Lighting apparatus and automobile including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9909733-B2
Application number	US-201514706116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2015
Priority date	May 9, 2014
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A lighting apparatus for vehicle use that projects light forward includes: a base; a first light emitting device disposed on the base; a second light emitting device disposed on the base; a first lens body disposed in front of the first light emitting device; a second lens body disposed in front of the second light emitting device; and a light restrictor adjacent to the first lens body, the light restrictor restricting light emitted by the second light emitting device from entering the first lens body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting apparatus for vehicle use that projects light forwardly, the lighting apparatus comprising:
a base including a heat sink, the heat sink comprising a first heat sink and a second heat sink;
a first light emitter disposed on the base;
a second light emitter disposed on the base;
a first lens body disposed in front of the first light emitter;
a second lens body disposed in front of the second light emitter;
a light restrictor adjacent to the first lens body, the light restrictor restricting light emitted by the second light emitter from entering the first lens body, and
a rotation restrictor that restricts rotational movement of the first heat sink and the second heat sink,
wherein the rotation restrictor includes: a recessed portion in the first heat sink, positioned facing the second heat sink; and a protruding portion on the second heat sink, positioned facing the first heat sink,
the recessed portion recedes away from the second heat sink and includes a planar side surface facing an anteroposterior direction,
the protruding portion protrudes toward the first heat sink and includes a planar side surface facing the anteroposterior direction, and
the planar side surface of the recessed portion and the planar side surface of the protruding portion are in contact.

2. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base further includes a shield that defines a cut-off line for light emitted forward by the second light emitter
wherein the light restrictor is an integrally fabricated portion of the shield.

3. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light restrictor is an integrally fabricated portion of the heat sink.

4. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base further includes a shield that defines a cut-off line for light emitted forward by the second light emitter
wherein the light restrictor includes:
a first component integrally fabricated with the shield; and
a second component integrally fabricated with the heat sink, and
the first component and the second component at least partially overlap one another.

5. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a substrate on which the second light emitter is mounted,
wherein the base includes:
a substrate retainer that restricts movement of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate; and
a substrate stop that inhibits movement of the substrate in a direction parallel to the surface of the substrate.

6. The lighting apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the substrate is substantially rectangular and includes, in a corner, a recessed portion abutting the substrate stop.

7. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein one of the first light emitter and the second light emitter is a low beam light source for use in an automobile, and a remaining one of the first light emitter and the second light emitter is a high beam light source for use in the automobile.

8. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first light source module disposed on the base; and
a second light source module disposed on the base,
wherein the first light source module includes a substrate and a plurality of the first light emitters mounted on the substrate,
the second light source module includes the second light emitter,
the first lens body includes a plurality of lenses disposed in front of the plurality of the first light emitters in a one-to-one relationship,
the substrate is held down onto the base by a substrate retainer, and
the substrate retainer is disposed in a position that does not overlap with the plurality of lenses in a front view of the lighting apparatus.

9. The lighting apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein
the substrate is held down onto the heat sink by the substrate retainer.

10. The lighting apparatus according to claim 9 ,
wherein the first light source module is fixed to the first heat sink and the second light source module is fixed to the second heat sink, and
the substrate is held down onto the first heat sink by the substrate retainer.

11. The lighting apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the first lens body includes a connecting portion that connects adjacent ones of the plurality of lenses, and
the substrate retainer is disposed on the connecting portion and protrudes toward the substrate.

12. The lighting apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the connecting portion is a plate having a substantially arc-shaped outer edge in a front view of the lighting apparatus, and
an outer perimeter of the plate in a front view of the lighting apparatus is defined by a portion of an outer edge of the adjacent ones of the plurality of lenses and the substantially arc-shaped outer edge.

13. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein,
the first heat sink is thermally coupled to the first light emitter and the second heat sink is thermally coupled to the second light emitter, and
the first heat sink and the second heat sink are adjoined in a direction intersecting the anteroposterior direction.

14. The lighting apparatus according to claim 13 ,
wherein the first light emitter is fixed to the first heat sink, and
the second light emitter is fixed to the second heat sink.

15. A lighting apparatus for vehicle use that projects light forward, the lighting apparatus comprising:
a base, the base including a heat sink
a first light emitter disposed on the base;
a second light emitter disposed on the base;
a first lens body disposed in front of the first light emitter;
a second lens body disposed in front of the second light emitter;
a light restrictor adjacent to the first lens body, the light restrictor restricting light emitted by the second light emitter from entering the first lens body,
the heat sink includes a first heat sink thermally coupled to the first light emitter and a second heat sink thermally coupled to the second light emitter, the first heat sink and the second heat sink are adjoined in a direction intersecting an anteroposterior direction, wherein the first light emitter is fixed to the first heat sink, and the second light emitter is fixed to the second heat sink; and
a rotation restrictor that restricts rotational movement of the first heat sink and the second heat sink,
wherein the rotation restrictor includes: a recessed portion in the first heat sink, in a portion facing the second heat sink; and a protruding portion on the second heat sink, on a portion facing the first heat sink,
the recessed portion recedes away from the second heat sink and includes a planar side surface facing the anteroposterior direction,
the protruding portion protrudes toward the first heat sink and includes a planar side surface facing the anteroposterior direction, and
the planar side surface of the recessed portion and the planar side surface of the protruding portion are in contact.

16. The lighting apparatus according to claim 15 ,
wherein the first heat sink and the second heat sink each include a sloping surface,
the sloping surface of the first heat sink and the sloping surface of the second heat sink slope forward and are in contact,
the recessed portion is at an end portion of the sloping surface of the first heat sink, and
the protruding portion is at an end portion of the sloping surface of the second heat sink.

17. An automobile comprising the lighting apparatus according to claim 15 .

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kanayama Yoshihiko
• Aoki Hiro
• Kai Makoto
• Ogata Tomoyuki

Classifications

• F21S41/43

  characterised by the shape thereof · CPC title

• F21S41/143 Primary

  the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device · CPC title

• F21S45/48

  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 title

• F21S41/148

  the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis · CPC title

• F21V5/007

  Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane (combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008) · CPC title