Vehicle interior lamp

• US 7,699,510 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• 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): Truong; Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US11/889,491
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 362/488, 362/471, 362/489, 362/490, 362/491, 362/492, 362/547, 362/545, 362/135, 362/136, 362/294, 362/373
• US Class Current: 362/488
• 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: 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

Abstract

A bracket for securing a light source to a lamp housing is provided. The lamp housing has a heat-discharge opening at a position corresponding to the light source. The bracket has a wall portion arranged between the light source and an edge of the heat-discharge opening.

Claims

1. A vehicle interior lamp comprising:

a lamp housing;

a lamp lens;

a lamp chamber that is delimited by the lamp housing and the lamp lens;

a light source that is a semiconductor-type light source having light directionality, and arranged inside the lamp chamber;

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

a bracket that secures the light source to the lamp housing, the bracket having a wall portion arranged between the light source and an edge of the heat-discharge opening, wherein

the light source has a unit structure including a main body, a light-radiating unit that is arranged on one surface of the main body to radiate light, and a heat sink member that is arranged on another surface of the main body,

the bracket includes a fitting portion that securely fits to the main body of the light source, a fixing portion that is secured to the lamp housing while the light-radiating unit of the light source is arranged at a side of the lamp lens and the heat sink member of the light source is arranged at a side of the heat-discharge opening, so as to secure the light source to the lamp housing, and the wall portion, and

each of the main body of the light source and the fitting portion of the bracket has a positioning unit.

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

the fixing portion of the bracket has substantially the same width as at least one of the fitting portion and the wall portion of the bracket.

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

the bracket is configured with a member having a good thermal conductivity, strength, and elasticity.

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

the light source is electrically connected to a side of a power source 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 4, 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.