JP2024078685A - Led lamp for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a lamp which can suppress excessive brightness even if using a general light emitting semiconductor element such as a popular version.SOLUTION: A fan 21 of an LED lamp 10 is electrically connected to an LED element 11 in parallel therewith, and blows out air toward the LED element 11 at electricity-carrying. A cover part 18 is arranged so as to cover a light emitting part of the LED element 11 from the outside of a light emitting direction of the light emitting part, and has a light amount adjustment part 18a for making light from the light emitting part permeate itself in a state that the light amount emitted from the light emitting part is physically reduced. The LED elements 11 form one set by three pieces, and in its arrangement, two pieces of the LED elements 11 out of one set of the LED elements 11 are aligned in parallel along a vertical direction of the lamp. The remaining LED elements 11 are arranged so as to be aligned along left and right directions of the two pieces of LED elements 11. When setting a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction as a center axis, one set of the LED elements 11 are arranged so as to be symmetric in the vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a lamp mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile or motorcycle.

Vehicles such as automobiles and motorcycles are provided with a pair of turn signals on the left and right sides. Each of these turn signals has a bulb (an example of a lamp) built in, and by flashing the bulb, the turn signals notify outside vehicles and pedestrians of the vehicle's direction of travel, such as whether it is turning left or right.

In recent years, due to the trend towards energy-saving lighting fixtures and the widespread use of light-emitting semiconductor elements (LEDs: Light Emitting Diodes, hereafter also referred to as "LED elements"), LED elements have come to be widely adopted in lighting devices such as headlights and signal lights such as turn signals in vehicles. Furthermore, in lighting fixtures that include LED elements (hereafter also referred to as "LED lighting fixtures"), the rated power consumption when the LED element is turned on is often set to the same as that of genuine/standard turn signal bulbs.

Under such circumstances, there is a demand to use LED lighting fixtures in place of conventional lighting fixtures. However, when using LED lighting fixtures in place of conventional lighting fixtures, there is a tendency for the LED lighting fixtures to be overly bright.

As a technology to solve such problems, an LED lighting fixture has been proposed that includes a light-emitting semiconductor element having a light-emitting portion, a fan electrically connected in parallel to the light-emitting semiconductor element and blowing air toward the light-emitting semiconductor element when energized, and a cover portion arranged to cover the light-emitting portion from the outside in the direction of light emission, the cover portion having a transmission filter film portion that transmits the light from the light-emitting portion while reducing the amount of light emitted from the light-emitting portion (Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 5947964

However, the LED lighting fixture in Patent Document 1 optically reduces the amount of light through a transmission filter film provided in the cover, and the manufacturer can only install the product designed by the manufacturer in the vehicle, and users cannot adjust the amount of light.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it was discovered that if a rotatable light-intensity adjusting member could be provided on the surface of the cover part of the lamp, and the light intensity could be physically adjusted, this could contribute to solving the problem, and the present invention was completed based on this knowledge.
An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting fixture that can prevent the light from becoming excessively bright even when a general light-emitting semiconductor element such as a popular version is used.

The invention described in claim 1 is a lighting fixture having a light-emitting semiconductor element having a light-emitting portion, a fan electrically connected in parallel to the light-emitting semiconductor element and blowing air toward the light-emitting semiconductor element when energized, and a light amount adjustment portion that physically reduces the amount of light emitted from the light-emitting portion and radiates the light from the light-emitting portion to the outside.

The invention described in claim 2 is the lamp described in claim 1, in which the light-emitting semiconductor elements form a set of three, the lamp is provided with a plurality of sets of semiconductor elements, the set of semiconductor elements is arranged such that two semiconductor elements are arranged side by side along the vertical direction of the lamp, one semiconductor element is arranged along the horizontal direction of the two semiconductor elements, and the set of semiconductor elements is arranged so as to be vertically symmetrical when the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction is taken as the central axis.

According to the present invention, even when using a general light-emitting semiconductor element such as a popular version, the amount of light can be adjusted, and excessive brightness can be prevented.

In particular, according to the invention described in claim 2, a set is formed by arranging one semiconductor element and two semiconductor elements side by side. The light amount adjustment unit can easily adjust the amount of emitted light to the amount of two semiconductor elements, 1 element, 1.5 elements, 0.5 elements, etc.
The brightness directed towards oncoming and following vehicles varies depending on the installation position (height) of the turn signal lamp on a vehicle and the size of the reflector, so the optimal brightness can be selected.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a lighting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a top view of the lamp shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of LED elements in the lighting fixture according to the embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of an electric circuit of the lamp shown in FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a lighting device (hereinafter also referred to as an "LED lighting device") according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
The physical configuration of the lighting fixture 10 (hereinafter also referred to as the "LED lighting fixture") according to the embodiment of the present invention is as follows:
It comprises a plurality of (18 in this embodiment) light emitting semiconductor elements 11 (hereinafter also referred to as “LED elements 11 ”), a housing section 12 , a fan 21 , and a fan holder 22 .

The LED elements 11 each have a light-emitting portion (not shown) that emits light outward. Three of the LED elements 11 form a set (hereinafter, this set is also referred to as a "unit"). In this embodiment, 18 LED elements 11 are used, so a total of six units 11A are composed. Two of the three LED elements 11 in each unit 11A are arranged side by side in a straight line (along the vertical direction in the figure), and the remaining LED element 11 is arranged side by side in the horizontal direction of the two LEDs 11. The three LED elements are arranged so that they are vertically symmetrical with respect to a central axis that extends in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. When electricity is applied to each of the units 11A of the LED elements 11, the three LED elements 11 are simultaneously lit up.

The housing 12 is made of a metal member (e.g., an aluminum wheel member) and is generally cylindrical. The housing 12 is also configured with an LED fixing portion 13, a cover portion 18, and a base portion 20.

The LED fixing part 13 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a bottom, and has an opening 14 at its tip. A step 15 is provided around the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the LED fixing part 13. This step 15 provides a large diameter portion 16 and a small diameter portion 17 on the outer peripheral surface of the LED fixing part 13. Each of the units 11A of the multiple LED elements 11 is attached or embedded in parallel at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the small diameter portion 17 of the LED fixing part 13. In other words, each of the multiple LED elements 11 is fixed to the surface of the LED fixing part 13, and emits light by radiating radially outward from the LED fixing part 13 (the main body of the LED lighting device 10) when current is applied.

The cover portion 18 is made of a synthetic resin material and is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape. The inner diameter of the cover portion 18 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the small diameter portion 17 of the LED fixing portion 13. The small diameter portion 17 of the LED fixing portion 13 is inserted into the inside of the cover portion 18 with the LED elements 11 fixed on its surface. This insertion causes one end face of the cover portion 18 to abut against the end face of the step portion 15 of the LED fixing portion 13, and in this abutting state, the cover portion 18 is attached and fixed to the LED fixing portion 13. In other words, the cover portion 18 is provided so as to cover each of the light-emitting portions of the LED elements 11 from the outside in the light-emitting direction. Each of the LED elements 11 is disposed between the inner circumferential surface of the cover portion 18 and the outer circumferential surface of the small diameter portion 17 of the LED fixing portion 13, in other words, inside the cover portion 18.

Also, a transmission filter film portion 19 that transmits the light of the light-emitting portion of the LED element 11 while reducing the amount of light emitted from the light-emitting portion may be formed on at least the surface of the cover portion 18. In this case, for example, the cover portion 18 may be provided with an opaque appearance. This makes it possible to prevent the LED element 11 of the LED lighting device 10 from becoming excessively bright, thereby reducing costs and ensuring vehicle safety, even when a popular version of the LED element 11 is used.
In addition, when the transmission filter film portion 19 is provided, for example, the outer peripheral surface of the cover portion 18 is coated with a predetermined paint material, or a similar material is mixed with the synthetic resin material of the cover portion 18 and then injection molding is performed to provide it integrally with the cover portion 18, but this is not limited to this. As the transmission filter film portion 19, various members or materials can be appropriately used as long as they have a filter function that can reduce the amount of light and transmit the light.

The light amount adjustment section 18a is provided so as to contact the cover section 18 (or the transmission filter section 19 if the transmission filter section 19 is provided). The light amount adjustment section 18a is a hollow circular metal member in a plan view, and is provided so as to surround the cover section 18 (or the transmission filter section 19). A rectangular transmission hole is formed in the light amount adjustment section 18a in a front view, and the light emitted from the light emitting section of the LED element 11 is radiated to the outside from this transmission hole.

The base portion 20 is formed in a plate shape and is integral with the LED fixing portion 13. The tip portion of the base portion 20 is connected to the base end portion of the LED fixing portion 13. The width dimension of the tip portion of the base portion 20 is set to approximately match the outer circumferential shape of the LED fixing portion 13.
The outer diameter of the LED fixing portion 13 is determined by the size of a regular (conventional) LED lamp in the vehicle to which it is to be attached.

The fan 21 includes a motor (not shown) as a resistor and a propeller (not shown) fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor, and is configured to be able to blow air. The fan 21 is disposed inside a through hole 23 (described later) of the fan holder 22 using a metal fitting (not shown).
In this embodiment, the fan 21 is a commercially available product, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the fan 21 may be designed specifically for the LED lighting fixture 10 of this embodiment.

The fan holding part 22 is made of a metal member (e.g., an aluminum wheel member), is formed in a generally cylindrical shape, and has a through hole 23 extending in its axial direction (along the up-down direction in the figure). Similarly to the LED fixing part 13, a step 24 is provided in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the fan holding part 22, and the fan holding part 22 has a large diameter part 25 and a small diameter part 26. The outer diameter of the small diameter part 26 of the fan holding part 22 is set smaller than the inner diameter of the LED fixing part 13. The fan holding part 22 is attached by inserting its small diameter part 26 into the inside of the LED fixing part 13 through its opening 14.

A retaining metal fitting (not shown) is disposed on the inner peripheral wall of the through hole 23 of the fan holding part 22. This retaining metal fitting holds the fan 21 inside and above the through hole 23 of the fan holding part 22 with a gap between the through hole 23 and the fan 21. This gap allows the air sent to the through hole 23 to function as a heat insulator. Furthermore, the fan holding part 22 is fixed to the LED fixing part 13 by a connecting metal fitting with the small diameter part 26 inserted inside the LED fixing part 13.
In addition, by fastening with the connecting fitting 27, the cover portion 18 is fixed to the LED fixing portion 13 so as not to be detached therefrom.

[Configuration of the electrical circuit of the LED lighting fixture]
Next, the configuration of the electric circuit of the LED lighting device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the electric circuit of the LED lighting device 10 shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in FIG. 5, the electrical circuit has a constant current device 30 as a power source, and has, as loads, one fan 21, multiple (six in this embodiment) resistive elements 31, and multiple (six in this embodiment) LED element 11 units 11A.

The constant current device 30 has constant current diodes (not shown) connected in parallel, and stably supplies a constant current to the LED element 11 and the fan 21 .
The constant current device 30 is housed inside the LED fixing portion 13 (see FIG. 4).

A number of resistor elements 31 are electrically connected in series to each of the units 11A of the number of LED elements 11. One LED element 11 unit 11A and one resistor element 31 constitute one LED element 11-resistor unit 31A, and these six sets of LED element 11-resistor units 31A are electrically connected in parallel to each other. Furthermore, the fan 21 is similarly electrically connected in parallel to these six sets of LED element 11-resistor units 31A. The LED elements 11, resistor elements 31, and fan 21 as loads are connected to a constant current device 30, thereby forming one electrical circuit as the LED lighting fixture 10.

Current supplied from the vehicle battery (not shown) flows through the constant current device 30, and then flows through the fan 21, the LED element 11, and the resistor element 31. The current then returns to the battery via the constant current device 30.

[Advantages of LED lighting fixtures]
As described above, according to this embodiment, the light amount adjustment unit 18a can adjust the amount of light emitted from the light-emitting unit. Therefore, even when a general LED element 11 such as a popular version is used, excessive brightness can be prevented, thereby reducing costs and ensuring vehicle safety.
In other words, two of the three LED elements 11 per unit 11A are arranged adjacent to each other in a straight line (along the vertical direction in the figure), and the remaining LED element 11 is arranged horizontally of the two LED elements 11. By arranging the three LED elements 11 so that they are vertically symmetrical with respect to a central axis extending in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the position of the transmission hole can be adjusted by rotating the light amount adjustment section 18a, and the emitted light amount can be easily adjusted to the amount of 2 LED elements 11, 1 element, 1.5 elements, 0.5 elements, etc.
The brightness directed towards oncoming and following vehicles varies depending on the installation position (height) of the vehicle's turn signal lamp and the size of the reflector, so the optimal brightness can be selected.
In this embodiment, an example is given in which a cover portion 18 and a transmission filter film portion 19 are provided, but since the effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as the light amount adjustment portion 18a is provided, it is self-evident that the present invention can be applied even without providing a cover portion.

10: LED lighting fixtures (light fixtures)
11: LED element (light emitting semiconductor element)
18a: Light amount adjustment unit 21: Fan

Claims (2)

a light emitting semiconductor element having a light emitting portion;
a fan electrically connected in parallel to the light emitting semiconductor element and configured to blow air toward the light emitting semiconductor element when energized;
A lighting device having a light amount adjustment unit that radiates light from the light emitting unit to the outside while physically reducing the amount of light emitted from the light emitting unit. The light emitting semiconductor elements are arranged in a set of three, and a plurality of sets of the semiconductor elements are provided in the lamp.
The lamp according to claim 1, wherein the set of semiconductor elements includes two semiconductor elements arranged side by side along the vertical direction of the lamp, one semiconductor element being arranged along the horizontal direction of the two semiconductor elements, and the set of semiconductor elements being arranged so as to be vertically symmetrical when a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction is taken as a central axis.

Images