Vehicle lamp

• US 5,038,255 A
• Filed: 10/10/1990
• Issued: 08/06/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited, Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Furukawa Electric Company Limited, Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Ono, Masato, Kondo, Toshiyuki, Nishihashi, Jun, Shiroishi, Hirokazu, Waki, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/595,247
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/238, 362/240, 362/249, 362/226, 362/362, 362/373, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/547
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• 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 43/51 Attachment thereof
• 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: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/87 Organic material, e.g. filled polymer composites; Thermo-conductive additives or coatings therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/40 Details of LED load circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0284 Details of three-dimensional rigid printed circuit boards H05K1/119 takes precedence; shaping of the substrate H05K3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0373 containing additives, e.g. fillers H05K1/036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/183 Components mounted in and supported by recessed areas of the printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0209 Inorganic, non-metallic particles
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09045 Locally raised area or protrusion of insulating substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09063 Holes or slots in insulating substrate not used for electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09118 Moulded substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 : Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10446 : Mounted on an edge
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10583 : Cylindrically shaped component; Fixing means therefore
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10651 : Component having two leads, e.g. resistor, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/167 : Using mechanical means for positioning, alignment or registration, e.g. using rod-in-hole alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0064 : onto a polymeric substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/301 : by means of a mounting structure H05K3/325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/303 : Surface mounted components, e.g. affixing before soldering, aligning means, spacing means H05K3/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3405 : Edge mounted components, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 : Light emitting diode

Abstract

A vehicle lamp is mounted on vehicles such as automobiles. The lamp has an inner chamber constructed by a lamp housing and a lens, respectively having long shapes. In the chamber, there is a long light source fixing face member on which plural light sources are fixed. All light sources or electric bulbs are neatly fitted to convex or concave guide portions. Circuit patterns are printed on an inner face of the housing. Terminals of the light sources come into contact with the circuit patterns. The housing is made of particular synthetic resin having a good heat conductivity, so that no heat is accumulated in the chamber.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp assembly comprising a housing and a lens, said housing and said lens cooperating to define a hollow lamp chamber, a light source fixing face arranged in the lamp chamber, a plurality of lamps arranged on the light source fixing face, and a power source connecting portion formed on a part of said lamp chamber, characterized in that said housing is made of resin having a thermal conductivity improved by adding a filler thereto, said housing has an inner face on which face circuit patterns for electrical contact with each lamp are integrally formed and curved guide portions for positioning the lamp, said guide portions being used as the light source fixing face, the housing also having terminals protruding from the fixing face to the outside of the housing, which terminals serve as the power source connecting housing and said assembly have a large clearance gap, formed between the housing and lens, along a long-axis direction of the vehicle lamp and said housing and said lens being joined through a flexible seal member arranged in said gap to seal said lamp chamber.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a rib functioning as a heat sink, which rib is formed on the outside face of the housing.

3. A lamp assembly for vehicles and the like comprising:

a housing for supporting a plurality of lamp sources;

a lens member;

said housing having an engaging periphery;

said lens member having an engaging periphery for engaging said housing periphery when said lens member and housing are fitted together;

said lens member and housing, when fitted together, defining a hollow interior lamp chamber;

a surface of said housing within said hollow lamp chamber being provided with guide portions for receiving and accurately positioning the lamp source and at least one associated electrical component;

connection means for electrical connection with an external power source extending through said housing and into said hollow chamber;

a printed circuit pattern arranged on said housing surface for electrically connecting said lamp source and electrical component to said connection means for coupling with an external power source; and

said printed circuit arrangement electrically engaging terminals provided on said lamp source and circuit component when said lamp source and circuit component are arranged on said fixing face and properly positioned by said guide members.

4. The lamp assembly of claim 3 wherein the lens and housing are sized so that the peripheral mating portions are separated by a gap;

a resilient flexible seal member arranged within said gap for sealing the hollow interior chamber from the surrounding atmosphere and being sufficiently resilient to be compressed due to expansion and/or contraction of said gap to compensate for expansion and contraction of said housing and/or lens member.

5. The lamp assembly of claim 4 wherein said lamp member and said housing are both elongated members, each having a length substantially greater than their width to define two short and two long sides;

the gap provided between the engaging short sides of said lens and housing being greater than the gap provided between the adjacent long sides of said lens and housing.

6. The lamp assembly of claim 3 wherein said housing is formed of a resin having a filler added thereto which increases the thermal conductivity of said housing to enhance the loss of heat generated within said hollow chamber to the surrounding atmosphere.

7. The lamp assembly of claim 3 wherein the guide portions comprise at least a pair of projections spaced to receive a lamp source therebetween.

8. The lamp assembly of claim 7 wherein said lamp source has a substantially annular periphery;

the facing portions of said projections receiving said lamp source having concave peripheries conforming to the shape of said lamp source.

9. The lamp assembly of claim 3 wherein said electronic component comprises a resistor having electrical terminals at opposite ends thereof;

said guide portions comprising a pair of spaced-apart projections, the faces of said projections for engaging said electronic component having shapes conforming to the surface portions of the electronic component engaging said faces.

10. The lamp assembly of claim 3 wherein the external surface of said housing directed to the surrounding atmosphere is provided with a surface having undulations to increase the surface area thereof exposed to the atmosphere.

11. The lamp assembly of claim 10 wherein said undulations comprise a plurality of ribs.

12. The lamp assembly of claim 3 wherein said housing is provided with an integral rib projecting into said lens;

said rib having a cut-out portion for receiving a lamp source;

the cut-out portion having a configuration conforming to the peripheral portion of the lamp source engaging the contoured surfaces of said cut-out;

said lamp source having a pair of electrical terminals; and

said printed circuit means having portions thereof for engaging the electrical terminals of said lamp source when it is positioned within said cut-out portion.