JP2022116679A - Planar heater and vehicular lamp fitting - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a planar heater which achieves improvement of the visual quality while inhibiting increase of manufacturing costs, and to provide a vehicular lamp fitting including the planar heater.SOLUTION: A planar heater 20 includes: a transparent substrate; a transparent planar heating part 22 disposed on the transparent substrate; and light emitting parts 24 which are disposed at the same side as the planar heating part 22 on the transparent substrate so as to avoid overlapping with the planar heating part 22. A vehicular lamp fitting 10 includes the planar heater 20 and an outer lens 14. The planar heater 20 is disposed on the outer lens 14 or facing the outer lens 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a planar heater and a vehicle lamp including the planar heater.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle indicator lamp using a surface-emitting display panel such as organic EL (Electroluminescence) is known to have a resistance heating heater for melting snow. The display panel and the heater are arranged inside the outer cover, and the outer cover, the display panel and the heater are overlapped with each other and integrated. The heating part of this heater is made of a transparent material such as indium tin oxide (ITO), and has optical transparency (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-212463 A

The inventor of the present invention has studied the above vehicle marker lamp, and has come to recognize the following problems. The heater is provided with a power supply section for supplying power to the heat generating section, and a wiring from a power supply is connected to the power supply section. The power supply is typically made of an opaque conductive material such as copper or aluminum. The heater is adhered to the inner side of the outer cover or supported by a frame and placed close to the outer cover so that the entire heater can be exposed to the outside. While the heat-generating part is transparent, there is a concern that the opaque power supply part and frame will stand out unfavorably and spoil the appearance of the lamp. Although the appearance can be improved by providing a blindfold for the power supply part and the frame, the structure becomes complicated and it may lead to an increase in manufacturing cost.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and one of the exemplary objects of certain aspects thereof is to provide a planar heater capable of suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost while improving its appearance, and a vehicle equipped with such a planar heater. To provide a lighting fixture for

In order to solve the above problems, a planar heater according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a transparent substrate; a transparent planar heating portion disposed on the transparent substrate; and a light-emitting portion arranged non-overlapping with the planar heat-generating portion.

According to this aspect, the light-emitting portion emits light and attracts the viewer's eyes to it, so that the power feeding portion to the planar heat generating portion becomes inconspicuous and the appearance of the planar heater is improved. In addition, since the planar heat-generating portion and the light-emitting portion are arranged on the same side of the transparent substrate so as not to overlap, for example, they are formed at the same time (the layers included in the planar heat-generating portion and the light-emitting portion are formed by the same film forming process. It is possible to provide a planar heater incorporating a light-emitting portion while adopting a method for suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost as much as possible, such as forming it on a transparent substrate.

The planar heat-generating portion has a power supply portion to the planar heat-generating portion on its outer edge, and at least a part of the light emitting portion extends along the power-supplying portion outside the power-supplying portion of the planar heat-generating portion. may In this way, since the light-emitting portion extends along the power supply portion, the light emission of the light-emitting portion makes the power supply portion less conspicuous, which helps improve the appearance of the planar heater.

The power feeding portion of the planar heating portion has a smaller width in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the light emitting portion than the light emitting portion. Thus, by making the power feeding portion of the planar heat generating portion narrower than the light emitting portion, it is possible to make the power feeding portion inconspicuous.

The planar heating portion may have a first transparent electrode layer that functions as a resistance heating heater. The light emitting section may have a light emitting layer and a second transparent electrode layer interposed between the light emitting layer and the transparent substrate. The second transparent electrode layer may be arranged separately from the first transparent electrode layer on the transparent substrate. By doing so, it is possible to provide a practical mounting of the planar heat generating portion and the light emitting portion on the transparent substrate.

The first transparent electrode layer may be made of the same material as either the second transparent electrode layer or the power feeding portion to the light emitting portion. In this way, since the same material is used, the first transparent electrode layer can be formed at the same time using the film formation process of the second transparent electrode layer or the film formation process of the power supply portion to the light emitting portion. can be done. Efficient manufacturing is possible and an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed as compared with the case of forming the first transparent electrode layer in a separate process.

The planar heat generating portion may have an infrared emitting layer and a transparent electrode layer interposed between the infrared emitting layer and the transparent substrate. The light-emitting portion may have a light-emitting layer, and a transparent electrode layer, which is the same layer as the transparent electrode layer of the planar heat-generating portion, may be interposed between the light-emitting layer and the transparent substrate. By doing so, it is possible to provide a practical mounting of the planar heat generating portion and the light emitting portion on the transparent substrate.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle lamp. A vehicle lamp includes the planar heater according to any one of the aspects described above and an outer lens. A planar heater is arranged on or facing the outer lens.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the planar heater which improved appearance, and the vehicle lamp provided with such a planar heater while suppressing the increase in manufacturing cost can be provided.

1 is a schematic front view showing a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 1 taken along line AA. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the planar heater shown in FIG. 1; 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of connection between the planar heater and the connection circuit board shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the planar heater shown in FIG. 1 taken along line BB. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a planar heater according to another embodiment; FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle lamp according to still another embodiment;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative rather than limiting the invention, and not all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent constituent elements, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplication of description will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the scale and shape of each part shown in each drawing are set for convenience in order to facilitate the explanation, and should not be construed as limiting unless otherwise mentioned. In addition, terms such as "first" and "second" used in this specification or claims do not represent any order or degree of importance, but are used to distinguish one configuration from another. is. Also, in each drawing, some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a vehicle lamp 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp 10 shown in FIG. 1 along line AA. The vehicle lamp 10 is a vehicle headlamp device having a pair of headlamp units arranged on the left and right sides of the front part of a vehicle (for example, an automobile). Since the pair of headlight units have substantially the same configuration, FIGS. 1 and 2 show the structure of the headlight unit arranged on either the left or right side as the vehicle lamp 10. FIG.

A vehicle lamp 10 includes a lamp body 12 having a recess opening forward, and an outer lens 14 closing the opening of the lamp body 12 . The outer lens 14 is a light transmissive cover and is also called an outer cover. The lamp body 12 and the outer lens 14 are coupled to each other to form a lamp chamber 16 for housing the constituent elements of the vehicle lamp 10 therebetween.

The vehicle lamp 10 also includes a planar heater 20 arranged inside the outer lens 14 (that is, inside the lamp chamber 16). In this embodiment, the planar heater 20 is arranged on the outer lens 14 . The planar heater 20 may be fixed to the outer lens 14 by bonding to the inner surface of the outer lens 14, for example. The planar heater 20 may be formed in a film shape and have flexibility so that it may follow the shape of the inner surface of the outer lens 14 .

Alternatively, the planar heater 20 may be arranged facing the outer lens 14 . In this case, the planar heater 20 may be arranged with some gap from the outer lens 14 by being supported by the outer lens 14 (or by the lamp body 12).

In order to supply power to the planar heater 20, the planar heater 20 can be connected to a power supply (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) through the connection circuit board 18. FIG. The connection circuit board 18 may be, for example, a flexible printed circuit board (FPC). The connection circuit board 18 may be connected to the outer edge of the planar heater 20 and extend from there to the lamp body 12 side. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 1, the connection circuit board 18 can be made invisible when the vehicle lamp 10 is viewed from the front. Alternatively, a blind member such as an extension may be provided in the lamp chamber 16 to hide the connection circuit board 18 from being seen from the front.

The planar heater 20 is elongated in its longitudinal direction. The longitudinal direction of the planar heater 20 is the left-right direction in FIG. 1 and corresponds to the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the connection circuit board 18 may be connected to the planar heater 20 at the longitudinal ends of the planar heater 20, for example.

The planar heater 20 includes a planar heating portion 22 and a light emitting portion 24 . The planar heat generating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 are arranged adjacent to each other on the planar heater 20 so as not to overlap each other when viewed from the front. In this embodiment, the light-emitting portion 24 is provided so as to at least partially surround the planar heat-generating portion 22 . A planar heat generating portion 22 is arranged in the central portion of the planar heater 20, and a light emitting portion 24 is arranged along at least a part of the outer periphery thereof. The light emitting part 24 is configured as a linear or planar light emitting element.

As an example, one planar heating portion 22 and two light emitting portions 24 are provided on the planar heater 20 . Most of the area of the planar heater 20 serves as a planar heating portion 22 , and the light emitting portions 24 are arranged along the upper and lower edges of the planar heating portion 22 . The planar heat generating portion 22 is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the planar heater 20, and the light emitting portions 24 are also extended on both sides of the planar heat generating portion 22 along the longitudinal direction. Comparing the width of the planar heat generating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (hereinafter also referred to as the width direction), the width of the light emitting portion 24 is smaller than that of the planar heat generating portion 22 . The lateral direction of the planar heater 20 is the vertical direction in FIG. 1 and corresponds to the vertical direction.

Note that the planar heat-generating portion 22 and the light-emitting portion 24 are not limited to the specific arrangement illustrated. For example, the side edge connecting the upper edge and the lower edge (for example, the side opposite to the edge of the planar heater 20 to which the connection circuit board 18 is connected, and the right edge of the planar heating portion 22 in FIG. 1). A light emitting unit 24 may be provided. Alternatively, the light emitting portion 24 may be provided over the entire circumference of the planar heat generating portion 22 . Alternatively, contrary to the illustrated example, the light-emitting portion 24 may be arranged in the central portion of the planar heater 20, and the planar heat-generating portion 22 may be arranged along at least part of the outer periphery thereof. A plurality of planar heating portions 22 may be provided on the planar heater 20 . Also, a single or three or more light emitting units 24 may be provided on the planar heater 20 . In addition, the planar heat generating section 22 and the light emitting section 24 may be arranged on the planar heater 20 in various arrangement patterns.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the circuit configuration of the planar heater 20 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of connection between the planar heater 20 and the connection circuit board 18 shown in FIG.

The planar heating portion 22 of the planar heater 20 is provided with a first anode power supply portion 26 and a first cathode power supply portion 28 . The first anode power supply portion 26 is connected to the first anode terminal portion 30 of the connection circuit board 18 , and the first cathode power supply portion 28 is connected to the first cathode terminal portion 32 of the connection circuit board 18 . The connection circuit board 18 connects the first anode terminal portion 30 to the positive electrode of the first power source 34 and connects the first cathode terminal portion 32 to the negative electrode of the first power source 34 . In this manner, the first power source 34 can supply power to the planar heat generating portion 22 via the connection circuit board 18 .

A second anode power feeder 36 and a second cathode power feeder 38 are provided for each of the two light emitting parts 24 . The second anode power supply portion 36 is connected to the second anode terminal portion 40 of the connection circuit board 18 , and the second cathode power supply portion 38 is connected to the second cathode terminal portion 42 of the connection circuit board 18 . The connection circuit board 18 connects the second anode terminal portion 40 to the positive electrode of the second power source 44 and connects the second cathode terminal portion 42 to the negative electrode of the second power source 44 . In this manner, the second power supply 44 can supply power to the light emitting section 24 via the connection circuit board 18 . Further, since the planar heat generating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 are connected to separate power sources, they can be operated separately.

As shown in FIG. 4, the planar heat-generating portion 22 has power feeding portions (that is, first anode power feeding portion 26 and first cathode power feeding portion 28) on its outer edge. In this embodiment, the first anode power feeding portion 26 and the first cathode power feeding portion 28 are respectively provided at the upper edge and the lower edge of the planar heat generating portion 22 and extend along the longitudinal direction.

The planar heat-generating portion 22 can be formed of a transparent conductive material such as ITO as will be described later. Generally, due to its physical properties, the transparent conductive material has an electrical resistance value higher than that of a frequently used opaque conductive material such as copper. tends to be high. By arranging the power feeding portions (that is, the first anode power feeding portion 26 and the first cathode power feeding portion 28) of the planar heat generating portion 22 along the longitudinal direction, these power feeding portions sandwich the planar heat generating portion 22. Thus, the distance between the power feeding parts can be shortened compared to the case where the power feeding parts are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction. Thereby, the planar heat-generating portion 22 can be operated at a lower voltage.

At least part of the light-emitting portion 24 extends outside the power feeding portion of the planar heating portion 22 along the power feeding portion. The light-emitting portion 24 may extend along the power supply portion of the planar heat-generating portion 22 over its entire length, or part of the light-emitting portion 24 may extend along the power-supply portion of the planar heat-generating portion. . In other words, at least a portion of the power feeding portion to the planar heat generating portion 22 is arranged at the boundary portion between the planar heat generating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 . In this way, since the light emitting portion 24 extends along the power supply portion of the planar heat generating portion 22, the light emitted from the light emitting portion 24 makes the power supplying portion of the planar heat generating portion 22 less conspicuous. Helps improve the appearance of

The power supply portion of the planar heat generating portion 22 has a width W1 in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the light emitting portion 24 (in this example, a lateral direction) smaller than a width W2 of the light emitting portion 24 (W1<W2). The feed is typically formed of an opaque conductive material such as copper, aluminum, or the like. However, by making the power feeding portion of the planar heating portion 22 narrower than the light emitting portion 24, the power feeding portion can be made inconspicuous.

In practice, the feed may be formed as a thin wire so as to be substantially invisible. The power feeding portion may be formed in a linear shape of, for example, 1 mm or less (for example, about 100 μm). In this way, the feed can be made little or no noticeable.

A power feeding portion for the light emitting portion 24 is provided at the outer edge portion of the light emitting portion 24 . The second anode power supply portion 36 is provided at the upper edge or lower edge of the light emitting portion 24 and extends along the longitudinal direction for efficient power supply to a transparent anode (described later) of the light emitting portion 24 . In the illustrated example, the second anode feeding portion 36 is provided outside the light emitting portion 24, but is provided inside the light emitting portion 24 (that is, the boundary portion between the planar heat generating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24). may be The second anode feeding portion 36 can also be formed in a thin wire shape so as to be substantially invisible. Since the cathode of the light emitting section 24 can be made of a material with a low electric resistance such as copper, the second cathode power supply section 38 does not need to extend in the longitudinal direction, and is arranged at the end of the light emitting section 24. there is

The planar heater 20 and the connection circuit board 18 are connected using an anisotropic conductive film (ACF). By turning over the connection circuit board 18 shown in FIG. They are electrically connected with the conductive film interposed therebetween.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the planar heater 20 shown in FIG. 1 taken along line BB. FIG. 5 schematically shows the layer structure of each of the planar heating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 of the planar heater 20 .

The planar heater 20 has a transparent substrate 50 on which the planar heating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 are formed. The light-emitting portion 24 is arranged on the same side of the transparent substrate 50 as the planar heat-generating portion 22 so as not to overlap with the planar heat-generating portion 22 . The planar heat generating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 are adjacent to each other on the transparent substrate 50, but are arranged separately.

The transparent substrate 50 is, for example, a film-like substrate made of a synthetic resin material having optical transparency. Alternatively, the transparent substrate 50 may be made of other transparent materials such as, for example, glass. The transparent substrate 50 is, for example, colorless and transparent, but may be colored and transparent depending on the application. The transparent substrate 50 also serves as a barrier layer for preventing moisture, oxygen, and the like from entering the light emitting section 24 from the outside. When the planar heater 20 is adhered to the outer lens 14, the surface (lower surface in FIG. 5) of the transparent substrate 50 opposite to the surface (upper surface in FIG. 5) on which the planar heating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 are provided. adhesive may be applied to the

The planar heating portion 22 is formed on a transparent substrate 50 and includes a first transparent electrode layer 52 that functions as a resistance heating type heater. The first transparent electrode layer 52 has optical transparency. Therefore, the first transparent electrode layer 52 is made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO. Alternatively, the first transparent electrode layer 52 may be a mesh electrode made of an opaque conductive material such as copper. The first transparent electrode layer 52 is also colorless and transparent, for example, but may be colored and transparent depending on the application. The first anode feeding portion 26 and the first cathode feeding portion 28 are respectively provided along the edge of the first transparent electrode layer 52 and electrically connected to the first transparent electrode layer 52 . In this manner, the planar heating portion 22 is configured as a transparent film heater.

The light emitting section 24 is formed on the transparent substrate 50 and includes a second transparent electrode layer 54 that functions as an anode of the light emitting section 24 in this embodiment. The second transparent electrode layer 54 is made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO. The second transparent electrode layer 54 is arranged on the transparent substrate 50 so as to be separated from the first transparent electrode layer of the planar heating portion 22 .

The second transparent electrode layer 54 may be made of the same material as the first transparent electrode layer 52 (for example, ITO). In this way, since the same material is used, the first transparent electrode layer 52 and the second transparent electrode layer 54 can be simultaneously formed using the same film forming process. Efficient manufacturing is possible and an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed compared to the case where the first transparent electrode layer 52 and the second transparent electrode layer 54 are formed in separate steps.

Alternatively, the first transparent electrode layer 52 may be made of the same material (for example, copper) as the power supply section for the light emitting section 24 (or the planar heat generating section 22). In this case, the first transparent electrode layer 52 may be a mesh electrode. In this way, the first transparent electrode layer 52 and the power supply portion can be formed simultaneously using the same film forming process. Compared to the case where the first transparent electrode layer 52 and the power supply portion are formed in separate steps, efficient manufacturing is possible, and an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

In addition to the second transparent electrode layer 54 , the light emitting section 24 includes a light emitting layer 56 , a cathode layer 58 and a barrier layer 60 , which are laminated on the transparent substrate 50 in order. A second transparent electrode layer 54 is interposed between the light emitting layer 56 and the transparent substrate 50 . The light emitting layer 56 is made of an organic EL material. When a voltage is applied between the second transparent electrode layer 54 and the cathode layer 58, the light emitting layer 56 can emit light in visible light. Cathode layer 58 is formed of an opaque conductive material such as copper or aluminum. The barrier layer 60 is provided together with the transparent substrate 50 to prevent moisture, oxygen, and the like from entering the light emitting section 24 . The second anode feeding portion 36 is provided along the edge of the second transparent electrode layer 54 and electrically connected to the second transparent electrode layer 54 . As described above with reference to FIG. 4 , the second cathode power supply section 38 is arranged at the end of the light emitting section 24 and electrically connected to the cathode layer 58 . In this manner, the light emitting section 24 is configured as a film-shaped organic EL element.

The feeder portions (that is, the first anode feeder portion 26 and the first cathode feeder portion 28 ) of the planar heating portion 22 are not electrically connected to the light emitting portion 24 . As shown in the figure, the barrier layer 60 is interposed between the power feeding portion of the planar heat generating portion 22 and each layer of the light emitting portion 24, so that the planar heat generating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 are electrically insulated. good.

A transparent conductive material may be used for the cathode layer 58 . In this case, both electrode layers of the light emitting section 24 are transparent, so the second transparent electrode layer 54 can be used as a cathode and the other transparent electrode (cathode layer 58 in FIG. 5) can be used as an anode. The barrier layer 60 may also be made of a transparent material, and the light emitting section 24 may be configured as a transparent organic EL element.

By the way, when the vehicle lamp 10 is installed in the vehicle, the outer surface of the outer lens 14 is exposed to the external environment. During snowfall, snow may adhere to or freeze on the outer lens 14 . According to the planar heater 20 according to the embodiment, power is supplied from the first power supply 34 to the planar heat-generating portion 22 through the connection circuit board 18, thereby causing the planar heat-generating portion 22 to generate heat to heat the outer lens 14. It can melt snow and ice that stick to it.

Further, according to the planar heater 20 according to the embodiment, the light emitting section 24 can be caused to emit light by supplying power from the second power source 44 to the light emitting section 24 through the connection circuit board 18 . Light emitted by the light emitting portion 24 is emitted from the lamp chamber 16 to the outside through the outer lens 14 . The light-emitting part 24 emits light and attracts the viewer's eyes, so that the power feeding part to the planar heat generating part 22 becomes inconspicuous and the appearance of the planar heater 20 is improved. The light emitting section 24 may function as a light source of the vehicle lamp 10 .

As described above, since the planar heat-generating portion 22 and the light-emitting portion 24 are arranged on the same side of the transparent substrate 50 so as not to overlap, for example, they are formed simultaneously (the first transparent electrode layer 52 of the planar heat-generating portion 22). and the second transparent electrode layer 54 of the light emitting unit 24 are formed on the transparent substrate 50 using the same film formation process), while adopting a method to suppress the increase in manufacturing cost as much as possible, the surface shape incorporating the light emitting unit 24 A heater 20 may be provided.

FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a planar heater 20 according to another embodiment. Similar to FIG. 5, FIG. 6 schematically shows the layer structure of each of the planar heating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 of the planar heater 20. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the planar heat generating portion 22 is configured as an infrared light emitting element, for example, an infrared light emitting organic EL element. , but the remainder can be configured in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

The planar heat generating portion 22 is formed on the transparent substrate 50 and includes a transparent electrode layer 62 functioning as an anode of the planar heat generating portion 22 in this embodiment. In addition to the transparent electrode layer 62, the planar heat generating portion 22 includes an infrared emitting layer 64, another transparent electrode layer 66 functioning as a cathode, and a barrier layer 68, which are laminated on the transparent substrate 50 in this order. there is A transparent electrode layer 62 as an anode is interposed between the infrared emitting layer 64 and the transparent substrate 50 . These two transparent electrode layers are made of a transparent conductive material such as ITO. The infrared emitting layer 64 is made of an organic EL material capable of emitting infrared light when a voltage is applied between the two transparent electrode layers. Known organic EL materials capable of emitting infrared light can be used. The infrared light emitting layer 64 is a thin film (for example, several hundred micrometers thick) and substantially transparent. The barrier layer 68 is provided together with the transparent substrate 50 to prevent moisture, oxygen, and the like from entering the planar heat generating portion 22 . Barrier layer 68 may be formed of a transparent material. In this manner, the planar heating portion 22 is configured as a transparent film-like infrared organic EL element. The planar heat generating portion 22 is, for example, colorless and transparent, but may be colored and transparent depending on the application.

The light emitting section 24 is formed on the transparent substrate 50 and includes a transparent electrode layer 62 that functions as an anode of the light emitting section 24 in this embodiment. As can be understood from FIG. 6, this transparent electrode layer 62 is the same layer as the transparent electrode layer 62 of the planar heating portion 22 . In addition to the transparent electrode layer 62 , the light emitting section 24 includes a light emitting layer 56 and a cathode layer 58 , which are laminated on the transparent substrate 50 in order. A transparent electrode layer 62 is interposed between the light emitting layer 56 and the transparent substrate 50 . The light-emitting layer 56 is made of an organic EL material, and can emit visible light when a voltage is applied between the transparent electrode layer 62 and the cathode layer 58 . Cathode layer 58 is formed of an opaque conductive material such as copper or aluminum. In addition, the barrier layer 68 covers not only the planar heating portion 22 but also the light emitting portion 24 so as to prevent moisture, oxygen, etc. from entering the light emitting portion 24 .

Since the transparent electrode layer 62 is common to the planar heating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24, it can be formed on the transparent substrate 50 in one film forming process. Compared to the case where separate transparent electrode layers are formed on the planar heat generating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24, efficient manufacturing is possible, and an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

Anode power supply portions 70 are provided along both edges of the transparent electrode layer 62 and are electrically connected to the transparent electrode layer 62 . The anode power supply portion 70 is provided as a positive side power supply portion common to the planar heat generating portion 22 and the light emitting portion 24 . The anode feeding section 70 is connected to the positive side electrode of the power supply via the connection circuit board 18 . Also, the cathode power supply portion 72 for the planar heat generating portion 22 is provided along the edge of the transparent electrode layer 66 and electrically connected to the transparent electrode layer 66 . As described above with reference to FIG. 4 , the second cathode power supply 38 for the light emitting section 24 is arranged at the end of the light emitting section 24 and electrically connected to the cathode layer 58 . The cathode power supply portion 72 and the second cathode power supply portion 38 are connected to the negative electrode of the power supply via the connection circuit board 18 . In this way, by supplying power to the planar heater 20 from the power supply through the connection circuit board 18, the planar heating portion 22 can generate heat and the light emitting portion 24 can emit light.

Even in this way, it is possible to provide the planar heater 20 with an improved appearance while suppressing an increase in manufacturing costs, and the vehicle lamp 10 including such a planar heater 20 .

A transparent conductive material may be used for the cathode layer 58 . In this case, the transparent electrode layer 66 and the cathode layer 58 may be made of the same material. In this way, the transparent electrode layer 66 and the cathode layer 58 can be formed simultaneously using the same film forming process. Compared to the case where the transparent electrode layer 66 and the cathode layer 58 are formed in separate processes, efficient manufacturing is possible, and an increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, but may be combined with the embodiments and modifications, or added with further modifications such as various design changes based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Embodiments and modifications in which such combinations or further modifications are added are also included in the scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments and modifications, and new embodiments resulting from combinations of the above-described embodiments and modifications with the following modifications, combine the effects of the combined embodiments, modifications, and further modifications. Have.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle lamp 10 according to still another embodiment. The vehicle lamp 10 may include an additional light emitter 80 together with the planar heater 20 . An additional light emitter 80 is arranged in the lamp chamber 16 and supported by the outer lens 14 or the lamp body 12, similar to the planar heater 20. As shown in FIG. The light emitter 80 may be, for example, a planar light emitting device such as an organic EL light emitting device, or another light source such as an LED.

As an example, the light emitter 80 may be arranged behind the planar heater 20 . The light emitter 80 may be integrated with the planar heater 20 by, for example, adhesion, or may be arranged with a gap from the planar heater 20 . In this case, the light emitting portion of the light emitter 80 may be arranged behind the planar heat generating portion 22 of the planar heater 20 . Since the planar heating portion 22 is transparent, the light emitted from the light emitter 80 is emitted to the outside through the planar heater 20 and the outer lens 14 .

A non-light-emitting portion (for example, a power supply portion) of the light-emitting body 80 may be arranged behind the light-emitting portion 24 of the planar heater 20 . In this way, the non-light-emitting portion of the light-emitting body 80 can be made less conspicuous by the light-emitting portion 24, and the appearance of the vehicle lamp 10 can be improved.

Although the planar heater 20 is provided inside the outer lens 14 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. In one embodiment, the planar heater 20 may be provided on the outside of the outer lens 14 and may be adhered to the outer surface of the outer lens 14, for example.

The light-emitting portion 24 of the planar heater 20 is not limited to organic EL elements. The light emitting section 24 may be another EL element such as an inorganic EL element, or another light emitting element.

In the above-described embodiment, a headlamp is exemplified as the vehicle lamp 10 . However, the vehicular lamp is not limited to this, and the planar heater 20 according to the embodiment includes a turn signal lamp, a stop lamp, a clearance lamp, a daytime running lamp, a cornering lamp, a hazard lamp, a position lamp, a back lamp, It can be widely applied to various vehicle lamps such as fog lamps.

Although the present invention has been described using specific terms based on the embodiments, the embodiments only show one aspect of the principle and application of the present invention, and the embodiments do not include the claims. Many variations and rearrangements are permissible without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in its scope.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Vehicle lamp 14 Outer lens 20 Planar heater 22 Planar heating part 24 Light emitting part 50 Transparent substrate 52 First transparent electrode layer 54 Second transparent electrode layer 56 Light emitting layer 62 Transparent electrode layer , 64 infrared-emitting layer.

Claims (7)

a transparent substrate;
a transparent planar heat generating portion disposed on the transparent substrate;
A planar heater comprising: a light-emitting portion arranged on the transparent substrate on the same side as the planar heating portion so as not to overlap with the planar heating portion. The planar heat-generating portion has a power feeding portion to the planar heat-generating portion at its outer edge,
2. The planar heater according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the light emitting portion extends along the power feeding portion outside the power feeding portion of the planar heat generating portion. 3. The planar heater according to claim 2, wherein the power feeding portion of the planar heating portion has a smaller width in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the light emitting portion than that of the light emitting portion. The planar heating part has a first transparent electrode layer functioning as a resistance heating heater,
The light-emitting portion has a light-emitting layer and a second transparent electrode layer interposed between the light-emitting layer and the transparent substrate,
4. The planar heater according to claim 1, wherein the second transparent electrode layer is arranged on the transparent substrate so as to be separated from the first transparent electrode layer. 5. The planar heater according to claim 4, wherein the first transparent electrode layer is made of the same material as either the second transparent electrode layer or the power feeding portion to the light emitting portion. The planar heating part has an infrared emitting layer and a transparent electrode layer interposed between the infrared emitting layer and the transparent substrate,
3. The light-emitting portion has a light-emitting layer, and a transparent electrode layer, which is the same layer as the transparent electrode layer of the planar heat-generating portion, is interposed between the light-emitting layer and the transparent substrate. 4. The planar heater according to any one of 1 to 3. a planar heater according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
and an outer lens,
The vehicle lamp, wherein the planar heater is arranged on the outer lens or facing the outer lens.

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