VEHICLE LAMP

• US 20090262550A1
• Filed: 04/21/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Inoue, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,047,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/547
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/148 the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/30 Ventilation or drainage of lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/435 circulating the gas within a closed system
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/67 characterised by the arrangement of fans
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/677 the fans being used for discharging
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/80 with pins or wires
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A vehicle lamp is provided. The vehicle lamp includes semiconductor light emitting device, a heatsink configured to dissipate a heat generated by the semiconductor light emitting device, a fan which moves air, a guide portion configured to diffuse the air from the fan and to guide the air toward the heatsink, and a housing in which the semiconductor light emitting device, the heatsink, the fan and the guide portion are accommodated. The heatsink includes a base and a plurality of heat dissipating members arranged to protrude from the base.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a semiconductor light emitting device;

a heatsink configured to dissipate heat generated by the semiconductor light emitting device, wherein the heatsink comprises a base and a plurality of heat dissipating members arranged to protrude from the base;

a fan which moves air;

a guide portion configured to diffuse the air from the fan and to guide the air toward the heatsink; and

a housing in which the semiconductor light emitting device, the heatsink, the fan and the guide portion are accommodated.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the fan is configured and arranged to move the air in a first direction which is different from a second direction in which the plurality of heat dissipating members extend longitudinally along the base, and

the guide portion comprises a wall surface which is disposed in front of the fan in the first direction such that the air colliding with the wall surface is diffused and is guided toward the heatsink.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the heat dissipating members form a plurality of gaps therebetween, and the guide portion is arranged below the heatsink to upwardly guide the air into the respective gaps.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 3, wherein the guide portion comprises:

a rear wall formed with an opening through which the air is introduced in the guide portion from the fan;

a front wall facing the rear wall;

two side walls; and

a bottom wall from which the rear wall, the front wall and the side walls upwardly extend,

wherein an upper opening is formed above the bottom wall to send the air toward the heatsink.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein the fan is arranged to face the opening in the rear wall of the guide portion.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein the base comprises a rear surface from which the plurality of heat dissipating members rearwardly protrude, and an inner wall surface of the front wall of the guide portion is flush with the rear surface of the base.

7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat dissipating members comprises a plurality of plate fins which rearwardly protrude from the base at intervals.

8. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat dissipating members comprises a plurality of pin fins which rearwardly protrude from the base at intervals.

9. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of heat dissipating members comprises two plate fins that are arranged to rearwardly protrude from respective sides of the base.

10. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the base is rectangular, and a diameter of the fan is smaller than a short side of the base.

11. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the housing is hermetically sealed.

12. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the heatsink and the guide portion are integrally formed together in a one-piece structure.

13. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a hermetically sealed housing;

a semiconductor light emitting device;

a heatsink comprising a base to which the semiconductor light emitting device is thermally connected, and a plurality of heat dissipating members thermally connected to the base, arranged to protrude from the base, and distributed at intervals along the base so as to form a plurality of gaps between the heat dissipating members;

a fan which moves air; and

a means for uniformly distributing the air from the fan into the plurality of gaps to dissipate the heat from the heatsink

wherein the semiconductor light emitting device, the heatsink, the fan and said means are accommodated inside the hermetically sealed housing.