JP7664115B2 - Lighting unit - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a lighting unit in which a light-emitting element and a reflector are supported by a heat sink.

Conventionally, a lighting unit configuration that includes a light-emitting element and a reflector that reflects the light emitted from the light-emitting element toward the front of the unit has been known in which the light-emitting element and the reflector are supported by a heat sink.

Patent Document 1 describes such a lighting unit in which a heat sink is provided with a mounting surface for mounting a reflector, and the reflector is fixed to the heat sink by screws while being in surface contact with the mounting surface at a pair of left and right flanges.

JP 2021-9770 A

In the lamp unit described in the above-mentioned "Patent Document 1," the reflector is supported on the heat sink by screwing it in place, but there is a risk that the reflector body will be deformed by the compressive force acting on the pair of left and right flanges when the reflector is screwed in place.

If such deformation of the reflector body occurs, the light distribution pattern formed by the reflected light from the reflective surface may become distorted from its original shape.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and aims to provide a lighting unit in which a light-emitting element and a reflector are supported by a heat sink, and in which the reflector can be supported by the heat sink without inadvertently deforming the reflector body.

The present invention aims to achieve the above objective by improving the support structure of the reflector relative to the heat sink.

That is, the lamp unit according to the present invention is
A lamp unit including a light-emitting element, a reflector that reflects light emitted from the light-emitting element toward a front of the unit, and a heat sink that supports the light-emitting element and the reflector,
the heat sink is formed with a mounting surface for mounting the reflector thereon,
the reflector includes a reflector body and a pair of left and right flange portions, the pair of left and right flange portions being in surface contact with the mounting surface,
a pair of left and right hook portions protruding from the mounting surface are formed on the heat sink,
a pair of left and right openings are formed in the pair of left and right flange portions at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right hook portions,
the reflector is configured to slide in a required direction along the mounting surface with the pair of left and right hook portions inserted into the pair of left and right openings, and the reflector is configured to be positioned in the up-down direction relative to the heat sink by engaging peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings with the pair of left and right hook portions ,
a pair of left and right protrusions protruding from the mounting surface are formed on the heat sink,
a pair of left and right arm portions are formed at positions on the pair of left and right flange portions corresponding to the pair of left and right protrusion portions,
The reflector is characterized in that it is configured so that when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions, the pair of left and right arm portions engage with the pair of left and right protrusion portions, thereby positioning the reflector in the required direction relative to the heat sink .

There are no particular limitations on the specific configuration of the above-mentioned "support surface," such as its shape, size, or inclination angle.

The specific shape and size of the "pair of left and right openings" are not particularly limited.

There are no particular limitations on the specific shape or size of the "pair of left and right hooks" as long as they are configured to engage with the periphery of the pair of left and right openings when the reflector slides in the required direction, thereby positioning the reflector in the up-down direction.

The "pair of left and right hooks" are configured to position the reflector in the up-down direction relative to the heat sink by engaging with the periphery of the pair of left and right openings, but it is also possible to configure them to simultaneously position the reflector in the required direction.

The "required direction" is not limited to a specific direction as long as it is a direction along the mounting surface, and can be, for example, a rotational direction around an axis extending in the front-to-rear or left-to-right direction of the unit, or a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface.

In the lighting unit according to the present invention, the light-emitting element and the reflector are supported by a heat sink, and the reflector is in surface contact with the mounting surface of the heat sink at its pair of left and right flanges. The heat sink is formed with a pair of left and right hooks that protrude from the mounting surface, and the pair of left and right flanges of the reflector are formed with a pair of left and right openings at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right hooks. The reflector slides in the required direction along the mounting surface with the pair of left and right hooks inserted into the pair of left and right openings, and the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings engage with the pair of left and right hooks, thereby positioning the reflector in the vertical direction relative to the heat sink. This provides the following effects.

In other words, the reflector is supported by the heat sink in a vertically positioned state by the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings engaging with the pair of left and right hook portions of the heat sink, eliminating the risk of the reflector body being deformed by the compressive force acting on the pair of left and right flange portions when fastened with screws as in the conventional method.

In this way, according to the present invention, in a lighting unit in which a light-emitting element and a reflector are supported by a heat sink, the reflector can be supported by the heat sink without inadvertently deforming the reflector body.

In the above configuration, if the heat sink is further formed with a pair of left and right positioning pins that protrude beyond its mounting surface, and a pair of left and right long holes extending in the required direction are formed in the pair of left and right flanges of the reflector at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right positioning pins, and the reflector is configured so that the pair of left and right positioning pins are inserted into the pair of left and right long holes and the inner surfaces of the pair of left and right long holes engage with the pair of left and right positioning pins, thereby positioning the heat sink in a direction perpendicular to the required direction, the heat sink can support the reflector while positioning it in the direction perpendicular to the required direction.

In the above configuration, if the heat sink is further formed with a pair of left and right protrusions that protrude beyond its mounting surface, and a pair of left and right arm portions are formed at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right protrusions on the pair of left and right flange portions of the reflector, and the reflector is configured so that the pair of left and right arm portions engage with the pair of left and right protrusions when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions, thereby positioning the reflector in the required direction relative to the heat sink, the heat sink can support the reflector with the reflector positioned in the required direction.

The specific engagement structure when the above-mentioned "pair of left and right arm portions engage with the pair of left and right protrusions" is not particularly limited, and for example, abutment with the pair of left and right protrusions or lance engagement can be used.

In this case, if the pair of left and right arm portions are configured to extend in the required direction and bend vertically when the pair of left and right hook portions are inserted into the pair of left and right openings, and the tip surfaces of the pair of left and right arm portions are configured to be in contact with the pair of left and right protrusions when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions, the reflector can be easily assembled to the heat sink and the reflector can be positioned in the required direction relative to the heat sink.

Alternatively, the pair of left and right arm portions are configured to extend in a direction intersecting the required direction (for example, a direction perpendicular to the required direction) and to bend vertically by contacting the pair of left and right protrusions when the pair of left and right hook portions are inserted into the pair of left and right openings, and the side of the tip portion is configured to be in contact with the pair of left and right protrusions when the periphery of the pair of left and right openings is engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions. This also makes it possible to easily assemble the reflector to the heat sink and position the reflector relative to the heat sink in the required direction.

Moreover, by adopting such a configuration, it is easily possible to arrange the pair of left and right openings and the pair of left and right arm portions in a mutually overlapping positional relationship with respect to the required direction. Therefore, when the required direction is set to the front-to-rear direction of the unit, it is possible to keep the left-to-right width of the pair of left and right flange portions relatively small, which makes it easy to secure the arrangement space for the reflector.

Furthermore, if the heat sink is configured such that a pair of left and right second protrusions are formed at positions away from the pair of left and right protrusions in the required direction and protrude from the mounting surface, and the reflector is configured such that the base ends of the pair of left and right arm portions come into contact with the pair of left and right second protrusions when the peripheries of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions, thereby positioning the heat sink in the required direction, the following effects can be obtained.

In other words, as described above, when the reflector is configured such that the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions, and the pair of left and right arm portions engage with the pair of left and right protrusions, the positioning in the required direction relative to the heat sink is achieved. In order to position the reflector in both required directions, it is necessary to configure the reflector such that the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions, and the positioning is achieved not only in the up and down direction but also in the required direction.

In contrast, if the base ends of the pair of left and right arm portions come into contact with the pair of left and right second protrusions to determine positioning in the required direction relative to the heat sink, it is possible to eliminate the need for the reflector to be configured so that positioning in the required direction is determined when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings engage with the pair of left and right hook portions. This eliminates the need to strictly manage the engagement positions between the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings and the pair of left and right hook portions.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a vehicle lamp including a lamp unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the lamp unit; FIG. 1, viewed from the direction of arrow III IV arrow view of FIG. FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow V in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of the lamp unit; FIG. 4 is a diagram similar to FIG. 3, illustrating the operation of the embodiment; FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, illustrating the operation of the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a light distribution pattern formed by light emitted from the lamp unit; FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a first modification of the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a second modification of the embodiment; FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, showing a third modification of the embodiment;

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a vehicle lamp 100 equipped with a lamp unit 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Also, Figure 2 is a plan view showing the lamp unit 10.

In these figures, the direction indicated by X is the "front of the unit," the direction indicated by Y is the "left direction" (the "right direction" when viewed from the front of the unit) that is perpendicular to the "front of the unit," and the direction indicated by Z is the "upward direction." This is the same for the other figures.

The vehicle lamp 100 is a headlamp installed at the front end of the vehicle, and is configured such that the lamp unit 10 is housed in a lamp chamber formed by a lamp body 102 and a translucent cover 104 with its optical axis adjusted so that its fore-and-aft direction (i.e., the unit fore-and-aft direction) coincides with the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

The lighting unit 10 is configured with a projection lens 12, a light-emitting element 14 arranged on the rear side of the unit relative to the rear focal point F of the projection lens 12, a reflector 16 arranged to cover the light-emitting element 14 from above and reflect the light emitted from the light-emitting element 14 toward the projection lens 12, and a movable shade 18 arranged between the light-emitting element 14 and the projection lens 12.

The projection lens 12 is a plano-convex aspheric lens with a convex front surface and a flat rear surface, and has an optical axis Ax extending in the required direction. This projection lens 12 projects the light source image formed on the rear focal plane, which is a focal plane that includes the rear focal point F, as an inverted image onto a virtual vertical screen in front of the lamp.

Figure 3 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow III in Figure 1, Figure 4 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow IV in Figure 3, and Figure 5 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow V in Figure 2. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the lamp unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the light-emitting element 14 is a white light-emitting diode having a horizontally elongated rectangular light-emitting surface 14a, and is supported by the heat sink 50 via the light source holder 20 with the light-emitting surface 14a facing upward below the optical axis Ax.

The reflector 16 has a reflector body 16A with a reflective surface 16Aa that reflects the light emitted from the light-emitting element 14 toward the front of the unit, and a pair of left and right flanges 16B formed to extend flat from both sides of the lower edge of the reflector body 16A.

The reflector body 16A is disposed so as to cover the light-emitting element 14 from above, and its reflective surface 16Aa is configured as a curved surface having a substantially ellipsoidal shape with the light-emitting center of the light-emitting element 14 as its first focus. In this case, the reflective surface 16Aa is set to have an elliptical shape in which the vertical cross-sectional shape along its major axis has a second focus at a point slightly forward of the rear focus F, and the eccentricity is set so as to gradually increase from the vertical cross-section to the horizontal cross-section.

The reflector 16 is supported by the heat sink 50 at its left and right flange portions 16B.

The reflector 16 is made of a resin molded product, and the heat sink 50 is made of an aluminum die-cast molded product.

The heat sink 50 has an upper surface 50a formed as a planar rearward inclined surface that extends in a downward direction toward the rear of the unit, and in its rear region, multiple heat dissipation fins 52 are formed at equal intervals in the left-right direction and extend downward.

The upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50 is formed with a light source mounting portion 54 for supporting the light source holder 20 and a pair of reflector mounting portions 56 on the left and right for mounting the reflector 16, which protrude upward.

The light source mounting portion 54 is formed so that its upper surface extends parallel to the upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50, and the light source holder 20 is mounted on this upper surface. The light emitting element 14 supported by this light source holder 20 is arranged with its light emitting surface 14a facing diagonally upward and backward.

The light source holder 20 has a horizontally elongated rectangular shape in a plan view, and a pair of terminals 20a are disposed on the upper surface of the light source holder 20 on both the left and right sides of the light emitting element 14, and are electrically connected to the cathode and anode electrodes of the light emitting element 14, respectively.

A power supply attachment 30 is attached to the upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50 to supply power to the light-emitting element 14 (the specific configuration will be described later).

The upper surfaces of the pair of left and right reflector mounting sections 56 are configured as mounting surfaces 56a for mounting the reflector 16. The mounting surfaces 56a are formed so as to extend parallel to the upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50 above the upper surface of the light source mounting section 54.

The reflector 16 is arranged in surface contact with the pair of left and right mounting surfaces 56a at its pair of left and right flange portions 16B (the specific configuration will be described later).

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the projection lens 12 is supported by the lens holder 24 at its outer flange.

The lens holder 24 comprises a holder body 24A that supports the projection lens 12, and a pair of left and right arms 24B that extend from both the left and right sides of the holder body 24A toward the rear of the unit, and the rear ends of the pair of left and right arms 24B are supported by the heat sink 50.

The movable shade 18 is rotatably supported on the heat sink 50 via a pivot pin 26 that extends left and right below the optical axis Ax. The movable shade 18 is formed to extend diagonally upward from its front end toward the rear of the unit, and its upper edge 18a is formed to extend horizontally with a left-right step.

The movable shade 18 is driven by an actuator 28 supported by a heat sink 50 to take a light-shielding position (position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1) in which it blocks a portion of the light reflected from the reflector 16 toward the projection lens 12, and a light-shielding release position (position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) in which it rotates downward from this light-shielding position by a predetermined angle to release the light-shielding.

The actuator 28 is supported by a screw fastener on the heat sink 50 and is activated when a beam changeover switch (not shown) is operated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply attachment 30 is configured as an insert molded product in which a pair of left and right bus bar electrodes 34 for electrical conduction with the light emitting element 14 are embedded in an insulating member 32 formed to surround the light source holder 20, with each electrode partially exposed.

The insulating member 32 is a plate-shaped member having a horizontally elongated rectangular outer shape in a plan view, and a horizontally elongated rectangular opening 32a is formed at its left-right center position.

The insulating member 32 has a pair of left and right flanges 32b that protrude horizontally from both left and right sides, and each flange 32b is fixed to the upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50 by tightening screws 40.

A pair of left and right positioning pins 58 are formed on the upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50, and engagement holes 32c that engage with the pair of left and right positioning pins 58 are formed in the pair of left and right flange portions 32b of the insulating member 32. One of the pair of left and right engagement holes 32c is formed in a circular shape, and the other is formed in a horizontally oval shape.

The pair of left and right busbar electrodes 34 have two pairs of left and right terminal pieces 34a that protrude into the opening 32a, and are electrically connected to the light-emitting diode 50 by abutting against a pair of left and right terminal portions 20a of the light source holder 20.

The pair of left and right busbar electrodes 34 also have two pairs of front and rear pressing pieces 34b that protrude into the opening 32a, and are configured to abut against the upper surface of the light source holder 20 so that the light-emitting diode 50 does not float from the heat sink 50 due to vibration or the like. At this time, each terminal piece 34a and each pressing piece 34b is configured as an elastic piece that elastically presses the light source holder 20 from above.

The insulating member 32 has a connector portion 32d that protrudes from its rear toward the rear of the unit. This connector portion 32d is formed so as to protrude downward at the center position (i.e., the position directly below the optical axis Ax) of the two fastening positions of the insulating member 32 and the heat sink 50 at the left and right, and opens toward the rear of the unit, and the terminal pins 34c of the pair of left and right bus bar electrodes 34 protrude toward the rear of the unit into its internal space. A connector (not shown) for the power supply wiring is inserted into the internal space of the connector portion 32d, thereby electrically connecting the power supply attachment 30 and the power supply wiring.

The heat sink 50 is formed so that its rear end is positioned at approximately the same position as the rear edge of the connector portion 32d. In addition, a recess 50b is formed on the upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50, the recess 50b having a shape that matches the shape of the lower end of the connector portion 32d.

Next, we will explain the specific support structure of the reflector 16 relative to the heat sink 50.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, a pair of left and right reflector mounting portions 56 on the heat sink 50 are formed with a pair of left and right hook portions 60 that protrude in an L-shape from the mounting surface 56a.

Each hook portion 60 has a vertical wall portion 60A that extends upward from the mounting surface 56a, and a visor portion 60B that extends from the upper end position of the vertical wall portion 60A toward the rear of the unit.

The vertical wall portion 60A of each hook portion is formed in a horizontally elongated rectangular shape in a plan view, and is formed in a tapered shape in a side view. Specifically, the front surface of the vertical wall portion 60A is formed so as to extend at an angle toward the rear of the unit in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 56a, and the rear surface is formed so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 56a.

The eaves portion 60B of each hook portion is formed in a slightly horizontally elongated rectangular shape in a plan view, and is formed so as to extend parallel to the mounting surface 56a. In this case, the lower surface 60Ba of the eaves portion 60B is formed in such a way that the part located in the left-right center is slightly displaced downward relative to the parts located on both the left and right sides.

On the other hand, a pair of left and right openings 16Ba are formed in the pair of left and right flanges 16B of the reflector 16 at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right hooks 60. Each opening 16Ba is formed in a rectangular shape close to a square in a plan view, and its size is set to be slightly larger than each hook 60.

The reflector 16 is placed on the mounting surface 56a with the pair of left and right hook portions 60 inserted into the pair of left and right openings 16Ba, and slides along the mounting surface 56a in the required direction, which is the front-to-rear direction of the unit (specifically, the front of the unit), so that the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 16Ba engage with the pair of left and right hook portions 60, thereby positioning the reflector in the up-down direction relative to the heat sink 50.

Specifically, the reflector 16 is positioned in the vertical direction by sandwiching the pair of left and right flanges 16B between the mounting surface 56a of the heat sink 50 and the underside 60Ba of the eaves portion 60B of the hook portion 60 at the peripheral portion of the opening 16Ba that is located toward the rear of the unit.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the reflector 16 slides toward the front of the unit, the rear surfaces of the vertical wall portions 60A of the pair of left and right hook portions 60 come into contact with the rear end surfaces of the pair of left and right openings 16Ba, thereby positioning the reflector 16 in the front-to-rear direction of the unit (specifically, positioning it toward the front of the unit).

A pair of left and right positioning pins 62 protruding from the mounting surface 56a are formed at a position on the heat sink 50 away from the pair of left and right hook portions 60 toward the front of the unit.

On the other hand, a pair of left and right long holes 16Bb are formed in the left and right flange portions 16B of the reflector 16 at positions corresponding to the left and right positioning pins 62, and extend in the front-rear direction of the unit.

In this case, each positioning pin 62 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a tapered tip. On the other hand, each long hole 16Bb is formed in an elliptical opening shape whose left-right width is slightly larger than the diameter of each positioning pin 62.

The reflector 16 is configured so that the pair of left and right positioning pins 62 are inserted into the pair of left and right long holes 16Bb, and the inner surfaces of the pair of left and right long holes 16Bb engage with the pair of left and right positioning pins 62, thereby positioning the reflector 16 in the left and right direction relative to the heat sink 50.

The reflector mounting portion 56 has a rear region where the hook portion 60 is formed, which is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view and is slightly larger than the hook portion 60, and a front region where the positioning pin 62 is formed, which is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view and is larger than the positioning pin 62, and an intermediate region connecting the rear region and the front region is formed in a band shape in a plan view.

In addition, a rectangular cavity 50c is formed in the reflector mounting portion 56 to facilitate molding of the hook portion 60. This cavity 50c is formed over the range from the rear surface position of the vertical wall portion 60A to the rear end position of the reflector mounting portion 56.

A pair of left and right protrusions 64 protruding from the upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50 are formed on the left and right sides of the pair of left and right hook portions 60 of the heat sink 50. Each protrusion 64 is formed to extend like a tab with a horizontally elongated rectangular cross section to a position above the mounting surface 56a (specifically, to a position slightly above the lower surface 60Ba of the eaves portion 60B).

On the other hand, a pair of left and right arm portions 16Bc extending in the front-rear direction of the unit are formed on the pair of left and right flange portions 16B of the reflector 16 at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right protrusion portions 64.

The pair of left and right arm portions 16Bc are formed so as to extend in a strip shape toward the rear of the unit at both side ends of the flange portion 16B, and engage with the pair of left and right protrusions 64 to position the reflector 16 in the front-to-rear direction of the unit (specifically, toward the rear of the unit).

Specifically, the pair of left and right arm portions 16Bc are configured to bend upwards by contacting the pair of left and right protrusions 64 when the pair of left and right hook portions 60 are inserted into the pair of left and right openings 16Ba, and when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 16Ba in the pair of left and right flange portions 16B are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions 60, the tip surfaces 16Bc1 are configured to be in contact with the pair of left and right protrusions 64.

As shown in Figures 3 to 6, the reflector 16 has a rear end flange 16C that extends flat from the rear of the lower edge of the reflector body 16A. This rear end flange 16C is formed continuously with a pair of left and right flanges 16B, and a pair of left and right positioning protrusions 16Ca that protrude downward are formed at the rear end.

When the reflector 16 is supported by the heat sink 50 at its pair of left and right flanges 16B, the lower end faces of the pair of left and right positioning protrusions 16Ca of the rear end flange 16C abut against the upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50 on both the left and right sides of the recess 50b, thereby ensuring sufficient positioning accuracy of the reflector 16 in the vertical direction.

Next, the process of assembling the reflector 16 to the heat sink 50 will be described.

Figures 7 and 8 are similar to Figures 3 and 5 and show this assembly process.

First, as shown in FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 8(a1), the reflector 16 is placed on the heat sink 50 from above.

Specifically, the pair of left and right hook portions 60 of the heat sink 50 are inserted into the openings 16Ba of the pair of left and right flange portions 16B of the reflector 16, and the pair of left and right positioning pins 62 of the heat sink 50 are inserted into the pair of left and right long holes 16Bb. The pair of left and right flange portions 16B are then placed on the pair of left and right reflector mounting portions 56 of the heat sink 50, and the lower surfaces of the flange portions 16B are brought into surface contact with the respective mounting surfaces 56a. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8(a2), the pair of left and right arm portions 16Bc come into contact with the pair of left and right protrusions 64 and are bent upward.

Then, as shown in Figures 7(b) and 8(b), the reflector 16 with the pair of left and right flanges 16B placed on the pair of left and right reflector mounting sections 56 is slid toward the front of the unit while the pair of left and right arm sections 16Bc are kept bent upward. As a result, the peripheral portion of the opening 16Ba of the pair of left and right flange sections 16B is sandwiched between the mounting surface 56a and the lower surface 60Ba of the visor section 60B of the hook section 60, and the reflector 16 is positioned in the vertical direction.

As shown in Figures 7(c) and 8(c), when the reflector 16 slides forward, the rear surfaces of the vertical wall portions 60A of the pair of left and right hook portions 60 come into contact with the rear end surfaces of the pair of left and right openings 16Ba, the deflection of the pair of left and right arm portions 16Bc caused by contact with the pair of left and right protrusions 64 is released, and the tip surfaces 16Bc1 come into contact with the pair of left and right protrusions 64. This positions the reflector 16 in both the fore-and-aft directions of the unit (i.e., the front of the unit and the rear of the unit).

At this time, the reflector 16 is also positioned in the left-right direction because the pair of left-right positioning pins 62 inserted into the pair of left-right long holes 16Bb are engaged with the inner surfaces of the pair of left-right long holes 16Bb.

Figure 9 is a perspective view showing the light distribution pattern formed on a virtual vertical screen located 25 m in front of the vehicle lamp 10 by the light irradiated forward from the lamp, where (a) shows the low beam light distribution pattern PL and (b) shows the high beam light distribution pattern PH.

The low beam light distribution pattern PL is formed when the movable shade 18 is in the light blocking position, while the high beam light distribution pattern PH is formed when the movable shade 18 is in the light unblocking position.

The low beam light distribution pattern PL shown in FIG. 9(a) is a low beam light distribution pattern with left light distribution, and has cutoff lines CL1 and CL2 at the upper edge that are staggered on the left and right. These cutoff lines CL1 and CL2 extend horizontally with left and right steps, with the V-V line that passes vertically through H-V, which is the vanishing point in front of the lamp, as the boundary, and the portion on the oncoming lane side to the right of the V-V line is formed as a lower cutoff line CL1, while the portion on the own lane side to the left of the V-V line is formed as an upper cutoff line CL2 that is stepped up from the lower cutoff line CL1 via an inclined portion.

This low beam light distribution pattern PL is formed by projecting the light source image of the light emitting element 14 formed on the rear focal plane of the projection lens 12 by the light from the light emitting element 14 reflected by the reflector 16 onto the virtual vertical screen as an inverted projection image by the projection lens 12, and the cutoff lines CL1 and CL2 are formed as inverted projection images of the upper edge 18a of the movable shade 18.

In this low beam light distribution pattern PL, elbow point E, which is the intersection point between the lower cutoff line CL1 and the V-V line, is located approximately 0.5 to 0.6° below H-V, and a high luminous intensity region HZL is formed surrounding this elbow point E.

On the other hand, the high beam light distribution pattern PH shown in FIG. 9(b) is formed so that it extends upward beyond the cutoff lines CL1 and CL2 of the low beam light distribution pattern PL, since the movable shade 18 is no longer blocking the reflected light from the reflector 16, and at that time, a high luminous intensity region HZH is formed centered on H-V.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

In the lamp unit 10 according to this embodiment, the light emitting element 14 and the reflector 16 are supported by the heat sink 50. At this time, the reflector 16 is in surface contact with the pair of left and right mounting surfaces 56a (i.e., the upper surfaces of the reflector mounting portions 56) of the heat sink 50 at the pair of left and right flange portions 16B. The heat sink 50 is formed with a pair of left and right hook portions 60 protruding from the mounting surfaces 56a. In addition, the pair of left and right flange portions 16B of the reflector 16 are paired with the pair of left and right hook portions 60. A pair of left and right openings 16Ba are formed at corresponding positions, and the reflector 16 slides along the mounting surface 56a in the required direction, which is the front-to-rear direction of the unit (specifically, the front of the unit), with the pair of left and right hook portions 60 inserted into the pair of left and right openings 16Ba, and the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 16Ba engage with the pair of left and right hook portions 60, thereby positioning the reflector 16 in the up-down direction relative to the heat sink 50, thereby achieving the following effects:

In other words, the reflector 16 is supported by the heat sink 50 in a vertically positioned state by the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 16Ba engaging with the pair of left and right hook portions 60 on the heat sink 50, eliminating the risk of the reflector body 16A being deformed by the compressive force acting on the pair of left and right flange portions 16B when fastened with screws as in the conventional case.

In this manner, according to this embodiment, in a lamp unit 10 in which the light emitting element 14 and the reflector 16 are supported by a heat sink 50, the reflector 16 can be supported by the heat sink 50 without inadvertently deforming the reflector body 16A.

This eliminates the risk that the shapes of the low beam light distribution pattern PL and the high beam light distribution pattern PH formed by the light reflected from the reflecting surface 16Aa of the reflector body 16A will be distorted from their original shapes.

In addition, the eaves portion 60B of each hook portion formed on the reflector 16 is formed in such a way that the portion located in the left-right center of the underside 60Ba is slightly displaced downward relative to the portions located on either side of it. This reduces the contact resistance between the flange portion 16B and the underside 60Ba of the eaves portion 60B when the reflector 16 slides forward of the unit, making it easier to assemble the reflector 16.

In addition, in this embodiment, a pair of left and right positioning pins 62 that protrude upward are formed on the pair of left and right mounting surfaces 56a of the heat sink 50, and a pair of left and right long holes 16Bb that extend in the front-rear direction of the unit are formed at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right positioning pins 62 in the pair of left and right flange portions 16B of the reflector 16.The reflector 16 is positioned in the left-right direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the required direction) relative to the heat sink 50 when the pair of left and right positioning pins 62 are inserted into the pair of left and right long holes 16Bb and the inner surfaces of the pair of left and right long holes 16Bb engage with the pair of left and right positioning pins 62.This means that the support of the reflector 16 by the heat sink 50 can be performed with the reflector 16 positioned in the left-right direction as well.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pair of left and right protrusions 64 that protrude above the mounting surface 56a are formed on the upper surface 50a of the heat sink 50, and a pair of left and right arms 16Bc are formed at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right protrusions 64 on the pair of left and right flanges 16B of the reflector 16. The reflector 16 is positioned toward the rear of the unit relative to the heat sink 50 by the pair of left and right arms 16Bc engaging with the pair of left and right protrusions 64 when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 16Ba are engaged with the pair of left and right hooks 60. Therefore, the reflector 16 can be supported by the heat sink 50 with the reflector 16 positioned in both the front and rear directions of the unit.

In this embodiment, the pair of left and right arm portions 16Bc are formed to extend in the front-rear direction of the unit, and are configured to bend upward by contacting the pair of left and right protrusions 64 when the pair of left and right hook portions 60 are inserted into the pair of left and right openings 16Ba. Furthermore, when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 16Ba are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions 60, the tip surfaces 16Bc1 of the pair of left and right arm portions 16Bc are configured to be in contact with the pair of left and right protrusions 64. This makes it possible to easily assemble the reflector 16 to the heat sink 50, and to position the reflector 16 toward the rear of the unit.

In the above embodiment, the reflector 16 is positioned toward the rear of the unit when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 16Ba are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions 60 and the tip surfaces 16Bc1 of the pair of left and right arm portions 16Bc come into contact with the pair of left and right protrusions 64. However, it is also possible to position the reflector 16 toward the rear of the unit by lance engagement with the pair of left and right protrusions 64.

In the above embodiment, the front-to-rear direction of the unit is described as being set as the required direction, but it is also possible to set a direction other than this as the required direction.

In the above embodiment, the lighting unit 10 is a projector-type lighting unit equipped with a reflector 16, but the configuration of the above embodiment can also be used in a parabolic lighting unit, etc.

Next, we will explain a variation of the above embodiment.

First, we will explain the first variation of the above embodiment.

Figure 10 is a diagram similar to Figure 3, showing the main parts of the lamp unit according to this modified example.

As shown in FIG. 10, the basic configuration of this modified example is the same as that of the above embodiment, but the configuration of the pair of left and right flange portions 116B of the reflector 116 in this modified example is partially different from that of the above embodiment.

That is, the reflector 116 of this modified example also has an opening 116Ba and a long hole 116Bb formed in the pair of left and right flanges 116B, but the shape of the opening is partially different from that of the above embodiment.

Specifically, the opening 116Ba in this modified example has a rectangular opening shape similar to the opening 16Ba in the above embodiment, but the rear end face is formed in a state displaced toward the rear of the unit compared to the above embodiment.

The long hole 116Bb in this modified example has an oval opening shape that extends in the front-to-rear direction of the unit, similar to the long hole 16Bb in the above embodiment, but the rear end face is formed in a state where it is displaced toward the front of the unit compared to the above embodiment.

In this modified example, when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 116Ba are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions 60, the tip surfaces 116Bc1 of the pair of left and right arm portions 116Bc abut against the pair of left and right protrusions 64, and the rear end surfaces of the pair of left and right long holes 116Bb abut against the pair of left and right positioning pins 62, thereby positioning the reflector 116 in both the front and rear directions of the unit. At this time, a gap is formed between the rear end surfaces of the pair of left and right openings 116Ba and the rear surfaces of the vertical wall portions 60A of the pair of left and right hook portions 60.

Even when the configuration of this modified example is adopted, substantially the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be obtained.

In addition, by adopting the configuration of this modified example, it is possible to eliminate the need for a configuration in which the reflector 116 is positioned toward the front of the unit by the engagement of the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 116Ba with the pair of left and right hook portions 60. This eliminates the need to strictly manage the engagement positions between the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 116Ba and the pair of left and right hook portions 60.

Next, we will explain the second variation of the above embodiment.

Figure 11 is a diagram similar to Figure 3, showing the main parts of the lamp unit according to this modified example.

As shown in FIG. 11, the basic configuration of this modified example is the same as that of the above embodiment, but the configuration of the pair of left and right flange portions 216B of the reflector 216 and the heat sink 250 in this modified example are partially different from those in the above embodiment.

That is, the reflector 216 of this modified example also has openings 216Ba formed in the pair of left and right flanges 216B, but the shape of the openings is partially different from that of the above embodiment.

Specifically, the opening 216Ba of this modified example is formed with its rear end face displaced toward the front of the unit compared to the above embodiment, similar to the opening 116Ba of the first modified example. Note that the opening shape of the long holes 216Bb formed in the pair of left and right flanges 216B is the same as in the above embodiment.

The basic configuration of the heat sink 250 of this modified example is the same as that of the above embodiment, but differs from the above embodiment in that a pair of left and right second protrusions 270 are additionally formed at positions away from the pair of left and right protrusions 264 on the upper surface 250a toward the front of the unit. In this case, each second protrusion 270 is formed to protrude above the mounting surface 256a of the reflector mounting portion 256.

The distance between the pair of left and right protrusions 264 and the pair of left and right second protrusions 270 is set to a value that is approximately the same as (specifically, slightly larger than) the front-to-rear length of the pair of left and right arm portions 216Bc in the pair of left and right flange portions 216B.

In this modified example, when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 216Ba in the reflector 216 are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions 260, the tip surfaces 216Bc1 of the pair of left and right arm portions 216Bc abut against the pair of left and right protrusions 264, thereby positioning the reflector 216 toward the rear side of the unit, and the front end surfaces 216Bc2 of the base ends of the pair of left and right arm portions 216Bc abut against the pair of left and right second protrusions 270, thereby positioning the reflector 216 toward the front side of the unit.

Even when the configuration of this modified example is adopted, substantially the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be obtained.

In addition, by adopting the configuration of this modified example, it is possible to eliminate the need for a configuration in which the unit is positioned toward the front when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 216Ba engage with the pair of left and right hook portions 260. This also eliminates the need to strictly manage the engagement positions between the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 216Ba and the pair of left and right hook portions 260.

Next, we will explain the third variation of the above embodiment.

Figure 12 is a diagram similar to Figure 7, showing the main parts of the lamp unit according to this modified example.

As shown in FIG. 12, the basic configuration of this modified example is the same as that of the above embodiment, but the arrangement of the pair of left and right arm portions 316Bc formed on the pair of left and right flange portions 316B of the reflector 316 in this modified example is different from that of the above embodiment, and therefore the configuration of the heat sink 350 is also partially different from that of the above embodiment.

That is, the reflector 316 of this modified example also has a pair of left and right arm portions 316Bc formed on the pair of left and right flange portions 316B, but differs from the above embodiment in that the pair of left and right arm portions 316Bc are formed so as to extend in a strip shape in both the left and right directions on the rear side of the unit of the pair of left and right openings 316Ba.

The arrangement and shape of the pair of left and right openings 316Ba and long holes 316Bb are the same as in the above embodiment.

In this modified example, the configuration of the pair of left and right reflector mounting portions 356, hook portion 360, and positioning pin 362 formed on the upper surface 350a of the heat sink 350 is the same as in the above embodiment, but the arrangement of the pair of left and right protrusions 364 protruding from the upper surface 350a is different from that in the above embodiment.

In other words, the pair of left and right protrusions 364 are disposed on the rear side of the unit of the pair of left and right hook portions 360. In this case, each protrusion 364 is formed so as to extend in the shape of a tab with a rectangular horizontal cross section that is long in the front-rear direction to a position above the mounting surface 356a.

The reflector 316 is configured so that, when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 316Ba are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions 360, the side surfaces of the tips of the pair of left and right arm portions 316Bc on the rear side of the unit come into contact with the pair of left and right protrusion portions 364, thereby positioning the reflector 316 toward the rear side of the unit.

The heat sink 350 of this modified example is formed so that its left and right end faces are located near the left and right sides of the pair of left and right reflector mounting portions 356.

Even when the configuration of this modified example is adopted, substantially the same effects as those of the above embodiment can be obtained.

That is, even in this modified example, when the pair of left and right hook portions 360 are inserted into the pair of left and right openings 316Ba, the pair of left and right arm portions 316Bc abut against the pair of left and right protrusions 364 and bend upward, and in a state in which the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings 316Ba are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions 360, the side surfaces on the rear side of the unit at the tips of the pair of left and right arm portions 316Bc abut against the pair of left and right protrusions 364. This makes it possible to easily assemble the reflector 316 to the heat sink 350, and to position the reflector 316 on the rear side of the unit relative to the heat sink 350.

Moreover, by adopting the configuration of this modified example, the pair of left and right openings 316Ba and the pair of left and right arm portions 316Bc can be positioned so that they overlap with each other in the front-to-rear direction of the unit, which allows the left-to-right width of the pair of left and right flange portions 316B to be kept relatively small, making it possible to easily secure space for arranging the reflector 316.

The numerical values shown as the specifications in the above embodiment and its modified examples are merely examples, and it goes without saying that these may be set to different values as appropriate.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiment and its modified examples, and various other modified configurations can be adopted.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Lighting unit 12 Projection lens 14 Light-emitting element 14a Light-emitting surface 16, 116, 216, 316 Reflector 16A Reflector body 16Aa Reflecting surface 16B, 116B, 216B, 316B Flange portion 16Ba, 116Ba, 216Ba, 316Ba Opening 16Bb, 116Bb, 216Bb, 316Bb Long hole 16Bc, 116Bc, 216Bc, 316Bc Arm portion 16Bc1, 116Bc1, 216Bc1 Tip surface 16C Rear end flange portion 16Ca Positioning protrusion 18 Movable shade 18a Upper edge 20 Light source holder 20a Terminal portion 24 Lens holder 24A Holder body Description of the Reference Signs 24B Arm portion 26 Pivot pin 28 Actuator 30 Power supply attachment 32 Insulating member 32a Opening 32b Flange portion 32c Engagement hole 32d Connector portion 34 Bus bar electrode 34a Terminal piece 34b Pressing piece 34c Terminal pin 40 Screw 50, 250, 350 Heat sink 50a, 250a, 350a Upper surface 50b Recess 50c Cavity 52 Heat dissipation fin 54 Light source mounting portion 56, 256, 356 Reflector mounting portion 56a, 256a Mounting surface 58 Positioning pin 60, 260, 360 Hook portion 60A Vertical wall portion 60B Eaves portion 60Ba Lower surface 62, 362 Positioning pin 64, 264, 364 protrusion 100 vehicle lamp 102 lamp body 104 light-transmitting cover 216Bc2 front end surface 270 second protrusion Ax optical axis CL1 lower cutoff line CL2 upper cutoff line E elbow point F rear focal point HZH, HZL high luminous intensity region PH light distribution pattern for high beam PL light distribution pattern for low beam

Claims (5)

A lamp unit including a light-emitting element, a reflector that reflects light emitted from the light-emitting element toward a front of the unit, and a heat sink that supports the light-emitting element and the reflector,
the heat sink is formed with a mounting surface for mounting the reflector thereon,
the reflector includes a reflector body and a pair of left and right flange portions, the pair of left and right flange portions being in surface contact with the mounting surface,
a pair of left and right hook portions protruding from the mounting surface are formed on the heat sink,
a pair of left and right openings are formed in the pair of left and right flange portions at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right hook portions,
the reflector is configured to slide in a required direction along the mounting surface with the pair of left and right hook portions inserted into the pair of left and right openings, and the reflector is configured to be positioned in the up-down direction relative to the heat sink by engaging peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings with the pair of left and right hook portions,
a pair of left and right protrusions protruding from the mounting surface are formed on the heat sink,
a pair of left and right arm portions are formed at positions on the pair of left and right flange portions corresponding to the pair of left and right protrusion portions,
The lamp unit is characterized in that the reflector is configured to be positioned in the required direction relative to the heat sink by the pair of left and right arm portions engaging with the pair of left and right protrusion portions when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions. a pair of left and right positioning pins protruding beyond the mounting surface are formed on the heat sink,
a pair of left and right elongated holes extending in the required direction are formed in the pair of left and right flange portions at positions corresponding to the pair of left and right positioning pins,
2. The lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the reflector is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the required direction relative to the heat sink by inserting the pair of left and right positioning pins into the pair of left and right long holes and engaging the inner surfaces of the pair of left and right positioning pins with the pair of left and right long holes. The pair of left and right arm portions are formed to extend in the required direction,
The lamp unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pair of left and right arm portions are configured to abut against the pair of left and right protrusion portions and bend in the vertical direction when the pair of left and right hook portions are inserted into the pair of left and right openings, and that the tip surfaces are configured to abut against the pair of left and right protrusion portions when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions. The pair of left and right arm portions are formed to extend in a direction intersecting the required direction,
The lamp unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pair of left and right arm portions are configured to abut against the pair of left and right protrusions and bend in the vertical direction when the pair of left and right hook portions are inserted into the pair of left and right openings, and that the side surfaces of the tip portions are configured to abut against the pair of left and right protrusions when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions. a pair of left and right second protrusions protruding from the mounting surface are formed at positions spaced apart from the pair of left and right protrusions in the required direction on the heat sink,
The lamp unit of any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the reflector is configured to be positioned in the required direction relative to the heat sink by the base ends of the pair of left and right arm portions abutting the pair of left and right second protrusion portions when the peripheral portions of the pair of left and right openings are engaged with the pair of left and right hook portions.

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