AT521977A4 - VEHICLE LIGHT - Google Patents

Abstract

Vehicle lamp with a housing (3) and a plurality of LEDs (1) (light emitting diodes) arranged in the housing (3), the LEDs (1) being controllable individually or in LED groups to implement at least one lamp function, and one LEDs (1) assigned to the lighting function are each connected to a power connection of the housing (3) via a resistance circuit arranged within the housing (3) and simulating the power consumption of incandescent lamps. According to the invention, the resistance circuit comprises at least one resistance board (5) which, as an electrically insulating carrier plate (6) with at least one on the carrier plate (6) and between two electrical connections (8a, 8b) of the carrier plate (6), consumes the power of light-emitting conductor track (7) is executed. With the vehicle lamp according to the invention, the risk of thermal damage can be minimized and a compact and inexpensive construction can be realized.

Description

The invention relates to a vehicle lamp with a housing and a plurality of LEDs arranged in the housing (light-emitting diodes), the LEDs being controllable individually or in LED groups for realizing at least one lamp function, and the LEDs assigned to a lamp function each via an inside the Arranged housing and simulating the power consumption of incandescent lamps with a power connection of the housing

are connected, according to the preamble of claim 1.

Vehicle lights, in particular rear lights, are used not only for lighting, but also to display the driving or operating states of the vehicle. For this purpose, a vehicle lamp usually combines different lamp functions in the form of permanent lights such as a taillight or brake light, or in the form of flashing lights to indicate changes in direction of travel or as hazard warning lights. The vehicle lamp is connected to the vehicle control system via a power connection, and it also receives the activation and deactivation pulses for the desired lamp function from the vehicle control system via the power connection.

For a long time, only incandescent lamps were used as illuminants, which are arranged within a housing of the vehicle lamp and are controlled by the vehicle controller. When the flashing light is activated, for example, a light bulb is alternately switched on and off by the vehicle control system. Failure controls of different types are also known for checking the functionality of the different luminaire functions, the power consumption of one or more illuminants being mostly measured during their activation. If no or too little power consumption is detected during the activation of the lamps, the vehicle control system assumes that the lamps are defective, which is indicated to the driver by means of acoustic and / or optical signals

is shown.

With the development of inexpensive, low-consumption and robust LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes), LEDs have also become popular

further episode undetected.

Therefore, the use of resistance circuits has been proposed which simulate a conventional light bulb load with a power consumption of 21W at the power connection of the vehicle lamp for vehicle control. A possible embodiment of such a resistance circuit was described, for example, in the applicant's AT 16.073 U, the resistance circuit comprising load resistors which can be connected or disconnected from the power connection of the vehicle lamp by a power MOSFET. This power MOSFET is controlled by a pin of a processor, whereby during normal operation of the vehicle lamp, the load resistors of the resistance circuit are connected to the power connection, so that the vehicle lamp causes a power consumption of 21W and can therefore be exchanged for a conventional vehicle lamp without false error messages to generate the failure control of the vehicle control. To check the failure, the current applied to an LED or LED group is connected to the

Turn on the first LED or LED group measured, and at

generated.

However, the load resistors used for the resistance circuit are problematic in practical use. They are strongly heated by the power consumption and represent local heat sources that cover the entire interior of the housing

heat and lead to thermal damage. Of

Load resistors comparatively large and expensive components.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a vehicle lamp with LEDs and a resistance circuit simulating the power consumption of incandescent lamps, in which the risk of thermal damage is minimized and a compact and inexpensive construction is achieved

can be.

These goals are achieved by the features of claim 1. Claim 1 relates to a vehicle lamp with a housing and a plurality of LEDs arranged in the housing (light-emitting diodes), the LEDs being controllable individually or in LED groups for realizing at least one lamp function, and the LEDs assigned to a lamp function each via one arranged within the housing and simulating the power consumption of incandescent resistance circuit are connected to a power connection of the housing. According to the invention, it is proposed that the resistance circuit comprises at least one resistance circuit board, which is designed as an electrically insulating carrier plate with at least one conductor track arranged on the carrier plate and simulating the power consumption of incandescent lamps between two electrical connections of the carrier plate. The electrically insulating carrier plate can be FR-4, for example, which is also used in printed circuit boards (PCBs, printed circuit boards). The conductor tracks are designed, for example, as copper conductor tracks, which can be applied to the carrier plates using common methods and are selected in length so that their time-average power consumption corresponds to the time-average power consumption required for simulating light bulbs, as will be explained in more detail below. The resistance boards manufactured in this way can be produced at significantly lower costs than conventional load resistors. However, they also show the advantage that the heat generated is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the

Carrier plate can be distributed, so that local

The interior of the housing can thus be greatly reduced. The resistor circuit designed according to the invention with the aid of the resistor boards also has the advantage that the conductor tracks made of an electrically conductive material, such as copper or silver, exhibit a PTC resistance behavior, that is to say they have a resistance that increases with increasing temperature. This resistance behavior corresponds to the resistance behavior of the filament used in incandescent lamps, so that the conductor tracks of the resistor boards used according to the invention emulate the resistance behavior of incandescent lamps in contrast to conventionally used load resistors, which generally have NTC resistance behavior. The conductor tracks thus also simulate the time and temperature-dependent power consumption of incandescent lamps better than conventional ones

used resistor circuits.

In order to achieve the power consumption required for simulating incandescent lamps, the conductor tracks must be made correspondingly long. For this purpose, it is preferably proposed that the conductor track on the electrically insulating carrier plate runs between the two electrical connections of this carrier plate in a meandering manner over the surface of this carrier plate. A possible arrangement provides, for example, that the carrier plate is rectangular and a first electrical connection is arranged in a first corner region of the printed circuit board, and a second electrical connection in a second corner region, the conductor track starting at least in sections in a sequence starting from the first electrical connection parallel and spaced from one another in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the carrier plate, side-parallel track sections leads to the second electrical connection, two adjacent, side-parallel track sections being connected via a reversing section of the conductor track arranged in an edge region of the carrier plate, in which the conductor track changes its direction of travel by 180 °. “Side parallel” is understood here to mean that

the conductor track parallel to a longitudinal or transverse side of the

Place luminaire housings well.

Furthermore, it is proposed that two conductor tracks for two resistance circuits of two LEDs or LED groups, which are assigned to two different luminaire functions, be arranged on at least one resistance board. In this way, the number of resistance boards required can be halved, so that particularly compact structural designs are possible. The heat absorption capacity of the carrier plate is in no way exceeded, especially since it can be provided that the conductor tracks of the resistor circuits of two LEDs or LED groups are arranged on the same resistor board

different switch-on times and / or operating time

activated at the same time.

If two conductor tracks are to be arranged on the same resistance board, it is preferably proposed that the carrier plate is rectangular and a first electrical connection of a first conductor track is arranged in a first corner region of the carrier plate, a second electrical connection of the first conductor track in a second corner region first electrical connection of a second conductor track in a third corner area of the carrier plate, and a second electrical connection of the second conductor track in a fourth corner area, the first conductor track and the second conductor track meandering over the electrically insulating carrier plate between the respectively assigned electrical connections of this carrier plate the surface of this carrier plate is distributed. In this way, in turn, the entire surface for each conductor track

the carrier plate can be used to dissipate the heat.

The carrier plates used according to the invention can be accommodated in a generally cuboid-shaped luminaire housing. A structurally particularly compact design can be achieved, for example, by providing at least two resistance boards that are parallel within the housing

are arranged to each other and spaced apart.

A specific structural design of a vehicle lamp according to the invention also provides that the LEDs are arranged on a lamp board, the LEDs facing a light exit side of the housing and the at least one resistor board on the side of the lamp board facing away from the light exit side

is arranged parallel to the lamp board.

Furthermore, it is proposed that the electrical connections of the at least one resistor board be perpendicular to the resistor board and the lamp board

arranged contact pins as a spacer with the

represent.

The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with the aid of the accompanying figures

explained. It shows the

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a possible structure

a vehicle lamp according to the invention, and Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a resistor board.

First, reference is made to FIG. 1, which shows a schematic representation of a possible construction of a vehicle lamp according to the invention. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the LEDs 1 are arranged on a lamp board 2, which also has the other components (not shown in FIG. 1) for controlling the LEDs 1. Possible embodiments of the lamp board 2 and its LEDs 1 are well known. The lamp board 2 is arranged inside a housing 3 of the vehicle lamp, the LEDs 1 facing a light exit side 3a of the housing 3. The light exit side 3a of the housing 3 is designed as a transparent lens, usually between the light exit side 3a of the housing 3 and the

Luminaire board 2 also an optical device 4 for

emitted light is provided.

The vehicle lamp can be connected to the vehicle control system via a power connection (not shown in FIG. 1), and it also uses the power connection to activate and deactivate pulses for individual LEDs 1 or groups of LEDs 1 to implement different lamp functions, such as parking lights, low beam, high beam, Taillight, direction indicator or hazard warning light from the

Vehicle control receives.

The vehicle lamp is also equipped with a resistance circuit that simulates a conventional light bulb load with a power consumption of 21W at the power connection. This resistance circuit can be designed such that it can be switched on or off by a power MOSFET to the power connection of the vehicle lamp. During normal operation of the vehicle lamp, the resistance circuit is connected to the power connection, so that the vehicle lamp causes a power consumption of 21W and can therefore be exchanged for a conventional light bulb vehicle lamp without false error messages from

Generate failure control of the vehicle control.

As a replacement for the load resistors usually used for the resistance circuit, resistance boards 5 are used for the resistance circuit in the context of the present invention, each of which is designed as an electrically insulating carrier plate 6 with at least one conductor track 7 arranged on the carrier plate 6 and simulating the power consumption of incandescent lamps. In the exemplary embodiment shown, two resistance boards 5.1, 5.2 are used, each of which has two conductor tracks 7.1, 7.2. Each of these four conductor tracks 7 is assigned to an LED 1 or a group of LEDs 1, which each implement different luminaire functions. Thus, the vehicle lamp according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 is suitable for realizing four different lamp functions. Of course it can

if necessary, only one resistance board 5 with one

or two conductor tracks 7 can be provided, or more than two resistance boards 5, each with one or two |

Conductor tracks 7. |

The electrically insulating carrier plate 6 can be FR-4, for example, which is also used in printed circuit boards (PCBs, printed circuit boards). The conductor tracks 7 are designed, for example, as copper conductor tracks, which are applied to the carrier plates 6 using standard methods

can be chosen and their length so that their

Power consumption for simulating light bulbs

corresponds to the required power consumption. The so

manufactured resistance boards 5 are compared to

conventionally used load resistors too essential

lower costs feasible. But they also show that

Advantage that the heat is evenly distributed on the

entire surface of the support plate 6 are distributed distributed

can, so that local temperature peaks are avoided and a

thermal stress on the interior of the housing is thus greatly reduced

can be. The resistor boards 5 shown have

also about the advantage that the one electrically

conductive material executed conductor tracks 7 like

for example copper or silver a PTC resistance behavior

show, i.e. an increasing with increasing temperature

Exhibit resistance. This resistance behavior corresponds

the resistance behavior of that used in incandescent lamps

Filament, so that the conductor tracks 7 of the invention

used resistance boards 5 the resistance behavior of

Incandescent lamps as opposed to those used conventionally

Load resistors with generally NTC resistance behavior are good

simulate.

In order to achieve the power consumption required for simulating incandescent lamps, the two conductor tracks 7.1, 7.2 must be made correspondingly long. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the conductor tracks 7.1, 7.2 run for this purpose on the electrically insulating carrier plate 6 between two electrical connections 8a, 8b of the carrier plate 6 assigned to them

distributed the surface of this support plate 6. The order

2 roughly provides that the carrier plate 6 is rectangular and a first electrical connection 8a.1l of a first conductor 7.1 is arranged in a first corner region of the carrier plate 6, a second electrical connection 8b.1 of the first conductor 7.1 in one second corner area, a first electrical connection 8a.2 of a second conductor track 7.2 in a third corner area of the carrier plate 6, and a second electrical connection 8b.2 of the second conductor track 7.2 in a fourth corner area. The conductor tracks 7 each lead, starting from the first electrical connection 8a, in a sequence of parallel and spaced-apart side-parallel path sections 7L running in the longitudinal direction of the carrier plate 6 to the second electrical connection 8b, two adjacent, side-parallel path sections 7L via one in an edge region of the carrier plate 6 Arranged reversing section 7U of the conductor track 7 are connected, in which the conductor track 7 changes its direction by 180 °. In this way, the entire surface of the carrier plate 6 can be used for the dissipation of the heat for each conductor track 7. With the aid of a meandering course of the conductor tracks 7 with, for example, 15 side-parallel track sections 7L, each about 20 cm long, a total length of about 3 m can be achieved, which means that the power consumption of

Light bulbs can already be simulated well.

A carrier plate 6 with an example dimension of 20x10cm can also be easily accommodated in common, rectangular housing 3 for vehicle lights. A structurally particularly compact design can be seen in FIG. 1 in that the two resistance boards 5.1, 5.2 are arranged parallel to one another and spaced apart from one another in a stacked manner. As already mentioned, the LEDs 1 are arranged on a lamp board 2, the LEDs 1 facing the light exit side 3a of the housing 3. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the two resistance boards 5.1, 5.2 are arranged parallel to the lamp board 2 on the side of the lamp board 2 facing away from the light exit side 3a. The electrical connections 8a,

8b of the resistor boards 5 are perpendicular to

the resistor boards 5 and to the lamp board 2 arranged contact pins 9 connected as a spacer to the lamp board 2. The contact pins 9 make electrical contact between the electrical connections 8a, 8b of a conductor track 7 to corresponding connection points on the light circuit board 2. These connection points are on the one hand electrically connected to the components of the light circuit board 2 required to control the LEDs 1, and on the other hand to the power connection of the vehicle light. If the electrical connections 8a, 8b of a conductor track 7 are located in the corner regions of the carrier plate 6, the contact pins 9 are thus also arranged in the corner regions. If two conductor tracks 7.1, 7.2 each run on the stacked resistor boards 5.1, 5.2, the electrical connections 8a and 8b of which are each arranged in a corner region of the carrier plate 6, as shown in FIG. 2, the contact pins 9 can be located in the four corner regions of the Carrier plates 6 are arranged so that the contact pins 9 also provide good static support for the resistance boards 5. In this way, it can also be structurally

achieve particularly compact design.

With the aid of the invention, a vehicle lamp with LEDs 1 and a resistance circuit simulating the power consumption of incandescent lamps will thus be provided, in which the risk of thermal damage is minimized and a compact and inexpensive structural design is realized

can.

Claims (8)

Claims: 1. Vehicle lamp with a housing (3) and a plurality of LEDs (1) (light emitting diodes) arranged in the housing (3), the LEDs (1) being controllable individually or in LED groups for realizing at least one lamp function, and the LEDs (1) assigned to a lamp function are each connected to a current connection of the housing (3) via a resistance circuit arranged within the housing (3) and simulating the power consumption of incandescent lamps, characterized in that the resistance circuit comprises at least one resistance circuit board (5), the as an electrically insulating carrier plate (6) with at least one on the carrier plate (6) and between two electrical connections (8a, 8b) of the carrier plate (6) the power consumption of incandescent lamps simulating conductor track (7) is executed. 2. Vehicle lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that the conductor track (7) on the electrically insulating carrier plate (6) between the two electrical connections (8a, 8b) of this carrier plate (6) meandering over the Surface of this support plate (6) extends distributed. 3. Vehicle light according to claim 2, characterized in that the carrier plate (6) is rectangular and a first electrical connection (8a) is arranged in a first corner region of the carrier plate (6), and a second electrical connection (8b) in a second Corner area, the conductor track (7) starting from the first electrical connection (8a) leading at least in sections in a sequence parallel and spaced from one another in the longitudinal or transverse direction of the carrier plate (6), side-parallel track sections (7L) to the second electrical connection (8b) , Two adjacent, side-parallel path sections (7L) being connected via a reversing section (7U) of the conductor track (7) arranged in an edge region of the carrier plate (6), in which the conductor track (7) changes its direction by 180 °. 4, vehicle lamp according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized characterized that on at least one resistor board (5) two conductor tracks (7.1, 7.2) for two resistance circuits of two LEDs or LED groups are arranged, which are assigned to two different lamp functions are. 5. Vehicle lamp according to claim 4, characterized in that the carrier plate (6) is rectangular and a first electrical connection (8a.1) of a first conductor track (7.1) is arranged in a first corner region of the carrier plate (6), a second electrical Connection (8b.1) of the first conductor track (7.1) in a second corner area, a first electrical connection (8a.2) of a second conductor track (7.2) in a third corner area of the carrier plate (6), and a second electrical connection (8b. 2) of the second conductor track (7.2) in a fourth corner area, the first conductor track (7.1) and the second conductor track (7.2) on the electrically insulating carrier plate (6) between the respective electrical connections (8a, 8b) of this carrier plate ( 6) meandering over the surface of this Carrier plate (6) run distributed, 6. Vehicle lamp according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that at least two resistance boards (5.1, 5.2) are provided, which are parallel within the housing (3) are arranged to each other and spaced apart. 7. Vehicle lamp according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the LEDs (1) are arranged on a lamp board (2), the LEDs (1) facing a light exit side (3a) of the housing (3) and the at least a resistance board (5) on the side of the lamp board facing away from the light exit side (3a) (2) is arranged parallel to the lamp board (2). 8. Vehicle lamp according to claim 7, characterized in that the electrical connections (8a, 8b) of the at least one resistor board (5) by means of perpendicular to the resistor board (5) and the lamp board (2) arranged contact pins (9) as a spacer with the Luminaire board (2) are connected.