LED lamp unit

• US 7,618,165 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyoda Gosei Company Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kokubu, Hideki, Kamiya, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunwiddie; Meghan K
• Application Number:
  US11/634,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20070127216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 362/362, 362/545, 362/800, 257 98-100, 361/773, 361/777, 361/778
• US Class Current: 362/362
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6666 with built-in overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

There is provided an LED lamp unit comprising an LED lamp, a protective component for an LED lighting circuit, a circuit section and a case part, characterized in that the circuit section has a metal plate which is embedded in the case part with its surface partially exposed, a lead of the LED lamp is electrically connected to the exposed surface of the metal plate, and the protective component for the LED lighting circuit is connected to the metal plate at an opposite side to a side where the lead of the LED lamp is connected.

Claims

1. An LED lamp unit comprising:

an LED lamp;

a protective component for an LED lighting circuit;

a circuit section and a case part;

wherein said circuit section has a metal plate which is embedded in said case part with said metal plate partially exposed,

wherein a lead of said LED lamp is electrically connected to the exposed surface of said metal plate, and

wherein said protective component for the LED lighting circuit is connected to said metal plate at an opposite side to a side where said lead of the LED lamp is connected.

2. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protective component for the LED lighting circuit is connected to said metal plate at an opposite side to a position where the lead of said LED lamp exists, such that said metal plate is interposed between the lead of said LED lamp and said protective component for the LED lighting circuit.

3. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein an optical axis of said LED lamp is in parallel with a part of said metal plate where the lead of said LED lamp is connected.

4. The LED lamp unit as claimed claim 1, wherein said metal plate has a first region to which the lead of said LED lamp and said protective component for the LED lighting circuit are connected, and a second region which is substantially parallel to said first region and to which a resistor element is electrically connected.

5. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second region is positioned at a side where the lead of said LED lamp is connected, as seen from said first region.

6. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said case part has a pair of arm portions formed at one end side of the LED lamp unit and including a first arm portion and a second arm portion,

wherein a first lead connecting region is exposed from a distal end part of said first arm portion and a second lead connecting region is exposed from a distal end part of said second arm portion.

7. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one of the LED lamp and the protective component for the LED lighting circuit is connected to the first lead connecting region and the second lead connecting region.

8. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 6, further comprising a resistor element,

wherein the resistor element is connected to the first lead connecting region and the second lead connecting region.

9. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one of the first arm portion and the second arm portion has a groove area into which a root of a lead is inserted, a flat area which is parallel to at least one of the first lead connecting region and the second lead connection region and on which a middle part of the lead is placed, and a guide area which is a wall face erected from the flat area and adapted to guide the middle part of the lead.

10. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective component comprises a resistor element.

11. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metal plate comprises first and second plates which include a connecting portion and a terminal portion, and a third plate comprising first and second connecting portions,

wherein said connecting portion of said second plate and said second connecting portion of said third plate are formed on a first plane.

12. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 11, wherein said terminal portion of said second plate is formed on said first plane, and said protective component is connected to said connecting portion of said second plate.

13. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 11, wherein said connecting portion of said first plate and said first connecting portion of said third plate are formed on a second plane, and said first plane is parallel with said second plane.

14. An LED lamp unit, comprising:

an LED lamp;

a protective component for an LED lighting circuit;

a resistor element;

a circuit section; and

a case part;

wherein said circuit section has a metal plate which is embedded in said case part with the metal plate partially exposed, an exposed part of said metal plate is formed with an LED connecting region to which said LED lamp is connected, a protective component connecting region to which said protective component for the LED lighting circuit is connected, and a first lead connecting region and a second lead connecting region to which leads (a first lead and a second lead) of said resistor element are respectively connected,

said case part has a pair of arm portions formed at one end side of the LED lamp unit and including a first arm portion and a second arm portion, said first lead connecting region being exposed from a distal end part of said first arm portion, said second lead connecting region being exposed from a distal end part of said second arm portion,

said first arm portion has a groove area into which a root of said first lead is inserted, a flat area which is parallel to said first lead connecting region and on which a middle part of said first lead is placed, and a guide area which is a wall face erected from said flat area and adapted to guide the middle part of said first lead, and

said second arm portion has a groove area into which a root of said second lead is inserted, a flat area which is parallel to said second lead connecting region and on which a middle part of said second lead is placed, and a guide area which is a wall face erected from said flat area and adapted to guide the middle part of said second lead.

15. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first arm portion and said second arm portion are connected to each other in their distal end parts.

16. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 15, wherein a part of said metal plate near said LED connecting region is embedded in a connection area between said first arm portion and said second arm portion.

17. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein said first lead connecting region and said second lead connecting region exist on the same plane;

and

said first lead connecting region and said second lead connecting region are substantially parallel to said LED connecting region.

18. The LED lamp unit as claimed in, claim 14 wherein said protective component connecting region is formed on said metal plate at an opposite side to a side where said LED connecting region is formed.

19. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein said metal plate includes a first metal plate, a second metal plate, and a third metal plate;

said first metal plate is provided with said first lead connecting region at its one end side, and a plus side terminal at the other end side;

said second metal plate is provided with said LED connecting region and said protective component connecting region at its one end side, and a grounding side terminal at the other end side; and

said third metal plate is provided with said LED connecting region and said protective component connecting region at its one end side, and said second lead connecting region at the other end side.

20. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 15 wherein said protective component connecting region is formed on said metal plate at an opposite side to a side where said LED connecting region is formed.

21. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 16 wherein said protective component connecting region is formed on said metal plate at an opposite side to a side where said LED connecting region is formed.

22. The LED lamp unit as claimed in claim 17 wherein said protective component connecting region is formed on said metal plate at an opposite side to a side where said LED connecting region is formed.

23. A metal plate package for an LED lamp unit, comprising:

a metal plate; and

a case part;

wherein said metal plate is embedded in said case part with the metal partially exposed;

an exposed part of said metal plate is formed with an LED connecting region to which said LED lamp is connected, and a first lead connecting region and a second lead connecting region to which leads (a first lead and a second lead) of said resistor element are respectively connected;

said case part has a pair of arm portions formed at one end side of the metal plate package and including a first arm portion and a second arm portion, said first lead connecting region being exposed from a distal end part of said first arm portion, and said second lead connecting region being exposed from a distal end part of said second arm portion;

said first arm portion has a groove area into which a root of said first lead is inserted, a flat area which is parallel to said first lead connecting region and on which a middle part of said first lead is placed, and a guide area which is a wall face erected from said flat area and adapted to guide the middle part of said first lead; and

said second arm portion has a groove area into which a root of said second lead is inserted, a flat area which is parallel to said second lead connecting region and on which a middle part of said second lead is placed, and a guide area which is a wall face erected from said flat area and adapted to guide the middle part of said second lead.