Patent Description:
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle lamp, and more specifically, to a vehicle lamp and a method for assembling the same capable of simplifying and miniaturizing the overall structure and simplifying the assembly process.

Generally, a vehicle has various types of lamps. The vehicle lamp has an illumination function for checking objects near the vehicle in the low-light conditions (e.g., nighttime driving), and a signal function to notify other vehicles or road users of the vehicle's driving status. For example, headlights and fog lights are intended for illumination purposes, and direction indicating lights (turn signals), fog lights, brake lights, or side markers are intended for signaling purposes.

In the past, a light source such as a halogen bulb or a high intensity discharge (HID) lamp was mainly used as the vehicle lamp. However, recently, a light emitting diode (LED) is mainly used as the light source. Since the LED has a color temperature of about <NUM>, which is close to sunlight, the LED light source minimizes human eye fatigue. Further, it not only increases the freedom of design of the lamp by minimizing its size, but also provides economic advantages due to its semi-permanent life.

As such, attempts have been made to overcome an increase of processing and assembly steps in the conventional, complicated lamp structure by introducing the LED to the vehicle. Further, research has been conducted to reduce the overall installation size and improve the space utilization of the lamp while attempting to extend a life of the lamp due to the characteristics of the LED itself.

The vehicle lamp using the LED as the light source mounts a board on which the LED is mounted so as to correspond to a light irradiation direction. Since the performance drop is greater because of the temperature rise due to the characteristics of the LED, a heat sink for dissipating heat generated from the LED to the outside is additionally provided. It is common for such a board and a heat sink to be mutually coupled via a coupling means such as bolts.

However, a related configuration must be added to couple the members such as the board or the heat sink via various coupling means. Moreover, an assembly process including such a coupling process is additionally required. In addition, an LED-mounted board and a device provided outside the vehicle lamp must be electrically connected. Therefore, various electrical components such as a wiring, terminals, or connectors should be additionally arranged and interconnected near the board and the heat sink.

As such, the vehicle lamp must be added with basic elements for the vehicle lamp, as well as the coupling means between each member or electrical components for connecting from each member to an external device. Therefore, the overall structure becomes larger and more complex, and the assembly process is increased.

<FIG> shows a connection manner of a connector in a conventional vehicle lamp of the related art. As shown in <FIG>, the conventional vehicle lamp uses a structure in which a male connector <NUM> connected to a plurality of male terminals <NUM> and a female connector <NUM> connected to a plurality of female terminals <NUM> are linearly coupled.

Due to such a coupling structure, board miniaturization and slim design application are limited, the connector fastening is burdensome in the vehicle lamp, and the number of assembly steps increases. Further, there is also a concern for the quality problem (unfastened, incompletely fastened, or incorrectly fastened) due to manual assembly of multiple connectors. In addition, degradation of the assembly of the lamp due to wiring interference and quality problems associated with the wire may also occur.

Accordingly, there is a need for a method to simplify and/or miniaturize the configuration of the vehicle lamp using the LED as the light source and to simplify the overall assembly process.

<CIT> discloses a light-emitting device package module including a light-emitting device; a first circuit board receiving the light-emitting device, and electrically connected with the light-emitting device; and a second circuit board assembled with the first circuit board by using a connection member, and electrically connected with the first circuit board.

<CIT> discloses a projection unit having two optical modules and an optical projection device, where each optical module is provided with LEDs integral with a printed circuit board. A common control device is provided for controlling the two optical modules, where the two optical modules and the control device are secured on a support. One of the two optical modules includes a heat dissipation unit arranged to dissipate some of the heat generated by the LEDs, where the heat dissipation unit is in surface contact with the printed circuit board.

<CIT> discloses a housing used for an electric part, preferably a light emitting diode, including a wire section electrically connected to an electric circuit including an electric component, and a housing body composed of resin, whereby the wire section includes a first terminal part exposed at a surface of the housing body, a second terminal part exposed at a surface of the housing body, and a thermally conductive part formed between the first terminal part and the second terminal part, and embedded in the housing body, the thermally conductive part has a width greater than the same of the first and second terminal parts.

<CIT> discloses an automotive lighting module comprising a main support, a first printed circuit board and a second printed circuit board. The main support comprises a main connector and a first and second auxiliary connectors, which are in electrical connection with the main connector. The first printed circuit board is fixed directly to the main support and is electrically connected to the first auxiliary connector. The second printed circuit board is fixed directly to the main support and is electrically connected to the second auxiliary connector.

<CIT> discloses a vehicle lighting or signaling device comprising a first light module called master module and at least one second light module called slave module, each of said master and slave modules comprising a source of light, in which said master module comprises a driving circuit arranged to drive the light source of the master module and the light source of the slave module.

<CIT> relates to a vehicular illumination device and a vehicular lighting fixture that achieves reduction in size of a substrate. The vehicular illumination device has a socket; a first substrate provided at one end of the socket; a light emitting element electrically connected to a wiring pattern provided on the first substrate; an electronic component provided inside the socket; and a first terminal whose one end is electrically connected to the wiring pattern provided on the first substrate and the other end is electrically connected to the electronic component.

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a vehicle lamp in which a conventional cable-to-cable connection manner of the related art is improved, a pin block capable of mass production is first assembled on a heat sink, and subsequently a board is mounted on the heat sink, thereby completing electrical wiring. Aspects of the present disclosure may also reduce a space for electrical wiring to improve the design freedom of the vehicle lamp. Aspects of the present disclosure may also reduce the production time and cost of the vehicle lamp by reducing internal wiring that causes complexity in a wiring structure included in the pin block. However, aspects of the present disclosure are not restricted to those set forth herein. The above and other aspects of the present disclosure will become more apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains by referencing the detailed description of the present disclosure given below.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle lamp comprises light irradiation units each including a light source and a board on which the light source is installed; a base member including a first side/surface for mounting the light irradiation units and a second side/surface adjacent to the first side; and a pin block mounted on the second side of the base member. The pin block includes connection terminals arranged on the second side of the base member and extending and protruding in a direction normal to the first side, wherein the connection terminals correspond respectively to the light irradiation units; a body accommodating electric connection means that extends from the connection terminals; and a connection socket formed on one side of the body and electrically connected to the electric connection means. Each board has a coupling member arranged thereon, being electrically connected with the respective light source. Each connection terminal is configured for being electrically connected with the corresponding coupling member by being inserted into said coupling member when the respective board is mounted on the first side of the base member. The electric connection means includes a plurality of wirings, wherein one end of the plurality of wirings is electrically connected to the light irradiation units and the other end is electrically connected to the connection socket. The vehicle lamp further comprises a plug configured to detachably couple with the connection socket. The plug includes a cable that is adapted to electrically connect the connection socket to an external device; and a return wiring for electrically connecting among the plurality of wirings at least one pair of wirings to each other.

In some embodiments, the coupling member may include an aperture that penetrates through the board and a solder that fixedly couples the aperture and the connection terminal that is inserted into the aperture. In some embodiments, the coupling member may include a connector arranged on the board while forming a predetermined angle with a direction in which the connection terminal protrudes, and the connector may include a connection port formed to be opened in a rear direction of the board to allow the connection terminal to be inserted thereinto when the board is mounted on the first surface.

The first surface may comprise a plurality of mounting surfaces corresponding to the plurality of connection terminal groups, the plurality of mounting surfaces may have steps between adjacent mounting surfaces, and the plurality of light irradiation units may be mounted on the plurality of mounting surfaces. A height of each of the plurality of connection terminal groups may be determined depending on a corresponding mounting surface among the plurality of mounting surfaces. At least two of the steps may have different heights from each other.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for assembling a vehicle lamp may include providing a base member including a first surface and a second surface adjacent to the first surface; and mounting a pin block on the second surface. The pin block may accommodate a plurality of connection terminal groups, and at least a portion of each of the plurality of connection terminal groups may extend and protrude outwardly. The method may also include mounting a plurality of boards to the first surface of the base member, each of the plurality of boards including a light source and a coupling member that is electrically connected to the light source; and mounting the plurality of boards on the first surface of the base member and simultaneously inserting a corresponding connection terminal group among the plurality of connection terminal groups into the coupling member. In particular, each of the plurality of connection terminal groups may extend and protrude from the pin block in a direction of the first surface.

The coupling member may comprise an aperture that penetrates through the board, and the corresponding connection terminal group among the plurality of connection terminal groups may be inserted into the aperture, and a solder may be formed between the corresponding connection terminal group and the aperture. The method may further comprise mounting a lens that transmits light emitted from the light source and a housing that accommodates the lens to each of the plurality of boards. The first surface may comprise a plurality of mounting surfaces corresponding to the plurality of connection terminal groups, the plurality of mounting surfaces may have steps between adjacent mounting surfaces, and the plurality of light irradiation units may be mounted on the plurality of mounting surfaces. In particular, the one pair of wirings may be electrically disconnected when the plug is disconnected from the connection socket, and may be electrically connected through the return wiring when the plug is coupled to the connection socket.

The plurality of light irradiation units may comprise a first light irradiation unit having a first function, and a second light irradiation unit having a second function different from the first function. The plurality of wirings may comprise a first wiring array arranged on a first layer of the pin block, and a second wiring array arranged on a second layer of the pin block different from the first layer. The first light irradiation unit may be connected to the first wiring array, and the second light irradiation unit may be connected to the second wiring array. The first light irradiation unit and the second light irradiation unit may be connected together to either of the first wiring array and the second wiring array. The first light irradiation unit and the second light irradiation unit may be mounted to the base member adjacent to each other.

The first light irradiation unit may irradiate a headlight, and the second light irradiation unit may irradiate at least one of a daytime running light (DRL), a position light, or a turn signal. The at least one pair of wirings connected by the return wiring may be arranged in the same layer of the pin block. Alternatively, the at least one pair of wirings connected by the return wiring may be arranged across different layers of the pin block.

One of the at least one pair of wirings connected by the return wiring may be connected to a terminal formed in a first position of one light irradiation unit among the plurality of light irradiation units, and to a terminal formed in a second position of another light irradiation unit having a same function as the one light irradiation unit among the plurality of light irradiation units. The terminal formed in the first position may be a negative terminal that supplies power for the function, and the terminal formed in the second position may be a positive terminal that supplies power for the function. The pin block may further include an internal wiring that internally connects two light irradiation units among the plurality of light irradiation units without extension to the connection socket.

According to the vehicle lamp in accordance with the present disclosure, the electrical wiring may be completed by mounting the pin block and the board in place on the heat sink without additional electrical wiring. Therefore, the overall assembly process may be simplified, and the assembly time may be reduced. In particular, a height of a connector may be significantly reduced, requiring a thinner connecting space. Therefore, the compactness of the vehicle lamp and the freedom of design may be secured together. In addition, due to the reduction of internal wiring in the pin block, the burden of a terminal connection process and the need for additional mold manufacturing may be reduced.

Advantages and features of the disclosure and methods to achieve them will become apparent from the descriptions of exemplary embodiments herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the inventive concept is not limited to exemplary embodiments disclosed herein but may be implemented in various ways. The exemplary embodiments are provided for making the disclosure of the inventive concept thorough and for fully conveying the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. It is to be noted that the scope of the disclosure is defined only by the claims. Like reference numerals denote like elements throughout the descriptions.

It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and/or the present application, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

Terms used herein are for illustrating the exemplary embodiments rather than limiting the present disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms are intended to include plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Throughout this specification, the word "comprise" and variations such as "comprises" or "comprising," will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is a perspective view showing a vehicle lamp <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. <FIG> is a plan view showing the vehicle lamp <NUM>. The vehicle lamp <NUM> may include a base member <NUM> having a mounting surface, at least one light irradiation unit 60a and 60b mounted on the mounting surface of the base member <NUM>, and a pin block <NUM> installed on an adjacent side surface while forming a predetermined angle with the mounting surface. Although omitted in <FIG>, the vehicle lamp <NUM> may further include a bezel that covers a portion of the light irradiation units 60a and 60b except for a light emission surface. Such a bezel may be provided individually or integrally for a plurality of light irradiation units 60a and 60b.

The base member <NUM> may serve as a support for installing various other members, and may also have a function of a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from a light source installed in the light irradiation units 60a and 60b to the outside. In this case, the base member <NUM> may be made of a material having high thermal conductivity, for example, a metal such as aluminum or a thermally conductive plastic.

In the vehicle lamp <NUM>, the light irradiation units 60a and 60b may be mounted on the mounting surface (first surface) of the base member <NUM>, and the pin block <NUM> may be installed on a side surface (second surface) adjacent to the first surface. Boards 40a and 40b included in the light irradiation units 60a and 60b may include a light source, and may be fixed to the mounting surface by a coupling means such as bolts. Accordingly, the boards 40a and 40b and the pin block <NUM> may be arranged at the same angle (e.g., <NUM>°) as an angle formed by the mounting surface and the side surface of the base member <NUM>.

The light irradiation units 60a and 60b may include a plurality of light irradiation units, and may include different types of light irradiation units. The different types of light irradiation units may be controlled to be turned on or off synchronously (e.g., collectively) or asynchronously (e.g., individually). In the exemplary embodiment, the first light irradiation unit 60a may be a lighting module for an illumination function, and the second light irradiation unit 60b may be a signal module. When the light irradiation units 60a and 60b include the plurality of light irradiation units, the base member <NUM> may include a plurality of mounting surfaces formed in a stepwise manner to mount the plurality of light irradiation units, as shown in <FIG>.

In the detailed description of the present disclosure, the light irradiation units 60a and 60b may include two types and include a total of six light irradiation units. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the number and type of light irradiation units may vary depending on the design purpose.

<FIG> and <FIG> are perspective and exploded perspective views of the first light irradiation unit 60a according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and <FIG> and <FIG> are perspective and exploded perspective views of the second light irradiation unit 60b according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, the first light irradiation unit 60a may be a lighting module having a micro lens array (MLA), and the second light irradiation unit 60b may be a signaling module such as a turn signal or an emergency light.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the first light irradiation unit 60a may include a plurality of members aligned along an optical axis Ax. The first light irradiation unit 60a may include a structure in which a board (PCB) bracket 42a, a lens bracket 43a, a collimation lens 44a, an MLA lens 45a, and an MLA bracket 46a are arranged and assembled on the board 40a in the order shown. Light emitted from the light source 41a may be converted to approximately parallel light while passing through the collimation lens 44a. The converted light may pass through the MLA unit 45a and be emitted as light having improved uniformity. Here, a lens assembly 47a may be configured in advance through pre-assembly of the lens bracket 43a and the collimation lens 44a. Further, an MLA assembly 48a may be configured in advance through pre-assembly of the MLA lens 45a and the MLA bracket 46a.

An active alignment process may be applied between the PCB bracket 42a and the lens bracket 43a, and/or between the lens bracket 43a and the MLA bracket 46a to accurately align a direction in which light is emitted during this assembly process.

<FIG> is a view showing an overall active alignment process applied to the first light irradiation unit 60a. As described above, when the lens assembly 47a is coupled to the PCB bracket 42a that secures the board 40a to a seating <NUM> of the base member <NUM>, a primary active alignment may be applied. When the MLA assembly 48a is coupled to the lens bracket 43a of the lens assembly 47a, a secondary active alignment may be performed once again.

Alternatively, one of the two active alignments may be omitted. For example, when the lens assembly 47a is coupled to the PCB bracket 42a, it may be coupled without the active alignment, and the active alignment may applied only when the MLA assembly 48a is coupled to the lens bracket 43a of the lens assembly 47a. On the other hand, the active alignment may also be applied only when the lens assembly 47a is coupled to the PCB bracket 42a.

For the active alignment, the PCB brackets 42a, the lens brackets 43a, and the MLA brackets 46a may be formed with flaps <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> that extend from each edge in a direction of the optical axis Ax or in an opposite direction of the optical axis Ax. Specifically, the PCB bracket 42a may include a first flap <NUM> that extends toward the optical axis Ax. The lens bracket 43a may include a second flap <NUM> that extends toward the optical axis Ax. The MLA bracket 46a may include a third flap <NUM> that extends toward the opposite direction of the optical axis Ax.

First, when the lens assembly 47a is coupled to the PCB bracket 42a (Coupling <NUM>), the first flap <NUM> may overlap to surround the second flap <NUM>. In particular, a desired intermediate light distribution pattern may be obtained by turning on the light source 41a and adjusting a light distribution pattern formed on a screen while moving the lens bracket 43a by a jig at three degrees of freedom (x, y, and z axes). When the desired intermediate light distribution pattern is obtained, a first weld for permanently fixing the first flap <NUM> and the second flap <NUM> may be formed at a first overlapped region <NUM> of the first flap <NUM> and the second flap <NUM> (see <FIG> and <FIG>).

Subsequently, when the MLA assembly 48a is coupled to the lens bracket 43a (Coupling <NUM>), the third flap <NUM> may overlap to surround the second flap <NUM>. In particular, the desired light distribution pattern may be also obtained by turning on the light source 41a and adjusting the light distribution pattern formed on the screen while moving the MLA bracket 46a at three degrees of freedom. When the desired final light distribution pattern is obtained, a second weld for permanently fixing the second flap <NUM> and the third flap <NUM> may be formed at a second overlapped region <NUM> between the second flap <NUM> and the third flap <NUM> (see <FIG> and <FIG>). Such first and second welds may be formed by laser welding.

<FIG> is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the first light irradiation unit 60a of <FIG> cut in a vertical direction (a direction parallel to an x-z plane). Referring to <FIG>, the first weld may be formed in the overlapped region <NUM> between the first flap <NUM> of the PCB bracket 42a and the second flap <NUM> of the lens bracket 43a, and the second weld may be formed in the second overlapped region <NUM> between the third flap <NUM> of the MLA bracket 46a and the second flap <NUM> of the lens bracket 43a. Therefore, the first weld may be disposed closer to the board 40a than the second weld.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the second light irradiation unit 60b may include a plurality of members aligned along an optical axis Bx. The second light irradiation unit 60b may include a structure in which a reflector 42b, an inner lens 43b, and a housing 44b are arranged and assembled on the board 40b in the order shown. Light emitted from a light source 41b may be reflected from an inner surface of the reflector 42b and directed forward, and the reflected light may be emitted to the outside while passing through the inner lens 43b. The housing 44b may be coupled to the base member <NUM> while accommodating the board 40b, the reflector 42b, and the inner lens 43b.

<FIG> is a view showing a process of assembling the vehicle lamp <NUM> of <FIG>. First, the base member <NUM> may be prepared, in which the base member <NUM> include the mounting surface (first surface) <NUM> and the side surface <NUM> adjacent to the mounting surface <NUM> while forming a predetermined angle (e.g., <NUM>°) with the mounting surface <NUM>. A fastening groove may be formed on the mounting surface <NUM> and the side surface <NUM> to enable fastening by a fastening means such as a bolt or a screw.

Subsequently, the pin block <NUM>, which accommodates the connection terminal <NUM>, and from which at least a part of the connection terminal <NUM> extends outwardly, may be mounted on the side surface <NUM> (①). The connection terminal <NUM> may protrude from the pin block in a predetermined direction. For example, the predetermined direction is indicated as an upward direction in <FIG>, but the absolute direction of the predetermined direction may vary depending on the orientation of the vehicle lamp <NUM>. Therefore, it may be defined as a direction from the side surface <NUM> of the base member <NUM> toward the mounting surface <NUM> to a front direction of the board <NUM>.

In this process, a fastening aperture <NUM> formed in the pin block <NUM> and a fastening groove <NUM> formed in the side surface <NUM> of the base member <NUM> may be arranged to match, and the pin block <NUM> may be fixed by inserting the fastening means such as the bolt or screw therein. Further, a guide protrusion <NUM> may be formed on the side surface <NUM> of the base member <NUM>, and a guide aperture <NUM> may be formed on the pin block <NUM> to allow the fastening aperture <NUM> and the fastening groove <NUM> may be matched more easily. By inserting the guide protrusion <NUM> into the guide aperture <NUM> of the pin block <NUM>, the pin block <NUM> may be arranged at a predetermined position of the base member <NUM>.

Subsequently, the board <NUM> including a light source and a connector <NUM> electrically connected to the light source may be mounted on the mounting surface <NUM> (②). In particular, since a rear surface of the board <NUM> is in close contact with the base member <NUM>, heat generated from the light source may be transferred to the base member <NUM> and dissipated to the outside. In this step, the board <NUM> may be fixed to the mounting surface <NUM> by the fastening means, such as the bolt or screw.

According to the present disclosure, when the board <NUM> is mounted on the mounting surface <NUM> as described above, the connection terminal <NUM> of the pin block <NUM> may be simultaneously coupled to the connector <NUM> formed on the board <NUM>. Therefore, in addition to mounting the board <NUM> to the base member <NUM>, a separate configuration or process for coupling the connector <NUM> and the connection terminal <NUM> may be omitted.

Finally, among the light irradiation units 60a, 60b, an optical member <NUM> other than the board <NUM>, for example, an optical lens, a reflector, a bracket, or a housing may be assembled on the board <NUM> mounted on the base member <NUM> (③). Through these processes, each component may be assembled as the vehicle lamp <NUM> as shown in <FIG>. A bezel or an outer housing may be additionally assembled for the vehicle lamp <NUM> of <FIG>.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of light irradiation units <NUM> may be included, and each of the plurality of light irradiation units <NUM> may include the board <NUM> including a light source and the optical member <NUM>. Therefore, the connection terminal <NUM> may also include a plurality of groups of connection terminals <NUM> corresponding to the number of the plurality of light irradiation units <NUM>. The present disclosure also includes a configuration in which only one of the light irradiation units <NUM> and one of the connection terminal group <NUM> is used. However, using a plurality of light irradiation units <NUM> and a plurality of connection terminal groups <NUM> with respect to one base member <NUM> may be more advantageous in simplifying the configuration and assembly process, and reducing the assembly cost.

In this case, a single pin block <NUM> may accommodate the plurality of groups of connection terminals <NUM>, and the pin block <NUM> may be mounted on the second surface <NUM>, and thus, each of the plurality of groups of connection terminals <NUM> may protrude from the pin block <NUM> toward a corresponding mounting surface among the plurality of mounting surfaces <NUM>.

In addition, the plurality of mounting surfaces <NUM> may include steps between neighboring mounting surfaces, and each of the plurality of light irradiation units <NUM> may be mounted on the plurality of mounting surfaces <NUM>. Therefore, the corresponding connector group <NUM> among the connection terminals may be coupled to the connector <NUM> formed on the board <NUM> included in each of the plurality of light irradiation units <NUM>. Therefore, it may be understood that a height of each of the plurality of connection terminal groups <NUM> is determined depending on a corresponding mounting surface among the plurality of mounting surfaces <NUM>.

In addition, referring to <FIG>, dimensions (e.g., heights) of the steps between the plurality of adjacent mounting surfaces <NUM> may be different from each other (e.g., the height of the steps may increase as it goes from top to bottom). Forming the dimensions of the steps differently, for example to diminish or increase, may arise from the consideration that a shape near a corner of a front or rear end of the vehicle and the design characteristics that an assembly line of the vehicle lamp <NUM> installed therein may include a curvature.

Referring to <FIG>, not only may a position of the light irradiation units 60a and 60b be recessed farther as they go toward the left, but also a shift difference (the height of the step) between adjacent light irradiation units 60a and 60b may become greater as they to the left. Therefore, the vehicle lamp <NUM> shown in <FIG> may be applied on a right side (e.g., a passenger side) when mounted on the front end of the vehicle, and may be applied on a left side (e.g., a driver side) when mounted on the rear end of the vehicle.

In <FIG>, the heights of the steps between a plurality of adjacent mounting surfaces <NUM> are illustrated to be increasing monotonically. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the heights of the steps may vary depending on the design of the vehicle and/or a mounting location of the vehicle lamp <NUM> with respect to the vehicle. For example, a step of the same height may be formed between some of the plurality of adjacent mounting surfaces <NUM>, and a step of different height may be formed between some of the plurality of adjacent mounting surfaces <NUM>.

<FIG> and <FIG> are perspective views illustrating a state in which the connector <NUM> of the board <NUM> is coupled to the corresponding connection terminal <NUM> of the pin block <NUM> in the step of mounting the board in <FIG>. The connector <NUM> may be an electric component for supplying power to a light source and input/output a signal to and from a control module for controlling the light source or other components on the board. According to the present disclosure, the connector <NUM> and the corresponding connection terminal <NUM> may be automatically coupled at a predetermined angle in the step of mounting the board. The predetermined angle may be <NUM>°, but may be slightly less or greater than <NUM>° depending on an angle formed by the mounting surface <NUM> and the side surface <NUM> of the base member <NUM>.

When the connector <NUM> and the connection terminal <NUM> are coupled, the board <NUM> may be electrically connected to a connection socket <NUM> formed on one side of a body <NUM> through wiring <NUM> arranged in the body <NUM> of the pin block <NUM>. As a result, the connection socket <NUM> may be electrically connected to the board <NUM> using the connection terminal <NUM> and the connector <NUM>, so that when an external device (not shown) is connected to the connection socket <NUM>, electrical connection between the external device and the board <NUM> is established.

Referring to <FIG> showing an example of the internal wiring <NUM> accommodated in the pin block <NUM>, when the connector <NUM> formed on each board <NUM> is coupled to the connection terminal <NUM>, the connection socket <NUM> may be electrically connected to the board <NUM> through the internal wiring <NUM>. In particular, when the connection terminal <NUM> includes the plurality of connection terminal groups <NUM>, each connection terminal group <NUM> may be connected to the connection socket <NUM> through the internal wiring <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a structure in which the internal wiring is connected in series or in parallel for each board <NUM> (shown with a cover of the pin block <NUM> removed). However, the wiring may be configured differently when two types of different light irradiation units are included as shown in <FIG>. In other words, separate wiring may be provided for different types, and only the boards of the light irradiation units belonging to the same type may be connected in parallel. Accordingly, each type of light irradiation units may be operated independently.

The pin block <NUM> described above may be mass-produced by injection using a mold in the form of accommodating both the plurality of connection terminals <NUM> and the internal wiring <NUM> and even providing the connection socket <NUM>. Therefore, compared to the related art in which a number of wirings are formed and connected by cables individually, the structure and process may be simplified, and electrical connection problems such as disconnection or shorting may also be eliminated or reduced.

<FIG> is an enlarged perspective view showing the connector <NUM> (30a to 30f) and the connection terminal <NUM> (55a to 55d). As shown in an example of <FIG>, the connectors 30a to 30f may be arranged on the board <NUM> while forming a predetermined angle (approximately <NUM>°) with respect to a direction in which the connection terminals 55a to 55d of the pin block <NUM> extend and protrude. Further, the connectors 30a to 30f may include connection ports opened in the rear direction (downward in <FIG>) of the board <NUM>. Since the connection port is arranged toward the rear direction of the board <NUM>, the connection terminals 55a to 55d may be coupled to the connectors 30a to 30f when the board <NUM> is mounted on the base member <NUM>.

The number of the connection terminals 55a to 55d and the number of connectors 30a to 30f may be the same, or may be different from each other as shown in <FIG>. In other words, when only some of the functions provided by the board <NUM> are used, the number of connection terminals 55a to 55d may be less than the number of the connectors 30a to 30f. Typically, the number of connection terminals 55a to 55d may be equal to or less than the number of connectors 30a to 30f. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the number of connection terminals 55a to 55d may be greater than the number of connectors 30a to 30f.

<FIG> is an enlarged perspective view showing a connector <NUM> (39a to 39f) and the connection terminal <NUM> (55a to 55d) according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In <FIG>, other components are the same as in <FIG> except for a shape of the connector <NUM>. The structure of the connector <NUM> according to this modified exemplary embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to <FIG>.

<FIG> is a perspective view of the connector <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed from below, and <FIG> is a longitudinal cross-sectional view (cut in parallel to the x-z plane) of the connector <NUM> of <FIG>.

Specifically, the connector <NUM> may include a first plate member <NUM>, a second plate member <NUM> in parallel to and spaced apart from the first plate member <NUM>, and a connection port <NUM> formed by an open space between the first plate member <NUM> and the second plate member <NUM>. In addition, the connector <NUM> may further include a first bent portion <NUM> bent from the first plate member <NUM> toward the second plate member <NUM> and a second bent portion <NUM> bent from the second plate member <NUM> toward the first plate member <NUM> to form the connection port <NUM>.

Here, an inner surface <NUM> of the first bent portion <NUM> and an outer surface <NUM> of the second bent portion <NUM> may face each other and be spaced apart by a predetermined distance d. The connection port <NUM> may be formed between the inner surface <NUM> of the first bent portion <NUM> and the outer surface <NUM> of the second bent portion <NUM>. Accordingly, when the connection terminal <NUM> is inserted into the connection port <NUM> in an x-axis direction, the connection terminal <NUM> may be in contact with the inner surface <NUM> of the first bent portion <NUM> and the outer surface <NUM> of the second bent portion <NUM>, respectively. By this contact, the connection terminal <NUM> and the connector <NUM> may be electrically connected.

Further, the first bent portion <NUM> may include a first protrusion <NUM> that protrudes toward the second bent portion <NUM>, and the second bent portion <NUM> may include a second protrusion <NUM> that protrudes toward the first bent portion <NUM>, so that while ensuring contact between the first and second bent portions <NUM> and <NUM> and the connection terminal <NUM>, a bias force is appropriately applied to the inserted connection terminal <NUM>. The bias force may be provided by elasticity of the first plate member <NUM> and the second plate member <NUM>. Therefore, when the connection terminal <NUM> is inserted into the connection port <NUM>, the connection terminal <NUM> may contact the first protrusion <NUM> and the second protrusion <NUM>, respectively. In particular, a position of the first protrusion <NUM> and a position of the second protrusion <NUM> may be arranged slightly out of alignment (e.g., staggered). Such arrangement may help the inserted connection terminal <NUM> to have structural stability while receiving an elastic force within the connection port <NUM>. For example, the second protrusion <NUM> may be disposed closer to the first plate member <NUM> than the first protrusion <NUM> is.

The connector <NUM> may further include a third plate member <NUM> and a fourth plate member <NUM> that are orthogonally connected to the first plate member <NUM> and the second plate member <NUM> (parallel to the x-z plane). The connection terminal <NUM> inserted into the connection port <NUM> may be prevented from being separated in a lateral direction (y direction) of the connection port <NUM> due to the third plate member <NUM> and the fourth plate member <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, in the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the connector <NUM> may be made of a single conductor plate material, and the plate material may be bent continuously based on a longitudinal direction (z direction), thereby forming the first to fourth plate members <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM>.

<FIG> is a view showing a state in which the connection terminal <NUM> is inserted into the connection port <NUM> of the connector <NUM> according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. When the board <NUM> is mounted on the base member <NUM> in a state that the pin block <NUM> is already mounted on the base member <NUM>, that is, the connection terminal <NUM> is arranged toward the front surface of the board <NUM> or the mounting surface of the base member <NUM>, the connection port <NUM> of the connector <NUM> may be fitted to the connection terminal <NUM> to surround the connection terminal <NUM>. In order to make this process more smoothly, a taper may be formed at a tip of the connection terminal <NUM>.

In particular, since a thickness t of the connection terminal <NUM> is greater than an original, undeformed distance d between the inner surface <NUM> of the first bent portion <NUM> and the outer surface <NUM> of the second bent portion <NUM>, a gap between the inner surface <NUM> of the first bent portion <NUM> and the outer surface <NUM> of the second bent portion <NUM> may be also increased to the thickness t. Here, the first bent portion <NUM> and the second bent portion <NUM> may be elastically deformed, and a force acting on the outer surface of the connection terminal <NUM> may be applied due to the elasticity. Therefore, the connection between the connection terminal <NUM> and the connector <NUM> may be made more robust.

According to the vehicle lamp <NUM> according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure described above, processes of assembling the plurality of boards <NUM> after the pin block <NUM> may be automated more readily. In other words, the manufacturing efficiency may be improved by automation using robots, and at the same time, the manufacturing rate may be increased due to the reduction in the number of assembly processes. In addition, the problem of contact damage due to flow or shaking of the already formed wiring after completion of the assembly, the connector detachment, the disconnection of the terminal portion, and the problem of the pinching of the wiring may be solved reliably.

Further, the problems such as incorrect assembly and poor assembly in an environment where a large number of connecting wirings are required may be improved, and no separate error-proof means such as color coding of the board, color coding of the connector, differentiation of the number of pins, and the like is required. In addition, compared to the wiring and connector assembly manner in the related art, the space utilization may be improved. Therefore, the vehicle lamp <NUM> may become thinner and be reduced in size, and thus, the overall design freedom may be improved.

Various types of wiring may be formed in the pin block <NUM> used above. Therefore, when the connector <NUM> and the connection terminal <NUM> are coupled, the connection socket <NUM> formed on one side of the main body <NUM> may be electrically connected. As a result, the connection socket <NUM> may be electrically connected to the board <NUM> using the connection terminal <NUM> and the connector <NUM>, so that when an external device (not shown) is connected to the connection socket <NUM>, electrical connection between the external device and the board <NUM> may be established.

However, when the conventional wiring manner is used, the connection structure of the terminals in the pin block is complicated by the common use of the pin map (LAM). Accordingly, the number of required molds increases due to the excessive number of terminals in the pin block. The increase in the number of molds leads to an increase in the number of processes and production costs, and an increase in terminal insertion work leads to an increase in production time.

<FIG> is a perspective view showing an example of the wiring structure in a conventional pin block of the related art. Referring to <FIG>, the number of terminals for connecting to the connector <NUM> on the board <NUM> is <NUM>, and an output terminal on a connection socket side is <NUM> pins, or <NUM> pins excluding an NC (No Contact) pin. Therefore, at least <NUM> terminals cannot be connected to the connection socket, and should be connected only through mutual terminals. Therefore, a total of five internal wirings are required. In this case, assuming that the pin block includes two layers, at least seven types, in fact, about <NUM> wiring types are required as shown in <FIG>.

When the wiring of this structure is made by a mold, in addition to a mold for the two layers, an additional mold is needed to secure an additional layer for the internal wiring. Depending on a situation, a plurality of internal wirings may be formed in the same layer, thereby reducing the number of additional molds to some extent. However, increased internal wiring requires an increased number of molds.

<FIG> is a plan view showing <NUM> pins of a <NUM>-pin connection socket <NUM> formed on the pin block. Here, a first pin p1 is an unused NC (No Contact) pin, and a total of <NUM> pins are actually available. Among them, the first pin p1 to the sixth pin p6 are disposed in a first layer L1, and the seventh pin p7 to the twelfth pin p12 are disposed in a second layer L2. A direction of numbering layers may be arbitrarily selected. However, hereinafter, in the present disclosure, the layer will be described with reference to increasing numbers from top to bottom.

As shown in <FIG>, in a structure in which a plurality of light irradiation units are connected in series, only the first and last wires <NUM> used for the series connection may be connected to the connection socket <NUM>, and all other wires used for the remaining intermediate connections may be connected by internal wiring. The presence of multiple internal wirings inevitably creates multiple intersections between the wirings. Since the multiple intersections should be electrically insulated from each other, a spatially different layer is required. This structure may occur essentially regardless of the number of pins defined in each layer in the connection socket <NUM>. This is because the internal wiring is not a conducting wire connected to the outside through the connection socket <NUM> and a plug coupled thereto.

Conversely, the present disclosure provides a new wiring structure for minimizing the number of molds designed for each layer by minimizing the internal wiring, and the number of processes for connecting the internal wiring and the connector <NUM>. Accordingly, the new wiring structure may extend the terminal requiring the internal wiring to the connection socket of the pin block, and when the connection socket and a detachable plug are coupled with the connection socket, the electrical connection equivalent to the internal wiring may be established.

<FIG> is a perspective view showing a vehicle lamp <NUM> according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The vehicle lamp <NUM> may further include a plug <NUM> detachably coupled to the connection socket <NUM> compared to the vehicle lamp <NUM> described above. Therefore, the vehicle lamp <NUM> may also include the connector <NUM> formed on the board <NUM> on which the light irradiation unit is mounted, the connection terminal <NUM> coupled with the connector <NUM>, the wiring <NUM> that extends from the connection terminal <NUM> to the connection socket <NUM>, and the connection socket <NUM>.

The plug <NUM> may include a cable that connects the connection socket to the outside, and a body <NUM> detachably coupled to the connection socket <NUM>. The cable may include a plurality of extension conductors <NUM> and a sheath surrounding the extension conductors <NUM>, as is generally known. Here, for simplicity of explanation, the sheath is not shown in the drawings. However, the configuration of the electrical cables is known to those skilled in the art.

In particular, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in addition to the components described above, the plug <NUM> may include a return wiring <NUM> for electrically connecting at least one pair of wirings of the plurality of wirings <NUM> included in the pin block <NUM> to each other (e.g., to make interconnection, cross-connection, or "jump-connection"). In <FIG>, the return wiring <NUM> is illustrated as being formed at three locations. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the number may vary depending on the design requirement and the number of pins of the connection socket <NUM>.

Due to this configuration, at least one pair of wirings formed in the pin block <NUM> and extending to the connection terminal <NUM> and to the connection socket <NUM> may be in an electrically isolated state when the plug <NUM> is separated from the connection socket <NUM>. However, when the plug <NUM> is coupled to an opening of the connection socket <NUM> to establish mutual connection, the pair of wirings may be electrically connected through the return wiring <NUM>.

<FIG> is a perspective view showing the structure of the plurality of wirings <NUM> formed inside the pin block <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the connection terminals <NUM> may be formed at first ends of the plurality of wirings <NUM> for connection with the connector <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM>, and socket pins <NUM> may be formed at second ends of the plurality of wirings <NUM> for connection with plug pins <NUM> of the plug <NUM>. Therefore, through the connection between the socket pin <NUM> and the plug pin <NUM>, the connector <NUM> of the circuit board <NUM> may be electrically connected to the outside (external device, external board, or power supply).

In particular, a part of the plug pin <NUM> may be connected to the return wiring <NUM>, and thereby making interconnects therebetween. By this return wiring <NUM>, an electrical passage may be formed between two terminals that are required to be connected to each other. Accordingly, the formation of the electrical passage by the action of the return wiring <NUM> occurs only when the plug <NUM> is coupled to the connection socket <NUM>. When the plug <NUM> and the connection socket <NUM> are separated, the electrical passage is disconnected.

<FIG> is a plan view of the connection socket <NUM> having <NUM> socket pins <NUM> viewed from a direction of an opening in which the plug <NUM> is coupled. Here, a first pin p1 is an unused NC (No Contact) pin, so there are actually a total of <NUM> pins available. Among them, the first pin p1 to the tenth pin p10 may be disposed in a first layer L1, and the eleventh pin p11 to the twentieth pin p20 may be disposed in a second layer L2.

Comparing <FIG> with <FIG> described above, the number of connection pins formed in the connection socket <NUM> for the return wiring <NUM> described above has increased from <NUM> to <NUM>, but the number of layers is still two. Therefore, even if the number of pins connected in one layer increases, a layer added due to internal wiring may be minimized. Here, the added layer means a layer that must be formed in the pin block regardless of a layer of the connection socket. In other words, in the connection socket <NUM> of <FIG>, the socket pins have two layers, but the wiring inside the block pin <NUM> requires the addition of a layer to avoid interference, which causes an increase in a thickness of the block pin <NUM> and the number of molds. On the contrary, when the return wiring <NUM> is used as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the number of pins present in one layer in the connection socket <NUM> may increase, and the number of layers inside the block pin <NUM> may be minimized. This is because an increase in the number of pins in a single layer does not cause an increase in the number of molds.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, <FIG> is a detailed view of the overall pin map in the first layer of <FIG>, and <FIG> is a detailed view of the overall pin map in the second layer of <FIG>. As described above, the pin block <NUM> arranged on one side of the base member <NUM> may include the connection socket <NUM> and a plurality of wirings, one end of which is connected to the light irradiation units 60a and 60b, and the other end of which is connected to the connection socket <NUM>. The plurality of wirings may include a first wiring array arranged on the first layer L1 of the pin block <NUM>, and a second wiring array arranged on the second layer L2 different from the first layer. Accordingly, <FIG> shows a pin map for the first wiring array, and <FIG> shows a pin map for the second wiring array.

In <FIG>, first circuit boards 40a1, 40a2, and 40a3 of the same type among a plurality of circuit boards 40a1, 40a2, 40a3, 40b1, 40b2, and 40b3 may be connected to the first wiring array. Similarly, in <FIG>, second circuit boards 40b1, 40b2, and 40b3 of the same type among the plurality of circuit boards 40a1, 40a2, 40a3, 40b1, 40b2, and 40b3 may be connected to the second wiring array. In <FIG> and <FIG>, it is exemplified that the total number of circuit boards is six, and the types of circuit boards are two. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the number and type of the circuit boards may vary depending on an embodiment.

In general, since the circuit board depends on the type of light irradiation unit to which it is mounted, it may be considered that the number and type of the circuit board is the same as the number and type of light irradiation units. Specifically, the first circuit boards 40a1, 40a2, and 40a3 may be equipped with a first light irradiation unit having a first function, and the second circuit boards 40b1, 40b2, and 40b3 may be equipped with a second light irradiation unit having a second function. Consequently, the first light irradiation unit may be connected to the first wiring array, and the second light irradiation unit may be connected to the second wiring array.

Various unique functions of a vehicle lighting may be encompassed for the vehicle lamp according to the present disclosure, including headlights, daytime running lights (DRL), position lights, or turn signals. In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the first function of the first light irradiation unit may be a headlight irradiation function, and the second function of the second light irradiation unit may include daytime running light (DRL) and turn signal function. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and any embodiments replacing or adding some or all of other functions such as position lights, brake lights, or fog lights will be also possible.

Referring to <FIG>, the circuit boards 40a1, 40a2, and 40a3 may each have five connectors ① to ⑤. Here, LOW_BIN and LOW_NTC may indicate wiring for obtaining BIN information and temperature information from the circuit boards 40a1, 40a2, and 40a3 on which a low beam light irradiation unit is mounted, respectively. LOW_BIN/NTC may indicate common wiring for negative poles of LOW_BIN and LOW_NTC.

In general, the BIN information refers to data indicating specifications of various circuit boards, and the temperature information refers to data obtained in the form of electrical signals from a negative temperature coefficient-thermic resistor (NTC). The BIN information or the temperature information may be obtained from each circuit board. However, since the same circuit boards are connected in series, it may be sufficient to obtain the information from one of the circuit boards. Therefore, in <FIG> and subsequent drawings, it is assumed that the information is obtained only from the first circuit boards 40a1 and 40b1.

As shown in <FIG>, among the connection pins 57a of the connection socket <NUM>, a pin p2, a pin p3 and a pin p4 may be respectively connected to three connectors ① to ③ of the first circuit board 40a1. Subsequently, a pin p5 may be connected to a connector <NUM>④ of the first circuit board 40a1 as a positive LOW_LED1(+) wiring of a first LED 41a1 to form a low beam. Thereafter, an electric current that passes through the light irradiation unit mounted on the circuit board 40a1 may flow into the connector <NUM>④ of the second circuit board 40a2 through a connector <NUM>⑤ and an internal wiring 111a. Here, cathode LOW_LED1(-) of the first LED 41a1 of the low beam may be connected to anode LOW_LED2(+) of a second LED 41a2 and the internal wiring 111a.

Subsequently, the electric current that passes through the second LED 41a2 may again flow to a wiring for cathode LOW_LED2(-) of the second LED 41a2 through the connector <NUM>⑤ of the second circuit board 40a2. Then, the electric current may return through the return wiring 95a of the plug <NUM> via a pin p8 of the connection socket 57a. At this time, the connection socket <NUM> and the plug <NUM> may be in a coupled state. Accordingly, each connection pin 57a of the connection socket <NUM> may be electrically connected to each plug pin 96a of the plug <NUM> corresponding thereto.

The electric current returning from the return wiring 95a may flow into the connector <NUM>④ of a third LED 41a3 through the wiring for anode LOW_LED3(+) of the third LED 41a3. Finally, the electric current that passes through the third LED 41a3 may flow to a wiring for cathode LOW_LED3(-) of the third LED 41a3 through the connector <NUM>⑤ and may finally pass through a pin p10 to flow out again. Through this process, the electric current may flow from the pin p5 to the pin p10 through the three LEDs 41a1, 41a2, and 41a3 connected in series.

In this entire process, one internal wiring 111a and one return wiring 95a may be used. A pair of wirings LOW_LED2(-) and LOW_LED3 (+) connected to the return wiring 95a may be arranged in the same layer (first layer) in the pin block <NUM>. As such, the present disclosure is not limited to connecting all pairs of wirings that require interconnects using the return wiring. Instead, some pairs of wirings that require interconnects may use the return wiring 95a, and other pairs of wiring that require interconnects may use the internal wiring 111a formed internally. In other words, hybrid wiring scheme may be used. Even if some of the internal wiring 111a is used as shown in <FIG>, interference with other wirings may be prevented from occurring. Therefore, an addition of a layer and an additional mold due to the internal wiring may be unnecessary.

<FIG> shows the pin map in the first layer of the pin block <NUM>, while <FIG> shows the pin map in the second layer (lower layer) of the pin block <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the circuit boards 40b1, 40b2, and 40b3 may each have six connectors ① to ⑥. Here, DPT_NTC may indicate wiring for obtaining temperature information from the circuit boards 40b1, 40b2, and 40b3 equipped with a light irradiation unit for functions other than a headlight such as daytime running light (DRL), position light, or turn signal. At this time, among the connection pins 57b of the connection socket <NUM>, a pin p11 and a pin p12 may be respectively connected to two connectors ① and (<NUM>) of the first circuit board 40b1.

Subsequently, an electric current for the DRL may flow to a pin p14, and finally to a pin p19 through the LEDs 41b1, 41b2, and 41b3 for three DRLs. Further, an electric current for a turn signal may flow into a pin p16, and finally to a pin p20 through three turn signal LEDs 41c1, 41c2, and 41c3.

In this process, two internal wirings 111b and 111c and two return wirings 95b and 95c may be used. The connection socket <NUM> and the plug <NUM> may be in a coupled state to allow an electric current to flow through the return wirings 95b and 95c. Therefore, each connection pin 57b of the connection socket <NUM> may be electrically connected to each plug pin 96b of the plug <NUM> corresponding thereto.

The paths through which the electric currents for the DRL and the turn signal flow are arranged in order, and shown in Table <NUM> below.

As such, a total of two return wirings 95b and 95c and a total of two internal wirings 111b and 111c may be used in the second layer of the pin block <NUM>. The reason that not all of the internal wirings 111b and 111c are implemented as the return wiring is due to the limitation of the number of pins (<NUM>) in the second layer. Therefore, the number of internal wirings may be further reduced by increasing the number of pins of the connection socket <NUM> or relocating some internal wiring to another layer. In the latter case, one of the two internal wirings in <FIG> may be relocated to the first layer and converted to the return wiring. Because only <NUM> of the <NUM> available pins in <FIG> are used, the additional return wiring may be accommodated.

As another exemplary embodiment, one internal wiring 111a remaining in <FIG> may be implemented as the return wiring. <FIG> is a view showing a pin map according to another exemplary embodiment modified from <FIG>. Referring to <FIG>, the internal wiring 111a of <FIG> may be implemented as a return wiring 95d using pins p6 and p7. Accordingly, all of the internal wiring 111a may be removed from the first layer of the pin block <NUM>.

In the exemplary embodiments described above, it is described that all pairs of wirings connected by the return wiring are formed in the same layer (first or second layer) of the pin block. This structure assumes that the same type of circuit board is arranged in the same layer of the pin block <NUM>. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Circuit boards of the same type may be arranged in different layers to ensure that there are no unused pins in the construction of the connection socket with a limited number of pins, or to simplify the wiring arrangement used within one layer and reduce the total wiring length. In this case, a pair of wiring connected by the return wiring may be arranged in different layers of the pin block. For example, one pin forming the return wiring may be arranged in the first layer and the other pin may be arranged in the second layer.

<FIG> and <FIG> are views showing an example in which circuit boards of the same type are arranged in different layers (or alternatively stated, an example in which circuit boards of different types are arranged in the same layer). In <FIG> and <FIG> described above, since the same type of circuit board is arranged for each layer, each drawing is also illustrated for each layer. In comparison, in <FIG> and <FIG>, even the same type of circuit board may be connected by different layers, and thus, drawings are not divided for each layer, and the connection relationship between each wiring and connection pin is displayed in detail.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a total of <NUM> connection pins except the NC may be used to configure a wiring scheme in the pin block <NUM>. Specifically, the circuit boards 40a1, 40a2, and 40a3 may each have five connectors ① to ⑤.

Here, LOW_BIN and LOW_NTC may indicate wiring for obtaining BIN information and temperature information from the circuit boards 40a1, 40a2, and 40a3 on which a low beam light irradiation unit is mounted, respectively. In addition, LOW_BIN/NTC may indicate common wiring for negative poles of LOW_BIN and LOW_NTC.

First, among connection pins 57c of the connection socket <NUM>, pins p11 to p13 may be connected to three connectors ①, ②, and ③ of the first circuit board 40a1, respectively, through LOW_BIN(+), LOW_BIN/NTC(-) and LOW_NTC(+) wirings. Subsequently, an electric current for forming a low beam may flow into the pin p14 and finally to the pin p10 through the three LEDs 41a1, 41a2, and 41a3.

Here, for example, the internal wiring 111a may be connected between the connector <NUM>⑤ of the LED1 41a1 and the connector <NUM>④ of the LED2 41a2, and a return wiring 95e may be connected between the connector <NUM> (<NUM>) of the LED2 41a2 and the connector <NUM>④ of the LED3 41a3. The connection socket <NUM> and the plug <NUM> may be in a coupled state to allow an electric current to flow through the return wiring 95e. Accordingly, each connection pin 57b of the connection socket <NUM> may be electrically connected to each plug pin 96b of the plug <NUM> corresponding thereto.

The paths through which the electric current flows through the plurality of low beam LEDs 41a1, 41a2, and 41a3 are arranged in order and represented in Table <NUM> below.

<FIG> shows the structure of a wiring of the remaining <NUM> connection pins in addition to the <NUM> connection pins shown in <FIG>. Referring to <FIG>, the circuit boards 40b1, 40b2, and 40b3 may each have six connectors ① to ⑥. Here, DPT_NTC may indicate wiring for obtaining temperature information from the circuit boards 40b1, 40b2, and 40b3 equipped with a light irradiation unit for functions other than a headlight such as daytime running light (DRL), position light, or turn signal. At this time, among connection pins 57d of the connection socket <NUM>, a pin p15 and a pin p16 may be respectively connected to two connectors ① and ② of the first circuit board 40b1.

Subsequently, an electric current for a DRL may flow to a pin p19 and finally to a pin p7 through the LEDs 41b1, 41b2, and 41b3 for three daylights. Further, an electric current for a turn signal may flow into a pin p20 and finally to a pin p8 through three turn signal LEDs 41c1, 41c2, and 41c3.

In this process, one internal wiring 111c and three return wirings 95f, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be used. The connection socket <NUM> and the plug <NUM> may be in a coupled state to allow an electric current to flow through the return wirings 95f, <NUM>, and <NUM>. Accordingly, each connection pin 57d of the connection socket <NUM> may be electrically connected to each plug pin 96d of the plug <NUM> corresponding thereto.

The paths through which the currents for the DRL and the turn signal flow are arranged in order, and shown in Table <NUM> below.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG> described above, four socket pins p11 to p14 connected to the circuit board 40a1 for the low beam and a circuit board 40b1 for the DRL/turn signal may be connected to a total of ten socket pins p11 to p20 included in the second layer L2. Therefore, it may be seen that the adjacent circuit boards 40a1 and 40b1 of different types may be connected to the same layer L2. By this configuration, the wiring arrangement in the corresponding layer L2 may be simplified and the total wiring length in the layer L2 may also be reduced. Accordingly, the size and/or complexity of a mold may be decreased when manufacturing a mold for forming the layer L2.

When <FIG> and <FIG> described above are implemented, a total of two internal wirings 111a and 111c and a total of four return wirings 95e, 95f, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be used. Among these, unlike the return wiring, the internal wiring may require a separate additional layer when manufacturing a mold. However, compared to a conventional case where only the internal wiring was used without a return wiring, the number of the additional layers may be minimized because the number of internal wirings may be decreased, for example from <NUM> to <NUM>. This description is based on a <NUM>-pin connector, and thus, all of the internal wiring may be removed if designed with a <NUM>-pin connector structure.

<FIG> is a view showing a position of the socket pin <NUM> to which the return wiring is applied in the exemplary embodiment as shown in <FIG> and <FIG> on the connection socket <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, compared to the exemplary embodiment shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the return wiring may traverse across different layers, without being limited within a single layer L1 or L2. Therefore, in this case, a pair of wirings in the pin block <NUM> connected by the return wiring will also be arranged between different layers.

As such, <FIG> exemplifies a structure where two return wirings 95f and 95e are formed in the same layer L1, and the remaining return wirings <NUM> and <NUM> are formed across different layers L1 and L2. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The return wiring may be formed in the same layer as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, and the return wiring may be formed only across different layers.

According to a structure of the pin block <NUM> that implements all or part of the internal wiring <NUM> as the return wiring <NUM> in one pin block <NUM>, the cost and production time may be reduced by the optimized design of the pin block while using the same circuit board. Further, since the connection by the return wiring <NUM> may be made by merely inserting the plug <NUM> into the connection socket <NUM>, it is also advantageous in the assembly process of the vehicle lamp.

In the above exemplary embodiments, it was exemplified that the board included in the light irradiation unit is mounted on the first surface of the base member, the pin block is mounted on the second surface of the base member, and connection terminals extended from the pin block are inserted into the connectors arranged in the board. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above exemplary embodiments. In lieu of the connectors, the board may include apertures electrically connected to wires which extend from the light source. As illustrated in <FIG>, after the pin block is mounted on the base member, the connection terminals may be inserted into the apertures concurrently when the board is mounted on the first surface of the base member. Thereafter, the connection terminals and the corresponding apertures may are fixedly connected, for example by means of soldering during an interconnection process such as a robot-soldering.

Hereinafter, yet another exemplary embodiment will be described using an additional interconnection process instead of connectors arranged on the board. <FIG> is a perspective view showing a vehicle lamp <NUM> according to the yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. In <FIG>, for illustration purposes, the light irradiation units 60a, 60b are omitted except for the boards 340a, 340b.

Referring to <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, the vehicle lamp <NUM> may include a base member <NUM>, at least one light irradiation unit (not illustrated in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>) mounted on a mounting surface of the base member <NUM>, and a pin block <NUM> installed on an adjacent side surface while forming a predetermined angle with the mounting surface.

In the vehicle lamp <NUM>, the light irradiation units may be mounted on the mounting surface (e.g., first surface) of the base member <NUM>, and the pin block <NUM> may be installed on a side surface (e.g., second surface) adjacent to the first surface. In particular, boards 340a and 340b included in the light irradiation units may each include a light source and may be fixed to the mounting surface by a coupling means such as bolts. Accordingly, the boards 340a and 340b and the pin block <NUM> may be arranged at the same angle (e.g., <NUM>°) as an angle formed by the mounting surface and the side surface of the base member <NUM>.

Further, in <FIG>, a single base member <NUM> and a single pin block <NUM> are shown. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiment shown in <FIG>, and a plurality of base members 370a and 370b and a plurality of pin blocks 350a and 350b may be included to accommodate a required number of light irradiation units for a vehicle lamp <NUM>, as illustrated in <FIG>. For the sake of brevity, some exemplary embodiments will be described according to an example illustrated in <FIG>.

<FIG> is a view showing a process of assembling the vehicle lamp <NUM> of <FIG> according to the yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. First, the base member <NUM> may be prepared, in which the base member <NUM> includes the mounting surface (e.g., first surface) <NUM> and the side surface <NUM> adjacent to the mounting surface <NUM> while forming a predetermined angle (e.g., <NUM>°) with the mounting surface <NUM>. A fastening groove may be formed on the mounting surface <NUM> and the side surface <NUM> to enable fastening by a fastening means such as a bolt or screw.

Subsequently, the pin block <NUM>, which accommodates the connection terminal <NUM> with at least a part of the connection terminal <NUM> being extended outwardly, may be mounted on the side surface <NUM>. The connection terminal <NUM> may protrude from the pin block <NUM> in a predetermined direction. The predetermined direction, for example, may be an upward direction as shown in <FIG>.

Next, the board 340a and 340b having an aperture <NUM> that is electrically connected to the light source may be mounted on the mounting surface <NUM>. Since a rear surface of the board 340a and 340b is in close contact with the base member <NUM>, heat generated from the light source may be transferred to the base member <NUM> and radiated to the outside.

According to the present disclosure, the connection terminals <NUM> may be inserted into the corresponding apertures <NUM> concurrently when the board <NUM> is mounted on the first surface <NUM> of the base member <NUM>. After this insertion process, the connection terminals and the corresponding apertures may be fixedly connected. Further, the connection terminals and the corresponding apertures may be fixedly connected to allow electrical connection is established between the connection terminals and the light source through the apertures. Accordingly, the connection terminals and the corresponding apertures may be connected by means of soldering performed during an interconnection process via a robot-soldering or the like. The soldering may refer to a type of interconnection process where two same or different materials are interconnected at an elevated temperature by an intervening metal having a relatively low melting point. Through this process, both mechanical and electrical connection between the two different materials may be established and/or enhanced, and other advantages such as prevention of contamination by foreign substance, prevention of rust, and the like may be provided as well. For example, a robot-soldering may be applied among various interconnection processes. The robot-soldering may decrease defects during a process of interconnecting parts on a board and may enable a more consistent process without human intervention.

Lastly, optic members (e.g., a lens, a reflector, a bracket and a housing, etc.) other than the board <NUM> among the parts of the light irradiation units may be assembled on the board <NUM> that is mounted on the base member <NUM>.

<FIG> are enlarged perspective views showing a combined form of apertures <NUM> (331a to <NUM>) and connection terminals <NUM> (355a to <NUM>) according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Here, the number of the connection terminals <NUM> and the corresponding apertures <NUM> may be varied based on types of light irradiation units mounted on boards 340a and 340b. For example, as illustrated in <FIG>, where the pin block <NUM> has two connection terminals 355a and 355b, the board 340a may include two or more apertures 331a and 331b. On the other hand, as illustrated in <FIG>, where the pin block <NUM> has five connection terminals 355c and <NUM>, the board 340b may include five or more apertures 331c and <NUM>.

As such, the connection terminals 355a to <NUM> may extend and protrude from the pin block <NUM> and may be insert into the apertures 331a to <NUM> while forming a predetermined angle (approximately <NUM>°) with a direction in which the boards 340a and 340b. Thereafter, the connection terminals 355a to <NUM> and the corresponding apertures 331a to <NUM> may be fixedly connected by means of an interconnection process such as a robot-soldering.

Hereinabove, a first exemplary embodiment was described referring to <FIG>, in which connectors <NUM> and <NUM> are coupled with connection terminals <NUM> of the pin block <NUM>, and a second exemplary embodiment was described referring to <FIG>, in which connection terminals <NUM> of the pin block <NUM> are inserted into apertures <NUM> and then soldering processes are applied between the apertures <NUM> and the connection terminals <NUM>. Throughout the present disclosure including the above exemplary embodiments, components formed on the boards <NUM> and <NUM> to allow the boards <NUM> and <NUM> to be coupled with the connection terminals <NUM> and <NUM> may be referred to as "coupling members. " In view thereof, the coupling members according to the first exemplary embodiment may be construed to include the connectors <NUM> and <NUM>, and the coupling members according to the second exemplary embodiment may be construed to include apertures <NUM> of the board <NUM> and solders formed around the apertures <NUM> by a soldering process.

Claim 1:
A vehicle lamp comprising:
light irradiation units (60a, 60b) each including a light source and a board (40a, 40b, 340a, 340b) having the light source installed thereon;
a base member (<NUM>, <NUM>) including a first side for mounting the light irradiation units (60a, 60b) thereon and a second side neighboring the first side; and
a pin block (<NUM>, <NUM>) mounted on the second side of the base member (<NUM>, <NUM>),
wherein the pin block (<NUM>, <NUM>) includes:
connection terminals (<NUM>, <NUM>) arranged on the second side of the base member (<NUM>, <NUM>), extending and protruding in a direction normal to the first side, wherein the connection terminals (<NUM>, <NUM>) correspond respectively to the light irradiation units (60a, 60b);
a body (<NUM>) accommodating electric connection means that extends from the connection terminals (<NUM>, <NUM>); and
a connection socket (<NUM>) formed on one side of the body (<NUM>) and electrically connected to the electric connection means,
wherein each board (40a, 40b, 340a, 340b) has a coupling member (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) arranged thereon, being electrically connected with the respective light source,
wherein the each connection terminal (<NUM>, <NUM>) is configured for being electrically connected with the corresponding coupling member (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) by being inserted into said coupling member (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) when the respective board (40a, 40b, 340a, 340b) is mounted on the first side of the base member (<NUM>, <NUM>),
wherein the electric connection means includes a plurality of wirings (<NUM>), wherein one end of the plurality of wirings (<NUM>) is electrically connected to the light irradiation units (60a, 60b) and the other end is electrically connected to the connection socket (<NUM>), and
wherein the vehicle lamp further comprises a plug (<NUM>) configured to detachably couple with the connection socket (<NUM>), the plug (<NUM>) including
a cable that is adapted to electrically connect the connection socket (<NUM>) to an external device; and
a return wiring (<NUM>) electrically connecting, among the plurality of wirings (<NUM>), at least one pair of wirings to each other.