JP2006147330A - Lamp module and lamp unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lamp module and a lamp unit relatively thin in total thickness. <P>SOLUTION: The lamp module 13 is composed of an LED mounting body 13a composed of at least one LED 15 as a light emitting element, a resistor 16 for adjusting the voltage of the LED, and a wiring 17 for the LED; a holder 13b on which, the LED mounting body 13a can be detachment freely mounted, having a mounting part which can be mounted on the lamp unit; and a contact spring 13c as a connection member electrically connected to the wiring 17 of the LED mounting body 13a, mounted on a holder 13b, receiving the LED mounting body 13a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a lamp module and a lamp unit using a light emitting element.

Conventionally, lamp bulbs (bean bulbs) have been used for automobile lamps (such as in-vehicle room lamps and map lamps). A lamp unit using a lamp bulb is configured by attaching a lamp bulb to a bulb socket to form a lamp module (see Patent Document 1), and attaching the cover to the unit casing.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-260107

  However, since the lamp bulb generates a large amount of heat, it is necessary to maintain a certain distance between the lamp bulb and the cover. For this reason, the thickness of the lamp unit inevitably increases, and there is a problem that the lamp unit cannot be thinned.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object thereof is to provide a lamp module and a lamp unit whose overall thickness is relatively thin.

  The lamp module of the present invention has a light emitting element mounting body having at least one light emitting element, a resistor for adjusting the voltage of the light emitting element, and a wiring for the light emitting element, and a mounting portion that can be mounted on a mounting member. And a holder to which the light emitting element mounting body is attached.

  According to this configuration, since the light emitting element mounting body is mounted on the holder, the configuration is simple, and the lamp unit can be easily assembled.

  In the lamp module of the present invention, it is preferable that the light emitting element mounting body is a molded substrate obtained by MID technology. In this case, in the lamp module of the present invention, it is preferable that the resistor and the wiring are formed by printing.

  According to these structures, since the light emitting element mounting body is formed using the MID technique, it can be realized even with a structure having a concave portion or a curved surface, or a fitting structure. For this reason, the freedom degree of design improves. Furthermore, according to this configuration, elements such as resistors and wirings can be directly formed on the light emitting element mounting body by printing, so that the number of parts can be reduced.

  In the lamp module of the present invention, it is preferable that the light emitting element mounting body has a concave surface, and the light emitting element is mounted on the concave surface.

  According to this configuration, since the light from the light emitting element can be easily condensed outside the lamp unit, the light emitting element can be configured to be more suitable for uses such as a lamp unit for an automobile lamp.

  In the lamp module of the present invention, the light emitting element is preferably an LED. In the lamp module of the present invention, it is preferable that the light emitting element mounting body is a printed wiring board.

  The lamp unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lamp unit according to the present invention is mounted such that a box-shaped mounted member having an opening, and the light emitting element is exposed inside the mounted member. A module and a cover member that is detachably attached to the mounted member and has a lens in a region facing the light emitting element.

  According to this configuration, since the configuration uses a light emitting element that does not cause excessive heat generation, the distance between the lamp module and the unit cover can be set short. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the lamp unit.

  According to the lamp module of the present invention, there is provided a light emitting element mounting body having at least one light emitting element, a resistor for adjusting the voltage of the light emitting element, and a wiring for the light emitting element, and a mounting portion that can be mounted on the mounted member. In addition, since the holder including the light emitting element mounting body is provided, the overall thickness can be relatively reduced.

  In recent years, white LEDs have been developed and are being considered for use as automotive lamps. However, when a white LED is used as an automobile lamp, a resistance for voltage adjustment is required. Therefore, a form using a printed wiring board on which the LED and the resistor are mounted is considered as a form of the lamp module. The present inventors pay attention to this point, and make use of the characteristics of the “long life” and “low heat generation” of the LED to make it thin, and it can be realized with a simple configuration with a small number of parts, and can be assembled. We have found a lamp module and lamp unit that are simple.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, a case where the lamp unit 1 is a lamp unit for an automobile lamp (such as an in-vehicle room lamp or a map lamp) will be described. The lamp unit of the present invention can also be applied to uses other than automobile lamps.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a surface of a lamp unit according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the back surface of the lamp unit shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the surface viewed from the direction of FIG. 1 is the front surface and the surface viewed from the direction of FIG. 2 is the back surface, but the surface viewed from the direction of FIG. The surface viewed from the direction may be the back surface.

  The lamp unit 1 is mainly composed of a box-shaped unit base 11 having an opening upward, a unit cover 12 that closes the opening of the unit base, and a lamp module 13 attached to the bottom surface of the unit base 11. Yes. The lamp unit 1 is a mounted member of the lamp module 13. The size of the lamp unit 1 is appropriately determined according to the size of the device to which the lamp unit 1 is mounted.

  The unit base 11 has a connector box 11a at one of the four corners. Further, holes are formed in the bottom surface 11b of the unit base 11 at a predetermined interval, and the LED mounting body 13a of the lamp module 13 protrudes from the holes. Moreover, the opening part of the unit base 11 is comprised so that the unit cover 12 mentioned later may be attached so that attachment or detachment is possible. As shown in FIG. 2, connector terminals 14 are provided in the connector box 11a. The depth of the unit base 11 is not particularly limited, but is preferably such that the LED mounting body 13a of the lamp module 13 can sufficiently protrude. Furthermore, the depth of the unit base 11 is desirably determined in consideration of the focus of the LED mounted on the LED mounting body 13a and the lens 12a of the unit cover 12.

  The unit cover 12 is detachably attached to the unit base 11 and has a configuration corresponding to the configuration of the opening of the unit base 11. In the unit cover 12, a lens 12a is formed in a region facing the LED 15 of the LED mounting body 13a. The lens 12 a is focused so that the light from the LED 15 is condensed outside the lamp unit 1. The unit cover 12 can be manufactured by injection molding using a transparent resin material such as acrylic resin or polycarbonate resin. 1 and 2, the unit cover 12 is shown only on one side, but actually, the opening of the unit base 11 is closed by two unit covers. Further, the number of unit covers 12 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the lamp module according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG.
Is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view. The lamp module 13 has an LED mounting body 13a having at least one LED 15 that is a light emitting element, a resistor 16 for adjusting the voltage of the LED 15, and a wiring 17 for the LED, and a mounting portion that can be mounted on the lamp unit 1. A holder 13b to which the mounting body 13a is detachable, a contact spring 13c that is a connecting member that is attached to the holder 13b, receives the LED mounting body 13a, and is electrically connected to the wiring 17 of the LED mounting body 13a; It consists mainly of.

  The LED mounting body 13a is a molded body formed by molding a plastic material using MID (Molded Interconnect Device) technology, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. By forming using the MID technique in this way, it is possible to provide the LED mounting body 13a with a recess, a curved surface, and a flat surface for housing the LED 15 in a desired place. The LED mounting body 13a is composed of general-purpose plastics such as ABS (acrylonitrile / butadiene / styrene) resin and acrylic resin, engineering plastics such as polycarbonate resin, polyester resin, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) resin, liquid crystal polymer, PEEK. Examples include super engineering plastics such as (polyetheretherketone) resin.

  This LED mounting body 13a has a mounting surface on which the LED 15 is mounted and a side surface received by a contact spring 13c attached to the holder 13b. Moreover, the magnitude | size of the LED mounting body 13a is suitably set according to a magnitude | size at the hole provided in the holder 13b. In addition, since the LED mounting body 13a is shape | molded using the MID technique, it can be shape | molded also in shapes other than a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. About the shape of LED mounting body 13a, it is possible to change suitably according to the shape of holder 13b which receives LED mounting body 13a.

  The mounting surface of the LED mounting body 13a is formed with a recess capable of accommodating the LED, and the LED 15 is accommodated in the recess. When the LED 15 is mounted on the LED mounting body 13a, a conductive adhesive, solder, or the like can be used as a bonding material. In the case where a resistance layer and a wiring layer described later are formed by a transfer method, it is preferable to use a conductive adhesive as a bonding material for the LED 15. There are no particular restrictions on the LED arrangement and number. If LED mounting body 13a is shape | molded using MID technique as mentioned above, it is possible to form a recessed part when forming LED mounting body 13a. In the present invention, a configuration in which the mounting surface is a concave surface and the LED 15 is mounted on the concave surface is preferable. By disposing the LED 15 in this way, the light from the LED 15 can be easily condensed outside the lamp unit 1, so that it can be configured to be more suitable for a use such as a lamp unit for an automobile lamp.

  The LED mounting body 13a is formed with a resistor 16 for adjusting the voltage of the LED 15 and a wiring 17 for the LED. When used as a lamp unit of an automobile lamp, the voltage used in the automobile is usually 12V, and the drive voltage of the LED 15 is usually 3V, so voltage adjustment is necessary. For this reason, in order to mount LED15 in the LED mounting body 13a, the resistor 16 for voltage adjustment is needed. Further, the wiring 17 is necessary to electrically connect the LED 15 and the resistor 16 to an external device through the contact spring 13c.

  When the LED mounting body 13a is obtained by MID technology, the resistor 16 and the wiring 17 can be formed on the LED mounting body 13a by transferring a resistance pattern or wiring pattern formed by printing. Specifically, first, as shown in FIG. 4, an overlay layer 21 is provided on a base film 20 made of polyester resin or PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) resin, and a pattern of resistance 16 is formed thereon with a carbon paste for resistance. The resistance layer 22 is formed by printing, and the pattern of the wiring 17 is printed thereon with a conductive paste for wiring to form the wiring layer 23. Next, the printed film is dried in a heat drying oven to cure the carbon paste and the conductive paste. Thereafter, the dried film is attached to a mold such that the resistance layer 22 and the wiring layer 23 face inward, and injection molding is performed on the mold using a resin constituting the LED mounting body 13a, and finally the base film. 20 is peeled off. In this way, the resistor 16 and the wiring 17 formed by printing are formed on the LED mounting body 13a. As the conductive paste, an Ag paste or a paste in which Ag, Cu, Al, and C powder are mixed can be used. The thicknesses of the resistance layer 22 and the wiring layer 23 are not particularly limited.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the holder 13b has a storage area in which the LED mounting body 13a can be stored. The size of the housing area can be appropriately determined in consideration of the size of the LED mounting body 13a and the thickness of a contact spring 13c described later. Further, the holder 13b has a flange 13d that extends outward from the accommodation area and abuts against the bottom surface 11b of the unit base 11, and the flange 13d has a knob 13e that extends to the opposite side of the accommodation area. Is provided. As the material constituting the holder 13b, similar to the LED mounting body 13a, general-purpose plastics such as ABS resin and acrylic resin, engineering plastics such as polycarbonate resin, polyester resin and PBT resin, super engineering plastics such as liquid crystal polymer and PEEK resin, etc. Can be mentioned.

  A contact spring 13c that receives the LED mounting body 13a and is electrically connected to the wiring 17 of the LED mounting body 13a is attached to the accommodation area of the holder 13b. The contact spring 13c extends along the flange 13d and can be electrically connected to an external device. The shape of the contact spring 13d is not particularly limited as long as it receives the LED mounting body 13a and can be electrically connected to the wiring 17 of the LED mounting body 13a. The contact spring 13c is manufactured by press-working a plate material made of phosphor bronze, brass, Western foil, etc., and then performing plating (Au plating, Cu plating, Sn plating, Ni plating, solder plating, etc.).

  When assembling the lamp unit having the above-described configuration, first, the LED mounting body 13a having the concave portions for LEDs is formed using the MID technique. At the time of molding, a resistor 16 and a wiring 17 are formed on the LED mounting body 13a by placing a transfer film having a printed resistance layer and a wiring layer on a mold. After the molding, the base film 20 of the transfer film is peeled off. Next, the LED 15 is mounted in the recess of the LED mounting body 13a. In this mounting, a conductive adhesive is used. At this time, the LED 15 and the wiring 17 of the LED mounting body 13a are electrically connected.

  Next, a holder 13b having an accommodation area for the LED mounting body 13a, a flange 13d, and a knob 13e is formed. Then, a contact spring 13c obtained by pressing and plating a metal plate material is attached to the accommodation region of the holder 13b, and the LED 15 mounting surface is exposed so that the LED mounting body 13a is accommodated in the accommodation region of the holder 13b. Attach to. At this time, the wiring 17 of the LED mounting body 13a and the contact spring 13c are electrically connected. Thereby, the lamp module 13 according to the present embodiment is obtained. Since the lamp module 13 is obtained by mounting the LED mounting body 13a on the holder 13b, it has a simple configuration and can be easily assembled into a lamp unit.

  Next, the lamp module 13 is mounted on the unit base 11 so that the LEDs 15 are exposed inside the unit base 11. In a state where the lamp module 13 is mounted on the unit base 11, as shown in FIG. 2, the flange 13d of the lamp module 13 is brought into contact with the back side of the bottom surface 11b, and the knob 13e provided on the flange 13d protrudes outward. It is like that. When the lamp module 13 is mounted on the unit base 11, the contact spring 13c of the lamp module 13 is electrically connected to a wiring (not shown) formed in advance in the unit base 11 by insert molding. Yes. This wiring is electrically connected to the connector terminal 14 of the connector box 11a, and power can be supplied from the outside by connecting an external device to the connector terminal 14.

  Next, the unit cover 12 is attached so as to close the opening of the unit base 11. In this case, the lens 12a is positioned in a region facing the LED 15. In this way, the lamp unit 1 according to the present embodiment is assembled.

  According to such a lamp unit, it is possible to set the distance between the lamp module and the unit cover to be short since the LED is used without worrying about excessive heat generation. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the lamp unit. Actually, it has been found that the thickness of the lamp unit using the lamp bulb is 30 mm to 40 mm, whereas the thickness of the lamp unit according to the present embodiment is about 20 mm or less. Moreover, in this lamp unit, since the LED mounting body is molded using the MID technique, it can be realized even with a structure having a recess or a curved surface, or a fitting structure. For this reason, the freedom degree of design improves. Furthermore, in this lamp unit, elements such as resistors and wiring can be directly formed on the LED mounting body by printing, so that the number of parts can be reduced.

(Embodiment 2)
As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the lamp module according to the second embodiment may have a configuration using a relatively thick LED mounting body 31a. In the LED mounting body 31a, one end face of a pair of end faces facing each other is housed in the housing area of the holder 31b, and the voltage adjusting resistance element 33 is mounted on the other end face. Further, a side-emitting LED 32 is mounted on one main surface of a pair of main surfaces facing each other of the LED mounting body 31a. The wiring of the LED mounting body 31a is formed by applying Cu plating, Ni plating, and Au plating in this order.

  When assembling the lamp unit having the above configuration, first, the LED mounting body 31a is formed by using the MID technique. Next, the LED mounting body 31a is plated to form a wiring. Next, the resistance element 33 and the LED 32 are mounted at predetermined locations on the wiring. Solder is used for this mounting. At this time, the LED 32 and the wiring of the LED mounting body 31a are electrically connected.

  Next, a holder 31b having a housing area, a flange and a knob for the LED mounting body 31a is formed. Then, the contact spring 31c obtained by pressing and plating a metal plate material is attached to the accommodation area of the holder 31b, and the LED mounting body 31a is accommodated in the accommodation area of the holder 31b so that the mounting surface of the LED 32 is exposed. Attach to. At this time, the wiring of the LED mounting body 31a and the contact spring 31c are electrically connected. Thereby, the lamp module 31 according to the present embodiment is obtained.

  The lamp unit in which the lamp module 31 is mounted on the unit base in the same manner as in the first embodiment and the unit cover is attached also has a configuration using LEDs that do not cause excessive heat generation, as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the distance between the lamp module and the unit cover can be set short. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the lamp unit. Moreover, in this lamp unit, since the LED mounting body is molded using the MID technique, it can be realized even with a structure having a recess or a curved surface, or a fitting structure. For this reason, the freedom degree of design improves.

(Embodiment 3)
As shown in FIG. 6, the lamp module according to Embodiment 3 may have a configuration using a printed wiring board as the LED mounting body 41a. One end of the LED mounting body 41a is housed in the housing area of the holder 41b, the LED 42 is mounted on one main surface, and the voltage adjusting resistance element 43 is mounted on the other main surface. . The wiring of the LED mounting body 41a is formed by performing Ni plating and Au plating in this order after etching and patterning the copper clad laminate.

  When assembling the lamp unit having the above configuration, first, the LED mounting body 41a, which is a printed wiring board, is plated to form a wiring. Next, the resistance element 43 and the LED 42 are mounted at predetermined locations on the wiring. Solder is used for this mounting. At this time, LED42 and the wiring of LED mounting body 41a are electrically connected.

  Next, a holder 41b having a housing area, a flange and a knob for the LED mounting body 41a is formed. Then, the contact spring 41c obtained by pressing and plating the metal plate material is attached to the accommodation area of the holder 41b, and the LED mounting body 41a is accommodated in the accommodation area of the holder 41b so that the mounting surface of the LED 42 is exposed. Attach to. At this time, the wiring of the LED mounting body 41a and the contact spring 41c are electrically connected. Thereby, the lamp module 41 according to the present embodiment is obtained.

  The lamp unit, in which the lamp module 41 is mounted on the unit base in the same manner as in the first embodiment and the unit cover is attached, has a configuration using LEDs that do not cause excessive heat generation, as in the first embodiment. Therefore, the distance between the lamp module and the unit cover can be set short. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the lamp unit.

  The present invention is not limited to Embodiments 1 to 3 above, and can be implemented with various modifications. For example, in Embodiments 1 to 3 described above, LEDs are used as the light emitting elements, but the present invention can also be applied when the light emitting elements are other elements. Moreover, in the said Embodiment 1-3, although the case where a lamp unit is mounted | worn with a motor vehicle is demonstrated, this invention is applicable also when a lamp unit is mounted | worn with other than a motor vehicle. Moreover, in the said Embodiment 1-3, although the case where the connection member between a LED mounting body and a holder is a contact spring is demonstrated, in this invention, you may use another connection member. . Other modifications may be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the object of the present invention.

It is a perspective view which shows the surface of the lamp unit which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the back surface of the lamp unit shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the lamp module which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is sectional drawing. It is sectional drawing which shows the transfer film used when producing the holder of the lamp unit which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the lamp module which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is sectional drawing. It is sectional drawing which shows the lamp module which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lamp unit 11 Unit base 11a Connector box 11b Bottom surface 12 Unit cover 13, 31, 41 Lamp module 13a, 31a, 41a LED mounting body 13b, 31b, 41b Holder 13c, 31c, 41c Contact spring 13d, 31d, 41d Flange 13e, 31e, 41e Knob 14 Connector terminal 15, 32, 42 LED
16 resistance 17 wiring 20 base film 21 overlay layer 22 resistance layer 23 wiring layer 33, 43 resistance element

Claims (7)

  A light emitting element mounting body having at least one light emitting element, a voltage adjusting resistor for the light emitting element, and a wiring for the light emitting element; and a mounting portion that can be mounted on a member to be mounted. A lamp module.   The lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element mounting body is a molded substrate obtained by MID technology.   The lamp module according to claim 2, wherein the resistor and the wiring are formed by printing.   The lamp module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light emitting element mounting body has a concave surface, and the light emitting element is mounted on the concave surface.   The lamp module according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the light emitting element is an LED.   6. The lamp module according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element mounting body is a printed wiring board.   A box-shaped mounted member having an opening, the lamp module according to any one of claims 1 to 6 mounted so that the light emitting element is exposed inside the mounted member, and the mounted member And a cover member having a lens in a region facing the light emitting element.

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