Vehicle lighting equipment

Abstract

To provide a circuit board which can be continuously arranged even when emitting light in different modes.SOLUTION: An illumination device 10 for a vehicle comprises a plurality of circuit boards 12 mounted with at least one light source 16, and a connector member 20 for electrically connecting the adjacent circuit board 12, wherein the circuit boards 12 are formed in a bent shape, each have notch parts 15 so that central parts in a width direction are retreated toward the central side in a longitudinal direction both ends in the longitudinal direction, and has a pair of connection terminals 18 electrically connected to the light source 16 between the notch parts 15, when one end in the longitudinal direction of the one circuit board 12A and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board 12B are abutted to each other, and an opening is formed by the mutual notch parts 15 at the abutted part of both of the circuit boards 12A and 12B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Illumination devices are generally installed in the passenger compartments of vehicles such as trains in order to improve visibility and convenience at night or in dark places, or to improve design. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which first and second illumination devices having the same structure are connected in series to the ceiling of a railway vehicle so that the power supply paths are different.

[0003] Specifically, in each lighting device, a plurality of unit LED modules are connected in series, and each unit LED module includes a substrate on which a plurality of LEDs are mounted, a pair of positive and negative wirings connected to the plurality of LEDs, and a pair of positive and negative wirings not connected to the plurality of LEDs. The first lighting device and the second lighting device are cross-connected such that a pair of wirings connected to the plurality of LEDs in the first lighting device is connected to a pair of wirings not connected to the LEDs in the second lighting device, and a pair of wirings not connected to the plurality of LEDs in the first lighting device is connected to a pair of wirings connected to the LEDs in the second lighting device. With this configuration, the light emission mode of the first lighting device and the second lighting device having the same configuration can be controlled synchronously or asynchronously. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6550037 [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-243462 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, according to the above configuration, in order to make the light emission mode different for each lighting device, in addition to the wiring pair for controlling the light emission of the LED mounted in the unit LED module, each unit LED module needs to have wiring pairs for controlling the light emission of the LED mounted in the different unit LED modules, the number of which is equal to the number of light emission modes. As the light emission modes increase, there is a problem that board space is required to provide extra wiring pairs that are not used in the unit LED module. In addition, in order to make the lighting devices emit light in different modes, cross-connection is required between the lighting devices, and as shown in Patent Document 2, for example, two unit LED modules cannot be arranged consecutively, and there is a problem that the arrangement interval of the LEDs is shifted between one unit LED module and the other unit LED module.

[0006] An object of the present technology is to provide a circuit board that can be arranged in series with one another even when the circuit boards emit light in different modes, and another object is to provide a vehicle lighting device using the circuit board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problem, the present technology provides a vehicle lighting device including a plurality of circuit boards on which at least one light source is mounted, and a connector member that electrically connects the adjacent circuit boards, wherein the circuit boards are belt-shaped and each of the circuit boards has a notch at each of both longitudinal ends, the central portion in the width direction of the circuit board being recessed toward the longitudinal center, and a pair of connection terminals electrically connected to the light source between the notches, and when one end of one of the circuit boards along the longitudinal direction is brought into contact with the other end of the other circuit board along the longitudinal direction, an opening is formed by the notch at the abutting portion of both circuit boards.

[0008] According to the above configuration, a long vehicle lighting device having a desired length can be realized by connecting a plurality of circuit boards with connector members. At this time, the circuit boards can be arranged at a distance from each other, but can also be arranged continuously in the longitudinal direction. When the circuit boards are arranged continuously, an opening is formed between adjacent boards that communicates one side and the other side. Therefore, for example, when the circuit boards are arranged continuously and a cable-shaped connector member is connected to a connection terminal on one side of a specific circuit board, the cable part of the connector member can be drawn out through the opening to the other side of the board for wiring. In other words, when various control wirings (cable-shaped connector members) are connected to a plurality of circuit boards to emit light from the light source in different modes, only the connector member used to control the circuit board can be drawn out through the opening to one side and connected to the connection terminal, and the control wirings not used to control the circuit board can be wired together on the other side. This realizes a vehicle lighting device that can emit light from the light source in various modes, even when the circuit boards are arranged continuously (with zero gaps).

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, the pair of connection terminals are respectively arranged on the edges of the notches, and the connector member includes a first connector member having a main body and a pair of connector-side terminal portions protruding from one side of the main body and the other side opposite to the one side and engaging with the connection terminals, and the first connector member is configured such that, when one end portion along the longitudinal direction of one of the circuit boards is abutted against the other end portion along the longitudinal direction of the other of the circuit boards, the pair of connector-side terminal portions can be engaged with the connection terminals of the one of the circuit boards and the connection terminals of the other of the circuit boards with the main body disposed in the opening. According to the first connector member configured as described above, when a plurality of circuit boards are continuously arranged along the longitudinal direction, the circuit boards can be linearly connected with the first connector member disposed in the opening.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the circuit board is a double-sided board, the pair of connection terminals are provided on the surface of the circuit board opposite to the side on which the light source is provided, and the connector member includes a second connector member having a cable-shaped wiring portion and a pair of connector-side terminal portions provided at both ends of the wiring portion and fitted with the pair of connection terminals. According to the above configuration, it is possible to arrange a plurality of circuit boards not only in a straight line but also in an arc shape with any curvature or bend at any angle. In addition, it is possible to arrange a plurality of circuit boards not only continuously along the arrangement direction but also at intervals. This allows the circuit boards (light sources) to be arranged in any pattern while using the same circuit board, thereby realizing a variety of designs by light emission.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the lighting device further includes a lens member that is capable of transmitting visible light, supports the circuit board along both ends in the width direction, and covers the light source. According to the above configuration, the circuit board can be stably supported, and dirt from the outside can be prevented from adhering to the light source. In addition, the light emitted from the light source can be diffused by the lens member. Therefore, in a form in which an LED, which is a point light source with high directivity, is used as the light source, the strong light from the light source can be changed into soft light and emitted. In particular, in a form in which the lens member is sufficiently longer than the circuit board, the lens member can stably support a plurality of circuit boards arranged in a straight line. This configuration is suitable for application to a vehicle lighting device that is attached to a vehicle that generates vibrations during driving, since the above effect becomes even more pronounced.

[0012] In the present technology, the material constituting the lens member may be any material capable of transmitting visible light, and preferably has a total light transmittance of 20% or more as defined in ISO 13468-1 (2019). The total light transmittance is preferably 25% or more, 30% or more, or 35% or more, and is preferably 90% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, or 60% or less.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the lens member includes a pair of walls extending along the longitudinal direction while facing each other, and a bottom portion continuous with the pair of walls, and the opposing surfaces of the pair of walls are provided with support portions that protrude toward the other surface and support both ends in the width direction of the circuit board. The lens member having the above configuration can be easily and inexpensively manufactured, for example, by an extrusion method, since the cross-sectional shape intersecting the longitudinal direction is constant. In addition, when the circuit board is supported by the support portion, the space secured between the board and the bottom portion allows the light emitted from the light source to be diffused and incident on the lens member. This makes it possible to achieve both stable support of the circuit board and uniform light.

[0014] The lens member is made of a high refractive index material having a refractive index of 1.4 or more. With the above configuration, the light emitted from the light source can be refracted when passing through the lens member and then emitted. In addition, in a lens member that covers multiple light sources, depending on the angle of incidence of the light from the light source, the incident light can be guided inside the lens member. This allows the light from the light source to be emitted more uniformly.

[0015] In another aspect, the present technology provides a circuit board for use in a vehicle lighting device, the circuit board being configured by electrically connecting a plurality of circuit boards, each circuit board having at least one light source mounted thereon, by a connector member, the circuit board being belt-shaped and including notches at both longitudinal ends, each of which has a central portion in the width direction recessed toward the longitudinal center, and including a pair of connection terminals between the notches, the connection terminals being electrically connected to the light source, and when one longitudinal end of one of the circuit boards is brought into contact with the other longitudinal end of the other circuit board, an opening is formed by the notches at the abutting portion of both circuit boards.

[0016] In a circuit board on which a light source such as an LED is mounted, it is desirable to use a printed wiring board of one shape since punching the circuit board requires costs. It is also desirable to use a circuit board of one shape to configure a lighting device capable of various light emission controls. With the above configuration, a circuit board of one configuration is configured using a printed wiring board of one shape, and a vehicle lighting device capable of emitting light from a light source in various forms as described above can be realized. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present technology, it is possible to provide a circuit board that allows elements to be arranged continuously with each other even when they are to emit light in different modes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle in which a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment is used; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing how the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 1 illuminates the floor surface of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is another perspective view showing the main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; [Diagram 5] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of another main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of another main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the vehicle lighting device attached to the ceiling of the vehicle shown in FIG. [Figure 12] Enlarged view of the main part of Figure 11 [Figure 13]FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing how the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11 illuminates the ceiling of a vehicle. [Figure 14] 12 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11. [Figure 15] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11; [Figure 16] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a circuit board in the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11; [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a structure of a vehicle lighting device according to another embodiment; [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 19] 19 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 18. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] <Embodiment 1> The vehicle lighting device and the circuit board according to the present technology will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 10 as appropriate. The symbols D1, D2, D3, D4, U, and D shown in each figure respectively indicate one side and the other side along the longitudinal direction of the circuit board in the vehicle lighting device, one side and the other side in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and up and down in the vertical direction. However, the above directions are merely defined for the convenience of explaining the vehicle lighting device, and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner.

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a state where vehicle lighting devices 10, 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "lighting devices") are attached to the ceiling and side walls close to the floor surface of the cabin of a vehicle 1 such as an automobile so as to surround the cabin. The lighting device 100 attached to the ceiling will be described in embodiment 2. The cabin is roughly surrounded by a side wall material 2, a floor material 3, and a ceiling material 4. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the floor material 3 is curved so as to rise upward at the periphery of the floor surface, and a lighting device 10 for illuminating the floor surface is installed in a gap provided between the rising part of the floor material 3 and the lower end of the side wall material 2. The lighting device 10 of this example is generally linear, and is designed to be compact in width and height despite its long length. The lighting device 10 of this example is fixed to a metal body panel 5 by a fastening member 9. As shown in Fig. 4, the lighting device 10 includes a plurality of circuit boards 12 and a plurality of connector members 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the lighting device 10 of this embodiment additionally includes a lens member 30 and a cover member 39. Each element will be described below.

[0021] The circuit board 12 is a main component of the lighting device 10. The lighting device 10 is constructed by connecting a plurality of circuit boards 12 in a desired shape with connector members 20. The circuit board 12 includes a printed wiring board 14, and a light source 16 and a connection terminal 18 mounted on the printed wiring board. In addition to the light source 16 and the connection terminal 18, the circuit board 12 may be equipped with other electronic elements, such as passive elements such as a capacitor and active elements such as a Zener diode, for the purpose of stably supplying power to the light source 16.

[0022] The printed wiring board 14 is mainly composed of an insulating substrate, and a predetermined circuit pattern (not shown) is provided on one surface or both surfaces of the substrate. The circuit pattern is designed to electrically connect the light source 16 and the connection terminal 18. The printed wiring board 14 in this example is a so-called rigid substrate, for example, a glass epoxy substrate with patterned copper-clad wiring. The printed wiring board 14 is generally in the shape of a substantially rectangular band. The printed wiring board 14 also has cutouts 15 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, each of which is formed by a central portion in the width direction retreating toward the longitudinal center. In this example, one cutout 15 is in the shape of a substantially U-shape, and is retreated from the end of the printed wiring board 14 by a dimension L3. This gives the printed wiring board 14 an H-like shape.

[0023] The light source 16 is composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) element capable of emitting visible light. The circuit board 12 is configured by mounting the light source 16 on the printed wiring board 14. One or more light sources 16 may be mounted on one circuit board 12. In this example, four LED elements are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction on the circuit board 12. The spacing L1 between the four LED elements is adjusted to be approximately twice the distance L2 from the longitudinal ends of the printed wiring board 14 to the LED elements at both ends along the longitudinal direction.

[0024] The connection terminals 18 are elements that electrically connect the connector member 20 and the circuit pattern of the printed wiring board 14. The connection terminals 18 in this example constitute one side of the mating interface, and include a socket (female) type housing and a pair of positive and negative terminals arranged in an insulated state inside the housing. The connection terminals 18 are arranged one by one on each edge of the cutout portions 15 on both ends of the printed wiring board 14. The connection terminals 18 are mounted on the printed wiring board 14 so that the mating direction is along the longitudinal direction of the printed wiring board 14 (in other words, horizontal to the surface of the board) and the socket opening faces outward.

[0025] The connector member 20 is an element for electrically connecting to the circuit board 12 and sending electric power and electrical signals for control to the circuit board 12. The connector member 20 constitutes the other of the mating interfaces in the lighting device 10 and has a configuration capable of mating and connecting with the connection terminal 18. The connector member 20 may roughly include a first connector member 21 that linearly connects the two circuit boards 12 with zero gap, and a second connector member 22 that freely connects the circuit board 12 to other electronic components (including the circuit board 12). The connector member 20 may include either the first connector member 21 or the second connector member 22, or may include both, depending on the shape of the lighting device. In addition, the connector member 20 may include any number of each of the connector members 21 and 22 depending on the form of the desired lighting device.

[0026] The first connector member 21 is an element that electrically and physically connects the two circuit boards 12 in a state where they are in linear contact (zero gap). Hereinafter, when it is necessary to distinguish between the two circuit boards 12, one of them will be referred to as the circuit board 12A, and the other will be referred to as the circuit board 12B. As shown in FIG. 4, the first connector member 21 includes a body portion 21A having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a connector side terminal portion 21B protruding from the body portion 21A to one side, and a connector side terminal portion 21C protruding to the other side on the opposite side. The body portion 21A is an element that supports the connector side terminal portions 21B and 21C. The body portion 21A is configured so that the dimension in the fitting direction along the protruding direction of the connector side terminal portions 21B and 21C is slightly smaller than the dimension L3 along the longitudinal direction of the notch portion 15. The body portion 21A is also configured so that its planar shape is slightly smaller than the notch portion 15. Each of the connector side terminals 21B and 21C is composed of a pair of positive and negative terminals. The connector side terminals 21B and 21C in this example are plug (male) type terminals, and are supported by the main body 21A so that the pair of positive and negative terminals protrude from the main body 21A in an insulated state.

[0027] The connector side terminal portion 21B of the first connector member 21 is fitted and connected to the connection terminal 18 provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the one circuit board 12A. The connector side terminal portion 21C of the first connector member 21 is fitted and connected to the connection terminal 18 provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board 12B. At this time, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, one end in the longitudinal direction of the one circuit board 12A and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board 12B are abutted against each other, and openings are formed at the abutting portions of both circuit boards 12A and 12B by the respective cutout portions 15. The main body portion 21A of the first connector member 21 is arranged in the openings formed at the abutting portions of both circuit boards 12A and 12B.

[0028] The second connector member 22 is an element that freely electrically connects one circuit board 12 and another electronic component without restricting their relative positions. The other electronic component may be the circuit board 12, and the second connector member 22 will be described below using the case where the other electronic component is the circuit board 12 as an example. As shown in FIG. 7, the second connector member 22 includes a wiring portion 22C, a main body portion 22A provided at one end of the wiring portion 22C, and a connector side terminal portion 22B protruding to one side from the main body portion 22A. The other end of the wiring portion 22C is provided with a connection terminal portion (not shown) for connecting to another electronic device. The other end of the wiring portion 22C may have the same configuration as the one end, or may have a different configuration. The wiring portion 22C is made of, for example, a resin-coated copper wire or the like, and can be bent. The main body portion 22A is an element that supports the connector side terminal portion 22B. The body 22A is configured so that the dimension in the fitting direction along the protruding direction of the connector side terminal 22B is sufficiently smaller than the dimension L3 along the longitudinal direction of the notch 15. The body 21A is also configured so that the planar shape thereof is slightly smaller than the notch 15. The connector side terminal 22B is configured by a pair of positive and negative terminals. The connector side terminal 22B in this example is a plug (male) type terminal, and is supported by the body 22A so that the pair of positive and negative terminals protrude in an insulated state from the body 22A.

[0029] 8 and 9, the connector side terminal portion 22B of the second connector member 22 is fitted and connected to a connection terminal 18 provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of one circuit board 12C. At this time, one end in the longitudinal direction of one circuit board 12C abuts against the other end in the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board 12B, and openings are formed at the abutting portions of both circuit boards 12B, 12C by the respective cutout portions 15. Furthermore, the main body portion 22A of the second connector member 22 is disposed in the openings formed at the abutting portions of both circuit boards 12B, 12C, and the wiring portion 22C is drawn from the light source mounting surface of the circuit board 12B to the opposite surface.

[0030] The lens member 30 is an element that covers the light source 16 to prevent the light source 16 from being damaged or soiled. The lens member 30 is also an element that diffuses the light emitted from the light source 16. Furthermore, the lens member 30 of this example also serves as a support member that supports the circuit board 12 along both ends in the width direction. The lens member 30 is made of a material that can transmit visible light, and the color of the lens member 30 may be, for example, transparent, or may be a semi-transparent color or milky white color with high light diffusion properties. Such a lens member 30 can be made of synthetic resins such as polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride resin, and acrylic resin. In particular, by making the lens member 30 out of a synthetic resin material having a high refractive index of 1.4 or more, the light emitted from the light source 16 can be refracted when passing through the lens member 30 and then emitted, or the incident light can be guided inside the lens member 30 depending on the angle of incidence of the light from the light source 16. This allows the light from the light source 16 to be emitted more uniformly.

[0031] The lens member 30 includes a pair of walls 31, 32 extending along the longitudinal direction while facing each other, and a bottom portion 33 continuous with the walls 31, 32. The lens member 30 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and in the example shown in FIG. 3, opens upward. Support portions 34 for supporting the circuit board 12 are provided on the opposing surfaces of the pair of walls 31, 32, protruding toward the other surface. In this example, the support portion 34 is formed by two protruding portions extending along the longitudinal direction and spaced apart vertically on the opposing surfaces of the walls 31, 32. The circuit board 12 can be supported from the vertical direction by inserting both ends of the circuit board 12 in the width direction between the two protruding portions of the support portion 34. At this time, the circuit board 12 is attached to the lens member 30 so that the light source mounting surface faces the bottom portion 33. With a lens member 30 configured in this manner, when the circuit board 12 is supported by the support portion 34, the space created between the board 12 and the bottom portion 33 allows the light emitted from the light source 16 to enter the lens member 30 in a diffused state.

[0032] The lens member 30 may be as long as one circuit board 12, or may be any length long enough to support a plurality of circuit boards 12. Such a lens member 30 has a constant cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and can be suitably manufactured, for example, by extrusion molding a thermoplastic resin. The lens member 30 is made of a synthetic resin having elasticity that allows it to bend slightly, so that the circuit board 12 can be attached to the support portion 34 while bending the lens member 30 to widen the gap between the wall portions 31, 32.

[0033] In the lens member 30 of this example, of a pair of wall portions 31, 32, one wall portion 31 is extended so that its height dimension from the bottom portion 33 is greater than that of the other wall portion 32. A plurality of elongated holes 31B are provided in the extended portion 31A of the wall portion 31, and the lens member 30 can be fixed to the body panel 5 by utilizing these elongated holes 31B.

[0034] The cover member 39 is an element that covers the opening of the lens member 30 facing upward, and is in the form of a long plate. Its width dimension is designed to be slightly smaller than the distance between the pair of walls 31, 32 and slightly larger than the distance between the opposing supports 34. After the circuit board 12 is attached to the lens member 30, the cover member 39 is placed above the supports 34 so as to cover the circuit board 12. Since the circuit board 12 of this example has the cutout 15, by covering it with the cover member 39, moisture, dust, etc. in the air are prevented from entering the inside of the lens member 30 through the cutout 15. The cover member 39 may be configured so that the cross section intersecting the longitudinal direction is curved in order to enhance heat dissipation from the circuit board 12.

[0035] Next, the effects of the present technology will be described. According to the present technology, a long lighting device 10 having a desired length can be realized by connecting a plurality of circuit boards 12 with the first connector member 21 and the second connector member 22. At this time, the circuit boards 12 can be arranged at a distance from each other, but can also be arranged continuously in the longitudinal direction, for example, as shown in Figs. 8 to 10. When the circuit boards 12 are arranged continuously, an opening is formed between the adjacent circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C, which communicates the light source mounting surface (one surface) with the opposite surface (the other surface). Therefore, for example, when the circuit boards 12 are arranged continuously and the cable-shaped second connector member 22 is connected to the connection terminal 18 on one surface of a specific circuit board 12A or 12C, the wiring portion 22C of the second connector member 22 can be drawn out to the opposite surface of the circuit board 12 through the opening for wiring.

[0036] 8, when different control wirings (second connector member 22) are connected to the circuit boards 12A and 12B and the circuit board 12C to make the light source 16 emit light in different modes, a first control wiring (second connector member 22) is connected to one of the connection terminals 18 of the circuit board 12A, the circuit boards 12A and 12B are connected by the first connector member 21, and a second control wiring (second connector member 22) is connected to one of the connection terminals 18 of the circuit board 12C. The other end of the second connector member 22 is disposed on the opposite side of the board mounting surface of the circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C. With this configuration, even if the number of control wirings increases, the control wirings do not overlap the light source 16, and it is possible to prevent the light emitted from the light source from being blocked. In addition, since the circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C can be arranged continuously (with zero gap), the arrangement pitch of the light sources 16 can be kept constant, and uniform light can be emitted in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the light emission control of the circuit boards 12A and 12B by the first control wiring and the light emission control of the circuit board 12C by the second control wiring can be synchronized or can be independently synchronized. This realizes the lighting device 10 that can make the light source 16 emit light in various forms. Such a lighting device 10 is also preferable in that it can be realized by the common circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C. Note that in FIG. 10, the multiple circuit boards 12 are shown divided into two rows, but this is to show that power and control signals are sent by different control wiring, and in reality, the multiple circuit boards 12 are arranged in a row. In FIG. 10 and other figures, a gap is provided between the multiple circuit boards 12 for convenience, but in reality, the multiple circuit boards 12 are arranged continuously (with zero gap).

[0037] According to the first connector member 21 having the above-mentioned configuration, when multiple circuit boards 12A, 12B are arranged continuously along the longitudinal direction, the first connector member 21 can be placed in the opening to linearly connect the circuit boards 12A, 12B.

[0038] In addition, the lens member 30 having the above configuration can stably support one or more circuit boards 12A, 12B, 12C, and can prevent dirt from adhering to the light source 16 from the outside. In addition, the light emitted from the light source 16 can be diffused by the lens member 30. Therefore, in a configuration in which an LED, which is a point light source with strong directionality, is used as the light source 16, the strong light from the light source 16 can be changed into soft light and emitted. In particular, in a configuration in which the lens member 30 is sufficiently longer than the circuit boards 12A, 12B, 12C, the lens member 30 can stably support the multiple circuit boards 12A, 12B, 12C in a linear arrangement. When such a configuration is applied to the lighting device 10 attached to a vehicle that generates vibrations during driving, the above-mentioned effects can be exhibited more clearly.

[0039] <Embodiment 2> An illumination device 100 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Figs. 11 to 19. The illumination device 100 of this embodiment is attached along the periphery of a ceiling material 4 of a vehicle 1 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 11, the ceiling material 4 is composed of a peripheral member 4A that forms the periphery of the ceiling, and a central member 4B that bulges out in a dome shape upward from the peripheral member 4A, and an illumination device 100 that illuminates the surface of the central member 4B facing the passenger compartment is installed in the gap formed between the peripheral member 4A and the central member 4B.

[0040] The lighting device 100 of this example is generally installed in an elliptical shape in which a straight portion and a curved portion are combined. The lighting device 100 is designed to have a compact width and height while being long overall. The straight portion has a configuration similar to that of the vehicle lighting device 10 of the first embodiment, and the curved portion (typically, the curved portion shown in FIG. 12) is configured to include a circuit board 112, a connector member 120, and a lens member 130, which are different from the circuit board 12, the connector member 20, and the lens member 30 in the first embodiment, respectively. In addition, the lighting device 100 of this example does not include a cover member 39 because the opening of the lens member 130 is placed on the peripheral member 4A in a position facing downward as shown in FIG. 13. The configuration and the operation and effect other than the differences specifically described below may be the same as those of the first embodiment, and the description of the similar configuration, operation, and effect will be omitted.

[0041] In the circuit board 112, the printed wiring board 114 is provided with a predetermined circuit pattern (not shown) on both sides as shown in Figs. 14 to 17, and the circuit patterns on both sides are electrically connected via through holes (not shown). The light source 16 is mounted on the light source mounting surface 114A, which is one surface of the circuit board 112, and a pair of connection terminals 118 is mounted on the back surface 114B, which is the other surface. These light sources 16 and connection terminals 118 are electrically connected by the circuit pattern. Note that the connection terminals 118 in this example have a dimension L4 from the end of the printed wiring board 114 toward the center in the longitudinal direction that is larger than the dimension L3 of the cutout portion 15, and are arranged on the printed wiring board 114 at a position closer to the center in the longitudinal direction than the connection terminals 18. Each connection terminal 118 has a pair of positive and negative terminals.

[0042] The connector member 120 is an element that freely electrically connects two adjacent circuit boards 112 without restricting their relative positions. The connector member 120 is an example of the second connector member 22 in the first embodiment, and is configured such that the length of the wiring portion 122C is longer than twice the dimension L4 by at least the distance between the two circuit boards 112 so that the two circuit boards 112 can be spaced apart. Connector side connection terminals 122A that fit and connect with the connection terminals 118 are provided on both ends of the wiring portion 122C. Each connector side connection terminal 122A has a pair of positive and negative terminals.

[0043] By using a combination of the circuit board 112 and the connector member 120 configured as described above, the multiple circuit boards 112 can be arranged in a straight line, in an arc shape of any curvature (see FIG. 12, etc.), or at any angle. In addition, the multiple circuit boards 112 can be arranged at intervals along the arrangement direction, and can also be arranged continuously by bending the wiring portion 122C (see FIG. 19, etc.). This allows the circuit boards 112 (light sources 16) to be arranged in any pattern (shape) while using one circuit board 112, and various designs can be realized by light emission.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 14, the pair of walls 131, 132 in the lens member 130 are configured to have approximately the same height dimension from the bottom 33. Although not limited to this, the lens member 130 is configured to be obtained by removing the extended portion 31A of the lens member 30 in the first embodiment (for example, by cutting with a cutter). Therefore, although the lens member 130 appears to have a different shape from the lens member 30 at first glance, it is a member that can be easily prepared by using the lens member 30. As shown in Fig. 12, the lens member 130 can be fixed by clamping the upper end (the end on the opening side) of the wall 132 and the bottom 33 in the height direction of the lens member 130 with a plurality of ribs 135 provided on the peripheral member 4A.

[0045] Other Embodiments The technology disclosed herein is not limited to those disclosed in the above embodiments, and for example, the following aspects are also included in the scope of the technology disclosed herein. Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein can be implemented in various modified aspects without departing from its essence.

[0046] (1) In the above-described embodiments, the printed wiring board constituting the circuit board 12, 112 is a so-called rigid board, but the printed wiring board may be a flexible board or a rigid-flexible board that is a combination of the two. In the lighting devices 10, 100 intended to be mounted on vehicles, the printed wiring board is preferably a rigid board.

[0047] (2) In the above embodiment, the specific manner of light emission control of each of the light sources 16 mounted on the multiple circuit boards 12, 112 is not limited in any way. For example, the lighting device 10, 100 may configure a line lighting in which the light sources 16 are arranged in a long line as a whole, and may be divided into several sections along the longitudinal direction, with different control wiring being connected to each section. The lighting device 10, 100 may control the light emission manner of the light sources 16 to be different for each section, or may control the light emission manner to be the same for each section, or a combination of these.

[0048] (3) Each member constituting the lighting device 10, 100 of the above embodiment may be provided as an assembly part for the lighting device 10, 100, a kit for assembling the lighting device 10, 100, or the like.

[0049] (4) In the above embodiments, the lighting device 10, 100 is used to illuminate a floor or ceiling surface, but the lighting target and overall shape of the lighting device are not limited to these examples. For example, the lighting device may have various overall shapes to illuminate other parts such as a vehicle seat, side trim, instrument panel, door trim, etc.

[0050] (5) In the above embodiment, the hardness of the synthetic resin material constituting the lens member 30, 130 is not particularly limited. However, in order to easily remove the extension portion 31A of the lens member 30 at a construction site or the like, or to easily hold the circuit board 12, 112, the synthetic resin material constituting the lens member 30, 130 may be a synthetic resin that is not deformed by its own weight but has a degree of flexibility that allows it to be bent by a human finger. As an example, the synthetic resin may have a hardness of about 20 or more (e.g., 30 or more) and about 60 or less (e.g., 50 or less) in Type A durometer (Shore A) measured in accordance with JIS K6253.

[0051] (6) In the above embodiment, a vehicle is exemplified as a vehicle to which the vehicle lighting device is attached, but the vehicle to which the vehicle lighting device is attached may be various other vehicles. For example, the mounting structure for the lighting device and the illuminated interior material disclosed herein can be applied to vehicles such as trains, recreational vehicles, unmanned vehicles, airplanes and helicopters as flying vehicles, and ships and submarines as marine and underwater vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] Reference Signs List 10,100... Illumination device (vehicle illumination device), 12,12A,12B,12C,112... Circuit board, 14,114... Printed wiring board, 15... Notch, 16... Light source, 18,118... Connection terminal, 20,120... Connector member, 21... First connector member, 21A... Main body, 21B,21C... Connector side terminal, 22... Second connector member, 22A... Main body, 22B... Connector side terminal, 22C,122C... Wiring portion, 30,130... Lens member, 31,32,131,132... Wall portion, 33... Bottom portion, 34... Support portion

Claims

1. a plurality of circuit boards on which at least one light source is mounted; a first connector member for electrically connecting adjacent circuit boards; A second connector member; A vehicle lighting device comprising: The circuit board is strip-shaped, At both ends in the longitudinal direction, a notch is provided in which a central portion in the width direction is recessed toward the center in the longitudinal direction, a pair of connection terminals electrically connected to the light source between the notches, when one end portion of one of the circuit boards along the longitudinal direction is brought into contact with the other end portion of the other of the circuit boards along the longitudinal direction, an opening is formed at the contact portion of both the circuit boards by the cutout portions of each of the circuit boards, the circuit board includes a strip-shaped printed wiring board having the notch formed therein, the pair of connection terminals and the light source are provided on one surface of the printed wiring board, The second connector member includes: A wiring section; a second connector member main body provided at one end of the wiring portion; a second connector side terminal portion protruding from the second connector member main body portion, Among the three circuit boards arranged in succession, two of the circuit boards electrically connected by the first connector member are referred to as a first circuit board and a second circuit board, and a circuit board disposed on the opposite side of the first circuit board with respect to the second circuit board is referred to as a third circuit board, the second circuit board and the third circuit board are arranged such that the one surfaces of the printed wiring board face the same direction; the second connector side terminal portion is connected to one of the pair of connection terminals on the third circuit board that is disposed on the second circuit board side; the wiring portion is pulled out from the one side of the printed wiring board to the other side through the opening formed by the second circuit board and the third circuit board, and is then arranged in a manner covering the other side of the printed wiring board of the second circuit board.

2. The pair of connection terminals are respectively disposed on edges of the cutout portion, The first connector member includes: A main body portion, a pair of connector-side terminal portions protruding from one side of the main body portion and the other side opposite to the one side and fitted into the connection terminals; 2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first connector member is configured such that, when one end portion along the longitudinal direction of the first circuit board and the other end portion along the longitudinal direction of the second circuit board are abutted against each other, the pair of connector side terminal portions can be fitted into the connection terminals of the first circuit board and the connection terminals of the second circuit board with the main body portion disposed in the opening formed by the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

3. A vehicle lighting device as described in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a lens member capable of transmitting visible light, supporting the circuit board along both ends in the width direction, and covering the light source.

4. The lens member is A pair of wall portions extending along a longitudinal direction while facing each other, and a bottom portion continuous with the pair of wall portions, 4. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the opposing surfaces of the pair of walls are each provided with a support portion that protrudes toward the other surface and supports both ends in the width direction of the circuit board.

5. A vehicle lighting device as described in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the lens member is made of a high refractive index material having a refractive index of 1.4 or more.

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