Substrate module

Abstract

Provided is a new configuration for reducing defects when fixing a substrate. A substrate module (60) is provided with a substrate (58) on which an electronic component is mounted, and a base component (56) to which the substrate is fixed. The base component (56) has: a guide unit (62) that guides the substrate (58) so as to be placed at a predetermined position from above; and a fastening unit (66) in which the substrate (58) placed on the base component (56) is fastened in a state in which the substrate (58) slides along the upper surface of the base component.

Description

PCB Module

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate module.

[0002] Conventionally, a circuit board on which a light source of a vehicle lamp such as an automobile and a control circuit for controlling the on / off of the light source are mounted is disposed in an appropriate position on the vehicle lamp or the vehicle body. When disposing the circuit board in the appropriate position, it is common to mount the circuit board in a modularized state by fixing it to another member such as a case rather than directly to the lamp. Therefore, various mechanisms and structures have been devised for fixing the circuit board to another member.

[0003] For example, the fixing method disclosed in Patent Document 1 involves inserting a board obliquely between a board mounting positioning portion and a board fixing portion of an inner case that is open at the top, rotating the inserted portion of the board toward the inner case using the inserted portion as a fulcrum, inserting a board fixing snap fit into the board fixing hole of the board up to just before the hook portion, and inserting the board positioning protrusion into the board positioning hole of the board. Next, an inward force is applied to the knob portion of the board fixing snap fit, deflecting the board fixing snap fit inward, and pressing the board toward the inner case until the hook portion of the board fixing snap fit passes through the board fixing hole. After the hook portion of the board fixing snap fit passes through the board fixing hole, the deflection of the board fixing snap fit is released, causing the hook portion of the board fixing snap fit to hook into the board fixing hole of the board, and the board is fixed to the inner case.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-90949

[0005] However, with the above-mentioned method of fixing the board to the inner case, it is necessary to press the board against the inner case when inserting the hook of the board fixing snap fit into the board fixing hole, which can cause the board to bend and become distorted, putting stress on the mounted components and circuits and preventing them from functioning properly.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a new configuration that reduces problems when fixing a substrate.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides a substrate module comprising a substrate on which electronic components are mounted and a base component to which the substrate is fixed. The base component has a guide portion that guides the substrate so that it is placed in a predetermined position from above, and a fastening portion that fastens the substrate placed on the base component while sliding along the upper surface of the base component.

[0008] According to this embodiment, the board is placed in the predetermined position from above while being guided by the guide section, which prevents the board from piling up. Also, since the board placed on the base part is fastened in a state where it slides along the upper surface of the base part, the assembly direction is stable and the stroke during assembly can be shortened.

[0009] The substrate may have a guided portion that is guided by the guide portion when placed at a predetermined position on the base component from above, and a fastened portion that is fastened to the fastening portion when slid along the top surface of the base component.

[0010] The substrate may be a rectangular plate-like member, the guided portion may be a notch provided on the edge of the rectangle, and the fastened portion may be a convex or concave portion provided on the edge of the rectangle. This allows the guided portion and the fastened portion to be realized by a simple shape provided on the edge of the substrate.

[0011] The guided portions may be provided on two opposing sides of the rectangle, and the fastened portions may be provided on each of the two sides. This allows the board to be placed on the base component with high precision and allows the board and base component to be fastened stably.

[0012] The base component may further have an abutment portion against which the board abuts as it slides along the upper surface of the base component. The abutment portion may have a first pressing portion that presses the board from above. This stabilizes the positioning of the board in the up-down direction and in the sliding direction of the board toward the fastening portion. As a result, when the board module is attached to another component, interference between the electronic components mounted on the board and the other components or components around them is suppressed.

[0013] The guide portion may have a second pressing portion that presses from above the board that has slid along the upper surface of the base component, thereby further stabilizing the positioning of the board in the up-down direction.

[0014] The base component may further have an attachment portion for attachment to a component constituting the vehicle lamp, thereby preventing interference between the electronic components mounted on the board and the component or other surrounding lamp components when the board module is attached to the component constituting the vehicle lamp.

[0015] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the present invention between a manufacturing method, a lighting fixture or lighting device, a light emitting module, a light source, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention.

[0016] According to the present invention, problems that occur when fixing a substrate can be reduced.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an example of a vehicle lamp capable of mounting a lighting control module according to the present embodiment; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a base component according to the present embodiment; FIG. 3 is a top view of a substrate according to the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a substrate module according to the present embodiment; FIG. 5 is a perspective view for explaining a first step of manufacturing the substrate module according to the present embodiment; FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining a second step of manufacturing the substrate module according to the present embodiment; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a substrate module according to a first modified example; FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a main part of a substrate module according to a second modified example.

[0018] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing will be given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0019] (Vehicle Lamp) Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a vehicle lamp that can be equipped with a lighting control module according to this embodiment. The headlamp 10 shown in Fig. 1 is one of left and right headlamp as a vehicle lamp. These headlamp 10 are attached to both sides in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle, and these headlamp 10 illuminate the area ahead of the vehicle.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the headlamp 10 has an exterior formed by a lamp body 12 that is open at the front and a front cover 14 that serves as a surface cover that covers the opening of the lamp body 12.

[0021] The lamp body 12 is composed of a rear wall 12a that stands upright in the vertical direction and a peripheral wall 12b that projects forward (to the left in FIG. 1 ) from the peripheral edge of the rear wall 12a. The rear wall 12a extends laterally (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 1 ) while maintaining a constant height, and the peripheral wall 12b cooperates with the rear wall 12a to define a storage space 16, and the tip of the peripheral wall 12b forms a horizontally elongated opening 18 in the storage space 16.

[0022] The front cover 14 is detachably attached to the tip of the peripheral wall 12b of the lamp body 12. As a result, the front cover 14 and the lamp body 12 form a lamp housing, and a sealed lamp chamber 20 is formed inside the lamp housing. The front cover 14 is translucent, and light emitted in the lamp chamber 20 is irradiated to the outside through the front cover 14. A resin lens is used for the front cover 14 in this embodiment.

[0023] An LED unit 22 is disposed inside the lamp chamber 20. As shown in Fig. 1, the LED unit 22 includes a metal heat sink (e.g., an aluminum die-cast product) 24 serving as a conductive base. The heat sink 24 according to this embodiment integrally includes a plate-shaped metal support plate 26 and a heat dissipation fin 28.

[0024] The metal support plate 26 is supported by the rear wall 12a of the lamp body 12 via aiming screws 30 and the like, and the plate surface of the metal support plate 26 faces the front-rear direction and is disposed spaced forward from the rear wall 12a. The heat dissipation fins 28 are attached to the rear surface of the metal support plate 26, and are cooled by a heat dissipation fan 32 attached to the heat sink 24.

[0025] The LED unit 22 includes a cylindrical lens holder 34 and a projection lens 36 attached to the lens holder 34. The rear end of the lens holder 34 is attached to the front of the metal support plate 26, and the front end of the lens holder 34 extends forward. The projection lens 36 is attached to the front end of the lens holder 34, and thus the projection lens 36 is positioned on an optical axis L extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. A front cover 14 is disposed in front of the projection lens 36. An extension reflector 38 is disposed around the projection lens 36 and the lens holder 34.

[0026] The LED unit 22 includes a light-emitting module 40. The light-emitting module 40 includes a resin circuit board 42, a plurality of light-emitting diodes (hereinafter referred to as LEDs) 44, and a power supply connector 46. The circuit board 42 is disposed within the lens holder 34, aligned with the front surface of the metal support plate portion 26, with a board surface 42a of the circuit board 42 facing forward. The circuit board 42 is disposed toward the upper side within the lens holder 34, and a power supply circuit (not shown) is formed on the board surface 42a.

[0027] The plurality of LEDs 44 are attached to a lower portion of the board surface 42a of the circuit board 42. The plurality of LEDs 44 are arranged as a planar light source that emits light, arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction with their light-emitting surfaces facing forward of the vehicle, and in this embodiment, each LED 44 is configured such that a fluorescent layer is provided on the LED chip so that it emits white light.

[0028] The power supply connector 46 is attached to the upper portion of the board surface 42a. A power supply (not shown) is connected to the power supply connector 46 via an LED driver module (LDM) 50 using a wire harness 48, and each LED 44 is connected via a power supply circuit (not shown) on the board surface 42a. The LED driver module 50 is disposed in the lower portion of the lamp body 12 and includes a metal case 52 serving as a conductive case and a lighting control circuit board 54 housed within the metal case 52. The power supply connector 46 and the power supply (not shown) are connected via the lighting control circuit board 54 in the metal case 52, and the lighting and extinguishing of the plurality of LEDs 44 is controlled by the lighting control circuit board 54.

[0029] (Board Module) In the following, a board module including a base component and a board will be described, with a portion of the metal case 52 serving as the base component and the lighting control circuit board 54 serving as the board. Furthermore, although the board module according to this embodiment is installed in the lower part of the lamp chamber 20 of the headlamp 10, it may be installed in another location within the lamp chamber 20, or may be installed inside various types of vehicle lighting fixtures other than headlights (tail lights, brake lights, blinkers, etc.).

[0030] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a base component according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a top view of a substrate according to this embodiment. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a substrate module according to this embodiment. A substrate 58 shown in Fig. 3 is fixed to a base component 56 shown in Fig. 2. Electronic components (not shown) are mounted on the substrate 58. Examples of electronic components include passive elements such as resistors, capacitors, and coils, and active elements such as diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits (ICs). Depending on the application of the substrate module, a light-emitting element may be mounted as an electronic component.

[0031] The base component 56 has a guide portion 62 that guides the substrate 58 so that it is placed in a predetermined position from above, and a fastening portion 66 that fastens the substrate 58 placed on the base component 56 while it slides along the upper surface 64 of the base component 56.

[0032] The guide part 62 has a plate-shaped upright part 62a that rises upward from the upper surface 64, and claw parts 62b that curve from the top of the upright part 62a toward the inside of the base part 56. The upright part 62a is provided so as to be parallel to the long side 68 of the rectangular base part 56. The claw parts 62b are curved in a direction parallel to the short side 70 of the rectangular base part 56.

[0033] The substrate 58 is a printed circuit board made of a rectangular plate-like member. More specifically, the substrate 58 is an FR-4 grade glass epoxy board with a thickness of approximately 1 to 2 mm. Two opposing long sides 72, which form the edges of the substrate 58, each have a rectangular notch 74. In addition, each of the two long sides 72 has a triangular protrusion 76 facing outward.

[0034] Fig. 5 is a perspective view for explaining a first step of manufacturing the substrate module according to the present embodiment. Fig. 6 is a perspective view for explaining a second step of manufacturing the substrate module according to the present embodiment.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 5 , when the substrate 58 is placed on the base component 56 from above in the direction of arrow D1 (perpendicular to the top surface 64), the notch 74 is aligned with the claw 62b of the guide portion 62. The notch 74 is shaped to allow the claw 62b of the guide portion 62 to pass through. That is, the notch 74 functions as a guided portion guided by the guide portion 62. Furthermore, the top surface 64 of the base component 56 is provided with a plurality of support portions 78a, 78b (see FIG. 2 ) so that the placed substrate 58 is supported in a predetermined orientation. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6 , the substrate 58 is always placed in a predetermined position and in a stable orientation relative to the base component 56. Furthermore, because the substrate 58 does not bend when placed, deformation or failure of electronic components due to distortion of the substrate is suppressed, preventing malfunction of the manufactured substrate module.

[0036] The substrate 58 placed on the base component 56 is slid along the top surface of the base component in the direction of arrow D2 shown in FIG. 6 , whereby the protrusion 76 of the substrate 58 is fastened to the fastening portion 66 of the base component 56. Thus, the protrusion 76 in this embodiment is a convex portion provided on the edge of the substrate 58 and functions as a fastening portion. The fastening portion 66 has a snap-fit ​​structure provided on the top surface 64 so as to bend in a direction parallel to the short side 70, and is formed with a hole 66a into which the protrusion 76 is engaged. In this way, the substrate 58 is fastened while sliding along the top surface 64 of the base component 56 while placed on the base component 56, which stabilizes the assembly direction and shortens the assembly stroke. This prevents electronic components from interfering with other components during the manufacture of the substrate module.

[0037] The base component 56 further has an abutment portion 78 against which the substrate 58 abuts as it slides along the top surface 64 of the base component. The abutment portion 78 is a standing wall that protrudes upward from the top surface 64, and the short side 73 of the substrate 58 abuts against it. The abutment portion 78 also has a first pressing portion 80 that presses the substrate 58 from above. The first pressing portion 80 bends from the upper end of the abutment portion 78 toward the center of the base component 56. This stabilizes the positioning of the substrate 58 in the up-down direction and in the sliding direction of the substrate 58 toward the fastening portion 66. As a result, when the substrate module 60 is attached to another component, interference between the electronic components mounted on the substrate 58 and the other components or components around them is suppressed.

[0038] Furthermore, the claw portion 62b according to this embodiment functions as a second pressing portion that presses from above the substrate 58 that has slid along the upper surface 64 of the base component 56. This further stabilizes the positioning of the substrate 58 in the up-down direction. Furthermore, when the protrusion 76 of the substrate 58 is fastened to the fastening portion 66, the upper surface of the substrate 58 is pressed by the first pressing portion 80 and the claw portion 62b, which is the second pressing portion, so that the substrate 58 is firmly held in a predetermined position without coming off the base component 56.

[0039] Furthermore, since the notches 74 and protrusions 76 according to this embodiment are provided on each of the two opposing long sides 72, the board 58 can be placed on the base component 56 with high precision, and the board 58 and the base component 56 can be stably fastened together. Furthermore, the guided portion and the fastened portion can be realized by a simple shape provided on the edge of the board 58.

[0040] The base component 56 according to this embodiment has a plurality of openings 82 that serve as mounting portions for mounting the base component 56 to components constituting the vehicle lamp (e.g., the lamp body 12). Claws or snap fits provided on the components constituting the vehicle lamp fit into these openings 82, thereby securing the base component 56 to the vehicle lamp. This prevents the electronic components mounted on the substrate 58 from interfering with the components or other surrounding lamp components when the board module 60 is mounted to the components constituting the vehicle lamp. The rectangular edge of the base component 56 can also be used as the mounting portion, and the configuration of the mounting portion is not limited to this.

[0041] (First Modification) The hole 66a of the fastening portion 66 in the aforementioned board module 60 is closed all around. Therefore, when manufacturing the portion of the fastening portion 66 having the hole 66a using a mold, in addition to a mold that punches in the up and down direction, another mold that slides in the left and right direction (a direction parallel to the short side 70) is required. Therefore, a configuration that can reduce the number and movement of molds is adopted for the fastening portion of the board module according to the first modification.

[0042] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a substrate module according to a first modified example. In the substrate module 84 shown in Figure 7, the components other than the fastening portion 86 are designated by the same reference numerals as the previously described substrate module 60, and their description will be omitted where appropriate. The fastening portion 86 has a slit 86a that opens upward, and the protrusion 76 fits into and engages with the slit 86a, thereby fastening the substrate 58 to the base component 56. Furthermore, by providing the fastening portion 86 with a slit 86a rather than a hole, a base component 56 having a predetermined shape of fastening portion 86 can be manufactured simply by removing the upper mold upward.

[0043] (Second Modification) Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the main parts of a substrate module according to a second modification. The substrate module 88 shown in Fig. 8 includes a base component 90 and a substrate 92. Note that in the substrate module 88 shown in Fig. 8, components similar to those of the substrate module 60 described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted as appropriate. The following description will focus mainly on components different from the substrate module 60.

[0044] The fastening portion of the substrate 92 is a recess 94 provided on the edge of the rectangle. In contrast, the base component 90 is provided with a pair of opposing snap fits 96 instead of the previously described pair of fastening portions 66. Claws 96a are provided on the inside of the snap fits 96, and the substrate 92 is fastened to the base component 90 by the claws 96a fitting into the recesses 94.

[0045] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and suitable combinations and substitutions of the configurations of the embodiments and modifications are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, it is possible to suitably rearrange the combinations and processing orders in the embodiments and modifications based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and to make various design changes and other modifications to the embodiments and modifications, and such modifications are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0046] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-127363, filed on August 3, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0047] The above descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms described. Numerous modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above description.

[0048] 10 Headlamp, 12 Lamp body, 56 Base part, 58 Board, 60 Board module, 62 Guide part, 62a Upright part, 62b Claw part, 64 Top surface, 66 Fastening part, 66a Hole, 68 Long side, 70 Short side, 72 Long side, 73 Short side, 74 Notch, 76 Protrusion, 78 Abutment part, 80 First pressing part, 82 Opening, 84 Board module, 86 Fastening part, 86a Slit, 88 Board module, 90 Base part, 92 Board, 94 Recess, 96 Snap fit, 96a Claw.

Claims

1. A board module comprising: a board on which electronic components are mounted; and a base component to which the board is fixed, the base component having a guide portion that guides the board so that it is placed in a predetermined position from above, and a fastening portion that fastens the board placed on the base component as it slides along the upper surface of the base component.

2. The substrate module described in claim 1, characterized in that the substrate has a guided portion that is guided by the guide portion when placed on a predetermined position on the base component from above, and a fastened portion that is fastened to the fastening portion when slid along the upper surface of the base component.

3. The substrate module according to claim 2, characterized in that the substrate is a rectangular plate-like member, the guided portion is a notch provided on an edge of the rectangle, and the fastened portion is a convex or concave portion provided on the edge of the rectangle.

4. A substrate module as described in claim 3, characterized in that the guided portions are provided on two opposing sides of a rectangle, and the fastened portions are provided on each of the two sides.

5. A substrate module as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the base part further has an abutment portion against which the substrate slides along the upper surface of the base part abuts, and the abutment portion has a first pressing portion that presses the substrate from above.

6. The board module according to claim 5, wherein the guide portion has a second pressing portion that presses from above the board that has slid along the upper surface of the base component.

7. The substrate module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the base part further has an attachment part for attachment to a part constituting a vehicle lamp.

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