Vehicle lighting

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting fixture comprising a snow melting mechanism having high vibration resistance.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture comprises: a lamp body of which a front part is open; a lamp cover made of a translucent resin, and fitted to an opening part of the lamp body to form a lighting chamber; a heat generation member laid inside the lamp cover, and for generating heat by being supplied with power; and a power supply part fitted to the lamp body, and for supplying power to the heat generation member. The lamp body comprises a fitting part in which the lamp cover is fitted. The power supply part is fixed near the fitting part. The power supply part is fitted near the fitting part in which the firmly fixed lamp cover and the lamp body are fitted, and thereby vibration of a crossover part between the power supply part and the heat generation member is also suppressed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp equipped with a snow melting mechanism.

Background Art

[0002] Snow adhering to the lamp cover of a vehicle lamp hinders proper light irradiation. For this reason, there is a vehicle lamp provided with a snow melting mechanism that lays a heating member that generates heat by power supply inside the lamp cover and melts the snow with the heat generated by the heating member (for example, Patent Document 1). The power supply part for the heating member is provided on the lamp body side, and the heating member generates heat by being supplied with power from the power supply part.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, since the heating member is provided on the lamp cover side and the power supply part is provided on the lamp body side, the snow melting mechanism must be electrically connected across the lamp body and the lamp cover, so there is a problem of being vulnerable to vibration. Contact failure is likely to occur due to vibration at the connecting part between the lamp cover and the lamp body.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of this, and provides a vehicle lamp equipped with a snow melting mechanism with high vibration resistance.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the vehicle lamp disclosed herein comprises a lamp body with an open front, a lamp cover made of translucent resin and attached to the opening of the lamp body to form a lamp chamber, a heating element laid inside the lamp cover and generating heat when powered, and a power supply unit attached to the lamp body to supply power to the heating element. The lamp body has a mounting portion to which the lamp cover is attached, and the power supply unit is configured to be fixed near the mounting portion. By providing the power supply unit near the mounting portion, which has high rigidity and vibration resistance, at the junction of the lamp cover and the lamp body, the electrical connection of the snow melting mechanism spanning the lamp body and the lamp cover is strengthened, and the vibration resistance of the snow melting mechanism is improved.

[0007] In one embodiment, the power supply unit is fastened to the lamp body either directly or via a bracket. This provides a high degree of freedom in fixing to the lamp body and a high degree of design freedom while ensuring vibration resistance.

[0008] In another embodiment, the direction in which the power supply unit is fastened to the lamp body is the same as the direction in which the lamp cover is fastened. By fixing the power supply unit in a direction that increases vibration resistance, vibration resistance is further improved.

[0009] In one embodiment, the heating element has an electrical contact that is electrically connected to the power supply unit, and the electrical contact includes a pad portion formed by applying conductive paste to the inner surface of the lamp cover, a frame portion formed by applying conductive paste to the side edge of the pad portion, and a receiving member made of a metal plate that is placed on the surface of the pad portion and is directly electrically connected to the power supply unit. According to this embodiment, the receiving member can be positioned using the inner boundary line of the frame portion as a guide, so that misalignment of the receiving member can be suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As is clear from the above explanation, we can provide vehicle lighting fixtures equipped with a snow-melting mechanism that is highly resistant to vibration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a vehicle light fixture according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a front view illustrating the general configuration of the lighting equipment for the vehicle. [Figure 3] This is a vehicle light fixture with the lamp cover removed (lamp cover and lamp body open). Internal components have been omitted. [Figure 4] This is an end view along the line IV-IV in Figure 2. [Figure 5] This is a disassembled perspective view of the power supply unit. [Figure 6] This is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle light fixture. [Figure 7] This is a magnified view of the electrical contacts. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart of the molding process for electrical contacts. [Figure 9] This is a conventional electrical contact for comparison. [Figure 10] This is a modified example of an electrical contact. [Figure 11] This shows the vehicle lighting fixture according to the second embodiment with the lamp cover removed. This corresponds to Figure 3. [Figure 12] This is an end view of a vehicle lighting device according to the second embodiment. It corresponds to Figure 4. [Figure 13] This is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle light fixture according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. These embodiments are illustrative and not limiting to the invention, and not all features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. In the following descriptions of embodiments and modifications, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate. In each drawing, the dimensions and ratios do not reflect actual numerical values ​​but schematically represent the configuration.

[0013] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle lamp 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle lamp 1.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle lamp 1 is a headlamp and is mounted as a pair on the left and right sides of the front part of the vehicle. The vehicle lamp 1 includes a lamp body 2 and a lamp cover 4 as a lamp housing.

[0015] The lamp body 2 is a housing with an open front, and a lamp chamber S is formed inside by attaching a lamp cover 4 to the opening. The lamp cover 4 is a so-called outer cover and is a substantially transparent lens formed of a light-transmissive resin such as polycarbonate.

[0016] In the drawn lamp chamber S, a high-beam lamp unit Hi and a low-beam lamp unit Lo are accommodated. The high-beam lamp unit Hi and the low-beam lamp unit Lo are optical units configured to irradiate the emitted light from the light source forward to form a high-beam light distribution / low-beam light distribution in front of the vehicle. Each lamp unit Hi, Lo uses a conventionally well-known configuration, such as a reflector type or a projector type lamp unit, and the type thereof is not limited. As the light source used for each lamp unit Lo, Hi, a light-emitting element that does not generate heat, such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), an LD (Laser Diode), or an EL (Electro Luminescence) element, is used.

[0017] A heating element 6 is laid on the inner surface of the lamp cover 4. When power is supplied, a heating element circuit pattern generates heat. The heating element 6 is linear in shape and is provided on almost the entire inner surface of the lamp cover 4 in a predetermined wiring pattern. The heat generated by the heating element 6 melts snow and ice adhering to the outer surface of the lamp cover 4, and also eliminates condensation on the inside and outside, ensuring proper light distribution for the Hi and Lo lights of the lamp unit. The heating element 6 enables the snow-melting function of the vehicle light fixture 1.

[0018] For example, a resistive heating element 6 is used, and a desired circuit pattern is laid on the inner surface of the lamp cover 4. The resistive heating element is composed of a material with relatively low conductivity, such as tungsten, molybdenum, or nickel-chromium. Power is supplied to the resistive heating element, causing it to be resistively heated, thereby raising its temperature to a level where it can melt snow. Since the heating element 6 is elongated, the reduction in the light transmission of the lamp cover 4 is kept within an acceptable range. In this embodiment, the linear heating element 6 is laid in a pattern that is almost parallel and continuous, meandering in a zigzag pattern from left to right. The pattern of the heating element 6 is not limited to this, and it is sufficient if it is laid comprehensively in the light-transmitting portion of the lamp cover 4, mainly in front of the Hi and Lo lamp units.

[0019] Electrical contacts 20, 20 are formed at the end portions of the heating element 6, which are the starting and ending points. The electrical contacts 20, 20 are the power supply ports of the heating element 6, and the heating element 6 is powered by a vehicle battery connected via the electrical contacts 20.

[0020] The vehicle lighting fixture 1 is electrically connected to the electrical contacts 20 and includes a power supply unit 30 inside the lamp body 2 as a mechanism for supplying power to the heating element 6. The power supply unit 30 is connected to the vehicle battery, and the connection terminals of the power supply unit 30 come into contact with the electrical contacts 20, thereby electrically connecting to the electrical contacts 20, 20, and the heating element 6 is powered from the vehicle battery.

[0021] (Installation of lamp cover and lamp body 2) Figure 3 shows the vehicle lighting fixture 1 with the lamp cover 4 removed (lamp cover 4 and lamp body 2 open). Internal mechanisms such as the Hi and Lo lamp units are omitted. Figure 4 is an end view along line IV-IV in Figure 2. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle lighting fixture 1, mainly showing the power supply unit 30. Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle lighting fixture 1, mainly showing the lamp body 2 and lamp cover 4.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, sealing legs 4a are formed on the peripheral edge of the back side of the lamp cover 4. Inside the circumferential sealing legs 4a, three first bosses 4b are provided on the upper and lower edges, evenly spaced apart, inscribed within the sealing legs 4a. The first bosses 4b are mounting portions for attaching the lamp cover 4 to the lamp body 2.

[0023] A seal groove 2a is provided around the periphery of the front opening of the lamp body 2, which engages with the seal leg 4a. The seal groove 2a is provided with an engaging bulge 2b that engages with a first boss 4b which is inscribed in the seal leg 4a. The engaging bulge 2b is provided in correspondence with the first boss 4b formed on the inside of the seal leg 4a, and a part of the inner circumferential surface of the seal groove 2a is formed by expanding toward the inside of the lamp chamber S.

[0024] Furthermore, on the rear side of the engaging bulge 2b, a lamp body recess 2c extends linearly from the front to the back, continuing from the engaging bulge 2b that bulges inward into the lamp chamber S, with the outer wall of the lamp body 2 recessed toward the lamp chamber S. The lamp body recess 2c is formed for the insertion of a first fixing member 5 for the lamp body, such as a tapping screw fastened to the first boss 4b, and an assembly tool for the first fixing member 5. Since it is recessed in a housing with substantially constant wall thickness, the surface of the lamp body recess 2c facing the lamp chamber S forms part of the peripheral wall of the lamp chamber S and bulges toward the inside of the lamp chamber S.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6, the lamp cover 4 is positioned opposite the opening of the lamp body 2, the sealing legs 4a are engaged with the sealing grooves 2a, the first boss 4b is fitted into the engaging bulge 2b, and the first fixing member 5 is tightened onto the first boss 4b from the back, thereby assembling the lamp cover 4 to the lamp body 2. The back surface of the engaging bulge 2b (the bottom surface of the sealing groove 2a) opposite the hole of the first boss 4b is made of thin material, and the first fixing member 5 is threaded through the thin material and fastened to the first boss 4b.

[0026] In this embodiment, a boss structure is used to attach the lamp cover 4 and the lamp body 2. The lamp cover 4 is provided with a first boss 4b, and the lamp body 2 is provided with an engaging bulge 2b, both of which are fastened with screws. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and other well-known mounting structures such as fastening with insert nuts and bolts, lance engagement, or interlocking engagement may be used.

[0027] (Power supply unit 30) As shown in Figure 3, the power supply unit 30 is located in the lower center near the opening of the lamp body 2. More specifically, it is attached to the lamp body 2 by engaging with one of the six engaging bulges 2b located in the lower center, surrounding it.

[0028] The electrical contacts 20 of the lamp cover 4 are provided in correspondence with the power supply unit 30, and, like the power supply unit 30, are provided near the first boss 4b located at the lower center of the lamp cover 4, which is the mounting part. By providing the power supply unit 30 and the electrical contacts 20 near the engaging bulge 2b and the first boss 4b, which are the mounting parts of the lamp cover 4 and the lamp body 2, the power supply unit 30 and the electrical contacts 20 can be positioned using the engaging bulge 2b and the first boss 4b as guides, thereby suppressing misalignment of the power supply unit 30 and the electrical contacts 20. Furthermore, since there is almost no error when the lamp cover 4 is attached to the lamp body 2, misalignment of the power supply unit 30 and the electrical contacts 20, which are positioned far apart, is also suppressed. The electrical contacts 20 may be provided near any other first boss 4b and engaging bulge 2b, not limited to the first boss 4b and engaging bulge 2b located at the lower center.

[0029] As shown in Figure 5, the power supply unit 30 comprises a pair of terminals 31, 31, a connector 32, and a circuit board 39 on which these are mounted, and is attached to the lamp body 2 via a bracket 40.

[0030] Terminal 31 is a leaf spring terminal formed by bending a thin metal plate into an S-shape, thereby making it elastically deformable. The pair of terminals 31, 31 are arranged to face the electrical contacts 20, 20, and are mounted on the surface of the substrate 39 with the direction of elastic deformation facing the electrical contacts 20. Terminal 31 is not limited to a leaf spring terminal; any elastically deformable terminal such as a pogo pin, a rod-shaped terminal that can be extended and retracted, or a spring terminal can be used.

[0031] Connector 32 is mounted on the back side of the circuit board 39. Connector 32 is electrically coupled to terminal 31, and lead wire terminals connected to a vehicle battery (not shown) are mated to connector 32.

[0032] Bracket 40 has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open rear surface and flange portions 40g on both sides of the rear opening. The substrate 39 is fixed to the front surface 40a of bracket 40 with the surface on which a pair of terminals 31, 31 are attached facing the opening of the lamp body 2, and is indirectly attached to the lamp body 2 via bracket 40. A second boss 40d for fastening the substrate 39 is formed on the central rear side of the front surface 40a of bracket 40, with the boss hole exposed to the front surface 40a. The second fixing member 35 is fastened to the second boss 40d by inserting it through a through hole 39a provided in the center of the substrate 39, thereby fixing the power supply unit 30 based on the substrate 39 to bracket 40. Furthermore, the front surface 40a is provided with a frame 40j corresponding to the outer shape of the rectangular flat substrate 39, and a notch 40f for passing a connector 32 that is attached to the back of the substrate 39. The substrate 39 engages with the front surface 40a of the bracket 40 and is stably positioned.

[0033] Since the substrate 39 fixed to the bracket 40 and the front surface 40a is positioned near the engaging bulge 2b, notches 39c and 40c are formed in the lower center of the substrate 39 and the bracket 40, respectively, to avoid interference with the engaging bulge 2b and to engage with the engaging bulge 2b.

[0034] The lamp body 2 has a hollow rectangular parallelepiped-shaped protrusion 2e that protrudes from the bottom surface of the lamp chamber S, which serves as the mounting portion for the bracket 40. The hollow portion of the protrusion 2e is exposed to the outside of the lamp body 2. Inside the center of the front surface of the protrusion 2e, a third boss 2g for fastening is formed, with the boss hole exposed to the front surface of the protrusion 2e. The bracket 40, to which the base plate 39 is fixed, engages with the notches 39c and 40c and the bulging portion 2b, and is positioned on the front surface of the protrusion 2e. Then, the third fixing member 45 is inserted through the insertion hole 40h provided in the center of the flange portion 40g of the bracket 40 and fastened to the third boss 2g, thereby attaching the bracket 40 to the lamp body 2.

[0035] When assembling the vehicle lighting fixture 1, as a preliminary step to the installation process of attaching the lamp cover 4 to the lamp body 2, the power supply unit 30 is first fastened to the bracket 40 with a second fixing member 35, and then the bracket 40 with the power supply unit 30 attached is attached to the lamp body 2 with a third fixing member 45. Similarly, as a preliminary step to the installation process, the heat-generating element 6 is laid on the inner surface of the lamp cover 4, and the electrical contacts 20 are provided at the end of the heat-generating element 6.

[0036] Next, in the installation process of attaching the lamp cover 4 to the lamp body 2, the sealing legs 4a of the lamp cover 4 are first aligned with the sealing grooves 2a of the lamp body 2. As a result, the terminal 31, which is a leaf spring terminal, is held in contact with the electrical contact 20 of the lamp cover 4 while biased, and the terminal 31 and the electrical contact 20 are electrically coupled. The current supplied from the vehicle battery can then be supplied to the heating element 6 by passing through the lead wire terminal (not shown) attached to the connector 32, the terminal 31, and the electrical contact 20 in that order.

[0037] During the installation process, the lamp body 2 and lamp cover 4 are positioned opposite each other. The biasing force of the terminal 31 on the electrical contact 20 naturally electrically couples the terminal 31 and the electrical contact 20, eliminating the need for an electrical coupling process and simplifying assembly. In addition, because the terminal 31 is electrically coupled to the electrical contact 20 while biased, the electrical coupling is stable.

[0038] The electrical contacts 20,20 are positioned opposite the terminals 31,31. When the lamp cover 4 is attached to the opening of the lamp body 2, the forward-biased terminals 31,31 come into contact with the electrical contacts 20,20, thereby electrically connecting them. In a snow-melting mechanism for a vehicle light fixture that constantly vibrates during driving, the heating element is located on the lamp cover side and the power supply unit is located on the lamp body side. Therefore, the snow-melting mechanism must be electrically connected across the lamp body and lamp cover, which makes it susceptible to vibration and prone to contact failure due to vibration. In the vehicle light fixture 1, the electrical connection between the electrical contacts 20 and terminals 31 is made near the mounting points of the highly rigid lamp body 2 and lamp cover 4, thereby improving vibration resistance. Contact failure due to vibration is suppressed, and the reliability of power supply to the heating element 6 is improved.

[0039] Furthermore, by attaching the substrate 39 to the lamp body 2 via the bracket 40, the substrate 39 can be positioned while considering the gaps, arrangement, and shape of other components. Also, since the terminals 31 and electrical contacts 20 are arranged in the front-to-back direction, the fastening direction of the second fixing member 35 and the third fixing member 45 is also arranged in the front-to-back direction, allowing for highly accurate positioning and fastening. The flat plate portion and flange portion 40g of the substrate 39, which serve as the fastening surface, can be arranged perpendicular to the front-to-back direction, resulting in a structure that is resistant to vibrations in the front-to-back direction.

[0040] (Electrical contact 20) The electrical contact 20 will be explained in detail. Figure 7 shows the electrical contact 20. Figure 7(A) is an enlarged view of the electrical contact 20 as seen from the lamp room S. Figure 7(B) is a cross-sectional view of the electrical contact 20. Figure 8 shows a conventional electrical contact for comparison.

[0041] The electrical contacts 20 are formed by applying conductive paste to the inner surface of the lamp cover 4. In this embodiment, the heating element 6 is formed by applying conductive paste in a predetermined pattern to the inner (back) surface of the lamp cover 4 in a long, narrow strip. The electrical contacts 20 are formed by applying the same conductive paste that constitutes the heating element 6 to a predetermined area at the end of the heating element 6.

[0042] The electrical contact 20 has a receiving member 23 that the terminal 31 abuts against, which serves as a receiving member for the terminal 31. The receiving member 23 is a thin circular metal plate and is attached with a conductive adhesive. The receiving member 23 is preferably made of a metal with high conductivity, such as a copper alloy, and more preferably has gold plating on its surface. The receiving member 23 is a thin circular plate with a thickness of about 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm and a radius R of about 2 mm to 10 mm. The conductive paste is applied to an area larger than the outer shape of the receiving member 23, and the receiving member 23 is attached to the central surface of the area where the conductive paste is applied.

[0043] As shown in Figure 7, the electrical contact 20 has a pad portion 21 formed from a conductive paste applied in a rectangular shape, and a frame portion 22 that is raised around the edge of the pad portion 21 with a predetermined width. The frame portion 22 is made of the same conductive paste as the pad portion 21, but is made higher than the pad portion 21, so a boundary line 25 is visible as a step between the frame portion 22 and the pad portion 21 at the inner circumference end of the frame portion 22, which has a predetermined width. The receiving member 23 has an outer shape smaller than the area inside the boundary line 25 and is positioned approximately in the center inside the frame portion 22.

[0044] Figure 8 shows the process of forming the electrical contact 20. First, a conductive paste is applied in a rectangular shape to a predetermined area on the inner surface of the lamp cover 4 to form a pad portion 21. Next, the same conductive paste is applied in a constant width over the edge of the pad portion 21, tracing the end of the pad portion 21, to form a frame portion 22. Finally, the receiving member 23 is attached to the center of the inside of the frame portion 22 with conductive adhesive. This forms the electrical contact 20.

[0045] Electrical contacts are easier to mold and position the receiving member correctly if they have a relatively large surface area. However, if the outer diameter of the electrical contact is larger than a predetermined size than the outer diameter of the receiving member, then when positioning the receiving member, misalignment is likely to occur, where the receiving member is positioned beyond the tolerance from the center of the pad where it will be installed. To address this, a frame portion 22 is provided as a marker for the electrical contact 20, and the receiving member 23 is positioned using the boundary line 25 as a marker, thereby suppressing misalignment of the receiving member 23.

[0046] The above will be explained using diagrams. The electrical contact 920 shown in Figure 9 consists only of a pad portion 921 and has a conventional configuration without a frame portion. In order to improve moldability, the length of one side of the pad portion 921 is configured to be a square shape larger than the diameter D1 of the receiving member 923.

[0047] The length of one side of the pad portion 921 is the same as the length of one side of the outer shape of the electrical contact 20. When the receiving member 923 is placed in the center of the rectangular pad portion 921, the gap between the receiving member 923 and the pad portion 921 is a distance T1 in both the left-right and up-down directions. If the distance T1 is larger than a predetermined value, the receiving member 923 will not be properly positioned in the center of the pad portion 921, but will be biased towards one side (the position shown by the dashed line in Figure 9).

[0048] In contrast, in the electrical contact 20 shown in Figure 7(A), the pad portion 21 is configured in a square shape with a side length greater than the diameter D of the receiving member 23. However, a frame portion 22 with a width W is provided around the outer circumference of the pad portion 21, allowing the receiving member 23 to be positioned with a boundary line 25 smaller than the outer shape of the pad portion 21 as the target. When the length of one side of the pad portion 21 is equal to the length of one side of the pad portion 921, the distance T, which is the gap between the receiving member 23 and the boundary line 25, becomes smaller than the distance T1 by the width W of the frame portion 22 (T1 > T), thereby suppressing misalignment of the receiving member 23.

[0049] (A variation of an electrical contact) Figure 10 shows a modified example of the electrical contact 20. The electrical contact 20A has a hexagonal shape. A conductive paste is applied in a hexagonal shape to form a pad portion 21A, and the same conductive paste is applied to the side edges of the pad portion 21A in a certain width, bordering the outer shape of the hexagonal pad portion 21A, to form a frame portion 22A. The receiving member 23 is positioned inside the frame portion 22A, using the hexagonal boundary line 25A, which is the inner edge of the frame portion 22A, as a guide.

[0050] Another variation, the electrical contact 20B, has a circular shape. A conductive paste is applied in a circular shape to form a pad portion 21B, and the same conductive paste is applied to the side edges of the circular pad portion 21B in a certain width to form a circular frame portion 22B. The receiving member 23 is positioned inside the frame portion 22B, using the circular boundary line 25B, which is the inner edge of the frame portion 22B, as a guide.

[0051] Thus, the external shape of the electrical contact 20 is not limited to a rectangular shape, but may also be a polygon or circular shape, such as a hexagon or a circle.

[0052] (Second Embodiment) Figure 11 shows a vehicle light fixture 101 according to the second embodiment. It shows the lamp cover 4 removed (with the lamp cover 4 and lamp body 102 open). The mechanisms for the lamp unit Hi, Lo, etc. are omitted. Figure 11 corresponds to Figure 3. Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle light fixture 101. Figure 13 is a horizontal end view of the vehicle light fixture 101 along the line XIII-XIII in Figure 11. Figure 13 corresponds to Figure 6.

[0053] As shown in Figure 11, the vehicle light fixture 101 comprises a lamp body 102 and a lamp cover 4 as a lamp housing. The lamp body 102 is configured identically to the lamp body 2, except that the protrusion 102e inside the lamp chamber S has a different shape from the protrusion 2e of the first embodiment. Therefore, the shape of the lamp body 102 other than the protrusion 102e and the lamp cover 4 are the same as in the first embodiment and will not be described.

[0054] The vehicle lighting fixture 101 includes a power supply unit 130, which supplies power to electrical contacts 20 provided on the inner surface of the lamp cover 4, located inside the lamp chamber S of the lamp body 102.

[0055] The power supply unit 130 includes a circuit board 139, a pair of pogo pins 131, 131 mounted on the surface of the circuit board 139, and a connector 32 mounted on the back side of the circuit board 139.

[0056] Pogo pin 131 is a retractable rod-shaped terminal biased by an elastic member such as a spring (not shown), which is gold-plated throughout and has a hemispherical tip.

[0057] The power supply unit 130 is positioned near the central lower engagement bulge 2b among the six engagement bulges 2b provided on the periphery of the opening of the lamp body 102, and is directly attached to the lamp body 102 without using a bracket 40. Below the substrate 139, a notch 139c is formed to engage with the engagement bulge 2b, while avoiding interference with the engagement bulge 2b.

[0058] A protrusion 102e is formed on the bottom surface of the lamp chamber S, to which the base plate 139 is fastened. A third boss 102g for fastening is formed on the inside of the center of the front surface of the protrusion 102e, with the boss hole exposed on the front surface of the protrusion 102e. The base plate 139 is positioned on the front surface of the protrusion 102e with the pogo pin 131 facing the opening of the lamp body 102, and the second fixing member 135 is inserted through the through hole 139a provided in the base plate 139 and fastened to the third boss 102g, thereby attaching the power supply unit 130 to the lamp body 102.

[0059] Since the electrical contact 20 is provided opposite the pogo pin 131, when the lamp cover 4 is attached to the front opening of the lamp body 102, the pogo pin 131 is biased against and held in contact with the receiving member 23, and the pogo pin 131 and the receiving member 23 are electrically coupled. The current supplied from the vehicle battery is supplied to the heating element 6 by passing in order through the lead wire terminal (not shown) attached to the connector 32, the pogo pin 131, and the electrical contact 20.

[0060] The protrusion 102e is formed by dividing it into two parts to avoid interference with the connector 32 provided on the back of the substrate 139, and a frame 2j corresponding to the outer shape of the rectangular flat substrate 139 is provided on the front of the protrusion 102e, so that the substrate 139 engages with the engaging bulge 2b and is stably positioned on the front of the protrusion 102e. In this way, the power supply unit 130 may be fixed to the lamp body 102 without using a bracket. Alternatively, the substrate 139 equipped with pogo pins 131 may be screw-fastened to the lamp body 2 via a bracket 40, similar to the first embodiment.

[0061] The configuration of this disclosure is not limited to headlights, but is also suitable for marker lights with snow-melting functions for cold climates, rear lamps, etc., as long as the lamp cover and lamp body have mounting parts.

[0062] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and it is possible to combine them based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such combinations are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1: Vehicle lighting fixtures 2: Lamp body 2b: Engaging bulge (lamp body mounting part) 4: Lamp cover 4b: First boss (lamp cover mounting part) 6: Heat-generating components 20: Electrical contacts 21: Pad section 22: Frame 23: Receiving member 30: Power supply unit 40: Bracket S:Light room

Claims

1. A lamp body with an open front, A lamp cover made of translucent resin, which is attached to the opening of the lamp body to form a lamp chamber, A heating element is laid inside the lamp cover and generates heat when power is supplied to it, A power supply unit attached to the lamp body and supplying power to the heat-generating element, Equipped with, The lamp body has a mounting portion to which the lamp cover is attached by fastening, The power supply unit is fastened and fixed to the lamp body either directly or via a bracket near the mounting portion. The direction in which the power supply unit is fastened to the lamp body is the same as the direction in which the lamp cover is fastened. A vehicle lighting device characterized by the following features.

2. The heating element has an electrical contact that is electrically connected to the power supply unit. The aforementioned electrical contacts are A pad portion formed by applying a conductive paste to the inner surface of the lamp cover, The conductive paste is composed of a frame portion that is raised and circumferentially provided on the side edge of the pad portion, A receiving member made of a metal plate, which is placed on the surface of the pad portion and is directly electrically connected to the power supply portion, including, The vehicle lighting device according to feature 1.

Images