JP7033902B2 - Light source unit - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a light source unit provided in a vehicle lamp, and more particularly to a light source unit including a card-type light source in which a light emitting element is mounted on a card-type substrate.

In recent years, a light source device, that is, a light source unit, in which a light emitting element such as an LED (light emitting diode) or LD (laser diode) is unitized as a light source, has been proposed for a lamp for a vehicle such as an automobile. In such a light source unit, one or a plurality of light emitting elements are mounted on a card-type substrate (hereinafter referred to as a card substrate) to form a card-type light source, and the card-type light source is incorporated in a lamp and is also incorporated. The card-type light source is electrically connected to an in-vehicle power source to supply power to the light emitting element.

Conventionally, in a light source unit using such a card-type light source, a separate power receiving connector is mounted on a part of a card board having a required shape, and a power feeding connector connected to an in-vehicle power supply is fitted to this power receiving connector. It is configured to supply power by doing so. However, in this configuration, it takes a lot of man-hours to mount the power receiving connector on the card board, and it becomes an obstacle when the card type light source is miniaturized by the power receiving connector. Therefore, for example, as in Patent Document 1, by forming an electrode pad on one side of the card substrate as a power receiving connector to form a card edge connector, it is not necessary to mount a separate connector, and man-hours can be reduced. A card-type light source that enables miniaturization has been proposed.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-152371

Patent Document 1 does not describe a specific configuration for supplying power to a card edge connector formed in a card-type light source, but normally, an electrical connection is made to the card edge connector. A power supply connector for this is provided. This power supply connector has an electrode terminal arranged in a concave groove provided in the connector body, and when the card edge connector is inserted in the concave groove, the electrode terminal comes into contact with the electrode pad of the card edge connector. It is electrically conductive.

When such a card-type light source having a card edge connector is fitted to a power supply connector to perform electrical connection, in the assembly process of fitting the two, the two are sufficiently fitted due to factors such as unfamiliarity of the assembly worker. It may not be done. If such an insufficient mating state (hereinafter referred to as a semi-fitting state) occurs, the mating may be disengaged during the assembly process of the light source unit or the lamp unit, which causes a defective assembly of the lamp unit. become. Further, when the card-type light source is attached to the lamp unit in the semi-fitted state, the electrical contact between the two becomes insufficient, the electric resistance increases, and the heat generation at the time of lighting becomes remarkable, and the light source unit or the lamp becomes remarkable. It causes the reliability of the unit to decrease.

An object of the present invention is a light source unit capable of preventing a semi-fitting state between a card-type light source and a power supply connector electrically connected via a card edge connector provided in the card-type light source. Is to provide.

The light source unit of the present invention is a card-type light source in which a light source is mounted on a card board and a card edge connector is formed in a part of the card board, and a card-type light source is fitted to the card-type light source by the card edge connector to supply power. It includes a power supply connector to perform, and one of these card-type light sources and the power supply connector is provided with an alignment means for confirming the alignment state with the other.

The alignment means in the present invention is an alignment groove formed in a card-type light source and extending in a direction of fitting with the power supply connector, and when the power supply connector is correctly fitted to the card-type light source, the alignment groove is formed. The configuration is covered by the power supply connector.

According to the present invention, by fitting the card-type light source and the power supply connector while visually observing the alignment means, it is possible to confirm the correct fitting state between the card-type light source and the power supply connector. For example, the correct fitting state can be confirmed by confirming the state in which the alignment groove as the alignment means is obscured.

A front view of the headlamp provided with the light source unit of the present invention, which is a perspective view of the light source unit. Schematic vertical cross-sectional view along line II-II of FIG. Schematic perspective of a card-type light source and power supply connector. Front view of card type light source and power supply connector. Partially disassembled perspective view of the light source unit. Cross-sectional view when the card edge connector of the card type light source and the power supply connector are fitted. The schematic front view explaining the method of confirming the mating state of a card edge connector and a power feeding connector by the alignment groove.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of an automobile headlamp HL provided with the light source unit of the present invention, and a part thereof is shown transparently. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II. A lamp unit 2 that illuminates light with a required light distribution in a lamp housing 3 composed of a lamp body 31 and a translucent cover 32 attached to the front opening of the lamp body 31, here, a high beam light distribution. The lamp unit is built in.

The lamp unit 2 includes a light source unit 1 and a projection lens 4 that projects light emitted from the light source unit 1 onto a front region of an automobile.

The light source unit 1 includes a heat sink 5 having a base portion 51 having a substantially flat plate shape. The heat sink 5 is attached to the lamp body 31 by a known aiming mechanism 52, for example, an aiming screw, at three peripheral portions of the base portion 51. Although the details of the aiming mechanism 52 are omitted, the base portion 51 of the heat sink 5 can be tilted in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction by performing the aiming adjustment. The main surface of the base portion 51 is directed to the front of the lamp unit, and the card-type light source 6 is attached to the main surface. Further, a heat radiating fan 53 is attached to the rear surface of the heat sink 5 to enhance the heat radiating effect of the heat generated by the card-type light source 6.

A reflector 8 is attached to the main surface of the base portion 51 together with the card-type light source 6, and the light emitted from the card-type light source 6 is reflected in a required direction. At this time, some light is blocked. Further, the projection lens 4 is attached to the base portion 51 by a lens holder 41. The projection lens 4 projects the light emitted from the card-type light source 6 and reflected by the reflector 8 toward the front of the lamp unit 2, and illuminates the front region of the automobile with a required light distribution.

Further, the light source unit 1 includes a power supply connector 7 that is electrically connected to the card-type light source 6. The power supply connector 7 is connected to an in-vehicle power source of an automobile (not shown in the figure) by an electric cord 71, and is electrically connected to a card-type light source 1 fitted via a card edge connector 64 described later to be an in-vehicle power source. Electric power is supplied to the card-type light source 6 to emit light.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the card-type light source 6 and the power supply connector 7, and FIG. 4 is a front view in which a part thereof is cut off. The card-type light source 6 is mainly composed of a card substrate 60 having a required shape. The card substrate 60 has a conductive pattern 61 in which a conductive film is formed in a required pattern on one surface of an insulating substrate, and LEDs 62 as a plurality of light emitting elements are mounted on one surface of the card substrate 60 by surface mounting. .. Here, in the card substrate 60, the side surface on which these LEDs 62 are mounted is referred to as a front surface, and the opposite surface is referred to as a back surface.

The card substrate 60 includes an element mounting portion 60A whose width direction (left-right direction in FIG. 4) is formed to a required width dimension, and a connector portion 60B whose width dimension is shortened by retracting both sides thereof. It is composed of. The plurality of conductive patterns 61 are formed from the element mounting portion 60A to both portions of the connector portion 60B, and in the element mounting portion 60A, a part of the conductive pattern 61 is a mounting land of the plurality of LEDs 62 (FIG. In the connector portion 60B, the other part of the conductive pattern 61 is configured as a connector electrode pad 61P described later.

In the element mounting portion 60A, a plurality of mounting lands are arranged in a substantially row in the width direction, and the LED 62 is surface-mounted on each mounting land by soldering or the like. As shown in an enlarged view of the main part in FIG. 2, the light emitting surface portion 62a of each LED 62 is directed to the front of the lamp, and the light reflecting portion 62b is provided so as to surround the light emitting surface portion 62a. The light reflecting portion 62b reflects the light emitted from the light emitting surface portion 62a toward the side of the lamp toward the front of the lamp. Further, each LED 62 is electrically connected to one end of each of the conductive patterns 61 by a bonding wire 62c. The bondig wire 62c is sealed with a resin 63.

On the other hand, the other end of the conductive pattern 61 electrically connected to the LED 62 extends to the edge of the connector portion 60B and is arranged in the width direction along the edge to form the connector electrode pad 61P. .. With these connector electrode pads 61P, the edge portion of the connector portion 60B is configured as a card edge connector 64.

A pair of circular holes 65 and 66 are penetrated in the element mounting portion 60A at both ends in the width direction in the plate thickness direction, respectively. Of the holes that form a pair, the lower hole 65 in FIG. 4 has a slightly larger hole diameter than the other hole 66, and this large-diameter hole 65 attaches the card-type light source 6 to the base portion 51. The small-diameter hole 66 is configured as a mounting hole for positioning the card-type light source 6 with respect to the base portion 51.

The connector portion 60B is formed with a single linear notch groove 69 that is perpendicular to the element mounting portion 60A from the edge portion constituting the card edge connector 64. The notch groove 69 is penetrated in the plate thickness direction of the card substrate 60, and is formed between predetermined connector electrode pads 61P among a plurality of connector electrode pads 61P arranged in parallel. Further, the length L of the notch groove 69 is accurately determined so that the tip portion thereof is at a specific position on the surface of the card substrate 60. The notch groove 69 is configured as an alignment groove for confirming the fitting state with the power feeding connector 7, and is the alignment means in the present invention.

The alignment groove 69 is formed at a position biased toward one side of the arrangement direction of the plurality of connector electrode pads 61P provided in the connector portion 60B, that is, the center position in the width direction of the connector portion 60B.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the power supply connector 7 as one of the components of the light source unit 1 has a flat rectangular tubular resin connector body 70. The card edge connector 64 of the card-type light source 6 is inserted into a cylindrical groove 72 opened in one end surface 70a (hereinafter referred to as a front surface). In the tubular groove 72 of the connector main body 70, connector electrode terminals 73 made of a conductive member such as metal are arranged at positions corresponding to a plurality of connector electrode pads 61P constituting the card edge connector 64. There is. These connector electrode terminals 73 come into contact with the corresponding connector electrode pads 61P when the card edge connector 64 is inserted and are electrically connected. The electric cord 71 is connected to each connector electrode terminal 73.

In the tubular groove 72 of the connector main body 70, a rib 74 for increasing the strength of the connector main body 70 is formed in an intermediate part of the connector electrode terminals 73 in the arrangement direction. The rib 74 is a position corresponding to the alignment groove 69 provided in the card-type light source 6. That is, when the card edge connector 64 is inserted into the tubular groove 72, the rib 74 enters the alignment groove 69 to enable the insertion. As described above, the alignment groove 69 is located at a position biased with respect to the center in the width direction, and the rib 74 is also provided at a position biased with respect to the width direction. It is prevented that the mold light source 6 is fitted in the opposite directions.

Further, hooking pieces 75 are provided at both side positions in the width direction in which the connector electrode terminals 73 are arranged in the tubular groove 72 of the connector main body 70. These hook pieces 75 are configured as cantilever pieces integrally formed with the connector main body 70. When the card edge connector 64 is inserted into the tubular groove 72, the hooking piece 75 is hooked on the hooking groove 67 of the connector portion 60B, and the card-type light source 6 is easily dropped by the hooking force. To prevent it from being done.

Here, the dimension in the tubular axis direction of the connector body 70, that is, the dimension in the direction in which the card-type light source 6 is fitted is when the card edge connector 64 is inserted into the power feeding connector 7 to a predetermined correct position. In addition, the front surface 70a of the connector main body 70 is formed to have a dimension that coincides with the tip end portion of the alignment groove 69.

The card-type light source 6 and the power supply connector 7 having the above configurations are fitted to each other and attached to the base portion 51 of the heat sink 5 to form the light source unit 1. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the light source unit 1. A mounting screw hole 54 is opened on the main surface of the base portion 51 of the heat sink 5 at a position corresponding to the mounting hole 65 of the card-type light source 6. Further, a columnar positioning boss 55 is erected at a position corresponding to the positioning hole 66.

To assemble the light source unit 1, first, the card-type light source 6 is fitted to the power supply connector 7 to integrate the two. Specifically, the card edge connector 64 of the card-type light source 6 is inserted into the tubular groove 72 from the front surface 70a side of the connector main body 70 of the power feeding connector 7. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view when inserted, and as shown in FIG. 6A, each of the plurality of connector electrode pads 61P on the surface of the card substrate 60 constituting the inserted card edge connector 64. The connector electrode terminals 73 of the power feeding connector 7 are brought into contact with each other and are electrically connected to each other.

Further, when the card edge connector 64 is inserted, as shown in FIG. 6B, the hook-shaped tips of the hook pieces 75 located at both sides of the connector main body 70 are hooked to the hook groove 67 of the card type light source 6. Will be done. At this time, the fitted state of the card-type light source 6 and the power feeding connector 7 can be visually confirmed by the click feeling generated between the hooking piece 75 and the hooking groove 67. Further, the engaging force can prevent the card-type light source 6 from easily falling off.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5, a card-type light source 6 to which the power supply connector 7 is fitted is attached to the base portion 51. In this attachment, the card-type light source 6 is positioned by inserting the positioning boss 55 of the base portion 51 into the positioning hole 66 of the card-type light source 6. Next, the card-type light source 6 is fixedly attached to the base portion 51 by inserting the mounting screw 57 into the mounting screw hole 54 of the base portion 51 after inserting the mounting hole 65 of the card-type light source 6.

In this embodiment, at the same time as attaching the card-type light source 6, the reflector 8 is integrally attached to the base portion 51 by the mounting screw 57 in a state of being overlapped with the card-type light source 6. This completes the assembly of the light source unit 1. After that, although detailed description is omitted, as shown in FIG. 2, the lamp unit 2 is configured by attaching the projection lens 4 to the base portion 51 by the lens holder 41.

In the lamp unit 2 assembled in this way, the card-type light source 6 and the power supply connector 7 are fitted so that the power of the vehicle-mounted power source is supplied to the card-type light source 6 and the LED 62 emits light. The light emitted from each of the emitted LEDs 62 passes through the opening 81 of the reflector 8 enlarged and illustrated in FIG. 2, is reflected by the reflecting surface 82, and is then projected forward by the projection lens 4. As a result, the lamp unit 2 or the headlamp HL is turned on, and the front area of the automobile is illuminated.

When assembling the light source unit 1, the power supply connector 7 is fitted to the card-type light source 6, but if the fitting is insufficiently half-fitted at this time, the lamp unit 2 is fitted as described above. During the assembly process, the card-type light source 6 and the power supply connector 7 may be disengaged, which causes a defect in the assembly process of the lamp unit 2. Further, if the lamp unit 2 is assembled to the headlamp HL in the same state, the electric resistance in the electrical connection between the two increases and the heat generation at the time of lighting becomes remarkable, and the lamp unit 2 or the headlamp HL becomes remarkable. Reliability may decrease.

In order to prevent half-fitting in such an assembly, the fitting state is confirmed by using the click feeling when the hooking piece 75 and the hooking groove 67 shown in FIG. 6B are hooked. However, since this click feeling is due to the tactile sensation of the assembler, it is difficult to reliably prevent half-fitting due to individual differences in sensation.

In order to reliably prevent this semi-fitting, in the light source unit 1 of the embodiment, the alignment groove 69 as the alignment means provided in the card type light source 6 functions effectively. FIG. 7 is a front view illustrating this alignment. When the card edge connector 64 of the card-type light source 6 is inserted into the power supply connector 7 and the two are fitted to each other, as shown in FIG. 7A, FIG. The front surface 70a of the connector main body 70 is moved along the alignment groove 69, and the connector main body 70 is gradually moved so as to cover the alignment groove 69.

As described above, the dimension of the connector main body 70 in the fitting direction is formed to be a predetermined dimension corresponding to the length L of the alignment groove 69. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7B, the connector main body 70 is formed. When the front surface 70a is aligned with the tip of the alignment groove 69 and the connector body 70 is moved to a position where it completely covers the alignment groove 69, the power supply connector 7 fits in the correct state with respect to the card-type light source 6. It is confirmed that it was done. That is, the fitting state can be confirmed by observing the transmission of light in the alignment groove 69.

As described above, in the light source unit of the embodiment, when the card type light source and the power feeding connector are fitted, the fitting state of both can be visually confirmed by using the alignment groove. Therefore, even if there is a difference in the operator's feeling for the click feeling between the hook piece and the hook groove, it is possible to reliably confirm the fitting state and prevent half-fitting, and the reliability of the light source unit is improved. Can be improved.

Here, in the above-described embodiment, the alignment groove is cut out from the edge portion of the card substrate, but it is a long groove formed over a required region including a portion where the front surface of the connector body is located when fitted. You may.

The alignment means in the present invention may be configured to form an alignment groove in the feeding connector and confirm the fitting position with the card-type light source.

The present invention is not limited to the light source unit applied to the high beam light distribution lamp unit described in the embodiment, but as a light source unit applied to a low beam light distribution lamp unit or other light distribution lamp units. Needless to say, it can be configured.

1 Light source unit 2 Lamp unit 3 Lamp housing 4 Projection lens 5 Heat sink 6 Card type light source 7 Power supply connector 8 Reflector 51 Base 60 Card substrate 61 Conductive pattern 61P connector Electrode pad 62 Light emitting element (light source: LED)
64 Card edge connector 65 Mounting hole 66 Positioning hole 69 Alignment groove (alignment means)
70 Connector body 72 Recessed groove 73 Connector electrode terminal 71 Electric cord

Claims (2)

Includes a card-type light source in which a light source is mounted on a card board and a card edge connector is formed in a part of the card board, and a power supply connector that is fitted to the card-type light source by the card edge connector to supply power. In the light source unit, one of the card-type light source and the power supply connector is provided with an alignment means for confirming the alignment state with the other, and the alignment means is provided on the card-type light source. It is an alignment groove that is formed and extends in a direction of fitting with the power supply connector, and is characterized in that when the card-type light source is correctly fitted to the power supply connector, the alignment groove is covered by the power supply connector. Light source unit. The power supply connector is mainly composed of a connector body into which the card edge connector is inserted, and when the power supply connector is correctly fitted, the connector is directed to the side into which the card type light source is inserted. The light source unit according to claim 1 , wherein the end surface of the main body is formed so as to be at the same position as the tip of the alignment groove.

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