VEHICLE LAMP

• US 20130140986A1
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: TSUKAMOTO, Hironori
• Granted Patent: US 8,829,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2607 comprising at least two indicating lamps
• 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 45/435 circulating the gas within a closed system
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/44 with an active control inside an LED matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations

Abstract

A vehicle lamp include san LED package as a light source. The LED package includes a first series element section having a plurality of LED elements connected in series with each other, a second series element section having at least one LED element, the number of which is smaller than the number of LED elements of the firs series element section, a first anode electrode provided on an anode side of the first series element section, a first cathode electrode provided on a cathode side of the first series element section, a second anode electrode provided on an anode side of the second series element section, and a second cathode electrode provided on a cathode side of the second series element section.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising:

an LED package as a light source, wherein

the LED package comprises;

a first series element section having a plurality of LED elements connected in series with each other;

a second series element section having at least one LED element, the number of which is smaller than the number of LED elements of the firs series element section;

a first anode electrode provided on an anode side of the first series element section;

a first cathode electrode provided on a cathode side of the first series element section;

a second anode electrode provided on an anode side of the second series element section; and

a second cathode electrode provided on a cathode side of the second series element section.

2. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate on which the LED package is mounted, wherein

the substrate comprises a first conductive pattern by which the first anode electrode is electrically connected with a positive electrode of a power supply, a second conductive pattern by which the second anode electrode is electrically connected with the positive electrode of the power supply, a third conductive pattern by which the first cathode electrode is electrically connected with a negative electrode of the power supply, and a fourth conductive pattern by which the second cathode electrode is electrically connected with the negative electrode of the power supply.

3. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a control circuit configured to control a connection of the first series element section and the second series element section with the power supply according to respective lighting modes of a tail lamp and a stop lamp, wherein

the control circuit connects the second series element section with the power supply in the lighting mode corresponding to the tail lamp and connects the first series element section or the first series element section and the second series element section with the power supply in the lighting mode corresponding to the stop lamp.

4. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

a control circuit configured to control a connection of the first series element section and the second series element section with the power supply according to respective lighting modes of a tail lamp and a stop lamp, wherein

the control circuit connects the second series element section with the power supply in the lighting mode corresponding to the tail lamp and connects the first series element section or the first series element section and the second series element section with the power supply in the lighting mode corresponding to the stop lamp.

5. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate on which the LED package is mounted, wherein

the substrate comprises a first conductive pattern by which the first anode electrode is electrically connected with a positive electrode of a power supply, a second conductive pattern by which the second cathode electrode is electrically connected with a negative electrode of the power supply, and a third conductive pattern by which the first cathode electrode and the second anode electrode are electrically connected with each other.

6. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the first series element section includes three LED elements;

and

the second series element section includes one LED element, and wherein

these four LED elements each have a square or rectangular external shape when seen from the top, and in the LED package, the four LED elements are disposed to lie close to each other so as to have a substantially square external shape in whole when seen from the top.

7. The vehicle lamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein

the second series element section comprises a plurality of LED elements connected in series with each other.