JP5833935B2 - Vehicle headlamp - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle headlamp, and more particularly to a vehicle headlamp including a light emitting module including a control circuit unit that controls lighting of a light source.

  2. Description of the Related Art There is a known technology that uses a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) as a light source for a vehicle headlamp. Here, a light source device has been proposed in which at least one of the electrical connection means between the light emitting element and the mounting substrate is provided so as to pass through the irradiation direction when viewed from the light emitting element (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

JP 2005-32661 A

  In recent years, there has been a case where complicated lighting control is required in a vehicle headlamp. In such a case, a control circuit for controlling lighting of the light emitting element is provided separately from the mounting substrate on which the light emitting element is directly mounted as described above. However, the space inside the vehicle is limited, and the demand for reducing the occupied space by the vehicle headlamp is also increasing. For this reason, how to arrange this control circuit is extremely important from the viewpoint of suppressing the occupied space by the vehicle headlamp.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to suppress an occupied space by a vehicle headlamp.

  In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle headlamp according to an aspect of the present invention includes a light emitting module in which a light source and a control circuit unit that controls lighting of the light source are integrally configured, and a light source emitted from the light source. And a reflector having a reflecting surface that reflects and collects light. The control circuit unit is disposed in front of the lamp rather than the light source.

  In a vehicle headlamp, an optical member such as a reflector or a shade is usually arranged in front of the lamp rather than the light source. In order to avoid such interference between the member and the control circuit unit, when the control circuit unit is arranged behind the light source from the light source, the control circuit unit is arranged so as to protrude rearward from the light source. It can be difficult to control the space occupied by the lamp. According to this aspect, since the control circuit unit can be disposed in front of the lamp rather than the light source, it is possible to avoid protrusion of the control circuit unit from the light source to the rear of the lamp. For this reason, an increase in occupied space by the control circuit unit can be suppressed.

  The control circuit unit may be arranged in front of the lamp rather than the light source so as to avoid the light path used for forming the light distribution pattern among the light emitted from the light source.

  If the control circuit unit is arranged in front of the lamp rather than the light source, the light distribution pattern may be affected by the shadow or reflected light. According to this aspect, the control circuit unit is arranged avoiding the light path used for forming the light distribution pattern, so that the control circuit unit is arranged in front of the lamp rather than the light source. The impact can be avoided.

  The light emitting module may further include a cover that covers at least a part of the control circuit unit. The cover may include a shade portion that forms an edge portion of the light distribution pattern by shielding part of the light emitted from the light source.

  According to this aspect, the number of parts can be reduced as compared with the case where the cover and the shade of the control circuit unit are provided separately. For this reason, parts management can be made easier.

  The light source may be arranged such that the main optical axis is perpendicular to the lamp optical axis, and the light emitting unit protrudes in the main optical axis direction from the control circuit unit.

  According to this aspect, since the main optical axis is perpendicular to the lamp optical axis, a light distribution pattern can be formed more appropriately via the reflector. Further, by providing the light emitting unit so as to protrude in the main optical axis direction from the control circuit unit, it is possible to avoid the control circuit unit being positioned in front of the lamp of the light emitting unit, and to avoid the influence of the light distribution pattern.

  The light emitting module may include a fixed connector provided so that a wire connector can be coupled thereto. The fixed connector may be disposed so as to avoid the light path in front of the lamp rather than the light source, and may be provided so as to be coupled by being moved in a direction approaching the light path in a region where the light connector avoids the light path. .

  According to this aspect, the influence on the light distribution pattern due to the shadow of the wire connector itself or the reflected light can be suppressed. The wire connector is also configured so that the wire exits from the rear in the direction moved when mated to the fixed connector. For this reason, the wire connector is moved in the direction approaching the light path and coupled to the fixed connector, so that the wire coming out of the wire connector can be positioned farther from the light path. There is a possibility that the wire is flexible and is deformed into an area where light travels due to an external force. By separating the wire from the light path in this way, the possibility that the light distribution pattern is affected by the advance of the wire can be suppressed.

  A fan for cooling the light source may be further provided. The control circuit unit may further have a function of controlling driving of the fan. The light emitting module may have a fan connector for connecting a fan to the control circuit unit. According to this aspect, it is not necessary to provide a fan control circuit separately from the control circuit unit that controls lighting of the light source. For this reason, the space which arrange | positions a control circuit can be suppressed.

  The light emitting module may further include a single input connector to which a first control signal used for light source lighting control and a second control signal used for fan drive control are input. According to this aspect, both of the first control signal and the second control signal can be obtained by simply connecting another single connector that outputs the first control signal and the second control signal to the single input connector. Input is possible. For this reason, compared with the case where the connector for 1st control signals and the connector for 2nd control signals are provided, an assembly man-hour can be reduced.

  A support member that supports the reflector may be further provided. The support member may include an accommodating portion in which the control circuit portion is inserted and accommodated in front of the lamp, and a fixing portion that contacts and fixes the light emitting module in front of the lamp after insertion of the control circuit portion. . According to this aspect, the light emitting module can be attached to the support member by a simple process of inserting and fixing the light emitting module in front of the lamp. For this reason, a light emitting module can be attached or detached easily, and assembly property and maintenance property can be improved.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the occupation space by the vehicle headlamp can be suppressed.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the vehicle headlamp which concerns on 1st Embodiment. (A) is a perspective view which shows the structure of the light emitting module which concerns on 1st Embodiment, (b) is a side view of the light emitting module which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a light emitting module. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the light emitting module which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the light emitting module which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the vehicle headlamp which concerns on 6th Embodiment. (A) is a perspective view which shows the structure of the light emitting module which concerns on 4th Embodiment, (b) is a side view of the light emitting module which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a back perspective view of the vehicle headlamp which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows a state when the light emitting module is inserted in the accommodating part of a supporting member. It is a figure which shows a state when the light emitting module is fixed to the fixing | fixed part of a supporting member. It is a figure which shows the state which attached the fan side connector to the connector unit. It is a figure which shows the heat sink which concerns on 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the heat sink which concerns on 7th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle headlamp 10 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a vehicle headlamp 10 along a vertical plane including a lamp optical axis Ax1. The vehicle headlamp 10 functions as a low beam light source that forms a so-called low beam light distribution pattern. Of course, the vehicular headlamp 10 is not limited to this, and the vehicular headlamp 10 may function as a high beam light source that forms a high beam light distribution pattern.

  The vehicle headlamp 10 includes a projection lens 12, a light emitting module 14, a reflector 16, and a shade 18. The projection lens 12 is a plano-convex aspheric lens having a convex front surface and a flat rear surface, and projects a light source image formed on the rear focal plane in front of the lamp as a reverse image.

  The light emitting module 14 has the light emitting element 20 comprised by LED which is a semiconductor light emitting element. In addition, the light emitting element 20 may be comprised by light emitting elements other than LED, and it replaces with the light emitting element 20, and other light sources, such as a discharge lamp and an incandescent lamp, may be used. The light emitting module 14 is disposed so that the light emitting element 20 mainly emits light upward.

  The reflector 16 has a reflecting surface 16a that reflects and collects light emitted from the light emitting element 20. The reflector 16 is disposed above the light emitting element 20 so that the reflecting surface 16 a faces the light emitting element 20. The shade 18 includes a shade portion 18a and a dummy portion 18b. The shade portion 18a has a plane including the lamp optical axis Ax1 and forms a cut-off line near the horizontal line of the low beam light distribution pattern. In addition, since the shape of the shade part 18a is well-known, description is abbreviate | omitted. The dummy part 18b functions as a design member constituting a design surface that can be recognized from the outside.

  FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the configuration of the light emitting module 14 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the light emitting module 14 according to the first embodiment. The light emitting module 14 includes a package 30, a heat sink 32, an attachment 34, a fan 36, a cover 40, and a control circuit unit 42.

  The package 30 includes the light emitting element 20. The control circuit unit 42 controls lighting of the light emitting element 20. In the present embodiment, the control circuit unit 42 includes a printed wiring board and electrical components and elements mounted on the printed wiring board.

  The heat sink 32 is formed of a heat dissipation material having a high heat dissipation property such as aluminum. The heat sink 32 has heat radiating fins 32 a and dissipates heat generated by the light emitting element 20 and the control circuit unit 42. The heat sink 32 may be separated into a first heat sink that dissipates heat from the light emitting element 20 and a second heat sink that dissipates heat from the control circuit unit 42. The attachment 34 is attached to the upper surface of the heat sink 32 to attach the package 30 to the upper surface of the heat sink 32.

  The heat radiation fins 32 a of the heat sink 32 are provided below the heat sink 32. The radiation fin 32a is provided so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the lamp optical axis Ax1. The fan 36 is attached to the heat sink 32 below the heat radiation fin 32a so that air can be blown onto the heat radiation fin 32a.

  A fixed connector 38 is integrally fixed to the attachment 34 by integral molding with resin. The fixed connector 38 is provided so that a wire connector can be coupled thereto. Further, the attachment 34 is provided with a circuit accommodating portion that is recessed downward to accommodate the control circuit portion 42. The control circuit part 42 is accommodated in this circuit accommodating part. After the control circuit unit 42 is accommodated, the cover 40 is attached to the attachment 34. Note that the cover 40 may be deleted. Further, instead of the cover 40, after the control circuit portion 42 is accommodated in the circuit accommodating portion, resin may be molded in the circuit accommodating portion.

  In the control circuit unit 42, the length in the direction perpendicular to the lamp optical axis Ax1 is longer than the length in the direction parallel to the lamp optical axis Ax1. Specifically, the length in the direction perpendicular to the lamp optical axis Ax1 is at least twice as long as the length in the direction parallel to the lamp optical axis Ax1. By providing the control circuit unit 42 in this way, the length of the light emitting module 14 in the lamp optical axis Ax1 direction can be suppressed, and the vehicle headlamp 10 can be further downsized.

  The attachment 34, the control circuit unit 42, and the cover 40 constitute an attachment unit 33. In the first embodiment, before the attachment 34 is attached to the heat sink 32, the control circuit unit 42 and the cover 40 are attached in advance to the attachment 34, and the attachment unit 33 is attached to the heat sink 32. Accordingly, the attachment 34 and the control circuit unit 42 are integrally attached to the heat sink 32, and at the same time, the package 30 is sandwiched and attached between the heat sink 32.

  As described above, the light emitting module 14 is configured integrally with the light emitting element 20 that is a light source and the control circuit unit 42 that controls the lighting of the light emitting element 20. Thus, by incorporating the light emitting module 14 into the vehicle headlamp 10, the light emitting element 20 and the control circuit unit 42 can be attached to the vehicle headlamp 10 at the same time. For this reason, the assembly man-hour of the vehicle headlamp 10 can be reduced.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the light emitting module 14. FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the light emitting module 14 by a plane including both the lamp optical axis Ax1 and the main optical axis Ax2. The main optical axis Ax2 is an axis perpendicular to the main light emitting surface that passes through the center of the main light emitting surface that is the upper surface of the light emitting element 20.

  The package 30 includes a light emitting element 20, a submount substrate 50, and a mounting substrate 52. The light emitting element 20 is mounted on the submount substrate 50, and the submount substrate 50 is mounted on the mounting substrate 52. The mounting substrate 52 is provided with a conductive member (not shown) for supplying power.

  The attachment 34 is integrally formed with a conductive member 54. The conductive member 54 is connected to the control circuit unit 42 by wire bonding or the like. The attachment 34 is provided so that the conductive member 54 comes into contact with the conductive member of the mounting substrate 52 by being attached to the heat sink 32, and the package 30 and the control circuit unit 42 are electrically connected. Thereby, the package 30 and the control circuit part 42 can be easily conducted.

  The control circuit unit 42 is disposed in front of the lamp with respect to the light emitting element 20. At this time, the control circuit unit 42 is arranged in front of the lamp rather than the light emitting element 20 so as to avoid the light path used for forming the light distribution pattern among the light emitted from the light emitting element 20. Specifically, the control circuit unit 42 is disposed in front of the lamp and below the cover 40 with respect to the package 30. Since the light path used for forming the light distribution pattern is further above the shade portion 18a of the shade 18 disposed on the cover 40, the control circuit portion 42 is disposed below the cover 40. The control circuit section 42 can be arranged in a region that avoids the light path used for forming the pattern.

  The light emitting module 14 is disposed so that the main optical axis Ax2 of the light emitting element 20 is directed vertically upward. Therefore, the light emitting module 14 is disposed so that the lamp optical axis Ax1 of the vehicle headlamp 10 and the main optical axis Ax2 of the light emitting element 20 are orthogonal to each other. Thereby, the reflector 16 can be efficiently irradiated with light. For this reason, the low beam light distribution pattern can be more appropriately formed through the reflector 16.

  The light emitting element 20 is arranged such that the light emitting portion protrudes in the direction of the main optical axis Ax2 from the control circuit portion 42. The light emitting unit includes a main light emitting surface of the light emitting element 20 and a side surface surrounding the main light emitting surface. Thereby, it can avoid that the control circuit part 42 is located in front of the lamp of a light emission part, and the influence of the light distribution pattern by arrange | positioning the control circuit part 42 in front of a lamp can be avoided.

  The cover 40 is provided so as to cover the entire opening above the circuit housing portion in order to prevent foreign matters from entering the control circuit portion 42. Therefore, the cover 40 is provided so as to cover the entire surface of the control circuit unit 42. The cover 40 may be provided so as to cover a part of the control circuit unit 42.

  A shade portion 18 a of the shade 18 is disposed above the cover 40. For this reason, the cover 40 is provided at a position one step lower than the position where the light emitting element 20 is disposed, and the upper surface is disposed below the lamp optical axis Ax1. Thus, in order to arrange the light emitting part of the light emitting element 20 at a position higher than the control circuit part 42 and the cover 40, the heat sink 32 is a part where the package 30 is placed and the control circuit part 42 is placed. It is provided so as to protrude upward.

  In front of the lamp from the light emitting element 20, the upper portion of the shade portion 18a is a light path for forming a low beam light distribution pattern. In the first embodiment, the control circuit portion 42 and the fixed connector 38 are disposed below the upper surface of the shade portion 18a so as to avoid the path of light in front of the lamp rather than the light emitting element 20. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the influence of the shadow and reflected light of the control circuit unit 42 or the fixed connector 38 on the low beam distribution pattern.

  Further, when the wire connector 58 is coupled, the fixed connector 38 is provided with a coupling portion for coupling the wire connector 58 so that the wire connector 58 can be coupled by being moved vertically upward in an area where the path of light is avoided. It has been. Of course, the connecting direction of the wire connector 58 is not limited to this, and the wire connector 58 is provided in a region where the light path is avoided so that the wire connector 58 can be moved and connected in another direction approaching the light path. It may be.

  The wire connector 58 is configured such that a wire is taken out from the side opposite to the tip portion coupled to the fixed connector 38. For this reason, the wire connector 58 is moved vertically upward and coupled to the fixed connector 38, so that the wire coming out of the wire connector 58 can be positioned further away from the light path, and the wire is deformed. The possibility of affecting the light distribution pattern by advancing upward can be suppressed.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the light emitting module 100 according to the second embodiment. Except that the light emitting module 100 is provided in place of the light emitting module 14, the configuration of the vehicle headlamp is the same as that of the vehicle headlamp 10 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The light emitting module 100 is configured in the same manner as the light emitting module 14 according to the first embodiment, except that an attachment 102 is provided instead of the attachment 34. The attachment 102 is configured in the same manner as the attachment 34 except that a fixed connector 104 is provided instead of the fixed connector 38. Therefore, the attachment unit 101 is configured by the attachment 102, the control circuit unit 42, and the cover 40, and the attachment unit 101 is attached to the heat sink 32.

  One fixed connector 104 is provided on each of the left and right side surfaces of the attachment 102. The fixed connector 104 is provided with a coupling portion for coupling the wire connector in the region below the upper surface of the shade portion 18a so that the fixed connector 104 can be moved vertically upward to couple the wire connector. Thereby, when connecting a wire connector, a wire connector can avoid the course of light. Of course, the connecting direction of the wire connector is not limited to this, and the wire connector may be provided so that it can be moved and connected in another direction approaching the light path in an area avoiding the light path. Good. Thus, by providing the fixed connector 104 on the side surface of the attachment 102, the length of the light emitting module 100 in the lamp optical axis Ax1 direction can be further shortened.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a light emitting module 150 according to the third embodiment. The configuration of the vehicular headlamp is the same as that of the vehicular headlamp 10 according to the first embodiment, except that a light emitting module 150 is provided instead of the light emitting module 14. Hereinafter, the same portions as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The light emitting module 150 is configured in the same manner as the light emitting module 14 according to the first embodiment except that an attachment 152 is provided instead of the attachment 34. The attachment 152 is configured in the same manner as the attachment 34 except that a fixed connector 154 is provided instead of the fixed connector 38. Therefore, the attachment unit 151 is configured by the attachment 152, the control circuit unit 42, and the cover 40, and the attachment unit 151 is attached to the heat sink 32.

  Two fixed connectors 154 are provided on the side of the attachment 152 behind the lamp. The fixed connector 154 can be coupled by moving the wire connector horizontally toward the front of the lamp in the region behind the lamp so that the wire connector can avoid the path of light when the wire connector is coupled. As described above, a connecting portion for connecting the wire connector is provided behind the lamp. Of course, the connecting direction of the wire connector is not limited to this. As described above, the control circuit unit 42 is provided in front of the lamp of the light emitting element 20, while the fixed connector 154 is provided on the side of the attachment 152 on the rear side of the lamp with respect to the light emitting element 20. While suppressing the length in the direction of the axis Ax1, it is possible to realize a configuration in which a wire connector can be easily connected to the fixed connector 154.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a vehicle headlamp 200 according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the vehicle headlamp 200 along a vertical plane including the lamp optical axis Ax1. The vehicle headlamp has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that a vehicle headlamp 200 is provided instead of the light emitting module 14 and a dummy member 204 is provided instead of the shade 18. The same as the lamp 10. Hereinafter, the same portions as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The dummy member 204 is formed in a shape obtained by deleting the shade portion 18a from the shade 18 according to the first embodiment, and functions as a design member constituting a design surface that can be recognized from the outside. The light emitting module 202 is disposed behind the lamp of the dummy member 204.

  FIG. 7A is a perspective view showing the configuration of the light emitting module 202 according to the fourth embodiment, and FIG. 7B is a side view of the light emitting module 202 according to the fourth embodiment. The light emitting module 202 is configured in the same manner as the light emitting module 14 according to the first embodiment, except that a heat sink 210, an attachment 212, and a cover 214 are provided instead of the heat sink 32, the attachment 34, and the cover 40, respectively. The

  The heat sink 210 is provided such that the portion on which the package 30 is placed protrudes above the portion on which the control circuit portion 42 is placed. However, the step between the part on which the package 30 is placed and the part on which the control circuit unit 42 is placed is lower than the heat sink 32 according to the first embodiment.

  The attachment 212 is provided with a circuit accommodating portion that is recessed downward to accommodate the control circuit portion 42. The control circuit part 42 is accommodated in this circuit accommodating part. After the control circuit unit 42 is accommodated, the cover 214 is attached to the attachment 212. The cover 214 covers the entire upper part of the control circuit unit 42. The cover 214 may be provided so as to cover at least a part of the control circuit unit 42.

  The cover 214 includes a shade portion 214a that forms an edge portion of the light distribution pattern by blocking part of the light emitted from the light emitting element 20. In other words, the cover 214 has both a function of suppressing entry of foreign matter into the control circuit unit 42 and a function of defining a cut-off line that is an edge of the low beam light distribution pattern. Thereby, compared with the case where the cover and shade of the control circuit part 42 are provided separately, the number of parts can be reduced, and parts management can be further facilitated.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle headlamp 300 according to the fifth embodiment. Hereinafter, the same portions as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted. The vehicle headlamp 300 includes a main body unit 302. A light emitting module and the projection lens 12 (not shown) are attached to the main unit 302.

  The main unit 302 includes the reflector 16, the lens holder 306, and a support member 308. The lens holder 306 is formed in an annular shape, and the projection lens 12 is fitted into the lens holder 306 and fixed. The reflector 16 is fixed to the upper surface of the lens holder 306 and supported by the support member 308.

  The support member 308 includes a fixed portion 308a, a housing portion 308b, an intake opening 308c, and an exhaust duct 308d. A control circuit unit that controls lighting of the light emitting element is inserted and accommodated in the accommodating portion 308b. The light emitting module is abutted and fixed to the fixing portion 308a after the control circuit portion is inserted. The intake opening 308c serves as an intake port for a fan for cooling the light emitting element. Also in the fifth embodiment, the fan sucks air from below and blows air onto the upper heat sink. For this reason, the intake opening 308c is provided below the accommodating portion 308b. The exhaust duct 308d serves as an exhaust hole for the fan.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state when the light emitting module 320 is inserted into the housing portion 308b of the support member 308. FIG. The light emitting module 320 includes a package 30, a control circuit unit 42, a heat sink 322, a connector unit 326, and a fan 36.

  The heat sink 322 is made of a heat radiating material having high heat radiating properties such as aluminum. The package 30 is attached to the upper surface of the heat sink 322. The heat sink 322 has heat radiating fins and dissipates heat generated by the light emitting element 20 and the control circuit unit 42 of the package 30. The heat radiating fins are provided below the heat sink 322. The radiating fin is provided so as to extend in parallel with the lamp optical axis. The fan 36 is attached to the heat sink 322 below the heat radiation fin so that air can be blown onto the heat radiation fin.

  Also in the fifth embodiment, the control circuit unit 42 is disposed in front of the lamp rather than the light emitting element 20. On the other hand, in a vehicle headlamp mounted on a vehicle, it is generally required that the light emitting module 320 can be attached and detached from the rear of the lamp. For this reason, in 5th Embodiment, the control circuit part 42 which controls lighting of a light emitting element is inserted and accommodated in the front of a lamp | ramp in the accommodating part 308b. Thereby, the light emitting module 320 can be taken in and out from the back of the lamp.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state when the light emitting module 320 is fixed to the fixing portion 308 a of the support member 308. After the control circuit portion 42 is inserted into the housing portion 308b, the light emitting module 320 is abutted and fixed to the front of the lamp. Specifically, the light emitting module 320 is provided with a protruding portion 328 protruding in the lateral direction. The projecting portion 328 is provided with a round hole. On the other hand, the fixing portion 308a is provided with a screw hole. When the protruding portion 328 comes into contact with the fixing portion 308a, the screw 330 is screwed into the screw hole of the fixing portion 308a through the round hole of the protruding portion 328, whereby the light emitting module 320 is fixed to the support member 308. In addition, it replaces with the screw 330 and another fastener may be used.

  In this way, by setting both the insertion direction of the control circuit unit 42 and the abutting direction at the time of fixing to the front of the lamp, the light emitting module 320 is moved to the front of the lamp and fixed with the screw 330 when hitting. Thus, the light emitting module 320 can be fixed to the support member 308.

  The contact direction of the light emitting module 320 is not limited to the front of the lamp. For example, the light emitting module 320 may be fixed to the support member 308 by applying it downward. Accordingly, for example, the light emitting module 320 can be fixed to the support member 308 by screwing from above.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state where the fan-side connector 332 is attached to the connector unit 326. The connector unit 326 includes a fan connector 326a and an input connector 326b. The fan connector 326 a connects the fan 36 to the control circuit unit 42 by coupling the fan-side connector 332 connected to the fan 36. In the fifth embodiment, the control circuit unit 42 has not only a function of controlling lighting of the light emitting element 20 but also a function of controlling driving of the fan 36. For this reason, the space for arranging the circuit can be reduced as compared with the case where a drive circuit for driving the fan 36 is separately provided.

  Further, the vehicle is provided with an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as “ECU”) that controls lighting of the light emitting element 20 and driving of the fan 36. A single output connector for outputting a first control signal used for lighting control of the light emitting element 20 and a second control signal used for driving control of the fan 36 extends from the ECU. The output connector is coupled to the input connector 326b. Accordingly, the first control signal and the second control signal are input to the input connector 326b via a single connector. For this reason, compared with the case where the connector for 1st control signals and the connector for 2nd control signals are provided, the number of connectors which need to be connected can be suppressed, and assemblability and maintainability can be improved.

(Sixth embodiment)
FIG. 12 is a view showing a heat sink 400 according to the sixth embodiment. The vehicle headlamp according to the sixth embodiment is configured in the same manner as the vehicle headlamp according to the above-described embodiment except that the heat sink 400 is used instead of the above-described heat sink.

  The heat sink 400 is made of a heat radiating material having high heat radiating properties such as aluminum. The heat sink 400 includes heat radiating fins 400a for dissipating heat generated by the light emitting element 20 and the control circuit unit 42 of the package 30. The radiating fin 400a is provided on one surface of the plate portion 400b having a rectangular outer shape. In the sixth embodiment, the heat radiating fin 400a is disposed in each of a plurality of sections divided by two straight lines out of a plurality of straight lines extending radially from the axis A of the fan 36, and the section is defined in the section. Extends perpendicular to the straight line.

  In the example shown in FIG. 12, the axis A of the fan 36 is located at the center of the plate portion 400b. The plate section 400b is divided into four sections P1 to P4 by four straight lines L1 to L4 extending radially from the axis A. The straight lines L1 to L4 extend radially from the axis A so as to be orthogonal to each other. The section P1 is defined as a rectangle by straight lines L1 and L2. The section P2 is defined as a rectangle by straight lines L2 and L3. The section P3 is defined as a rectangle by straight lines L3 and L4. The section P4 is defined as a rectangle by straight lines L4 and L1.

  In the section P1, the radiating fin 400a extends perpendicular to the straight line L1. In the section P2, the radiating fin 400a extends perpendicular to the straight line L2. In the section P3, the radiating fin 400a extends perpendicular to the straight line L3. In the section P4, the radiating fin 400a extends perpendicular to the straight line L4. Thus, by forming the radiation fins 400a so as to extend perpendicularly to the straight lines that define the sections in which they are provided, the heat dissipation effect is higher than when the radiation fins are extended in one direction, for example. It has become clear as a result of the inventor's research and development. For this reason, by using the heat sink 400, the heat generated by the light emitting element 20 and the control circuit unit 42 can be appropriately dissipated.

(Seventh embodiment)
FIG. 13 is a view showing a heat sink 500 according to the seventh embodiment. The vehicle headlamp according to the seventh embodiment is configured in the same manner as the vehicle headlamp according to the above-described embodiment except that the heat sink 500 is used instead of the above-described heat sink.

  The heat sink 500 is formed of a heat dissipation material having high heat dissipation properties such as aluminum. The heat sink 500 includes heat radiating fins 500 a for radiating heat generated by the light emitting element 20 and the control circuit unit 42 of the package 30. The radiating fin 500a is provided on one surface of the plate portion 500b having a rectangular outer shape.

  The heat sink 500 is formed in a rod shape extending perpendicularly to one surface of the plate portion 500b. The heat radiating fins 500a are arranged so that a plurality of gaps are formed in a plurality of directions. In the seventh embodiment, the radiating fins 500a are arranged so that a plurality of gaps are formed in two directions, ie, an up-down direction and a left-right direction. For example, if the radiating fins are formed to extend in one direction, the gap between the radiating fins is also formed only in one direction. On the other hand, by forming the radiation fins 500a so that a plurality of gaps are formed in a plurality of directions as described above, the air flow around the radiation fins 500a can be made smooth. As a result of the inventor's research and development, by forming the radiation fins 500a in this way, for example, the heat radiation effect is higher than when the radiation fins are extended in one direction. For this reason, by using the heat sink 500, the heat generated by the light emitting element 20 and the control circuit unit 42 can be appropriately dissipated.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and an appropriate combination of the elements of each embodiment is also effective as an embodiment of the present invention. Various modifications such as design changes can be added to each embodiment based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and embodiments to which such modifications are added can also be included in the scope of the present invention. Here are some examples.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vehicle headlamp, 14 Light emitting module, 16 Reflector, 16a Reflecting surface, 18 Shade, 18a Shade part, 20 Light emitting element, 30 Package, 32 Heat sink, 32a Radiation fin, 33 Attachment unit, 34 Attachment, 38 Fixed connector, 40 cover, 42 control circuit part, 58 wire connector, 100 light emitting module, 104 fixed connector, 150 light emitting module, 154 fixed connector, 200 vehicle headlamp, 202 light emitting module, 214 cover, 214a shade part.

Claims (7)

A light emitting module in which a light source and a control circuit unit that controls lighting of the light source are integrally formed; and
A reflector having a reflecting surface that reflects and collects the light emitted by the light source;
With
The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit unit is disposed in front of the lamp relative to the light source.   2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit unit is arranged in front of the light source, avoiding a path of light used for forming a light distribution pattern among light emitted from the light source. For headlamps. The light emitting module further includes a cover that covers at least a part of the control circuit unit,
The vehicle headlamp according to claim 2, wherein the cover includes a shade portion that forms an edge portion of the light distribution pattern by blocking part of light emitted from the light source.   4. The light source according to claim 1, wherein the light source is disposed such that a main optical axis is perpendicular to a lamp optical axis, and a light emitting unit protrudes in the main optical axis direction from the control circuit unit. A vehicle headlamp according to claim 1. The light emitting module includes a fixed connector provided so that a wire connector can be coupled,
The fixed connector is disposed so as to avoid the light path in front of the lamp rather than the light source, and can be coupled by being moved in a direction approaching the light path in a region where the wire connector avoids the light path. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the vehicular headlamp is provided. A fan for cooling the light source;
The control circuit unit further has a function of controlling driving of the fan,
The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting module includes a fan connector for connecting the fan to the control circuit unit.   The light emitting module further includes a single input connector to which a first control signal used for lighting control of the light source and a second control signal used for driving control of the fan are input. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 6.

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