JP7254667B2 - Light guide member and manufacturing method thereof - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a light guide member having a light guide for guiding light and a method for manufacturing the same.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as lighting devices, halogen light bulbs having filaments and lighting devices using such halogen light bulbs have been widely used. However, in recent years, with the need for power saving and longer life, LED light bulbs or LED lamps that use light emitting elements such as LEDs as light sources, or illumination devices using LEDs are becoming more popular. As such a known LED lamp, a light emitting element, a light guide, a cover and a globe are arranged on one end side of the housing, and a power supply section is arranged on the other end side of the housing. Devices are known (see, for example, US Pat. In the lamp device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a hole is provided in the center top of a cover made of an insulating resin material, and the light guide is press-fitted into the hole.

JP 2016-219326

However, in the above-described conventionally known lighting devices, there is a risk that the light guide may come off from the housing or cover (referred to as "the housing or the like") due to the influence of vibration or the like. need to be fixed. As a method for fixing the light guide to the housing or the like, conventionally, a method of press-fitting the light guide into the housing or the like or a method of fixing the light guide to the housing or the like with an adhesive has been adopted. However, there is a possibility that the light guide may come off from the housing or the like due to aged deterioration, and the conventional light guide member has a problem of lack of reliability. In particular, in a lighting device for an automobile, since a larger vibration is applied, it is necessary to fix the light guide more firmly to the housing or the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a light guide member capable of firmly fixing a light guide to a housing and a manufacturing method thereof.

(1) A light guide member according to an embodiment for achieving the above object is composed of a translucent elastic member, a light guide that transmits light emitted from a light emitting element, and a A light guide member comprising a fixed housing,
The housing has an opening that penetrates and holds the light guide,
the opening includes a plate for fixing the light guide,
The plate has one or more through-holes penetrating in the thickness direction of the plate,
A fixing portion including at least a head portion having a larger area than the through hole is provided on the opposite side of the part of the light guide across the through hole of the plate,
A part of the light guide is provided with an adhesion portion that is adhered to the fixed portion,
A portion of the light guide and/or a portion of the fixing portion is inserted into the through hole.
(2) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, preferably, the fixing portion is a member having hardness higher than that of the light guide.
(3) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, preferably the plate is formed from the inner circumference of the opening toward the center of the opening, and a part of the light guide is a flange has the shape of
(4) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, it is preferable that the fixed portion includes a shaft passing through the through hole from the head portion, and the adhesive portion adheres to an end surface of the shaft. there is
(5) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, it is preferable that the fixing portion includes only a head portion, the through hole inserts a part of the light guide, and the head portion A portion of the light guide that passes through the through hole is adhered to the adhesion portion.
(6) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, preferably, the light guide is mainly made of silicone rubber, and the fixed portion is mainly made of silicone rubber having hardness higher than that of the light guide.
(7) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, preferably the fixed portion contains more filler than the light guide.
(8) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, preferably the housing and the light guide are chemically bonded.
(9) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, preferably, at least a portion of the housing that is coupled with the light guide has a surface modified so that the light guide can be easily coupled with the housing. quality processing department.
(10) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, preferably, the surface-modified portion is a primer-treated portion coated with a primer.
(11) In the light guide member according to another embodiment, the light guide is preferably selective adhesive silicone rubber modified so as to be easily bonded to the housing.
(12) A method for manufacturing a light guide member according to an embodiment for achieving the above object is a method for manufacturing any one of the light guide members described above,
an inserting step of setting, in a mold, a housing that can be fixed to the outer periphery of a light guide that transmits light emitted from the light emitting element;
a mold clamping step of clamping the mold into which the housing is inserted;
a composition supplying step of supplying a fluid curable composition into the mold to become a translucent elastic member upon curing;
a combining step of curing the curable composition to combine with the housing;
a mold opening step of opening the mold and taking out a light guide member in which the light guide formed of the elastic member and the housing are united;
An adhesive that, when cured, forms a fixing portion including at least a head portion having an area larger than that of the through hole from the opposite side of the part of the light guide across the through hole of the plate that fixes the light guide in the housing. an adhesive supplying step for supplying the
a bonding step of curing the adhesive to bond the fixing portion and the light guide;
including.
(13) In the method for manufacturing a light guide member according to another embodiment, preferably, in the combining step, the curable composition is cured and chemically bonded to the housing.
(14) In the method for manufacturing a light guide member according to another embodiment, preferably, before the composition supply step, at least a portion of the housing that is chemically bonded to the light guide is formed into the light guide. is subjected to a surface modification treatment step for modifying the surface to be easily bonded to the housing.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the light guide member which can fix a light guide firmly to a housing|casing, and its manufacturing method can be provided.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view (1A) from the surface side of a light guide member according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a perspective view (1B) from the back side of the light guide member. 2 shows a top view of the light guide member of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line AA (3A) of the light guide member in FIG. each shown. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view (4A) along line AA when the light guide member according to the second embodiment of the present invention is cut along the same cutting lines as lines AA and BB in FIG. A cross-sectional view (4B) taken along the line BB of the C portion is shown. FIG. 5 shows a top view of a light guide member according to a third embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view (6A) along the line AA when the light guide member according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is cut along the same cutting lines as the lines AA and BB in FIG. A cross-sectional view (6B) taken along the line BB of the C portion is shown. 7 is a cross-sectional view (7A) along line AA when the light guide member according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is cut along the same cutting lines as lines AA and BB in FIG. A cross-sectional view (7B) taken along the line BB of the C portion is shown. FIG. 8 shows a flow chart containing main steps of a method for manufacturing a light guide member according to a first embodiment of the invention. 9, together with FIG. 10, shows the main steps of FIG. 8 in a half cross-sectional view. FIG. 10 shows, following FIG. 9, the main steps of FIG. 8 in a half cross-sectional view. FIG. 11 shows a flow chart containing main steps of a method for manufacturing a light guide member according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a half cross-sectional view showing a situation in which an inserting step is performed after a process added to the first embodiment in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 shows a flow chart containing main steps of a method for manufacturing a light guide member according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

Next, each embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each embodiment described below does not limit the invention according to the scope of claims, and all of the elements described in each embodiment and combinations thereof are means for solving the present invention. is not necessarily required for

1. Light guide member

A light guide member according to an embodiment of the present invention is employed, for example, in a headlight for an automobile, and receives light emitted from a light emitting element and emits the light through the light guide. In the following, a light guide member used for a headlight for an automobile will be described, but the light guide member of the present invention is not limited to this, and the light guide member of the present invention is not limited to this, and is an indicator lamp such as an auxiliary lamp and a brake lamp for an automobile, an LED display, an interior It can be used for lighting signs, LCD backlights for display, projectors, fixtures and devices that use semiconductor light-emitting devices as light sources, such as LED lamps.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view (1A) from the surface side of a light guide member according to a first embodiment of the present invention and a perspective view (1B) from the back side of the light guide member. 2 shows a top view of the light guide member of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line AA (3A) of the light guide member in FIG. each shown. In addition, in this application, in the light guide member, the light emitting side of the light emitting element is referred to as "front surface", and the light incident side is referred to as "back surface". 1 to 13 may be partially transparent.

The light guide member 1 includes a light guide 20 made of a translucent elastic member and transmitting light emitted from the light emitting element 35, and a housing 10 fixed to the outer circumference of the light guide 20. . The housing 10 has an opening 16 that holds the light guide 20 therethrough. The housing 10 preferably includes one or more holes 12 and one or more fitting claws 14 . The holes 12 are provided at the four corners of the housing 10 in this embodiment, and are used for alignment in the manufacturing process of the light guide member 1 described later, alignment with a substrate including the light emitting element 35, and screwing. The fitting claw 14 is a member that protrudes from the rear surface of the housing 10 toward the light emitting element 35 side and can be fitted with the board or the like. In this embodiment, two fitting claws 14 are provided along the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 (vertical direction in FIG. 2) with the opening 16 interposed therebetween. The positions and number of the holes 12 and the fitting claws 14 are not particularly limited, and various modes can be adopted according to the substrates to be fitted.

The opening 16 is a substantially rectangular area penetrating through the housing 10 in the thickness direction, and is an area in which the light guide 20 can be arranged. The opening 16 is not limited to a substantially rectangular shape, but preferably has a shape that follows the outer shape of the light guide 20 . The housing 10 includes a plate 18 for fixing the light guide 20 to an inner peripheral edge (also simply referred to as “inner periphery”) 17 of the opening 16 . The plate 18 is preferably formed from the inner periphery 17 of the opening 16 toward the center of the opening 16 in this embodiment. However, the plate 18 may be formed at a location other than the inner periphery 17 of the opening 16 . The plate 18 has two or more through-holes 18a penetrating in the thickness direction of the plate 18 . In this embodiment, the number of through-holes 18a is 14, but the number may be 1 or more and less than 14, or 15 or more.

The housing 10 is preferably a member made of resin. Examples of resins include preferably polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene isophthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyolefin, polyacetate, polycarbonate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyamide, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, polyvinyl chloride, Composed of polyvinylidene chloride, synthetic rubber, liquid crystal polymer, etc. The housing 10 may be composed of one of these resins alone, or may be composed of a combination of two or more resins. Furthermore, the housing 10 may be made of metal or ceramics.

The light guide 20 is composed of a translucent elastic member, for example, a thermosetting elastomer such as silicone rubber, urethane rubber, isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, natural rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber or styrene butadiene rubber; , ester-based, styrene-based, olefin-based, butadiene-based or fluorine-based thermoplastic elastomers; or composites thereof. Light guide 20 is more preferably made of highly transparent silicone rubber. The light guide 20 is preferably provided at a position facing the light emitting element 35 . The light guide 20 also includes a plurality of substantially trapezoidal light entrance portions 22 arranged along the longitudinal direction on the back surface of the light guide member 1 . The light guide 20 also has a projecting surface 21 projecting from its surface in a direction facing the light entrance portion 22 . Light emitted from the light emitting element 35 enters the light entrance portion 22 , passes through the light guide 20 , and exits from the projecting surface 21 . As shown in FIG. 1, the light entrance portions 22 are arranged in a line in the longitudinal direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, two or more lines may be formed in the longitudinal direction. , may not form a column. At least one or more light entrance portions 22 may be provided.

The light guide 20 is fixed to the housing 10 so that the housing 10 does not come off the light guide 20 in the thickness direction of the housing 10 . More specifically, it is as follows. A portion of the light guide 20 is arranged to face the plate surface of the plate 18 . In this embodiment, a portion of the light guide 20 has the shape of a flange and is hereinafter referred to as "flange 25". The light guide member 1 includes a fixing portion 30 including at least a head portion 30a having a larger area than the through hole 18a on the opposite side of the flange 25 with the through hole 18a of the plate 18 interposed therebetween. The flange 25 is provided with a bonding portion P bonded to the fixed portion 30 . The fixed part 30 is preferably a member having higher hardness than the light guide 20 . Here, the "hardness" of the light guide 20 and the fixed portion 30 means the hardness measured by JIS K6253-3 durometer hardness type A when both the light guide 20 and the fixed portion 30 are made of rubber. However, when both the light guide 20 and the fixing portion 30 are made of resin, it means the hardness measured by JIS K6253 Durometer Hardness Type D or JIS K7202 Rockwell Hardness. If the light guide 20 is made of rubber and the fixed portion 30 is made of resin, metal, ceramics, or graphite, the fixed portion 30 is harder than the light guide 20 regardless of the hardness measurement method.

The fixed part 30 is made of thermosetting elastomer such as silicone rubber, urethane rubber, isoprene rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, natural rubber, ethylene propylene diene rubber or styrene butadiene rubber; urethane, ester, styrene, olefin, Thermoplastic elastomer such as butadiene-based or fluorine-based elastomer; or a composite thereof. The fixed part 30 is more preferably made of silicone rubber. A more preferable combination of the light guide 20 and the fixed portion 30 is a combination of the light guide 20 mainly made of silicone rubber and the fixed portion 30 mainly made of silicone rubber having a hardness higher than that of the light guide 20 . Here, "mainly" means more than 50% by weight, preferably 80% by weight, more preferably 90% by weight of the light guide 20 (or the fixed part 30). The fixed part 30 is preferably a member containing more filler than the light guide 20 . The filler preferably has a function of increasing the height of the fixed portion 30, and examples thereof include granular, whisker-like (needle-like), fibrous, and other forms of filler such as alumina, silicon carbide, graphite, silica, and boron. can. In particular, in the case of the fixing portion 30 having silicone rubber as the base material, silica is suitable as the filler. In addition to the various rubbers described above, the fixing portion 30 is made of resins such as thermoplastic resins, thermosetting resins, photo-curing resins (including ultraviolet-curing resins), and electron beam-curing resins (various types of resins described above). higher hardness than rubber). In that case, for example, a resin rod is press-fitted into the through-hole 18a, heated by ultrasonic irradiation, electric heat, or flame, and inserted into the through-hole 18a in the form of a rivet. It may also be adhered to the light guide 20 by pressing. Furthermore, the fixed portion 30 may be made of metal such as aluminum or SUS, ceramics such as alumina or silicon nitride, graphite, or composites thereof. In that case, the bonding between the fixed portion 30 and the light guide 20 may be realized through an adhesive layer, which is an example of the third layer.

The fixed portion 30 includes a head portion 30a and a shaft portion 30b passing through the through hole 18a. That is, in this embodiment, the fixed part 30 has the form of a pin including a head part 30a and a shaft part 30b extending downward from the head part 30a. The shaft portion 30b is "a portion of the fixed portion". The flange 25 forms part of the light guide 20 and is adhered to the end surface of the shaft portion 30b (see the adhered portion P in FIG. 3(3B)). In this manner, a portion of the fixing portion 30 is inserted into the through hole 18a. Here, "adhesion" includes a state of chemical bonding, as well as a state of adhesion or close contact without chemical bonding, as with "bonding" described later. It is a broad concept. In this embodiment, the fixed part 30 and the flange 25 are adhered without intervening a third layer. However, the fixed portion 30 and the flange 25 may be bonded with a third layer interposed therebetween.

In this embodiment, the fixed part 30 is formed by curing an uncured (liquid or semi-solid) curable composition. When the fixing portion 30 is mainly composed of silicone rubber, it is preferable to supply an uncured curable rubber composition to the through holes 18a and allow it to overflow onto the plate 18 and cure. Curing is preferably carried out in air at room temperature or with heating in air. However, the curing method is not limited to standing at room temperature and heating, and irradiation with ultraviolet rays or electron beams, or another method may be used.

The light guide 20 and the housing 10 are integrated by bonding the fixed portion 30 and the light guide through the through hole 18a. That is, the light guide 20 and the housing 10 are fitted and fixed by the fixing portion 30 . Therefore, the light guide 20 and the housing 10 may simply be in contact with each other and can be easily separated without the fixing portion 30 . In this embodiment, the fixing portion 30 is preferably glued to both the plate 18 and the flange 25 as well as the flange 25 . The fixing portion 30 has a head portion 30a having an area larger than that of the through hole 18a. Therefore, the light guide 20 is more difficult to come off from the housing 10 . Further, by making the fixed portion 30 a member with higher hardness than the light guide 20 , even if the volume of the fixed portion 30 is extremely smaller than the volume of the light guide 20 , the light guide member 1 will not be affected by vibrations or the like of the housing 10 and the light. The risk of separation from the guide 20 can be reduced.

Further, as shown in the modification of (3C), the shaft portion 30b of the fixing portion 30 may be longer than the length of the through hole 18a, and the shaft portion 30b may be inserted halfway through the thickness of the flange 25. FIG. According to such a configuration, the bonding portion P1 between the fixing portion 30 and the flange 25 is wider than the bonding portion P described above. Therefore, the housing 10 and the light guide 20 can be fixed more strongly.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a light guide member according to a second embodiment of the invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the description in the first embodiment is substituted for the parts that are common with the first embodiment, and redundant description is omitted.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view (4A) along line AA when the light guide member according to the second embodiment of the present invention is cut along the same cutting lines as lines AA and BB in FIG. A cross-sectional view (4B) taken along the line BB of the C portion is shown.

The light guide member 1a according to this embodiment differs from the light guide member 1 according to the first embodiment in that the fixing portion 30 includes only the head portion 30a, and the through hole 18a is a portion 25b of the flange (the light guide 20). is also part of). The head portion 30a is adhered to the end surface of the portion 25b of the flange passing through the through hole 18a (see the adhered portion P in FIG. 4(4B)). The head portion 30a is also adhered to the upper surface of the plate 18. As shown in FIG. Moreover, in this embodiment, preferably, the flange 25 is adhered to the back surface of the plate 18, the inner surface of the through hole 18a, and the back surface of the head portion 30a. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the light guide member 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a light guide member according to a third embodiment of the invention will be described. In the third embodiment, the description in each of the above-described embodiments is used as a substitute for the portions that are common to the above-described respective embodiments, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a light guide member according to a third embodiment of the invention.

The light guide member 1b according to this embodiment is provided with a fixing portion 30 having one head portion, unlike the light guide members 1 and 1a according to the above embodiments. The fixed part 30 is a single annular member arranged on the plate 18 . The fixed portion 30 may have a shaft portion 30b that is inserted and fixed into the through hole 18a, or may not have such a shaft portion 30b. When the fixing portion 30 includes the shaft portion 30b, the fixing portion 30 has a configuration in which the shaft portion 30b is provided on the back side of an annular thin rubber adhesive sheet in plan view. In addition, the shaft portion 30 b may bite into the inside of the flange 25 . On the other hand, when the fixing portion 30 does not include the shaft portion 30b, the fixing portion 30 has a configuration of only an annular thin rubber adhesive sheet in a plan view. The flange 25 is inserted into the through-hole 18a and adhered to the rear surface of the fixed portion 30, as in the second embodiment.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a light guide member according to a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the description in each of the above-described embodiments is used as a substitute for the portions that are common to the above-described respective embodiments, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view (6A) along the line AA when the light guide member according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention is cut along the same cutting lines as the lines AA and BB in FIG. A cross-sectional view (6B) taken along the line BB of the C portion is shown.

The light guide member 1c according to this embodiment chemically bonds the housing 10 and the light guide 20, unlike the light guide members 1, 1a, and 1b according to the above embodiments. Here, the state of "chemical bonding" (hereinafter also simply referred to as "bonding") means a state of having a chemical bond such as a covalent bond or an ionic bond. "Bonding" includes not only the state of being chemically bonded, but also the state of adhesion or close contact without chemical bonding, and is a broader concept than "chemically bonding." When the silicone rubber and the non-silicone rubber are joined without the surface modification treatment section 15 described later or when the selective adhesion silicone rubber described later is not used, the bonding is chemically bonded. There is no state. In this embodiment, at least the portion of the housing 10 that is to be coupled with the light guide 20 is a surface-modified portion 15 that is modified to have a surface that facilitates coupling of the light guide 20 to the housing 10 . Preferably, in the light guide member 1c, the surface-modified portion 15 is a primer-treated portion coated with a primer. For example, when the light guide 20 is made of silicone rubber and the housing 10 is made of polyethylene terephthalate, a silicone-based primer can be used as the primer. The housing 10 and the light guide 20 are chemically bonded due to the presence of the primer-treated portion.

As the surface modification treatment section 15, instead of the part made of the primer, at least the part of the plate 18 or the like that contacts the light guide 20 is subjected to ultraviolet irradiation, plasma irradiation, corona treatment, flame treatment (flame treatment), electron beam. or a combination of these irradiations or treatments to modify the surface of the site to provide a site with easy adhesion. The surface modification treatment unit 15 preferably achieves surface cleaning or wettability improvement by plasma irradiation, corona treatment, or flame treatment, and additionally improves the light guide 20 by the action of the functional group of the silane coupling agent. It is the portion provided with a primer capable of realizing chemical bonding with the surface. In this embodiment, the surface modification treated portions 15 are formed on the front side and the back side of the plate 18 and the inner side surfaces of the through holes 18a. Therefore, the plate 18 can be fixed more firmly to the flange 25 and the fixed portion 30 of the light guide 20 by being chemically bonded. As a result, it is possible to prevent the light guide 20 from coming off the housing 10 .

Note that the surface-modified portion 15 may be formed not only on the plate 18 but also on a region beyond the plate 18 (for example, the entire housing 10). Moreover, the fixed part 30 may be only the head part 30a. Furthermore, the fixed portion 30 may have an annular shape in a plan view, which is composed of one head portion 30a.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a light guide member according to a fifth embodiment of the invention will be described. In the fifth embodiment, the description in each of the above-described embodiments will be used as a substitute for the portions that are common to the above-described respective embodiments, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

7 is a cross-sectional view (7A) along line AA when the light guide member according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is cut along the same cutting lines as lines AA and BB in FIG. A cross-sectional view (7B) taken along the line BB of the C portion is shown.

Unlike the light guide member 1c according to the fourth embodiment, the light guide member 1d according to this embodiment does not include the surface modification treatment section 15 in the housing 10, and the housing 10 and the light guide 20 are combined. chemically bonded. Specifically, the light guide 20 is made of selective adhesive silicone rubber that selectively adheres to the resin forming the housing 10 . For example, when the housing 10 is mainly composed of polycarbonate or polyethylene terephthalate, the light guide 20 is selected by adding an auxiliary agent (for example, a resin adhesive component represented by chemical formula 1 below) that chemically bonds with polycarbonate or polyethylene terephthalate. Constructed from adhesive silicone rubber. Selective adhesion silicone rubber has the property of selectively strongly adhering to resins such as polycarbonate. The light guide 20 may be made of selective adhesive silicone rubber, and the housing 10 may be provided with the surface modification treatment section 15 .

It is particularly preferable to use a silane coupling agent to form the surface-modified portion 15 . The silane coupling agent used in combination with the selective adhesive silicone rubber can be appropriately selected according to the material of the housing 10 and the material and curing system of the light guide 20 . Examples of silane coupling agents include those having an epoxy group, methacrylic group, acrylic group, amino group or isocyanate group as functional groups. Among them, those having an epoxy group, an amino group or an isocyanate group as a functional group are preferable, and those having an epoxy group as a functional group are more preferable. The selected silane coupling agent is diluted with an organic solvent represented by toluene, xylene, ethyl acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, various alcohols, or a mixture of alcohol and water, and is applied to the housing 10 in the form of a primer to form a surface. A modification processing section 15 may be formed. Alternatively, the surface-modified portion 15 may be formed by using the silane coupling agent as it is. This can be similarly adopted in other than the fifth embodiment.

The selective adhesion silicone rubber has the following composition: (a) an alkenyl group-containing organopolysiloxane; (b) an organohydrogenpolysiloxane having at least two hydrogen atoms directly bonded to silicon atoms in one molecule; and (c). Those containing an addition reaction catalyst and (d) an adhesion imparting component are preferred. In particular, it is a compound that has at least one hydrogen atom directly bonded to a silicon atom in one molecule and contains a group selected from a group having a phenyl skeleton, an alkoxysilyl group, a glycidyl group, and an acid anhydride group. is preferred. Furthermore, among these, compounds having at least one, more preferably two or more Si—H groups and at least one phenyl skeleton in one molecule are particularly preferred.

As the selective adhesion silicone rubber, for example, 1 part by weight of addition reaction type cross-linking agent (C-25A; manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) is added to 100 parts by weight of silicone rubber pound (KE9510-U; manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.). , an addition reaction type cross-linking agent (C-25B; manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) 1 part by weight, and 1 part by weight of a compound represented by the following chemical formula 1 also correspond to the selective adhesion silicone rubber.

Further, for example, with respect to 100 parts by weight of the heat-curable organopolysiloxane composition, 1 to 100 parts by weight of reinforcing silica fine powder, an epoxy equivalent of 100 to 5000 g/1 mol, and at least one aromatic ring in the molecule. A mixture containing 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of an organic compound or an organic silicon compound also corresponds to selective adhesion silicone rubber (see Japanese Patent No. 4268633 and Japanese Patent No. 2687832).

The fixed portion 30 may be only the head portion 30a. Furthermore, the fixed portion 30 may have an annular shape in a plan view, which is composed of one head portion 30a.

2. Method for Manufacturing Light Guide Member Next, each embodiment of a method for manufacturing a light guide member according to the present invention will be described.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 8 shows a flow chart containing main steps of a method for manufacturing a light guide member according to a first embodiment of the invention. 9 and 10 show the main steps of FIG. 8 in one-side sectional view through both figures.

The method for manufacturing the light guide member according to this embodiment is a method for manufacturing the light guide member 1 according to the first embodiment described above. The method for manufacturing a light guide member according to this embodiment includes an inserting step (S110), a mold clamping step (S120), a composition supplying step (S130), a uniting step (S140), a mold opening step (S150), and an adhesive supplying step. step (S160), and adhesion step (S170). Each step will be described below.

(1) Insert step (S110)
The inserting step is a step of setting the housing 10 that can be fixed to the outer circumference of the light guide 20 that transmits the light emitted from the light emitting element 35 in the mold 40 (state a). A mold 40 used in the insert step is a mold for insert molding that can be clamped in the vertical direction, and includes an upper mold 41 and a lower mold 42 . However, the mold clamping direction is not limited to the vertical direction on the paper surface, and may be the horizontal direction instead of the vertical direction or along with the vertical direction. The lower mold 42 is a mold for setting the surface of the housing 10 to the inner bottom of the lower mold 42 . More specifically, the inserting step is a step of setting the housing 10 to the inner bottom of the lower mold 42 with the surface of the housing 10 facing the inner bottom. In addition, the lower mold 42 is provided with a gate 43 as a supply port for supplying the uncured curable composition, which becomes the light guide 20 after curing, into the inside of the mold 40 . The shape of the gate 43 is preferably a substantially conical shape whose diameter decreases from the lower surface of the lower mold 42 toward the inside of the mold 40 . However, the shape of the gate 43 may be another shape such as a substantially pyramidal shape.

(2) Mold clamping step (S120)
The mold clamping step is a step of clamping the mold 40 into which the housing 10 is inserted (state b). More specifically, in the mold clamping step, the housing 10 is set on the inner bottom of the lower mold 42, and the upper mold 41 is placed over the upper mold 41 to clamp the upper mold 41 and the lower mold 42 together. Close the mold. Further, by clamping the mold, a concave portion 44 for forming the light guide 20 is formed. The recess 44 is a gap surrounded by the upper mold 41 , the lower mold 42 and the housing 10 . The lower die 42 has a projecting portion 42a that can be inserted into the through hole 18a formed in the plate 18 of the housing 10 . Therefore, when the mold 40 is clamped, the through hole 18a is blocked by the projecting portion 42a, and the curable composition supplied in the next step cannot enter. However, the projecting portion 42a may have a form that completely closes the through hole 18a or a form that partially closes the through hole 18a. Further, when the fixed portion 30 is the head portion 30a only, the projecting portion 42a may be omitted.

(3) Composition supply step (S130)
The composition supplying step is a step of supplying a fluid curable composition into the mold 40, which cures to become a translucent elastic member (state c). More specifically, the curable composition is supplied to the concave portion 44 in the composition supply step. Since the recess 44 is connected to the gate 43 , the curable composition can be supplied to the recess 44 through the gate 43 . In the drawing, only one end side of the light guide member 1 is shown in an enlarged manner, and the right side of the vertical dashed line is omitted in the drawing, but the opposite end portion of the light guide member 1 has the same form. Thus, for example, gates 43 are present not only at the edge shown, but also at the other edge. When a liquid curable composition is supplied from one gate 43 (supply from the direction indicated by the arrow G1 in the figure), the curable composition flows and fills the annular recess 44 and flows out from another gate 43. . Thereby, the recess 44 can be filled with the curable composition while removing the air in the annular recess 44 .

(4) Union step (S140)
The uniting step is a step of uniting the light guide 20 and the housing 10 by curing the curable composition. This step may be referred to as the "integration step". That is, the housing 10 merges with the light guide 20 formed by curing the curable composition. Curing conditions for the curable composition vary depending on the type of curable composition, but curing conditions in this embodiment include warming from room temperature. As a result, the light guide 20 and the gate member are formed inside the recess 44 and the gate 43, respectively. The gate member is also called a gate trace, and is removed in a post-process.

(5) Mold opening step (S150)
The mold opening step is a step of opening the mold 40 and taking out the light guide member 1 in which the light guide 20 made of an elastic member and the housing 10 are united (state d). The through hole 18a is a recess closed on one side by a flange 25. As shown in FIG. An optional step to completely remove some of the gate marks may be performed after the mold opening step. When the light guide member 1 is removed from the mold 40 in the mold opening step (S150), most of the gate marks remain on the lower mold . However, part of the gate marks may remain on the front surface of the light guide 20 . Therefore, in the gate member removing step, more specifically, the surface on the front side of the light guide 20 is polished to completely remove part of the gate marks.

(6) Adhesive supply step (S160)
The adhesive supplying step is a step of supplying the adhesive from the opposite side of a part of the light guide (for example, the flange 25 ) across the through hole 18 a of the plate 18 fixing the light guide 20 in the housing 10 . The adhesive is supplied to the recess as indicated by an arrow G2 using an adhesive supply syringe 50 or the like (state e). The adhesive is preferably supplied until it fills and even overflows the through-hole 18a closed on one side (the recess described above).

(7) Bonding step (S170)
The bonding step is a step of curing the adhesive to bond the fixing portion 30 and the light guide 20 together. Here, the fixed part 30 is preferably adhered to both the light guide 20 and the housing 10 . The adhesive that has been supplied to the above-described concave portion is hardened to form the fixing portion 30 (state f). The fixed portion 30 includes at least a head portion 30a having a larger area than the through hole 18a penetrating through the plate 18 in the thickness direction.

The method for manufacturing the light guide member according to this embodiment can also be used when manufacturing the light guide members 1a and 1b according to the second and third embodiments described above.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a method for manufacturing the light guide member according to the second embodiment of the invention will be described. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the parts common to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 11 shows a flow chart containing main steps of a method for manufacturing a light guide member according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a half cross-sectional view showing a situation in which an inserting step is performed after a process added to the first embodiment in the second embodiment.

The method for manufacturing the light guide member according to this embodiment is a method for manufacturing the light guide member 1c according to the fourth embodiment described above. The method for manufacturing a light guide member according to this embodiment includes a surface modification treatment step (S100), an inserting step (S110), a mold clamping step (S120), a composition supplying step (S130), a coalescing step (S140a), a mold It includes an opening step (S150), an adhesive supply step (S160), and an adhesion step (S170). Hereinafter, in the method for manufacturing the light guide member according to the second embodiment, different steps from the method for manufacturing the light guide member according to the first embodiment will be mainly described.

(1) Surface modification treatment step (S100)
In the surface modification treatment step, before the composition supply step (S130), at least a portion of the housing 10 that chemically bonds to the light guide 20 is modified into a surface that facilitates bonding of the light guide 20 to the housing 10. This is the questioning step. The surface modification treatment step may be performed between the inserting step (S110) and the mold closing step (S120), or between the mold closing step (S120) and the composition supplying step (S130). In this embodiment, a part of the plate 18 formed on the inner periphery 17 of the housing 10 is coated with a primer to form a primer-treated portion (an example of the surface-modified portion 15). Note that the surface modification treated portion 15 may be formed not only on the plate 18 but also on a wider area including the plate 18 .

(2) Insert step (S110), mold clamping step (S120) and composition supply step (S130)
These steps are common to the method of manufacturing the light guide member according to the first embodiment, so description thereof will be omitted here instead of the description in the first embodiment.

(3) Union step (S140a)
The uniting step in this embodiment is a step of curing the curable composition to chemically bond the cured product of the composition (light guide 20 ) and the housing 10 . Curing conditions for the curable composition vary depending on the type of curable composition, but curing conditions in this embodiment include warming from room temperature. The gate member is also called a gate trace, and is preferably removed in a post-process.

(4) mold opening step (S150), adhesive supply step (S160) and adhesion step (S170)
These steps are common to the method of manufacturing the light guide member according to the first embodiment, so description thereof will be omitted here instead of the description in the first embodiment. In addition, in the bonding step (S170), the fixing part 30 and the plate 18 can also be chemically bonded.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a method for manufacturing the light guide member according to the third embodiment of the invention will be described. In this embodiment, the same reference numerals are given to the parts that are common to the above-described embodiments, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 13 shows a flow chart containing main steps of a method for manufacturing a light guide member according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

The manufacturing method according to this embodiment is a method for manufacturing the light guide member 1d according to the fifth embodiment described above. The production method according to this embodiment does not include the surface modification treatment step (S100), and in the composition supply step (S130), the curable composition that is the raw material for the selective adhesion silicone rubber is supplied. It is different from the manufacturing method according to the form. Moreover, in the uniting step (S140a), unlike the manufacturing method according to the second embodiment, the housing 10 is chemically bonded to the light guide 20 without having the surface modification treatment section 15. FIG. Other steps in the third embodiment are the same as in the manufacturing method according to the second embodiment.

By the manufacturing method described above, the housing 10 and the light guide 20 are integrally molded, and the light guide 20 and the housing 10 are chemically bonded. Therefore, the light guide 20 can be firmly fixed to the housing 10, and the situation in which the light guide 20 comes off from the housing 10 can be suppressed.

3. Other Embodiments Although the embodiments of the light guide member and the method of manufacturing the same according to the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and can be implemented in various modifications.

For example, the light emitting element 35 does not have to be provided at a position facing the light guide 20 . The position of the light emitting element 35 is not particularly limited as long as the light emitted from the light emitting element 35 can enter the light entering part 22, such as a position facing the side surface of the light entering part 22, for example.

The light guide members 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d are not limited to the manufacturing method described above, and may be manufactured using, for example, a 3D printer. The through-hole 18 a may be embedded in both the shaft portion 30 b and the portion 25 b of the flange of the light guide 20 .

A plurality of constituent elements of each of the above-described embodiments can be freely combined except when they cannot be combined with each other. For example, the light guide member 1d may be provided with the surface-modified portion 15. FIG. In this case, the fixing portion 30 may be a member including only the head portion 30a or a member including the head portion 30a and the shaft portion 30b.

The light guide member according to the present invention can be used, for example, in headlights for automobiles.

1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d... light guide member, 10... housing, 15... surface modification treatment portion (primer treatment portion is an example), 16... opening, 17... Inner circumference 18 Plate 18a Through hole 20 Light guide 25 Flange (part of light guide) 25b Part of flange 30 Fixing part 30a... Head part 30b... Shaft part (part of fixing part) 40... Mold P, P1... Bonding part.

Claims (14)

a light guide made of a translucent elastic member and transmitting light emitted from the light emitting element;
a housing fixed to the outer circumference of the light guide;
A light guide member comprising
The housing has an opening that penetrates and holds the light guide,
the opening includes a plate for fixing the light guide,
The plate has one or more through-holes penetrating in the thickness direction of the plate,
A fixing portion including at least a head portion having a larger area than the through hole is provided on the opposite side of the part of the light guide across the through hole of the plate,
A part of the light guide is provided with an adhesion portion that is adhered to the fixed portion,
A light guide member in which a portion of the light guide and/or a portion of the fixing portion is inserted into the through hole. 2. The light guide member according to claim 1, wherein the fixing portion is a member having higher hardness than the light guide. 3. The light according to claim 1, wherein the plate is formed from the inner periphery of the opening toward the center of the opening, and a portion of the light guide has a flange shape. guide member. The fixing portion includes a shaft portion passing through the through hole from the head portion,
4. The light guide member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bonding portion is bonded to the end surface of the shaft portion. The fixed part has only a head part,
a part of the light guide is inserted into the through hole,
4. The light guide member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the head portion is adhered to the adhesive portion of the portion of the light guide passing through the through hole. The light guide is mainly made of silicone rubber,
6. The light guide member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fixed portion is mainly made of silicone rubber having a hardness higher than that of the light guide. 7. The light guide member according to claim 6, wherein the fixing portion contains more filler than the light guide. 8. The light guide member according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the housing and the light guide are chemically bonded. 9. The light according to claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the housing that is coupled to the light guide is a surface-modified portion that is modified to have a surface that facilitates coupling of the light guide to the housing. guide member. 10. The light guide member according to claim 9, wherein the surface-modified portion is a primer-treated portion coated with a primer. 11. The light guide member according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the light guide is made of selectively adhesive silicone rubber modified to facilitate bonding to the housing. A method for manufacturing a light guide member according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
an inserting step of setting, in a mold, a housing that can be fixed to the outer periphery of a light guide that transmits light emitted from the light emitting element;
a mold clamping step of clamping the mold into which the housing is inserted;
a composition supplying step of supplying a fluid curable composition into the mold to become a translucent elastic member upon curing;
a combining step of curing the curable composition to combine with the housing;
a mold opening step of opening the mold and taking out a light guide member in which the light guide formed of the elastic member and the housing are united;
An adhesive that, when cured, forms a fixing portion including at least a head portion having an area larger than that of the through hole from the opposite side of the part of the light guide across the through hole of the plate that fixes the light guide in the housing. an adhesive supplying step for supplying the
a bonding step of curing the adhesive to bond the fixing portion and the light guide;
A method for manufacturing a light guide member, comprising: 13. The method of manufacturing a light guide member according to claim 12, wherein in the uniting step, the curable composition is cured to chemically bond with the housing. Prior to the composition supplying step,
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein a surface modification treatment step is performed for modifying at least a portion of the housing that chemically bonds with the light guide into a surface that facilitates bonding of the light guide to the housing. A method of manufacturing the described light guide member.

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