Vehicle lighting fixtures

Abstract

To secure a stably held state of a board while reducing the number of components and improving workability in an assembly process.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture comprises: a board of which both surfaces in a thickness direction are formed as a first surface and a second surface; a first member comprising a plurality of first retaining parts protruded toward the board, of which tip surfaces are formed as first pressed surfaces pressed against the first surface; and a second member comprising a plurality of second retaining parts protruded toward the board, of which tip surfaces are formed as second pressed surfaces pressed against the second surface. While the first member and the second member are fixed, the board is held by being sandwiched between the first retaining parts and the second retaining parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of a vehicle lamp having a substrate disposed in an internal space. [Background technology]

[0002] In a vehicle lamp, the internal space formed by the cover and the lamp housing is a lamp chamber, and a circuit board on which a light source and the like are mounted is disposed in the lamp chamber. Some vehicle lamps are provided with a mounting member that mounts the circuit board to the lamp chamber by thermal caulking or screwing, and the mounting member with the mounted circuit board is fixed to the lamp housing by screwing or the like (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the vehicle lamp described in Patent Document 1, the lamp housing is configured by joining a case body and a cover body, and the lamp housing and a cover lens (corresponding to a cover) form an outer casing of the lamp. The case body has a mounting base that functions as a mounting member, and after the light source board and the control board are respectively attached to the mounting base by thermal caulking while the case body and the cover body are separated, the case body with the light source board and the control board attached and the cover body are joined (fixed) together by screwing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-118042 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In vehicle lamps, it is desirable to reduce the number of parts and improve the workability of the assembly process in order to reduce weight and manufacturing costs. On the other hand, since the light source and various electronic components are mounted on the circuit board placed in the lamp chamber, the circuit board needs to be held stably in the lamp chamber.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to ensure a stable holding state of a board while reducing the number of parts and improving workability in the assembly process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle lamp according to the present invention comprises: Formed in a vertically long shape The substrate has both surfaces in the thickness direction formed as a first surface and a second surface, a first member having a plurality of first pressing portions formed as first pressing surfaces that protrude toward the substrate and have tip surfaces that are pressed against the first surface, and a second member having a plurality of second pressing portions formed as second pressing surfaces that protrude toward the substrate and have tip surfaces that are pressed against the second surface, and the substrate is held by being sandwiched between the first pressing portions and the second pressing portions when the first member and the second member are fixed. A vertically long positioning hole is formed in the substrate, and a positioning protrusion to be inserted into the positioning hole is provided on at least one of the first member and the second member, and the positioning protrusion has a fixing portion for fixing the first member and the second member and a restricting portion protruding vertically and horizontally from the fixing portion, and the protrusion amount of the restricting portion protruding vertically from the fixing portion is larger than the protrusion amount of the fixing portion protruding horizontally from the fixing portion. This is what is done.

[0008] As a result, the substrate is held in a state sandwiched between the first member and the second member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, the substrate is held in a state sandwiched between the first and second members, so that no dedicated member for holding the substrate is required in addition to the members already required for the vehicle lamp, thereby reducing the number of parts and improving work efficiency in the assembly process while ensuring a stable holding state of the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 2 to 6 show an embodiment of the vehicle lamp of the present invention, and this figure is a perspective view of the vehicle lamp. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle lamp. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle lamp. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a vehicle lamp. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a first pressing portion and a second pressing portion. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a positioning hole and a positioning protrusion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] In the following embodiments, the vehicle lamp of the present invention is applied to a tail lamp. However, the present invention can be widely applied to various vehicle lamps such as head lamps, turn signal lamps, clearance lamps, stop lamps, daytime running lamps, cornering lamps, hazard lamps, position lamps, backup lamps, fog lamps, and combination lamps that are combinations of these.

[0013] In the following explanation, the front, rear, up, down, left and right directions will be explained assuming that the direction of light emitted from the vehicle lamp is rearward. However, the front, rear, up, down, left and right directions shown below are for the convenience of explanation, and the present invention is not limited to these directions in terms of implementation.

[0014] In the following description, an example will be given in which the lamp housing functions as the first member and the bracket functions as the second member.

[0015] The vehicle lamps 1 are attached to, for example, both left and right ends of a vehicle body.

[0016] The vehicle lamp 1 comprises a lamp housing 2 having an opening at the rear end and a cover 3 that closes the opening of the lamp housing 2 (see Figure 1). The lamp housing 2 is provided as a first member. The lamp housing 2 and the cover 3 form a lamp outer casing 4, and the internal space of the lamp outer casing 4 forms a lamp chamber 5 (see Figure 2).

[0017] The lamp housing 2 has a front surface 6 facing in the front-rear direction and a peripheral surface 7 protruding rearward from the outer periphery of the front surface 6. First retaining portions 8, 8, ... protruding rearward are provided on the front surface 6 at intervals in the up, down, left and right directions (see Figures 2 and 3). Insertion holes 6a, 6a, ... penetrating the front surface 6 from front to back are formed at intervals in the up, down, left and right directions.

[0018] The first pressing portion 8 is formed in a shape such that the area of ​​a cross section perpendicular to the protruding direction decreases from the base end to the tip (see FIGS. 3 to 5). The cross section of the first pressing portion 8 perpendicular to the protruding direction is cross-shaped, and the tip surface of the first pressing portion 8 is formed as a cross-shaped first pressing surface 9. The first pressing surface 9 is in contact with a first surface of a substrate (described later) (see FIG. 4). Because the base end of the first pressing portion 8 is thicker than the tip, it is less likely to deform even if an unintended force acts on the first pressing portion 8 when the first pressing surface 9 is in contact with the substrate (described later), ensuring good contact of the first pressing portion 8 with the substrate (described later).

[0019] In the lamp chamber 5, a substrate 10, a bracket 11, and an inner lens 12 are arranged in a line in the front and rear direction (see FIG. 2).

[0020] The substrate 10 is formed in the shape of, for example, a vertically elongated plate facing the front-rear direction, with the front surface in the thickness direction formed as a first surface 10a and the rear surface in the thickness direction formed as a second surface 10b. The substrate 10 is disposed with the first surface 10a facing the front surface 6 of the lamp housing 2.

[0021] On the second surface 10b, light sources 13, 13, ... are arranged spaced apart, for example, lined up vertically. For example, light emitting diodes (LEDs) are used as the light sources 13. Positioning holes 14, 14 penetrating the substrate 10 in the thickness direction are formed, for example, spaced apart vertically. The positioning holes 14, 14 are formed, for example, in the shape of a vertically long rectangle.

[0022] The bracket 11 has a base portion 15 oriented in the front-rear direction and formed in a shape with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction, second pressing portions 16, 16, ... protruding forward from the base portion 15, and positioning protrusions 18, 18 protruding forward from the base portion 15. The bracket 11 is provided as a second member. The bracket 11 is disposed with the front surface of the base portion 15 facing the second surface 10b of the substrate 10. The base portion 15 has light passing holes 15a, 15a, ... that penetrate from front to back and are formed at positions that correspond to the light sources 13, 13, ..., respectively.

[0023] The second retaining portion 16 is formed in a shape such that the area of ​​a cross section perpendicular to the protruding direction decreases from the base end to the tip end (see FIGS. 3 to 5). That is, because the base end of the second retaining portion 16 is thicker than the tip end, the second retaining portion 16 is less likely to break even when an unintended force is applied thereto, preventing damage or malfunction of the vehicle lamp 1. The cross section of the second retaining portion 16 perpendicular to the protruding direction is cross-shaped, and the tip end surface of the second retaining portion 16 is formed as a cross-shaped second pressing surface 17. The second pressing surface 17 is in contact with the second surface 10b of the substrate 10. Because the base end of the second retaining portion 16 is thicker than the tip end, the second retaining portion 16 is less likely to deform even when an unintended force is applied to the second retaining portion 16 when the second pressing surface 17 is in contact with the substrate (described later), ensuring good contact between the second retaining portion 16 and the substrate 10.

[0024] The second pressing portions 16, 16, ... are provided at the same position as the first pressing portions 8, 8, ... of the lamp housing 2 in the surface direction of the substrate 10, and the first pressing surfaces 9, 9, ... and the second pressing surfaces 17, 17, ... are positioned opposite each other across the substrate 10 (see Figure 5).

[0025] The positioning protrusion 18 has a cylindrical fixed portion 19 and restricting portions 20, 20, ... that protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface of the fixed portion 19 (see Figures 2, 4, and 6). A screw hole 19a is formed at the tip of the fixed portion 19. The restricting portions 20, 20, ... are provided so as to protrude, for example, upward, downward, leftward, and rightward from the outer circumferential surface of the base end portion of the fixed portion 19. The restricting portions 20a, 20a that protrude upward and downward protrude by a greater amount than the restricting portions 20b, 20b that protrude leftward and rightward.

[0026] The positioning protrusion 18 protrudes from the base portion 15 by a greater amount than the second pressing portion 16 protrudes from the base portion 15 (see FIG. 4). When the second pressing surface 17 is in contact with the second surface 10b of the circuit board 10, the positioning protrusion 18 is inserted into the positioning hole 14 of the circuit board 10 (see FIGS. 4 and 6). When the positioning protrusion 18 is inserted into the positioning hole 14, a portion of the restricting portions 20, 20, ... is in contact with the opening edge of the positioning hole 14, restricting displacement of the circuit board 10 in the up, down, left, and right directions relative to the bracket 11. At this time, since the positioning hole 14 is formed in a vertically elongated shape relative to the vertically elongated circuit board 10, stable positioning of the circuit board 10 is ensured. Furthermore, since the positioning hole 14 is formed in a vertically elongated shape, the left and right ends of the positioning hole 14 do not become too narrow, preventing an excessive decrease in the strength of the circuit board 10.

[0027] The inner lens 12 is formed in a vertically elongated shape and has the function of diffusing light, for example. The inner lens 12 is disposed in front of the bracket 11 and is attached to the bracket 11 by an attachment part (not shown) in a position that covers the light passing holes 15 a, 15 a, .

[0028] In the vehicle lamp 1, light emitted from the light sources 13, 13, ... passes through light passing holes 15a, 15a, ... formed in the bracket 11 and enters the inner lens 12. The light that enters the inner lens 12 is diffused by the inner lens 12, passes through the cover 3, and is irradiated rearward.

[0029] At this time, the bracket 11 prevents light emitted from the light source from leaking in directions other than the specified direction, and shields the substrate 10 and the like when the vehicle lamp 1 is viewed from the outside. That is, in the vehicle lamp 1, the bracket 11 is a member for attaching the inner lens 12 and also functions as an extension, and is an essential member for the vehicle lamp 1 that plays an important role in the structure of the vehicle lamp 1.

[0030] In the vehicle lamp 1, the lamp housing 2 and the bracket 11 are fixed together by inserting a fixing screw 50 from the front into the insertion hole 6a and threading it into the threaded hole 19a of the fixing portion 19. At this time, the tip surface of the positioning protrusion 18 abuts against the rear surface of the front portion 6 of the lamp housing 2. With the lamp housing 2 and the bracket 11 fixed together, the first pressing surface 9 and the second pressing surface 17 are pressed against the first surface 10a and the second surface 10b of the board 10, respectively, and the board 10 is held in a state where it is sandwiched from both sides in the thickness direction by the first pressing portions 8, 8, ... and the second pressing portions 16, 16, ....

[0031] In this way, in the vehicle lamp 1, the substrate 10 is held in a sandwiched state by the first retaining portion 8 provided on the lamp housing 2, which is the first member having the function of constituting the lamp outer casing 4, and the second retaining portion 16 provided on the bracket 11, which is the second member having the function of attaching the inner lens 12, etc.

[0032] Therefore, since the substrate 10 is held by the lamp housing 2 and bracket 11, which are required in advance for the vehicle lamp 1, there is no need to provide a dedicated member for holding the substrate 10, and it is possible to reduce the number of parts and ensure a stable holding state of the substrate 10. Furthermore, since no installation process such as thermal caulking is required to attach the substrate 10, it is possible to improve the work efficiency in the process of assembling each part of the vehicle lamp 1.

[0033] In the vehicle lamp 1, a positioning hole 14 is formed in the substrate 10, and a positioning protrusion 18 is provided on the bracket 11, which functions as a second member. As a result, the substrate 10 is positioned relative to the bracket 11 by inserting the positioning protrusion 18 into the positioning hole 14.

[0034] Therefore, when the substrate 10 is sandwiched and held on both sides in the thickness direction by the bracket 11 and the lamp housing 2, movement of the substrate 10 relative to the bracket 11 in a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction is restricted, and the positional accuracy of the substrate 10 relative to the bracket 11 can be improved with a simple configuration.

[0035] Although the above example shows positioning holes 14 formed in positions inside the outer periphery of substrate 10, positioning notches opening outward may be formed in the outer periphery of substrate 10 instead of positioning holes 14, and positioning protrusions 18 may be inserted into the positioning notches to position substrate 10 relative to bracket 11. Positioning substrate 10 using positioning notches formed in the outer periphery of substrate 10 makes it easier to avoid portions having a positioning function when arranging circuit patterns, electronic components, etc. on substrate 10, thereby improving the degree of freedom in layout design of substrate 10. However, both positioning holes 14 and positioning notches may be formed in substrate 10.

[0036] Furthermore, the positioning protrusion 18 may be provided on the lamp housing 2, which functions as the first member, instead of the bracket 11, which functions as the second member, or may be provided on both the bracket 11 and the lamp housing 2. However, by providing the positioning protrusion 18 on the bracket 11 and positioning the board 10 relative to the bracket 11, high positioning accuracy of the light sources 13, 13, ... and the light passing holes 15a, 15a, ... can be ensured, and the appropriate emission state of light emitted from the light source 13 can be ensured.

[0037] Furthermore, the positioning protrusion 18 is provided with a fixing portion 19 for fixing the lamp housing 2 and the bracket 11. As a result, the positioning protrusion 18 is inserted into the positioning hole 14, and the lamp housing 2 and the bracket 11 are fixed together in a state in which the substrate 10 is positioned relative to the bracket 11.

[0038] Therefore, there is no need to provide separate members for positioning the substrate 10 and for fixing the lamp housing 2 and the bracket 11, which simplifies the structure.

[0039] Furthermore, by fixing the lamp housing 2 and the bracket 11 with the positioning protrusion 18 inserted into the positioning hole 14, the positioning and holding of the substrate 10 are performed simultaneously, thereby improving work efficiency in the assembly process.

[0040] Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 1, the first pressing surface 9 and the second pressing surface 17 are formed in a cross shape. This increases the contact area between the first pressing surface 9 and the second pressing surface 17 and the substrate 10 without making the first pressing portion 8 and the second pressing portion 16 excessively large, thereby ensuring a stable holding state of the substrate 10.

[0041] Furthermore, the first pressing surface 9 and the second pressing surface 17 are positioned opposite each other with the substrate 10 sandwiched therebetween. As a result, the substrate 10 is sandwiched from both sides at the same position in the planar direction by the first pressing surface 9 and the second pressing surface 17. Therefore, the first pressing portion 8 and the second pressing portion 16 function as receiving portions that receive each other's forces when pressed against the substrate 10, and the first pressing portion 8 and the second pressing portion 16 can hold the substrate 10 in a stable state without applying unnecessary load to the substrate 10 from the first pressing portion 8 and the second pressing portion 16.

[0042] Furthermore, since the first pressing surface 9 and the second pressing surface 17 are formed in a cross shape and are positioned opposite each other with the substrate 10 in between, even if the first pressing portion 8 and the second pressing portion 16 are misaligned in the surface direction of the substrate 10 due to variations in processing accuracy, etc., the first pressing surface 9 and the second pressing surface 17 are more likely to be positioned opposite each other with the substrate 10 in between, thereby ensuring a stable holding state of the substrate 10 by the first pressing portion 8 and the second pressing portion 16.

[0043] Although the above example shows that the lamp housing 2 functions as the first member and the bracket 11 functions as the second member, the combination of the first member and the second member is not limited to this. For example, a reflector (reflective member) may be used as the first member and an inner lens may be used as the second member, or different brackets may be used as the first member and the second member, respectively. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...vehicle lamp, 2...lamp housing (first member), 8...first pressing portion, 9...first pressing portion, 10...board, 10a...first surface, 10b...second surface, 11...bracket (second member), 14...positioning hole, 16...second pressing portion, 17...second pressing surface, 18...positioning protrusion, 19...fixing portion

Claims

1. A substrate formed in a vertically elongated shape, with both surfaces in the thickness direction formed as a first surface and a second surface, respectively; a first member having a plurality of first pressing portions that protrude toward the substrate and have tip surfaces that are formed as first pressing surfaces that are pressed against the first surface; a second member having a plurality of second pressing portions projecting toward the substrate and having tip surfaces formed as second pressing surfaces that are pressed against the second surface; the substrate is held by being sandwiched between the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion while the first member and the second member are fixed, A vertically elongated positioning hole is formed in the substrate, a positioning protrusion to be inserted into the positioning hole is provided on at least one of the first member and the second member; the positioning protrusion has a fixing portion for fixing the first member and the second member, and a restricting portion protruding lengthwise and widthwise from the fixing portion, The amount of protrusion of the restricting portion in the vertical direction from the fixed portion is greater than the amount of protrusion of the fixed portion in the horizontal direction from the fixed portion. Vehicle lighting fixtures.

2. The first pressing surface and the second pressing surface are formed in a cross shape.

2. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1.

3. The first pressing surface and the second pressing surface are positioned opposite each other with the substrate interposed therebetween.

3. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The first pressing surface and the second pressing surface are formed in a cross shape, The crosses of the first pressing surface and the second pressing surface are oriented in the same direction.

4. A vehicle lamp according to claim 3.

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