Vehicle lighting device

• US 8,414,171 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Kawamura, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): CARTER, WILLIAM JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US12/556,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20100073950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: 362459-549
• US Class Current: 362/545
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/148 the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/155 Surface emitters, e.g. organic light emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/255 Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/295 specially adapted to projection lenses
• 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 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis

Abstract

A periphery of a projecting lens is heated due to radiation heat exerted by light emitted from a light source, like peripheries of the light source and a reflector. However, a lens holder holding the projecting lens is integrally molded with a heat sink member, so that a heat at the periphery of the projecting lens is well transmitted to the heat sink member by means of the lens holder, and is efficiently radiated by means of the heat sink member.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting device, comprising:

(i) a light source;

(ii) a reflector for reflecting a part of light emitted from the light source toward a forward direction of the lighting device;

(iii) a projecting lens for focusing direct light from the light source and light reflected by the reflector to radiate the focused rays of light to the forward direction of the lighting device; and

(iv) a heat sink member in which optical members including the light source and the reflector and a projecting lens are intensively disposed, wherein;

the light source and the reflector each are fixed and disposed on a predetermined mount face formed on the heat sink member;

the projecting lens is held and fixed by a lens holder at a peripheral edge part thereof, the light source, the reflector, and the projecting lens are combined in one light source unit;

the one light source unit is provided in a plurality in the single heat sink member; and

the lens holders and the reflectors in the light source units, are respectively integrally provided continuously to a vehicle width direction, and

the each lens holder that is integrally provided continuously to a vehicle width direction, is integrally molded with the single heat sink member and contacts the each projection lens.

2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein:

the lens holder comprises;

a ring-shaped holder portion having formed therein an annular groove with which a peripheral edge flange portion of the projecting lens engages; and

a plurality of connecting arm portions for connecting the holder portion and the heat sink member to each other.

3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 2, wherein:

the annular groove of the holder portion is formed as a stepped groove at a front-end inner periphery of the holder portion; and

the peripheral edge flange portion of the projecting lens is held and fixed between the stepped groove and a retainer ring securely attached to a front-end face of the holder portion.