Vehicle lighting fixtures

Abstract

To provide a vehicle lamp fitting which can release heat from a light source sufficiently.SOLUTION: A vehicle lamp fitting 10 includes: a light source 21; a plate-like heat radiation member 22 which radiates heat from the light source 21; and a socket 23 with which the heat radiation member 22 is attached. The heat radiation member 22 has: an installation plate part 41 in which the light source 21 is installed; and a protruding plate part 42 which protrudes from the installation plate part 41 to the front side in an optical axis direction. The structure allows the vehicle lamp fitting 10 to release heat from the light source 21 sufficiently.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Vehicle lamps are required to use high-output, high-brightness light sources, and for this reason, vehicle lamps that efficiently dissipate heat from the light source have been considered (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] The vehicle lamp of Patent Document 1 has a circuit board on which a light source is mounted attached to a thin, plate-shaped metal body, and the metal body is embedded integrally in a socket (thermally conductive resin material) by insert molding, allowing heat from the light source to escape from the metal body through the socket.

[0004] The vehicle lamp of Patent Document 2 has a substrate on which a light source is mounted attached to a cone-shaped metal body (heat transfer part), and the metal body is inserted into a recess (storage part) in the socket, allowing heat from the light source to escape from the metal body through the socket. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6171269 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-64572 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In conventional vehicle lamps, heat generated by the light source is transferred from the metal body to the socket, and then dissipated from the socket to the outside. Therefore, the heat dissipation performance of the socket is important. However, in general, vehicle lamps have limited locations for providing heat dissipation points such as fins, so there is a limit to how much the heat dissipation performance of the socket can be improved. For this reason, these vehicle lamps may have difficulty in sufficiently dissipating the heat from the light source.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a vehicle lamp that can sufficiently dissipate heat from a light source. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure comprises a light source, a plate-shaped heat dissipation member that dissipates heat from the light source, and a socket to which the heat dissipation member is attached, and the heat dissipation member has an installation plate portion on which the light source is installed and a protruding plate portion that protrudes forward in the direction of the optical axis from the installation plate portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the vehicle lamp of the present disclosure, heat from the light source can be sufficiently dissipated. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a vehicle lamp according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a light source unit of a vehicle lamp. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an exploded configuration of a light source unit. [Figure 4] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the heat dissipation member of the light source unit as viewed from the back side. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the socket of the light source unit as viewed from the mounting surface side. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section taken along line II in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] 7 is an explanatory view similar to FIG. 6, showing a state in which a circuit board is disposed on a heat dissipation member. [Figure 9] 9 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the protruding portion is crimped from the state shown in FIG. 8. FIG. [Figure 10] 3 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the heat dissipation member is press-fitted into the socket, and corresponds to a cross section taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the protrusion is crimped from the state shown in FIG. 10. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle lamp 10 as an example of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. [Example]

[0012] A vehicle lamp 10 according to Example 1, which is an embodiment of a vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. The vehicle lamp 10 according to Example 1 is used as a lamp for a vehicle such as an automobile, and is used, for example, as a headlamp, fog lamp, daytime running lamp, clearance lamp, stop lamp, tail lamp, turn lamp, cornering lamp, etc. In the following description, in the vehicle lamp 10, the direction in which light is emitted, which is the direction of travel of the vehicle when traveling straight, is referred to as the optical axis direction (referred to as Z in the drawings, with the emitted side being the front), the up-down direction when the vehicle is mounted on the vehicle is referred to as the up-down direction (referred to as Y in the drawings), and the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction and the up-down direction is referred to as the left-right direction (referred to as X in the drawings).

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle lamp 10 includes a lamp housing 11, a lamp lens 12, a reflector 13, and a light source unit 20. The lamp housing 11 is formed from a light-impermeable material such as a colored or painted resin material, and is open at the front and closed at the rear. The lamp housing 11 is provided with a mounting hole 11a that penetrates the closed rear end. A plurality of notches and stoppers are provided at approximately equal intervals on the edge of the mounting hole 11a.

[0014] The lamp lens 12 is formed from a light-transmitting material such as a transparent resin material or a glass material, and is shaped to cover the open front end of the lamp housing 11. The lamp lens 12 is fixed in a sealed state to the opening of the lamp housing 11, ensuring watertightness. The lamp housing 11 and the lamp lens 12 define a lamp chamber 14.

[0015] The reflector 13 is a light distribution control member that controls the distribution of light emitted from the light source unit 20, and is fixed to the lamp housing 11 or the like and disposed within the lamp chamber 14. The reflector 13 has a curved shape with a focal point near the light source 21 of the light source unit 20 (see FIG. 2 , etc.), an inner surface serving as a reflective surface 13a that reflects light, and a mounting hole 13b provided at the bottom. The mounting hole 13b is positioned so as to communicate with the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11 when the reflector 13 is disposed within the lamp chamber 14. Note that in the first embodiment, the reflector 13 is formed as a separate member from the lamp housing 11, but it may be formed as an integral member, i.e., the inner surface of the lamp housing 11 may serve as the reflective surface, or another configuration may be used, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. Furthermore, instead of a reflector (reflective surface), a light guide member may be provided on the front side of the light source unit 20 in the optical axis direction to emit light to an area having a different position or size from the light source 21, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. Even when a light guide member is provided in this manner, the vehicle lamp 10 can be used as, for example, a headlamp, a fog lamp, a daytime running lamp, a clearance lamp, a stop lamp, a tail lamp, and the like.

[0016] A light source unit 20 is disposed in the lamp chamber 14, passing through a mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11 and a mounting hole 13b of the reflector 13. The light source unit 20 is detachably mounted in the mounting hole 11a with a sealing member (O-ring) 15 interposed between the light source unit 20 and the lamp housing 11. The light source unit 20 may be provided in the lamp chamber 14 via an optical axis adjustment mechanism for the up-down direction or an optical axis adjustment mechanism for the left-right direction.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the light source unit 20 includes a light source 21, a heat dissipation member 22, a socket 23, and a power supply member 24. The light source 21 is formed as a submount-type light-emitting element in which a light-emitting chip 32 is provided on a submount substrate 31. The mounting surface 31a of the submount substrate 31 is substantially rectangular in the optical axis direction when viewed from the front, with the light-emitting chip 32 attached to the upper half and connection terminals 31b provided in pairs at the two lower corners. In the light source 21, the light-emitting chip 32 and both connection terminals 31b are electrically connected via the submount substrate 31 (its electrical path), and when power is supplied between the both connection terminals 31b, the light-emitting chip 32 is illuminated.

[0018] The light emitting chip 32 is a self-luminous semiconductor light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an EL (Organic EL), or an LD chip (Laser Diode chip), and is an LED chip in Example 1. The light emitting chip 32 is positioned near the focal point of the reflector 13 when the light source unit 20 is assembled.

[0019] The heat dissipation member 22 is a heat sink member that transfers heat generated by the light source 21 to the socket 23. The heat dissipation member 22 is made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity, and in Example 1, is formed by cold forging an aluminum plate. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the heat dissipation member 22 is formed by bending a long plate-like member, and has an installation plate portion 41 and a protruding plate portion 42. The installation plate portion 41 is plate-shaped along a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction, and its front and rear sides in the optical axis direction are flat surfaces perpendicular to the optical axis direction. The front surface of the installation plate portion 41 serves as an installation surface 43 for installing the light source 21 and the substrate 51, and the rear surface serves as a contact surface 44 that comes into contact with the socket 23 (its mounting portion 65).

[0020] The protruding plate portions 42 are provided to protrude forward in the optical axis direction from the installation plate portion 41. In the first embodiment, the protruding plate portions 42 are provided in pairs on the upper and lower sides of the installation plate portion 41 in the up-down direction. That is, the heat dissipation member 22 in the first embodiment is a plate-shaped member that is elongated in the up-down direction, and the upper and lower portions are bent forward in the optical axis direction while the center in the up-down direction remains as the installation plate portion 41, to form the protruding plate portions 42. The protruding plate portions 42 are plate-shaped along a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction, and have a length dimension that protrudes forward in the optical axis direction beyond the peripheral wall 67 when the heat dissipation member 22 is attached to the socket 23 (its attachment portion 65) (see FIGS. 2, 7, etc.). The lengths of the protruding plate portions 42 in the optical axis direction are set so that the protruding amounts from the peripheral wall 67 are large, on the premise that light from the light source 21 provided on the installation plate portion 41 are not obstructed.

[0021] The mounting surface 43 is provided with a convex portion 45, a pair of protrusions 46, a pair of terminal holes 47, and a pair of positioning holes 48. The convex portion 45 is provided on the mounting plate portion 41 in the optical axis direction, with the center of the mounting surface 43 partially protruding forward in the optical axis direction. The convex portion 45 has a flat protruding end perpendicular to the optical axis direction, on which the light source 21 is mounted, and serves as a light source mounting location on the mounting surface 43. The light source 21 is attached to the convex portion 45 via a thermally conductive adhesive. This adhesive attaches the light source 21 (and its submount substrate 31) to the convex portion 45 and is made of a material such as an epoxy resin adhesive, a silicone resin adhesive, or an acrylic resin adhesive, and may be in a liquid, fluid, tape, or other form. As such, the vehicle lamp 10 uses a submount-type light source 21, allowing the light source 21 to be directly attached to the heat dissipation member 22, thereby effectively cooling the light source 21.

[0022] Both protrusions 46 are cylindrical and protrude from the installation surface 43 in the optical axis direction, and are provided in pairs on either side of the convex surface 45. Each protrusion 46 is provided on the installation surface 43 on the front side of the installation plate 41 in the optical axis direction, and is therefore positioned on the same straight line as the contact surface 44 (part thereof) on the rear side of the installation plate 41 in the optical axis direction (see FIG. 6, etc.).

[0023] The terminal holes 47 are through-holes that penetrate the installation plate 41 below the convex surface 45, and are capable of receiving the pin terminals 24a (see FIGS. 2 and 3) of the power supply member 24. The terminal holes 47 are aligned in the left-right direction, and are open to the installation surface 43 and the contact surface 44 in the optical axis direction.

[0024] Both positioning holes 48 are through-holes that penetrate the installation plate portion 41 above the convex surface portion 45, and are capable of receiving positioning protrusions 72 (see FIG. 5, etc.) of the mounting portion 65 of the socket 23. Both positioning holes 48 are aligned in the left-right direction, and are open to the installation surface 43 and the contact surface 44 in the optical axis direction. Both positioning holes 48 are spaced apart more widely than both terminal holes 47, and one has a circular cross section and the other has an oval shape that is long in the left-right direction.

[0025] A substrate 51 is provided on the installation surface 43 so as to surround the convex surface portion 45, i.e., the lower side and both left and right sides of the light source 21. This substrate 51 transmits a control signal from a control circuit mounted on the vehicle to the light source 21, and is appropriately provided with a plurality of elements such as capacitors. The substrate 51 is a U-shaped plate member that surrounds the convex surface portion 45, and when provided on the installation surface 43, it is located at approximately the same height as the convex surface portion 45 in the optical axis direction (see FIG. 8, etc.). Therefore, on the installation surface 43, the lower side and both left and right sides of the convex surface portion 45 are substrate installation locations where the substrate 51 is to be installed. Note that a control circuit may be provided on the substrate 51, and the configuration is not limited to that of the first embodiment.

[0026] The substrate 51 is provided with a pair of openings 51a, a pair of terminal connection holes 51b, and a pair of connection terminals 51c. The openings 51a are through-holes that penetrate the substrate 51 in the optical axis direction and are paired to sandwich the light source 21 in the left-right direction. Each opening 51a is provided at a position corresponding to a pair of protrusions 46 provided on the installation surface 43 of the heat dissipation member 22, allowing the corresponding protrusion 46 to pass through. Each terminal connection hole 51b is a through-hole that penetrates the substrate 51 in the optical axis direction and is provided at a position corresponding to a pair of terminal holes 47 provided on the installation surface 43 of the heat dissipation member 22, allowing the pin terminals 24a of the power supply member 24 to pass through. Each terminal connection hole 51b is electrically connected to a circuit on the substrate 51 and is electrically connected to the power supply member 24 by fixing the corresponding pin terminals 24a with solder or the like. Both connection terminals 51c are provided at positions corresponding to the connection terminals 31b on the mounting surface 31a of the submount substrate 31, and are electrically connected to a circuit formed on the substrate 51. The substrate 51 is attached to the installation surface 43 in the above-mentioned positional relationship via a thermally conductive adhesive.

[0027] The substrate 51 is electrically connected to the light source 21 by a pair of bonding wires 52 provided by wire bonding. The bonding wires 52 are provided in pairs so as to bridge between each connection terminal 31b of the submount substrate 31 of the light source 21 attached to the convex surface portion 45 and each connection terminal 51c of the substrate 51 attached to the installation surface 43. In the first embodiment, one end of each bonding wire 52 is electrically connected to the connection terminal 31b and the other end is electrically connected to the connection terminal 51c by wire bonding using ultrasonic waves. Note that the light source 21 (its submount substrate 31) and the substrate 51 need only be electrically connected, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4 , the heat dissipation member 22 has a light source back recess 53 and a pair of protrusion back recesses 54 on the contact surface 44 of the installation plate 41. The light source back recess 53 is provided on the back side of the convex surface 45, i.e., on the same straight line as the convex surface 45 in the optical axis direction, and the contact surface 44 is partially recessed into a cubic shape. Each protrusion back recess 54 is provided on the back side of a pair of protrusions 46, i.e., on the same straight line as each protrusion 46 in the optical axis direction, and the contact surface 44 is partially recessed into a cylindrical shape. Therefore, the light source back recess 53 and each protrusion back recess 54 are recesses provided on the back surface (contact surface 44) of the installation plate 41 opposite the light source 21. In Example 1, the heat dissipation member 22 is formed by cold forging, and therefore the light source back recess 53 and each protrusion back recess 54 are formed by displacing a metal material (aluminum) from the contact surface 44, which is the surface opposite the convex surface 45 and each protrusion 46, to form the convex surface 45 and each protrusion 46. The light source rear recess 53 and the projection rear recesses 54 may be provided even when the heat dissipation member 22 is formed by a method other than cold forging, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0029] The socket 23 is made of a thermally conductive material, and in the first embodiment, is made of a resin member. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 , the socket 23 has a socket main body 61 and a socket heat dissipation portion 62, and has the function of dissipating heat transferred from the heat dissipation member 22 to the outside (mainly the socket heat dissipation portion 62). The socket main body 61 has a mounting surface 63 on the front side in the optical axis direction, and a back surface 64 (see FIGS. 10 and 11 ) that is continuous with the socket heat dissipation portion 62 on the opposite side (rear side in the optical axis direction). The socket main body 61 has a mounting portion 65 formed on the mounting surface 63.

[0030] The mounting portion 65 is a location where the heat dissipation member 22 is attached, and includes a mounting wall portion 66 that defines a mounting surface 63 and a back surface 64, and a cylindrical peripheral wall 67 provided thereon. The mounting wall portion 66 is plate-shaped and perpendicular to the optical axis direction. The peripheral wall 67 protrudes forward in the optical axis direction from the mounting wall portion 66 (its mounting surface 63). The peripheral wall 67 has a cylindrical shape with an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11, and can accommodate the heat dissipation member 22 inside. When the contact surface 44 of the installation plate portion 41 of the heat dissipation member 22 is placed against the mounting surface 63, the mounting portion 65 allows both protruding plate portions 42 of the heat dissipation member 22 to fit along the inner side of the peripheral wall 67 (see FIG. 7, etc.). When the heat dissipation member 22 is in this state, the mounting portion 65 causes both protruding plate portions 42 (their tip portions) to protrude forward in the optical axis direction beyond the peripheral wall 67 (their tip portion).

[0031] The mounting portion 65 has a mounting wall portion 66 and a peripheral wall 67 that are substantially equal in thickness. This more effectively prevents sink marks from occurring in each portion of the mounting portion 65 when the socket 23 is formed by resin molding using a mold. The mounting surface 63 of the socket body 61 is fitted with the installation plate portion 41 (contact surface 44) of the heat dissipation member 22, and the back surface 64 is continuous with the socket heat dissipation portion 62. Therefore, the socket body 61 has the heat dissipation member 22 and the socket heat dissipation portion 62 (each of its fins 77) adjacent to each other via the mounting wall portion 66, allowing the socket heat dissipation portion 62 to efficiently radiate heat transferred from the heat dissipation member 22 to the socket 23. In other words, the mounting wall portion 66 has a thickness that ensures the strength of the socket body 61 while allowing the installation plate portion 41 and the socket heat dissipation portion 62 (each of the fins 77) to be as close as possible to each other.

[0032] The socket main body 61 is provided with a flange wall 68 that protrudes outward from the mounting wall 66 along a plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction. The flange wall 68 can be fitted to the edge of the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11. The peripheral wall 67 is also provided with four mounting protrusions 69 that protrude outward in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. The four mounting protrusions 69 are provided at approximately equal intervals around the circumferential direction of the peripheral wall 67 and can be inserted into notches formed on the edge of the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11. After passing through the notches, the rotational position of the socket main body 61 relative to the lamp housing 11 is changed and the mounting protrusions 69 are fitted to stoppers, thereby sandwiching the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 11a and the sealing member 15 between the mounting protrusions 69 and the flange wall 68 (see FIG. 1 ). As a result, the mounting protrusions 69 cooperate with the flange wall 68 to detachably mount the socket 23, i.e., the light source unit 20, to the lamp housing 11 via the sealing member 15.

[0033] The socket main body 61 has an installation recess 71, a positioning protrusion 72, a protrusion 73, a light source rear convex portion 74, and a pair of protrusion rear convex portions 75 provided inside the peripheral wall 67 of the mounting surface 63. The installation recess 71 is a location for installing the power supply member 24 (see FIG. 3), and is formed by partially recessing the lower side of the mounting surface 63 toward the rear in the optical axis direction. The installation recess 71 has a connection hole 76 penetrating its rear wall in the optical axis direction. The power supply member 24 is mechanically and detachably connected to a power supply connector 16 (see FIG. 1) in an electrically disconnectable manner, and supplies power from the connector 16 to the light source unit 20. The power supply member 24 has a pair of pin terminals 24a, which are electrically connected to the terminal connection holes 51b, enabling power to be supplied to the board 51 (see FIG. 2). The installation recess 71 is shaped to imitate the outer shape of the power supply member 24, and fitting the power supply member 24 with an insulating material interposed therebetween ensures the insulation of the power supply member 24. The installation recess 71 communicates with (the interior of) an attachment location provided on the back surface 64 via a connection hole 76. By providing the power supply member 24 in the installation recess 71, a connecting terminal on the rear side in the optical axis direction is exposed within the attachment location via the connection hole 76, and when a power supply-side connector 16 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the attachment location, the connecting terminal is electrically connected to the connecting terminal of the connector 16.

[0034] The positioning protrusions 72 are arranged in pairs in the left-right direction on the upper side of the mounting surface 63 in the up-down direction, and are cylindrical in shape protruding forward in the optical axis direction. Each positioning protrusion 72 corresponds to a pair of positioning holes 48 in the heat dissipation member 22 and can be inserted into the respective positioning holes 48. By being inserted into each of the positioning holes 48, the relative positions of the heat dissipation member 22 and the socket 23 are determined. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the pair of positioning holes 48 in the heat dissipation member 22 serve as heat dissipation-side positioning portions, and the pair of positioning protrusions 72 in the socket 23 serve as socket-side positioning portions. Note that the positions and numbers of the heat dissipation-side positioning portions and the socket-side positioning portions may be set appropriately as long as they determine the relative positions of the heat dissipation member 22 and the socket 23. The protrusions and holes may be interchanged, or other configurations may be used, and the configuration is not limited to the first embodiment.

[0035] The protrusions 73 are provided to attach the heat dissipation member 22 (its mounting plate 41) to the socket 23 (its socket main body 61). As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 10, etc., the protrusions 73 are provided in pairs in the left-right direction at the vertically central position on the mounting surface 63. Each protrusion 73 is positioned radially outward of the mounting portion 65, the mounting recess 71, the positioning protrusion 72, the light source rear convex portion 74, and each protrusion rear convex portion 75 in the radial direction of a circle centered on the optical axis of the light source 21. When the relative positions of each protrusion 73 are determined by each positioning protrusion 72 and each positioning hole 48, each protrusion 73 is positioned adjacent to the outer side of the mounting plate 41 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 10, etc.). Each protrusion 73 extends in the tangential direction of a circle centered in the optical axis direction and is plate-shaped, protruding forward in the optical axis direction from the mounting surface 63. Each protrusion 73 is gradually tapered toward the front in the optical axis direction at its tip portion 73a, and in Example 1, the outer side in the radial direction is cut out (see Figures 5, 10, etc.).

[0036] The light source back convex portion 74 is provided to correspond to the light source back recessed portion 53 of the installation plate portion 41, and protrudes in a cubic shape from the mounting surface 63. This light source back convex portion 74 can be fitted into the light source back recessed portion 53. Each protrusion back convex portion 75 is provided to correspond to each protrusion back recessed portion 54 of the installation plate portion 41, and protrudes in a cylindrical shape from the mounting surface 63. Each protrusion back convex portion 75 can be fitted into the corresponding protrusion back recessed portion 54. Therefore, the light source back convex portion 74 and each protrusion back convex portion 75 become convex portions on the socket 23 (mounting surface 63) that can be fitted into the recessed portions (light source back recessed portion 53, each protrusion back recessed portion 54) of the installation plate portion 41.

[0037] The socket heat dissipation section 62 dissipates (radiates) the heat transferred from the heat dissipation member 22 to the outside, and has a plurality of fins 77. Each fin 77 is plate-shaped along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction, and is arranged in parallel in the left-right direction while protruding rearward in the optical axis direction from the back surface 64. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 11, the back surface 64 has attachment points into which the power supply connector 16 is inserted in places where no fins 77 are provided. The connector 16 is mechanically and detachably attached to these attachment points, and when the connector 16 is attached, its connecting terminals are electrically connected to connecting terminals of the power supply member 24 (see FIG. 3, etc.) provided in the installation recess 71.

[0038] The light source unit 20 is assembled as follows. First, as shown in Figures 3 and 7, the power supply member 24 is fitted into the installation recess 71 of the mounting surface 63 of the socket 23 via an insulating material, and its connecting terminal is exposed from the connection hole 76 to the installation location. Then, on the installation surface 43 of the installation plate portion 41 of the heat dissipation member 22, the light source 21 is attached to the convex portion 45 via a thermally conductive adhesive, and the substrate 51 is attached to the installation surface 43 via a thermally conductive adhesive so as to surround the light source 21 from below and on both the left and right sides. At this time, the pair of protrusions 46 of the installation surface 43 of the substrate 51 are passed through the corresponding openings 51a (see Figure 8), and the pair of terminal holes 47 of the installation surface 43 are passed through the terminal connection holes 51b corresponding to the pair of terminal holes 47.

[0039] Next, the tips of both protrusions 46 of the heat dissipation member 22 are crushed and plastically deformed, i.e., caulked (see FIG. 8 before deformation and FIG. 9 after deformation). Here, the heat dissipation member 22 has a substrate 51 mounted on the installation surface 43 of a plate-shaped installation plate 41, and each protrusion 46 protrudes forward in the optical axis direction from the installation surface 43. As shown in FIG. 9, the heat dissipation member 22 has a contact surface 44 mounted on a flat work surface 78a of a workbench 78, and a load is applied to both protrusions 46 (their tips) in the optical axis direction. At this time, the applied load can be applied between the plate-shaped installation plate 41 (work surface 78a) perpendicular to the load direction, allowing the heat dissipation member 22 to apply the load efficiently and evenly to each protrusion 46 in the optical axis direction. Here, in the heat dissipation member 22 of Example 1, each protrusion-back recess 54 is provided on the back side of each protrusion 46. However, since each protrusion-back recess 54 is only partially recessed and the entire contact surface 44, including the surrounding area, is flat, the impact of providing each protrusion-back recess 54 is small. Therefore, the heat dissipation member 22 can prevent each protrusion 46 from deforming in an unintended direction and can stably crush the tips of both protrusions 46. As a result, the tips of each protrusion 46 expand while passing through the corresponding opening 51a, preventing it from slipping out of the opening 51a. This firmly fixes the substrate 51 to the installation surface 43, i.e., the heat dissipation member 22.

[0040] Next, a pair of bonding wires 52 is arranged to bridge each connection terminal 31b of the submount substrate 31 of the light source 21 and each connection terminal 51c of the substrate 51. Then, both ends of each bonding wire 52 assigned to each connection terminal 31b and each connection terminal 51c are electrically connected by wire bonding using ultrasonic waves. At this time, since the light source 21 is provided on the convex portion 45 at a position approximately equal in height to the substrate 51, it is positioned higher than the substrate 51, which makes it easy to connect both ends of each bonding wire 52.

[0041] Next, thermally conductive grease is applied to the mounting portion 65 of the mounting surface 63 of the socket body 61 of the socket 23 to enhance heat transfer. Thereafter, positioning protrusions 72 corresponding to the positioning holes 48 of the heat dissipation member 22 are inserted into the peripheral wall 67 of the socket body 61, and the mounting plate 41 of the heat dissipation member 22 is aligned with the mounting portion 65. The positioning action of the positioning holes 48 and the positioning protrusions 72 positions the mounting plate 41 appropriately relative to the mounting portion 65. At this time, the light source rear convex portion 74 of the mounting portion 65 is fitted into the light source rear concave portion 53 of the mounting plate 41, and the protrusion rear convex portions 75 of the mounting portion 65 are fitted into the protrusion rear concave portions 54 of the mounting plate 41. The light source rear concave portion 53, the light source rear convex portion 74, the protrusion rear concave portions 54, and the protrusion rear convex portions 75 act as auxiliary positioning elements to appropriately position the mounting plate 41 relative to the mounting portion 65. As a result, each pin terminal 24a of the power supply member 24 provided in the installation recess 71 of the socket body 61 passes through the corresponding terminal hole 47 of the installation plate 41 of the heat dissipation member 22 and into the corresponding terminal connection hole 51b of the board 51. Furthermore, due to the above-mentioned positioning action, each protrusion 73 of the socket body 61 is adjacent to the outer side of the installation plate 41 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 10, etc.).

[0042] Next, the tip portion 73a of each protrusion 73 is crushed and plastically deformed, i.e., crimped (see FIG. 10 before deformation and FIG. 11 after deformation). At this time, the tip portion 73a of each protrusion 73 is bent radially inward and plastically deformed so that the tip portion 73a covers the corresponding left and right edges of the mounting plate 41 from the front side in the optical axis direction. This crimping may be thermal crimping using heat or ultrasonic crimping using ultrasound. This allows each protrusion 73 to sandwich the mounting plate 41 in the optical axis direction between its tip portion 73a and the mounting surface 63 on which it is provided (see FIG. 11). Since each protrusion 73 is adjacent to the outer side of the mounting plate 41 in the left-right direction and the tip portion 73a is bent radially inward, the mounting plate 41 is supported on both the left and right sides, allowing it to be firmly fixed to the socket body 61. Thereafter, the pin terminals 24a are electrically connected to the terminal connection holes 51b using solder or the like, thereby assembling the light source unit 20.

[0043] The light source unit 20, with the sealing member 15 provided around the peripheral wall 67 and facing the flange wall 68, is inserted into the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11 from the light source 21 side, and each mounting protrusion 69 of the socket 23 is passed through a notch provided on the edge of the mounting hole 11a. Thereafter, the rotational orientation of the socket main body 61 relative to the lamp housing 11 is changed so that each mounting protrusion 69 faces the corresponding stopper portion, and the light source unit 20 is attached to the lamp housing 11 with the sealing member 15 sandwiched between the flange wall 68 and the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 11a. The reflector 13 and the lamp lens 12 are attached to the lamp housing 11, and the vehicle lamp 10 (see FIG. 1) is assembled. In the vehicle lamp 10, the light source 21 and the board 51 of the light source unit 20 are disposed inside the lamp chamber 14, on the reflective surface 13a side of the reflector 13, through the mounting hole 11a of the lamp housing 11 and the mounting hole 13b of the reflector 13. In the vehicle lamp 10, a power supply connector 16 is attached to the mounting location of the socket 23 of the light source unit 20 attached to the lamp housing 11, so that power can be supplied to the board 51 through the power supply member 24, and the light source 21 can be turned on and off as appropriate.

[0044] In this vehicle lamp 10, heat generated by the light source 21 can be conducted from the heat dissipation member 22 (mainly the mounting plate 41) to the mounting portion 65 of the socket 23, allowing the heat to dissipate from the socket 23 to the outside. Additionally, in the vehicle lamp 10, the heat dissipation member 22 is provided with two protruding plates 42 that protrude forward in the optical axis direction from the mounting plate 41 on which the light source 21 is mounted. This allows heat to be dissipated forward from both the protruding plates 42. Therefore, compared to the prior art of Patent Document 1, which uses a thin, plate-shaped metal body, the vehicle lamp 10 can actively dissipate heat toward both the front and rear of the light source 21, thereby appropriately cooling the light source 21. Furthermore, since the vehicle lamp 10 has a configuration in which the two protruding plates 42 are added to the mounting plate 41 on which the light source 21 is mounted, the heat capacity of the heat dissipation member 22 can be increased with a simpler configuration, allowing the light source 21 to be appropriately cooled, compared to the prior art of Patent Document 1, which uses only a thin, plate-shaped metal body.

[0045] Additionally, in the vehicle lamp 10, one of the protruding plate portions 42 is provided above the installation plate portion 41 in the vertical direction, so that heat from the light source 21 can be efficiently conducted to one of the protruding plate portions 42, and the heat can be efficiently dissipated from that protruding plate portion 42. Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10, both of the protruding plate portions 42 protrude forward in the optical axis direction beyond the peripheral wall 67, so that the tips of both of the protruding plate portions 42 can be exposed to the surrounding air, and therefore heat can be efficiently dissipated from each tip.

[0046] Furthermore, the vehicular lamp 10 has a heat dissipation member 22 formed by bending a single plate-shaped member to have an installation plate portion 41 and a protruding plate portion 42. This ensures a sufficient heat capacity with a simpler configuration than the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 2, which uses a conical metal body. Furthermore, the vehicular lamp 10 also has a socket heat dissipation portion 62 (fins 77) provided on the socket 23. This allows for efficient radiation of heat transferred from the heat dissipation member 22 to the socket 23, thereby promoting heat dissipation from the heat dissipation member 22. Therefore, the vehicular lamp 10 can more appropriately cool the light source 21 and light the light source 21 properly, compared to the prior art disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. In particular, the vehicular lamp 10 of Example 1 forms the heat dissipation member 22 by cold forging aluminum, which allows for greater freedom in shape and reduced costs compared to forming the heat dissipation member 22 by die casting.

[0047] Here, in the vehicle lamp 10, it is conceivable to increase the size of each fin 77 of the socket heat dissipation portion 62 of the socket 23 to improve the heat dissipation performance of the socket 23 and promote heat dissipation of the heat dissipation member 22. However, in the vehicle lamp 10, there is a limit to the space available when the lamp is mounted on a vehicle, so there is a limit to how large each fin 77 can be made, and there is also a limit to how much the heat dissipation performance of the socket 23 can be improved by adjusting the size of each fin 77. In contrast, by providing the protruding plate portion 42, the front side of the light source 21 can also be actively used for heat dissipation, so it is possible to improve the heat dissipation performance without increasing the size of each fin 77.

[0048] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the heat dissipation member 22 has the installation plate portion 41 and the protruding plate portion 42, which increases the weight of the heat dissipation member 22, and this may make it difficult to maintain the fixed state of the heat dissipation member 22 in the socket 23. In contrast, in the vehicle lamp 10, the installation plate portion 41 of the heat dissipation member 22 is supported by crimping the protruding portion 73 of the socket 23, so the heat dissipation member 22 can be properly fixed to the socket 23. In particular, in the vehicle lamp 10 of Example 1, the heat dissipation member 22 is supported at two locations in a pair in the left-right direction by the protruding portions 73, so the heat dissipation member 22 can be fixed in a balanced manner, and the fixed state of the heat dissipation member 22 in the socket 23 can be more properly maintained. In addition, the vehicle lamp 10 has two protruding plate portions 42 of the heat dissipation member 22 arranged in pairs, one above the other, so that the installation plate portion 41 is sandwiched between the two protruding portions 73 in the left-right direction, allowing for even support, and even a heat dissipation member 22 with increased weight can be properly fixed to the socket 23.

[0049] Additionally, in the vehicle lamp 10, the light source rear convex portion 74 of the mounting portion 65 is fitted into the light source rear concave portion 53 of the mounting plate 41, and each protrusion rear convex portion 75 of the mounting portion 65 is fitted into each protrusion rear concave portion 54 of the mounting plate 41. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the contact area between the mounting plate 41 (its contact surface 44) and the mounting portion 65 (its mounting surface 63) can be increased compared to when they are completely flat, and heat can be efficiently transferred from the mounting plate 41 (heat dissipation member 22) to the mounting portion 65 (socket 23). As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 can efficiently dissipate heat from the light source 21 from the socket 23 to the outside, allowing the light source 21 to be more appropriately cooled.

[0050] In the vehicle lamp 10, the installation plate 41 is positioned appropriately relative to the installation portion 65 by inserting positioning protrusions 72 that protrude from the installation wall 66 (the installation surface 63) of the socket main body 61 of the socket 23 into each positioning hole 48 provided in the installation plate 41 of the heat dissipation member 22. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the socket main body 61 and the socket heat dissipation portion 62 can be separated by the installation wall 66, compared to when positioning holes are provided in the installation wall 66 of the socket 23, and waterproofness (watertightness) of the installation portion 65 of the socket main body 61 can be easily ensured.

[0051] In the vehicle lamps of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the substrate is attached to the metal body via a thermally conductive medium or a bonding layer, which may result in insufficient mounting strength and lead to the risk of the substrate falling off or becoming misaligned. Therefore, the applicant considered fixing the substrate to the metal body by crimping. However, in the vehicle lamp of Patent Document 1, the metal body is integrally embedded in the socket by insert molding. Fixing the substrate to the metal body by crimping imposes a load on the integrated metal body and socket, which may cause deformation or damage to the socket and make it difficult to properly apply the crimping load to the crimping protrusion. Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp of Patent Document 2, the rear side of the metal body is conical. Fixing the substrate to the metal body by crimping requires a jig or other tool to fix the metal body when applying the load. Furthermore, the crimping load escapes from the inclined side of the conical shape, making it difficult to properly apply the load. For this reason, in the vehicle lamps of Patent Documents 1 and 2, even if an attempt is made to fix the board to the metal body by caulking, it is difficult to properly fix the board to the metal body.

[0052] In contrast, in the vehicle lamp 10, the contact surface 44 on the installation plate portion 41 of the heat dissipation member 22 opposite the installation surface 43 is flat, and each protrusion 46 is provided protruding in the optical axis direction from the installation surface 43. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, by applying a load in the optical axis direction to both protrusions 46 with the contact surface 44 placed on a flat surface (the work surface 78a in Example 1), the tips of both protrusions 46 can be stably crushed. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 can more appropriately fix the substrate 51 to the heat dissipation member 22 than the vehicle lamps of Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0053] Furthermore, when the vehicular lamp 10 is mounted on a vehicle, it is subject to the effects of vehicle vibrations. In addition, the light source 21 and the substrate 51 are electrically connected by a pair of bonding wires 52 using ultrasonic wire bonding. Therefore, there is a risk that the substrate of the vehicular lamp 10 may fall off or become displaced during ultrasonic wire bonding. To address this issue, the vehicular lamp 10 fixes the substrate 51 to the heat dissipation member 22 in advance by crimping, so the fixed state of the substrate 51 to the heat dissipation member 22 can be appropriately maintained. In addition, the vehicular lamp 10 allows the structure that fixes the substrate 51 to the heat dissipation member 22 by crimping to be exposed, so it is possible to see at a glance that the substrate 51 is firmly fixed.

[0054] The vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment can provide the following effects.

[0055] The vehicular lamp 10 includes a plate-shaped heat dissipation member 22 that dissipates heat from the light source 21, and a socket 23 to which the heat dissipation member 22 is attached. The heat dissipation member 22 has an installation plate 41 on which the light source 21 is installed, and a protruding plate 42 that protrudes forward in the optical axis direction from the installation plate 41. As a result, the vehicular lamp 10 can improve the thermal capacity of the heat dissipation member 22 and can dissipate heat from the light source 21 from the socket 23 to the rear in the optical axis direction via the installation plate 41, and can also dissipate heat from the light source 21 to the front in the optical axis direction via the protruding plate 42. As a result, the vehicular lamp 10 can improve the overall heat dissipation performance without increasing the size of the socket 23, and can sufficiently dissipate heat from the light source 21, thereby allowing the light source 21 to be appropriately cooled.

[0056] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the heat dissipation member 22 is formed by bending a single plate-like member to form the installation plate portion 41 and the protruding plate portion 42. Therefore, the installation plate portion 41 and the protruding plate portion 42 can be easily formed in the vehicle lamp 10, and the heat dissipation member 22 can be actively dissipated from the light source 21 from both the front and rear sides in the optical axis direction while ensuring the heat capacity of the heat dissipation member 22 with a simple configuration. Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the installation plate portion 41 and the protruding plate portion 42 are integrated into a plate shape, which makes it easy to attach the heat dissipation member 22 to the socket 23.

[0057] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the socket 23 has an attachment portion 65 to which the heat dissipation member 22 is attached, and the protruding plate portion 42 protrudes forward in the optical axis direction from the attachment portion 65 when the heat dissipation member 22 is attached to the attachment portion 65. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, heat from the light source 21 can be released from the tip ends of both protruding plate portions 42 to the front side of the attachment portion 65, preventing heat from building up inside the attachment portion 65 and allowing the light source 21 to be cooled appropriately.

[0058] In the vehicle lamp 10, the mounting portion 65 has a peripheral wall 67 that extends in the optical axis direction while surrounding the mounted heat dissipation member 22, and the protruding plate portion 42 protrudes forward in the optical axis direction beyond the peripheral wall 67 when the heat dissipation member 22 is positioned inside the peripheral wall 67. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the protruding plate portion 42 can be made long to improve heat dissipation performance, and the tip of the protruding plate portion 42 can be exposed to the surrounding air, so that heat from the light source 21 can be dissipated efficiently.

[0059] In the vehicle lamp 10, the installation plate 41 has a light source back recess 53 and each protrusion back recess 54 as recesses on the contact surface 44 which is the back surface, and the socket 23 has a light source back convex portion 74 and each protrusion back convex portion 75 as convex portions that fit into the recesses. Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 can assist in attaching the installation plate 41 and the socket 23 in an appropriate positional relationship, and can increase the contact area between the installation plate 41 and the socket 23 to make heat transfer more efficient.

[0060] In the vehicle lamp 10, the installation plate 41 has a substrate 51 attached to an installation surface 43, and has a protrusion 46 that protrudes from the installation surface 43, and the substrate 51 has an opening 51a through which the protrusion 46 can pass. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, by applying a load to the protrusion 46 in the optical axis direction with the installation plate 41 placed on a flat surface, the tip of the protrusion 46 can be stably crushed. This allows the vehicle lamp 10 to properly fix the substrate 51 to the heat dissipation member 22.

[0061] In the vehicle lamp 10, the socket 23 is provided with a protrusion 73 for fixing the installation plate 41, and the protrusion 73 is adjacent to a portion of the installation plate 41 where the protruding plate 42 is not provided when the heat dissipation member 22 is attached to the socket 23. Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 10, the protrusion 73 can clamp the edge of the installation plate 41 of the heat dissipation member 22, thereby fixing the heat dissipation member 22 to the socket 23. As a result, the vehicle lamp 10 can properly fix the heat dissipation member 22 to the socket 23 even if the heat dissipation member 22 has the light source 21 and the substrate 51 provided on the installation surface 43, and the light source 21 can be sufficiently cooled.

[0062] Therefore, the vehicle lamp 10 of the first embodiment as the vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure can sufficiently release heat from the light source 21.

[0063] The vehicle lamp of the present disclosure has been described above based on Example 1, but the specific configuration is not limited to Example 1, and design changes and additions are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention according to each claim in the scope of the claims.

[0064] In Example 1, the heat dissipation member 22 is formed by processing aluminum by cold forging. However, the material and processing method of the heat dissipation member may be appropriately set as long as the heat dissipation member has an installation plate portion 41 on which the light source 21 is installed and a protruding plate portion 42 that protrudes forward in the optical axis direction from the installation plate portion 41, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0065] In addition, in Example 1, the heat dissipation member 22 is provided with the protruding plate portions 42 in pairs in the up-down direction relative to the installation plate portion 41, but the positions and number of the protruding plate portions 42 may be set appropriately and are not limited to the configuration of Example 1. For example, the protruding plate portion 42 may be a single one that protrudes forward from the installation plate portion 41, or may be provided in pairs in the left-right direction relative to the installation plate portion 41, or may be annular in shape surrounding the installation plate portion 41.

[0066] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the heat dissipation member 22 is attached to the socket 23 by crimping the installation plate portion 41 of the heat dissipation member 22 with the pair of protrusions 73 on the left and right. However, the method of attaching the heat dissipation member 22 to the socket 23 may be appropriately determined and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. For example, as long as the protrusions 73 are adjacent to a portion of the installation plate portion 41 where the protruding plate portion 42 is not provided when the heat dissipation member 22 is attached to the socket 23, they can support the installation plate portion 41 as in the first embodiment. Furthermore, when the protruding plate portion 42 is annular as described above, the protrusions 73 may be deformed to cover the protruding end of the protruding plate portion 42 and crimped. Furthermore, a crimping hole may be provided in the installation plate portion 41 and a crimping protrusion may be provided in the socket 23, or the heat dissipation member 22 may be fixed to the socket 23 by another method. Here, when a crimping hole is provided in the installation plate portion 41, the hole is made to have a two-stage diameter with the larger diameter on the installation surface 43 side, so that the crushed tip of the crimping protrusion of the socket 23 can escape into the larger diameter, preventing the formation of a protrusion on the installation surface 43.

[0067] In the first embodiment, a pair of protrusions 46 are provided so as to sandwich the light source 21 (convex surface portion 45) in the left-right direction. However, as long as the protrusions 46 are provided protruding from the installation surface 43 of the heat dissipation member 22 and can be passed through the opening 51a of the substrate 51, and protrude from the plate-shaped installation plate portion 41 (installation surface 43), the positions, number, and shapes of the protrusions 46 may be set appropriately, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0068] In the first embodiment, a submount type light source 21 is used and is electrically connected to the substrate 51 by a pair of bonding wires 52 provided by wire bonding. However, as long as the light source is attached to the heat dissipation member 22 and is turned on and off appropriately by the supply of power from the power supply side connector 16 attached to the socket 23, the light source may be configured to be mounted on a substrate and attached to the heat dissipation member 22, or other configurations may be used, and the configuration is not limited to the first embodiment.

[0069] In the first embodiment, the light source installation location is a convex portion 45 that partially protrudes from the center of the installation surface 43 of the heat dissipation member 22. However, the light source installation location may be flush with the installation surface 43 or may protrude over an area larger than the light source 21, as long as it is a location on the installation surface 43 where the light source 21 is installed, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment. Here, the light source installation location can facilitate the connection work of both ends of each bonding wire 52 that bridges the light source 21 and the substrate 51, so it is desirable that the light source 21 installed in the light source installation location be at a position equal to or higher in the optical axis direction than the substrate 51 installed in the substrate installation location. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10 Vehicle lamp 21 Light source 22 Heat dissipation member 23 Socket 41 Installation plate portion 42 Protruding plate portion 46 Protruding portion 51 Board 51a Opening 53 Light source rear recess (as an example of a recess) 54 Protrusion rear recess (as an example of a recess) 65 Mounting portion 67 Peripheral wall 73 Protrusion 74 Light source rear convex portion (as an example of a convex portion) 75 Protrusion rear convex portion (as an example of a convex portion)

Claims

1. A light source and a plate-shaped heat dissipation member that dissipates heat from the light source; a socket to which the heat dissipation member is attached, the heat dissipation member has an installation plate portion on which the light source is installed and a protruding plate portion protruding from the installation plate portion to a front side in an optical axis direction, The vehicle lamp is characterized in that the protruding plate portion is in the form of a plate along a plane perpendicular to the installation plate portion, and protrudes forward in the optical axis direction beyond the socket.

2. 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipation member is formed by bending a single plate-like member to form the installation plate portion and the protruding plate portion.

3. the socket has a mounting portion to which the heat dissipation member is attached, 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the protruding plate portion protrudes forward in the optical axis direction beyond the mounting portion when the heat dissipation member is mounted on the mounting portion.

4. the mounting portion has a peripheral wall that extends in the optical axis direction and surrounds the mounted heat dissipation member, 4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 3, wherein the protruding plate portion protrudes forward in the optical axis direction beyond the peripheral wall when the heat dissipation member is positioned inside the peripheral wall.

5. the installation plate portion has a recess on a back surface opposite to the light source, 5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the socket has a protrusion that is fitted into the recess.

6. a substrate electrically connected to the light source is attached to the installation plate; the installation plate portion has a protrusion portion that protrudes from an installation surface on which the light source is attached, 6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has an opening through which the protrusion can pass.

7. The socket is provided with a protrusion for fixing the installation plate, 7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is adjacent to a portion of the installation plate where the protruding plate is not provided when the heat dissipation member is attached to the socket.

Images