Vehicle lamp

• US 8,366,305 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Saito, Taku
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US12/874,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20110051446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249.02, 362/249.1, 362/249.11, 362/545, 362/548, 362/549
• US Class Current: 362/549
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7088 Arrangements for power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/26 Pin or blade contacts for sliding co-operation on one side only for modular jack type connectors H01R24/62
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/72 Three-pole devices

Abstract

A vehicle lamp using an LED optical unit can include a connector. The LED optical unit can include a circuit board upon which an LED is mounted, a shield plate including lock grooves and a connector including terminal members and engaging portions. Each of the terminal members can contact with conductor pads of the circuit board with confidence using an elastic force of the terminal members, while each of the engaging portions is engaged with the lock grooves via insert slits in the circuit board and the shield plate. The connector can be attached to the circuit board by inserting the engaging portions into the insert slits and by rotating the connector. The LED can receive power supply via the conductor pads and can emit variously-colored lights. Thus, vehicle lamps can be used for various vehicles with a simple structure by using the disclosed LED optical unit including connector.

Claims

1. An LED optical unit, comprising:

a printed circuit board having an LED mounting surface and a plurality of insert slits, the LED mounting surface including at least one pair of mounting pads and a plurality of conductor pads, each of the at least one pair of mounting pads being electrically connected to one of the plurality of conductor pads, the plurality of insert slits penetrating into the printed circuit board, and the plurality of insert slits being located around the plurality of conductor pads so as to surround the conductor pads;

at least one LED having electrodes mounted on the at least one pair of mounting pads and each of the electrodes of the at least one LED being electrically connected to a respective one of each of the at least one pair of mounting pads;

a shield plate having a plurality of insert slits and an opposite surface, the plurality of insert slits of the shield plate formed in substantially the same shape as the plurality of insert slits of the printed circuit board and penetrating into the shield plate, the shield plate located adjacent to the printed circuit board so that the plurality of insert slits of the shield plate overlaps with the plurality of insert slits of the printed circuit board, the opposite surface of the shield plate located on an opposite side of a surface of the shield plate adjacent to the printed circuit board, and the opposite surface of the shield plate including a plurality of lock grooves located adjacent to the plurality of insert slits of the shield plate, and the plurality of lock grooves located closer to the printed circuit board than the opposite surface of the shield plate; and

a connector having a body and a plurality of terminal members, the body including a front plate, a rear plate and a plurality of attachment portions, the plurality of attachment portions extending from the front plate toward the rear plate, each of the attachment portions including an engaging portion configured to engage with a respective one of the lock grooves of the shield plate, the plurality of terminal members located between the front plate and the rear plate, each of the terminal members including a cable connecting portion and a contact portion located so as to exhibit an elastic force when moved with respect to the front plate, the cable connecting portion projecting from the body and from a location between the front plate and the rear plate, each contact portion of the terminal members contacting with one of the conductor pads of the printed circuit board, and wherein the connector is configured to be attached to the printed circuit board and the shield plate by the engaging portion of each of the attachment portions and by using the elastic force exhibited by the contact portion of each of the plurality of terminal members.

2. The LED optical unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a heat sink located adjacent to the shield plate, wherein the heat sink contacts with at least an opposite surface of the at least one pair of mounting pads of the LED mounting surface, and the shield plate is composed of a heat shield material.

3. The LED optical unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

an optical lens located adjacent to the shield plate so as to cover the at least one LED.

4. The LED optical unit according to claim 2, further comprising:

an optical lens located adjacent to the plate so as to cover the at least one LED.

5. The LED optical unit according to claim 1, wherein each cable connecting portion of the connector is directly connected to a cable.

6. The LED optical unit according to claim 2, wherein each cable connecting portion of the connector is directly connected to a cable.

7. The LED optical unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

guide surfaces located between each of the insert slits of the shield plate and each of the lock grooves of the shield plate, wherein each of the guide surfaces is slanted toward a respective one of each of the lock grooves.

8. The LED optical unit according to claim 2, further comprising:

guide surfaces located between each of the insert slits of the shield plate and each of the lock grooves of the shield plate, wherein each of the guide surfaces is slanted toward a respective one of each of the lock grooves.

17. A vehicle lamp including the LED optical unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing; and

an outer lens located adjacent to the housing.

19. The vehicle lamp including the LED optical unit according to claim 17, further comprising:

a fulcrum shaft having a fulcrum point located in the housing and configured such that the LED optical unit is revolvable about the fulcrum point; and

a first screw configured to rotate the LED optical unit in a first direction about the fulcrum point and a second screw configured to rotate the LED optical unit in a second direction about the fulcrum point, the first direction being substantially normal to the second direction.

9. An LED optical unit, comprising:

a printed circuit board having an LED mounting surface and a plurality of insert slits, the LED mounting surface including a pair of mounting pads and a plurality of conductor pads, each of the pair of mounting pads being electrically connected to one of the plurality of conductor pads, the plurality of insert slits penetrating into the printed circuit board, and the plurality of insert slits being located around the plurality of conductor pads so as to surround the conductor pads;

a white LED light source having an optical axis and electrodes and mounted on the pair of mounting pads, and each of the electrodes of the white LED light source being electrically connected to a respective one of each of the pair of mounting pads;

a heat shield plate having a plurality of insert slits and an opposite surface, the plurality of insert slits of the heat shield plate formed in substantially the same shape as the plurality of insert slits of the printed circuit board and penetrating into the heat shield plate, the heat shield plate located adjacent to the printed circuit board so that the plurality of insert slits of the heat shield plate overlaps with the plurality of insert slits of the printed circuit board, the opposite surface of the heat shield plate located on an opposite side of a surface of the heat shield plate adjacent to the printed circuit board, and the opposite surface of the heat shield plate including a plurality of lock grooves located adjacent to the plurality of insert slits of the heat shield plate, and the plurality of lock grooves located closer to the printed circuit board than the opposite surface of the heat shield plate;

a heat sink located adjacent to the opposite surface of the heat shield plate while contacting at least an opposite surface of the pair of mounting pads of the LED mounting surface;

a projector lens having an optical axis located adjacent to the heat shield plate so that the optical axis of the projector lens substantially corresponds to the optical axis of the LED light source and the projector lens does not contact with the printed circuit board; and

a connector having a body and a plurality of terminal members, the body including a front plate, a rear plate and a plurality of attachment portions, the plurality of attachment portions extending from the front plate toward the rear plate, each of the attachment portions including an engaging portion configured to engage with one of the lock grooves of the heat shield plate, the plurality of terminal members located between the front plate and the rear plate, each of the terminal members including a cable connecting portion and a contact portion located so as to exhibit an elastic force when moved with respect to the front plate, the cable connecting portion projecting from the body and from a location between the front plate and the rear plate, each contact portion of the terminal members contacting with one of the conductor pads of the printed circuit board, and wherein the connector is configured to be attached to the printed circuit board and the heat shield plate by the engaging portion of each of the attachment portions and by using the elastic force exhibited by the contact portion of each of the plurality of terminal members.

10. The LED optical unit according to claim 9, wherein each cable connecting portion of the connector is directly connected to a cable.

11. The LED optical unit according to claim 9, further comprising:

guide surfaces located between each of the insert slits of the heat shield plate and each of the lock grooves of the heat shield plate, wherein each of the guide surfaces is slanted toward a respective one of the lock grooves.

12. The LED optical unit according to claim 10, further comprising:

guide surfaces located between each of the insert slits of the heat shield plate and each of the lock grooves of the heat shield plate, wherein each of the guide surfaces is slanted toward a respective one of the lock grooves

13. The LED optical unit according to claim 11, wherein a portion of each of the insert slits of the printed circuit board and the heat shield plate located adjacent to each of the guide surfaces is larger than the engaging portion of the connector so that each engaging portion of the connector can be removed from each of the insert slits of the printed circuit board and the heat shield plate.

14. The LED optical unit according to claim 13, wherein each of the insert slits of the printed circuit board and the heat shield plate is formed in a substantially arc shape.

15. The LED optical unit according to claim 9, wherein the cable connecting portion of the connector is a terminal for detecting an LED drive current.

16. The LED optical unit according to claim 10, wherein the cable connecting portion of the connector is a terminal for detecting an LED drive current.

18. A vehicle headlight including the LED optical unit according to claim 9, further comprising:

a housing; and

an outer lens located adjacent to the housing.

20. The vehicle headlight including the LED optical unit according to claim 18, further comprising:

a fulcrum shaft having a fulcrum point located in the housing and configured such that the LED optical unit is revolvable about the fulcrum point; and

a first screw configured to rotate the LED optical unit in a first direction about the fulcrum point and a second screw configured to rotate the LED optical unit in a second direction about the fulcrum point, the first direction being substantially normal to the second direction.