Back cover and method of assembling back cover
AssigneeKoito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
InventorsSatoru Yashiki, Masato Watanabe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A back cover (16) is attached to a cover mounting portion (5) of a lamp body (2) defining a lamp chamber (4) of a vehicle lamp (1). The back cover (16) is provided with a cover main body (19) to which a connection terminal (20) is partially embedded and a metallic case member (18) to which a circuit board (29, 30) is mounted. A seal groove (27) is formed on one of the cover main body (19) the case member (18). An elongated seal projection (18b) formed on the other of the cover main body (19) the case member (18). The elongated seal projection (18b) is fitted in the seal groove (27) and bonded to the seal groove (27), so that the elongated seal projection (18b) is fixed to the seal groove (27).
Claims8
A back cover to be attached to a cover mounting portion of a vehicle lamp in which a light source is disposed in a lamp chamber defined by a lamp body on which said cover mounting portion having a mounting opening is provided at a rear end portion of the lamp body and a front cover which covers a front of the lamp body, the back cover comprising:
- a cover main body formed from a resin material and including a first fitting portion provided on a front end side of the cover main body and adapted to fit in the cover mounting portion and a second fitting portion provided on a rear end side of the cover main body;
- a connection terminal formed of a metallic material and partially embedded in the cover main body so as to be integrally formed with the cover main body;
- a metallic case member fitted in the second fitting portion and including a mounting recess portion made to open forwards;
- a circuit board disposed within the mounting recess portion and connected with the connection terminal;
- an electronic component disposed within the mounting recess portion and connected with the circuit board;
- a power supply terminal portion provided on a part of the connection terminal and adopted to be connected with a light source side connector for supplying electric power to the light source;
- a connector terminal portion provided on another part of the connection terminal and adapted to be connected with a power supply side connector for receiving electric power from a power supply side;
- a connector frame portion provided on the cover main body and adopted to cover the connector terminal portion from a circumference of the connector terminal portion;
- a seal groove formed on one of the second fitting portion and the case member to open forwards or rearwards and extending in a circumferential direction;
- and
- an elongated seal projection formed on the other of the second fitting portion and the case member to project rearwards or forwards and extending in the circumferential direction, wherein the elongated seal projection is fixed to the seal groove in a condition where the elongated seal projection is fitted in the seal groove and bonded to the seal groove.
A method of assembling a back cover to be attached to a cover mounting portion of a vehicle lamp in which a light source is disposed in a lamp chamber defined by a lamp body on which said cover mounting portion having a mounting opening is provided at a rear end portion of the lamp body and a front cover which covers a front of the lamp body, the method comprising:
- providing a seal groove on one of a cover main body and a metallic case member to open forwards or rearwards, wherein said cover main body is integrally molded with a connection terminal made of a metallic material in such a state that the connection terminal is mostly embedded in the cover main body, and wherein a circuit board is mounted on said case member;
- providing an elongated seal projection on the other of said cover main body and said case member to project rearwards or forwards;
- butting and fitting the seal groove and the elongated seal projection in a front-rear direction;
- bonding the seal groove and the elongated seal projection so that the case member is fixed to the cover main body;
- and
- connecting the connection terminal with the circuit board by a metallic connection member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.