JP7609014B2 - Vehicle lighting equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting device .

Illumination devices are generally installed in the passenger compartments of vehicles and other conveyances to improve visibility and convenience at night or in dark places, or to enhance design. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which first and second illumination devices of the same structure are connected in series on the ceiling of a railway vehicle so that the power supply paths are different.

Specifically, in each lighting device, multiple unit LED modules are connected in series, and each unit LED module includes a substrate on which multiple LEDs are mounted, a pair of positive and negative wiring connected to the multiple LEDs, and a pair of positive and negative wiring not connected to the multiple LEDs. The first lighting device and the second lighting device are cross-wired such that the pair of wiring connected to the multiple LEDs in the first lighting device is connected to the pair of wiring not connected to the LEDs in the second lighting device, and the pair of wiring not connected to the multiple LEDs in the first lighting device is connected to the pair of wiring connected to the LEDs in the second lighting device. With this configuration, the light emission mode of the first lighting device and the second lighting device, which have the same configuration, can be controlled either synchronously or asynchronously.

Patent No. 6550037 JP 2012-243462 A

However, according to the above configuration, in order to make the light emission mode different for each lighting device, in addition to the wiring pair for controlling the light emission of the LED mounted in the unit LED module, each unit LED module needs to be provided with wiring pairs for controlling the light emission of the LED mounted in the different unit LED modules, the number of which is equal to the number of light emission modes. As the light emission modes increase, there is a problem that board space is required to provide extra wiring pairs that are not used in the unit LED module. Also, in order to make the lighting devices emit light in different modes, cross-wiring is required between the lighting devices, and as shown in Patent Document 2, for example, two unit LED modules cannot be arranged next to each other, and there is a problem that the arrangement interval of the LEDs is shifted between one unit LED module and the other unit LED module.

One objective of this technology is to provide a circuit board that can be arranged adjacent to one another even when emitting light in different modes. Another objective is to provide a vehicle lighting device that uses this circuit board.

To solve the above problem, the present technology provides a vehicle lighting device that is composed of a plurality of circuit boards on which at least one light source is mounted, and a connector member that electrically connects the adjacent circuit boards. Here, the circuit boards are belt-shaped, and at both ends in the longitudinal direction, each of the circuit boards has a notch in which the central portion in the width direction is recessed toward the longitudinal center, and a pair of connection terminals that are electrically connected to the light source are provided between the notches, and when one end of one of the circuit boards along the longitudinal direction is abutted against the other end of the other circuit board along the longitudinal direction, an opening is formed at the abutting portion of both circuit boards by the notches.

According to the above configuration, a vehicle lighting device having a desired length can be realized by connecting a plurality of circuit boards with connector members. At this time, the circuit boards can be arranged at a distance from each other, but can also be arranged continuously in the longitudinal direction. When the circuit boards are arranged continuously, an opening is formed between adjacent boards that communicates one side and the other side. Therefore, for example, when the circuit boards are arranged continuously and a cable-shaped connector member is connected to a connection terminal on one side of a specific circuit board, the cable portion of the connector member can be drawn through the opening to the other side of the board for wiring. In other words, when various control wiring (cable-shaped connector members) are connected to a plurality of circuit boards to emit light from the light source in different modes, only the connector member used to control the circuit board can be drawn through the opening to one side and connected to the connection terminal, and the control wiring not used to control the circuit board can be wired together on the other side. This realizes a vehicle lighting device that can emit light from the light source in various forms, even when the circuit boards are arranged continuously (with zero gaps).

In a preferred embodiment, the pair of connection terminals are disposed on the edges of the notch, and the connector member includes a first connector member having a main body and a pair of connector side terminals that protrude from one side of the main body and the other side opposite to the one side and engage with the connection terminals, and the first connector member is configured such that when one end of one of the circuit boards along the longitudinal direction is abutted against the other end of the other circuit board along the longitudinal direction, the pair of connector side terminals can be fitted into the connection terminals of one of the circuit boards and the connection terminals of the other circuit board with the main body disposed in the opening. According to the first connector member configured as described above, when a plurality of circuit boards are continuously arranged along the longitudinal direction, the circuit boards can be linearly connected with the first connector member disposed in the opening.

In a preferred embodiment, the circuit board is a double-sided board, the pair of connection terminals are provided on the surface of the circuit board opposite to the side on which the light source is provided, and the connector member includes a second connector member having a cable-shaped wiring portion and a pair of connector-side terminal portions provided at both ends of the wiring portion and mated with the pair of connection terminals. According to the above configuration, it is possible to arrange multiple circuit boards not only in a straight line, but also in an arc shape of any curvature, or to bend at any angle. In addition, it is possible to arrange multiple circuit boards not only continuously along the arrangement direction, but also at intervals. This allows the circuit boards (light sources) to be arranged in any pattern while using the same circuit board, and realizes a variety of designs through light emission.

In a preferred embodiment, the circuit board is capable of transmitting visible light, and further includes a lens member that supports the circuit board along both ends in the width direction and covers the light source. With the above configuration, the circuit board can be stably supported and dirt from the outside can be prevented from adhering to the light source. In addition, the light emitted from the light source can be diffused by the lens member. Therefore, in a configuration using an LED, which is a point light source with high directivity, as the light source, the strong light from the light source can be converted into soft light and emitted. In particular, in a configuration in which the lens member is sufficiently longer than the circuit board, multiple circuit boards can be stably supported in a linear arrangement. This configuration is suitable for application to a vehicle lighting device attached to a vehicle that generates vibrations during driving, because the above effects become even more pronounced.

In this technology, the material constituting the lens member may be any material that can transmit visible light, and preferably has a total light transmittance of 20% or more as defined in ISO 13468-1 (2019). The total light transmittance is preferably 25% or more, 30% or more, or 35% or more, and is preferably 90% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, or 60% or less.

In a preferred embodiment, the lens member includes a pair of walls extending along the longitudinal direction while facing each other, and a bottom portion continuous with the pair of walls, and the opposing surfaces of the pair of walls each include a support portion that protrudes toward the other surface and supports both ends in the width direction of the circuit board. The lens member of the above configuration has a constant cross-sectional shape intersecting the longitudinal direction, and can be manufactured easily and at low cost, for example, by an extrusion method. In addition, when the circuit board is supported by the support portion, the space secured between the board and the bottom portion allows the light emitted from the light source to be incident on the lens member in a diffused state. This allows both stable support of the circuit board and uniform light to be achieved.

The lens member is made of a high refractive index material with a refractive index of 1.4 or more. With the above configuration, the light emitted from the light source can be refracted as it passes through the lens member and then emitted. Furthermore, in a lens member that covers multiple light sources, depending on the angle of incidence of the light from the light source, the incident light can be guided inside the lens member. This allows the light from the light source to be emitted more uniformly.

In another aspect, the present technology provides a circuit board for use in a vehicle lighting device in which a plurality of circuit boards, each having at least one light source mounted thereon, are electrically connected by a connector member. The circuit board is belt-shaped, and has a notch at each of both longitudinal ends, with the widthwise central portion recessed toward the longitudinal center, and has a pair of connection terminals between the notches that are electrically connected to the light source. When one end of one of the circuit boards along the longitudinal direction is abutted against the other end of the other of the circuit boards along the longitudinal direction, an opening is formed at the abutting portion of both circuit boards by the notches.

In circuit boards on which light sources such as LEDs are mounted, it is desirable to construct the circuit board using a printed wiring board of one shape, since punching out the circuit board is costly. It is also desirable to be able to construct a lighting device capable of various light emission control using a circuit board of one shape. With the above configuration, a circuit board of one configuration can be constructed using a printed wiring board of one shape, and a vehicle lighting device that can emit light from the light source in various forms as described above can be realized.

This technology makes it possible to create a circuit board that can be arranged in series with other elements even when they emit light in different ways.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle in which a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment is used; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing how the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 1 illuminates the floor surface of a vehicle. FIG. 3 is another perspective view showing the main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of another main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of another main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 9 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 8 . 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the vehicle lighting device attached to the ceiling of the vehicle shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the main part of FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing how the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11 illuminates the ceiling of a vehicle. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11 . FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11 . FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a circuit board in the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11; FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a structure of a vehicle lighting device according to another embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 19 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 18.

<Embodiment 1>
The vehicle lighting device and the circuit board according to the present technology will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 10 as appropriate. The symbols D1, D2, D3, D4, U, and D shown in each figure respectively indicate one side and the other side along the longitudinal direction of the circuit board in the vehicle lighting device, one side and the other side in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and up and down in the vertical direction. However, the above directions are merely defined for the convenience of explaining the vehicle lighting device, and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner.

1 shows a vehicle lighting device 10, 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "lighting device") attached to the ceiling of the cabin of a vehicle 1 such as an automobile and a side wall close to the floor surface so as to surround the cabin. The lighting device 100 attached to the ceiling will be described in embodiment 2. The cabin is roughly surrounded by a side wall material 2, a floor material 3, and a ceiling material 4. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the floor material 3 is curved so as to rise upward at the periphery of the floor surface, and a lighting device 10 that illuminates the floor surface is installed in the gap provided between the rising part of the floor material 3 and the lower end of the side wall material 2. The lighting device 10 in this example is generally linear and is designed to be compact in width and height despite its long length. The lighting device 10 in this example is fixed to a metal body panel 5 by a fastening member 9. As shown in FIG. 4, the lighting device 10 is configured to include a plurality of circuit boards 12 and a plurality of connector members 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the lighting device 10 of this embodiment additionally includes a lens member 30 and a cover member 39. Each element will be described below.

The circuit board 12 is the main component of the lighting device 10. The lighting device 10 is constructed by connecting a plurality of circuit boards 12 in a desired shape with connector members 20. The circuit board 12 includes a printed wiring board 14, and a light source 16 and a connection terminal 18 mounted on the printed wiring board. In addition to the light source 16 and the connection terminal 18, the circuit board 12 may also be equipped with other electronic elements, such as passive elements such as capacitors and active elements such as Zener diodes, for the purpose of stably supplying power to the light source 16.

The printed wiring board 14 is mainly composed of an insulating substrate, and a predetermined circuit pattern (not shown) is provided on one or both surfaces of the substrate. The circuit pattern is designed to electrically connect the light source 16 and the connection terminal 18. The printed wiring board 14 in this example is a so-called rigid substrate, for example, a glass epoxy substrate with patterned copper-clad wiring. The printed wiring board 14 is generally in the shape of a substantially rectangular band. In addition, the printed wiring board 14 has notches 15 at both ends in the longitudinal direction, where the central portion in the width direction is recessed toward the longitudinal center. In this example, one notch 15 is in the shape of a U, and is recessed from the end of the printed wiring board 14 by a dimension L3. As a result, the printed wiring board 14 has an H-like shape.

The light source 16 is composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) element capable of emitting visible light. The circuit board 12 is formed by mounting the light source 16 on the printed wiring board 14. One light source 16 may be mounted on one circuit board 12, or two or more light sources 16 may be mounted on one circuit board 12. In this example, four LED elements are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction on the circuit board 12. The separation distance L1 between the four LED elements is adjusted to be approximately twice the distance L2 from the longitudinal ends of the printed wiring board 14 to the LED elements at both ends along the longitudinal direction.

The connection terminal 18 is an element that electrically connects the connector member 20 and the circuit pattern of the printed wiring board 14. The connection terminal 18 in this example constitutes one side of the mating interface and includes a socket (female) type housing and a pair of positive and negative terminals arranged in an insulated state inside the housing. The connection terminals 18 are arranged one on each edge of the cutout portion 15 on both ends of the printed wiring board 14. The connection terminals 18 are mounted on the printed wiring board 14 so that the mating direction is along the longitudinal direction of the printed wiring board 14 (in other words, horizontal to the surface of the board) and the socket opening faces outward.

The connector member 20 is an element that electrically connects to the circuit board 12 and transmits power and electrical signals for control to the circuit board 12. The connector member 20 constitutes the other of the mating interfaces in the lighting device 10 and has a configuration that allows mating connection with the connection terminal 18. The connector member 20 can roughly include a first connector member 21 that linearly connects the two circuit boards 12 with zero gaps, and a second connector member 22 that freely connects the circuit board 12 to other electronic components (including the circuit board 12). The connector member 20 may include either the first connector member 21 or the second connector member 22, or both, depending on the shape of the lighting device. In addition, the connector member 20 can include any number of each connector member 21, 22 depending on the form of the desired lighting device.

The first connector member 21 is an element that electrically and physically connects the two circuit boards 12 in a state of being in linear contact (zero gap). Hereinafter, when it is necessary to distinguish between the two circuit boards 12, one of them will be referred to as the circuit board 12A and the other as the circuit board 12B. As shown in FIG. 4, the first connector member 21 includes a body portion 21A having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a connector side terminal portion 21B protruding from the body portion 21A on one side, and a connector side terminal portion 21C protruding on the other side on the opposite side. The body portion 21A is an element that supports the connector side terminal portions 21B and 21C. The body portion 21A is configured so that the dimension in the fitting direction along the protruding direction of the connector side terminal portions 21B and 21C is slightly smaller than the dimension L3 along the longitudinal direction of the notch portion 15. The body portion 21A is also configured so that its planar shape is slightly smaller than the notch portion 15. Each of the connector side terminals 21B and 21C is composed of a pair of positive and negative terminals. In this example, the connector side terminals 21B and 21C are plug (male) type terminals, and are supported by the main body 21A so that the pair of positive and negative terminals protrude from the main body 21A in an insulated state.

The connector side terminal portion 21B of the first connector member 21 is fitted and connected to the connection terminal 18 provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the one circuit board 12A. The connector side terminal portion 21C of the first connector member 21 is fitted and connected to the connection terminal 18 provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board 12B. At this time, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, one end in the longitudinal direction of the one circuit board 12A and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board 12B are abutted, and openings are formed at the abutment portions of both circuit boards 12A and 12B by the respective cutout portions 15. The main body portion 21A of the first connector member 21 is arranged in the openings formed at the abutment portions of both circuit boards 12A and 12B.

The second connector member 22 is an element that freely electrically connects one circuit board 12 and another electronic component without restricting their relative positions. The other electronic component may be a circuit board 12, and the second connector member 22 will be described below using the case where the other electronic component is a circuit board 12 as an example. As shown in FIG. 7, the second connector member 22 includes a wiring portion 22C, a main body portion 22A provided at one end of the wiring portion 22C, and a connector side terminal portion 22B protruding to one side from the main body portion 22A. The other end of the wiring portion 22C is provided with a connection terminal portion (not shown) for connecting to another electronic device. The other end of the wiring portion 22C may have the same configuration as the one end, or may have a different configuration. The wiring portion 22C is made of, for example, a resin-coated copper wire or the like, and can be bent. The main body portion 22A is an element that supports the connector side terminal portion 22B. The main body 22A is configured so that the dimension in the fitting direction along the protruding direction of the connector side terminal portion 22B is sufficiently smaller than the dimension L3 along the longitudinal direction of the notch portion 15. The main body 21A is also configured so that its planar shape is slightly smaller than the notch portion 15. The connector side terminal portion 22B is composed of a pair of positive and negative terminals. In this example, the connector side terminal portion 22B is a plug (male) type terminal, and is supported by the main body portion 22A so that the pair of positive and negative terminals protrude in an insulated state from the main body portion 22A.

The connector side terminal portion 22B of the second connector member 22 is mated and connected to a connection terminal 18 provided at one longitudinal end of one circuit board 12C, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, for example. At this time, one longitudinal end of one circuit board 12C abuts against the other longitudinal end of the other circuit board 12B, and openings are formed at the abutment portions of both circuit boards 12B, 12C by the respective cutout portions 15. Furthermore, the main body portion 22A of the second connector member 22 is disposed in the openings formed at the abutment portions of both circuit boards 12B, 12C, and the wiring portion 22C is drawn from the light source mounting surface of the circuit board 12B to the opposite surface.

The lens member 30 is an element that covers the light source 16 to prevent the light source 16 from being damaged or soiled. The lens member 30 is also an element that diffuses the light emitted from the light source 16. Furthermore, the lens member 30 in this example also serves as a support member that supports the circuit board 12 along both ends in the width direction. The lens member 30 is made of a material that can transmit visible light, and the color of the lens member 30 may be, for example, transparent, or may be a semi-transparent color or milky white color with high light diffusion. Such a lens member 30 can be made of synthetic resins such as polycarbonate, polyvinyl chloride resin, and acrylic resin. In particular, by making the lens member 30 out of a synthetic resin material having a high refractive index of 1.4 or more, the light emitted from the light source 16 can be refracted when passing through the lens member 30 and then emitted, or the incident light can be guided inside the lens member 30 depending on the angle of incidence of the light from the light source 16. This allows the light from the light source 16 to be emitted more uniformly.

The lens member 30 has a pair of walls 31, 32 extending along the longitudinal direction while facing each other, and a bottom portion 33 continuous with the walls 31, 32. The lens member 30 has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and in the example shown in FIG. 3, opens upward. Support portions 34 for supporting the circuit board 12 are provided on the opposing surfaces of the pair of walls 31, 32, protruding toward the other surface. In this example, the support portion 34 is composed of two protrusions extending along the longitudinal direction and spaced apart vertically on the opposing surfaces of the walls 31, 32. The circuit board 12 can be supported from the vertical direction by inserting both ends of the circuit board 12 in the width direction between the two protrusions of the support portion 34. At this time, the circuit board 12 is attached to the lens member 30 so that the light source mounting surface faces the bottom portion 33. With a lens member 30 configured in this way, when the circuit board 12 is supported by the support portion 34, the space created between the board 12 and the bottom portion 33 allows the light emitted from the light source 16 to be diffused and enter the lens member 30.

The lens member 30 may be as long as one circuit board 12, or may be any length long enough to support multiple circuit boards 12. Such a lens member 30 has a constant cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and can be suitably manufactured, for example, by extrusion molding a thermoplastic resin. The lens member 30 is made of a synthetic resin that has enough elasticity to bend slightly, so that the circuit board 12 can be attached to the support portion 34 while bending to widen the gap between the walls 31, 32.

In the lens member 30 of this example, one of the pair of walls 31, 32, the wall 31, is extended so that its height dimension from the bottom 33 is greater than that of the other wall 32. The extended portion 31A of the wall 31 is provided with a number of long holes 31B, and these long holes 31B can be used to fix the lens member 30 to the body panel 5.

The cover member 39 is an element that covers the opening of the lens member 30 facing upward, and is a long plate-like member designed so that its width dimension is slightly smaller than the distance between the pair of walls 31, 32 and slightly larger than the distance between the opposing supports 34. After the circuit board 12 is attached to the lens member 30, the cover member 39 is placed above the support 34 so as to cover the circuit board 12. Since the circuit board 12 in this example has a notch 15, by covering it with the cover member 39, moisture and dust in the air are prevented from entering the inside of the lens member 30 through the notch 15. The cover member 39 may be configured so that the cross-sectional shape intersecting the longitudinal direction is curved in order to enhance heat dissipation from the circuit board 12.

Next, the effects of the present technology will be described. According to the present technology, a lighting device 10 having a desired length can be realized by connecting a plurality of circuit boards 12 with a first connector member 21 and a second connector member 22. At this time, the circuit boards 12 can be arranged at a distance from each other, but can also be arranged continuously in the longitudinal direction, as shown in, for example, FIG. 8 to FIG. 10. When the circuit boards 12 are arranged continuously, an opening is formed between the adjacent circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C that communicates with the light source mounting surface (one surface) and the opposite surface (the other surface). Therefore, for example, when the circuit boards 12 are arranged continuously and the cable-shaped second connector member 22 is connected to the connection terminal 18 on one surface of a specific circuit board 12A or 12C, the wiring portion 22C of the second connector member 22 can be drawn out to the opposite surface of the circuit board 12 through the opening for wiring.

8, when different control wirings (second connector member 22) are connected to the circuit boards 12A, 12B and 12C to emit light from the light source 16 in different modes, a first control wiring (second connector member 22) is connected to one of the connection terminals 18 of the circuit board 12A, the circuit boards 12A and 12B are connected by the first connector member 21, and a second control wiring (second connector member 22) is connected to one of the connection terminals 18 of the circuit board 12C. The other end of the second connector member 22 is disposed on the opposite side of the board mounting surface of the circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C. With this configuration, even if the number of control wirings increases, the control wirings do not overlap the light source 16, and it is possible to prevent the light emitted from the light source from being blocked. In addition, since the circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C can be arranged continuously (with zero gaps), the arrangement pitch of the light sources 16 can be kept constant, and uniform light can be emitted in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the light emission control of the circuit boards 12A and 12B by the first control wiring and the light emission control of the circuit board 12C by the second control wiring can be synchronized or can be independently synchronized. This realizes a lighting device 10 that can emit light from the light sources 16 in various forms. Such a lighting device 10 is also preferable in that it can be realized by common circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C. In addition, in FIG. 10, the multiple circuit boards 12 are shown divided into two rows, but this is to show that power and control signals are sent by different control wiring, and in reality, the multiple circuit boards 12 are arranged in a row. In addition, in FIG. 10 and other figures, gaps are provided between the multiple circuit boards 12 for convenience, but in reality, the multiple circuit boards 12 are arranged continuously (with zero gaps).

The first connector member 21 configured as above allows the circuit boards 12A, 12B to be connected in a straight line when the circuit boards 12A, 12B are arranged continuously along the longitudinal direction, with the first connector member 21 being placed in the opening.

The lens member 30 of the above configuration can stably support one or more circuit boards 12A, 12B, 12C, and can prevent dirt from adhering to the light source 16 from the outside. The light emitted from the light source 16 can be diffused by the lens member 30. Therefore, in a configuration in which an LED, which is a point light source with high directivity, is used as the light source 16, the strong light from the light source 16 can be converted into soft light and emitted. In particular, in a configuration in which the lens member 30 is sufficiently longer than the circuit boards 12A, 12B, 12C, the lens member 30 can stably support the multiple circuit boards 12A, 12B, 12C in a linear arrangement. When such a configuration is applied to a lighting device 10 attached to a vehicle that generates vibrations during driving, the above-mentioned effects can be exhibited even more clearly.

<Embodiment 2>
A lighting device 100 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 11 to Fig. 19. The lighting device 100 of this embodiment is attached along the periphery of the ceiling material 4 of the vehicle 1 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 11, the ceiling material 4 is composed of a peripheral member 4A that forms the periphery of the ceiling, and a central member 4B that bulges out in a dome shape upward from the peripheral member 4A, and a lighting device 100 that illuminates the surface of the central member 4B facing the passenger compartment is installed in the gap formed between the peripheral member 4A and the central member 4B.

The lighting device 100 of this example is generally installed in an elliptical shape that combines straight and curved parts. The lighting device 100 is designed to be compact in width and height while being long overall. The straight parts have the same configuration as the vehicle lighting device 10 of embodiment 1, and the curved parts (typically the curved parts shown in FIG. 12) are configured with a circuit board 112, a connector member 120, and a lens member 130 that are different from the circuit board 12, the connector member 20, and the lens member 30 in embodiment 1, respectively. In addition, the lighting device 100 of this example does not have a cover member 39 because it is placed on the peripheral member 4A with the opening of the lens member 130 facing downward as shown in FIG. 13. The configuration and effects other than the differences noted below may be the same as those of embodiment 1, and a description of the similar configuration, effects, and effects will be omitted.

In the circuit board 112, the printed wiring board 114 has a predetermined circuit pattern (not shown) on both sides as shown in Figs. 14 to 17, and the circuit patterns on both sides are electrically connected via through holes (not shown). The light source 16 is mounted on the light source mounting surface 114A, which is one surface of the circuit board 112, and a pair of connection terminals 118 is mounted on the back surface 114B, which is the other surface. These light sources 16 and connection terminals 118 are electrically connected by the circuit pattern. Note that the connection terminals 118 in this example have a dimension L4 from the end of the printed wiring board 114 toward the center in the longitudinal direction that is larger than the dimension L3 of the cutout portion 15, and are arranged on the printed wiring board 114 at a position closer to the center in the longitudinal direction than the connection terminals 18. Each connection terminal 118 has a pair of positive and negative terminals.

The connector member 120 is an element that freely electrically connects two adjacent circuit boards 112 without restricting their relative positions. The connector member 120 is an example of the second connector member 22 in embodiment 1, and is configured so that the length of the wiring portion 122C is longer than twice the dimension L4 by at least the amount of the separation distance so that the two circuit boards 112 can be spaced apart. Each end of the wiring portion 122C is provided with a connector side connection terminal 122A that fits into and connects with the connection terminal 118. Each connector side connection terminal 122A has a pair of positive and negative terminals.

By combining the circuit board 112 and connector member 120 of the above configuration, multiple circuit boards 112 can be arranged in a straight line, in an arc of any curvature (see FIG. 12, etc.), or at any angle. It is also possible to arrange multiple circuit boards 112 at a distance from each other along the arrangement direction, and it is also possible to arrange them continuously by bending the wiring portion 122C (see FIG. 19, etc.). This allows the circuit boards 112 (light sources 16) to be arranged in any pattern (shape) while using a single circuit board 112, and a variety of designs can be realized through light emission.

As shown in FIG. 14, the pair of walls 131, 132 in the lens member 130 are configured to have approximately the same height dimension from the bottom 33. Although not limited to this, the lens member 130 is configured to be obtained by removing the extension portion 31A of the lens member 30 in the first embodiment (for example, by cutting with a cutter). Therefore, although the lens member 130 appears to have a different shape from the lens member 30 at first glance, it is a member that can be easily prepared using the lens member 30. As shown in FIG. 12, the lens member 130 can be fixed by clamping the upper end (opening end) of the wall 132 and the bottom 33 in the height direction of the lens member 130 with a plurality of ribs 135 provided on the peripheral member 4A.

Other Embodiments
The technology disclosed herein is not limited to those disclosed in the above embodiments, and for example, the following aspects are also included in the scope of the technology disclosed herein. Furthermore, the technology disclosed herein can be implemented in various modified aspects without departing from its essence.

(1) In the above embodiment, the printed wiring board constituting the circuit board 12, 112 was a so-called rigid board, but the printed wiring board may be a flexible board or a combination of the two, a rigid-flexible board. In the lighting devices 10, 100 intended to be mounted on vehicles, the printed wiring board is preferably a rigid board.

(2) In the above embodiment, the specific manner of light emission control of each light source 16 mounted on the multiple circuit boards 12, 112 is not limited in any way. For example, the lighting device 10, 100 may configure a line lighting in which the light sources 16 are arranged in a long line as a whole, and may be divided into several sections along the longitudinal direction, with different control wiring being connected to each section. The lighting device 10, 100 may control the light emission manner of the light source 16 to be different for each section, or may control the light emission manner to be the same for each section, or a combination of these.

(3) Each component constituting the lighting device 10, 100 of the above embodiment may be provided as an assembly part for the lighting device 10, 100, an assembly kit for the lighting device 10, 100, etc.

(4) In the above embodiment, the lighting device 10, 100 is used to illuminate floor and ceiling surfaces, but the illumination target and overall shape of the lighting device are not limited to these examples. For example, the lighting device may have various overall shapes to illuminate other parts of a vehicle, such as a seat, side trim, instrument panel, door trim, etc.

(5) In the above embodiment, the hardness of the synthetic resin material constituting the lens member 30, 130 is not particularly limited. However, in order to easily remove the extension portion 31A of the lens member 30 at a construction site or to easily hold the circuit board 12, 112, for example, the synthetic resin material constituting the lens member 30, 130 is preferably a synthetic resin that is not deformed by its own weight but has a degree of flexibility that allows it to be bent by a human finger. As an example, it is preferably a synthetic resin whose hardness in Type A durometer (Shore A) measured in accordance with JIS K6253 is approximately 20 or more (e.g., 30 or more) and 60 or less (e.g., 50 or less).

(6) In the above embodiment, a vehicle is exemplified as a vehicle to which the vehicle lighting device is attached, but the vehicle to which the vehicle lighting device is attached may be various other vehicles. For example, the mounting structure for the lighting device and the illuminated interior material disclosed herein can be applied to vehicles such as trains and recreational vehicles as ground vehicles, unmanned vehicles, airplanes and helicopters as flying vehicles, and ships and submarines as marine and underwater vehicles.

10, 100...lighting device (vehicle lighting device), 12, 12A, 12B, 12C, 112...circuit board, 14, 114...printed wiring board, 15...notch, 16...light source, 18, 118...connection terminal, 20, 120...connector member, 21...first connector member, 21A...main body, 21B, 21C...connector side terminal, 22...second connector member, 22A...main body, 22B...connector side terminal, 22C, 122C...wiring section, 30, 130...lens member, 31, 32, 131, 132...wall, 33...bottom, 34...support

Claims (5)

a plurality of circuit boards on which at least one light source is mounted;
a first connector member for electrically connecting adjacent circuit boards;
A second connector member;
A vehicle lighting device comprising:
The circuit board is strip-shaped,
At both ends in the longitudinal direction, a notch is provided in which a central portion in the width direction is recessed toward the center in the longitudinal direction,
a pair of connection terminals electrically connected to the light source between the notches,
when one end portion of one of the circuit boards along the longitudinal direction is brought into contact with the other end portion of the other of the circuit boards along the longitudinal direction, an opening is formed at the contact portion of both the circuit boards by the cutout portions of each of the circuit boards ,
the circuit board includes a strip-shaped printed wiring board having the notch formed therein,
the pair of connection terminals and the light source are provided on one surface of the printed wiring board,
The second connector member includes:
A wiring section;
a second connector member main body provided at one end of the wiring portion;
a second connector side terminal portion protruding from the second connector member main body portion,
Among the three circuit boards arranged in succession, two of the circuit boards electrically connected by the first connector member are referred to as a first circuit board and a second circuit board, and a circuit board disposed on the opposite side of the first circuit board with respect to the second circuit board is referred to as a third circuit board,
the second circuit board and the third circuit board are arranged such that the one surfaces of the printed wiring board face the same direction,
the second connector side terminal portion is connected to one of the pair of connection terminals on the third circuit board that is disposed on the second circuit board side;
the wiring portion is pulled out from the one side of the printed wiring board to the other side through the opening formed by the second circuit board and the third circuit board, and is then arranged in a manner covering the other side of the printed wiring board of the second circuit board . The pair of connection terminals are respectively disposed on edges of the cutout portion,
The first connector member includes:
A main body portion,
a pair of connector-side terminal portions protruding from one side of the main body portion and the other side opposite to the one side and fitted into the connection terminals ;
2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the first connector member is configured such that, when one end portion along the longitudinal direction of the first circuit board and the other end portion along the longitudinal direction of the second circuit board are abutted against each other, the pair of connector side terminal portions can be fitted into the connection terminals of the first circuit board and the connection terminals of the second circuit board with the main body portion disposed in the opening formed by the first circuit board and the second circuit board . 3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising a lens member capable of transmitting visible light, supporting the circuit board along both ends in a width direction, and covering the light source . The lens member is
A pair of wall portions extending along a longitudinal direction while facing each other, and a bottom portion continuous with the pair of wall portions,
4. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the opposing surfaces of the pair of walls are each provided with a support portion that protrudes toward the other surface and supports both ends in the width direction of the circuit board . 5. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 3, wherein the lens member is made of a high refractive index material having a refractive index of 1.4 or more .

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