Vehicle interior lamp

• US 7,674,027 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Saiga, Tomoyuki, Yoshihara, Tsuneo
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar; Stephen F
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRANSON JR, JAMES W
• Application Number:
  US11/889,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 362/547, 362/373, 362/294, 362/488, 362/490, 362/545
• US Class Current: 362/547
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/74 for overall compartment lighting; for overall compartment lighting in combination with specific lighting, e.g. room lamps with reading lamps general lighting mounted on specific fittings B60Q3/20; general lighting for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/43
• 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 29/00 Protecting lighting devices from thermal damage; Cooling or heating arrangements specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting fixtures combined with outlets for air-treatment systems F24F13/078
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2106/00 Interior vehicle lighting devices

Abstract

A light source has a unit structure including a main body, a light-radiating unit that is provided in the main body to radiate light, and a heat sink member that is provided in the main body. A lamp housing has a heat discharge opening at a position corresponding to the light source.

Claims

1. A vehicle interior lamp comprising:

a light source that is a semiconductor-type light source having light directionality, the light source having a unit structure including a main body, a light-radiating unit that is provided in the main body to radiate light, and a heat sink member that is provided in the main body;

a lamp housing having a heat-discharge opening arranged at a position corresponding to the light source;

a lamp lens; and

a lamp chamber delimited by the lamp housing and the lamp lens, wherein

the lamp housing has a heat-guiding path arranged in a predetermined direction from a portion of an edge of the heat-discharge opening.

2. The vehicle interior lamp according to claim 1, further comprising

a heat guiding protrusion arranged along an edge of the heat-discharge opening and an edge of the heat-guiding path.

3. The vehicle interior lamp according to claim 1, wherein

the heat sink member of the light source has a fin-like shape, and

the light source is arranged in the lamp chamber in an inclined state relative to an attachment surface of the lamp housing so that a longitudinal direction of a fin of the heat sink member is inclined in a direction from inside the lamp chamber to the heat-discharge opening.

4. The vehicle interior lamp according to claim 1, wherein

the light source is electrically connected to a side of a power supply by a harness, and

the harness is arranged from inside the lamp chamber to an outside of the lamp chamber via the heat-discharge opening.

5. The vehicle interior lamp according to claim 1, wherein

the lamp housing has a step arranged one level downward at a portion of the edge of the heat-discharge opening, and

the step forms a wiring path where the harness is arranged.

6. The vehicle interior lamp according to claim 5, wherein the step has a fixing unit arranged in the wiring path to secure the harness.