JP2023133120A - Vehicle lamp fitting - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle lamp fitting which enables airflow blown by a fan to circulate efficiently along an inner surface of an outer lens.SOLUTION: A vehicle lamp fitting includes: a lamp body 4 comprising a housing 2 which is open on a front surface and an outer lens 3 which covers an opening of the housing 2; a light source unit 5 which is disposed at the inner side of the lamp body 4 and radiates light forward; and a fan 8 which blows air to cool at least one heating part 7 which heats when the light source unit 5 is turned on; and a duct 9 which causes airflow F blown by the fan 8 to circulate. The airflow F blown by the fan 8 through the duct 9 is circulated along at least an inner surface of the outer lens 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp.

Conventionally, in vehicle lighting equipment such as vehicle headlamps, a breathing hole is provided in the lighting body, which consists of a housing with an open front and an outer lens that covers the opening of the housing. By providing ventilation through the lens, fogging is prevented from forming on the inner surface of the outer lens.

Incidentally, in recent years, as light emitting diodes (LEDs) have become higher in brightness and lower in cost, the number of vehicle lamps that use LEDs as light sources is gradually increasing. LEDs have the advantage of long life and low power consumption.

On the other hand, since high temperatures lead to a decrease in luminous efficiency and a shortened lifespan, it is necessary to efficiently dissipate the heat generated by the LED to the outside using a heat sink, cooling fan, or the like.

However, vehicle lights that use LEDs as light sources do not have infrared rays that are absorbed by the outer lens and turn into heat compared to conventional light sources such as halogen lamps or HID lamps, so the inner surface of the outer lens tends to fog up. There is.

On the other hand, an anti-fog coating has been applied to the inner surface of the outer lens, but since the anti-fog coating is expensive, there is a problem in that the cost increases.

Therefore, when the light source is turned on, the airflow (wind) generated by the cooling fan described above is circulated along the inner surface of the outer lens to prevent fogging from forming on the inner surface of the outer lens. (For example, see Patent Document 1 below.)

JP2017-228417A

However, in the conventional vehicle lamp described above, the airflow generated by the cooling fan needs to pass through a narrow gap within the lamp body before reaching the inner surface of the outer lens.

For this reason, the pressure loss from the cooling fan until the airflow reaches the inner surface of the outer lens is large, making it difficult to efficiently circulate the airflow along the inner surface of the outer lens.

The present invention was proposed in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular lamp that can efficiently circulate airflow blown by a fan along the inner surface of an outer lens. With the goal.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
[1] A lamp body composed of a housing with an open front surface and an outer lens that covers the opening of the housing;
a light source unit disposed inside the lamp body and irradiating light forward;
a fan that blows air to cool at least one heat generating part;
and a duct for distributing airflow blown by the fan,
A vehicular lamp characterized in that airflow blown by the fan via the duct is circulated at least along an inner surface of the outer lens.
[2] The vehicular lamp according to [1], wherein at least a portion of the heat generating portion is arranged facing inside the duct.
[3] The vehicular lamp according to [2], wherein the duct has a relatively small passage cross-sectional area at a position facing the heat generating portion.
[4] The vehicle lamp according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the fan is disposed inside the duct.
[5] The vehicular lamp according to [4], wherein the duct has a flow passage cross-sectional area that changes on an upstream side and a downstream side with the fan in between.
[6] The duct includes an intake port that takes in the airflow blown by the fan, and an exhaust port that exhausts the airflow blown by the fan,
[4] or [5] above, wherein the intake port and the exhaust port are arranged facing one end side and the other end side in the longitudinal direction on the inner surface side of the outer lens. Vehicle lighting.
[7] The fan described in any one of [1] to [3] and [6] above, wherein the fan is disposed facing the inside of the duct at a position facing the heat generating part. vehicle lighting equipment.
[8] The duct includes one exhaust port and the other exhaust port that exhaust the airflow blown by the fan,
[7], wherein the one exhaust port and the other exhaust port are arranged facing one end side and the other end side in the longitudinal direction on the inner surface side of the outer lens. Vehicle lighting.
[9] It has a plate-like member that partitions the outer lens side into an outer lens side region and the housing side into a housing side region inside the lamp body,
The duct has an exhaust port that exhausts the airflow blown by the fan,
The exhaust port is arranged facing one side in the longitudinal direction on the inner surface side of the outer lens,
The vehicle lamp according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the fan takes in air from the housing side region.
[10] A heat sink disposed facing the inside of the duct that radiates part of the heat generated by the heat generating part to the airflow passing through the inside of the duct,
The vehicular lamp according to item [9], wherein the duct includes an outlet that allows a part of the airflow that has passed through the heat sink to flow out to the outside of the duct.
[11] The heat generating section is any one of a substrate on which a light source is mounted, a substrate on which a drive circuit for driving the light source is provided, and a substrate on which the light source and the drive circuit are provided,
The vehicular lamp according to any one of [1] to [10], wherein the vehicle lamp is arranged with the back side of the substrate facing the inside of the duct.
[12] The heat sink includes a plurality of fins that radiate heat generated by the heat generating section to the outside,
Any one of [1] to [11] above, wherein the heat sink is arranged inside the duct so that airflow blown by the fan flows between the plurality of fins. Vehicle lighting equipment described in section.
[13] The vehicle lamp according to any one of [1] to [12], wherein the fan blows air when the light source unit is not lit.
[14] The vehicle lamp according to [12], wherein the outlet is formed in communication with a gap between the plurality of fins.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp that can efficiently circulate airflow blown by a fan along the inner surface of an outer lens.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a duct included in the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a transparent perspective view showing a modification of the duct shown in FIG. 3; 4 is a perspective view showing an example of an intake port and an exhaust port of the duct shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration in which the duct shown in FIG. 3 is integrally formed with an extension. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a sectional view showing a modification of the duct included in the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 9. FIG.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
In addition, in the drawings used in the following explanation, dimensions may be shown at different scales depending on the component in order to make each component easier to see, and the dimensional ratio of each component may not be the same as in reality. do not have.

In addition, in the drawings shown below, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is set, and the X-axis direction is the front-rear direction (length direction) of the vehicle lamp, the Y-axis direction is the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle lamp, and the Z-axis direction is shall be shown as the vertical direction (height direction) of the vehicle lamp.

(First embodiment)
First, as a first embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle lamp 1A shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, for example, will be described.

Note that FIG. 1 is a see-through perspective view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1A. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1A. FIG. 3 is a see-through perspective view showing the configuration of the duct 9 included in the vehicle lamp 1A. FIG. 4 is a transparent perspective view showing a modified example of the duct 9. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of the intake port 9a and the exhaust port 9b of the duct 9. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a configuration in which the duct 9 and the extension 6 are integrally formed.

The vehicle lamp 1A of this embodiment includes, for example, a vehicle headlamp (headlamp) mounted on both front corner portions (right front corner portion in this embodiment) of a vehicle (not shown). ) to which the present invention is applied.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, this vehicle lamp 1A includes a lamp body 4 composed of a housing 2 with an open front and a transparent outer lens 3 that covers the opening of the housing 2. . The lamp body 4 is arranged with its longitudinal direction along the vehicle width direction (horizontally long).

In the light body 4, the outer lens 3 has a shape in which the outer lens 3 is inclined in a direction in which the outer side retreats more than the inner side in the vehicle width direction, in accordance with the slant shape given to the corner part on the front end side of the vehicle. .

Note that the outer lens 3 is not limited to such an inclined shape, but may have a shape in which the outer side in the vehicle width direction is curved in a direction in which the outer side recedes more than the inner side. Further, the shape of the lamp body 4 can be changed as appropriate to match the design of the vehicle.

The vehicle lamp 1A of this embodiment includes a light source unit 5 disposed inside the lamp body 4, an extension 6 that covers the front side of the light source unit 5, and a heat generating part 7 that generates heat when the light source unit 5 is turned on. It includes a fan 8 that blows air for cooling, and a duct 9 that circulates the airflow F blown by the fan 8.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the light source unit 5 includes, for example, a light source 10 made of a light emitting diode (LED) that emits white light, and a projection lens 11 that projects the light emitted from the light source 10 forward. , the heat generated by the light source 10 is radiated while the light source 10 is in contact with the substrate 12 mounted on one side (the front side in this embodiment) and the other side (the back side in this embodiment) of the substrate 12. It has a heat sink 13.

Note that the light source unit 5 is not necessarily limited to such a configuration; for example, a reflector (not shown) that reflects the light emitted from the light source 10 toward the front is arranged, and the light is reflected by this reflector. A configuration may also be adopted in which the projected light is projected forward by the projection lens 11.

In addition, the light source unit 5 forms a low beam light distribution pattern including a cutoff line at the upper end by inverting and projecting the light source image defined by the front end of the shade using a projection lens as a passing beam (low beam). A driving beam (high beam) that forms a high beam light distribution pattern above a low beam light distribution pattern by projecting the light emitted by a light source using a projection lens, or these low beam light distribution patterns. The light source unit forming the high beam light distribution pattern and the light source unit forming the high beam light distribution pattern may be integrated.

The extension 6 is made of a colored (for example, black or silver) light shielding member, and has an opening 6a on the front side of the light source unit 5 through which the projection lens 11 faces forward.

The extension 6 covers the front side of the light source unit 5 to block light emitted from sources other than the light source unit 5. Further, the extension 6 also plays a role in the design of the vehicle lamp 1.

Note that the light source unit 5 and the extension 6 are attached to a bracket (not shown) arranged inside the lamp body 4 by screwing or the like.

The heat generating section 7 includes a substrate 12 on which the light source 10 is mounted, a substrate 12 on which a drive circuit (not shown) for driving the light source is provided, or a substrate 12 on which the light source 10 and the drive circuit are provided. It is.

The light source unit 5 is arranged with the back side of the substrate 12 serving as the heat generating section 7 facing inside the duct 9. Note that as the heat generating section 7, it is also possible to utilize heat generated by a sensor such as a millimeter wave radar or LiDAR, for example.

The heat sink 13 has a plurality of fins 13a that are arranged in one direction (vertical direction in this embodiment) and protrude in a flat plate shape from the back side of the heat sink 13. The heat sink 13 is arranged inside the duct 9 so that the airflow F blown by the fan 8 flows between each of the plurality of fins 13a.

The fan 8 is arranged inside the duct 9 so that the airflow F blown by the fan 8 flows inside the duct 9. Further, the fan 8 is arranged apart from the heat sink 13 so as not to reduce the heat dissipation performance of the heat sink 13.

Note that for the fan 8, any type of blower device can be used, such as an axial fan, a sirocco fan, or a centrifugal fan.

The duct 9 is made of a cylindrical member having a rectangular cross section and extending along the longitudinal direction of the lamp body 4, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The duct 9 is arranged on the back side of the extension 6 and is attached to the above-mentioned bracket by screwing or the like.

The duct 9 has an intake port 9a that takes in the airflow blown by the fan at one end in the longitudinal direction, and an exhaust port 9b that exhausts the airflow blown by the fan at the other end in the longitudinal direction. Both end sides thereof have a shape curved toward the front so that the intake port 9a and the exhaust port 9b face the front side of the lamp body 4.

The intake port 9a and the exhaust port 9b are arranged to face one longitudinal end and the other end of the inner surface of the outer lens 3 through an opening (not shown) provided in the extension 6. .

Further, the duct 9 has a flow path at a position facing the heat generating part 7 according to the length of the fins 13a so that the airflow F blown by the fan 8 described above can efficiently pass between each of the plurality of fins 13a. The cross-sectional area is relatively small.

In addition, in order to efficiently circulate the airflow F blown by the fan 8 described above, the duct 9 is provided with flow path breaks on the upstream side (inflow side) and the downstream side (outflow side) with the fan 8 in between. The area is changing.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the flow passage on the downstream side (outflow side) of the duct 9 is relatively larger than the cross-sectional area of the flow passage on the upstream side (inflow side) across the fan 8 .

In the vehicle lamp 1A of this embodiment having the above configuration, it is possible to efficiently circulate the airflow F blown by the fan 8 through the duct 9 described above along the inner surface of the outer lens 3. .

That is, the airflow F blown by the fan 8 is exhausted from the exhaust port 9b of the duct 9, and then circulated along the inner surface of the outer lens 3, and is taken in from the intake port 9a of the duct 9, thereby causing the lamp body to It will be repeatedly circulated within 4.

Further, in the vehicle lamp 1A of this embodiment, by using the above-described duct 9, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss until the airflow F generated by the fan 8 reaches the inner surface of the outer lens 3.

Note that the cross-sectional shape of the duct 9 is not limited to a rectangular shape, but may be circular or elliptical in order to reduce pressure loss.

Furthermore, the corners of the duct 9 may be chamfered such as a C surface or an R surface. It is also preferable that the bent portion of the duct 9 be smoothly curved.

Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 1A of this embodiment, the fan 8 can blow air even when the light source unit 5 is not lit.

Thereby, in the vehicle lamp 1A of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent fogging on the inner surface of the outer lens 3, not only when the light source unit 5 described above is lit and not lit.

Further, in the vehicle lamp 1A of the present embodiment, the temperature of the airflow F increases due to the heat radiated from the heat generating portion 7. This brings about effects such as lowering the relative humidity within the lamp body 4 and increasing the temperature of the outer lens 3, thereby making it possible to improve the effect of preventing the inner surface of the outer lens 3 from fogging.

Note that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1A described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, the duct 9 is branched in the middle of its longitudinal direction, so that one or both of the intake ports 9a and the exhaust ports 9b can be connected to a plurality of ports (in FIG. A configuration may also be adopted in which two intake ports 9a and two exhaust ports 9b are provided.

From this, it is possible to optimize the number and arrangement of the intake ports 9a and the exhaust ports 9b, and to circulate the airflow F to the inner surface of the outer lens 3 more efficiently.

Further, since the intake port 9a and the exhaust port 9b are located on the front side of the lamp body 4, a plurality of slits 6b corresponding to the intake port 9a and the exhaust port 9b are provided, for example, as in the extension 6 shown in FIG. By providing these, the intake port 9a and the exhaust port 9b can be made inconspicuous and have an excellent design.

The duct 9 and the joint duct can be made of a structure and material that have a degree of freedom to accommodate changes in the positional relationship between the light source unit 5 and the extension 6 due to aiming, vibration, etc. of the vehicle lamp 1A. For example, an elastic material such as silicone rubber or a universal joint such as a bellows or a ball joint can be used.

Furthermore, the duct 9 may be formed integrally with the extension 6, as shown in FIG. 6, for example. That is, the duct 9 may be configured to be combined with a part of the rear side of the extension 6 to provide a flow path through which the air flow F blown by the fan 8 flows.

Furthermore, the duct 9 may be formed integrally with a part of the bracket that holds the light source unit 5 and the extension 6, in addition to the extension 6 described above.

Furthermore, the duct 9 is not limited to being made up of one member, but may be made up of a plurality of members. For example, it is also possible to construct the duct 9 by separately forming a duct on the intake port 9a side and a duct on the exhaust port 9b side, and providing a joint duct to connect these ducts.

In addition, regarding the above-mentioned duct 9, if there is a gap due to the structure of the duct 9, the ventilation resistance of this gap is greater than the ventilation resistance of the exhaust port 9b, the intake port 9a, and other channels through which the airflow flows. By appropriately changing the cross-sectional area and shape of the gap so as to provide ventilation resistance, it is possible to prevent the airflow from flowing out to the outside of the duct 9 and prevent a decrease in the flow rate.

(Second embodiment)
Next, as a second embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle lamp 1B shown in FIG. 7, for example, will be described.

Note that FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1B. Furthermore, in the following description, the description of parts equivalent to those of the vehicle lamp 1A will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be given in the drawings.

The vehicular lamp 1B of this embodiment is one in which the present invention is applied to, for example, a rear combination lamp mounted on both corner portions on the rear end side of a vehicle (not shown).

Specifically, in this vehicle lamp 1A, as shown in FIG. 7, the longitudinal direction of the lamp body 4 is arranged along the vertical direction (vertically long).

In the light source unit 5, a plurality of light sources 10 that emit red light are arranged vertically in line on the front side of a board 12, and the back side of the board 12 is arranged as a heat generating part 7 facing inside the duct 9. Other than that, it has basically the same configuration as the vehicle lamp 1A described above.

In the vehicle lamp 1B of this embodiment having the above configuration, the airflow F blown by the fan 8 through the duct 9 is efficiently directed along the inner surface of the outer lens 3, similarly to the vehicle lamp 1A described above. It is possible to circulate well.

Further, in the vehicle lamp 1B of this embodiment, by using the duct 9 described above, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss until the airflow F generated by the fan 8 reaches the inner surface of the outer lens 3.

Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 1B of the present embodiment, the fan 8 can blow air even when the light source unit 5 is not lit.

Thereby, in the vehicle lamp 1B of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent fogging on the inner surface of the outer lens 3, not only when the light source unit 5 described above is turned on and when it is not turned on.

(Third embodiment)
Next, as a third embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle lamp 1C shown in FIG. 8, for example, will be described.

Note that FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1C. Furthermore, in the following description, the description of parts equivalent to those of the vehicle lamp 1A will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be given in the drawings.

In the vehicle lamp 1C of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the fan 8 is disposed facing the inside of the duct 9 at a position facing the heat sink 13 (heat generating portion 7).

The duct 9 has one exhaust port 9c for exhausting the airflow F blown by the fan 8 at one end in the longitudinal direction, and the other exhaust port 9c for exhausting the airflow F blown by the fan 8 at the other end in the longitudinal direction. Both ends thereof are curved forward so that the exhaust ports 9c and 9d face the front side of the lamp body 4.

One exhaust port 9c and the other exhaust port 9d face one longitudinal end and the other end of the inner surface of the outer lens 3 through an opening (not shown) provided in the extension 6. It is located. Other than that, it has basically the same configuration as the vehicle lamp 1A described above.

In the vehicle lamp 1C of this embodiment having the above configuration, it is possible to efficiently circulate the airflow F blown by the fan 8 through the duct 9 described above along the inner surface of the outer lens 3. .

That is, the airflow F blown by the fan 8 is exhausted from the exhaust ports 9c, 9d on both sides of the duct 9, and then circulated along the inner surface of the outer lens 3. Moreover, the airflow F blown by the fan 8 goes around to the back side of the lamp body 4 and is then sucked into the duct 9 from the fan 8, so that it is repeatedly circulated inside the lamp body 4. .

Further, in the vehicle lamp 1C of this embodiment, by using the duct 9 described above, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss until the airflow F generated by the fan 8 reaches the inner surface of the outer lens 3.

Furthermore, in the vehicle lamp 1C of this embodiment, the fan 8 can blow air even when the light source unit 5 is not lit. Thereby, in the vehicle lamp 1C of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent fogging on the inner surface of the outer lens 3, not only when the light source unit 5 is lit and not lit.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, as a fourth embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle lamp 1D shown in FIG. 9, for example, will be described.

Note that FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1D. Furthermore, in the following description, the description of parts equivalent to those of the vehicle lamp 1A will be omitted, and the same reference numerals will be given in the drawings.

In the vehicle lamp 1D of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the fan 8 is disposed facing the inside of the duct 9 at a position facing the heat sink 13 (heat generating portion 7).

The duct 9 has an exhaust port 9e at one end in the longitudinal direction for exhausting the airflow F blown by the fan 8. The exhaust port 9e is arranged to face one longitudinal side of the inner surface of the outer lens 3 through an opening (not shown) provided in the extension 6.

On the other hand, on the other longitudinal side of the inner surface of the outer lens 3, an intake port 6c is provided for sucking in a part of the airflow F exhausted from the exhaust port 9e. The intake port 6c is configured by an opening provided in the extension 6. Other than that, it has basically the same configuration as the vehicle lamp 1A described above.

In the vehicle lamp 1D of this embodiment having the above configuration, it is possible to efficiently circulate the airflow F blown by the fan 8 through the duct 9 described above along the inner surface of the outer lens 3. .

That is, the airflow F blown by the fan 8 is exhausted from the exhaust port 9e of the duct 9 and then circulated along the inner surface of the outer lens 3. Further, a part of the airflow F exhausted from the exhaust port 9e of the duct 9 is distributed along the inner surface of the outer lens 3, and is taken in from the intake port 6c of the extension 6.

As a result, the airflow F blown by the fan 8 is circulated along the inner surface of the outer lens 3, and after going around the back side of the lamp body 4, it is sucked from the fan 8 into the duct 9, and the It will be repeatedly circulated inside the body 4.

In the vehicle lamp 1D of the present embodiment, in the portion of the inner surface of the outer lens 3 that is directly hit by the airflow F exhausted from the exhaust port 9e, the force of the airflow F promotes the elimination of fogging. On the other hand, in the portion where the airflow F flows toward the intake port 6c, the airflow F flows slowly, so that fogging is eliminated over a wide range.

Further, in the vehicle lamp 1D of this embodiment, by using the duct 9 described above, it is possible to reduce the pressure loss until the airflow F generated by the fan 8 reaches the inner surface of the outer lens 3.

On the other hand, on the opposite side to the position where the duct 9 described above is provided, it is possible to secure a sufficient space K for arranging components.

Further, in the vehicle lamp 1D of this embodiment, even when the light source unit 5 is not lit, the fan 8 can blow air.

Thereby, in the vehicle lamp 1D of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent fogging on the inner surface of the outer lens 3, not only when the light source unit 5 is lit and not lit.

In addition, in the vehicle lamp 1D, the above-mentioned duct 9 can also be configured as shown in FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B), for example.

Specifically, the duct 9 shown in FIG. 10(A) is provided with an outlet 9f through which a part of the airflow F that passes through the heat sink 13 out of the airflow F blown by the fan 8 flows out. . The outflow port 9f is provided to communicate with the gaps between the plurality of fins 13a so that the airflow F blown by the fan 8 described above can efficiently pass between each of the plurality of fins 13a.

Further, the direction in which the plurality of fins 13a extend is not limited to a straight line, but may be varied, or may extend in a curved or radial manner. Also in this case, it is desirable that the gaps between the plurality of fins 13a communicate with the outlet 9f.

Thereby, the flow rate of the airflow F passing through the heat sink 13 can be increased, and the heat generating section 7 can be efficiently cooled.

Further, the outflow port 9f may have a duct shape as shown in FIG. 10(B), for example. In this case, it is possible to prevent the airflow F to which the heat of the heat generating part 7 has been transferred, which flows out from the outlet 9f, from being immediately sucked in by the fan 8.

Further, by making the gap between the parts arranged in the space K continuous, it is also possible to configure the gap so that the airflow F flows through this gap. It is possible to cool the parts arranged in the space K by the airflow F passing through the gaps between the parts.

Furthermore, the components include, for example, a sensor unit, a control section, a power supply circuit section, and the like. In particular, it is possible to improve the operational stability of the vehicle lamp 1D by arranging a component with a high priority for temperature control, such as a control section, in a portion close to the outlet 9f.

Further, the control unit may be an integrated control unit that includes functions such as sensor control and aiming actuator control in addition to lighting control of the vehicle lamp 1D. Stable temperature of the control unit leads to stable operation of the vehicle lamp 1D.

In this embodiment, the outlet 9f is arranged so that the airflow F blown by the fan 8 described above efficiently passes between the plurality of fins 13a. For the heat sink 13, at least one outlet 9f may be arranged not only on the side opposite to the direction in which the duct 9 extends, but also at any position facing the heat sink 13.

Note that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, for the light source 10, in addition to the above-mentioned LED, a light emitting element such as a laser diode (LD) can be used. Furthermore, it is also possible to use a light source such as a halogen lamp or an HID lamp.

1A to 1D... Vehicle lamp 2... Housing 3... Outer lens 4... Light body 5... Light source unit 6... Extension 6c... Intake port 7... Heat generating part 8... Fan 9... Duct 9a... Intake port 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e ...Exhaust port 9f...Outlet port 10...Light source 11...Projection lens 12...Substrate 13...Heat sink

Claims (14)

A lamp body composed of a housing with an open front surface and an outer lens that covers the opening of the housing;
a light source unit disposed inside the lamp body and irradiating light forward;
a fan that blows air to cool at least one heat generating part;
and a duct for distributing airflow blown by the fan,
A vehicular lamp characterized in that airflow blown by the fan via the duct is circulated through at least an inner surface of the outer lens. 2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the heat generating section is arranged facing inside the duct. 3. The vehicular lamp according to claim 2, wherein the duct has a flow passage cross-sectional area that is relatively small at a position facing the heat generating part. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fan is arranged inside the duct. 5. The vehicular lamp according to claim 4, wherein the duct has a flow passage cross-sectional area that changes between an upstream side and a downstream side of the fan. The duct includes an intake port that takes in the airflow blown by the fan, and an exhaust port that exhausts the airflow blown by the fan,
2. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the intake port and the exhaust port are arranged facing one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction of the inner surface of the outer lens. 7. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the fan is disposed facing the inside of the duct at a position facing the heat generating portion. The duct includes one exhaust port and the other exhaust port that exhaust the airflow blown by the fan,
The vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the one exhaust port and the other exhaust port are arranged facing one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction on the inner surface side of the outer lens. Lighting equipment. It has a plate-like member that partitions the outer lens side into an outer lens side region and the housing side into a housing side region inside the lamp body,
The duct has an exhaust port that exhausts the airflow blown by the fan,
The exhaust port is arranged facing one side in the longitudinal direction on the inner surface side of the outer lens,
The vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fan takes in air from the housing side area. a heat sink disposed facing the inside of the duct that radiates part of the heat generated by the heat generating part to the airflow passing through the inside of the duct;
The vehicular lamp according to claim 9, wherein the duct includes an outlet that allows a part of the airflow that has passed through the heat sink to flow out to the outside of the duct. The heat generating part is any one of a substrate on which a light source is mounted, a substrate on which a drive circuit for driving the light source is provided, and a substrate on which the light source and the drive circuit are provided,
7. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the vehicular lamp is disposed with the back side of the substrate facing the inside of the duct. The heat sink includes a plurality of fins that radiate heat generated by the heat generating part to the outside,
11. The vehicular lamp according to claim 10, wherein the heat sink is disposed inside the duct so that airflow blown by the fan flows between the plurality of fins. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the fan blows air when the light source unit is not lit. 13. The vehicle lamp according to claim 12, wherein the outlet is formed in communication with a gap between the plurality of fins.

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