Light emitting device for vehicle, lighting device for vehicle, and lighting tool for vehicle

• US 10,327,304 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kosugi, Daisuke, Heike, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cerullo, Liliana
• Application Number:
  US15/195,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20170009953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/195 Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/10 Protection of lighting devices cooling of lighting devices F21S45/40; waterproofing of lighting devices F21S45/50
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/48 with means for conducting heat from the inside to the outside of the lighting devices, e.g. with fins on the outer surface of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/50 Waterproofing
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/56 involving measures to prevent abnormal temperature of the LEDs

Abstract

A light emitting device for a vehicle includes a substrate; a light emitting element which is provided on the substrate; a resistive element which is provided on the substrate, and connected in series with the light emitting element; and a thermistor which is provided on the substrate. The thermistor has a positive temperature coefficient, and is connected in parallel with the resistive element.

Claims

1. A lighting tool for a vehicle comprising:

a lighting device;

a housing to which the lighting device is attached,

the lighting device comprising;

a light emitting device;

a power feeding terminal; and

a socket which is fitted into the power feeding terminal,

the light emitting device comprising;

a substrate;

a light emitting element which is provided on the substrate and provided in the light emitting device, wherein the power feeding terminal is electrically connected to the light emitting element;

at least one resistive element which is provided on the substrate, and is connected in series with the light emitting element; and

a thermistor which is provided on the substrate, has a positive temperature coefficient, and is connected in parallel with the at least one resistive element,

a shortest distance between the thermistor and a resistive element, of the at least one resistive element, provided closest to the thermistor on the substrate is set to be longer than a shortest distance between the thermistor and the light emitting element,

wherein the lighting device is attached to the housing so as to have an orientation in which the thermistor is located above the light emitting element, which is provided in the light emitting device, and not located above the at least one resistive element, which is located above the light emitting element.

2. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein heat conductivity of the substrate is set to 1 W/(mK) or more and 200 W/(mK) or less.

3. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the thermistor and the light emitting element on the substrate is set to 10 mm or less.

4. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein the resistive element is an adjustable resistor, or a film-shaped resistor which is provided on the substrate, and a resistance value of the resistive element is set to a value in which a value of a current which flows in the thermistor is within a desired range in an environmental temperature region of approximately 85°

C., and a value of a current which flows in the light emitting element is within a desired range in an environmental temperature region of approximately 25°

C.

5. The lighting tool according to claim 4, wherein the film-shaped resistor includes an elimination portion which is formed by eliminating a part of the film-shaped resistor.

6. The lighting tool according to claim 5, wherein a resistance value of the film-shaped resistor is adjusted by a size of the elimination portion.

7. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein the resistive element is an adjustable resistor, or a film-shaped resistor which is provided on the substrate, and a resistance value of the resistive element is set to a value in which a value of a current which flows in the thermistor is within a desired range in an environmental temperature region of approximately 105°

C., and a value of a current which flows in the light emitting element is within a desired range in an environmental temperature region of approximately 25°

C.

8. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein the resistive element is an adjustable resistor, or a film-shaped resistor which is provided on the substrate, and a resistance value of the resistive element is set to a value in which a junction temperature of the light emitting element does not exceed a maximum junction temperature in an environmental temperature region of approximately 85°

C., and brightness of the light emitting element becomes a value within a desired range in an environmental temperature region of approximately 25°

C.

9. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein the resistive element is an adjustable resistor, or a film-shaped resistor which is provided on the substrate, and a resistance value of the resistive element is set to a value in which a junction temperature of the light emitting element does not exceed a maximum junction temperature in an environmental temperature region of approximately 105°

C., and brightness of the light emitting element becomes a value within a desired range in an environmental temperature region of approximately 25°

C.

10. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein, when an environmental temperature rises, a resistance value of the thermistor increases.

11. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein, when an environmental temperature rises, a value of combined resistance of a parallel circuit which is formed of the resistive element and the thermistor increases, and a value of a current which flows in the parallel circuit, and a value of a current which flows in the light emitting element decrease.

12. The lighting tool according to claim 10, wherein the environmental temperature is −

40°

C. to 85°

C.

13. The lighting tool according to claim 10, wherein the environmental temperature is −

40°

C. to 105°

C.

14. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein Curie temperature of the thermistor is 65°

C. or more and 140°

C. or less.

15. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein a material of the substrate is ceramic.

16. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein a material of the substrate is obtained by covering a surface of an aluminum plate using an insulating material.

17. The lighting tool according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is provided on the substrate using a chip on board (COB) method.