Patent Application
20160061403
1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to lamp reflectors holding one or more lamp circuit boards. Lamp reflectors are used in motor vehicles, but are not limited thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a prior art tail lamp vehicle reflector, the lamp FR4 circuit boards were wedged into tee slots located on the non-reflective rear side of the reflector. The reflector rear surface had datum surfaces to locate the circuit board. LEDs on the circuit board were in register with apertures on the reflector. Once the lamp circuit boards are inserted into the tee slots, the lamp circuit boards are directly fastened, e.g., screwed, to the reflector.
Other arrangements to hold circuit boards are known in U.S. Pat. No. 7,841,742 (Freeman); U.S. Pat. No. 7,845,829 (Shaner); U.S. Pat. No. 7,414,861 (Tsai) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,500,018 (Pfaffenberger).
In one embodiment, a lamp reflector assembly includes a lamp reflector and a lamp circuit board holder plate that holds a lamp circuit board, accurately positioned, to the reflector, as well as a related assembly method.
Such embodiments improve visual position verification of the lamp circuit board and more accurate positioning of the lamp circuit board with respect to the reflector.
The reflector includes one or more first guide ribs so that an operator (which may be a robot) can place first the lamp circuit board into the reflector. The board holder plate includes one or more second guide ribs which force the placed lamp circuit board into a design X, Y, Z position with respect to the reflector when the board holder plate is loaded/mounted to the reflector.
With the board holder plate loaded/mounted on the reflector, finger slots allow position verification of the lamp circuit board with respect to the thus-far assembled reflector assembly. The finger slots are located on the board holder plate; a portion of the circuit board protrudes through the finger slots and is accessible to operator manipulation. Upon successful position verification, a securing element secures the board holder plate to the reflector with the lamp circuit board held in the design position. Thereby, the assembly accommodates visual position verification of the lamp circuit board and more accurate positioning of the lamp circuit board without the need to wedge the circuit board into a slot.
In one aspect, one embodiment of the invention comprises a lamp reflector assembly, comprising at least one lamp circuit board, the at least one lamp circuit board having one or more solid-state light elements positioned thereon, a lamp reflector, and a circuit board holder plate adapted to be mounted to the lamp reflector, wherein at least one of the lamp reflector or the circuit board holder plate comprises at least one guide for locating and retaining the at least one lamp circuit board in a predetermined position relative to the lamp reflector.
In another aspect, another embodiment of the invention comprises A lamp reflector assembly, comprising a plurality of lamp circuit boards, the plurality of lamp circuit boards having one or more solid-state light elements positioned thereon, a lamp reflector having a plurality of wall surfaces having a front face defining a reflective front surface and a rear face defining a rear surface, the lamp reflector including a plurality of circuit board first guide ribs, located on the rear face, and the plurality of wall surfaces having one or more apertures through which light rays pass, and a circuit board holder plate having a plurality of second guide ribs, the circuit board holder plate being secured to the lamp reflector, wherein the plurality of circuit board first guide ribs of the lamp reflector and the plurality of second guide ribs of the circuit board holder plate adapted to support the plurality of lamp circuit boards in a generally perpendicular position between the lamp reflector and the circuit board holder plate and in a predetermined position with respect to the plurality of wall surfaces, respectively, the plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and the plurality of second guide ribs support the plurality of lamp circuit boards in a generally perpendicular position between the lamp reflector and the circuit board holder plate, the plurality of lamp circuit boards being captured between the plurality of circuit board first guide ribs and the plurality of second guide ribs in order to support the plurality of lamp circuit boards between the circuit board holder plate and the rear surface of the lamp reflector and to secure the plurality of lamp circuit boards in the predetermined position in the lamp reflector assembly, and wherein the plurality of second guide ribs cooperate to define a receiving aperture for receiving the plurality of lamp circuit boards, the circuit board holder plate further comprising at least one slot and the plurality of lamp circuit boards having a tab that is received in the at least one slot, wherein the lamp reflector is concave and comprises the plurality of wall surfaces, the plurality of circuit board first guide ribs cooperating with the plurality of second guide ribs to support the plurality of lamp circuit boards between the lamp reflector and the circuit board holder plate and to support the plurality of lamp circuit boards in different planes in the lamp reflector, wherein the plurality of lamp circuit boards are generally planar and each comprises a longitudinal surface for supporting the one or more solid-state light elements, wherein the longitudinal surfaces of the plurality of lamp circuit boards lie in the different planes.
This invention, including all embodiments shown and described herein, could be used alone or together and/or in combination with one or more of the features covered by one or more of the claims set forth herein, including but not limited to one or more of the features or steps mentioned in the following bullet list and the claims.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims
Features and advantages of the claimed subject matter will be apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments consistent therewith, which description should be considered with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The embodiments provide a lamp reflector assembly 10 suitable as a vehicle lamp. The embodiment disclosed below concerns a vehicle tail lamp; however, the other embodiments are not limited to vehicle lamps.
A lamp reflector 100 includes a front face 105 defining a reflective front surface (
In a lamp reflector assembly 10, at least one lamp circuit board 200 is mounted to the first guide ribs 115 on the rear face 110 of the reflector 100 so that the circuit board 200 is in a design X, Y, Z position 20 with respect to the reflector 100. The design X, Y, Z position is a predetermined X, Y, Z position of the circuit board with respect to the rear face 110 of the reflector 100.
A circuit board holder plate 300, secured to reflector 100, holds the mounted circuit board 200 in the design X, Y, Z position 20 with respect to reflector 100.
The lamp circuit board 200, itself made of conventional material such as an FR4 board, includes one of more solid-state light elements 205 positioned thereon. The light element(s) 205 may be a light emitting diode(s) (LEDs), although other solid-state light elements 205 may be provided.
The lamp reflector 100 further includes one or more slotted holes 125 (apertures). The slotted holes 125 are positioned so that when the circuit board 200 is fixedly mounted to the reflector 100, a corresponding one of the light elements 205 is located adjacent the slotted hole 125, and in registration therewith, so that light emitted from the corresponding light element 205 passes through the slotted hole 125 to thereby illuminate the reflective front surface.
In a method of assembling the lamp reflector assembly 10, with the reflector front face 105 placed down, the rear surface 110 and first guide ribs 115 are exposed to an operator as shown in
The operator first places the lamp circuit board 200 into first guide ribs 115. Multiple lamp circuit boards 200, for example three, are placed around the rear face 110 periphery of reflector 100. It is optionally preferred that for each reflector 100, at least one (preferably only one) circuit board 200 bear LEDs, and that the other two circuit boards 200 do not bear LEDs but carry driver electronics.
The operator second mounts the board holder plate 300 to the reflector 100 with the placed lamp circuit board 200 engaged into the second guide ribs 315 as shown in
Placing a securing element 400 with respect to the board holder plate 300 and reflector 100 secures the mounted circuit board(s) 200 in the design X, Y, Z position 20 with respect to the rear face 110 of the reflector 100. The securing element may be, e.g., a weld 410 welding the board holder plate 300 and the reflector 100 together, a screw 405 passing through a screw hole 325 in the board holder plate 300 and into the reflector 100, or any suitable element that secures the board holder plate 300 and the reflector 100 together, or combination thereof.
In one embodiment, the reflector 100 comprises heat stake tabs 130 extending from the rear face 110; and the board holder plate 300 comprises tab holes 330 positioned to receive the stake tabs 130 therethrough when the board holder plate 300 is mounted to the reflector 100. In this position, the heat stake tabs 130 may be utilized in providing a weld 410 that secures the board holder plate 300 and the reflector 100 together.
Using the finger slots 320, and prior to securing the board holder plate 300 to the reflector 100, e.g., by heat staking, the operator performs visual position verification of the circuit board(s) 200 with respect to the reflector 100 and alignment of the circuit board(s) 200 so that the upwardly facing edges of the circuit board(s) 200 are received in the second guide ribs 315 of the board holder plate 300 and the reflector's heat stake tabs 130 align with the board holder plate's tab holes 330.
Optionally, board holder plate 300 is transparent, thereby facilitating the operator to see the placement of the lamp circuit board 200 in the first and second guide ribs 115, 315. The circuit board holder plate 300 being generally plate-like or flat further helps realignment and ease of any pick-and-place operation used in assembly.
Optionally, each embodiment may have one or more finger slots 320. When present, the finger slots 320 allow the operator to easily move and re-orient the lamp circuit board 200 with respect to the first and second guide ribs 115, 315 to thereby ensure proper seating of the lamp circuit board 200 in the first and second guide ribs 115, 315 as well as locating the lamp circuit board 200 in the correct predetermined X, Y, Z position 20 with respect to the rear face 110 of the reflector 100, with each light element 205 positioned adjacent to a corresponding slotted hole 125 so that light emitted from the each light element 205 passes through the corresponding slotted hole 125 to thereby illuminate the reflective front surface 105 of the reflector 100.
In preferred embodiments, the lamp circuit board 200 includes a tab 210, e.g., a finger tab 210, projecting from one perimeter edge of the lamp circuit board 200. When the lamp circuit boards 200 are mounted to the reflector 100 and the board holder plate 300 placed atop, the finger tab 210 of each respective circuit board 200 extends into, or preferably through, a respective finger slot 320 of the board holder plate 300 to be grasped for manipulation of the circuit board 200. Most preferably when in situ, finger tab 210 extends through the thickness of board holder plate 300 and exits proud of the rear surface thereof. As shown in
Advantageously, either one or both of the first and second guide ribs 115, 315 have a shape that forces the mounted circuit board toward the rear face 110 of the reflector 100. The shape may include an inclined surface 415 that will bear on a rear face of the mounted circuit board 200, thereby forcing the mounted circuit board 200 towards the rear face 110 of the reflector 100. Alternatively, the guide ribs 115, 315 themselves may by inclined 420, extending at an angle relative to a mounting surface of the reflector 100 or holder plate 300 to thereby force the mounted circuit board 200 towards the rear face 110 of the reflector 100. In one embodiment, the first guide ribs 115 may be inclined three (3) degrees away from the reflector part's die pull direction in the case of an injection molded reflector 100, typically molded from a heat-resistant thermoset plastic compound.
The first guide ribs 115 alone may have the shape that forces the mounted circuit board 200 toward the rear face 110 of the reflector 100. The second guide ribs 315 alone may have the shape that forces the mounted circuit board 200 toward the rear face 110 of the reflector 100.
Advantageously, either one or both of the first and second guide ribs 115, 315 comprises a locator rib 425. The locator rib 425 engages the mounted circuit board 200 to thereby locate a position of the circuit board 200 laterally with respect to the rear face 110 of the reflector 100. The first guide ribs 115 alone may comprise the locator rib 425. The second guide ribs 315 alone may comprise the locator rib 425.
Advantageously, the lamp circuit board 200 includes a notch 215 extending into a perimeter edge of the lamp circuit board 200. The notch 215 engages with the locator rib 425 to locate the position of the circuit board 200 laterally with respect to the rear face 110 of the reflector 100.
Embodiments include plural lamp circuit boards 200 located by each circuit board holder plates 300, each board holder plate fixedly corresponding lamp circuit boards 200 in a corresponding predetermined X, Y, Z position 20 with respect to the rear face of the reflector 100, with each light element 205 of each lamp circuit board 200 positioned adjacent to a corresponding one of the slotted holes 125 so that light emitted from the each light element 205 passes through the corresponding slotted hole 125 to thereby illuminate the reflective front surface 105 of the reflector 100.
Advantageously, the rear face 110 of the circuit board holder plate 300 further comprises a driver board surface area 435 for attaching a driver board to the rear face of circuit board holder plate 300 at the driver board surface area 435. Electrical connections may extend between the driver board and each lamp circuit board(s) 200.
As shown in
The first guide ribs 115 of the reflector 100 are of any form suitable for receiving the lamp circuit and, in conjunction with the second guide ribs 315 of the circuit board holder plate 300, fixedly mounting the lamp circuit board 200 in the design predetermined X, Y, Z position 20 with respect to the rear face 110 of the reflector 100.
As shown in
While several embodiments of the present disclosure are described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each such variation and/or modification is deemed within the scope of the present disclosure. All parameters, materials, and configurations described herein are exemplary and the actual parameters, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application for which the teachings of the present disclosure are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein. It is therefore understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, the disclosure may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. The present disclosure is directed to each individual feature, system, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, kits, and/or methods, if such are not mutually inconsistent, is within the scope of the present disclosure.
All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, are understood to mean “at least one.”
The phrase “and/or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified, unless clearly indicated to the contrary.
The following lists reference numeral used herein:
This invention, including all embodiments shown and described herein, could be used alone or together and/or in combination with one or more of the features covered by one or more of the claims set forth herein, including but not limited to one or more of the features or steps mentioned in the bullet list in the Summary of the Invention and the claims.
While the system, apparatus, process and method herein described constitute preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise system, apparatus, process and method, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/568,748 filed Aug. 7, 2012, which application is incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13568748 | Aug 2012 | US |
| Child | 14937080 | US |
