LOAD CONTROL UNIT

• US 20150282280A1
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Terumitsu, Oba, Yasushi, Takamatsu, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,565,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2500/30 Arrangements for illuminating different zones in the vehicle, e.g. front/rear, different seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/233 Seats; Arm rests; Head rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/76 for spotlighting, e.g. reading lamps spotlighting on or for specific fittings B60Q3/20; spotlighting in mass transit vehicles B60Q3/44
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/80 Circuits; Control arrangements for dashboards B60Q3/16; for mass transit vehicles B60Q3/47
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/02 electric constitutive elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4816 for sensing locking of buckle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4858 for sensing pressure on seat
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4866 Displaying or indicating arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

In a load control unit, three R, G, and B LED chips that constitute each light source (33a-33d) of reading lamps (25-31) and a connector (35) with a built-in controller are mounted on a circuit board (37) to thereby eliminate the connection of a controller (35b) built into the connector (35) with the built-in controller and the respective light sources (33a-33d) by signal lines. In addition, the controller (35b) and a lighting ECU (43) are connected by a multiplex communication line (39), and the multiplex communication line (39) is routed in pillars (15, 17) of a vehicle (1). Consequently, the number of wires can be reduced compared with when individual wires connected to the respective light sources (33a-33d) are passed through the pillars (15, 17), and thereby making it possible to effectively use limited spaces within the pillars (15, 17) through which many other wires are passed.

Claims

1. A load control unit for controlling driving of a plurality of loads based on a control signal inputted from a main control unit into a controller, comprising:

the loads implemented on a single substrate; and

a connector with a built-in controller, which is mounted on the substrate and to which the respective loads are connected through a circuit pattern of the substrate electrically, the connector having the controller built in, wherein

the controller is configured to control the driving of the respective loads based on the control signal which is transmitted from the main control unit and inputted to the controller through a multiplex communication line connected to a connector part of the connector with the built-in controller.

2. The load control unit according to claim 1, wherein

the loads are LED chips as light sources for illuminating an interior of a vehicle, and

the controller is configured to control lighting of the LED chips.