically connected to a control circuit in the circuit board 47, and is electrically connected to the power supply member 24 by fixing the corresponding pin terminals 24a with solder or the like. Both connection terminals 47c are provided at positions on the attachment surface 31a of the sub-mount substrate 31 corresponding to the connection terminals 31b, and are electrically connected to a control circuit formed on the circuit board 47.

[0022] The circuit board 47 is attached to the concave surface portion 43b via an adhesive sheet 48. The adhesive sheet 48 is provided with a pair of crimping notches 48a and a pair of terminal connection notches 48b. The crimping notches 48a are provided corresponding to the crimping holes 47a, i.e., the crimping protrusions 45, and can receive the corresponding crimping protrusions 45. The terminal connection notches 48b are provided corresponding to the terminal connection holes 47b, i.e., the pin terminals 24a, and can receive the corresponding pin terminals 24a.

[0023] The circuit board 47 is electrically connected to the light source 21 by a pair of bonding wires 49 provided by wire bonding. The bonding wires 49 are provided in pairs so as to bridge between each connection terminal 31b of the submount substrate 31 of the light source 21 attached to the convex surface portion 43a and each connection terminal 47c of the circuit board 47 attached to the concave surface portion 43b. In the first embodiment, each bonding wire 49 is electrically connected at one end to the connection terminal 31b and at the other end to the connection terminal 47c by wire bonding using ultrasonic waves. Note that the light source 21 (its submount substrate 31) and the circuit board 47 need only be electrically connected, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0024] The heat dissipation fin section 42 has a plurality of parallel fins 51 protruding from the heat dissipation surface 44 of the base section 41 to the rear side in the optical axis direction. Each parallel fin 51 is formed in a flat plate shape perpendicular to the vertical direction on the heat dissipation surface 44 of the base section 41, and is arranged side by side (in parallel) at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. That is, each parallel fin 51 has a flat plate shape, and has flat outer surfaces on the top and bottom, and is arranged in parallel with the outer surfaces facing each other. The number and thickness of the parallel fins 51 may be appropriately set, and in the first embodiment, there are four parallel fins, and the parallel fins 51 are thick plate-shaped (the ratio of the vertical dimension to the size on a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction of the parallel fins 51A in the second embodiment is large).

[0025] The heat dissipation fin section 42 of the first embodiment is provided with connecting fins 52. The connecting fins 52 bridge the parallel fins 51 in the parallel direction, and two connecting fins 52 are provided in the first embodiment. The two connecting fins 52 are positioned in the optical axis direction on the same straight line as the crimping protrusions 45 provided on the concave surface portion 43b of the installation surface 43 (see FIG. 6). The two connecting fins 52 bridge the vicinity of the width direction end of each parallel fin 51 from top to bottom, that is, from the uppermost parallel fin 51 through the two intermediate parallel fins 51 to the lowermost parallel fin 51. For this reason, the heat dissipation fin section 42 of the first embodiment is formed by combining four parallel fins 51 and two connecting fins 52 in a lattice pattern. In addition, in Example 1, both crimping protrusions 45 are positioned on the same line in the optical axis direction as the position where they overlap with the parallel fins 51 on the corresponding connecting fins 52, i.e., the position where the parallel fins 51 and the connecting fins 52 intersect (see Figure 6).

[0026] 4, in this heat dissipation member 22, a pair of terminal holes 46 penetrate the base portion 41, so that both terminal holes 46 are positioned below the lowest parallel fin 51 on the heat dissipation surface 44. In addition, in the heat dissipation member 22, a pair of positioning protrusions 53 is provided on the heat dissipation surface 44 of the base portion 41. Each positioning protrusion 53 is positioned outside the pair of terminal holes 46 in the width direction on the heat dissipation surface 44, and has a columnar shape protruding from the heat dissipation surface 44 to the rear in the optical axis direction.

[0027] As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the socket 23 is made of a material having thermal conductivity, and is made of a resin member in the first embodiment. The socket 23 has a socket main body 61 and a socket heat dissipation part 62, and has a function of dissipating heat transferred from the heat dissipation member 22 to the outside (mainly the socket heat dissipation part 62). The socket main body 61 has a mounting surface 63 on the front side in the optical axis direction, and a heat dissipation surface 64 on the opposite side (rear side in the optical axis direction) that is continuous with the socket heat dissipation part 62. The mounting surface 63 is provided with a cylindrical peripheral wall 61a whose outer diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11, a flange wall 61b that protrudes outward from the mounting surface 61a along a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and a bottom wall 61c that closes the rear side of the peripheral wall 61a in the optical axis direction. The socket main body 61 is divided into a mounting surface 63 side and a heat dissipation surface 64 side by the bottom wall 61c.

[0028] The socket body 61 is provided with four mounting protrusions 61d protruding from the peripheral wall 61a outward in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. The four mounting protrusions 61d are provided at substantially equal intervals in the peripheral direction of the peripheral wall 61a, and can pass through notches provided on the edge of the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11. After each mounting protrusion 61d passes through the notch, the rotational attitude of the socket body 61 relative to the lamp housing 11 is changed and the mounting protrusion 61d is assigned to a stopper portion, so that the peripheral portion of the mounting hole 11a and the sealing member 15 can be sandwiched between the flange wall 61b and the mounting protrusion 61d (see FIG. 1). As a result, each mounting protrusion 61d cooperates with the flange wall 61b to detachably mount the socket 23, i.e., the light source unit 20, to the lamp housing 11 via the sealing member 15.

[0029] In the socket body 61, a fin groove 66, an installation hole 67, and a positioning hole 68 are provided on the inside of the peripheral wall 61a of the mounting surface 63. The fin groove 66 is adapted to fit the heat dissipating fin section 42, and has a shape obtained by inverting the heat dissipating fin section 42. That is, the fin groove 66 is a combination of parallel grooves 66a that fit the four parallel fins 51 and connecting grooves 66b that fit the two connecting fins 52, arranged in a lattice pattern. Therefore, the fin groove 66 can receive the heat dissipating fin section 42 so as to be appropriately engaged with the heat dissipating fin section 42.

[0030] The installation hole 67 is a place where the power supply member 24 (see FIG. 3) is installed, and penetrates the bottom wall 61c in the optical axis direction. The power supply member 24 is connected to the connector 16 (see FIG. 1) on the power supply side in a mechanically detachable and electrically disconnectable manner, and supplies power from the connector 16 to the light source unit 20. The power supply member 24 has a pair of pin terminals 24a, and the pin terminals 24a are electrically connected to the terminal connection holes 47b, so that power can be supplied to the circuit board 47. The installation hole 67 is shaped to imitate the outer shape of the power supply member 24, and the power supply member 24 is fitted in through an insulating material, thereby ensuring the insulation of the power supply member 24. The installation hole 67 communicates with an attachment portion (inner side) provided on the heat dissipation surface 64. When the power supply member 24 is mounted in the mounting hole 67, the connecting terminal on the rear side in the optical axis direction is exposed within the mounting location, and when the power supply side connector 16 (see FIG. 1) is mounted at the mounting location, the connecting terminal is electrically connected to the connecting terminal of the connector 16.

[0031] The positioning holes 68 form a pair corresponding to the pair of positioning protrusions 53 of the heat dissipation member 22, and are holes into which the positioning protrusions 53 can be inserted. Each positioning hole 68 is located on the mounting surface 63 outside the installation hole 67 in the width direction, and is a hole extending rearward in the optical axis direction. Each positioning hole 68 determines the relative position of the heat dissipation member 22 and the socket 23 by inserting the corresponding positioning protrusion 53. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the pair of positioning protrusions 53 of the heat dissipation member 22 becomes the heat dissipation side positioning portion, and the pair of positioning holes 68 of the socket 23 becomes the socket side positioning portion. Note that the positions and numbers of the heat dissipation side positioning portion and the socket side positioning portion may be appropriately set as long as they determine the relative positions of the heat dissipation member 22 and the socket 23, and the protrusions and holes may be interchanged, or other configurations may be used, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0032] The socket heat dissipation section 62 dissipates (radiates) the heat transferred from the heat dissipation member 22 to the outside, and has a number of fins 69. Each fin 69 is plate-shaped along a plane perpendicular to the width direction, and is arranged in parallel in the width direction while protruding rearward in the optical axis direction from the heat dissipation surface 64. As shown in Fig. 1, the heat dissipation surface 64 has an attachment portion where the power supply connector 16 is inserted in a portion where the fins 69 are not provided. The connector 16 is attached mechanically and detachably to this attachment portion, and when the connector 16 is attached, its connecting terminal is electrically connected to a connecting terminal of the power supply member 24 (see Fig. 3, etc.) provided in the installation hole 67.

[0033] The light source unit 20 is assembled as follows. First, as shown in FIG. 3, the power supply member 24 is fitted into the installation hole 67 of the mounting surface 63 of the socket 23 via an insulating material. In addition, on the installation surface 43 of the base portion 41 of the heat dissipation member 22, the light source 21 is attached to the central region of the convex surface portion 43a via the adhesive layer 33, and the circuit board 47 is attached to the concave surface portion 43b via the adhesive sheet 48. At this time, in the adhesive sheet 48 and the circuit board 47, the pair of crimping protrusions 45 of the concave surface portion 43b are passed through the corresponding crimping notches 48a and crimping holes 47a, and the terminal connection holes 47b and the terminal connection notches 48b corresponding to the pair of terminal holes 46 of the concave surface portion 43b are overlapped. Thereafter, the tips of both crimping protrusions 45 are crushed and plastically deformed, that is, crimped, to more firmly fix the circuit board 47 to the concave surface portion 43b.

[0034] Next, a pair of bonding wires 49 are arranged to bridge each of the connection terminals 31b of the submount substrate 31 of the light source 21 and each of the connection terminals 47c of the circuit board 47. Then, both ends of each of the bonding wires 49 assigned to each of the connection terminals 31b and each of the connection terminals 47c are electrically connected by ultrasonic wire bonding. Next, a thermal conductor 71 is provided in the fin groove portion 66 of the mounting surface 63 of the socket body portion 61 of the socket 23. This thermal conductor 71 is provided to improve the thermal transferability between the heat dissipation fin portion 42 of the heat dissipation member 22 and the fin groove portion 66 of the socket 23, and in the first embodiment, thermally conductive grease is used.

[0035] Then, in the peripheral wall 61a of the socket body 61, each positioning projection 53 is inserted into the corresponding positioning hole 68. Heat dissipation surface 44 The heat sink 22 is pressed into the socket 23 by placing the heat sink 22 against the mounting surface 63. When pressing the heat sink 22 into the socket 23, ultrasonic waves may be used as appropriate, that is, ultrasonic waves may or may not be used. At this time, due to the positioning action of each positioning projection 53 and each positioning hole 68, Heat dissipation surface 44The heat dissipation fin portion 42 is fitted into the fin groove portion 66 of the mounting surface 63, and each pin terminal 24a of the power supply member 24 provided in the installation hole 67 of the socket 23 is passed through the corresponding terminal hole 46 of the socket main body 61 and into the corresponding terminal connection hole 47b of the circuit board 47. Next, the pin terminals 24a are electrically connected to the terminal connection hole 47b using solder or the like, thereby allowing the light source unit 20 to be assembled.

[0036] The light source unit 20 is inserted into the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11 from the light source 21 side with the sealing member 15 provided around the peripheral wall 61a and facing the flange wall 61b, and each mounting protrusion 61d of the socket 23 is passed through a notch provided on the edge of the mounting hole 11a. Thereafter, the rotational attitude of the socket main body 61 relative to the lamp housing 11 is changed so that each mounting protrusion 61d is faced to a corresponding stopper portion, and the light source unit 20 is attached to the lamp housing 11 with the sealing member 15 sandwiched between the flange wall 61b and the peripheral portion of the mounting hole 11a. The reflector 13 and the lamp lens 12 are attached to the lamp housing 11, and the vehicle lamp 10 is assembled. In the vehicle lamp 10, the light source 21 and the circuit board 47 in the light source unit 20 are disposed inside the lamp chamber 14, on the reflective surface 13a side of the reflector 13, through the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11 and the mounting hole 13b of the reflector 13. In the vehicle lamp 10, a power source connector 16 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the mounting location of the socket 23 of the light source unit 20 attached to the lamp housing 11, so that power can be supplied to the circuit board 47 through the power supply member 24, and the light source 21 can be turned on and off appropriately.

[0037] In this vehicle lamp 10, the heat dissipation fin portion 42 of the heat dissipation member 22 is fitted into the fin groove portion 66 of the socket 23, so that heat generated in the light source 21 can be efficiently transferred from the heat dissipation member 22 to the socket 23, and the heat can be released from the socket 23 to the outside. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can appropriately cool the light source 21, and can appropriately light the light source 21. In particular, since the vehicle lamp 10 is also provided with the socket heat dissipation portion 62 (each fin 69) in the socket 23, the heat transferred from the heat dissipation member 22 to the socket 23 can be efficiently radiated, and the heat dissipation of the heat dissipation member 22 can be promoted.

[0038] Here, the problems of the conventional vehicle lamp described in the prior art document will be described. In the conventional vehicle lamp, a heat dissipation member is provided with a plurality of fins, and a connector portion (corresponding to the socket 23 of the present disclosure) is combined with the heat dissipation member by insert molding so as to fill the spaces between the fins. In this conventional vehicle lamp, a support member is provided in the mold to support the heat dissipation member provided with a plurality of fins from the side where the fins are provided, so that the heat dissipation member provided with a plurality of fins is kept at an appropriate position in the mold during insert molding. For this reason, in the conventional vehicle lamp, a through hole is formed in the connector portion at the site where the support member is removed, leading from the side where the fins of the heat dissipation member are provided to the outside, and an air passage is formed from the through hole through the heat dissipation member including the fins (and its surroundings) between the outside and the board side. As a result, in the conventional vehicle lamp, there is a risk that moisture will enter the board side, i.e., the space where the light source and the like provided on the board are provided, through the through hole, which causes fogging, water droplets, and the like, and therefore there is room for improvement.

[0039] In contrast, the vehicle lamp 10 has a fin groove 66 and a pair of positioning holes 68 in which the heat dissipation fin portion 42 of the heat dissipation member 22 is fitted on the mounting surface 63 of the socket 23 in the light source unit 20, and a pair of positioning protrusions 53 on the heat dissipation surface 44 of the heat dissipation member 22. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can be in a state where the heat dissipation fin portion 42 is fitted into the fin groove 66 by attaching the heat dissipation member 22 and the socket 23 after positioning them with both positioning holes 68 and both positioning protrusions 53. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 does not perform insert molding, so that it is possible to prevent a through hole from being formed in the socket 23, and it is possible to assemble the heat dissipation member 22 and the socket 23 by engaging the fin groove 66 with the heat dissipation fin portion 42. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can prevent moisture from entering the periphery of the light source 21 and the circuit board 47, and can efficiently release heat generated by the light source 21 from the heat dissipation member 22.

[0040] Furthermore, in the light source unit 20 of the vehicle lamp 10, the heat dissipating fin section 42 is provided with a plurality of parallel fins 51 and a plurality of connecting fins 52. Therefore, in the heat dissipating member 22, the vehicle lamp 10 can suppress deformation of the heat dissipating fin section 42 when the tips of both crimping protrusions 45 are crimped to fix the circuit board 47 to the concave surface section 43b. This is due to the following. When the tips of the crimping protrusions 45 are crimped in the heat dissipating member 22, pressure is applied between the tips and the heat dissipating fin section 42 on the opposite side. Therefore, if the heat dissipating fin section 42 only has a plurality of parallel fins 51, there is a risk that each parallel fin 51 will be deformed, such as falling over or bending. In contrast, in the vehicle lamp 10 (light source unit 20), the heat dissipating fin section 42 is provided with a plurality of connecting fins 52 spanning the parallel fins 51 in the parallel direction of the parallel fins 51, and the connecting fins 52 prevent changes in the spacing between the parallel fins 51. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, even if the tips of both crimping protrusions 45 are crimped, deformation of the heat dissipating fin section 42 can be suppressed.

[0041] In particular, the vehicle lamp 10 has two connecting fins 52 arranged on the same line as the crimping protrusion 45 in the optical axis direction. Here, since both crimping protrusions 45 protrude in the optical axis direction, the pressure applied between the crimping protrusions 45 and the heat dissipation fin portion 42 when the tip is crimped is also along the optical axis direction. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can receive the pressure applied when the tip of each crimping protrusion 45 is crimped by each connecting fin 52 on the same line as each crimping protrusion 45, and can effectively suppress deformation of the heat dissipation fin portion 42 including each connecting fin 52. Moreover, since both crimping protrusions 45 in the first embodiment are positioned on the same line as the position where the parallel fin 51 and the connecting fin 52 intersect in the optical axis direction, deformation of the heat dissipation fin portion 42 due to the pressure applied when the tip of each crimping protrusion 45 is crimped can be more effectively suppressed.

[0042] Furthermore, the vehicle lamp 10 has the circuit board 47 firmly fixed to the concave surface portion 43b by crimping the two crimping protrusions 45. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can electrically connect both ends of the pair of bonding wires 49 to the connection terminals 31b of the light source 21 and the connection terminals 47c of the circuit board 47 by ultrasonic wire bonding. This is because if the circuit board 47 is attached to the concave surface portion 43b only by the adhesive sheet 48, it may fall off from the concave surface portion 43b or may be displaced during ultrasonic wire bonding. This provides the same effect against impacts (such as ultrasonic vibrations) when the heat dissipation member 22 and the socket 23 are attached, and against vibrations when the vehicle lamp 10 is mounted on the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 can electrically connect the light source 21 and the circuit board 47 at an appropriate position, and can emit the desired light.

[0043] In addition, the vehicle lamp 10 has each of the parallel fins 51 in a thick plate shape. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can increase the strength of the heat dissipation fin section 42 and ensure heat capacity compared to when the parallel fins 51 are in a thin plate shape (the parallel fins 51A of the second embodiment). Moreover, the vehicle lamp 10 has each connecting fin 52 provided across the thick plate-shaped parallel fins 51. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can increase the surface area of ​​the heat dissipation fin section 42 and can more efficiently release heat generated by the light source 21 from the heat dissipation member 22 compared to when only the parallel fins 51 are provided.

[0044] The vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment can provide the following functions and effects.

[0045] In the vehicle lamp 10, the heat dissipation member 22 has a heat dissipation fin portion 42 and a heat dissipation side positioning portion (positioning protrusion 53), and the socket 23 has a fin groove portion 66 and a socket side positioning portion (positioning hole 68). Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can be in a state where the heat dissipation fin portion 42 is fitted into the fin groove portion 66 by attaching the heat dissipation member 22 and the socket 23 after positioning them with the heat dissipation side positioning portion and the socket side positioning portion. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 does not perform insert molding, so that it is possible to prevent a through hole from being formed in the socket 23, it is possible to prevent moisture from entering the periphery of the light source 21 and the circuit board 47, and it is possible to efficiently release heat generated by the light source 21 from the heat dissipation member 22.

[0046] The vehicle lamp 10 has a thermal conductor 71 provided between the heat dissipation fin portion 42 and the fin groove portion 66. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can suppress the formation of a gap between the fitted fin groove portion 66 and the heat dissipation fin portion 42, and can dissipate heat generated by the light source 21 from the heat dissipation member 22 more efficiently.

[0047] The heat dissipation fin section 42 of the vehicle lamp 10 is flat and has a plurality of parallel fins 51 arranged in parallel with their flat outer surfaces facing each other. Therefore, the heat dissipation fin section 42 of the vehicle lamp 10 can have a simple shape while ensuring a sufficient surface area, and can be easily fitted into the fin groove section 66 while allowing the heat generated by the light source 21 to be released from the heat dissipation member 22 more efficiently.

[0048] In the vehicle lamp 10, the heat dissipating fin section 42 has connecting fins 52 that bridge the parallel direction of the multiple parallel fins 51 and protrude from the heat dissipating surface 44. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can increase the surface area of ​​the heat dissipating fin section 42 while ensuring the strength of the heat dissipating fin section 42, compared to a case in which only the parallel fins 51 are provided.

[0049] The vehicle lamp 10 has a crimping hole 47a formed in the substrate (circuit board 47), and a crimping protrusion 45 protruding from the mounting surface 43 formed in the heat dissipation member 22. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the substrate can be firmly fixed to the mounting surface 43 of the heat dissipation member 22 by crimping the tip of the crimping protrusion 45 with the crimping protrusion 45 passing through the crimping hole 47a.

[0050] In the vehicle lamp 10, the crimping protrusion 45 is provided on the same straight line as the connecting fin 52 in a direction perpendicular to the substrate (circuit board 47). Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, deformation of the heat dissipation fin portion 42 can be suppressed when the tip of the crimping protrusion 45 is crimped.

[0051] Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment as the vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure can efficiently release heat from the light source 21 while suppressing the intrusion of moisture into the light source 21 side. EXAMPLES

[0052] Next, a vehicle lamp 10A according to Example 2, which is an embodiment of the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Fig. 7 to Fig. 10. The vehicle lamp 10A is obtained by modifying the configuration of the light source unit 20 in the vehicle lamp 10 according to Example 1. Since the basic concept and configuration of the vehicle lamp 10A are similar to those of the vehicle lamp 10 according to Example 1, parts having the same configuration are given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions are omitted.

[0053] The vehicle lamp 10A of the second embodiment has a light source unit 20A shown in Figures 7 and 8. The light source unit 20A is different from the light source unit 20 in the configurations of a heat dissipation member 22A and a socket 23A.

[0054] In the heat dissipation member 22A, the convex portion 43aA on the installation surface 43A of the base portion 41A has an area substantially equal to that of the light source 21 when viewed from the front side in the optical axis direction. That is, unlike the convex portion 43a of the first embodiment, the convex portion 43aA does not extend above the location where the light source 21 is installed. Therefore, the concave portion 43bA has a shape surrounding the convex portion 43aA. Except for this, the installation surface 43A of the heat dissipation member 22A has the same configuration as the installation surface 43 of the heat dissipation member 22 of the first embodiment, and the light source 21, the circuit board 47, and both bonding wires 49 are attached in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0055] In the heat dissipation member 22A, the configuration of the heat dissipation fin section 42A on the heat dissipation surface 44A is different from that of the heat dissipation fin section 42 of the first embodiment. The heat dissipation fin section 42A has a plurality of parallel fins 51A protruding from the heat dissipation surface 44A to the rear side in the optical axis direction, but does not have anything corresponding to the connecting fin 52 of the first embodiment. The parallel fins 51A are flat plate-shaped perpendicular to the vertical direction on the heat dissipation surface 44A, and are arranged side by side (in parallel) at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. That is, each parallel fin 51A has a flat plate shape, so that it has flat outer surfaces on the top and bottom, and is arranged side by side with the outer surfaces facing each other. The number of parallel fins 51A is six in the first embodiment, and is thinner (thin plate-shaped) than the connecting fin 52 of the first embodiment.

[0056] In the socket 23A, the fin groove portion 66A on the mounting surface 63A of the socket body 61A has a shape obtained by inverting the heat dissipation fin portion 42A. That is, the fin groove portion 66A has parallel grooves 66aA that fit the six parallel fins 51 arranged in parallel in the vertical direction. Therefore, the fin groove portion 66A can receive the heat dissipation fin portion 42A so that the heat dissipation fin portion 42A can be properly engaged with the parallel groove portion 66aA.

[0057] Next, the assembly and operation of the vehicle lamp 10A will be described. The vehicle lamp 10A can be assembled in the same manner as the vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment. In the vehicle lamp 10A, the heat dissipation fin portion 42A of the heat dissipation member 22A is fitted into the fin groove portion 66A of the socket 23A without insert molding, as in the vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10A can prevent moisture from entering the periphery of the light source 21 and the circuit board 47, and can efficiently release heat generated by the light source 21 from the heat dissipation member 22A to the external socket 23A.

[0058] The vehicular lamp 10A of the second embodiment can provide the following advantages. This vehicular lamp 10A has a basically similar configuration to the vehicular lamp 10 of the first embodiment, and therefore can provide the same advantages as the first embodiment.

[0059] In addition, in the light source unit 20A of the vehicle lamp 10A, the heat dissipation fin portion 42A has a plurality of parallel fins 51A protruding from the heat dissipation surface 44A to the rear side in the optical axis direction. Therefore, the shape of the heat dissipation fin portion 42A and the fin groove portion 66A of the vehicle lamp 10A can be simplified compared to the vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment, and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed and the heat dissipation fin portion 42A can be more reliably fitted into the fin groove portion 66A. Also, in the light source unit 20A of the vehicle lamp 10A, each parallel fin 51A is thin plate-shaped, so that the surface area can be increased compared to each thick plate-shaped parallel fin 51 of the first embodiment.

[0060] Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10A of the second embodiment as the vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure can efficiently release heat from the light source 21 while suppressing the intrusion of moisture into the light source 21 side.

[0061] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure has been described above based on each embodiment, however, the specific configuration is not limited to each embodiment, and design changes and additions are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention according to each claim in the scope of the claims.

[0062] In each embodiment, the thermal conductor 71 is provided between the heat dissipation fin portion 42, 42A and the fin groove portion 66, 66A. However, if the heat dissipation fin portion 42, 42A is fitted into the fin groove portion 66, 66A, the thermal conductor 71 does not have to be provided, and is not limited to the configuration of each embodiment.

[0063] In each embodiment, a submount type light source 21 is used and electrically connected to the circuit board 47 by a pair of bonding wires 49 provided by wire bonding. However, the light source is not limited to the configuration of each embodiment as long as it is attached to the heat dissipation members 22, 22A and is turned on and off appropriately by the supply of power from the power supply side connector 16 attached to the sockets 23, 23A.

[0064] Furthermore, in each embodiment, the heat dissipating fin portion 42, 42A has the above-mentioned configuration. However, the heat dissipating fin portion only needs to have a so-called fin shape that expands the surface area to enhance the heat dissipation of the heat dissipation member 22, 22A, and is not limited to the configuration of each embodiment. Furthermore, in each embodiment, the fin groove portion 66, 66A has the above-mentioned configuration. However, the fin groove portion only needs to be one that allows the heat dissipating fin portion to be fitted therein, that is, one that has an inverted shape of the heat dissipating fin portion, and is not limited to the configuration of each embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 10, 10A Vehicle lamp 21 Light source 22, 22A Heat dissipation member 23, 23A Socket 42, 42A Heat dissipation fin portion 43, 43A Installation surface 44, 44A Heat dissipation surface 45 Crimping protrusion 47 (as an example of a substrate) Circuit board 47a Crimping hole 51, 51A Parallel fins 52 Connecting fin 53 Positioning protrusion (as an example of a heat dissipation side positioning portion) 63, 63A Mounting surface 66, 66A Fin groove portion 68 Positioning hole (as an example of a socket side positioning portion) 71 Thermal conductor

Claims

1. A light source; a heat dissipation member that dissipates heat from the light source and is placed on an installation surface; a socket to which the heat dissipation member is attached, the heat dissipation member has a heat dissipation fin portion protruding from a heat dissipation surface opposite to the installation surface, and a heat dissipation side positioning portion provided on the heat dissipation surface, the socket has, on an attachment surface facing the heat dissipation surface, a fin groove portion into which the heat dissipation fin portion is fitted, and a socket side positioning portion which cooperates with the heat dissipation side positioning portion to determine a positional relationship between the heat dissipation member and the socket, The heat dissipation fin portion has a flat plate shape and includes a plurality of parallel fins arranged in parallel with their flat outer surfaces facing each other, and a connecting fin that bridges the parallel fins in the parallel direction and protrudes from the heat dissipation surface, The socket has a socket main body portion in which the fin groove portion and the socket side positioning portion are provided, and a socket heat dissipation portion that dissipates heat from the heat dissipation member to the outside, and the socket main body portion and the socket heat dissipation portion are partitioned by a bottom wall of the socket main body portion.

2. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein a heat conductor is provided between the heat dissipation fin portion and the fin groove portion.

3. The light source is a submount type light emitting element, a substrate electrically connected to the light source is provided on the installation surface at a position different from the light source; The substrate is provided with a through hole for crimping, 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation member is provided with a crimping protrusion that protrudes from the installation surface and can be inserted into the crimping hole.

4. A vehicle lighting fixture as described in Claim 3, characterized in that the crimping protrusion is arranged in the same straight line as the connecting fin in a direction perpendicular to the substrate.

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