JP6956560B2 - Vehicle lighting - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp, for example, a vehicle lamp used in a vehicle such as an automobile.

Conventionally, a substrate on which a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED is mounted, an extension provided in front of the substrate, and a metal vapor deposition portion formed on at least a part of the front surface thereof, and an extension covering the front surface of the extension. Vehicle lighting fixtures are known that include a resin front cover and a ground cord or other conductive member that connects the ground of the substrate to the vapor-deposited portion of the extension. One end of the ground cord is connected to the ground pattern of the substrate, and the other end is connected to the vapor deposition portion of the extension (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-203532

As a result of intensive research on vehicle lamps, the present inventors have come to recognize the following problems.

It has been considered that the electrostatic discharge inside the vehicle lighting equipment and the risk of damage to the light emitting element caused by the electrostatic discharge are remarkable mainly in the manufacturing stage of the vehicle lighting equipment such as the discharge from a charged worker. However, the present inventors have newly recognized that such risks cannot be ignored not only in the manufacturing stage but also in the usage stage of vehicle lamps.

Vehicle lighting fixtures have surface members such as covers that are exposed to the external environment during use, but the surface members are prone to triboelectric charging due to, for example, wind and dust while the vehicle is running. The accumulation of electric charges on the surface member gradually progresses, the potential difference between the surface member and the ground potential portion (for example, the vehicle body) increases, and the electrostatic field induced inside the vehicle lamp becomes stronger. Inductive charging is caused in conductive members such as extensions and reflectors in the lamp. If the potential difference between adjacent elements exceeds the limit, electrostatic discharge will occur between those elements. In the worst case, the light emitting element can be destroyed if it is discharged to the light emitting element.

In this way, it has not been generally recognized that electrostatic discharge can occur relatively easily in a lamp during the use stage of the vehicle lamp. Therefore, it is rare to propose to apply antistatic protection measures to vehicle lamps assuming the stage of use of vehicle lamps.

According to the ground cord connection as proposed in Patent Document 1, the static electricity charged in the vapor-deposited portion of the extension can be released to the ground of the substrate via the ground cord, and the static electricity charged in the vapor-deposited portion of the extension causes the semiconductor. It is possible to avoid a situation in which the light emitting element is damaged. However, there is a disadvantage that the manufacturing cost of the vehicle lamp is somewhat higher than that in the case where the ground cord is not installed. Further, depending on the structure of the lamp, it may be difficult or impossible to arrange the ground cord. Therefore, alternative measures against static electricity are also desired.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp with antistatic measures.

In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention is a flexible printed substrate extending in a strip shape, and has a first surface on which a wiring pattern is formed along the extending direction and a first surface. A flexible printed board having a second surface opposite to one surface, a plurality of light emitting elements mounted on the first surface of the flexible printed board and electrically connected to a wiring pattern, and facing back to the light emitting element. It is provided with a heat radiating member arranged in contact with the second surface of the flexible printed substrate. On the first surface of the flexible printed substrate, ground patterns are formed on both sides of the wiring pattern along the extending direction of the flexible printed substrate.

According to this aspect, since the ground patterns are formed on both sides of the wiring pattern, it is possible to protect a plurality of light emitting elements from static electricity. This is effective as an electrostatic protection measure at the stage of using vehicle lamps.

The ground pattern may include a protruding pattern.

Another aspect of the present invention is also a vehicle lamp. This vehicle lighting fixture is a transparent flexible substrate extending in a strip shape, and is transparent including a conductive pattern formed in an elongated region extending along the extending direction and two insulating films sandwiching the conductive pattern. It includes a flexible substrate and a plurality of light emitting elements arranged between two insulating films and electrically connected to a conductive pattern. The transparent flexible substrate includes a ground pattern formed on both sides of the conductive pattern along the extending direction of the transparent flexible substrate between the two insulating films.

According to this aspect, since the ground patterns are formed on both sides of the conductive pattern, it is possible to protect a plurality of light emitting elements from static electricity. This is effective as an electrostatic protection measure at the stage of using vehicle lamps.

A vehicle lamp is a connector board attached to a transparent flexible board for supplying power to a plurality of light emitting elements, and further includes a connector board having a wiring pattern electrically connected to a conductive pattern at one end of an elongated region. You may prepare. The ground pattern may be formed around the conductive pattern so as to surround the entire circumference of the elongated region except for one end of the elongated region.

The vehicle lighting fixture may further include an electrostatic protection element mounted on a connector substrate and electrically connected to a wiring pattern so as to be in parallel with a plurality of light emitting elements.

The vehicle lamp further includes a plurality of electrostatic protection elements arranged between two insulating films, and each electrostatic protection element is electrically connected to a conductive pattern so as to be parallel to the corresponding light emitting element. May be good.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is also a vehicle lamp. This vehicle lighting fixture is a transparent flexible substrate extending in a strip shape, and is transparent including a conductive pattern formed in an elongated region extending along the extending direction and two insulating films sandwiching the conductive pattern. A flexible substrate, a plurality of light emitting elements arranged between two insulating films and electrically connected to a conductive pattern, and a connector substrate attached to a transparent flexible substrate for supplying power to the plurality of light emitting elements. A connector board having a wiring pattern electrically connected to the conductive pattern, and an electrostatic protection element mounted on the connector board and electrically connected to the wiring pattern so as to be parallel to a plurality of light emitting elements. To be equipped.

According to this aspect, the electrostatic protection element can protect a plurality of light emitting elements from static electricity. This is effective as an electrostatic protection measure at the stage of using vehicle lamps.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp with anti-static measures.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a top view schematically showing a light emitting element of a vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment and a peripheral structure thereof. 3 (a) and 3 (b) show another example of the ground pattern according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4A is a schematic front view showing the appearance of the lamp unit according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a schematic side view showing the appearance of the lamp unit according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an enlarged part of a transparent flexible substrate of the lamp unit according to the second embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view which shows an example of the conductive pattern which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is the schematic which shows the light emitting element of the vehicle lamp according to Embodiment 2 and the periphery thereof. It is a schematic top view which shows the connector board of the vehicle lighting equipment which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. It is a schematic top view which shows the LED bare chip which concerns on a certain embodiment. It is a schematic top view which shows the LED bare chip which concerns on a comparative example.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments. The embodiments are not limited to the invention, but are exemplary, and all the features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in the drawings shall be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the scale and shape of each part shown in each figure are set for convenience in order to facilitate explanation, and are not limitedly interpreted unless otherwise specified. In addition, terms such as "first" and "second" used in the present specification or claims do not represent any order or importance, but are intended to distinguish one configuration from another. Is.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view showing a schematic structure of a vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing a light emitting element of the vehicle lamp according to the first embodiment and its peripheral structure. The vehicle lighting device 10 according to the first embodiment is a vehicle headlight device having a pair of headlight units arranged on the left and right in front of the vehicle. Since the pair of headlight units have substantially the same configuration except that they have a symmetrical structure, FIG. 1 shows the structure of one headlight unit as the vehicle lighting fixture 10.

The vehicle lighting equipment 10 includes a lamp body 12 having an opening on the front side of the vehicle, and a translucent cover 14 attached so as to cover the opening of the lamp body 12. The translucent cover 14 is made of a translucent resin, glass, or the like. The lamp unit 20 is housed in the lamp chamber 16 formed by the lamp body 12 and the translucent cover 14. In the lamp chamber 16, the lamp unit 20 is supported by the lamp body 12 via a bracket (not shown). An extension member 18 is arranged on the front side of the lamp unit 20 with respect to the lamp unit 20.

The extension member 18 has an opening 18a for passing the irradiation light from the lamp unit 20 and is fixed to the lamp body 12. The extension member 18 includes, for example, a main body made of a resin material, and a metal layer or a conductive layer formed on the surface of the main body by, for example, aluminum vapor deposition. For ease of understanding, the extension member 18 is not shown in FIG.

The lamp unit 20 includes a flexible printed substrate 22, a plurality of light emitting elements 24, and a plurality of heat radiating members 26 as main configurations.

The flexible printed substrate 22 extends in a strip shape, and includes a first surface 22a and a second surface 22b that extend in an elongated direction along the extending direction. The first surface 22a is one main surface of the flexible printed substrate 22. The second surface 22b is the other main surface of the flexible printed substrate 22, and faces the side opposite to the first surface 22a. As an example, the flexible printed circuit board 22 is a so-called single-sided FPC (flexible printed circuit board), and has a conductive material layer such as copper on the first surface 22a side, but does not have a conductive material layer on the second surface 22b side.

A wiring pattern 28 is formed on the first surface 22a along the extending direction (left-right direction in FIG. 2) of the flexible printed substrate 22. The wiring pattern 28 is provided to supply electric power to the plurality of light emitting elements 24. The wiring pattern 28 is a conductive region formed on the first surface 22a and made of a conductive material such as copper.

The wiring pattern 28 is located approximately in the center of the first surface 22a in the width direction of the flexible printed substrate 22. Here, the width direction of the flexible printed substrate 22 means a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the flexible printed substrate 22 on the first surface 22a, and corresponds to the vertical direction in FIG. In FIG. 2, for convenience, the wiring pattern 28 is drawn as a single elongated line, but in reality, various patterns can be taken as the wiring pattern 28.

Further, on the first surface 22a, two ground patterns 30 are formed on both sides of the wiring pattern 28 along the extending direction of the flexible printed substrate 22. The ground pattern 30 protects a plurality of light emitting elements 24 from electrostatic discharge from conductive members arranged around them (for example, an extension member 18, a heat radiating member 26, a reflector member, etc., hereinafter also referred to as a peripheral conductive member). It is provided to do so. The ground pattern 30 is a conductive region formed on the first surface 22a and made of a conductive material such as copper. The ground pattern 30 is arranged on the first surface 22a so as to sandwich the wiring pattern 28 in between.

The ground pattern 30 is arranged so that the distance from the ground pattern 30 to the peripheral conductive member is shorter than the distance from the light emitting element 24 to the peripheral conductive member. In this way, even if the static electricity charged in the surrounding conductive member is discharged, there is a high possibility that the static electricity will be discharged to the ground pattern 30 instead of the light emitting element 24, which is useful for protecting the light emitting element 24.

The wiring pattern 28 and the ground pattern 30 are electrically disconnected from each other, and the wiring pattern 28 and the ground pattern 30 can take different potentials from each other. The ground pattern 30 is adjacent to the wiring pattern 28 over almost the entire length of the wiring pattern 28, but is not in contact with the wiring pattern 28. Between the ground pattern 30 and the wiring pattern 28, there is a gap 32 in which the insulating material is exposed on the first surface 22a of the flexible printed substrate 22.

One ground pattern 30 is located on one side of the wiring pattern 28 in the width direction of the flexible printed substrate 22, and the other ground pattern 30 is located on the opposite side of the wiring pattern 28 in the width direction of the flexible printed board 22.

Depending on the design of the vehicle lighting fixture 10, it is not essential that the ground pattern 30 is arranged on both sides of the wiring pattern 28, and in a certain embodiment, the ground pattern 30 is provided only on one side of the wiring pattern 28. May be good.

As an example, as shown, the width of the ground pattern 30 is larger than, but not limited to, the width of the wiring pattern 28. The width of the ground pattern 30 may be equal to the width of the wiring pattern 28, or may be smaller than the width of the wiring pattern 28.

The plurality of light emitting elements 24 are mounted on the first surface 22a of the flexible printed substrate 22 and are electrically connected to the wiring pattern 28. Each light emitting element 24 is arranged on the wiring pattern 28. The plurality of light emitting elements 24 are arranged at intervals along the wiring pattern 28. Therefore, the ground pattern 30 is arranged on both sides of the plurality of light emitting elements 24. A gap 32 is provided, and the ground pattern 30 is in non-contact with the light emitting element 24.

Each light emitting element 24 is, for example, an LED (light emitting diode). Each light emitting element 24 may be another semiconductor light emitting element such as LD (laser diode), organic or inorganic EL (electroluminescence). Although three light emitting elements 24 are shown in FIG. 1, the number of light emitting elements 24 mounted on the flexible printed substrate 22 is arbitrary.

A connector portion (not shown) is provided at, for example, an end portion of the flexible printed circuit board 22, and a plurality of light emitting elements 24 are connected to the connector portion by a wiring pattern 28. A wiring cable is connected to the connector portion, and the wiring cable is connected to a control board that controls turning on and off of the light emitting element 24. In this way, the light emitting element 24 is appropriately turned on and off under the control of the control substrate.

The ground pattern 30 is electrically connected to a ground potential (eg, body ground). The method of grounding the ground pattern 30 is arbitrary. For example, the ground pattern 30 may be connected to the ground potential via the connector portion and the wiring cable. Alternatively, the ground pattern 30 may be grounded via a ground cord.

The plurality of heat radiating members 26 are arranged in contact with the second surface 22b of the flexible printed substrate 22 so as to face the plurality of light emitting elements 24. The individual heat radiating members 26 are arranged on the back side of the corresponding light emitting element 24. That is, the light emitting element 24 is arranged on the front side of the lamp with respect to the flexible printed substrate 22, and the heat radiating member 26 is arranged on the rear side of the lamp with respect to the flexible printed substrate 22.

The heat radiating member 26 is provided to remove the heat generated by the light emitting element 24 from the light emitting element 24. The heat radiating member 26 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity, for example, a metal material such as aluminum. The heat radiating member 26 is adhered to the flexible printed substrate 22 with an adhesive having thermal conductivity or the like, and is fixed to the flexible printed substrate 22. The heat radiating member 26 is fixed to the lamp body 12 via an appropriate support member.

As an example, as shown in the figure, the dimension of the heat radiating member 26 in the width direction is larger than the width of the flexible printed substrate 22. Both ends of the heat radiating member 26 in the width direction protrude from the flexible printed substrate 22 on both sides. In this case, the ground pattern 30 is arranged between the exposed metal surfaces at both ends of the heat radiating member 26 in the width direction and the light emitting element 24. Even if the static electricity charged in the heat radiating member 26 is discharged, there is a high possibility that the static electricity will be discharged to the ground pattern 30 instead of the light emitting element 24, which is useful for protecting the light emitting element 24. The width direction and other dimensions of the heat radiating member 26 are arbitrary and are not limited thereto.

It is not essential that the vehicle lighting fixture 10 includes a plurality of heat radiating members 26, and in a certain embodiment, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 includes a single heat radiating member 26 for radiating heat from the plurality of light emitting elements 24. You may prepare. The heat radiating member 26 is arranged in contact with the second surface 22b of the flexible printed substrate 22 so as to face the plurality of light emitting elements 24. A single heat radiating member 26 is arranged on the back side of the plurality of light emitting elements 24.

As an example, the plurality of light emitting elements 24 are arranged in a staircase pattern in the light chamber 16 so that two adjacent light emitting elements 24 are arranged so as to be displaced in the front-rear direction of the vehicle lighting tool 10. The plurality of heat radiating members 26 are arranged in a staircase pattern corresponding to the arrangement of the light emitting elements 24. The flexible printed substrate 22 is curved in a staircase pattern and arranged in the light chamber 16.

According to the vehicle lighting fixture 10 according to the first embodiment, ground patterns 30 are formed on both sides of the wiring pattern 28 on the first surface 22a of the flexible printed substrate 22. Since the plurality of light emitting elements 24 are located on the wiring pattern 28, the ground pattern 30 surrounds both sides of these light emitting elements 24. Therefore, even if the conductive components (for example, the extension member 18, the heat radiating member 26, the reflector member, etc.) of the vehicle lamp 10 located in the vicinity of the light emitting element 24 are charged, the static electricity is more ground pattern 30 than the light emitting element 24. It becomes easy to discharge. The ground pattern 30 has an effect of shielding the electrostatic discharge from the surroundings to the light emitting element 24, so to speak, and can protect the light emitting element 24 from static electricity. This is effective as an electrostatic protection measure at the stage of using the vehicle lamp 10.

3 (a) and 3 (b) show another example of the ground pattern 30 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the ground pattern 30 may include a protruding pattern 34. In general, the electric discharge tends to go toward the protrusion. Therefore, the ground pattern 30 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B can better suppress electrostatic discharge to the light emitting element 24.

The protruding pattern 34 can have various shapes. For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the protruding pattern 34 may be formed by imparting zigzag-shaped unevenness to the outer contour line of the ground pattern 30. As shown in FIG. 3B, it may be formed by imparting a hollow shape having irregularities in the ground pattern 30. In FIG. 3B, the hollow shape is a star shape, but the shape is not limited to this, and may be a convex polygon, a concave polygon, or any other uneven shape.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4A is a schematic front view showing the appearance of the lamp unit 40 according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 4B is a schematic side view showing the appearance of the lamp unit 40 according to the second embodiment. be. The lamp unit 40 is housed in the lamp chamber 16 shown in FIG. 1 and can form a vehicle lamp, similarly to the lamp unit 20 according to the first embodiment.

The lamp unit 40 includes a transparent flexible substrate 42, a plurality of light emitting elements 44, and a connector substrate 46 as main configurations. The lamp unit 40 may also be referred to as a transparent film LED. Although the linear initial posture of the lamp unit 40 is shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b), the lamp unit 40 has flexibility. Therefore, the lamp unit 40 can be arranged in a curved shape.

FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a part of the transparent flexible substrate 42 of the lamp unit 40 according to the second embodiment in an enlarged manner. The transparent flexible substrate 42 includes two insulating films 48 extending in a strip shape and elongated along the extending direction, and a conductive pattern 50 arranged between the two insulating films 48. .. The conductive pattern 50 is provided to supply electric power to the plurality of light emitting elements 44. As an example, the conductive pattern 50 is formed in a grid pattern and has a plurality of conductors extending parallel to each other in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. The insulating film 48 is transparent and consists of, for example, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or other suitable resin material. The conductive pattern 50 is made of, for example, ITO (indium tin oxide) or other suitable conductive material.

Further, the transparent flexible substrate 42 includes an adhesive layer 52, which is also called an intermediate resin. The adhesive layer 52 is provided to bond the two insulating films 48 to each other. The conductive pattern 50 is formed on the inner surface of one of the two insulating films 48. A plurality of conductors forming the conductive pattern 50 are separated from each other by an adhesive layer 52 and are insulated from each other. The conductive pattern 50, together with the plurality of light emitting elements 44, is sandwiched between the two insulating films 48 by the adhesive layer 52. Therefore, the conductive pattern 50 and the plurality of light emitting elements 44 are substantially sealed by the two insulating films 48.

The plurality of light emitting elements 44 are arranged between the two insulating films 48 and are electrically connected to the conductive pattern 50. A plurality of bump electrodes 53 for electrically connecting the light emitting element 44 to the conductive pattern 50 are provided on the surface of the conductive pattern 50 in contact with the adhesive layer 52. Each light emitting element 44 is connected to adjacent conductors of the conductive pattern 50 via a bump electrode. The plurality of light emitting elements 44 are, for example, LEDs (light emitting diodes), and more specifically, LED bare chips. The light emitting element 44 may be another semiconductor light emitting element. The light emitted from the light emitting element 44 passes through each of the two insulating films 48 and is emitted to both the upper side and the lower side of the transparent flexible substrate 42.

As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the connector substrate 46 is attached to the transparent flexible substrate 42 for supplying power to the plurality of light emitting elements 44. The connector board 46 is attached to the end of the transparent flexible board 42 in the extending direction and is electrically connected to the conductive pattern 50. The connector board 46 is a flexible printed circuit board including the connector 54. The connector 54 is arranged on the lower surface of the connector board 46, and a reinforcing member 56 is provided on the upper surface of the connector board 46 at a position facing the connector 54. The lamp unit 40 is configured such that a plurality of light emitting elements 44 are electrically connected to an external power source via a connector 54.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the conductive pattern 50 according to the second embodiment. The conductive pattern 50 is formed in an elongated region 58 extending along the extending direction of the transparent flexible substrate 42. The conductive pattern 50 includes an anode pattern 50a and a cathode pattern 50b. The anode pattern 50a has an anode connection portion 60a at one end of an elongated region 58 in the extending direction of the transparent flexible substrate 42. The cathode pattern 50b includes a cathode connecting portion 60b at one end of an elongated region 58 in the extending direction of the transparent flexible substrate 42. The anode connection 60a and the cathode connection 60b are located at the same end of the elongated region 58. The anode connecting portion 60a and the cathode connecting portion 60b are connected to the connector substrate 46 via an anisotropic conductive film.

Further, the transparent flexible substrate 42 includes ground patterns 62 formed on both sides of the conductive pattern 50 along the extending direction of the transparent flexible substrate 42 between the two insulating films 48. In the illustrated embodiment, the ground pattern 62 is formed around the conductive pattern 50 so as to surround the entire circumference of the elongated region 58 excluding one end of the elongated region 58 connected to the connector substrate 46. As an example, the ground pattern 62 may be a grid-like wiring pattern. There is a gap 64 between the ground pattern 62 and the conductive pattern 50, and they are not in contact with each other. The ground pattern 62 is grounded via the cathode connection portion 60b.

As described above, the transparent flexible substrate 42 has a laminated structure in which the conductive pattern 50 is sandwiched between two insulating films 48. The two insulating films 48 act as a protective layer that protects the conductive pattern 50 from static electricity. However, the sides of the laminated structure can be a path for static electricity to enter.

According to the lamp unit 40 according to the second embodiment and the vehicle lamp provided with the lamp unit 40, ground patterns 62 are formed on both sides of the conductive pattern 50 between the two insulating films 48. The ground pattern 62 surrounds the conductive pattern 50 and the plurality of light emitting elements 44. Therefore, even if static electricity can enter from the side surface of the laminated structure of the transparent flexible substrate 42, the static electricity can be released from the ground pattern 62 to the ground potential. Therefore, in the second embodiment as well in the first embodiment, the light emitting element 44 can be protected from static electricity. This is effective as an electrostatic protection measure at the stage of using vehicle lamps.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a light emitting element of the vehicle lamp according to the second embodiment and its surroundings. The light emitting element 44 is arranged between the anode pattern 50a and the cathode pattern 50b. The anode terminal of the light emitting element 44 is connected to the anode pattern 50a, and the cathode terminal of the light emitting element 44 is connected to the cathode pattern 50b. As an example, the anode pattern 50a and the cathode pattern 50b are formed in a grid-like conductive pattern 50 as shown in the figure. The conductive pattern 50 has a plurality of vertical conductors parallel to each other and a plurality of horizontal conductors parallel to each other, and the vertical conductors and the horizontal conductors are orthogonal to each other. Here, one light emitting element 44 is shown for simplicity, but similarly, a plurality of light emitting elements 44 are connected to the conductive pattern 50. The plurality of light emitting elements 44 are connected in series, for example, on the conductive pattern 50.

As shown in FIG. 7, the lamp unit 40 may be provided with an electrostatic protection element such as a Zener diode 66 and a capacitor 68. As the capacitor 68, for example, a monolithic ceramic capacitor is used. As the static electricity protection element, various other known static electricity protection elements can be arbitrarily used. Both the Zener diode 66 and the capacitor 68 may be provided as shown, or only one of them may be provided.

Each electrostatic protection element is electrically connected to the conductive pattern 50 so as to be in parallel with the corresponding light emitting element 44. The electrostatic protection element is arranged between the two insulating films 48 of the transparent flexible substrate 42 together with the light emitting element 44 and the conductive pattern 50. In this way, since the static electricity protection element is installed for each light emitting element 44, the light emitting element 44 can be more reliably protected from static electricity.

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view showing a connector substrate of the vehicle lamp according to the second embodiment. As shown, the electrostatic protection element 70 may be mounted on the connector board 46. As described above, the electrostatic protection element 70 may be a Zener diode, a capacitor, or any other electrostatic protection element. The electrostatic protection element 70 is electrically connected to the wiring pattern 72 so as to be in parallel with the plurality of light emitting elements 44. The wiring pattern 72 includes an anode pattern 72a and a cathode pattern 72b. The electrostatic protection element 70 is connected between the anode pattern 72a and the cathode pattern 72b. Even in this way, the light emitting element 44 of the transparent flexible substrate 42 can be protected by the electrostatic protection element. This is effective as an electrostatic protection measure at the stage of using vehicle lamps.

The anode pattern 72a connects the anode terminal of the connector 54 to the anode connection portion 74a of the connector board 46, and the cathode pattern 72b connects the cathode terminal of the connector 54 to the cathode connection portion 74b of the connector board 46. The anode connection portion 74a of the connector substrate 46 is connected to the anode connection portion 60a of the conductive pattern 50 via an anisotropic conductive film. Similarly, the cathode connecting portion 74b of the connector substrate 46 is connected to the cathode connecting portion 60b of the conductive pattern 50 via an anisotropic conductive film.

The exposed metal portion on the connector substrate 46, such as the wiring pattern 72, the anode connection portion 74a, and the cathode connection portion 74b, may be protected by coating with a coating material such as an insulating moisture-proof coating material. Further, the anisotropic conductive film for connecting the connector substrate 46 to the transparent flexible substrate 42 may also be protected by coating with a coating material such as an insulating moisture-proof coating material.

FIG. 9 is a schematic top view showing an LED bare chip according to a certain embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a schematic top view showing an LED bare chip according to a comparative example. The LED bare chip 76 shown in FIG. 9 can be used as a light emitting element 44 in the vehicle lamp according to the second embodiment. The LED bare chip 76 includes an anode pad 78a, a cathode pad 78b, and an electrode pattern 80. Further, the LED bare chip 82 according to the comparative example also includes an anode pad 84a, a cathode pad 84b, and an electrode pattern 86.

As shown in FIG. 9, on the upper surface of the LED bare chip 76, the anode pads 78a and the cathode pads 78b are arranged at both ends of one diagonal line. The electrode pattern 80 is connected to the cathode pad 78b. In the LED bare chip 76, the width of the electrode pattern 80 is larger than the width of the electrode pattern 86 shown in FIG. By expanding the electrode pattern width in this way, the static electricity resistance of the LED bare chip 76 can be improved.

Further, by expanding the area of the anode pad 78a, it is possible to improve the static electricity resistance of the LED bare chip 76. By increasing the size of the LED bare chip 76, it is possible to improve the static electricity resistance of the LED bare chip 76.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and the embodiments and modifications can be combined, and further modifications such as various design changes can be added based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. The present invention also includes embodiments and modifications in which such combinations or further modifications are added. The above-described embodiments and modifications, and the new embodiments generated by the combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications and the following modifications, combine the effects of the combined embodiments, modifications, and further modifications. Have.

In the above-described embodiment, the electrostatic protection element is mounted on the flexible printed circuit board, but in one embodiment, the electrostatic protection element can also be applied to a hard printed circuit board. The electrostatic protection element may be a Zener diode, a capacitor, or any other electrostatic protection element. The capacitor may be a monolithic ceramic capacitor. The electrostatic protection element is arranged adjacent to one side or both sides of the light emitting element on the printed circuit board. A plurality of electrostatic protection elements may be arranged so as to surround the four sides of the light emitting element. In this way, the electrostatic protection element can be arranged between the conductive member located in the vicinity of the light emitting element and the light emitting element. The light emitting element can be protected by the electrostatic protection element.

In the above-described embodiment, a headlight is exemplified as a vehicle lighting device. However, vehicle lighting equipment is not limited to headlights, but can be used for various vehicle lighting equipment such as turn signal lamps, stop lamps, daytime running lamps, clearance lamps, cornering lamps, hazard lamps, position lamps, back lamps, and fog lamps. It can be widely applied.

10 Vehicle lighting equipment, 22 Flexible printed circuit board, 22a 1st surface, 22b 2nd surface, 24 light emitting element, 26 heat dissipation member, 28 wiring pattern, 30 ground pattern, 34 protruding pattern, 42 transparent flexible board, 44 light emitting element, 46 Connector board, 48 Insulation film, 50 Conductive pattern, 54 Connector, 58 Elongated area, 62 Ground pattern, 70 Electrostatic protection element, 72 Wiring pattern.

Claims (9)

A flexible printed substrate extending in a strip shape, comprising a first surface on which a wiring pattern is formed along the extending direction, and a second surface opposite to the first surface.
A plurality of light emitting elements mounted on the first surface of the flexible printed substrate and electrically connected to the wiring pattern, and
A heat radiating member arranged in contact with the second surface of the flexible printed circuit board facing the light emitting element is provided.
Ground patterns are formed on both sides of the wiring pattern along the extending direction of the flexible printed substrate on the first surface of the flexible printed substrate, and the ground pattern is electrically disconnected from the wiring pattern. vehicle lamp according to claim Rukoto Oh. The ground pattern, the vehicular lamp according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a protruding pattern in plan view. The vehicle lamp further includes a conductive component located in the vicinity of the light emitting element.
Claim 1 or 2 is characterized in that the ground pattern is arranged so that the distance from the ground pattern to the conductive component is shorter than the distance from the light emitting element to the conductive component. Vehicle lighting equipment described in. According to claim 1, the end portion of the heat radiating member protrudes from the flexible printed substrate in a plan view, and the ground pattern is arranged between the exposed metal surface of the end portion and the light emitting element. The vehicle lighting equipment according to any one of 3. A transparent flexible substrate extending in a strip shape, the transparent flexible substrate including a conductive pattern formed in an elongated region extending along the extending direction and two insulating films sandwiching the conductive pattern.
A plurality of light emitting elements arranged between the two insulating films and electrically connected to the conductive pattern are provided.
The transparent flexible substrate includes ground patterns formed on both sides of the conductive pattern along the extending direction of the transparent flexible substrate between the two insulating films, and the ground pattern is the same as the conductive pattern. vehicle lamp and electrically characterized disconnected der Rukoto. A connector board attached to the transparent flexible board for supplying power to the plurality of light emitting elements, further comprising a connector board having a wiring pattern electrically connected to the conductive pattern at one end of the elongated region. ,
The vehicle lamp according to claim 5 , wherein the ground pattern is formed around the conductive pattern so as to surround the entire circumference of the elongated region except for one end of the elongated region. The vehicle lamp according to claim 6 , further comprising an electrostatic protection element mounted on the connector substrate and electrically connected to the wiring pattern so as to be parallel to the plurality of light emitting elements. A plurality of electrostatic protection elements arranged between the two insulating films are further provided, and each electrostatic protection element is electrically connected to the conductive pattern so as to be in parallel with the corresponding light emitting element. The vehicle lighting equipment according to any one of claims 5 to 7. A transparent flexible substrate extending in a strip shape, between a conductive pattern formed in an elongated region extending along the extending direction, two insulating films sandwiching the conductive pattern, and the two insulating films. A transparent flexible substrate comprising ground patterns formed on both sides of the conductive pattern along the extending direction of the transparent flexible substrate.
A plurality of light emitting elements arranged between the two insulating films and electrically connected to the conductive pattern,
A connector board attached to the transparent flexible board for supplying power to the plurality of light emitting elements, and a connector board having a wiring pattern electrically connected to the conductive pattern.
A vehicle lamp that includes an electrostatic protection element mounted on the connector substrate and electrically connected to the wiring pattern so as to be parallel to the plurality of light emitting elements.

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