Light source unit and vehicle lamp

Abstract

To provide a light source unit that secures sufficient contact pressure between a power supply terminal of a connector and a light source substrate and also can achieve size reduction, and a lighting fixture for vehicles including the same.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a light source unit and a lighting fixture for vehicles including the same. The light source unit includes: a light source; a light source substrate 30 including the light source; a reflector 40 that reflects forward the light emitted from the light source; a connector 60 having a power supply terminal 61 to power the light source substrate 30; a fixer that supports the light source substrate 30; and contact pressure imparting means that imparts predetermined contact pressure to a contact point between the light source substrate 30 and the power supply terminal 61 when both come into contact with each other. The power supply terminal 61 has at least its tip positioned inside the reflector 40, which is brought into contact with the light source substrate 30 by the contact pressure imparted by the contact pressure imparting means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a light source unit and a vehicle lamp. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicle lamp is provided with a light source unit including a light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), a light source board on which the light source is mounted, a reflector, a heat sink, etc. A connector is used as an electrical connection means between the light source board and a power source (e.g., an on-board battery) (e.g., Patent Document 1).

[0003] An example of a conventional connector is shown in Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view seen from the side showing the configuration of a light source unit 100 including a conventional connector 110. Also, Figure 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view seen from the side showing the internal structure of the conventional connector 110.

[0004] 12, in a conventional connector 110, a power supply terminal 112 is disposed in a housing 111, and a board contact portion 113 of the power supply terminal 112 has at least two bent portions 113a, 113b. When the power supply terminal 112 and the light source board 120 are connected, a part of the light source board 120 is inserted into the housing 111. This brings the light source board 120 into contact with the board contact portion 113 of the power supply terminal 112. As a result, the light source board 120 biases the board contact portion 113, and an appropriate contact pressure is applied between the power supply terminal 112 and the light source board 120. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-45688 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in conventional connector 110, the formation of two bent portions 113a and 113b increases the height dimension of board contact portion 113. As described above, housing 111 is a member that houses board contact portion 113 (power supply terminal 112). Therefore, housing 111 also needs to have an appropriate height dimension.

[0007] Meanwhile, due to the demand for miniaturization of the light source unit 100, there is a demand for shortening the depth dimension of the light source unit 100. If at least the front end side of the connector 110 (housing 111) is inserted between the heat sink 130 supporting the light source board 120 and the reflector 140, and the power supply terminal 112 and the light source board 120 are brought into contact inside the reflector 140, the connector 110 can be disposed further forward. As a result, the depth dimension of the light source unit 100 can be shortened.

[0008] However, as mentioned above, the connector 110 (housing 111) has a corresponding height dimension, so in order to insert at least the front end side of the connector 110 (housing 111) between the reflector 140 and the heat sink 130, the distance between the rear end 141 of the reflector 140 and the heat sink 130 must be increased.

[0009] Therefore, it may happen that, of the light emitted from the light source, for example, all of the light having a main light distribution angle of 5° or more is not reflected by the reflector 140, and a sufficient amount of emitted light (reflected light) cannot be obtained from the light source unit 100. In order to avoid such inconvenience, it is necessary to provide the connector 110 on the outside of the reflector 140 as shown in FIG.

[0010] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a light source unit that ensures sufficient contact pressure between the power supply terminal of a connector and a light source board and that can be made compact, and a vehicle lamp including the light source unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the light source unit according to the present invention comprises: A light source; a light source substrate on which a light source is mounted; A reflector that reflects light emitted from the light source forward; a connector having a power supply terminal for supplying power to the light source board; A fixing portion for supporting the light source substrate; a contact pressure applying means for applying a predetermined contact pressure to a contact point between the light source board and the power supply terminal when the light source board and the power supply terminal come into contact with each other; Equipped with At least the tip of the power supply terminal is located inside the reflector and is brought into contact with the light source substrate by the contact pressure applied by the contact pressure applying means. death, At least a tip of the power supply terminal is disposed within a terminal protection part, The gap through which the power supply terminal passes, which is formed between the reflector and the light source board, exceeds the thickness of the terminal protection portion. It is characterized by:

[0012] According to this aspect of the present invention, by providing a contact pressure applying means for applying a predetermined contact pressure to the contact point between the light source board and the power supply terminal separately from the structure of the power supply terminal, at least the tip of the power supply terminal can be positioned inside the reflector. This allows the connector including the power supply terminal to be positioned further forward, and as a result, in particular, the depth dimension of the light source unit can be reduced. This allows the distance (F value) between the light source and the rear end of the reflector to be increased, thereby reducing the error (deviation) of the light distribution pattern of the light source unit. Furthermore, the length of the light source board (board length) can be reduced.

[0014] According to this aspect of the present invention, the gap formed between the reflector and the light source substrate can be made extremely short (the power supply terminal and the terminal protection portion can be made extremely thin). As a result, most of the irradiation area of ​​the light from the light source can be covered by the reflector, and a sufficient amount of reflected light can be obtained.

[0015] Furthermore, in the light source unit according to the present invention, The fixing portion is a heat sink having a heat dissipation property, The heat sink is A support portion that supports the light source substrate; A heat dissipation portion provided on the rear side of the support portion; Equipped with The heat dissipation section has a through passage for inserting a connector, The connector further comprises a housing supporting the power supply terminal; The housing has an engagement structure for engaging with a predetermined portion of the through passage, It is preferable that the engagement structure functions as the contact pressure applying means.

[0016] According to this aspect of the present invention, a predetermined contact pressure can be applied between the power supply terminal and the light source board by the engagement structure that is provided on the housing of the connector and engages with the through passage of the heat sink, and as a result, at least the tip of the power supply terminal can be positioned inside the reflector, and as a result, the depth dimension of the light source unit and the board length of the light source board can be shortened.

[0017] Furthermore, in the light source unit according to the present invention, The engagement structure is a crush rib that protrudes from the front wall of the housing and has an inclined upper surface that slopes downward as it extends forward, It is preferable that the support portion of the heat sink is disposed on the front side of the through passage and has a hole into which the crush rib is fitted.

[0018] According to this aspect of the present invention, the crush rib, which has an inclined upper surface that slopes downward as it advances forward, fits into the hole of the through passage, in other words, by fitting and fixing the power supply terminal at a predetermined position, a predetermined contact pressure can be applied between the power supply terminal and the light source board. As a result, at least the tip of the power supply terminal can be positioned inside the reflector, and as a result, the depth dimension of the light source unit and the board length of the light source board can be shortened.

[0019] Furthermore, in the light source unit according to the present invention, The engagement structure is a side rib that protrudes outward in the width direction from the side wall of the housing and slopes downward as it extends forward, It is preferable that a first groove portion be formed on a side edge of the through passage, the first groove portion being recessed outward in the width direction and into which the side rib is fitted.

[0020] According to this aspect of the invention, the side ribs, which slope downward as they move forward, fit into the first grooves ("fitting" also includes fixing the power supply terminal at a predetermined position by being fitted in), thereby applying a predetermined contact pressure between the power supply terminal and the light source board. This allows at least the tip of the power supply terminal to be positioned inside the reflector, thereby shortening the depth dimension of the light source unit and the board length of the light source board.

[0021] Furthermore, in the light source unit according to the present invention, The engagement structure is preferably a hook portion provided on the upper wall of the housing and adapted to come into contact with an upper edge of the through passage when the connector is inserted into the through passage.

[0022] According to this aspect of the present invention, when the connector is inserted into the through passage, the connector is pressed downward via the hook portion that abuts against the upper edge of the through passage. As a result, a predetermined contact pressure can be applied between the power supply terminal and the light source board. This allows at least the tip of the power supply terminal to be positioned inside the reflector, thereby shortening the depth dimension of the light source unit and the board length of the light source board.

[0023] Further, the vehicle lamp according to the present invention comprises: The light source unit It is characterized by:

[0024] According to this aspect of the present invention, by providing a contact pressure applying means for applying a predetermined contact pressure to the contact point between the light source board and the power supply terminal separately from the structure of the power supply terminal, at least the tip of the power supply terminal can be positioned inside the reflector. This allows the connector including the power supply terminal to be positioned further forward, and as a result, the depth dimension of the vehicle lamp in particular can be reduced. This allows the distance (F value) between the light source and the rear end of the reflector to be increased accordingly, thereby reducing the error (deviation) of the light distribution pattern of the light source unit. Furthermore, the length of the light source board (board length) can be reduced. Effect of the Invention

[0025] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a light source unit that ensures sufficient contact pressure between the power supply terminal of the connector and the light source board and that can be made compact, and a vehicle lamp including the light source unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the light source unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the light source unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the light source unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the light source unit according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 3A and 3B are front and rear views of the heat sink of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the connector according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a rear view of the heat sink into which the connector of the embodiment is inserted. [Figure 9] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the light source unit according to the embodiment taken along line AA in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 9 is a cross-sectional view of the light source unit according to the embodiment taken along line BB in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a conventional light source unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a conventional connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Hereinafter, a light source unit according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, a light source unit 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. Here, Fig. 1 is a front view of the light source unit 1. Furthermore, Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the light source unit 1. Furthermore, Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the light source unit 1 as viewed from the side. Furthermore, Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of the light source unit 1. Furthermore, Fig. 5 is a front view and a rear view of a heat sink 50 (supporting part). Furthermore, Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a connector 60. Furthermore, Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the connector 60.

[0028] 1 to 4, the light source unit 1 according to the present embodiment is provided in a vehicle lamp (e.g., a headlamp), and includes a projection lens 10, a light source (e.g., an LED) 20, a light source board 30 on which the light source 20 is mounted, a reflector 40, a fixing portion 50 that supports the light source board 30, and a connector 60. Note that the vehicle lamp including the light source unit 1 according to the present embodiment is a projector type having the projection lens 10, the light source 20, and the reflector 40, but may be a reflector type consisting of the light source 20 and the reflector 40 without the projection lens 10.

[0029] 2, the light source substrate 30 includes a substrate portion 31 on which the light source 20 is placed, and an electrode pad 32 electrically connected to the light source 20. The electrode pad 32 is provided on the front surface side of the substrate portion 31, similar to the light source 20. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the light source substrate 30 is disposed inside the reflector 40 while being supported by a heat sink 50. The reflector 40 reflects light emitted from the light source 20 forward.

[0030] 2 to 4, the fixing part 50 in this embodiment is a heat sink (hereinafter, "heat sink 50") and includes a platform-shaped supporting part 51 that supports the light source board 30. The heat sink 50 also includes a heat dissipating part 52 provided on the rear side of the supporting part 51. The heat dissipating part 52 further includes a plate-shaped base 521 provided on the rear side of the supporting part 51 and extending substantially perpendicular to the depth direction, heat dissipating fins 522 protruding from the rear surface of the base 521 toward the rear side, and a through passage 523 that penetrates the heat dissipating part 52 along the depth direction.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 4, the through passage 523 faces the rear wall 511 of the support part 51. Here, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the rear wall 511 of the support part 51 is provided with a hole 512 recessed toward the front side. A crush rib 6212 of the connector 60, which will be described later, fits into the hole 512. Note that, although the number of the hole parts 512 in this embodiment is two, the number is not limited to this.

[0032] 5(a) and (b), the through passage 523 includes a front opening 5231, a rear opening 5232, an upper edge 5233, a lower edge 5234, and both side edges 5235. The through passage 523 includes first grooves 5236 recessed outward in the width direction from each of the both side edges 5235, and a second groove 5237 recessed upward in the height direction from the upper edge 5233. As described below, the side ribs 6221 of the connector 60 fit into the first grooves 5236, and the top rib 6231 of the connector 60 fits into the second grooves 5237.

[0033] Next, as shown in Fig. 4, the connector 60 is inserted into the through passage 523. An opening 5231 on the front side of the through passage 523 faces the support portion 51. Also, as shown in Fig. 4, the connector 60 is inserted into the through passage 523, and the front wall 621 of the connector 60 reaches the support portion 51 (rear wall 511) of the heat sink 50. At this time, the power supply terminal 61 of the connector 60 is located above the electrode pad 32 of the light source substrate 30. That is, inside the reflector 40, the power supply terminal 61 of the connector 60 contacts the electrode pad 32 of the light source substrate 30.

[0034] Next, the connector 60 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 6 and 7. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the connector 60 of this embodiment includes, in addition to the above-mentioned power supply terminal 61, a housing 62 that supports the power supply terminal 61, a cable 63 that connects the power supply terminal 61 and a power source (vehicle battery), a retainer 64 into which the rear side of the housing 62 is fitted, and the like.

[0035] The power supply terminal 61 is accommodated in a passage formed in the depth direction within the housing 62. At this time, the tip side (front side) of the power supply terminal 61 protrudes forward beyond the front wall 621 of the housing 62. In other words, the tip side of the power supply terminal 61 is exposed to the outside of the housing 62.

[0036] 7, the housing 62 includes a terminal protection portion 6211 provided on the upper side of the front wall 621, a crush rib 6212 provided on the lower side of the front wall 621, side ribs 6221 protruding outward in the width direction from each of the both side walls 622, a top rib 6231 provided on the upper wall 623, a hook portion 6232, etc. Here, as shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the terminal protection portion 6211 is an eave-shaped portion extending forward from the front wall 621 and covers at least the tip of the power supply terminal 61 (at least the tip of the power supply terminal 61 is disposed within the terminal protection portion 6211).

[0037] In this embodiment, the crush ribs 6212, side ribs 6221, top rib 6231, and hook portions 6232 engage with predetermined locations of the through passages 523 of the heat sink 50 (hereinafter, the crush ribs 6212, side ribs 6221, top rib 6231, and hook portions 6232 may be referred to as the "engagement structures").

[0038] As described below, each engagement structure provided on housing 62 displaces power supply terminal 61 downward during the process of inserting connector 60 into through passage 523. That is, due to the action of each engagement structure, a predetermined contact pressure is applied when power supply terminal 61 comes into contact with light source board 30. In other words, each engagement structure functions as a contact pressure applying means between power supply terminal 61 and light source board 30. However, the contact pressure applying means is not limited to these.

[0039] Next, the action of the connector 60 when it is inserted into the through passage 523 will be described with reference to Fig. 8 to Fig. 10. Fig. 8 is a rear view of the heat sink 50 with the connector 60 inserted, showing the cutting positions of the cross-sectional views of Fig. 9 and Fig. 10. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the heat sink 50 of Fig. 8 taken along line AA. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the heat sink 50 of Fig. 8 taken along line BB.

[0040] The function of the crush rib 6212, which is the engagement structure of this embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 9. First, as shown in Fig. 9(a), the connector 60 is inserted into the through passage 523 of the heat sink 50. When the connector 60 then moves further forward, the crush rib 6212 of the housing 62 fits into the hole 512 provided in the heat sink 50, as shown in Fig. 9(b).

[0041] 7 and 9, an inclined surface 6212S that inclines downward as it advances forward is formed on an upper surface 6212U of the crush rib 6212 (hereinafter, this inclined surface may be referred to as an "inclined upper surface"). The height dimension of the crush rib 6212 is greater than the height dimension of the hole 512. Therefore, when the crush rib 6212 fits into the hole 512, it is pressed into the hole 512 while being crushed.

[0042] Furthermore, when the crush rib 6212 is press-fitted into the hole 512, the connector 60 advances according to the inclination angle of the inclined upper surface 6212S, as shown in Fig. 9(c). That is, the power supply terminal 61 of the connector 60 is displaced downward as the connector 60 advances. Finally, the power supply terminal 61 comes into contact with the light source board 30 with a predetermined contact pressure being applied.

[0043] Next, the function of the side rib 6221, which is another engagement structure of this embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 10. First, as shown in Fig. 10(a), the connector 60 is inserted into the through passage 523 of the heat sink 50. At this time, the side rib 6221 fits into the first groove portion 5236 provided in the through passage 523.

[0044] Here, as shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 10, the side rib 6221 includes an inclined portion 6221S inclined downward toward the front, and a front end hook portion 6221F provided at the front end of the inclined portion 6221S. In contrast, as shown in Fig. 10, an upper surface 5236U of the first groove portion 5236 inclines downward toward the front. Also, a lower surface 5236B of the first groove portion 5236 inclines upward or is horizontal (not inclined) toward the front. That is, the height of the first groove portion 5236 (the distance between the upper surface 5236U and the lower surface 5236B) narrows toward the front.

[0045] 10(b), when the connector 60 moves further forward, the side rib 6221 is pressed into the first groove portion 5236. Finally, as shown in Fig. 10(c), the power supply terminal 61 of the connector 60 is displaced downward as the connector 60 moves forward. As a result, the power supply terminal 61 comes into contact with the light source board 30 with a predetermined contact pressure being applied.

[0046] 10(b) and 10(c), when the connector 60 is inserted into the through passage 523, the front end hook portion 6221F protrudes forward from the opening 5231 on the front side of the through passage 523. As a result, the front end hook portion 6221F engages with the opening 5231 on the front side of the through passage 523, and the retraction of the connector 60 is restricted.

[0047] Incidentally, when the connector 60 is completely inserted into the through passage 523, as shown in Fig. 4, the hook portion 6232 engages with the opening 5231 on the front side of the through passage 523. This causes the connector 60 to be pressed downward via the hook portion 6232. As a result, the power supply terminal 61 is displaced downward and comes into contact with the light source board 30 with a predetermined contact pressure being applied thereto.

[0048] According to this embodiment having such an engagement structure, at least the tip of the power supply terminal 61 can be positioned inside the reflector 40. This allows the connector 60 to be positioned further forward, and as a result, the depth dimension of the light source unit 1 in particular can be reduced. This allows the distance (F value) between the light source 20 and the reflector rear end 41 to be increased accordingly, thereby reducing the error (deviation) in the light distribution pattern of the light source unit 1. Furthermore, the length (board length) of the light source board 30 can be reduced.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 4, the gap T (a gap through which at least the tip of the power supply terminal 61 passes when the connector 60 is inserted into the through passage 523) formed between the reflector 40 and the light source substrate 30 is set to 3.0 mm, but since the gap T only needs to exceed the thickness of the terminal protection portion 6211, the gap T in this embodiment only needs to exceed 1.5 mm. Therefore, it is preferable to set the gap T to between more than 1.5 mm and 3 mm or less. This allows most of the irradiation area of ​​the light from the light source 20 to be covered by the reflector 40, and a sufficient amount of reflected light can be obtained. However, it goes without saying that there is no structural problem if the gap T is set to 3 mm or more, although the amount of light will decrease.

[0050] In addition, the heat sink (fixing part) 50 in this embodiment is formed of the support part 51 that supports the light source board 30 and the heat dissipation part 52, but is not limited to this and may be formed of the support part for the light source board 30 and a bracket having a through-path for inserting the connector 60. In this case, the connector 60 is engaged with the bracket.

[0051] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail. However, the above description is for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention includes things that can be modified or improved without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the present invention includes its equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1... Light source unit 10…Projection lens 20… light source 30… Light source board 40…Reflector 50…Fixed part (heat sink) 51... Light source board support 512… Hole 52... Heat dissipation part 523… Passageway 5236… First groove 60… Connector 61... Power supply terminal 62… Housing 6212... Crushed ribs 6221... Side ribs 6232… Hook part

Claims

1. A light source; a light source substrate on which the light source is mounted; A reflector that reflects the light emitted from the light source forward; a connector having a power supply terminal for supplying power to the light source board; A fixing portion for supporting the light source substrate; a contact pressure applying means for applying a predetermined contact pressure to a contact point between the light source board and the power supply terminal when the light source board and the power supply terminal come into contact with each other, At least a tip of the power supply terminal is located inside the reflector and contacts the light source board with the contact pressure applied by the contact pressure applying means; At least a tip of the power supply terminal is disposed within a terminal protection part, The gap through which the power supply terminal passes, which is formed between the reflector and the light source board, exceeds the thickness of the terminal protection portion. A light source unit characterized by:

2. the fixing portion is a heat sink having heat dissipation properties, The heat sink is A support portion that supports the light source substrate; A heat dissipation portion provided on the rear side of the support portion; Equipped with the heat dissipation section has a through passage for inserting the connector, The connector further includes a housing supporting the power supply terminal, The housing includes an engagement structure for engaging with a predetermined portion of the through passage, The engagement structure functions as the contact pressure applying means. The light source unit according to claim 1 .

3. the engagement structure is a crush rib that protrudes from the front wall of the housing and has an inclined upper surface that slopes downward as it extends forward, The support portion of the heat sink is disposed on a front side of the through passage and has a hole into which the crush rib is fitted. The light source unit according to claim 2 .

4. the engaging structure is a side rib that protrudes outward in a width direction from a side wall of the housing and slopes downward as it extends forward, A first groove portion is formed on the side edge of the through passage, the first groove portion being recessed toward the outside in the width direction and into which the side rib is fitted. The light source unit according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The engagement structure is a hook portion provided on an upper wall of the housing and abuts against an upper edge of the through passage when the connector is inserted into the through passage. The light source unit according to claim 4 .

6. The light source unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is provided. A vehicle lamp characterized by the above.

7. A light source; a light source substrate on which the light source is mounted; A reflector that reflects the light emitted from the light source forward; a connector having a power supply terminal for supplying power to the light source board; A fixing portion for supporting the light source substrate; a contact pressure applying means for applying a predetermined contact pressure to a contact point between the light source board and the power supply terminal when the light source board and the power supply terminal come into contact with each other, At least a tip of the power supply terminal is located inside the reflector, and the power supply terminal is provided with a light source unit that comes into contact with the light source board by the contact pressure applied by the contact pressure applying means. A vehicle lamp characterized by the above.

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