JP2008181706A - Lighting fixture for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lighting fixture for a vehicle with reduced manufacturing cost. <P>SOLUTION: The lighting fixture for a vehicle is provided with a lamp lens 4, and wire heaters 5 fitted to the lamp lens 4 by transfer. The wire heater 5 is composed of a base film 17, an adhesive 18, conductive paste 19 of a wire pattern, and a resist 20. The wire heater 5 is of a transferring type in which the base film 17 is cut in a pattern following the wire pattern of the conductive paste 19, and the adhesive 18 is adhered to the lamp lens 4 to have the conductive paste 19 of the wire pattern transferred to the lamp lens 4. The lamp lens 4 has a prism part 10 controlling distribution of light from a light source and irradiating it outside, and flat-face parts 11 to transfer the wire heaters 5 on. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp provided with a lamp lens provided with a prism for controlling light distribution and provided with a snow melting (ice melting, anti-fogging) structure.

  A vehicular lamp, for example, a vehicular signal lamp such as a rear combination lamp, snow or ice adheres to the surface of a lamp lens by rolling up road area snow or the like on the own vehicle. In addition, in vehicle headlamps such as headlamps and fog lamps, snow, ice, and the like adhere to the surface of the lamp lens due to snowfall, road area snow, etc., when the preceding vehicle is rolled up. Here, when there is little snow ice on the surface of the lamp lens, the snow and ice attached to the lamp lens can be melted or removed by the heat generated when the light source is turned on. However, when there is a lot of snow on the surface of the lamp lens, the amount of heat generated when the light source is turned on is insufficient to melt or remove the snow and ice attached to the lamp lens. In some cases, the attached snow or ice cannot be melted or removed. In recent years, the amount of heat generated when a semiconductor light source such as an LED used as a light source for a vehicle lamp or a discharge lamp such as an HID is turned on is lower than that of a halogen bulb or an incandescent bulb. For this reason, in the case of a vehicular lamp using these light sources, the temperature of the lamp lens does not increase so much and there is little snow melting or ice melting, so that the snow and ice attached to the lamp lens can be melted and removed. Tend to not be able to.

  Therefore, a snow melting structure including a heater is provided in the lamp lens of the vehicle lamp, and the snow and ice attached to the lamp lens are melted and removed. In other words, the snow melting structure heater heats the lamp lens to compensate for the lack of heat generated when the light source is turned on, and performs snow melting and ice melting.

  This type of vehicular lamp is conventionally known (for example, Patent Document 1). Hereinafter, a conventional vehicle lamp will be described. A conventional vehicular lamp includes a transparent sheet on which a conductive pattern is printed, a prism lens obtained by joining the transparent sheet by insert molding, a lamp housing, and a light source bulb.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the conventional vehicle lamp will be described. When the light source bulb is turned on, the light from the light source bulb is light-distributed through the prism lens and irradiated to the outside. On the other hand, when power is supplied to the conductive pattern of the transparent sheet, the conductive pattern generates heat, and the heat melts or removes snow, ice, and cloudiness adhering to the prism lens. As a result, loss of light irradiated from the prism lens to the outside can be prevented. In particular, in a vehicular lamp using a light source having a low temperature of light emitted from a prism lens as a light source, for example, a semiconductor light source such as an LED or a discharge lamp such as an HID, as compared with a halogen bulb or an incandescent bulb. Is effective.

  However, a conventional vehicular lamp is one in which a transparent sheet on which a conduction pattern is printed is joined to a prism lens by insert molding. For this reason, the prism lens used for the conventional vehicular lamp requires a special mold and is expensive to manufacture. As a result, the conventional vehicular lamp has a high manufacturing cost.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-312705

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is that the manufacturing cost of the conventional vehicular lamp is high.

  The present invention (the invention according to claim 1) includes a lamp lens and a line heater provided by transfer to the lamp lens, and the line heater is provided on one surface of the base film and the base film. An adhesive, a conductive member that is formed in a line pattern on the other surface of the base film and generates heat when current is supplied, and a conductive member that covers the conductive member on the other surface of the base film The base film is cut into a pattern that follows the line pattern of the conductive member, and the adhesive is adhered to the lamp lens so that the conductive property of the line pattern is A transfer-type line heater that transfers a member to the lamp lens, and the lamp lens is configured to emit light from a light source by controlling the light distribution. And parts, and the flat portion for transferring the wire heater, but are provided, it is characterized.

  Further, the present invention (the invention according to claim 2) is characterized in that the flat surface portion is provided at a position lower than the apex of the prism portion.

  Further, the present invention (the invention according to claim 3) is characterized in that the flat surface portion is provided at a position equal to the height of the apex of the prism portion or higher than the apex of the prism portion.

  Furthermore, the present invention (the invention according to claim 4) is characterized in that the width of the flat surface portion is equal to or substantially equal to the pitch of the prism portions.

  In the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 1), the adhesive on one surface of the base film is adhered to the flat portion of the lamp lens, and the conductive member of the line pattern on the other surface of the base film is attached to the lamp lens. It is transferred to a flat part. For this reason, the lamp lens used in the vehicular lamp according to the present invention (the invention according to claim 1) does not require a special mold as compared with the prism lens used in the conventional vehicular lamp. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced accordingly. As a result, the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 1) can be manufactured at low cost.

  Further, in the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 1), the adhesive of the line heater is adhered to the flat part of the lamp lens, and the conductive member of the line pattern of the line heater is connected to the flat part of the lamp lens. To be transferred. For this reason, the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 1) securely adheres the adhesive of the line heater to the lamp lens even if the lamp lens is provided with a prism portion for controlling light distribution. In addition, the conductive member of the line pattern of the line heater can be easily transferred to the lamp lens. In other words, the vehicular lamp according to the present invention (the invention according to claim 1) is provided with a flat portion on the lamp lens provided with the prism portion, so that a low-cost transfer type line heater can be used as the lamp lens with the prism portion. Can be reliably and easily transferred.

  Furthermore, since the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 1) is for transferring the conductive member of the line pattern to the flat portion of the lamp lens, the line pattern can be used as a design line. The design effect of the lamp lens can be improved.

  Furthermore, since the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 1) transfers the conductive member having the line pattern to the flat portion of the lamp lens, the vacuum lamp is formed in comparison with the generation of the transparent conductive film heater. Large equipment such as a vapor deposition machine and a vapor deposition process with a long tact are unnecessary, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced accordingly.

  Furthermore, the vehicular lamp of the present invention (invention according to claim 1) is a versatile member that can be used for the shape and size of the conductive member to be transferred to the flat portion of the lamp lens, that is, the line pattern of the transfer type conductive member. By having it, it can be used for various kinds of vehicle lamps. In particular, the signal lights of freight vehicles and specially equipped vehicles are effective because they are often used for lamps having a lamp lens with a prism portion.

  Furthermore, since the vehicular lamp according to the present invention (the invention according to claim 1) is for transferring the conductive member of the line pattern to the flat portion of the lamp lens, in the production management of the lamp lens with and without the heater, It is easy to make and can simplify the production line and inventory management.

  Furthermore, the vehicular lamp according to the present invention (the invention according to claim 1) is easy to manufacture a line heater comprising a base film, an adhesive, a conductive member having a line pattern, and a resist. Also, it is easy to manufacture a lamp lens (a lamp lens provided with a prism portion and a flat portion) formed by transferring a line heater. As a result, the vehicular lamp according to the present invention (the invention according to claim 1) can quickly and easily respond to the needs (design and design) of the line patterns of various conductive wire members to be transferred to various lamp lenses. can do.

  Furthermore, since the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 2) is provided with the plane portion at a position lower than the apex of the prism portion, the thickness of the plane portion of the lamp lens is set to the thickness of the prism portion. It can be made thinner than the thickness. For this reason, since the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 2) is provided by transferring the line heater to a flat portion having a small thickness, the thickness generated by the heat generated by the line heater is thin. It can be efficiently used for melting snow through the flat portion.

  Furthermore, since the vehicular lamp according to the present invention (the invention according to claim 2) is provided by transferring the line heater to the plane portion at a position lower than the apex of the prism portion, the periphery of the line heater is the plane portion. Is surrounded by a prism portion around. For this reason, in the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 2), the wire heater can be protected from contact with other objects by the surrounding prism portion, so that the wire heater is peeled off from the flat surface portion. And the durability and safety of the wire heater are improved.

  Furthermore, in the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 3), the plane portion is provided at a position equivalent to the apex of the prism portion or at a position higher than the apex of the prism portion. The height of the part can be made higher than the height of the prism part. For this reason, since the vehicular lamp according to the present invention (the invention according to claim 3) does not obstruct the transfer of the line heater around the flat part when the line heater is transferred to the flat part. The heater can be easily transferred to the flat portion, and the transfer workability of the line heater is improved.

  Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 3), the height of the flat surface portion can be made higher than the height of the prism portion. There is nothing that hinders the transfer of the line heater around the part. For this reason, the vehicular lamp of the present invention (the invention according to claim 3) can reduce the width of the flat portion as much as possible so that the line heater can be transferred. The reduced area can be reduced as much as possible. As a result, the vehicular lamp according to the present invention (the invention according to claim 3) can minimize the loss of light subjected to light distribution control by the prism portion as much as possible, and has little influence on the light distribution performance.

  Furthermore, in the vehicular lamp according to the present invention (the invention according to claim 4), the plane portion is less noticeable by making the width of the plane portion equal to or substantially equal to the pitch of the prism portion, and the plane portion is not noticeable. The line heater provided is also inconspicuous and the appearance is not impaired.

  Hereinafter, two examples of embodiments of a vehicular lamp according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

  FIGS. 1-6 shows Example 1 of the vehicle lamp concerning this invention. Hereinafter, the configuration of the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment will be described. In the figure, reference numeral “1” denotes a vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment. The vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment is, for example, a rear combination lamp 1 mounted on each of the left and right sides of the rear portion of a freight vehicle such as a truck.

  The rear combination lamp 1 is combined with a tail stop lamp unit 2A and a turn signal lamp unit 2B. The lamp units 2 </ b> A and 2 </ b> B include a lamp housing 3, a lamp lens 4, a line heater 5, a power feeding unit 6, and a light source 7.

  A lamp chamber 8 is defined by the lamp housing 3 and the lamp lens 4. The light source 7 is disposed in the lamp chamber 8. The light source 7 uses, for example, a self-luminous semiconductor type light source (LED in this embodiment 1) such as LED, EL (organic EL). For this reason, heat is generated in the light source 7 itself, but almost no heat is generated in the light from the light source 7. As a result, snow, ice, or cloudiness tends to adhere to the lamp lens 4. As the light source 7, besides the self-luminous semiconductor light source, a discharge lamp such as an HID that hardly generates heat may be used, or an incandescent bulb that generates heat. Or a halogen bulb may be used.

  The lamp housing 3 has a hollow shape in which one side is open and the other side is closed. A reflection surface 9 for reflecting light from the light source 7 toward the lamp lens 4 is provided on the inner surface of the closed portion of the lamp housing 3. The light source 7 is detachably attached to the lamp housing 3 by an attachment mechanism (not shown) such as a socket.

  In this example, the lamp lens 4 is molded from a synthetic resin such as PC (polycarbonate). When the material of the lamp lens 4 is PC, the heat resistant temperature of the lamp lens 4 is about 130 ° C. The lamp lens 4 has a concave shape in cross section, and includes a light transmitting portion through which light from the reflecting surface 9 is transmitted and a mounting portion attached to the lamp housing 3. A prism portion 10 and a flat portion 11 are provided on at least the inner surface (the surface on the lamp chamber 8 side) of the light transmitting portion of the lamp lens 4.

  The prism unit 10 is a light from the light source 7, and controls the light distribution from the reflection surface 9 to irradiate the lamp lens 4 to the outside as a predetermined light distribution pattern. The prism portion 10 has a convex shape on the lamp chamber 8 side, and is composed of one curved surface, a plurality of curved surfaces, one plane, a plurality of planes, or a combination thereof. . The prism unit 10 in this example is a lattice fish-eye prism, and includes a large number of fish-eye prisms arranged in a lattice pattern. The heights and pitches of the prism portions 10 are the same or substantially the same.

  The flat portion 11 is for transferring the line heater 5, and the surface on the lamp chamber 8 side is flat. The flat portion 11 is provided at a location where the line heater 5 is wired in the lamp lens 4. The planar portion 11 is provided at a position lower than the apex of the prism portion 10 as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the width W <b> 1 of the planar portion 11 is equal to or substantially equal to the pitch of the prism portions 10. Further, the width W1 of the flat portion 11 is made wider than the width W2 of the line heater 5 as shown in FIGS. Note that the width W1 of the planar portion 11 may be wider or narrower than the pitch of the prism portions 10 as shown in FIGS.

  The line heater 5 is a transfer type line heater, and is provided on the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4 by transfer. As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the line heater 5 provided by transfer on the flat surface portion 11 of the lamp lens 4 includes a base film 17, an adhesive 18, and a conductive member. The conductive paste 19 and the resist 20 are included. The line heater 5 is preferably light transmissive.

  The base film 17 is made of a transparent synthetic resin film such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate). The adhesive 18 is provided on one surface of the base film 17.

  On the other surface of the base film 17, the conductive paste 19 is formed in a line pattern. In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, the line pattern of the conductive paste 19 includes six horizontal lines that are substantially parallel to each other, three vertical lines on the left side, and two vertical lines on the right side. The line pattern is zigzag continuous from side to side. Two vertical lines from the right side of the top two horizontal lines are continuously formed as terminal portions. The conductive paste 19 is a conductive ink, and in this example, is made of a metal paste such as a silver paste, a gold paste, a copper paste, or an aluminum paste. The conductive paste 19 generates heat due to the electric resistance of the conductive paste when a current is supplied. When the electric resistance value is high, the generated heat amount is low, and when the electric resistance value is low, the generated heat amount is low. high.

  The resist 20 is provided on the other surface of the base film 17 so as to cover the conductive paste 19. The resist 20 electrically insulates the conductive paste 19 and protects it from external impacts. That is, the resist 20 is a surface protective coat of the conductive paste 19. In this example, the resist 20 is made of urethane or acrylic adhesive.

  At least one of the base film 17 and the resist 20 is colored. That is, a colored layer is provided on one side or the other side of the base film 17. Alternatively, the base film 17 itself or the resist 20 itself is colored.

  The base film 17 (including the adhesive 18 in this example) is cut into a pattern following the line pattern of the conductive paste 19. The width W2 of the cut base film 17 is about 0.5 mm in this example, and is substantially the same as the width of the resist 20. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, after the base film 17 is cut, the adhesive 18 is bonded to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4 using the separator 21 disposed on the resist 20 side. Thus, the conductive paste 19 having a line pattern is transferred to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4. Thereby, the line heater 5 is provided on the flat surface portion 11 of the lamp lens 4 by transfer.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the separator 21 is peeled off from the resist 20 side after the conductive paste 19 having a line pattern is transferred to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4. The separator 21 can be mounted with the line heater 5 having a pattern shape following the line pattern of the conductive paste 19 and can be transferred to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4. A sheet shape having a size and a shape is formed. The separator 21 uses a flexible material, in this example, a rubber-based material such as urethane so as to follow the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the wire heater 5 is provided with the power feeding unit 6. The power feeding unit 6 supplies current to the wire heater 5. The power feeding unit 6 includes two terminal portions of the conductive paste 19, a surface mount type connector 12, a harness 13, a grommet 14, and a lamp-side connector 15.

  The surface mount type connector 12 is electrically connected to the two terminal portions. One end of the harness 13 is electrically connected to the surface mount type connector 12. The harness 13 is drawn out from the lamp chamber 8 to the outside through the grommet 14 provided in the lamp housing 3. The lamp-side connector 15 is electrically connected to the other end of the harness 13. A current can be supplied to the wire heater 5 by electrically connecting a power supply side connector (not shown) to the lamp side connector 15. The two terminal portions are provided on the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4, similarly to the line heater 5. Further, the surface mount type connector 12 is provided at a location where the influence on the design of the lamp lens 4 is small, that is, in the vicinity of the mounting portion of the light transmitting portion of the lamp lens 4. A terminal may be used instead of the surface mount type connector 12. Further, a planar portion 24 for a connector is provided at a location where the surface mount type connector 12 is provided in the lamp lens 4. The connector flat portion 24 is provided at a position lower than the apex of the prism portion 10, similarly to the flat portion 11.

  The line heater 5 is connected to a manual switch (not shown) or an automatic switch (not shown) via the power supply unit 6. The manual switch manually turns on / off the current supply to the line heater 5. The automatic switch automatically turns on / off the current supply to the line heater 5.

  The automatic switch includes a control unit such as an ECU and a detection unit such as a temperature sensor or an optical sensor. The detection unit detects the ambient environment of the vehicle C, for example, the temperature outside the vehicle C, the light emitted from the lamp lens 4, and outputs the detection signal to the control unit. The control unit determines whether or not snow, ice, or cloudiness is attached to the lamp lens 4 based on a detection signal from the detection unit, or snow, ice, or cloudy is attached to the lamp lens 4. Judge whether the temperature is about. When the controller determines that the lamp lens 4 has snow, ice, cloudy, or the like, or the temperature of the lamp lens 4 has snow, ice, cloudy, or the like, A current is supplied to the wire heater 5 through the power feeding unit 6. On the other hand, when the control unit determines that the lamp lens 4 is not covered with snow, ice, or cloudy or the temperature is not such that snow, ice, or cloudy is attached to the lamp lens 4, the power supply is performed. The current supply to the wire heater 5 is cut off via the section 6. The current supply to the line heater 5 is performed mainly when the light source 7 is turned on. If necessary, current may be supplied to the line heater 5 even when the light source 7 is not turned on.

  One terminal portion of the wire heater 5 is provided with a temperature control unit (not shown). The temperature control unit controls the heat generation temperature of the conductive paste 19. For example, a PTC thermistor is used as the temperature control unit. This PTC thermistor has a characteristic that its resistance value increases as the temperature rises, and current does not flow when it reaches a predetermined resistance value. For example, when the material of the lamp lens 4 is PC, the heat-resistant temperature of the lamp lens 4 is about 130 ° C. Therefore, when the heat generation temperature of the conductive paste 19 reaches about 60 ° C., the current flows. A PTC thermistor having a resistance characteristic that does not flow is used as the temperature controller.

  Hereinafter, a manufacturing process of the line heater 5 (the power feeding unit 6) to be transferred to the lamp lens 4 and a transfer process of transferring the line heater 5 to the lamp lens 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. . First, the adhesive (adhesive layer) 18 is provided on one surface of the film corresponding to the base film 17, and a release sheet 22 such as a release film or release paper is attached to the adhesive 18 so as to be peeled off. The sheet member 23 is manufactured (see FIG. 4A). The sheet member 23 has such a size that the line heater 5 having a pattern shape following the line pattern of the conductive paste 19 can be formed.

  Next, the conductive paste 19 is printed on the other surface (upper surface) of the base film 17 of the sheet member 23 by a method such as screen printing or hot stamp printing to form a line pattern (FIG. 4). (See (B)).

  Subsequently, the resist (insulating layer / protective film) 20 is printed on the other surface (upper surface) of the base film 17 of the sheet member 23 by a method such as screen printing or hot stamp printing. It is provided so as to cover the paste 19 (see FIG. 4C).

  Then, the base film 17 and the adhesive 18 of the sheet member 23 are cut into a pattern following the line pattern of the conductive paste 19 by, for example, punching (see FIG. 4D). That is, a cutter (not shown) is pushed into the base film 17 and the adhesive 18 from the resist 20 side and stopped at the boundary between the adhesive 18 and the release sheet 22, and the base film 17 and the adhesive 18. To cut. In FIG. 4C, a cut line of the base film 17 and the adhesive 18 is indicated by a solid line CL. The cutter is separated from the sheet member 23 and, of the cut base film 17 and the adhesive 18, an excess portion other than a pattern portion following the line pattern of the conductive paste 19 is removed from the release sheet 22. Excluded from.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 4D, the release sheet 22 of the sheet member 23 that has not been cut, the base film 17 that has been cut in a pattern that follows the line pattern of the conductive paste 19, and the The adhesive 18, the conductive paste 19 having a line pattern, and the resist 20 provided in a pattern following the line pattern of the conductive paste 19 are left. In this example, the cut width W2 of the base film 17 and the adhesive 18 is substantially the same as the width of the resist 20, and the width at which the resist 20 can cover the conductive paste 19, that is, the The resist 20 has a width capable of sealing and electrically insulating the conductive paste 19 and protecting it from external impacts. The cut width of the base film 17 is not limited to the cut width W2. For example, the width may be larger than the width of the conductive paste 19 and smaller than the width of the resist 20.

  Then, after the base film 17 and the adhesive 18 of the sheet member 23 are cut with a pattern following the line pattern of the conductive paste 19, the separator 21 is disposed on the resist 20 side (FIG. 4E )reference). As a result, the release sheet 22 of the sheet member 23 that has not been cut, the base film 17 and the adhesive 18 that have been cut in a pattern that follows the line pattern of the conductive paste 19, and the conductive pattern of the line pattern. The conductive paste 19 and the resist 20 provided in a pattern following the line pattern of the conductive paste 19 are placed on the separator 21 with the resist 20 side down.

  Next, the release sheet 22 is peeled off (see FIG. 5). Then, by using the separator 21 disposed on the resist 20 side, the adhesive 18 is adhered to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4 so that the conductive paste 19 having a line pattern is formed on the lamp lens 4. Transfer to the flat surface 11 (see FIG. 6). Then, the separator 21 is peeled off from the resist 20. Thereby, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the line heater 5 is transferred to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4.

  The vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below.

  The light source 7 of the tail stop lamp unit 2A or the light source 7 of the turn signal lamp unit 2B is turned on. Then, the light from the light source 7 is reflected by the reflecting surface 9 of the lamp housing 3 to the lamp lens 4 side. The reflected light passes through the prism portion 10 of the lamp lens 4, is controlled to a predetermined light distribution pattern, and is irradiated from the lamp lens 4 to the outside.

  Here, since the line heater 5 provided for transfer on the flat surface portion 11 of the lamp lens 4 has a linear pattern, when the reflected light passes through the light transmitting portion of the lamp lens 4, light loss or The effects of light distribution can be minimized. If the line heater 5 is light transmissive, part of the reflected light passes through the line heater 5 of the lamp lens 4 and is radiated to the outside, thereby minimizing light loss and light distribution effects. To the limit.

  When the light source 7 is a semiconductor type light source, almost no heat is generated in the light from the light source 7 of the semiconductor type light source, so that the lamp lens 4 is likely to be attached with snow, ice, or cloudiness. In this case, a current is supplied to the line heater 5 provided by transfer on the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4 by a manual switch or an automatic switch.

  When a current is supplied to the line heater 5, the line heater 5 generates heat due to the electric resistance of the line heater 5. The heat generated by the wire heater 5 warms the lamp lens 4 and prevents the snow, ice and cloudiness from adhering to the lamp lens 4, or the snow, ice and cloudiness adhering to the lamp lens 4 are melted. Is removed or removed. As a result, loss of light irradiated from the light transmission part of the lamp lens 4 can be prevented.

  At this time, the melted snow or ice is melted in the light transmissive portion of the lamp lens 4 by melting the snow or ice in the portion (planar portion 11) corresponding to the conductive paste 19 in the light transmissive portion of the lamp lens 4. From the surface of the light transmitting portion of the lamp lens 4, snow or ice adhering to a portion of the light transmitting portion of the lamp lens 4 that does not correspond to the conductive paste 19 due to a so-called avalanche phenomenon. Remove and drop. As a result, snow, ice and cloudiness adhering to the lamp lens 4 can be reliably removed.

  When the heat generation temperature of the line heater 5 reaches a predetermined temperature during the heat generation action of the line heater 5, the current control to the line heater 5 is controlled by the temperature control action of the temperature control unit, and the heat generation temperature of the line heater 5 is reduced. It is kept near a predetermined temperature. As a result, the resin lamp lens 4 having a relatively low heat-resistant temperature can be protected from overheating.

  It is possible to prevent the snow, ice and cloudiness from adhering to the lamp lens 4, and when the snow, ice and cloudiness adhering to the lamp lens 4 are melted or removed, a manual switch and / or an automatic switch can be used. The current supply to the line heater 5 provided in the lens 4 is cut off.

  The vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment is configured and operated as described above, and the effects thereof will be described below.

  In the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment, the adhesive 18 on one surface of the base film 17 is adhered to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4, and the conductive paste 19 having the line pattern on the other surface of the base film 17 is applied to the lamp lens. 4 is transferred to the flat portion 11. Therefore, the lamp lens 4 used in the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment does not require a special mold as compared with the prism lens used in the conventional vehicle lamp. The manufacturing cost can be reduced. As a result, the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment can be manufactured at low cost.

  In the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment, the adhesive 18 of the line heater 5 is adhered to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4, and the conductive paste 19 of the line pattern of the line heater 5 is applied to the lamp lens 4. This is transferred to the flat surface portion 11. For this reason, the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment reliably adheres the adhesive 18 of the line heater 5 to the lamp lens 4 even when the lamp unit 4 is provided with the prism portion 10 for controlling the light distribution. In addition, the conductive paste 19 having the line pattern of the line heater 5 can be easily transferred to the lamp lens 4. That is, in the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment, the flat lens portion 11 is provided on the lamp lens 4 provided with the prism portion 10 so that the low-cost transfer-type line heater 5 is replaced with the lamp lens with the prism portion 10. 4 can be surely and easily transferred to.

  Furthermore, since the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment transfers the conductive paste 19 having a line pattern to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4, the line pattern can also be used as a design line. The effect on the design of 4 can be improved.

  Furthermore, since the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment transfers the conductive paste 19 having a line pattern to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4, the vacuum vapor deposition machine is compared with the generation of the transparent conductive film heater. The large-scale equipment such as a vapor deposition process with a long tact is unnecessary, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced accordingly.

  Furthermore, the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment is versatile in terms of the shape and dimensions of the conductive paste 19 to be transferred to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4, that is, the line pattern of the transfer-type conductive paste 19. By using it, it can be used for a vehicular lamp for various vehicles. In particular, the signal lights of freight vehicles and specially equipped vehicles are effective because they are often used for lamps including the lamp lens 4 with the prism portion 10.

  Furthermore, since the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment transfers the conductive paste 19 having a line pattern to the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4, it is made separately in the manufacturing management of the lamp lens with and without the heater. Can simplify the production line and inventory management.

  Furthermore, in the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment, it is easy to manufacture the line heater 5 including the base film 17, the adhesive 18, the conductive paste 19 having a line pattern, and the resist 20. The lamp lens 4 to which the line heater 5 is transferred (the lamp lens 4 provided with the prism portion 10 and the flat portion 11) can be easily manufactured. As a result, the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment can quickly and easily respond to the needs (design and design) of the line patterns of the various conductive wire pastes 19 to be transferred to various lamp lenses. .

  Furthermore, since the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment is provided with the flat portion 11 at a position lower than the apex of the prism portion 10, the thickness of the flat portion 11 of the lamp lens 4 is set to the thickness of the prism portion 10. It can be made thinner than the thickness. For this reason, since the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment is provided by transferring the line heater 5 to the thin-walled flat surface portion 11, the heat generated by the line heater 5 is reduced to the flat-walled portion. 11 can be efficiently used for melting snow.

  Furthermore, since the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment is provided by transferring the line heater 5 to the flat portion 11 at a position lower than the apex of the prism portion 10, the periphery of the line heater 5 is the flat portion 11. Is surrounded by a prism portion 10 around the. For this reason, in the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment, the line heater 5 can be protected from contact with other objects by the surrounding prism portion 10, so that the line heater 5 is peeled off from the flat portion 11. The durability and safety of the wire heater 5 can be improved.

  Furthermore, in the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment, by making the width W1 of the flat surface portion 11 equal to or substantially equal to the pitch of the prism portion 10, the flat surface portion 11 becomes difficult to stand out. The provided wire heater 5 also becomes inconspicuous and the appearance is not impaired.

  FIGS. 7-10 shows Example 2 of the vehicle lamp concerning this invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 6 denote the same components. Hereinafter, the vehicular lamp according to the second embodiment will be described.

  In the vehicular lamp according to the second embodiment, the flat surface portion 16 and the flat surface portion 25 for the connector are provided at a position equivalent to the apex of the prism portion 10 or higher than the apex of the prism portion 10. The width W3 of the flat portion 16 is smaller than the width W1 of the flat portion 11 of the first embodiment and larger than the width W2 of the line heater 5 so that the line heater 5 can be transferred.

  Since the vehicular lamp according to the second embodiment is configured as described above, it is possible to achieve substantially the same operational effects as the vehicular lamp according to the first embodiment. In particular, in the vehicular lamp according to the second embodiment, the plane portion 16 is provided at a position equivalent to the apex of the prism portion 10 or at a position higher than the apex of the prism portion 10. The height can be equal to or higher than the height of the prism portion 10. For this reason, in the vehicular lamp according to the second embodiment, when the line heater 5 is transferred to the flat portion 16, there is no obstacle around the flat portion 16 so that the transfer of the line heater 5 is prevented. 5 can be easily transferred to the flat portion 16, and the transfer workability of the line heater 5 is improved. Further, by making the height of the flat portion 25 for the connector equal to or higher than the height of the prism portion 10, the workability of attaching the connector 12 is improved.

  Furthermore, in the vehicular lamp according to the second embodiment, since the height of the flat portion 16 can be made higher than the height of the prism portion 10, when the line heater 5 is transferred to the flat portion 16, the flat portion There is nothing around the 16 that obstructs the transfer of the line heater 5. For this reason, in the vehicular lamp according to the second embodiment, the width W3 of the flat portion 16 can be made as small as possible so that the line heater 5 can be transferred. The reduced area can be reduced as much as possible. As a result, the vehicular lamp according to the second embodiment can reduce the loss of the light subjected to the light distribution control by the prism unit 10 as much as possible, and can reduce the influence on the light distribution performance. Further, by reducing the width of the flat portion 25 for the connector to such an extent that the connector 12 can be provided, the loss of light subjected to light distribution control can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, examples other than the first and second embodiments will be described. In the first and second embodiments, the line heater 5 is provided on the inner surface of the light transmission portion of the lamp lens 4. However, in the present invention, the line heater 5 may be provided on the outer surface or both the inner and outer surfaces of the lamp lens 4.

  In the first and second embodiments, the line heater 5 is provided on the inner surface of the light transmission portion of the lamp lens 4. However, in the present invention, at least two heat generating portions, that is, a high temperature heat generating portion and a low temperature heat generating portion may be formed in the wire heater.

  Further, Examples 1 and 2 described above are examples used for the lamp lens 4 of the rear combination lamp 1 of the vehicle. However, in the present invention, it may be used for a vehicle lamp other than the vehicle rear combination lamp 1, for example, a lamp lens for a vehicle headlamp such as a headlamp or a fog lamp.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicular lamp according to a first embodiment of the present invention in a state where the vehicular lamp is used in a rear combination lamp of a vehicle. Similarly, it is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. Similarly, it is the BB sectional drawing in FIG. Similarly, it is explanatory drawing which shows the manufacturing process of the line heater transferred to a lamp lens, and the transfer process of transferring a line heater to a lamp lens. Similarly, it is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the state before transferring a line heater to a lamp lens. Similarly, it is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the state after transferring a line heater to a lamp lens. Example 2 of the vehicle lamp concerning this invention is shown, and it is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. Similarly, it is the BB sectional drawing in FIG. Similarly, it is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the state before transferring a line heater to a lamp lens. Similarly, it is a partially expanded sectional view which shows the state after transferring a line heater to a lamp lens.

Explanation of symbols

CL Cut location W1 Width of the flat part W2 Width of the wire heater W3 Width of the flat part 1 Rear combination lamp (vehicle lamp)
2A Tail stop lamp unit 2B Turn signal lamp unit 3 Lamp housing 4 Lamp lens 5 Wire heater 6 Power feeding part 7 Light source 8 Lamp chamber 9 Reflecting surface 10 Prism part 11 Plane part 12 Connector 13 Harness 14 Grommet 15 Power supply side connector 16 Plane part 17 Base film 18 Adhesive 19 Conductive paste (conductive member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 Resist 21 Separator 22 Release sheet 23 Sheet member 24 Flat part for connector 25 Flat part for connector

Claims (4)

In a vehicle lamp provided with a lamp lens provided with a prism for controlling light distribution and provided with a snow melting structure,
A lamp housing defining the lamp chamber and the lamp lens;
A light source disposed in the lamp chamber;
A wire heater provided by transfer to the lamp lens;
A power feeding section for supplying a current to the wire heater;
With
The line heater includes a base film, an adhesive provided on one surface of the base film, a conductive member that is formed in a line pattern on the other surface of the base film and generates heat when supplied with current. A resist provided on the other surface of the base film so as to cover the conductive member, and the base film is cut into a pattern following the line pattern of the conductive member, A transfer type line heater that adheres the adhesive to the lamp lens and transfers the conductive member of a line pattern to the lamp lens;
The lamp lens is provided with a prism portion that controls light distribution from the light source and irradiates the outside, and a flat portion for transferring the line heater, respectively.
A vehicular lamp characterized by the above.   The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the flat portion is provided at a position lower than a vertex of the prism portion.   2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the planar portion is provided at a position having a height equivalent to a vertex of the prism portion or higher than a vertex of the prism portion.   4. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein a width of the flat portion is equal to or substantially equal to a pitch of the prism portion. 5.

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