Lighting control module

Abstract

To provide a new configuration.SOLUTION: A lighting control module 60 includes: a substrate 62; and a metallic case 64 supporting the substrate 62. The substrate 62 has: noise generation regions 66 each mounted with a component which generates noise of one or more components; and a non-noise generation region 68 different from the noise generation regions. The case 64 has: a plate-like base part 64a on which the substrate 62 is placed; wall parts 64b which are provided at outer edge parts of the base part so as to be erected; and cover parts 64d each of which protrudes from an end part of the wall part so as to face the base part 64a. Each cover part 64d is configured to cover at least a part of the noise generation region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lighting control module. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a module integrating a circuit and a board for controlling the on / off of a vehicle lamp such as an automobile is arranged at an appropriate position on the vehicle lamp or the vehicle body. In addition, some circuit components included in the circuit of the module may generate noise, and some noise countermeasure is necessary to prevent the generated noise from affecting the operation of other components outside the module. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an electronic circuit unit in which a circuit board is stored inside a case consisting of a storage case and a lid. This electronic circuit unit further includes a shielding metal cover that blocks noise generated from the circuit board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-103166 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the electronic circuit unit has a case that is composed of multiple parts, and a shielding metal cover is provided as a separate part from the case, which increases the number of parts and the assembly steps, resulting in increased manufacturing costs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a new configuration that contributes to reducing the cost of a lighting control module. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a lighting control module according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a substrate on which one or more components constituting a lighting control circuit of a lamp are mounted, and a metal case supporting the substrate. The substrate has a noise generating area in which a noise generating component among the one or more components is mounted, and a non-noise generating area different from the noise generating area. The case has a plate-shaped base on which the substrate is mounted, a wall provided to stand on the outer edge of the base, and a cover extending from an end of the wall to face the base. The cover is configured to cover at least a portion of the noise generating area.

[0007] According to this embodiment, the case can cover the noise generating area while supporting the board, so the number of parts of the lighting control module can be reduced. Also, since the case according to this embodiment only needs to have a cover part that can cover only a part of the noise generating area instead of the entire area, the size of the metal plate can be reduced, and the material cost can be reduced.

[0008] The noise generating area may be equipped with components that constitute a converter circuit, thereby reducing the effect of noise generated in the converter circuit on other electronic circuits arranged around the lighting control module.

[0009] The case may be formed of a single part pressed from a single metal plate, which can reduce the number of assembly steps compared to when the case is formed from a plurality of parts.

[0010] The base is rectangular, and the walls are provided on two opposing sides of the base, but not on the other side connecting the two opposing sides. This allows the board to be inserted into the case along the base from the side of the case where there is no wall.

[0011] The wall portion may function as a guide and positioning when the board is placed in the case. This allows the board to be guided by the walls provided on the two opposing sides and inserted to a predetermined placement position. More preferably, a wall portion for positioning the board in the board insertion direction is provided at the leading end in the insertion direction when the board is inserted into the case. This allows the board to be easily and accurately placed in the predetermined position in the case.

[0012] The case may have an attachment portion for attachment to a lamp body of a vehicle lamp. This allows the case to be attached directly to a component such as a lamp body that constitutes the vehicle lamp. Furthermore, by forming the attachment portion by processing a single metal plate, the number of components can be reduced.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is also a lighting control module. This lighting control module includes a board having circuit components that are noise generating sources, and a case that houses the board. The case has a plate-shaped base portion, a wall portion that is provided to stand on the outer edge of the base portion, and a cover portion that protrudes from an end of the wall portion to face the base portion. The cover portion is configured to cover an area that includes the circuit components.

[0014] According to this embodiment, the case can house the board while covering the area including the circuit portion, so that the number of components in the lighting control module can be reduced.

[0015] The noise sources mentioned above include converter circuits, pulse width modulation (PWM) signal generation circuits, microcomputer clock circuits, etc. Components of converter circuits include passive elements such as coils and capacitors, and active elements such as field effect transistors (FETs) and diodes.

[0016] Any combination of the above components, and any conversion of the expression of the present invention between a manufacturing method, a device such as a lamp or lighting, a light-emitting module, a light source, etc. are also valid as aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0017] The present invention can contribute to reducing the cost of the lighting control module. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a vehicle lamp in which a lighting control module according to an embodiment of the present invention can be mounted; [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a lighting control module according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 3 is a top view of the lighting control module shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 13 is a perspective view showing a main part of a lighting control module according to a modified example. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a top view of the lighting control module shown in FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. In addition, the embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0020] (Vehicle lighting fixtures) Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a vehicle lamp in which a lighting control module according to the present embodiment can be mounted. A headlamp 10 as a vehicle lamp shown in Fig. 1 shows one of a left or right headlamp. These headlamps 10 are attached to both sides in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle, and these headlamps 10 illuminate the area ahead of the vehicle.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the exterior of a headlamp 10 is formed by a lamp body 12 that is open at the front, and a front cover 14 that serves as a surface cover that covers the opening of the lamp body 12.

[0022] The lamp body 12 is composed of a rear wall portion 12a that stands up in the vertical direction and a peripheral wall portion 12b that protrudes forward (to the left in FIG. 1) from the peripheral edge of the rear wall portion 12a. The rear wall portion 12a extends in the horizontal direction (perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) while maintaining a constant height, and the peripheral wall portion 12b cooperates with the rear wall portion 12a to define a storage space 16, and the tip of the peripheral wall portion 12b forms a horizontally elongated opening 18 in the storage space 16.

[0023] The front cover 14 is detachably attached to the tip of the peripheral wall portion 12b of the lamp body 12. As a result, the front cover 14 and the lamp body 12 form a lamp housing, and a sealed lamp chamber 20 is formed therein. The front cover 14 is translucent, and light emitted in the lamp chamber 20 is irradiated to the outside through the front cover 14. A resin lens is used for the front cover 14 in this embodiment.

[0024] An LED unit 22 is disposed inside the lamp chamber 20. As shown in Fig. 1, the LED unit 22 includes a metal heat sink (e.g., an aluminum die-cast product) 24 as a conductive base. The heat sink 24 according to this embodiment integrally includes a plate-shaped metal support plate portion 26 and a heat dissipation fin portion 28.

[0025] The metal support plate 26 is supported by the rear wall 12a of the lamp body 12 via aiming screws 30 and the like, and the plate surface of the metal support plate 26 faces the front-rear direction and is disposed in a state spaced apart from the rear wall 12a toward the front side. The heat dissipation fins 28 are attached to the rear surface of the metal support plate 26, and the heat dissipation fins 28 are cooled by a heat dissipation fan 32 attached to the heat sink 24.

[0026] The LED unit 22 includes a cylindrical lens holder 34 and a projection lens 36 attached to the lens holder 34. The rear end of the lens holder 34 is attached to the front of the metal support plate portion 26, and the front end of the lens holder 34 extends forward. The projection lens 36 is attached to the front end of the lens holder 34, and thus the projection lens 36 is disposed on an optical axis L extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. A front cover 14 is disposed in front of the projection lens 36. An extension reflector 38 is disposed around the projection lens 36 and the lens holder 34.

[0027] The LED unit 22 includes a light emitting module 40. The light emitting module 40 includes a resin circuit board 42, a plurality of light emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as LEDs) 44, and a power supply connector 46. The circuit board 42 is disposed within the lens holder 34 in a state where it is aligned with the front surface of the metal support plate portion 26, and a board surface 42a of the circuit board 42 faces forward. The circuit board 42 is disposed toward the upper side within the lens holder 34, and a power supply circuit (not shown) is formed on the board surface 42a.

[0028] The LEDs 44 are attached to a lower portion of the board surface 42a of the circuit board 42. The LEDs 44 are arranged as a planar light source that emits light, arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction with their light-emitting surfaces facing forward of the vehicle, and in this embodiment, each LED 44 is configured such that a fluorescent layer is provided on an LED chip so as to emit white light.

[0029] The power supply connector 46 is attached to the upper portion of the board surface 42a. A power source (not shown) is connected to the power supply connector 46 via an LED driver module (LDM) 50 by using a wire harness 48, and each LED 44 is connected via a power supply circuit (not shown) on the board surface 42a. The LED driver module 50 is disposed in the lower portion of the lamp body 12, and includes a metal case 52 as a conductive case and a lighting control circuit board 54 housed in the metal case 52. The power supply connector 46 and the power source (not shown) are connected via the lighting control circuit board 54 in the metal case 52, and the lighting control circuit board 54 controls the turning on and off of the multiple LEDs 44.

[0030] (Lighting control module) Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the lighting control module according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a top view of the lighting control module shown in Fig. 2. The lighting control module 60 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 corresponds to the LED driver module 50 shown in Fig. 1.

[0031] The lighting control module 60 includes a substrate 62 made of insulating resin on which one or more components constituting a lighting control circuit of the headlamp 10, which is a lamp, are mounted, and a metal case 64 that supports the substrate 62. The substrate 62 has a noise generating area 66 on which a component that generates noise is mounted among the one or more components, and a non-noise generating area 68 that is different from the noise generating area 66. The non-noise generating area 68 can also be referred to as an area of ​​the mounting surface of the substrate 62 other than the noise generating area 66.

[0032] Components that can be noise sources include converter circuits, PWM signal generation circuits, microcomputer clock circuits, etc. Components that make up converter circuits include passive elements such as coils and capacitors, and active elements such as field effect transistors (FETs) and diodes, with coils and FETs being particularly prone to generating noise.

[0033] The case 64 has a plate-shaped base portion 64a on which the substrate 62 is placed, a wall portion 64b provided to stand on the outer edge of the base portion 64a, and a rectangular cover portion 64d extending from an end portion 64c of the wall portion 64b to face the base portion 64a. The cover portion 64d is configured so that the non-noise generating region 68 is exposed and so as to cover at least a part of the noise generating region 66. Note that the cover portion 64d may be configured so that the non-noise generating region 68 is not exposed.

[0034] In other words, the noise generation source mounted in the noise generating area 66 is sandwiched between the cover part 64d and the base part 64a, and the influence of noise on at least the circuits and elements on the opposite side of the cover part 64d and the base part 64a as seen from the noise generation source is reduced. Examples of materials for the case 64 include aluminum and electrolytic galvanized steel sheet (SECC) that can be pressed.

[0035] In the lighting control module 60 configured in this manner, the case 64 can cover the noise generating area 66 while supporting the substrate 62, so the number of parts of the lighting control module 60 is reduced. In addition, the case 64 only needs to have a cover portion 64d that can cover only a part of the noise generating area 66, rather than the entire area, so the size of the metal plate is reduced, and material costs are reduced. It is preferable that at least a coil or FET that is a direct noise source is disposed in the part of the noise generating area 66 covered by the cover portion 64d. In addition, the cover portion 64d and the noise generating area 66 may have the same shape, or the cover portion 64d may cover the entire area of ​​the noise generating area 66.

[0036] The lighting control module 60 used in the headlamp 10 generally includes a converter circuit, which can be a major source of noise. Therefore, by covering the noise generating area 66 in which the components that make up the converter circuit are mounted with the cover part 64d, the effect of noise generated in the converter circuit on other electronic circuits (microcomputers and ECUs) arranged around the lighting control module 60 can be reduced.

[0037] Case 64 according to this embodiment is made of a single part pressed from a single metal plate, which reduces the number of steps required to manufacture the case compared to when a case is manufactured from multiple parts by welding or assembly.

[0038] The base portion 64a is rectangular, and the wall portion 64b is provided on two opposing sides 64e, 64e of the base portion 64a, but is not provided on one side 64f connecting the two opposing sides. This allows the substrate 62 to be inserted into the case 64 along the base portion 64a from the side 64f side where the wall portion 64b is not provided. Here, the side does not necessarily have to be a straight line, but refers to four straight line parts that form the periphery of the rectangle, and may be a broken line. The main parts of the four sides are formed perpendicular or parallel to each other.

[0039] The wall 64b according to this embodiment functions as a guide and positioning when the board 62 is placed in the case 64. As a result, the walls 64b provided on the two opposing sides 64e, 64e guide the board 62, allowing it to be inserted to a predetermined placement position. Furthermore, the lighting control module 60 according to this embodiment is provided with a wall 64g for positioning in the board insertion direction at the leading end in the insertion direction when the board 62 is inserted into the case 64. As a result, the board 62 can be placed in a predetermined position in the case 64 easily and accurately.

[0040] The case 64 according to this embodiment has an attachment portion 64h that is attached to the lamp body 12 of the headlamp 10. This allows the case 64 to be attached directly to components such as the lamp body 12 that constitute the headlamp 10. In addition, the attachment portion 64h is formed by processing the same single metal plate as the base portion 64a, so the number of components of the lighting control module 60 can be reduced.

[0041] The lighting control module 60 is mounted on the substrate 62 such that a connector 70, to which a wire harness or the like is connected, partially protrudes from one side 64f. The connector 70 is also provided at a position that does not overlap with the cover portion 64d. This prevents the connector 70 from interfering with the cover portion 64d when the substrate 62 is inserted into the case 64.

[0042] (Modification) Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of a lighting control module according to a modified example. Fig. 5 is a top view of the lighting control module shown in Fig. 4. In the following description, the same components as those in the lighting control module 60 described above are given the same names and symbols, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0043] The lighting control module 72 according to the modified example includes a substrate 74 and a metal case 76 that supports the substrate 74. The substrate 74 has a noise generating area 78 in which components that generate noise are mounted, similar to the substrate 62, and a non-noise generating area 80. The case 76 has a plate-shaped base portion 76a on which the substrate 74 is placed, a wall portion 76b provided to stand on the outer edge of the base portion 76a, and a cover portion 76d that protrudes from an end portion 76c of the wall portion 76b to face the base portion 76a. The cover portion 76d is configured so that the non-noise generating area 80 is exposed and so as to cover the noise generating area 78. The cover portion 76d may be configured so that the non-noise generating area 80 is not exposed.

[0044] In comparison with the lighting control module 60, in the lighting control module 72, the area in which the converter circuit, which becomes the noise generating area 78, is formed is disposed on the connector 70 side. Therefore, it is sufficient to provide the cover portion 76d in the vicinity of the connector 70, and it is not necessary to provide the base portion 76a according to the overall size of the board 74. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the area of ​​the base portion 76a, and the material cost of the case 76 can be reduced.

[0045] Moreover, the portion of the substrate 74 that protrudes from the base portion 76a is not supported by the case 76. Therefore, it is preferable that each component is arranged on the substrate 74 so that the center of gravity G of the substrate 74 overlaps with the base portion 76a. More specifically, it is preferable that screw holes 82 are formed in the four corners of the base portion 76a in order to fix the substrate 74 with screws, and the substrate 74 is configured so that the center of gravity G is located inside the area surrounded by the screw holes 82. This makes it difficult for the portion of the substrate 74 that protrudes from the base portion 76a to bend. Also, by fastening the substrate 74 to the conductive case 76 via screws, the ground portion of the circuit formed on the substrate 74 is electrically connected to the case 76.

[0046] Each of the above-mentioned lighting control modules can also be expressed as follows. The above-mentioned lighting control module includes a board 62 (board 74) having circuit components that are noise generating sources, and a case 64 (case 76) that houses the board. The case has a plate-shaped base portion 64a (base portion 76a), a wall portion 64b (wall portion 76b) that is provided to stand on the outer edge of the base portion, and a cover portion 64d (cover portion 76d) that protrudes from an end portion 64c (end portion 76c) of the wall portion to face the base portion. The cover portion is configured to cover a noise generating area 66 (noise generating area 78) that includes circuit components. This allows the case to house the board while covering the area including the circuit portion, thereby reducing the number of components in the lighting control module.

[0047] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and suitable combinations or substitutions of the configurations of the embodiment are also included in the present invention. In addition, it is possible to suitably rearrange the combinations and processing order in the embodiment based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art, and to make modifications such as various design changes to the embodiment, and the embodiment to which such modifications have been made is also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 headlamp, 12 lamp body, 60 lighting control module, 62 board, 64 case, 64a base portion, 64b wall portion, 64c end portion, 64d cover portion, 64g wall portion, 64h mounting portion, 66 noise generating area, 68 non-noise generating area.

Claims

1. A substrate on which one or more components constituting a lighting control circuit of a lighting fixture are mounted; a metal case for supporting the substrate; the substrate has a noise generating region on which a noise generating component among the one or more components is mounted, and a non-noise generating region different from the noise generating region, The case is A plate-shaped base portion on which the substrate is placed; A wall portion provided to stand on an outer edge of the base portion; a cover portion extending from an end of the wall portion so as to face the base portion, A lighting control module, characterized in that the cover portion is configured so as to expose the non-noise generation area and to cover at least a portion of the noise generation area.

2. 2. The lighting control module according to claim 1, wherein the noise generating area includes components that constitute a converter circuit.

3. 3. The lighting control module according to claim 1, wherein the case is formed as a single part by pressing a single metal plate.

4. The base portion is rectangular; 4. The lighting control module according to claim 1, wherein the wall portion is provided on two opposing sides of the base portion, and is not provided on one side connecting the two opposing sides.

5. 5. The lighting control module according to claim 1, wherein the wall portion functions as a guide and a positioning means when the board is placed in the case.

6. 6. The lighting control module according to claim 1, wherein the case has an attachment portion for attachment to a lamp body of a vehicle lamp.

7. A substrate having circuit components that are noise generating sources; A case that houses the substrate, The case is A plate-shaped base portion; A wall portion provided to stand on an outer edge of the base portion; a cover portion extending from an end of the wall portion so as to face the base portion, A lighting control module, characterized in that the cover portion is configured to expose an area that does not include the circuit components and to cover an area that includes the circuit components.

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