Vehicular lamp

• US 7,164,235 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Ito, Masayasu, Takeda, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Tuyet
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, JIMMY T
• Application Number:
  US10/832,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20040212310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 315/82, 315/85, 315/200.R, 315/209.R, 315/291, 315/307, 315/DIG.5
• US Class Current: 315/82
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/00 Arrangement of monitoring devices for devices provided for in groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A vehicular lamp, including: a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices connected in parallel; a plurality of current limiting units provided corresponding to the plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, wherein the plurality of current limiting units connect with the corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices respectively in series, and limit electric current flowing through the corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices respectively; and a current control unit for changing electric current to be supplied to at least one of the plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices. When a wire of one of the plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices is broken, the current control unit increases the electric current to be supplied to at least one of the plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices of which a wire is not broken by causing at least a part of the electric current to flow via a path connected in parallel with corresponding one(s) of the plurality of current limiting units.

Claims

1. A vehicular lamp, comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices connected in parallel;

a plurality of current limiting units provided corresponding to said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, wherein said plurality of current limiting units connect with said corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices respectively in series, and limit electric current flowing through said corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices respectively; and

a current control unit for changing electric current to be supplied to at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices;

wherein

when a wire of one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices is broken, said current control unit increases the electric current to be supplied to at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices of which a wire is not broken by causing at least a part of the electric current to flow via a path connected in parallel with corresponding one(s) of said plurality of current limiting units, wherein

said plurality of current limiting units comprise a plurality of series resistances respectively connecting with said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices in series so that at least a part of the electric current to be supplied to each of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices flows through corresponding one of said plurality of series resistances,

each of said plurality of series resistances comprises a terminal located closest to corresponding one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices,

said current control unit comprises a terminal connecting unit connecting said plurality of terminals with one another.

2. The vehicle lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said current control unit comprises:

a plurality of switches respectively connecting with said plurality of current limiting units in parallel and with said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices in series, each of said plurality of switches electrically connecting both terminals of corresponding one of said plurality of current limiting units when the switch is turned ON; and

a switching unit for detecting wire breakage of at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, wherein

when said switching unit detects wire breakage of one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, said switching unit turns ON at least one of said plurality of switches corresponding to at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices of which a wire is not broken.

3. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 2, wherein

each of said plurality of switch comprises a transistor, a collector terminal and an emitter terminal of said transistor connecting with both terminals of corresponding one of said plurality of current limiting units, respectively.

4. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 2, wherein

electric resistance of one of said plurality of switches is higher than that of corresponding one of said plurality of current limiting units.

5. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the electric resistance of said one of said plurality of switches is substantially 2.5 times as high as that of corresponding one of said plurality of current limiting units.

6. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising

a plurality of lamp bodies accommodating therein said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices and said plurality of series resistances, wherein

each of said plurality of lamp bodies accommodates a part of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices and corresponding one(s) of said plurality of series resistances, and

said terminal connecting unit comprises a plurality of connection resistors connected in series, said plurality of connection resistors being accommodated in said plurality of lamp bodies and electrically connecting said plurality of terminals of said plurality of series resistances.

7. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 6, wherein

each of said plurality of lamp bodies comprises a circuit unit connecting with at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, said circuit unit comprising a part of said plurality of series resistances.

8. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 7, wherein said circuit unit is accommodated inside each one of said plurality of lamp bodies.

9. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 7, wherein, said circuit unit further comprises said current control unit.

10. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 6, further comprises a circuit unit connecting with said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, said circuit unit comprising said plurality of series resistances and said current control unit.

11. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said plurality of series resistances respectively comprise:

a plurality of first series resistances, each of said plurality of first series resistances comprises a first terminal located closest to high voltage side of corresponding one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices; and

a plurality of second series resistances, each of said plurality of second series resistances comprises a second terminal located closest to low voltage side corresponding one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices,

said current control unit comprises;

a first terminal connecting unit electrically connecting said plurality of first terminals of said plurality of first series resistances with one another; and

a second terminal connecting unit electrically connecting said plurality of second terminals of said plurality of second series resistances with one another,

the vehicular lamp acts as at least one of a stop lamp and a tail lamp depending on an instruction from outside,

said plurality of light emitting devices receive electric power from outside of the vehicular lamp via either of said first series resistances or said second series resistances when the vehicular lamp acts as a stop lamp, and

said plurality of light emitting devices receive electric power from outside of the vehicular lamp via both of said first series resistances and said second series resistances when the vehicular lamp acts as a tail lamp.

12. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 11, wherein

electric resistance of said first terminal connecting unit is higher than that of one of said plurality of first series resistances, and

electric resistance of said second terminal connecting unit is higher than that of one of said plurality of second series resistances.

13. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 12, wherein

the electric resistance of said first terminal connecting unit is substantially 1.5 times as high as that of said one of said plurality of first series resistance, and

the electric resistance of said second terminal connecting unit is substantially 1.5 times as high as that of said one of said plurality of second series resistance.

14. A vehicular lamp, comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices connected in parallel;

a plurality of current limiting units provided corresponding to said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, wherein said plurality of current limiting units connect with said corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices respectively in series, and limit electric current flowing through said corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices respectively; and

a current control unit for changing electric current to be supplied to at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices;

wherein

when a wire of one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices is broken, said current control unit increases the electric current to be supplied to at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices of which a wire is not broken by causing at least a part of the electric current to flow via a path connected in parallel with corresponding one(s) of said plurality of current limiting units, wherein

each of said plurality of current limiting units connects with corresponding one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices in series,

each of said plurality of current limiting units includes a first series resistance and a second series resistance connected in series, at least a part of the electric current, which is to be supplied to the corresponding one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, flowing through at least one of said first series resistance and said second series resistance,

the vehicular lamp acts as at least one of a stop lamp and a tail lamp depending on an instruction from outside,

said plurality of light emitting devices receive electric power from outside of the vehicular lamp via either of said first series resistances or said second series resistances when the vehicular lamp acts as a stop lamp, and

said plurality of light emitting devices receive electric power from outside of the vehicular lamp via both of said first series resistances and said second series resistances when the vehicular lamp acts as a tail lamp,

said current control unit comprises;

a first switch connecting with said first series resistance in parallel and with the corresponding one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices in series, said first switch electrically connecting both terminals of said first series resistance when said first switch is turned ON;

a second switch connecting with said second series resistance in parallel and with the corresponding one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices in series, said second switch electrically connecting both terminals of said second series resistance when said second switch is turned ON; and

a switching unit for detecting wire breakage of at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, wherein

when said switching unit detects wire breakage of one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, said switching unit turns ON at least one of said first switch and said second switch corresponding to one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices of which a wire is not broken.

15. A vehicular lamp, comprising:

a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices connected in parallel;

a plurality of current limiting units provided corresponding to said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices, wherein said plurality of current limiting units connect with said corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices respectively in series, and limit electric current flowing through said corresponding semiconductor light emitting devices respectively; and

a current control unit for changing electric current to be supplied to at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices;

wherein

when a wire of one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices is broken, said current control unit increases the electric current to be supplied to at least one of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices of which a wire is not broken by causing at least a part of the electric current to flow via a path connected in parallel with corresponding one(s) of said plurality of current limiting units, wherein electric current flowing through each of said plurality semiconductor light emitting devices, when no wire of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices is broken, is lower than rated electric current of each of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices.

16. The vehicular lamp as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electric current flowing through each of said plurality semiconductor light emitting devices, when no wire of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices is broken, is 60–

70 percent of the rated electric current of each of said plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices.