Electronic unit and lighting fixture for vehicle

Abstract

Provided is a novel technology for reducing malfunctions that may occur when a counterpart external connector is connected to a connector of an electronic unit. An electronic unit 50 comprises: a circuit board 34 on which an electronic component is installed; a second connector 38 that is installed at an edge section of the circuit board 34; a first housing on which the circuit board 34 is placed; and a second housing that is fitted together with the first housing, whereby an opening 41 in which the second connector 38 is exposed is formed. In the first housing, a first bent section 52b that is bent toward the second connector 38 is formed at an edge section forming the opening.

Description

Electronic unit and vehicle lighting fixture

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic unit that controls the lighting of, for example, a vehicle lamp.

[0002] Conventionally, electronic units have been devised that include a circuit board mounted thereon for controlling various functions of an automobile, such as a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted, a connector provided at an end of the circuit board, and a housing that houses the circuit board (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent No. 5526096

[0004] In the case of the electronic unit described above, twisting can occur when inserting or removing a mating external connector into a connector on the circuit board. If this twisting causes distortion of the circuit board via the connector, it can cause failure of the mounted electronic components.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and one of its exemplary purposes is to provide a new technology that reduces problems that may occur when connecting a mating external connector to a connector of an electronic unit.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention provides an electronic unit comprising: a substrate on which electronic components are mounted, a connector mounted on an edge of the substrate, a first housing for mounting the substrate, and a second housing that, when combined with the first housing, forms an opening through which the connector is exposed. The first housing has a first bent portion formed on the edge that forms the opening and that bends toward the connector.

[0007] According to this aspect, when an external connector is connected to a connector mounted on a substrate and the connector is twisted, the first bend portion can restrict the movement of the connector, thereby suppressing stress and distortion occurring in the substrate.

[0008] The first housing may be formed by bending a metal plate, thereby allowing the first bent portion to be formed on the first housing without being a separate part.

[0009] The second housing may have a second bent portion formed on the edge that forms the opening, the second bent portion being bent toward the connector. This allows the connector to be restricted in movement not only by the first bent portion but also by the second bent portion, making it possible to respond to prying in multiple directions.

[0010] The first bent portion and the second bent portion may be opposed to each other with the connector in between, which can further restrict movement of the connector due to prying.

[0011] Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle lamp including a light source that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle, a lamp body that defines a lamp chamber that houses the light source, and the electronic unit described above that is fixed inside the lamp body. A harness that connects to the light source is connected to a connector.

[0012] This means that if the connector mounted on the board is twisted while the harness is connected to it, the first bend can restrict the movement of the connector, thereby suppressing stress and distortion occurring in the board.

[0013] 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.

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce problems that may occur when connecting a connector to an electronic unit.

[0015] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp including an electronic unit. Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the electronic unit according to the present embodiment. Fig. 5 is a view for explaining how the electronic unit shown in Fig. 2 is mounted to a lamp body. Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing a state in which the electronic unit is mounted to the lamp body. Fig. 7 is a front view of an opening of the electronic unit according to the present embodiment. Fig. 8 is a side view of the vicinity of the opening of the electronic unit according to the present embodiment.

[0016] 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.

[0017] Before describing the electronic unit according to the embodiment in detail, a general configuration of a vehicle lamp including an electronic unit according to a reference example will be described.

[0018] (Vehicle Lamp) Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp equipped with an electronic unit. The vehicle lamp 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a device for providing exterior illumination to a vehicle. The vehicle lamp 10 is, for example, a headlamp. The vehicle lamp 10 includes a housing 12, a light source unit 14, and an electronic unit 16.

[0019] The housing 12 is a component that forms the enclosure of the vehicle lamp 10. The housing 12 holds the light source unit 14 and the electronic unit 16. For example, the housing 12 has a lamp body 18 and a front cover 20, and the lamp body 18 forms a lamp chamber that houses the light source unit 14.

[0020] The light source unit 14 is a unit that emits light. The light source unit 14 has a light source 22 that emits light that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle. Although only one light-emitting element that constitutes the light source 22 is depicted in FIG. 1 , there are typically multiple light-emitting elements. The light source unit 14 has a switch circuit (not shown). The light source unit 14 also has other components such as a reflector 24, a projection lens 26, an extension 28, and a base member 30. The light source unit 14 is housed inside the housing 12.

[0021] The electronic unit 16 is a unit that controls the lighting of the light source 22 of the light source unit 14. In other words, the electronic unit 16 is a unit that controls each switch of a switch circuit (not shown) of the light source unit 14. The electronic unit 16 is mounted on a mounting portion 19a of a convex space 19 on the rear side (vehicle main body side) of the lamp body 18. The electronic unit 16 is electrically connected to the light source unit 14 via a lamp-side harness HA. The electronic unit 16 is also electrically connected to an external power source and a vehicle ECU via a vehicle-side harness HB.

[0022] (Electronic unit) Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic unit according to a reference example. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining how the electronic unit shown in Fig. 2 is attached to a lamp body. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the electronic unit is attached to the lamp body.

[0023] The electronic unit 16 shown in Figure 2 includes a circuit board 34 on which electronic components 32 are mounted, a first connector 36 mounted on the circuit board 34 and connected to the vehicle-side harness HB, a second connector 38 mounted on the circuit board 34 and connected to the lamp-side harness HA, and covers 40a, 40b that cover the boards.

[0024] The electronic components 32 are, for example, coils, capacitors, resistors, ICs, CPUs, memories, etc. The covers 40a and 40b are fixed to each other with screws 41, sandwiching the circuit board 34. The first connector 36 has a connector housing 36a that is attached from the inside to an opening 18a formed on the vehicle rear side of the lamp body 18 that houses the light source unit 14.

[0025] This allows the electronic unit 16 to be disposed inside the lamp body 18, so that it is only necessary to waterproof the area between the opening 18a of the lamp body 18 and the first connector 36. Therefore, a waterproof structure for the electronic unit 16 can be achieved with a simple configuration. Specifically, the connector housing 36a according to this embodiment is a cylindrical component, and a waterproof gasket 42 serving as a cylindrical sealing member for sealing the opening 18a of the lamp body 18 is fixed to the outer periphery. As a result, a waterproof structure can be achieved by attaching the first connector 36 to the opening 18a of the lamp body 18. Furthermore, even if the electronic unit 16 is disposed inside the lamp body 18, by directly connecting the first connector 36 and the vehicle-side harness HB, a cord that is connected to the first connector 36, drawn to the outside of the lamp housing, and then connected to the vehicle-side harness HB is not required.

[0026] 3, the method of assembling the vehicle lamp 10 according to this embodiment includes the steps of attaching the electronic unit 16 from the front of the lamp toward the rear of the lamp into an opening 18a formed on the rear side of the lamp body 18 in which the light source 22 is disposed, and connecting the vehicle-side harness HB to the first connector 36 from the outside of the lamp body 18. This allows the vehicle-side harness HB to be connected to the first connector 36 from the outside of the lamp body 18 with the electronic unit 16 disposed inside the lamp body 18, making it easier to connect the vehicle-side harness HB.

[0027] Furthermore, the circuit board 34 according to this embodiment is rectangular, the first connector 36 is provided on the edge of a first side 34a of the circuit board 34, and the second connector 38 is provided on the edge of a second side 34b opposite the first side 34a. This allows the direction D1 (see FIG. 1) in which the lamp-side harness HA is connected to the second connector 38 to be aligned with the direction D2 (see FIG. 1) in which the first connector 36 is attached to the opening 18a of the lamp body 18, facilitating the assembly of the vehicle lamp 10 including the electronic unit 16. Here, the term "rectangle" is not limited to a mathematically perfect rectangle, but also includes shapes in which a notch or protrusion is provided on a portion of an edge.

[0028] The cover 40a has a fastening portion 40c that is fixed to the lamp body 18 with a screw 44, which is a fastening part, from the direction D3, which is the same as the mounting direction of the connector housing 36a. This allows the first connector 36 to be accurately positioned with respect to the opening 18a of the lamp body 18, and the waterproof packing 42 to stably contact the inner periphery 18b of the opening 18a of the lamp body 18.

[0029] The lamp body 18 also has a mounting portion 19a provided near the opening 18a on which the electronic unit 16 is mounted. The electronic unit 16 is fixed to the lamp body 18 with the first connector 36 attached to the opening 18a.

[0030] 4, the connector housing 36a has a locking portion 36b that prevents the connector housing 36a from moving in the opposite direction to the mounting direction D4 while attached to the opening 18a. The locking portion 36b in this embodiment is a retaining lance. This makes it difficult for the first connector 36 attached to the opening 18a of the lamp body 18 to come off.

[0031] The electronic unit 16 of the reference example comprises a cover 40b as a first housing on which a circuit board 34 on which a second connector 38 is provided is placed, and a cover 40a as a second housing which, when combined with the cover 40b, forms an opening 41 (see Figure 3) through which the second connector 38 is exposed.

[0032] 3, the second connector 38 of the electronic unit 16 is simply mounted on the circuit board 34. Therefore, the second connector 38 may cause distortion in the circuit board 34 due to, for example, twisting (movement that displaces the second connector 38 up, down, left, or right) when the lamp-side harness HA, which is its counterpart, is connected, or twisting when the second connector 38 is shaken (due to vehicle vibration, etc.) while the lamp-side harness HA is connected.

[0033] Therefore, after careful consideration, the inventors of the present application came up with a new configuration that can suppress displacement of the second connector 38 caused by external forces such as prying, and as a result, suppress distortion of the circuit board 34 on which the second connector 38 is mounted.

[0034] Fig. 5 is a front view of the opening of the electronic unit according to this embodiment. Fig. 6 is a side view of the vicinity of the opening of the electronic unit according to this embodiment. In the following description, the same components as those in the electronic unit 16 described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, while the electronic unit 50 shown in Fig. 5 has two second connectors 38, it is clear that electronic units having one second connector 38 or three or more second connectors 38 also achieve the same effects as the present invention.

[0035] The electronic unit 50 includes a cover 52 as a first housing on which the circuit board 34 is placed, and a cover 54 as a second housing which, when combined with the cover 52, forms an opening 41 through which the second connector 38 is exposed. The cover 52 has a first bent portion 52b formed on an edge 52a that forms the opening 41 and which is bent toward the second connector 38.

[0036] As a result, when the second connector 38 mounted on the circuit board 34 is twisted while an external connector is connected to the second connector 38, the first bend portion 52b can restrict the movement of the second connector 38 (particularly in the direction of the arrow), thereby suppressing stress and distortion occurring in the circuit board 34.

[0037] The cover 52 according to this embodiment is formed by bending a metal plate to form the first bent portion 52b and other shapes, which allows the first bent portion 52b to be formed on the cover 52 without being a separate part.

[0038] The cover 54 has a second bent portion 54b bent toward the connector at an edge 54a that forms the opening 41. This allows the movement of the second connector 38 to be restricted not only by the first bent portion 52b but also by the second bent portion 54b, making it possible to cope with prying in multiple directions.

[0039] The first bent portion 52b and the second bent portion 54b face each other with the second connector 38 in between. This can further restrict movement of the second connector 38 due to prying. There may be a slight gap G between the first bent portion 52b and the second connector 38. Similarly, there may be a slight gap G between the second bent portion 54b and the second connector 38. This can prevent the first bent portion 52b or the second bent portion 54b from pressing the second connector 38 when assembling the cover 52 and the cover 54.

[0040] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and suitable combinations and substitutions of the configurations of the embodiments are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, it is possible to suitably rearrange the combinations and processing orders in the embodiments based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and to make modifications to the embodiments such as various design changes, and such modified embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention.

[0041] This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-057601, filed on March 29, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0042] 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.

[0043] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Vehicle lamp, 12 Housing, 14 Light source unit, 16 Electronic unit, 18 Lamp body, 22 Light source, 32 Electronic component, 34 Circuit board, 34b Second edge, 38 Second connector, 52 Cover, 52b First bent portion, 54 Cover, 54b Second bent portion, HA Lamp side harness.

Claims

1. An electronic unit comprising: a substrate on which electronic components are mounted; a connector mounted on the edge of said substrate; a first housing for mounting said substrate; and a second housing which, when combined with said first housing, forms an opening through which said connector is exposed, wherein said first housing has a first bent portion formed on the edge that forms said opening, said first bent portion being bent towards said connector.

2. The electronic unit according to claim 1, wherein the first housing is made by bending a metal plate.

3. The electronic unit according to claim 2, wherein the second housing has a second bent portion formed on the edge that forms the opening, the second bent portion being bent toward the connector.

4. The electronic unit according to claim 3, wherein the first bent portion and the second bent portion face each other with the connector interposed therebetween.

5. A vehicle lamp comprising: a light source that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle; a lamp body that forms a lamp chamber that houses the light source; and an electronic unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4 that is fixed inside the lamp body, wherein the connector is connected to a harness that connects to the light source.

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