JP5060879B2 - Vehicle interior light - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle interior lamp using a light emitting diode as a light source.

  Conventionally, vehicle interior lights such as room lamps and map lamps are attached to the interior ceiling of a vehicle such as a passenger car. In general, this type of vehicle interior light guides light from a light source such as a bulb bulb directly or indirectly to an outer lens, and emits the outer surface of the outer lens in a planar shape to obtain a desired light. Get illumination light. For example, in Patent Document 1, a lens body (outer lens) is configured by a light guide plate, and light from a tube bulb as a light source is directly incident on the outer lens, so that a region near the light source on the outer lens is directly selected. A technique is disclosed in which an illumination unit (light source vicinity region) is caused to function, and a far region (light source far region) is functioned as an indirect illumination unit. According to this technique, the lens body realizes spot illumination by transmitting light incident on the light source vicinity region as it is. On the other hand, the lens body guides the light incident on the far region of the light source to the tip side while reflecting it, and realizes uniform illumination by transmitting the light reflected by the dot in the process.

Incidentally, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have the advantage of low power consumption and long life compared to tube bulbs and the like. Therefore, in recent years, with the increase in the output of the LED, it is expected that the LED is applied as a light source of various relatively small illumination devices.
JP-A-8-169278

  However, a white LED widely used as a light source is generally configured by applying a yellow phosphor to a blue LED, and in particular, an outer lens having a light guide plate function for light from such a white LED. When the light is incident on the light source, blue and yellow are dispersed, and there is a possibility of causing color unevenness on the light emitting surface of the outer lens.

  In addition, since the LED is a point light source having a light emitting portion smaller than that of a light source such as a bulb bulb, the luminance (light emission amount) on the light emitting surface of the outer lens when the light from the LED is directly transmitted to the outer lens. There is a limit to smoothing, and there is a possibility that the area corresponding to the light emitting portion of the LED becomes extremely bright compared to other areas, and the appearance may be deteriorated.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular interior lamp capable of obtaining illumination light having a simple configuration and high uniformity in light emission amount and color.

An interior lamp for a vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention includes an outer lens whose outer surface side forms a light emitting surface,
A reflecting member having a reflecting surface facing the inner surface of the outer lens, and a switch main body disposed on the inner surface side of the outer lens, and a switch operating portion protruding from the switch main body through an opening opening to the outer lens A switch exposed to the outside, a flexible board wound around the periphery of the switch body, and a light emitting diode mounted on the flexible board and arranged so that a peak of radiation directivity of emitted light is directed to the reflecting surface The reflective surface reflects light emitted from the light emitting diode and guides it to the outer lens .

  According to the vehicle interior lamp of the present invention, it is possible to obtain illumination light having a high light emission amount and high uniformity in emission color with a simple configuration.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings relate to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of a room lamp, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a switch mounted with a light emitting diode, FIG. 3 is a plan view of the room lamp, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a modification of FIG. 4, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a principal part taken along the line IIX-IIX in FIG.

  1, 3, and 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a room lamp attached to the interior ceiling of the vehicle. The room lamp 1 includes a flat, substantially box-shaped housing 2 having an open bottom surface. For example, the casing 2 is formed of a resin molded product in which a rectangular back plate 2a and side walls 2b standing on each side of the back plate 2a are integrally formed by injection molding.

  Inside the housing 2, a first contact group 5 for electrical connection with a switch 10, which will be described later, is provided at a substantially central part of the back plate 2 a, and a first contact group 5 is provided around the periphery of the first contact group 5. A plurality of (for example, four) fitting holes 8 are formed. Further, in the vicinity of the first contact group 5, a second contact group 6 for electrical connection with a light source unit 20 described later is provided. Further, on the back plate 2a, bus bars 7 are arranged so as to be appropriately electrically connected to the respective contacts of the first and second contact groups 5 and 6, and the end portions of these bus bars 7 are connectors opened in the side walls 2b. It faces the insertion port 2c. The first and second contact groups 5, 6 and the bus bar 7 are formed by, for example, screen printing on the back plate 2a.

  Further, a step portion 2d is formed at the lower end portion of each side wall 2b to which an outer lens 30 that closes the opening of the housing 2 is fitted.

  The switch 10 includes, for example, a switch body 11 having a substantially prismatic shape. On the upper surface of the switch body 11, a contact group (not shown) that is electrically connected to the first contact group 5 of the housing 2 is provided. Further, the contact group is fitted in each fitting hole 8 in the peripheral portion. The pin 12 to project is projected. Then, when each pin 12 is fitted into each fitting hole 8, the switch 10 is positioned and fixed on the back plate 2 a in the housing 2, and each contact of the contact group provided on the switch 10 is the first. Are electrically connected to each contact of the contact group 5.

  In addition, a long hole 13 is opened on the lower surface of the switch body 11, and a switch operation unit 14 projects from the long hole 13. In the present embodiment, on the long hole 13, an “ON” position P 1 for always lighting the room lamp 1, an “OFF” position P 2 for constantly turning off the room lamp 1, and an open / closed state of the vehicle door Accordingly, a “DOOR” position P3 for turning on the room lamp 1 is set, and the switch operation unit 14 is configured by a slide type operation unit that can select any one of these positions P1 to P3. ing.

  Here, the four corners of the side wall of the switch body 11 are formed in a round shape of, for example, R = 0.5 mm or more. An outward flange 15 is provided around the lower surface of the outer peripheral portion of the switch body 11.

  The light source unit 20 includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 22 as light sources mounted at predetermined intervals on an elongated belt-like flexible substrate 21 having a length substantially equal to the outer periphery of the switch body 11. ing. In addition, the flexible substrate 21 is provided with terminal pins 23 that can be electrically connected to the respective contacts of the second contact group 6.

  Here, in the present embodiment, each LED 22 is, for example, a surface-mounted white LED that obtains white light by applying a yellow phosphor (for example, a YAG phosphor) to the surface of an LED having a blue light-emitting portion. It consists of Further, a single convex lens 22a is fixed on the emission surface of each LED 22, and due to the action of this single convex lens 22a, the light emitted from each LED 22 has a diffusion angle as shown by a solid line in FIG. 6, for example. The light is adjusted to a light beam having a relatively high directivity having a narrow angle of about 15 ° to 20 ° with respect to the 0 ° axis (optical axis O).

  As shown in FIG. 2, the light source unit 20 is held on the switch 10 by winding a flexible substrate 21 around the outer periphery of the switch body 11. Each terminal pin 23 is connected to each contact of the second contact group 6 by pressure welding, soldering, laser welding, caulking or the like when the switch 10 is positioned and fixed to the back plate 2a in the housing 2. Each is electrically connected. Moreover, each LED22 is hold | maintained in the housing | casing 2 via the switch 10, and the optical axis O is orientated substantially perpendicularly to the side wall 2b. That is, the radiation directivity peak of the light emitted from the LED 22 is directed substantially perpendicular to the side wall 2b.

  Here, since the four corners of the side wall of the switch body 11 are formed in a round shape, even when the flexible substrate 21 is wound around the switch body 11, disconnection due to breakage or the like is accurately prevented. In order to prevent each LED 22 held in the housing 2 from being directly exposed to the outside of the housing 2, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an outward flange provided around the switch 10. It is desirable that the protrusion amount 15 is set to such a protrusion amount that each LED 22 is hidden when the switch 10 is viewed from below.

  The outer lens 30 is configured by a flat plate-like member whose outer peripheral portion is fitted to the step 2 d of the housing 2. The outer lens 30 is made of, for example, an injection-molded product using a transparent resin material, and a long hole (opening) 31 corresponding to the long hole 13 of the switch 10 is opened at a substantially central portion thereof. . A plurality of fine diffusion steps 32 are formed in an annular region surrounding the long hole 31 on the inner surface of the outer lens 30 (the surface facing the back plate 2a). And the area | region corresponding to the formation area of the diffusion step 32 is set as the light emission surface 30a in the outer surface side of the outer lens 30. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the outer lens 30 is set so that the inner surface abuts on the outward flange 15 when the outer peripheral portion of the outer lens 30 is fitted to the stepped portion 2d. 30 and the back plate 2a. Further, the switch operation unit 14 protruding from the switch body 11 is exposed to the outside of the room lamp 1 through the long hole 31.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a reflective member 35 is disposed in the space surrounding the switch 10 in the housing 2. The reflecting member 35 is made of, for example, an injection-molded product made of polycarbonate, acrylic, or the like containing titanium oxide having a reflectance of 90% or more, and a surface facing each LED 22 is set as a reflecting surface 35a. ing. Then, the reflecting member 35 reflects the emitted light from each LED 22 by the reflecting surface 35 a and guides it to the outer lens 30.

  In such a configuration, a connector (not shown) extending from the vehicle is connected to the connector insertion port 2c, and the switch operation unit 14 is operated to the “ON” position P1 or the “DOOR” position P3, so that the second contact When power is supplied from the group 6 to the flexible substrate 21 and each LED 22 is turned on, most of the emitted light from each LED 22 is reflected by the reflecting surface 35a and then enters the diffusion step 32 of the outer lens 30. Incident. That is, in this embodiment, the diffusion angle of the emitted light is set to a narrow angle by the action of the single convex lens 22a fixed to the emission surface of the LED 22, and the outward flange 15 is disposed below the LED 22. Therefore, most of the light emitted from the LED 22 is not incident directly on the outer lens 30, but is indirectly incident through reflection on the reflecting surface 35a.

  Then, when the light emitted from the LED 22 is indirectly incident after being reflected, it is possible to accurately prevent problems such as a partial increase in luminance on the light emitting surface 30a corresponding to the light emitting portion of the LED 22 locally. be able to. Further, the light incident on the outer lens 30 is diffused to a predetermined level in the diffusion step 32, whereby the light emitting surface 30a can emit light with more uniform illuminance. Further, most of the light emitted from the LED 22 is indirectly incident through the reflecting surface 35a, thereby accurately preventing the blue light and yellow light constituting the white light from being dispersed by the outer lens 30. Can do.

  In addition, the switch body 11 is disposed on the inner surface side of the outer lens 30, and the switch operation portion 14 protruding from the switch body 11 is exposed to the outside through the long hole 31 that opens to the outer lens 30, thereby emitting the light emitting surface. The switch 10 can be disposed inside 30a. And in the housing | casing 2, the optical axis O of each LED22 is easily made into the side wall 2b direction (reflective surface 35a) by winding the light source unit 20 which mounted LED22 on the flexible substrate 21 around the periphery of the switch main body 11. Direction). In addition, since each LED 22 can be arranged in a state where each optical axis O is directed radially with the switch 10 as the center, it is possible to accurately prevent an extremely dark portion from being formed on the light emitting surface 30a. .

  Here, in the above-mentioned room lamp 1, it is also possible to employ | adopt LED which contains an ultraviolet-ray in emitted light as LED22 which is a light source. In this case, the light emitting surface 30a can emit white light more suitably by applying a coating containing a phosphor that emits excitation light having a color rendering index of Ra90 or more by ultraviolet excitation onto the reflecting surface 35a. Instead of applying the phosphor, the reflecting member 35 can be molded from a resin material containing the phosphor to distribute the phosphor on the reflecting surface 35a.

  Further, in the above-described room lamp 1, when the LED 22 having the characteristic that the diffusion angle of the emitted light is relatively wide (for example, see the broken line in FIG. 6) is used as the light source, for example, as shown in FIG. The side surface of the switch body 11 is formed by a tapered surface that expands from the top to the bottom, and the peak of the radiation directivity (optical axis O) of the emitted light of each LED 22 is inclined at a predetermined elevation angle with respect to the horizontal direction H. Thus, similarly to the above-described configuration, the light emission amount and the light emission color on the light emitting surface 30a can be made uniform.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a pair of push-type switch operation units 17 is projected from the switch body 11 instead of the slide-type switch operation unit 14, and the LED 22 on the flexible substrate 21 is fed. By dividing the system into two power supply systems corresponding to each switch operation unit 17, and further partitioning the light emitting surface 30a into regions corresponding to the LEDs 22 of each power supply system by protruding the partition 2e from the housing 2. It is also possible to configure the map lamp 50 that can individually illuminate the driver seat side and the passenger seat side.

  In the above-described embodiment, it is not necessary to set all the emission colors of the LEDs 22 used as the light sources to be equal. For example, it is possible to mix LEDs that emit light of R, G, and B emission colors. It is. In this case, a variety of illuminations can be realized by individually controlling the amount of light emitted from each color LED.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the switch 10 is disposed at a substantially central portion of the light emitting surface 30a has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the switch 10 may be placed anywhere on the light emitting surface 30a. It is also possible to bias it toward one side. In this case, for example, the light emission amount on the light emitting surface 30a can be homogenized by appropriately adjusting the distance between the LEDs 22 mounted on the flexible substrate 21.

  In the above-described embodiment, the reflecting member 35 can be configured as a member integrated with the housing 2.

The exploded perspective view which shows the principal part of a room lamp Perspective view showing switch mounted with light emitting diode Top view of room lamp Cross-sectional view of essential parts along line IV-IV in FIG. Sectional drawing of the principal part showing a modification of FIG. Chart showing relative light emission intensity of light emitting diodes Map lamp top view Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part taken along line IIX-IIX in Fig. 7.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Room lamp, 2 ... Housing | casing, 10 ... Switch, 11 ... Switch main body, 14 ... Switch operation part, 17 ... Switch operation part, 20 ... Light source unit, 21 ... Flexible substrate, 22 ... Light emitting diode, 22a ... Single convex lens 30 ... Outer lens, 30a ... Light emitting surface, 31 ... Long hole (opening), 32 ... Diffusion step, 35 ... Reflecting member, 35a ... Reflecting surface, 50 ... Map lamp

Claims (2)

An outer lens whose outer surface constitutes a light emitting surface;
A reflective member having a reflective surface facing the inner surface of the outer lens;
A switch body is disposed on the inner surface side of the outer lens, and a switch operating part protruding from the switch body is exposed to the outside through an opening opening in the outer lens, and
A flexible substrate wound around the periphery of the switch body;
A light emitting diode mounted on the flexible substrate and arranged so that a peak of radiation directivity of emitted light is directed to the reflecting surface; and
The vehicle interior lamp according to claim 1, wherein the reflection surface reflects light emitted from the light emitting diode and guides the light to the outer lens.   The light emitted from the light emitting diode includes ultraviolet light,
  The vehicle interior lamp according to claim 1, wherein the reflecting surface includes a phosphor that emits light by being excited by ultraviolet rays.

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