VEHICLE REFLECTOR ASSEMBLY WITH CIRCUIT BOARD RETENTION PLATE

• US 20160061403A1
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo North America Incorporated (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo North America Incorporated (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Schaefer, Roger, Belt, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 10,704,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/19 Attachment of light sources or lamp holders achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/192 Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/39 Attachment thereof achieving variable light distribution by movable reflectors F21S41/675
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/19 Attachment of light sources or lamp holders
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/37 Attachment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/005 with keying means, i.e. for enabling the assembling of component parts in distinctive positions, e.g. for preventing wrong mounting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/101 permanently, e.g. welding, gluing or riveting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/104 using feather joints, e.g. tongues and grooves, with or without friction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/003 Fastening of light source holders, e.g. of circuit boards or substrates holding light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0035 the fastening means being capable of simultaneously attaching of an other part, e.g. a housing portion or an optical component
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/005 by permanent fixing means, e.g. gluing, riveting or embedding in a potting compound
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/00 Use or application of lighting devices on or in particular types of vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A lamp reflector assembly that includes a lamp reflector and a circuit board holder plate. The lamp reflector and the circuit board holder plate each include guide ribs to hold a lamp circuit board in place in the reflector assembly. The board holder plate provides X, Y, Z location of the lamp circuit board as well as visual position verification of the lamp circuit board held in the reflector assembly. Finger tabs protruding from the lamp circuit board through slots in the board holder plate permit repositioning the lamp circuit board so that the lamp circuit board, the board holder plate, and the lamp reflector are properly positioned relative to each other prior to securing the board holder plate to the reflector.

Claims

1. A lamp reflector assembly, comprising:

at least one lamp circuit board, said at least one lamp circuit board having one or more solid-state light elements positioned thereon;

a lamp reflector; and

a circuit board holder plate adapted to be mounted to said lamp reflector;

wherein at least one of said lamp reflector or said circuit board holder plate comprises at least one guide for locating and retaining said at least one lamp circuit board in a predetermined position relative to said lamp reflector.

2. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one guide comprises a first guide rib and a second guide rib, at least one of said first guide rib and said second guide rib having a shape that forces said at least one lamp circuit board toward a rear face of said lamp reflector, the shape comprising an inclined surface that will bear on a rear face of said at least one lamp circuit board thereby forcing said at least one lamp circuit board towards said rear face of said lamp reflector.

3. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 2, wherein at least said first guide rib is located on said lamp reflector and has the shape forcing said at least one lamp circuit board toward said rear face of said lamp reflector.

4. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 2, wherein at least said second guide rib is located on said circuit board holder plate and has the shape forcing said at least one lamp circuit board toward said rear face of said lamp reflector.

5. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 2, wherein both said first guide rib and said second guide rib have the shape forcing said at least one lamp circuit board toward said rear face of said lamp reflector.

6. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 2, wherein at least one of said first guide rib and said second guide rib comprise a locator rib, said locator rib engaging said at least one lamp circuit board to thereby locate a position of said at least one lamp circuit board laterally with respect to said rear face of said lamp reflector.

7. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 6, wherein at least said first guide rib comprises said locator rib.

8. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 6, wherein at least said second guide rib comprises said locator rib.

9. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 6, wherein both said first guide rib and said second guide rib comprise at least one said locator rib.

10. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 2, wherein

said circuit board holder plate further comprises a finger slot;

and

with said at least one lamp circuit board mounted to said lamp reflector by said circuit board holder plate, a finger tab projecting from a perimeter edge of said at least one lamp circuit board extends into said finger slot of said circuit board holder plate;

whereby said finger tab extending into said finger slot facilitates repositioning said at least one lamp circuit board being mounted in the predetermined position with respect to said rear face of said lamp reflector.

11. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 6, wherein

said lamp reflector further comprises heat stake tabs extending from said rear face;

said circuit board holder plate further comprises tab holes positioned to receive said heat stake tabs therethrough when said circuit board holder plate mounts said at least one lamp circuit board to said lamp reflector; and

with said circuit board holder plate mounting said at least one lamp circuit board to said lamp reflector, said heat stake tabs are configured to provide a weld that secures said circuit board holder plate and said lamp reflector together.

12. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 2, wherein at least one of said first guide rib and said second guide rib comprise a locator rib, said locator rib engaging said at least one lamp circuit board to thereby locate a position of said at least one lamp circuit board laterally with respect to said rear face of said lamp reflector.

13. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 12, wherein said at least one lamp circuit board comprises a notch extending into a perimeter edge of said at least one lamp circuit board, said notch positioned to engage with said locator rib to locate the position of said at least one lamp circuit board laterally with respect to said rear face of said lamp reflector.

14. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 2, wherein said circuit board holder plate is transparent, thereby facilitating visual inspection of said first guide rib and said second guide rib mounting said lamp circuit board in the predetermined position with respect to said rear face of said lamp reflector.

15. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 1, wherein said circuit board holder plate is generally flat.

16. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said at least one lamp circuit board, said circuit board holder plate fixedly mounting said plurality of said at least one lamp circuit board to said lamp reflector.

17. A lamp reflector assembly, comprising:

a plurality of lamp circuit boards, said plurality of lamp circuit boards having one or more solid-state light elements positioned thereon;

a lamp reflector having a plurality of wall surfaces having a front face defining a reflective front surface and a rear face defining a rear surface, said lamp reflector including a plurality of circuit board first guide ribs, located on said rear face, and said plurality of wall surfaces having one or more apertures through which light rays pass; and

a circuit board holder plate having a plurality of second guide ribs, said circuit board holder plate being secured to said lamp reflector;

wherein said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs of said lamp reflector and said plurality of second guide ribs of said circuit board holder plate adapted to support said plurality of lamp circuit boards in a generally perpendicular position between said lamp reflector and said circuit board holder plate and in a predetermined position with respect to said plurality of wall surfaces, respectively, said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and said plurality of second guide ribs support said plurality of lamp circuit boards in a generally perpendicular position between said lamp reflector and said circuit board holder plate;

said plurality of lamp circuit boards being captured between said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and said plurality of second guide ribs in order to support said plurality of lamp circuit boards between said circuit board holder plate and said rear surface of said lamp reflector and to secure said plurality of lamp circuit boards in said predetermined position in said lamp reflector assembly; and

wherein said plurality of second guide ribs cooperate to define a receiving aperture for receiving said plurality of lamp circuit boards, said circuit board holder plate further comprising at least one slot and said plurality of lamp circuit boards having a tab that is received in said at least one slot;

wherein said lamp reflector is concave and comprises said plurality of wall surfaces, said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs cooperating with said plurality of second guide ribs to support said plurality of lamp circuit boards between said lamp reflector and said circuit board holder plate and to support said plurality of lamp circuit boards in different planes in said lamp reflector;

wherein said plurality of lamp circuit boards are generally planar and each comprises a longitudinal surface for supporting said one or more solid-state light elements, wherein said longitudinal surfaces of said plurality of lamp circuit boards lie in said different planes.

18. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and said plurality of second guide ribs has a shape forcing a mounted circuit board toward said rear face of the reflector, said shape comprising an inclined surface that will bear on a rear face of said mounted circuit board thereby forcing said mounted circuit board towards said rear face of said reflector.

19. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 18, wherein at least said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs has said shape forcing said mounted circuit board toward said rear face of said reflector.

20. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 18, wherein at least said plurality of second guide ribs has the shape forcing said mounted circuit board toward said rear face of said reflector.

21. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 18, wherein both said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and said plurality of second guide ribs have said shape forcing said mounted circuit board toward said rear face of said reflector.

22. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 18, wherein at least one of said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and said plurality of second guide ribs comprises a locator rib, said locator rib engaging said mounted circuit board to thereby locate a position of said mounted circuit board laterally with respect to said rear face of said reflector.

23. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 22, wherein said at least one of said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs comprises said locator rib.

24. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 22, wherein said plurality of second guide ribs comprises said locator rib.

25. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 22, wherein both said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and said plurality of second guide ribs comprise at least one said locator rib.

26. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 17, wherein

said circuit board holder plate further comprises a finger slot;

and

with said plurality of lamp circuit boards mounted to said reflector by said circuit board holder plate, a finger tab projecting from a perimeter edge of said plurality of lamp circuit boards extends into said finger slot of said circuit board holder plate;

whereby said finger tab extending into said finger slot facilitates repositioning said plurality of lamp circuit boards being mounted in the predetermined position with respect to said rear face of said reflector.

27. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 17, wherein

said reflector further comprises heat stake tabs extending from said rear face;

said circuit board holder plate further comprises tab holes positioned to receive said heat stake tabs therethrough when said circuit board holder plate mounts said plurality of lamp circuit boards to said reflector; and

with said circuit board holder plate mounting said plurality of lamp circuit boards to said reflector, said heat stake tabs are configured to provide a weld that secures said circuit board holder plate and said reflector together.

28. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and said plurality of second guide ribs comprises a locator rib, said locator rib engaging a mounted circuit board to thereby locate a position of said mounted circuit board laterally with respect to said rear face of said reflector.

29. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 28, wherein said plurality of lamp circuit boards comprises a notch extending into a perimeter edge of said plurality of lamp circuit boards, said notch positioned to engage with said locator rib to locate the position of said plurality of lamp circuit boards laterally with respect to said rear face of said reflector.

30. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 17, wherein said circuit board holder plate is transparent, thereby facilitating visual inspection of said plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and said plurality of second guide ribs mounting said plurality of lamp circuit boards in the predetermined position with respect to said rear face of said reflector.

31. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 17, wherein said circuit board holder plate is generally flat.

32. The lamp reflector assembly of claim 17, wherein said circuit board holder plate fixedly mounting said plurality of lamp circuit boards to said reflector.