JP5999445B2 - Vehicle lighting device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting device.

  Conventionally, the thing of the following patent document 1 is known as an illuminating device for vehicles. In the vehicular illumination device described in Patent Document 1, an electrode is attached to a cover member (illumination lens) that covers a light source (bulb). This electrode is for detecting the capacitance, and the light source can be turned on by detecting the change in capacitance that occurs when the occupant touches the surface of the cover member. That is, this electrode is an electrode constituting a touch switch.

JP 2010-105588 A

  As a configuration for attaching the electrode as described above to the cover member, for example, a configuration in which a sheet member including the electrode is attached to the back surface (surface on the light source side) of the cover member with an adhesive is conceivable. However, in such a configuration, the back surface of the cover member is required to be a flat surface.

  This is because, if the back surface of the cover member is not a flat surface, the adhesive force with the sheet member is reduced, making it difficult to attach the sheet member. Moreover, if the back surface is not a flat surface, air is likely to intervene between the sheet member and the back surface. As a result, there is a difference in capacitance between a location where air is interposed and a location where air is not, and the sensitivity of the touch switch varies depending on the location where the occupant touches. That is, when the back surface of the cover member is not a flat surface, there is a problem that it is difficult to attach the electrode to the cover member.

  The present invention has been completed based on the above circumstances, and provides a vehicle lighting device capable of attaching an electrode constituting a touch switch to a cover member when the back surface of the cover member is not a flat surface. The purpose is to provide.

  The present invention includes a light source, a light source housing member in which the light source is housed, a cover member that covers a light emitting surface of the light source and that can transmit light emitted from the light source, and a capacitive touch switch. A transparent sheet member that includes at least a transparent electrode layer to be configured and covers a surface of the cover member opposite to the light source, and the cover member is formed by insert molding using the sheet member as an insert member. The cover member is formed integrally with the cover member, and the light source side surface of the cover member is provided with an uneven portion.

  According to this invention, it is set as the structure which a sheet | seat member covers the surface (surface on the front side of a cover member) on the opposite side to the light source in a cover member. If the sheet member is attached to the front side surface of the cover member with an adhesive, there is a concern that the sheet member exposed on the front side may be peeled off. For this reason, in the structure using an adhesive agent, it becomes difficult to provide the sheet member on the front side surface of the cover member.

  In the present invention, the sheet member including the transparent electrode layer and the cover member are integrally formed by insert molding. For this reason, since there is no possibility that a sheet member may peel from a cover member, a sheet member can be arranged on the surface by the side of a cover member.

  Thus, in this invention, a sheet | seat member can be arrange | positioned on the surface of the front side in a cover member by using insert molding. For this reason, it is not necessary to attach a transparent electrode to the back surface of a cover member. Thereby, when the uneven | corrugated | grooved part is provided in the back surface of a cover member (when it is not a flat surface), it becomes possible to attach a transparent electrode layer (electrode for touch switches) to a cover member.

  The said structure WHEREIN: The said sheet | seat member covers the surface of the said transparent electrode layer on the opposite side to the said light source, and covers the surface on the said light source side in the said transparent electrode layer, and protection which protects the said transparent electrode layer And a binder layer interposed between the protective layer and the cover member.

  By disposing the transparent electrode layer between the base material layer and the protective layer, the transparent electrode layer can be reliably protected. In particular, by interposing a protective layer between the transparent electrode layer and the cover member, it is possible to prevent the molten cover member from being in direct contact with the transparent electrode layer at the time of insert molding, thereby reliably protecting the transparent electrode layer. be able to.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, when the back surface of a cover member is not a flat surface, the vehicle illuminating device which can attach the electrode which comprises a touch switch to a cover member can be provided.

Sectional drawing which shows the illuminating device in one Embodiment of this invention. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the lighting device of FIG. A perspective view showing a sheet member The top view which shows the sheet | seat member of the unfolding state (state before shape | molding in three-dimensional shape) Sectional drawing which shows a cover member and a sheet member (corresponding to the figure cut | disconnected by the AA line of FIG. 3) Enlarged view showing the sheet member in FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the comparative example by which the sheet | seat member is affixed on the back surface of a cover member Sectional drawing which shows the comparative example by which the 1st electrode layer and the 2nd electrode layer are distribute | arranged to the main wall part of a cover member The perspective view which shows the modification by which the 1st electrode layer is distribute | arranged to the whole surface of the main wall part of a cover member

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the lighting device 20 (vehicle lighting device) of the present embodiment is provided, for example, on a ceiling interior material 10 of a vehicle.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lighting device 20 includes a plurality of LEDs 21 (light sources), a circuit board 22 on which the plurality of LEDs 21 are mounted, and a case 23 (light source housing member) in which the LEDs 21 and the circuit boards 22 are housed. ), A cover member 30, and a sheet member 60.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the case 23 has a box shape having an opening 23 </ b> A. As shown in FIG. 2, the case 23 has a rectangular shape in plan view. The circuit board 22 on which the LEDs 21 are mounted is disposed on the bottom surface of the case 23.

  The cover member 30 has a rectangular shape that closes the opening 23 </ b> A, and is arranged to cover the light emitting surface 21 </ b> A of the LED 21. The cover member 30 is attached to the case 23 by attachment means (not shown) such as claw fitting or screwing, for example.

  The cover member 30 (lens member) is formed of, for example, a highly transparent (highly transparent) synthetic resin (for example, acrylic, PET, polycarbonate, or the like), and has a configuration capable of transmitting light emitted from the LED 21. Is done.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover member 30 has a rectangular main wall portion 31 and four sides (peripheral end portions) around the main wall portion 31 to the LED 21 side (lower side in FIG. 1). And a side wall portion 33 that rises. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the side wall 33 is provided over the entire circumference at the peripheral end of the main wall 31.

  The main wall portion 31 constitutes the main surface (design surface, vehicle interior side surface) of the cover member 30, and the side wall portion 33 constitutes the side surface of the cover member 30.

  On the back surface of the main wall portion 31 (the light source side surface of the cover member), as shown in FIG. 1, a diamond-cut fine uneven portion 34 (uneven pattern) is formed. In addition, such an uneven | corrugated | grooved part 34 can be formed by surface-treating to the back surface in the main wall part 31, for example.

  The uneven portion 34 has a function of diffusing light from the LED 21. That is, the back surface of the main wall portion 31 has a non-flat shape (non-flat surface) capable of diffusing light emitted from the LED 21. In addition, by forming the concavo-convex portion 34, it is possible to suppress a situation where the inside of the case 23 can be seen through the cover member 30 from the passenger compartment side (occupant side), and the design can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the seat member 60 covers a surface on the front side of the cover member 30 (a surface on the side opposite to the light source in the cover member, a surface on the vehicle interior side). Specifically, the sheet member 60 includes a first sheet portion 61 that covers the entire surface of the main wall portion 31 and a second sheet portion 62 that covers the entire surface of the side wall portion 33. That is, the second sheet portion 62 has a shape that rises from the peripheral end portion of the first sheet portion 61 toward the LED 21.

  In the present embodiment, the cover member 30 is integrally formed with the sheet member 60 by insert molding using the sheet member 60 as an insert member. Thereby, the sheet member 60 and the cover member 30 are integrally formed. In addition, you may shape | mold the uneven | corrugated | grooved part 34 mentioned above by transferring the uneven | corrugated pattern of a shaping | molding die, when insert-molding the cover member 30. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the sheet member 60 has a planar shape before the insert molding, and is formed into a three-dimensional shape that follows the outer shape of the cover member 30 by, for example, pressing.

  When insert molding is performed, molten resin constituting the cover member 30 is injected into the cavity in a state where the sheet member 60 is accommodated in the cavity for molding the cover member 30. As a result, the cover member 30 is formed integrally with the sheet member 60.

  Next, the configuration of the sheet member 60 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sheet member 60 includes a base material layer 71, a transparent electrode layer 74 (electrode layer), a protective layer 77, and a binder layer 80 from the front side (vehicle compartment side, upper side in FIG. 6). It is configured by overlapping in order. In addition, the base material layer 71 and the protective layer 77 have electrical insulation.

  The base material layer 71 is formed of, for example, a film of light-transmitting synthetic resin (for example, PET, polycarbonate, etc.), and is configured to transmit light emitted from the LED 21.

  The transparent electrode layer 74 is formed by printing an ink containing a polythiophene-based conductive polymer (for example, PEDOT) on the back surface of the base material layer 71. In other words, the base material layer 71 is a layer that covers the surface of the transparent electrode layer 74 on the front side (the side opposite to the light source).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the transparent electrode layer 74 is included in the first sheet portion 61, and is included in the first electrode layer 75 and the second sheet portion 62 that constitute a capacitive touch switch. A second electrode layer 76. That is, the first electrode layer 75 is provided on the main wall portion 31, and the second electrode layer 76 is provided on the side wall portion 33.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first electrode layer 75 is divided at the central portion in the longitudinal direction. That is, the first electrode layer 75 is composed of one electrode layer 75A in the longitudinal direction and the other electrode layer 75B.

  The first electrode layer 75 is disposed so as to cover almost the entire surface of the main wall portion 31 except for the central portion thereof. In other words, the peripheral end portion (outer peripheral end) of the first electrode layer 75 is along the boundary portion (the peripheral end portion of the main wall portion 31) between the main wall portion 31 and the side wall portion 33, as shown in FIG. It extends.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second electrode layer 76 has a linear shape and extends so as to surround the first electrode layer 75. That is, the second electrode layer 76 is provided over the entire circumference of the side wall portion 33.

  Further, a part of the base material layer 71 is a belt-like extending portion 72 extending so as to protrude outward. A part of the first electrode layer 75 and a part of the second electrode layer 76 extend to the extending portion 72. The distal end portion of the extending portion 72 is connected to, for example, a connector (not shown) provided on the circuit board 22. Accordingly, the first electrode layer 75 and the second electrode layer 76 are electrically connected to a control unit (not shown) mounted on the circuit board 22.

  The control unit of the circuit board 22 detects a change in capacitance (floating capacitance) caused by the human body (finger) approaching the first electrode layer 75 and determines whether the surface of the base material layer 71 is touched. It is the composition which performs. When it is determined that the surface of the base material layer 71 is touched, the control unit is configured to turn on (or turn off) the LED 21. Thereby, the function of a touch switch can be added to the cover member 30. That is, the first electrode layer 75 serves as a touch switch detection unit.

  In the present embodiment, one electrode layer 75A and the other electrode layer 75B constitute independent touch switches. Specifically, in the base material layer 71, when a portion corresponding to one electrode layer 75A is touched, for example, the LED 21 arranged in a portion corresponding to one electrode layer 75A is turned on. It has become. Moreover, when the location corresponding to the other electrode layer 75B is touched in the base material layer 71, for example, the LED 21 corresponding to the other electrode layer 75B is turned on. The operation by the touch switch is not limited to the lighting of the LED 21 and can be changed as appropriate.

  The second electrode layer 76 is an electrode for absorbing surrounding electrical noise. By providing such an electrode, the operation stability of the touch switch can be increased. For example, the second electrode layer 76 is controlled by the control unit of the circuit board 22 to act to absorb electrical noise.

  Note that the effect of absorbing electrical noise increases as the length of the second electrode layer 76 increases. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second electrode layer 76 having a linear shape extends so that one line is folded in the middle of the extending direction, so that the entire length thereof becomes larger. Is formed. That is, the entire length of the second electrode layer 76 is about twice the circumferential length of the side wall portion 33.

  The protective layer 77 (resist layer) is configured to cover the back side (cover member 30 side) surface of the transparent electrode layer 74. The protective layer 77 has translucency and has a function of protecting the transparent electrode layer 74 by covering the transparent electrode layer 74. When the cover member 30 is insert-molded, the molten cover member 30 becomes high temperature. By providing such a protective layer 77, the transparent electrode layer 74 is melted and flows by the heat of the cover member 30. The situation can be prevented.

  Such a protective layer 77 can be formed, for example, by printing ink containing a thermosetting resin on the back side of the transparent electrode layer 74, but is not limited thereto. The protective layer 77 can be appropriately changed as long as it is made of a material that can protect the transparent electrode layer 74 from heat during insert molding.

  The binder layer 80 (adhesive layer) is configured to cover the back side surface of the protective layer 77. That is, the binder layer 80 is interposed between the protective layer 77 and the cover member 30 as shown in FIG.

  The binder layer 80 is translucent and has a function of bonding the protective layer 77 and the cover member 30 together. Specifically, the binder layer 80 is bonded to the protective layer 77 and the cover member 30 by melting with the heat of the molten resin constituting the cover member 30 at the time of insert molding of the cover member 30. .

  As the binder layer 80, for example, a resin having translucency and high compatibility with both the protective layer 77 and the cover member 30 can be used. The material of the binder layer 80 can be selected as appropriate according to the materials of the protective layer 77 and the cover member 30.

  Next, the effect of this embodiment will be described. As shown in the comparative example of FIG. 7, a sheet member 82 including the transparent electrode layer 74 is temporarily attached to the back surface of the cover member 30 (the surface on which the concavo-convex portion 34 is formed) via an adhesive 81. In the case of the configuration to be attached, the contact area between the adhesive 81 and the cover member 30 is reduced, and the adhesive force is reduced.

  Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 7, there are a portion where air is interposed between the sheet member 82 and the concavo-convex portion 34 and a portion where the air is not. As a result, there is a difference in capacitance between a location where air is interposed and a location where air is not, and the sensitivity of the touch switch is different.

  Under such circumstances, it is difficult to attach the sheet member 60 to the back surface of the cover member 30 with an adhesive. Therefore, a configuration in which the sheet member 60 is attached to the front side surface of the cover member 30 with an adhesive is conceivable.

  However, when the sheet member 60 is attached to the front side surface of the cover member 30 with an adhesive, the sheet member 60 exposed on the front side is more susceptible to external force than disposed on the back side. I am concerned about the situation of peeling. For this reason, in the configuration using an adhesive, it is difficult to provide the sheet member 60 on the front surface of the cover member 30.

  In the present embodiment, the sheet member 60 including the transparent electrode layer 74 and the cover member 30 are integrally formed by insert molding. For this reason, there is no possibility that the sheet member 60 is peeled off from the cover member 30, and the sheet member 60 can be disposed on the front side surface of the cover member 30.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the sheet member 60 can be disposed on the front surface of the cover member 30 by using insert molding. For this reason, it is not necessary to attach a transparent electrode to the back surface of the cover member 30. As a result, when the uneven portion 34 is provided on the back surface of the cover member 30 (when it is not a flat surface), the transparent electrode layer 74 (touch switch electrode) can be attached to the cover member 30. In other words, in this embodiment, by using insert molding, the sheet member 60 can be disposed on the front surface of the cover member 30, and the uneven portion 34 can be provided on the back surface of the cover member 30.

  The sheet member 60 includes a base material layer 71 that covers the surface of the transparent electrode layer 74 opposite to the LED 21, and a protective layer 77 that covers the surface of the transparent electrode layer 74 on the LED 21 side and protects the transparent electrode layer 74. And a binder layer 80 interposed between the protective layer 77 and the cover member 30.

  By disposing the transparent electrode layer 74 between the base material layer 71 and the protective layer 77, the transparent electrode layer 74 can be reliably protected. In particular, by interposing the protective layer 77 between the transparent electrode layer 74 and the cover member 30, it is possible to prevent the molten cover member 30 from directly touching the transparent electrode layer 74 during insert molding. 74 can be reliably protected.

  In the present embodiment, the second electrode layer 76 that is an electrode layer other than the first electrode layer 75 is provided on the second sheet portion 62 side that covers the side wall portion 33 of the cover member 30. Both the first electrode layer 75 and the second electrode layer 76 may be provided on the first sheet portion 61 side, but the second electrode layer 76 is more preferably provided on the second sheet portion 62 side.

  This will be specifically described with reference to the comparative example of FIG. When the second electrode layer 76 is an electrode for absorbing electrical noise, it is preferable to form the second electrode layer 76 so as to surround the first electrode layer 75. Here, as shown in the comparative example of FIG. 8, when both the first electrode layer 75 and the second electrode layer 76 are provided on the main wall portion 2 of the cover member 1, the peripheral edge of the main wall portion 2. The second electrode layer 76 is disposed on the portion (both left and right end portions in FIG. 8). For this reason, the 1st electrode layer 75 cannot be provided in the peripheral edge part of the main wall part 2. FIG. That is, the formation range of the first electrode layer 75 cannot be extended to the outer peripheral end of the main wall portion 2.

  In the present embodiment, by providing the second electrode layer 76 on the second sheet portion 62 (side wall portion 33 side), the formation range of the first electrode layer 75 can be extended to the outer peripheral end of the main wall portion 2. That is, the first electrode layer 75 (electrodes constituting a capacitive touch switch) can be provided in a wider range on the main wall portion 31. As a result, the occupant can reliably touch the portion corresponding to the first electrode layer 75, and the operability of the touch switch can be further enhanced.

  In addition, the appearance of the main wall portion 31 is simplified and the design is enhanced as compared with a configuration in which both the first electrode layer 75 and the second electrode layer 76 are formed on the main wall portion 31 that is easily noticeable to the passenger. be able to.

  In the present embodiment, the sheet member 60 has a three-dimensional shape that covers the main wall portion 31 and the side wall portion 33. If the configuration is such that the sheet member 60 is attached to the cover member 30 with an adhesive, it is difficult to apply the sheet member 60 compared to the case where the sheet member has a planar shape. In this respect, in the present embodiment, the cover member 30 is integrally formed with the sheet member 60 by insert molding. Thereby, it is not necessary to stick the sheet member 60 to the cover member 30, which is preferable.

  Further, the peripheral end portion (outer peripheral end) of the first electrode layer 75 extends along the peripheral end portion (outer peripheral end) of the main wall portion 31.

  By arranging the peripheral end portion of the first electrode layer 75 along the peripheral end portion of the main wall portion 31, it is easy to widen the formation range of the first electrode layer 75 in the main wall portion 31. For this reason, a passenger | crew can touch reliably by the part corresponding to the 1st electrode layer 75 (detection part of a touch switch), and can perform lighting (or light extinction) operation of LED21 reliably.

  The side wall 33 is provided over the entire circumference of the peripheral end of the main wall 31, and the second electrode layer 76 is formed over the entire circumference of the side wall 33. Thereby, the 2nd electrode layer 76 can be provided so that the 1st electrode layer 75 may be enclosed, and noise can be reduced more effectively.

  The sheet member 60 includes a base material layer 71 that covers the surface of the transparent electrode layer 74 opposite to the LED 21, and a protective layer 77 that covers the surface of the transparent electrode layer 74 on the LED 21 side and protects the transparent electrode layer 74. The binder layer 80 interposed between the protective layer 77 and the cover member 30 can be provided.

  By disposing the transparent electrode layer 74 between the base material layer 71 and the protective layer 77, the transparent electrode layer 74 can be reliably protected. In particular, by interposing the protective layer 77 between the transparent electrode layer 74 and the cover member 30, it is possible to prevent the molten cover member 30 from directly touching the transparent electrode layer 74 during insert molding. 74 can be reliably protected.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  (1) In the said embodiment, although LED21 was illustrated as a light source, it is not limited to this. For example, the light source may be composed of an LED (light source body) and a light guide that guides light from the LED to the vehicle interior side. In addition, when a light source is provided with a light guide, the light emission surface in a light guide can be illustrated as a light emission surface of a light source.

  (2) The shape of the cover member 30 is not limited to a rectangular shape in plan view. For example, the main wall portion 31 of the cover member 30 may have a circular shape, and a circular side wall portion 33 may be provided over the entire circumference of the peripheral end portion of the main wall portion 31. The cover member 30 may not have the side wall portion 33.

  (3) In the said embodiment, the structure by which the diamond-shaped uneven | corrugated | grooved part 34 was formed in the back surface in the main wall part 31 was illustrated. The shape of the concavo-convex portion 34 is not limited to a diamond-cut shape and can be changed as appropriate. The concavo-convex portion may have, for example, a textured shape.

  (4) The material of each layer 71, 74, 77, 80 constituting the sheet member 60 is not limited to those exemplified in the above embodiment, and can be appropriately changed. For example, the material constituting the transparent electrode layer 74 is not limited to PEDOT, and may be ITO. The transparent electrode layer 74 should just have electroconductivity and light transmittance. The transparent electrode layer 74 may be colorless and transparent, or may be colored and transparent. In addition, the 2nd electrode layer 76 distribute | arranged to the side wall part 33 does not need to be transparent.

  (5) In the above embodiment, the first electrode layer 75 is divided from the one electrode layer 75A and the other electrode layer 75B. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 9, the first electrode layer 175 in the sheet member 160 may be disposed over the entire range of the first sheet portion 161. That is, the first electrode layer 175 may be arranged so as to cover the entire surface of the main wall portion 31, and the peripheral end portion of the first electrode layer 175 is formed over the entire circumference of the peripheral end portion of the main wall portion 31. May be.

  (6) In the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which a part of the first electrode layer 75 extends so as to cover the side wall portion 33 may be employed.

  (7) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the lighting device 20 is provided on the ceiling interior material 10 is illustrated, but the installation location of the lighting device 20 is not limited to the ceiling interior material, and can be changed as appropriate. For example, the lighting device 20 may be provided on a door trim or an instrument panel of a vehicle.

  (8) In the above embodiment, the case where the second electrode layer 76 has a function of absorbing surrounding electrical noise is exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this. The application of the second electrode layer 76 can be changed as appropriate. For example, when the side wall 33 of the cover member 30 is exposed to the outside, the second electrode layer 76 may be used as an electrode for a touch switch.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20 ... Illuminating device (vehicle illuminating device), 21 ... LED (light source), 21A ... Light emission surface, 23 ... Case (light source accommodating member), 30 ... Cover member, 60 ... Sheet member, 71 ... Base material layer, 74 ... Transparent electrode layer, 77 ... Protective layer, 80 ... Binder layer

Claims (2)

A light source;
A light source housing member for housing the light source;
A cover member that covers the light exit surface of the light source and is capable of transmitting the light emitted from the light source;
A transparent sheet member including at least a transparent electrode layer constituting a capacitive touch switch, and covering a surface of the cover member opposite to the light source; and
The cover member is formed integrally with the sheet member by insert molding using the sheet member as an insert member,
An illumination device for a vehicle, wherein an uneven portion is provided on a surface on the light source side of the cover member. The sheet member is
A base material layer covering a surface of the transparent electrode layer opposite to the light source;
A protective layer that covers the light source side surface of the transparent electrode layer and protects the transparent electrode layer;
The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising: a binder layer interposed between the protective layer and the cover member.

Images