Vehicle lighting fixtures

Abstract

To provide a technology which can inhibit influence on a light source caused by heat generated by a resistor connected to the light source.SOLUTION: A vehicular lamp fitting includes: a light source connected to a power source; a mounting part on which the light source is mounted; a resistor which is arranged so as to be supplied with electric power from the power source when electric power is supplied from the power source to the light source; and a support part which is connected to the mounting part and supports the resistor. The resistor is disposed at a space, which is located opposite to the side where the light source is mounted, of the mounting part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, the light source used in vehicle turn signal lights has been changed from incandescent bulbs to LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). In general, the power consumption of LEDs is smaller than that of incandescent bulbs, so changing the light source from an incandescent bulb to an LED reduces the power consumption of the light source. This reduction in power consumption may cause the control unit that controls the lighting of the light source to erroneously detect a disconnection of the light source.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that when using LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs for turn signal lights, a canceller resistor is inserted in parallel with the turn signal light, and current is passed through this canceller resistor to increase the current flowing to the control unit, thereby suppressing erroneous detection of a broken wire state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-141340 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the inventors have come to recognize the following problem with the canceller resistor. That is, when a current flows through the canceller resistor, heat is generated in the canceller resistor. In this case, if the canceller resistor is placed in a space in which an LED is mounted, the LED may be affected by the heat generated by the canceller resistor.

[0006] The present invention has been made in light of such a situation, and one exemplary purpose of an aspect of the present invention is to provide a technology that makes it possible to suppress the effect on the light source of heat generated by a resistor connected to the light source. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present invention includes a light source connected to a power source, a mounting portion on which the light source is mounted, a resistor arranged to receive power from the power source when the power source supplies power to the light source, and a support portion connected to the mounting portion and supporting the resistor, the resistor being arranged in a space on the opposite side of the mounting portion to the side on which the light source is mounted. According to this aspect, a distance is provided between the resistor and the light source, so that the effect of heat generated by the resistor on the light source is suppressed.

[0008] The support part may have a connection part connected to the surface opposite to the mounting part, a protrusion part coupled to the connection part and extending in a direction away from the mounting part, and a support surface coupled to the protrusion part and supporting the resistor. This increases the distance between the resistor and the member on which the light source is mounted, thereby more reliably suppressing the effect of heat generated by the resistor on the light source.

[0009] The support portion may have a first connection portion connected to a surface opposite to the mounting portion, a second connection portion connected to a surface opposite to the mounting portion, and a recess joined to the first connection portion and the second connection portion and recessed in a direction away from the mounting portion, and the resistor may be supported inside the recess. This suppresses the effect of heat generated by the resistor on the light source, while suppressing the resistor from contacting a member other than the vehicle lamp.

[0010] The recess may have a rectangular support surface that supports the resistor in the center, a first protrusion that is coupled to one side of the support surface and the first connection portion, and a second protrusion that is coupled to one side opposite to the one side of the support surface and the second connection portion. This makes it possible to increase the distance between the resistor and the two support portions, thereby more reliably suppressing the effect of heat generated by the resistor on the light source.

[0011] The recess is connected to one side of the support surface to which the first protrusion or the second protrusion is not connected, and further has a plate portion extending from the support surface toward the mounting portion, and an end of the plate portion may have a notch portion, which makes it possible to insert, for example, a resistor or a cable for supplying power to the light source into the inside of the support portion through the notch portion.

[0012] Any combination of the above components and any conversion of the present invention into a method, device, system, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the influence of heat generated by a resistor connected to a light source on the light source. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the vehicle lamp according to the embodiment as viewed from the back side. [Diagram 3] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a support portion according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle lamp according to the embodiment; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle lamp 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention, seen obliquely from the front. The vehicle lamp 1 may be any of various lamps mounted on a vehicle, such as a turn signal attached to the side of a truck.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle lamp 1 according to this embodiment includes a mounting portion 10 (body), an LED 12 (light source) mounted on the mounting portion 10, and a lamp cover 15. The mounting portion 10 may be made of various resins. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 10 is provided with a lamp cover 15, and a lamp chamber space is formed between the mounting portion 10 and the lamp cover 15. The LED 12 is disposed in this lamp chamber space. The LED 12 is connected to a battery (power source) of the vehicle body, and emits light when power is supplied from the battery. The light emitted by the LED 12 passes through the transparent lamp cover 15 and is irradiated to the outside.

[0017] In this embodiment, an example of changing a lamp attached to a vehicle body is described, and the light source of the lamp before the change is an incandescent bulb, and the light source of the vehicle lamp 1 according to this embodiment after the change is an LED 12. Note that, although an example in which the light source is an LED 12 is described in this embodiment, the light source may be various devices capable of emitting light. By changing the light source to an LED, the life and reliability of the light source can be improved compared to when the light source is an incandescent bulb.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a view of the vehicle lamp 1 according to this embodiment as viewed from the back side (the side opposite to the side on which the LED 12 of the mounting portion 10 is mounted). As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle lamp 1 according to this embodiment includes a support portion 20 connected to the back surface of the mounting portion 10, and a cable 40 that supplies power to the LED 12 is inserted into the support portion 20.

[0019] The support 20 supports a resistor (not shown in FIG. 2) on the inside. The internal configuration of the support 20 will be described later with reference to FIG. 3. The resistor supported by the support 20 receives power and generates heat when the LED 12 emits light. This compensates for the reduction in power consumption caused by changing the light source.

[0020] The support 20 may be made of various metals. By making the support 20 out of a metal, the support 20 can quickly dissipate the heat generated by the resistor. As a result, the influence of the heat generated by the resistor on the mounting portion 10 or the light source mounted on the mounting portion 10 is more reliably suppressed.

[0021] The support portion 20 in this embodiment has a first connection portion 220 connected to the mounting portion 10, a second connection portion 230 connected to the mounting portion 10, and a recess 21 that is connected to the first connection portion 220 and the second connection portion and is recessed in a direction away from the mounting portion 10.

[0022] The recess 21 according to this embodiment supports the resistor described above and has two holes 212, 214. The resistor is fixed by rivets in the two holes 212, 214. The first connection part 220 and the second connection part 230 each have a shape extending in the horizontal direction, and holes are formed at the left and right ends. In this embodiment, the first connection part 220 and the second connection part 230 are connected to the mounting part 10 by passing screws through these holes and connecting them to the mounting part 10.

[0023] In detail, the first connecting part 220 has a left end and a right end through which screws 500 and 502 are respectively passed, and the first connecting part 220 is connected to the rear surface of the mounting part 10. The second connecting part 230 has a left end and a right end through which screws 504 and 506 are respectively passed, and the second connecting part 230 is connected to the rear surface of the mounting part 10. Note that in the present embodiment, an example in which the support part 20 is connected to the mounting part 10 by passing the screws 500, 502, 504, and 506 through four places has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the support part 20 may be connected to the mounting part 10 at one to three places, or may be connected to the mounting part 10 at five or more places.

[0024] In addition, in this embodiment, the support part 20 is connected to the vehicle body. Specifically, the support part 20 is fixed to the vehicle body by connecting a screw passed through a hole formed in the support part 20 to the vehicle body. In detail, the first connection part 220 is connected to the vehicle body by connecting the screws 510 and 512 passed through two holes provided in the first connection part 220 to the vehicle body. In addition, the second connection part 230 is connected to the vehicle body by connecting the screw 514 passed through a hole provided in the second connection part 230 to the vehicle body. Note that, in this embodiment, an example in which the support part 20 is connected to the vehicle body by passing the screws 510, 512, and 514 through three places has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The support part 20 may be connected to the vehicle body at one or two places, or may be connected to the vehicle body at four or more places.

[0025] The cable 40 according to this embodiment is a cable that supplies power to the light source from a battery 41 (power source) mounted on the vehicle body. In this embodiment, the cable 40 is inserted into the inside of the recess 21 through a notch provided at the lower right of the recess 21, and exits from a notch provided at the lower left of the recess 21. The cable 40 is fixed to the first connection part 220 by a fixture 432 (cord clamp), and is fixed to the mounting part 10 by a fixture 44 (cord clamp). The cable 40 is further inserted into the inside of the recess 21 again through a notch provided at the upper right of the recess 21.

[0026] The configuration of the support part 20 will be described in more detail with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the internal configuration of the support part 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the support part 20 includes a recess 21, a first connection part 220 coupled to the recess 21, a second connection part 230, a first plate part 240, and a second plate part 250. The support part 20 supports the resistor 30, and a cable 40 is inserted therein.

[0027] The resistor 30 may include a heating wire and a housing. The resistor 30 is disposed in a space on the opposite side of the mounting portion 10 to the side on which the LED 12 is mounted. The resistor 30 may be disposed in a space outside the space of the lamp formed between the mounting portion 10 and the lamp cover 15, as in this embodiment. The resistor 30 is preferably disposed so as not to come into contact with the mounting portion 10. This more reliably suppresses the influence of heat generated by the resistor 30 on the LED 12 or the mounting portion 10. The resistor 30 is disposed so as to receive power from the battery when power is supplied from the battery to the LED 12. More specifically, the resistor 30 is disposed so as to be connected in parallel to the LED 12 mounted on the mounting portion 10 using the cable 40.

[0028] The resistor 30 according to this embodiment is a resistor for compensating for the reduction in power consumption that occurs when the light source of a vehicle lamp is changed from an incandescent bulb or the like to an LED 12. When the light source is changed from an incandescent bulb to an LED that consumes less power than an incandescent bulb, a disconnection in the light source may be erroneously detected, or the light source may blink faster than normal (also called a "hyper flasher" or "hyper flash" for short). For this reason, when changing the light source to one that consumes less power, it is necessary to compensate for the reduced power consumption and make the total power consumption the same as before the light source was changed.

[0029] For example, suppose the light source before the change is an incandescent bulb with a power consumption of 21 W (24 V). Also suppose the light source after the change is four LEDs with a total power consumption of 7.5 W. In this case, a resistor that consumes 13.5 W, the difference between the power consumption of the incandescent bulb and the power consumption of the LEDs, is connected to the light source. As a result, when power is supplied from the vehicle's battery 41 via cable 40 to the LEDs, power is also supplied from the battery 41 to the resistor, and the power consumed by these is equivalent to the power consumed by the incandescent bulb. As a result, the change in power consumption before and after the change in light source is reduced, and erroneous detection of a disconnection state and hyper flashing are suppressed.

[0030] 3, the recess 21 according to this embodiment has a substantially rectangular support surface 210 that supports the resistor 30, a first protrusion 260, and a second protrusion 270. The first protrusion 260 is coupled to one side of the support surface 210 and the first connection portion 220, and is a member that extends in a direction away from the mounting portion 10. The second protrusion 270 is coupled to one side of the support surface 210 opposite to the side to which the first protrusion 260 is coupled, and to the second connection portion 230, and is a member that extends in a direction away from the mounting portion 10.

[0031] The first connection part 220 has a shape extending to the left and right, and has two holes 222, 224 at both left and right ends. In this embodiment, these holes 222, 224 are used to pass screws that connect the first connection part 220 to the mounting part 10. The first connection part 220 also has two holes 226, 228 on the central side of the holes 222, 224. In this embodiment, these holes 226, 228 are used to pass screws that connect the first connection part 220 to the vehicle body. Furthermore, the first connection part 220 has a hole 229 between the hole 224 and the hole 228. In this embodiment, this hole 229 is used to fix the cable 40 to the first connection part 220.

[0032] The second connection part 230 has a shape that extends left and right, and has two holes 232, 234 at both left and right ends (end 231 and end 233). In this embodiment, these holes 232, 234 are used to pass screws that connect the second connection part 230 to the mounting part 10. The second connection part 230 also has a hole 236 closer to the center than the holes 232, 234. In this embodiment, this hole 236 is used to pass screws that connect the second connection part 230 to the vehicle body.

[0033] In this embodiment, the resistor 30 is supported by the support surface 210 coupled to the first protruding portion 260 (or the second protruding portion 270) protruding from the first connecting portion 220 (or the second connecting portion 230) to the rear side. Therefore, a distance is provided between the resistor 30 and the portion of the first connecting portion 220 connected to the mounting portion 10 (specifically, near the holes 222, 224). Alternatively, a distance is provided between the resistor 30 and the portion of the second connecting portion 230 connected to the mounting portion 10 (specifically, near the holes 232, 234). As a result, the influence of heat generated by the resistor 30 on the mounting portion 10 or the LED 12 is more reliably suppressed.

[0034] In this embodiment, the resistor 30 is disposed in the center of the support surface 210. Furthermore, the portions of the first connection portion 220 and the second connection portion 230 that are connected to the mounting portion 10 are formed at the ends of these support portions. This allows the resistor 30 to be located away from the portions of the first connection portion 220 and the second connection portion 230 that contact the mounting portion 10. This more reliably suppresses the influence of heat generated by the resistor 30 on the mounting portion 10 and the LED 12.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the resistor 30 is supported inside the recess 21. Therefore, the resistor 30 is prevented from coming into contact with members and the like disposed outside the recess 21.

[0036] The position where the resistor 30 is disposed and the shape of the support part 20 may be designed as appropriate to satisfy various conditions. For example, the shape of the support part 20 and the position of the resistor 30 may be designed so that when the resistor 30 generates heat, the temperature of the portion where the support part 20 is connected to the mounting part 10 (specifically, in the vicinity of the holes 222, 224, 232, and 234) becomes 100° C. (the heat resistance temperature of the resin 11A) or less.

[0037] In this embodiment, the support surface 210 is provided with a plate-like first plate portion 240 and a plate-like second plate portion 250 formed toward the mounting portion 10 on an edge to which neither the first connection portion 220 nor the second connection portion 230 is connected. In detail, the first plate portion 240 is connected to the left edge of the support surface 210 and is a plate-like member extending in a direction from the support surface 210 toward the mounting portion 10. The second plate portion 250 is connected to the right edge of the support surface 210 and is a plate-like member extending in a direction from the support surface 210 toward the mounting portion 10.

[0038] In this embodiment, the end of the first plate portion 240 has cutout portions 242, 244 having a size that allows the cable 40 to be inserted. In addition, the end of the second plate portion 250 has a cutout portion 252 having a size that allows the cable 40 to be inserted. In this embodiment, by passing the cable 40 through the cutout portions of the first plate portion 240 and the second plate portion 250, the cable 40 can be delivered inside or taken out to the outside.

[0039] Cable 40 includes wiring that supplies power from the vehicle battery, a member that covers the wiring, and connector 450. The member that covers the wiring includes a protective tube 410 and reinforcing members 420, 430, and 440 on the vehicle battery side.

[0040] Protective tube 410 is a tube that protects the wiring arranged inside, and may be, for example, a tube made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or the like.

[0041] The reinforcing member 420 is a member that passes through the cutout portion 244 of the first plate portion 240 and is inserted into the inside of the recess 21. The reinforcing member 420 abuts against the surface of the cutout portion 244, the second protruding portion 270, and the end portion 231 of the second connecting portion 230, and is fixed to the support portion 20. The reinforcing member 430 is a member that passes through the cutout portion 252 of the second plate portion 250 and is taken out from the inside of the recess 21 to the outside. The reinforcing member 430 abuts against the surface of the cutout portion 252, the second protruding portion 270, and the end portion 234 of the second connecting portion 230, and is fixed to the support portion 20. These reinforcing members 420 and 430 may be made of resin, and may be, for example, a corrugated tube made of polypropylene. This increases the strength of the cable 40 that passes through the cutout portion, thereby suppressing wear of the cable 40 due to contact with the cutout portion.

[0042] The reinforcing member 430 is fixed to the first connecting portion 220 using a fastener. More specifically, a screw is passed through a hole 229 of the first connecting portion 220 and the screw is connected to a fastener attached to the reinforcing member 430, thereby fixing the reinforcing member 430 to the first connecting portion 220.

[0043] The reinforcing member 440 has an outer diameter smaller than that of the reinforcing member 430, extends from the inside of the tip of the reinforcing member 430, and passes through the cutout portion 242 of the first plate portion 240 to be inserted into the inside of the recess 21. The reinforcing member 440 may be made of resin, and may be, for example, a corrugated tube.

[0044] The fixing device 44 fixes the reinforcing member 440 to the mounting portion 10. The fixing device 44 according to this embodiment includes an attachment portion 442 attached to the reinforcing member 440, and a fixing portion 444 coupled to the attachment portion 442. The attachment portion 442 has a hole, and the reinforcing member 440 is passed through this hole, thereby attaching the attachment portion 442 to the reinforcing member 440. In addition, the fixing portion 444 is configured to be able to be coupled to the mounting portion 10.

[0045] Above, we have described the member that covers the wiring of the cable 40. Next, the wiring of the cable 40 will be described.

[0046] Wiring 402 taken out from reinforcing member 420 branches into two directions at branch point 404. One wire 408 is connected to one end of resistor 30, and the other wire 405 is inserted into reinforcing member 430. Wiring 406 connected to the other end of resistor 30 returns to branch point 404 and is inserted into reinforcing member 430.

[0047] The wiring inserted into the reinforcing member 430 is taken out from the reinforcing member 440 passing through the cutout portion 242 of the first plate portion 240. The taken out wiring 446 is inserted into a circular connection member 520 connected to the mounting portion 10. Furthermore, a connector 450 connected to the LED 12 is connected to the tip of the wiring 446.

[0048] Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle lamp 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 mainly shows the lamp cover 15, the mounting part 10 on which the LED 12 is mounted, various members arranged on the front side of the mounting part 10, the support part 20, the resistor 30, and the cable 40. The same reference numerals as in Figs. 2 and 3 are used for the configurations of the support part 20, the resistor 30, and the cable 40 described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3, and the description thereof will be omitted here. The circular connection member 520 shown in Fig. 3 is connected to the mounting part 10 by being fitted into a circular hole 120 provided in the mounting part 10.

[0049] The vehicle lamp according to this embodiment mainly includes an LED cable 130, a mounting member 150, an LED board 180, an LED 12, and a lamp cover 15 as components arranged on the front side of the mounting portion 10.

[0050] The LED cable 130 is a cable that supplies power to an LED substrate 180 on which the LEDs 12 are formed. The LED cable 130 includes an LED connector 132 and terminals 134, 136, and 138 electrically connected to the LED connector 132. The LED connector 132 is connected to a connector 450 included in the cable 40. In this manner, in this embodiment, the LEDs 12 are connected to the cable 40 via the LED connector 132.

[0051] The mounting member 150 is a member disposed on the surface of the mounting portion 10, on which the LED substrate 180 is disposed. The mounting member 150 may be made of a metal such as aluminum, which allows the heat generated by the LEDs 12 to be quickly diffused. The mounting member 150 according to this embodiment has four faces that intersect with each other and on which the LED substrate 180 is disposed. On these four faces, insulating sheets 170, 172, 174, and 176 for insulating the mounting member 150 from the LED substrate 180 are disposed.

[0052] The mounting member 150 is provided with three holes 152, 155 (the remaining hole is not shown) for fixing to the mounting portion 10. The mounting member 150 is fixed to the mounting portion 10 by passing screws 162, 164, 166 through these holes and tightening them into holes 122, 124, 126 provided in the mounting portion 10.

[0053] The LED board 180 is a board on which four LEDs 12a, 12b, and 12c (the fourth LED is not shown) are formed. The LED board 180 is disposed on the surface of the mounting member 150 on which the insulating sheets 170, 172, 174, and 176 are disposed. The LED board 180 is fixed to the mounting member 150 using eight screws 191 to 198.

[0054] The configuration of the vehicle lamp according to this embodiment has been described above.

[0055] In vehicle lighting fixtures such as RCL (rear combination lamps) for trucks, the internal space in which light sources such as LEDs are placed is relatively large, so it was possible to place a resistor in this internal space. However, if the internal space of the vehicle lighting fixture is not large, placing a resistor in the internal space may cause the temperature of the internal space to rise due to the heat generated by the resistor, placing a large load on the LED. In addition, if the resistor itself is placed directly in a resin part in which an LED is mounted, the resin may be damaged by the heat generated by the resistor.

[0056] According to the vehicle lamp of this embodiment, the support part 20 connected to the mounting part 10 on which the LED is mounted supports the resistor 30 on the back side of the mounting part 10. This prevents heat generated by the resistor 30 from affecting the LED 12 and the resin mounting part 10.

[0057] The present invention has been described above based on the embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0058] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the shape of the support surface 210 supporting the resistor 30 is substantially rectangular. However, the shape of the support surface is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a triangle or an n-sided polygon (n is an integer of 5 or more). Even in this case, a protruding portion protruding toward the mounting portion 10 may be coupled to one side of the support surface, and this protruding portion may be coupled to a connection portion connected to the mounting portion 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle lamp, 10 mounting portion, 12 LED, 20 support portion, 21 recess, 30 resistor, 40 cable, 41 battery, 150 mounting member, 210 support surface, 220 first connection portion, 230 second connection portion, 240 first plate portion, 250 second plate portion, 260 first protrusion portion, 270 second protrusion portion

Claims

1. a light source connected to a power source; a mounting portion on which the light source is mounted; a resistor arranged to receive power from the power source when the power source provides power to the light source; a metallic support portion connected to the mounting portion and supporting the resistor; Equipped with the resistor is disposed in a space on an opposite side of the mounting portion to a side on which the light source is mounted, the support portion has a support surface that supports the resistor, and a plate portion that is connected to an end portion of the support surface and extends from the end portion in a direction toward the mounting portion, The plate portion has a notch through which a cable for supplying power to the light source passes. Vehicle lighting fixtures.

2. The support portion further includes a connection portion connected to the opposite surface of the mounting portion, and a protrusion coupled to the connection portion and extending in a direction away from the mounting portion, The support surface is coupled to the protrusion.

2. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1.

3. the support portion has a first connection portion connected to the opposite surface of the mounting portion, a second connection portion connected to the opposite surface of the mounting portion, a first protrusion portion coupled to one side of the support surface and the first connection portion, and a second protrusion portion coupled to one side of the support surface opposite to the one side and the second connection portion, The resistor is supported on the inside of a recess defined by the support surface, the first protrusion, and the second protrusion.

3. A vehicle lamp according to claim 2.

4. The support surface is rectangular and supports the resistor at its center.

4. A vehicle lamp according to claim 3.

5. The plate portion is coupled to one side of the support surface to which the first protruding portion or the second protruding portion is not coupled.

5. A vehicle lamp according to claim 4.

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