JP2023030572A - Illumination device for vehicle, and circuit board - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a circuit board which can be continuously arranged even when emitting light in different modes.SOLUTION: An illumination device 10 for a vehicle comprises a plurality of circuit boards 12 mounted with at least one light source 16, and a connector member 20 for electrically connecting the adjacent circuit board 12, wherein the circuit boards 12 are formed in a bent shape, each have notch parts 15 so that central parts in a width direction are retreated toward the central side in a longitudinal direction both ends in the longitudinal direction, and has a pair of connection terminals 18 electrically connected to the light source 16 between the notch parts 15, when one end in the longitudinal direction of the one circuit board 12A and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board 12B are abutted to each other, and an opening is formed by the mutual notch parts 15 at the abutted part of both of the circuit boards 12A and 12B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting device and a circuit board.

2. Description of the Related Art A lighting device is generally installed in a passenger compartment of a vehicle such as a vehicle for the purpose of enhancing visibility and convenience at night or in a dark place, or for the purpose of enhancing design. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a configuration in which first and second lighting devices having the same structure are connected in series to the ceiling of a railway vehicle so that power feeding paths are different.

Specifically, in each lighting device, a plurality of unit LED modules are connected in series, and each unit LED module includes a substrate on which a plurality of LEDs are mounted, and a pair of positive and negative wires connected to the plurality of LEDs. A wire and a pair of positive and negative wires that are not connected to a plurality of LEDs. The first lighting device and the second lighting device are arranged such that the wiring pairs connected to the plurality of LEDs in the first lighting device are connected to the wiring pairs not connected to the LEDs in the second lighting device. Wire pairs that are not connected to a plurality of LEDs in one lighting device are cross-connected so as to be connected to wire pairs that are connected to LEDs in a second lighting device. According to such a configuration, it is possible to control the light emission modes of the first lighting device and the second lighting device having the same structure with or without synchronization.

Japanese Patent No. 6550037 JP 2012-243462 A

By the way, according to the above configuration, in order to make the light emission mode different for each lighting device, in addition to wiring pairs for controlling the light emission of the LEDs mounted on the unit LED module, different unit LED modules It is necessary to provide wiring pairs for controlling the light emission of the LEDs mounted in the light emitting modes. Further, as the number of light emitting modes increases, there is a problem that a substrate space for providing an extra wiring pair that is not used in the unit LED module is required. Also, in order to make the lighting devices emit light in different modes, it is necessary to cross-connect the lighting devices. For example, as shown in Patent Document 2, two unit LED modules cannot be arranged in series. First, there is a problem that the arrangement interval of the LEDs differs between one unit LED module and the other unit LED module.

An object of the present technology is to provide a circuit board that can be arranged continuously even when emitting light in different modes. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lighting device using this circuit board.

In order to solve the above problems, the present technology is a lighting device for a vehicle that includes a plurality of circuit boards on which at least one light source is mounted, and a connector member that electrically connects the adjacent circuit boards. I will provide a. Here, the circuit board has a belt-like shape, and at both ends in the longitudinal direction, the circuit board is provided with cutouts formed by recessing the central portion in the width direction toward the center in the longitudinal direction, and between the cutouts, A pair of connection terminals electrically connected to the light source is provided, and one end along the longitudinal direction of one of the circuit boards is brought into contact with the other end along the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board. At this time, an opening is formed by the mutual cutout portions at the contact portions of both circuit boards.

According to the above configuration, by connecting the plurality of circuit boards with the connector member, it is possible to realize a long vehicle lighting device having a desired length. At this time, the circuit boards can be arranged spaced apart, but they can also be arranged continuously in the longitudinal direction. An opening is formed in communication with the surface of the . Therefore, for example, when circuit boards are continuously arranged and a cable-shaped connector member is connected to a connection terminal on one side of a specific circuit board, the cable portion of the connector member passes through the opening on the other side of the board. can be pulled out for wiring. In other words, when various control wires (cable-shaped connector members) are connected to a plurality of circuit boards and the light sources are caused to emit light in different modes, only the connector members used for controlling the circuit boards are connected to one surface through the openings. Control wires that are pulled out and connected to connection terminals and that are not used for controlling the circuit board can be collectively wired on the other side. This realizes a lighting device for a vehicle that can emit light in various forms even when the circuit boards are arranged continuously (with zero gap), for example.

In a preferred aspect, the pair of connection terminals are arranged at the edges of the notch, and the connector member includes a main body, one of the main bodies, and the other opposite to the one. and a pair of connector-side terminal portions that protrude from and engage with the connection terminals, wherein the first connector member includes one end along the longitudinal direction of one of the circuit boards and the other and the other end along the longitudinal direction of the circuit board, the pair of connector-side terminal portions are connected to one of the connection terminals of the circuit board while the main body portion is arranged in the opening. and other connection terminals of the circuit board. According to the first connector member configured as described above, when a plurality of circuit boards are continuously arranged along the longitudinal direction, the first connector member is arranged in the opening to connect the circuit boards in a straight line. be able to.

In a preferred aspect, the circuit board is a double-sided board, the pair of connection terminals are provided on the surface of the circuit board opposite to the side on which the light source is provided, and the connector member comprises: and a second connector member including a cable-shaped wiring portion and a pair of connector-side terminal portions provided at both ends of the wiring portion and fitted to the pair of connection terminals. According to the above configuration, the plurality of circuit boards can not only be arranged linearly, but can also be arranged, for example, in an arcuate shape with an arbitrary curvature, or can be bent at an arbitrary angle. In addition, it is possible to not only arrange a plurality of circuit boards continuously along the arrangement direction, but also to arrange them apart from each other. Thus, while using the same circuit board, the circuit boards (light sources) can be arranged in an arbitrary pattern, and various designs can be realized by light emission.

In a preferred aspect, the optical device further includes a lens member capable of transmitting visible light, supporting the circuit board along both widthwise ends thereof, and covering the light source. According to the above configuration, the circuit board can be stably supported, and the light source can be prevented from being contaminated with dirt or the like from the outside. Also, the light emitted from the light source can be diffused at the lens member. Therefore, in a form using an LED, which is a point light source with strong directivity, as a light source, strong light from the light source can be converted into soft light and emitted. In particular, in a mode in which the lens member is sufficiently longer than the circuit board, it is possible to stably support a plurality of circuit boards in a linearly arranged state. Such a configuration is preferable because it is applied to a vehicle lighting device that is attached to a vehicle that vibrates during driving, so that the above effects become even more pronounced.

In the present technology, the material constituting the lens member may be any material as long as it can transmit visible light, and preferably has a total light transmittance of 20% as defined in ISO 13468-1 (2019). Say the above. The total light transmittance is preferably 25% or more, 30% or more, 35% or more, and preferably 90% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less.

In a preferred aspect, the lens member includes a pair of wall portions extending along the longitudinal direction while facing each other, and a bottom portion continuous with the pair of wall portions, the pair of wall portions facing each other. The surfaces are provided with supporting portions that protrude toward the other surface and support the both ends of the circuit board in the width direction. Since the lens member having the above structure has a constant cross-sectional shape that intersects with the longitudinal direction, it can be manufactured simply and at low cost by, for example, an extrusion method. Further, when the circuit board is supported by the supporting portion, the light emitted from the light source can enter the lens member in a diffused state due to the space secured between the substrate and the bottom portion. As a result, it is possible to achieve both stable support of the circuit board and uniformity of light.

The lens member is made of a high refractive index material having a refractive index of 1.4 or more. According to the above configuration, the light emitted from the light source can be emitted after being refracted when passing through the lens member. Further, in a lens member covering a plurality of light sources, incident light can be guided inside the lens member depending on the incident angle of light from the light sources. Thereby, the light from the light source can be emitted more uniformly.

In another aspect, the present technology provides the circuit board for use in a vehicle lighting device configured by electrically connecting a plurality of circuit boards on which at least one light source is mounted by a connector member. The circuit board has a belt-like shape, and has cutouts at both ends in the longitudinal direction thereof. When one end along the longitudinal direction of one of the circuit boards and the other end along the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board are brought into contact with each other , an opening is formed by the mutual cutout portions at the abutting portions of the two circuit boards.

In the case of a circuit board on which a light source such as an LED is mounted, it is desirable that the circuit board is constructed using a printed wiring board of one shape because punching of the circuit board is costly. Moreover, it is preferable that a lighting device capable of various light emission controls can be configured using a circuit board of one shape. According to the above configuration, it is possible to construct a circuit board having one configuration using a printed wiring board having one configuration, and realize a lighting device for a vehicle that can emit light from the light source in various configurations as described above. can.

According to the present technology, it is possible to provide a circuit board that can be arranged continuously even when emitting light in different modes.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle in which a vehicle lighting device according to one embodiment is employed; FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing how the vehicle lighting system of FIG. 1 illuminates the floor surface of a vehicle; 3 is another essential part perspective view showing the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2 FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main portion of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2 3 is an exploded perspective view of another essential part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2 3 is an exploded perspective view of another essential part of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 2 1 is a plan view schematically showing a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment; FIG. Cross-sectional view of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of essential parts showing the vehicle lighting device attached to the ceiling of the vehicle in FIG. Enlarged view of the main part of Fig. 11 FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing how the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11 illuminates the ceiling of a vehicle. Cross-sectional view of the vehicle lighting device of FIG. Principal part exploded perspective view of the lighting apparatus for vehicles of FIG. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a circuit board in the vehicle lighting device of FIG. 11; The perspective view which shows the structure of the lighting apparatus for vehicles which concerns on other embodiment. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a vehicle lighting device according to an embodiment; FIG. Cross-sectional view of the vehicle lighting device of FIG.

<<Embodiment 1>>
A vehicle lighting device and a circuit board according to the present technology will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 as appropriate. Reference numerals D1, D2, D3, D4, U, and D shown in each figure respectively correspond to one side along the longitudinal direction of the circuit board in the vehicle lighting device, the other side along the longitudinal direction, the other side along the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the other side, and the other side. It shows up and down in the vertical direction. However, the above directions are merely determined for the sake of explanation of the lighting system for vehicles, and should not be construed as being limited.

In FIG. 1, vehicle lighting devices 10 and 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "lighting devices") are attached to the ceiling and side walls near the floor of a passenger compartment of a vehicle 1 such as an automobile so as to surround the passenger compartment. It shows how it looks. The illumination device 100 attached to the ceiling will be described in the second embodiment. The cabin is roughly surrounded by side walls 2 , flooring 3 and ceiling 4 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the floor material 3 is curved to rise upward at the peripheral edge of the floor surface. A lighting device 10 for illuminating the floor surface is installed in the gap thus formed. The illumination device 10 of the present example has a substantially linear shape, and is designed to be compact in width and height while being long. The lighting device 10 of this example is fixed to a body panel 5 made of metal with a fastening member 9 . The illuminating device 10 includes a plurality of circuit boards 12 and a plurality of connector members 20, as shown in FIG. The illumination device 10 of this embodiment additionally includes a lens member 30 and a cover member 39, as shown in FIG. Each element is described below.

The circuit board 12 is an element that mainly configures the lighting device 10 . The lighting device 10 is constructed by connecting the plurality of circuit boards 12 in a desired shape by the connector members 20 . The circuit board 12 includes a printed wiring board 14, and a light source 16 and connection terminals 18 mounted on the printed wiring board. In addition to the light source 16 and the connection terminals 18, the circuit board 12 includes passive elements such as capacitors and active elements such as Zener diodes for the purpose of stably supplying power to the light source 16. Other electronic elements may be mounted.

The printed wiring board 14 is mainly composed of an insulating substrate, and a predetermined circuit pattern (not shown) is provided on one surface or both surfaces of the substrate. The circuit pattern is designed to electrically connect the light source 16 and the connection terminal 18 . The printed wiring board 14 of this example is a so-called rigid board, for example, a glass epoxy board provided with patterned copper-clad wiring. The printed wiring board 14 has a generally rectangular band shape. Moreover, the printed wiring board 14 has cutout portions 15 formed by retreating toward the center in the longitudinal direction at both longitudinal ends of the printed wiring board 14 . One notch 15 in this example has a substantially U-shape and is recessed from the end of the printed wiring board 14 by a dimension L3. As a result, the printed wiring board 14 has an H-like shape.

The light source 16 is composed of an LED (Light Emitting Diode) element capable of emitting visible light. The circuit board 12 is configured by mounting the light source 16 on the printed wiring board 14 . One light source 16 may be mounted on one circuit board 12, or two or more light sources 16 may be mounted. Four LED elements are arranged at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction on the circuit board 12 of this example. The separation distance L1 between the four LED elements is adjusted to be about twice the distance L2 from the longitudinal end of the printed wiring board 14 to the LED elements at both ends along the longitudinal direction.

The connection terminal 18 is an element that electrically connects the connector member 20 and the circuit pattern of the printed wiring board 14 . The connection terminal 18 of this example constitutes one of the mating interfaces, and includes a socket (female) type housing and a pair of plus and minus terminals arranged in an insulated state inside the housing. ing. The connection terminals 18 are arranged one by one at the edges of the notches 15 at both ends of the printed wiring board 14 . The connection terminals 18 are mounted on the printed wiring board 14 such that the mating direction is along the longitudinal direction of the printed wiring board 14 (in other words, parallel to the surface of the board) and the socket opening faces outward. .

The connector member 20 is an element for electrically connecting to the circuit board 12 and transmitting electric power and electrical signals for control to the circuit board 12 . The connector member 20 constitutes the other fitting interface in the lighting device 10 and has a structure that allows fitting connection with the connection terminal 18 . The connector members 20 are roughly divided into a first connector member 21 that linearly connects two circuit boards 12 with zero gap, and a second connector member 21 that freely connects the circuit board 12 to other electronic components (including the circuit board 12). 2 connector members 22; The connector member 20 may include either one of the first connector member 21 and the second connector member 22, or both of them, depending on the shape of the lighting device. Also, the connector member 20 can include any number of each of the connector members 21 and 22, depending on the configuration of the desired lighting device.

The first connector member 21 is an element that electrically and physically connects the two circuit boards 12 in a state of linear contact (with zero gap). Hereinafter, when it is necessary to distinguish between the two circuit boards 12, one of them will be referred to as the circuit board 12A and the other as the circuit board 12B. As shown in FIG. 4, the first connector member 21 includes a main body portion 21A having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, a connector-side terminal portion 21B protruding from the main body portion 21A to one side, and a connector-side terminal portion 21B protruding to the other side from the main body portion 21A. 21C of terminal parts are provided. The body portion 21A is an element that supports the connector-side terminal portions 21B and 21C. The body portion 21A is configured such that the dimension in the fitting direction along the projecting direction of the connector-side terminal portions 21B and 21C is slightly smaller than the dimension L3 along the longitudinal direction of the notch portion 15 . Further, the main body portion 21A is configured such that its planar shape is slightly smaller than the notch portion 15 . Each of the connector-side terminal portions 21B and 21C is composed of a pair of positive and negative terminals. The connector-side terminal portions 21B and 21C of this example are plug (male) type terminals, and are supported by the body portion 21A so that a pair of plus and minus terminals protrude from the body portion 21A in an insulated state. .

The connector-side terminal portion 21B of the first connector member 21 is fitted and connected to the connection terminal 18 provided at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the one circuit board 12A. Also, the connector-side terminal portion 21C of the first connector member 21 is fitted and connected to the connection terminal 18 provided at the other end portion in the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board 12B. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, one end of the circuit board 12A in the longitudinal direction and the other end of the other circuit board 12B in the longitudinal direction are in contact with each other. The contact portions of the substrates 12A and 12B are formed with openings by the cutout portions 15 of each other. Further, the main body portion 21A of the first connector member 21 is arranged in the openings formed in the contact portions of both the circuit boards 12A and 12B.

The second connector member 22 is an element that freely electrically connects one circuit board 12 and another electronic component without restricting their relative postures. The other electronic component may be the circuit board 12, and the second connector member 22 will be described below using the case where the other electronic component is the circuit board 12 as an example. As shown in FIG. 7, the second connector member 22 includes a wiring portion 22C, a main body portion 22A provided at one end of the wiring portion 22C, and a connector-side terminal portion protruding from the main body portion 22A. 22B; The other end of the wiring portion 22C is provided with a connection terminal portion (not shown) for connecting to another electronic device. The other end of the wiring portion 22C may have the same configuration as the one end, or may have a different configuration. 22 C of wiring parts are comprised by resin-coated copper wire etc., for example, and can be bent. The body portion 22A is an element that supports the connector-side terminal portion 22B. The body portion 22A is configured such that the dimension in the fitting direction along the projecting direction of the connector-side terminal portion 22B is sufficiently smaller than the dimension L3 along the longitudinal direction of the notch portion 15 . Further, the main body portion 21A is configured such that its planar shape is slightly smaller than the notch portion 15 . The connector-side terminal portion 22B is composed of a pair of positive and negative terminals. The connector-side terminal portion 22B of this example is a plug (male) type terminal, and is supported by the body portion 22A so that a pair of plus and minus terminals protrude from the body portion 22A in an insulated state.

8 and 9, the connector-side terminal portion 22B of the second connector member 22 is fitted and connected to the connection terminal 18 provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the one circuit board 12C. . At this time, one end in the longitudinal direction of one circuit board 12C and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board 12B are in contact with each other. , openings are formed by mutual cutouts 15 . Further, the main body portion 22A of the second connector member 22 is arranged in the openings formed in the abutment portions of both circuit boards 12B and 12C, and the wiring portion 22C is arranged from the light source mounting surface of the circuit board 12B. pulled out to the opposite side.

The lens member 30 is an element that covers the light source 16 to prevent the light source 16 from being damaged or soiled. Also, the lens member 30 is an element that diffuses the light emitted from the light source 16 . Further, the lens member 30 of this example also serves as a support member that supports the circuit board 12 along both widthwise ends. The lens member 30 is made of a material that can transmit visible light, and the color of the lens member 30 may be, for example, transparent, milky half color or milky white with high light diffusion. may Such a lens member 30 can be made of, for example, a synthetic resin such as polycarbonate, vinyl chloride resin, or acrylic resin. In particular, by using a synthetic resin material having a high refractive index of 1.4 or more, the light emitted from the light source 16 is refracted when passing through the lens member 30 before being emitted. Depending on the incident angle of the light from the light source 16 , the incident light can be guided inside the lens member 30 . Thereby, the light from the light source 16 can be emitted more uniformly.

The lens member 30 includes a pair of walls 31 and 32 extending in the longitudinal direction while facing each other, and a bottom 33 continuous with the walls 31 and 32 . The lens member 30 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, and is open upward in the example shown in FIG. A support portion 34 for supporting the circuit board 12 is provided on each of the surfaces of the pair of wall portions 31 and 32 facing each other so as to protrude toward the other surface. The support portion 34 of this example is composed of two ridges that extend along the longitudinal direction of the facing surfaces of the walls 31 and 32 while being spaced apart vertically. By inserting both ends of the circuit board 12 in the width direction between the two ridges of the support part 34, the circuit board 12 can be supported from above and below. At this time, the circuit board 12 is attached to the lens member 30 so that the light source mounting surface faces the bottom portion 33 side. According to the lens member 30 having such a configuration, the light emitted from the light source 16 is diffused by the space secured between the substrate 12 and the bottom portion 33 when the circuit board 12 is supported by the support portion 34. can be incident on the lens member 30 at .

The lens member 30 may be as long as one circuit board 12 , or may be any long length capable of supporting a plurality of circuit boards 12 . Such a lens member 30 has a uniform cross-sectional shape perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and can be suitably manufactured by, for example, extruding a thermoplastic resin. The lens member 30 is made of a synthetic resin having elasticity to the extent that it can be slightly bent, so that the circuit board 12 can be attached to the support portion 34 while being bent so as to widen the space between the wall portions 31 and 32. can be done.

In the lens member 30 of this example, one wall portion 31 of the pair of wall portions 31 and 32 is extended so as to have a larger height dimension from the bottom portion 33 than the other wall portion 32 . A plurality of elongated holes 31B are provided in the extended portion 31A of the wall portion 31, and the lens member 30 can be fixed to the body panel 5 using the elongated holes 31B.

The cover member 39 is an element that covers the upward opening of the lens member 30. The cover member 39 has a long plate shape, and its width dimension is slightly smaller than the separation distance between the pair of wall portions 31 and 32. It is designed to be slightly larger than the separation distance between the support portions 34 that are connected to each other. After the circuit board 12 is attached to the lens member 30 , the cover member 39 is placed above the support portion 34 so as to cover the circuit board 12 . Since the circuit board 12 of this example has the notch 15 , by covering it with the cover member 39 , moisture and dust in the air are prevented from entering the inside of the lens member 30 through the notch 15 . be. The cover member 39 may be configured such that the shape of the cross section intersecting the longitudinal direction is curved in order to enhance heat dissipation from the circuit board 12 .

Next, the effect of this technique is demonstrated. According to the present technology, by connecting the plurality of circuit boards 12 with the first connector member 21 and the second connector member 22, it is possible to realize the elongated illumination device 10 having a desired length. At this time, the circuit boards 12 can be arranged at intervals, but can be arranged continuously in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, for example. When they are arranged continuously, an opening is formed between the adjacent circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C to communicate the light source mounting surface (one surface) and the opposite surface (the other surface). . Therefore, for example, when the circuit boards 12 are continuously arranged and the cable-shaped second connector members 22 are connected to the connection terminals 18 on one surface of the specific circuit boards 12A and 12C, the wiring of the second connector members 22 The portion 22C can be drawn out to the opposite surface of the circuit board 12 through the opening for wiring.

As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, when different control wirings (second connector members 22) are connected to the circuit boards 12A, 12B and the circuit board 12C to cause the light source 16 to emit light in different modes, the circuit board 12A A first control wiring (second connector member 22) is connected to one connection terminal 18, a first connector member 21 connects between the circuit boards 12A and 12B, and one connection of the circuit board 12C. A second control wiring (second connector member 22 ) may be connected to the terminal 18 . The other end of the second connector member 22 is arranged on the side opposite to the board mounting surface of the circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C. According to such a configuration, for example, even if the number of control wirings increases, the control wirings do not overlap the light source 16, and the light emitted from the light sources can be prevented from being blocked. In addition, since the circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C can be arranged continuously (with zero gap), the arrangement pitch of the light sources 16 can be kept constant, and uniform light can be emitted in the longitudinal direction. . Furthermore, the light emission control of the circuit boards 12A and 12B by the first control wiring and the light emission control of the circuit board 12C by the second control wiring can be synchronized, or can be independently synchronized. Accordingly, the illumination device 10 that can emit light from the light source 16 in various forms is realized. Such a lighting device 10 is also preferable in that it can be realized by common circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C. In FIG. 10, the plurality of circuit boards 12 are shown divided into two columns, but this is to show that power and control signals are sent through different control wirings. The circuit boards 12 are arranged in a row. Also, in FIG. 10 and the like, gaps are provided between the plurality of circuit boards 12 for convenience, but the plurality of circuit boards 12 are actually arranged continuously (with zero gap).

According to the first connector member 21 configured as described above, when the plurality of circuit boards 12A and 12B are continuously arranged along the longitudinal direction, the first connector member 21 is placed in the opening and the circuit boards 12A and 12B are connected to each other. 12B can be connected in a straight line.

The lens member 30 configured as described above can stably support one or more of the circuit boards 12A, 12B, and 12C, and can prevent the light source 16 from being contaminated with dirt or the like from the outside. can be done. Also, the light emitted from the light source 16 can be diffused at the lens member 30 . Therefore, in a form using an LED, which is a point light source with strong directivity, as the light source 16, the strong light from the light source 16 can be changed into soft light and emitted. In particular, when the lens member 30 is sufficiently longer than the circuit boards 12A, 12B, 12C, it is possible to stably support the plurality of circuit boards 12A, 12B, 12C in a linear arrangement. By applying such a configuration to the lighting device 10 attached to a vehicle that vibrates during driving, the above effects can be exhibited more clearly.

<<Embodiment 2>>
A lighting device 100 according to Embodiment 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 11 to 19. FIG. The illumination device 100 of this embodiment is attached along the periphery of the ceiling material 4 of the vehicle 1 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the ceiling material 4 is composed of a peripheral edge member 4A forming the peripheral edge of the ceiling and a central member 4B protruding in a dome shape upward from the peripheral edge member 4A. A lighting device 100 is installed in a gap formed between the peripheral member 4A and the central member 4B to illuminate the surface of the central member 4B on the passenger compartment side.

The illumination device 100 of this example is generally installed in an elliptical shape in which straight portions and curved portions are combined. Illumination device 100 is designed to be compact in width and height while being long overall. The linear portion has the same configuration as the vehicle lighting device 10 of Embodiment 1, and the curved portion (typically the curved portion shown in FIG. 12) includes the circuit board 12 and the connector member in Embodiment 1. It comprises a circuit board 112, a connector member 120, and a lens member 130, which are different from 20 and lens member 30, respectively. In addition, as shown in FIG. 13, the illumination device 100 of this example does not include the cover member 39 because it is placed on the peripheral edge member 4A with the opening of the lens member 130 facing downward. The configuration and effects other than the points of difference that will be specifically described below may be the same as those of the first embodiment, and descriptions of the similar configurations, operations and effects will be omitted.

In the circuit board 112, the printed wiring board 114 is provided with predetermined circuit patterns (not shown) on both sides, as shown in FIGS. are electrically connected. The light source 16 is mounted on the light source mounting surface 114A, which is one surface of the circuit board 112, and the pair of connection terminals 118 are mounted on the other surface, which is the back surface 114B. These light sources 16 and connection terminals 118 are electrically connected by a circuit pattern. In the connection terminal 118 of this example, the dimension L4 from the end of the printed wiring board 114 toward the center in the longitudinal direction is larger than the dimension L3 of the notch 15, and the dimension L4 of the connection terminal 118 in the longitudinal direction is larger than that of the connection terminal 18. It is arranged on the printed wiring board 114 at a position closer to the center. Each connection terminal 118 has a pair of positive and negative terminals.

The connector member 120 is an element that freely electrically connects two adjacent circuit boards 112 without restricting their relative postures. The connector member 120 is an example of the second connector member 22 in Embodiment 1, and the length of the wiring portion 122C is at least twice the dimension L4 so that the two circuit boards 112 can be spaced apart. It is configured to be longer by the distance. Connector side connection terminals 122A that are fitted and connected to the connection terminals 118 are provided at both ends of the wiring portion 122C. Each connector-side connection terminal 122A has a pair of positive and negative terminals.

By using a combination of the circuit boards 112 and the connector member 120 configured as described above, the plurality of circuit boards 112 can be arranged in a straight line or, for example, in an arc shape with an arbitrary curvature (see FIG. 12, etc.). They can be arranged at any angle. In addition, it is possible to arrange a plurality of circuit boards 112 at intervals along the arrangement direction, and it is also possible to arrange them continuously by bending the wiring part 122C (see FIG. 19 and the like). As a result, while using one circuit board 112, the circuit board 112 (light source 16) can be arranged in an arbitrary pattern (shape), and various designs can be realized by light emission.

As shown in FIG. 14, the pair of walls 131 and 132 of the lens member 130 are configured so that their height dimensions from the bottom 33 are substantially equal. This lens member 130 has a configuration obtained by removing (for example, cutting with a cutter) the extended portion 31A of the lens member 30 in Embodiment 1, although not limited to this. Therefore, although the lens member 130 has a different shape from the lens member 30 at first glance, it is a member that can be easily prepared using the lens member 30 . As shown in FIG. 12, the lens member 130 has a plurality of ribs 135 provided on the peripheral member 4A so that the upper end portion (opening side end portion) of the wall portion 132 and the bottom portion 33 are aligned in the height direction of the lens member 130. As shown in FIG. It can be fixed by pinching with.

<<Other embodiments>>
The technology disclosed here is not limited to those disclosed in the above embodiments, and for example, the following aspects are also included in the technical scope disclosed here. In addition, the technology disclosed herein can be implemented in various modified forms without departing from the essence thereof.

(1) In the above-described embodiments, the printed wiring boards forming the circuit boards 12 and 112 were so-called rigid boards, but the printed wiring boards may be flexible boards, or rigid boards in which these are combined. It may be a flexible substrate. In the lighting devices 10 and 100 intended to be mounted on vehicles, the printed wiring board is preferably a rigid board.

(2) In addition, in the above-described embodiments, there are no restrictions on specific aspects of light emission control of the light sources 16 mounted on the plurality of circuit boards 12 and 112 . For example, the illumination devices 10 and 100 as a whole constitute a line illumination in which each light source 16 is arranged in a long line, and is divided into several parts along the longitudinal direction, and each section may be connected to different control wirings. The illumination devices 10 and 100 may be controlled so that the light emission mode of the light source 16 is different for each section, or may be controlled so that the light emission mode is the same, or a combination thereof. There may be.

(3) Each member constituting the lighting devices 10 and 100 of the above-described embodiments may be provided as assembly parts for the lighting devices 10 and 100, assembly kits for the lighting devices 10 and 100, and the like.

(4) In the above embodiments, the illumination devices 10 and 100 are used to illuminate the floor surface and the ceiling surface, but the lighting target and the overall shape of the illumination device are not limited to these examples. For example, lighting devices may be of various general shapes to illuminate vehicle seats and other parts such as side trims, instrument panels, door trims, and the like.

(5) The hardness of the synthetic resin material forming the lens members 30 and 130 in the above embodiments is not particularly limited. However, in order to facilitate removal of the extended portion 31A of the lens member 30 at a construction site or the like and to facilitate holding of the circuit boards 12 and 112, the synthetic resin material constituting the lens members 30 and 130 is A synthetic resin that does not deform under its own weight but is flexible enough to be bent by a person's fingers is preferable. As an example, a synthetic resin having a hardness of about 20 or more (e.g., 30 or more) and 60 or less (e.g., 50 or less) in a type A durometer (Shore A) measured according to JIS K6253. .

(6) In the above embodiment, a vehicle was exemplified as a vehicle to which the vehicle lighting device is attached, but the vehicle to which the vehicle lighting device is attached may be various vehicles. For example, the lighting devices disclosed herein can also be applied to vehicles such as trains, amusement vehicles, and unmanned vehicles as ground vehicles, airplanes and helicopters as flying vehicles, and ships and submarines as sea and undersea vehicles. mounting structure and interior materials with illumination can be applied.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 100... Lighting device (vehicle lighting device) 12, 12A, 12B, 12C, 112... Circuit board, 14, 114... Printed wiring board, 15... Notch, 16... Light source, 18, 118... Connection terminal, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20, 120... Connector member 21... First connector member 21A... Main body part 21B, 21C... Connector side terminal part 22... Second connector member 22A... Main body part 22B... Connector side terminal part 22C, 122C ... Wiring part 30, 130 ... Lens member 31, 32, 131, 132 ... Wall part 33 ... Bottom part 34 ... Support part

Claims (7)

a plurality of circuit boards on which at least one light source is mounted;
a connector member that electrically connects the adjacent circuit boards;
A vehicle lighting device comprising:
The circuit board has a strip shape,
Both ends in the longitudinal direction are provided with notches formed by recessing the central portion in the width direction toward the central side in the longitudinal direction,
A pair of connection terminals electrically connected to the light source between the cutouts,
When one end along the longitudinal direction of one of the circuit boards and the other end along the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board are brought into contact with each other, the cutouts are formed at the abutting portions of the two circuit boards. A vehicle lighting system, wherein the aperture is formed by: The pair of connection terminals are arranged at the edges of the notch,
The connector member is
a main body;
a first connector member including a pair of connector-side terminal portions protruding to one side of the main body portion and the other side opposite to the one side and fitted to the connection terminals;
In the first connector member, when one end portion along the longitudinal direction of one of the circuit boards and the other end portion along the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board are brought into contact with each other, the main body portion extends into the opening. 2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the pair of connector-side terminal portions can be fitted to the connection terminal of one of the circuit boards and the connection terminal of the other circuit board in a state of being arranged in the Vehicle lighting device as described. The circuit board is a double-sided board, and the pair of connection terminals are provided on the surface of the circuit board opposite to the side on which the light source is provided,
The connector member is
a cable-like wiring part;
2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising a second connector member including a pair of connector-side terminal portions provided at both ends of said wiring portion and fitted to said pair of connection terminals. Further comprising a lens member capable of transmitting visible light, supporting the circuit board along both widthwise ends thereof, and covering the light source,
A vehicle lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The lens member is
A pair of wall portions extending along the longitudinal direction while facing each other, and a bottom portion continuous with the pair of wall portions,
5. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the surfaces of the pair of wall portions facing each other are provided with supporting portions that protrude toward the other surface and support the both ends of the circuit board in the width direction. lighting device. The lens member is made of a high refractive index material having a refractive index of 1.4 or more,
6. A vehicle lighting device according to claim 4 or 5. The circuit board for use in a vehicle lighting device, wherein a plurality of circuit boards mounted with at least one light source are electrically connected by a connector member,
band-shaped,
Both ends in the longitudinal direction are provided with notches formed by recessing the central portion in the width direction toward the central side in the longitudinal direction,
A pair of connection terminals electrically connected to the light source between the cutouts,
When one end along the longitudinal direction of one of the circuit boards and the other end along the longitudinal direction of the other circuit board are brought into contact with each other, the cutouts are formed at the abutting portions of the two circuit boards. A circuit board in which an opening is formed by.

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