Support part of vehicle lamp

Abstract

Provided is a holder member in which a bearing section for axially supporting a shaft is provided on a side wall surface, the side wall surface being a double-layer wall comprising an inner wall and an outer wall, and in which a through-hole penetrating through the inner wall and the outer wall is formed. The inner wall is provided with a recessed part which is recessed towards the outer wall from the end surface of the inner wall to the through hole, a tongue part which protrudes towards the through hole from the end part, facing the through hole, of the recessed part, and a shaft embedding part which is recessed in an arc shape is formed at the front end of the tongue part. The shaft body can be inserted into the through hole only by inserting the shaft body from the recessed portion, the tongue portion functions as a retaining member, and the shaft body can be fitted to the bearing portion by a one-touch operation method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to bracket components for vehicle lighting fixtures. Background Technology

[0002] In vehicle lighting fixtures, a bearing portion that supports a shaft is sometimes provided in a bracket member that supports at least a portion of the lighting fixture (lamp unit) disposed in the lamp housing (e.g., Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a shaft portion integral with a part of the lighting fixture (reflector) is rotatably embedded in the bearing portion provided in the bracket member, and the reflector is supported so that it can rotate about a horizontal axis.

[0003] In recent years, lightweighting has been a demand in vehicle lighting from a carbon-neutral perspective, and this also applies to brackets that hold the lamp units, requiring lightweighting while maintaining rigidity. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a bracket component that uses a bridge-type support to connect the locking portion supporting the light source and reflector to the bearing portion of the calibration screw. This bridge-type support structure makes the bracket component lightweight. The reflector has a protrusion on its back side that inserts into a hole provided in the locking portion, thereby securing it to the locking portion.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-134980

[0007] Patent Document 2: (Japan) Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-165130 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] However, in Patent Document 1, the bearing portion is only formed as a horizontally arranged engaging hole on the inner side of the side of the support member. To allow the shaft portion to engage with the bearing portion, the support member or shaft portion needs to be elastically deformed, or the shaft portion needs to be forcibly engaged with the shaft hole using a gap. Thus, in cases where the shaft portion has high rigidity and is difficult to elastically deform, such as when it is a metal component instead of a resin component, or when the shaft diameter is large, successful engagement is not possible. To eliminate this problem, if other components are used to engage the shaft portion with the bearing, the engagement operation becomes laborious.

[0010] The present invention was made in view of the following problem, and provides a bracket component having a bearing portion that can be easily fitted into a shaft.

[0011] In addition, in the bracket component of Patent Document 2, the locking part, the bearing part, and the bridge support are located on the same plane. As a whole, the bracket component is planar, so even though it is lightweight, it has the problem of low rigidity when supporting the lamp unit.

[0012] The present invention was made in view of the following problem, and its object is to provide a lightweight and highly rigid bracket component that supports at least a portion of a lamp unit.

[0013] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0014] To solve the above problems, in one aspect of this disclosure, the support component is provided with a bearing portion on the side wall surface for shaft support, wherein the side wall surface is a double-layer wall composed of an inner wall and an outer wall, and a through hole is formed through the inner wall and the outer wall. A recess is formed in the inner wall, extending from the end face of the inner wall to the through hole and toward the outer wall. A tongue is formed, protruding from the end of the recess facing the through hole toward the through hole. The front end of the tongue is formed with an arc-shaped recessed shaft fitting portion.

[0015] In another aspect of this disclosure, a bracket member that houses and secures at least a portion of a lamp unit that emits light forward has a circumferentially shaped peripheral wall with front and rear openings extending in the front-rear direction and dividing the lamp unit into a housing portion on its inner side. At least a portion of the peripheral wall is formed as a double-layered wall with an inner wall that is sandwiched by the double-layered wall and extends circumferentially along the peripheral wall and is located at the middle portion away from both the front and rear openings.

[0016] (Function) At least a portion of the support having openings at the front and back and extending in the front and back and having a circumferential shape of peripheral sidewalls is formed as a double wall, and has an inner wall sandwiched by the double wall along the circumferential direction, thereby being lighter than making the peripheral sidewalls as a whole a thick wall, and having stronger rigidity relative to the bending stress generated about the axis extending in the front and back direction due to the inner wall extending in the circumferential direction.

[0017] Invention Effects

[0018] As can be seen from the above description, a bracket component can be provided, which is provided with a bearing portion that can easily fit the shaft.

[0019] Furthermore, according to the bracket component of the vehicle lamp, the bracket component is lightweight by means of a double wall provided in at least a portion of the peripheral side wall and an inner wall between the double walls, and it is able to maintain strong rigidity relative to the bending stress generated around the axis extending in the front-rear direction. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic front view of a vehicle lamp, including the bracket component of the preferred embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2A This indicates the state of the shaft before it is fitted into the bracket component.

[0022] Figure 2B This indicates the state after the shaft is fitted into the bracket component.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a 3D view of the support components.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a front view of the bracket component.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a view of the back of the bracket component.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a side view of the support component.

[0027] Figure 7A It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of line AA.

[0028] Figure 7B It is along Figure 4 End face view of the BB line.

[0029] Figure 8A It refers to the bearing section of the support component. Figure 3 Section D. This is a side view of the bearing section.

[0030] Figure 8B It refers to the bearing section of the support component. Figure 3 Part D. This shows a three-dimensional view of the bearing section as seen from the inner circumferential wall side.

[0031] Figure 8C It refers to the bearing section of the support component. Figure 3 Part D. This represents a three-dimensional view of the bearing section as seen from the outer peripheral wall side.

[0032] Figure 9A This indicates the fitting process of the shaft.

[0033] Figure 9B This indicates the fitting process of the shaft.

[0034] Figure 9C This indicates the fitting process of the shaft.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic front view of a vehicle lamp with a bracket component having an embodiment.

[0036] Figure 11 This is a three-dimensional view of the support components viewed from the upper left diagonal front.

[0037] Figure 12 This is a front view of the bracket component.

[0038] Figure 13This is a view of the back of the bracket component.

[0039] Figure 14 This is a left side view of the bracket component.

[0040] Figure 15A It is cut at the position of symbol AA Figure 12 End face view of the bracket component.

[0041] Figure 15B It is cut at the position of symbol BB. Figure 12 End face view of the bracket component. Detailed Implementation

[0042] (First Implementation)

[0043] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are not limited to the invention but are examples, and all features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments may not be the essential content of the invention.

[0044] (Vehicle lights)

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic front view of a vehicle lamp 1, including the bracket component 4 of a preferred embodiment of the structure disclosed herein. The vehicle lamp 1 is a headlight, mounted on the left and right sides of the front of a vehicle. The vehicle lamp 1 includes a lamp body 2 and a front cover 3 as the lamp housing. The lamp body 2 is a frame with a front opening, and a lamp chamber S is formed inside the opening by mounting the front cover 3. The front cover 3 is a so-called outer cover, for example, a generally transparent lens made of a light-transmitting resin such as polycarbonate. However, it is not limited to this; optical steps may also be formed on the front cover 3 to diffuse and disperse light emitted from the light source when each lamp is lit.

[0046] The lamp unit LU, supported by the shaft 90 on the bracket component 4, is housed within the designated lamp chamber S. The lamp unit LU is an optical unit configured to provide a prescribed light distribution, such as high beam / low beam, for projecting light forward. Light emitted from the lamp unit LU illuminates the front cover 3 positioned at the front, forming a prescribed light distribution in front of the vehicle. The lamp unit LU utilizes conventionally known structures, such as reflector-type or projector-type lamp units, and its type is not limited.

[0047] (Fitting of the shaft)

[0048] The lamp unit LU is integrated with the horizontally arranged shaft 90 and is supported on the bracket component 4 by means of the shaft 90, which can rotate around the horizontal axis. Figure 2A , Figure 2B This indicates the engagement state of the bracket component 4 and the shaft 90. Figure 2A This indicates the state before the shaft 90 is fitted into the bracket component 4. Figure 2BThis indicates the state after the shaft 90 is fitted into the bracket component 4.

[0049] like Figure 2A , Figure 2B As shown, the shaft 90 is inserted into a horizontal through hole (not shown) provided in the lamp unit LU, and is integrated with the lamp unit LU. The ends of the shaft 90 protrude from the left and right sides of the lamp unit LU. In this embodiment, the shaft 90 and the lamp unit LU are separately constructed and combined into one unit, but it is not limited to this. As part of the lamp unit LU, it is also possible to provide a pair of shaft portions protruding in the left and right directions on the sides of the lamp unit LU.

[0050] The bracket component 4 is composed of a peripheral sidewall with a surrounding shape. Bearing portions 80 are provided on a pair of opposing wall surfaces of the peripheral sidewall. In this embodiment, bearing portions 80 are provided on the left and right sidewall surfaces. A shaft 90, integrated with the lamp unit LU, is horizontally inserted into and engaged with the bearing portion 80 from the front of the bracket component 4, and is supported by the bearing portion 80 to rotate freely about a horizontal axis. Thus, the bearing portion 80 of the bracket component 4 is configured to engage the shaft 90 via a single-touch operation.

[0051] (Support components)

[0052] First, use Figures 3-6 The shape of the support component 4 is described in detail. Figure 3 This is a 3D view of bracket component 4. Figure 4 This is a front view of bracket component 4. Figure 5 This is a view of the back of bracket component 4. Figure 6 This is a side view of bracket component 4. Figure 7A , Figure 7B This is an end view of bracket component 4. Figure 7A It is along Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of line AA. Figure 7B It is along Figure 4 End face view of the BB line.

[0053] The support component 4 is composed of a peripheral sidewall 6 having a surrounding shape. The surrounding sidewall 6 is formed by a top wall 7, a bottom wall 8, a left side wall 9, and a right side wall 10. In addition, the peripheral sidewall 6 extends front to back and has a front opening 17 and a rear opening 18.

[0054] At least a portion of the peripheral wall 6 is formed as a double-layered wall 21 consisting of an outer peripheral wall 19 and an inner peripheral wall 20. Specifically, as Figures 3-6As shown, in this embodiment, apart from the thick wall 12 of the top wall 7, the top wall 7, bottom wall 8, left side wall 9, and right side wall 10 are all formed as a double-layered wall 21 consisting of an outer peripheral wall 19 and an inner peripheral wall 20. The peripheral wall 6 is formed by extending in the front-rear direction, and the inner space of the portion that forms the double-layered wall is also formed by extending in the front-rear direction.

[0055] The double-walled structure 21 has an inner wall 13 on its inner side. The inner wall 13 is sandwiched between the outer peripheral wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 20 at a position (middle part) away from both the front opening 17 and the rear opening 18.

[0056] The thickness of the inner wall 13 is the same and uniform as that of the outer peripheral wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 20, and the thickness direction is the front-to-back direction. It is integrated with the outer peripheral wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 20 at both end faces. The inner wall 13 is configured to divide the space between the outer peripheral wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 20 in the front-to-back direction. Therefore, when viewing the support component 4 from the front or back, the flat surface of the inner wall 13 can be seen between the outer peripheral wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 20 (see reference). Figure 4 and Figure 5 ).

[0057] In the support component 4 of this embodiment, the inner wall 13 is formed circumferentially over the entire circumferential region of the double-layer wall 21, excluding the area from the left end 12a to the right end 12b of the thick wall 12 that forms part of the top surface wall 7.

[0058] The support member 4, which has front and rear openings and a circumferential sidewall 6 extending in the front-rear direction, is formed as a double wall except for the thick wall 12. It also has an inner wall 13 sandwiched by the double wall 21 in the circumferential direction. Thus, the support member 4 is lighter than if the entire circumferential sidewall were a single thick wall, and has greater rigidity relative to the bending stress generated about the axis extending in the front-rear direction due to the inner wall 13 extending in the circumferential direction.

[0059] Furthermore, the support member 4 of this embodiment has multiple branch walls 14 on its inner side, which are sandwiched between an outer peripheral wall 19 and an inner peripheral wall 20 constituting a double-layered wall 21. The thickness of the branch walls 14 is the same and uniform as that of the outer peripheral wall 19, the inner peripheral wall 20, and the inner wall 13, and the thickness direction is circumferential. The outer peripheral wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 20 are connected at both end faces and integrated. Multiple branch walls 14 are provided circumferentially throughout the entire circumference in such a way that they divide the space between the outer peripheral wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 20. Therefore, when viewing the support member 4 from the front or the back, the end face of the branch wall 14 can be seen between the outer peripheral wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 20 (see reference). Figure 3 and Figure 4 ).

[0060] Several branch walls 14 extend from the front end face of the support member 4 in a front-rear direction to the rear end face in a manner that penetrates the inner wall 13, and are integrated with the inner wall 13. Not limited thereto, the branch walls 14 may also extend from the inner wall 13 to either the front end face or the rear end face of the peripheral side wall 6.

[0061] Through the branch wall 14, the support component 4 has greater rigidity relative to the bending stress generated about the axis extending circumferentially along the peripheral sidewall 6.

[0062] It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the support component 4, except that it is not a thick wall 12 of the double-layer wall, has an inner wall 13 in the entire circumferential area of ​​the double-layer wall 21. However, it is not limited to this; the inner wall 13 may also be formed only in a portion of the inner side of the double-layer wall. That is, the space inside the double-layer wall 21 is divided into several circumferentially by the branch walls 14 arranged along the circumference, and the inner wall 13 is provided in a manner that closes the divided space. However, a portion of the space divided along the circumference may not have an inner wall 13 and may be formed as a space that runs through the front and back.

[0063] like Figure 7A As shown, if the inner wall 13 is provided in such a way as to connect the opening in the peripheral side wall 6, such as the through hole of the bearing part 80 described later, for the purpose of component installation, it is preferable to suppress the reduction in rigidity of the support member 4 caused by the opening in the peripheral side wall 6.

[0064] The support component 4, which extends in the front-to-back direction, can be manufactured by injection molding using a mold by setting the extension direction of the peripheral sidewall 6, i.e., the front-to-back direction, as the mold separation direction. The inner wall 13 is set to correspond to the parting line of the movable side mold and the fixed side mold, with the front formed by the forming surface of one mold and the back formed by the forming surface of another mold. In this way, the support component 4 is suitable for injection molding.

[0065] (Bearing section)

[0066] Bearing portions 80 are provided on the left side wall 9 and right side wall 10 of the support component 4. The bearing portions 80 are formed as a pair on the opposite left and right side walls 9 and 10. The pair of bearing portions 80 are formed symmetrically from left to right. Figures 8A to 8C The bearing section 80 located on the left side wall 9 will be described in detail.

[0067] Figures 8A to 8C It is the bearing section 80 located on the left side wall 9. Figure 4 (Part D). Figure 8A This is a side view of part D. Figure 8B This is a three-dimensional view taken from the inner peripheral wall side of part D. Figure 8B This mainly describes the structure of the inner peripheral wall 20 side of the bearing section 80. Figure 8C This is a three-dimensional view taken from the outer peripheral wall side of part D. Figure 8C This mainly describes the structure of the outer peripheral wall 19 side of the bearing section 80. Also refer to... Figure 7B Cross-sectional view of bearing section 80 and Figure 4 The front view of bracket component 4, part D.

[0068] As described above, the left side wall 9 is the side wall of the support component 4. The left side wall 9 is a double-layered wall, thus having an inner peripheral wall 20 as the inner wall and an outer peripheral wall 19 as the outer wall. Figures 8A to 8C As shown, a through hole 83 is formed on the left side wall 9, penetrating the inner peripheral wall 20 and the outer peripheral wall 19. The through hole 83 is generally rectangular, with one side of the rear end of the rectangle having a semi-circular bulge shape.

[0069] On the inner peripheral wall 20 of the bearing portion 80, a recess 81 is formed in the region from the front end face of the inner peripheral wall 20 to the through hole 83, recessed toward the outer peripheral wall 19. The amount of recess 81 (the distance from the inner peripheral wall 20 toward the outer peripheral wall, i.e., the width W, refers to...) Figure 4 The thickness of the left side wall 9 is approximately half that of the left side wall 9, which is approximately half the distance from the inner peripheral wall 20 to the outer peripheral wall 19.

[0070] The recess 81 is formed by bending the inner peripheral wall 20 toward the outer peripheral wall 19. Therefore, the upper surface 81a constituting the recess 81, the side surface 81b serving as the bottom surface of the recess 81, and the lower surface 81c all constitute part of the inner peripheral wall 20. The height H of the recess 81 (refer to...) Figure 4 The upper surface 81a and the lower surface 81c of the recess 81 are equal in height to the through hole 83. They extend from the front end of the inner peripheral wall 20 to the rear to form the recess 81, and then extend directly to the rear to form part of the wall surface that divides the through hole 83, and are connected to the curved surface 84 that divides the semicircular part of the through hole 83.

[0071] A tongue 85 protruding toward the through hole 83 is provided at the end (rear end) of the recess 81 facing the through hole 83. The front end of the tongue 85 has a shaft fitting portion 85a that is arc-shaped and recessed forward.

[0072] In detail, the rear end of the recess 81 facing the through hole 83 is the rear end face of the side surface 81b, and a tongue 85 is provided protruding from the rear end face of the side surface 81b. For example... Figure 7B As shown, the thickness of the tongue 85 is the same at the base end as the thickness of the side 81b, and gradually increases towards the right side (inner side) with the inner peripheral wall 20 as it moves toward the front end, with the thickness being the greatest at the front end.

[0073] like Figure 8AAs shown, the shaft 90 is held in the region behind the through hole 83 by a shaft fitting portion 85a, which is arc-shaped when viewed from the side and serves as the wall of the through hole 83, and the front end of the tongue 85, and is kept so that it can rotate about a horizontal axis.

[0074] As described above, the peripheral wall 6 is a double-layered wall consisting of an inner peripheral wall 20 and an outer peripheral wall 19. An inner wall 13 and a branch wall 14 are provided in the internal space of the double-layered wall. In the left side wall 9, the inner wall 13 is configured as a generally vertical surface extending in the vertical direction, and the branch wall 14 is configured as a horizontal surface.

[0075] like Figure 8B , Figure 8C as well as Figure 4 As shown, on the inner side of the left side wall 9, which is a double-layered wall, between the recess 81 of the inner peripheral wall 20 and the outer peripheral wall 19, a first auxiliary wall 14a is provided as a horizontal surface, which is integrated with the inner peripheral wall 20 and the outer peripheral wall 19.

[0076] The first auxiliary wall 14a is one of the branch walls 14. Like the other branch walls 14, it connects the inner peripheral wall 20 to the outer peripheral wall 19, thereby improving the rigidity of the left side wall 9.

[0077] like Figure 7A As shown, the inner wall 13 located inside the left side wall 9 is connected to the boundary point of the wall surface that divides the through hole 83, namely the upper surface 81a, the lower surface 81c, and the curved surface 84. The through hole 83 reduces the rigidity of the left side wall 9; therefore, to suppress the reduction in rigidity, the inner wall 13 is integrated with the wall surface of the through hole 83. Furthermore, a second auxiliary wall 14b is provided as a horizontal surface connected to the curved surface 84 of the through hole 83 and held between the inner peripheral wall 20 and the outer peripheral wall 19. The second auxiliary wall 14b is a branch wall 14 connected to the wall surface of the through hole 83.

[0078] In addition to having a through hole 83, the bearing portion 80 also has a shaft 90 inserted through the through hole 83, thus making it a part that bears a particular load in the bracket component 4. As in this embodiment, if the first auxiliary wall 14a, the second auxiliary wall 14b, the inner wall 13, etc. are provided in the bearing portion 80, the rigidity of the bearing portion 80 can be improved, which is preferable.

[0079] The tongue 85 is configured to be particularly thick at the front end. By making the shaft fitting portion 85a that abuts against the shaft body 90 a thick wall, the contact area with the shaft body 90 can be increased, and the shaft body 90 can be supported more stably.

[0080] like Figure 7A as well as Figures 8A to 8CAs shown, above and below the through hole 83, auxiliary through holes 88 and 88 are provided as different through holes from the through hole 83. As described above, the support component 4 is formed by injection molding using a mold, such that the mold separation direction (the demolding direction of the formed support component 4) is aligned with the front-back direction of the peripheral sidewall 6.

[0081] The through hole 83 and the tongue 85 are formed by a core provided in the molding die. The sliding direction of the core is the extension direction of the through hole 83, i.e., the left-right direction. By providing an auxiliary through hole 88, a third auxiliary wall 89 is provided as a vertical plane dividing the auxiliary through hole 88. The third auxiliary wall 89 is the same as the inner wall 13, formed by being sandwiched between the outer peripheral wall 19 and the inner peripheral wall 20, and then connected to the upper surface 81a and the lower surface 81c to form an integral part, thereby improving the rigidity of the bearing part 80.

[0082] By providing the auxiliary through hole 88, the bracket component 4 can be further reduced in weight, and its ventilation can be improved. This allows for efficient heat dissipation from the lamp unit LU located inside the bracket component 4.

[0083] (Fitting of the shaft)

[0084] use Figures 9A to 9C The fitting of the shaft 90 to the bearing portion 80 will be explained. Figures 9A to 9C This indicates the process of the shaft 90 and the bearing part 80 fitting together. Figures 9A to 9C Is with Figure 4 The end face view corresponding to the BB line. Also refer to... Figure 2A , Figure 2B .

[0085] The shaft 90 is a rod-shaped body with a circular cross-section, consisting of a shaft body 92 and a tapered portion 91 located at the end of the shaft body 92. Firstly, as... Figure 9A As shown, the recess 81 of the bearing portion 80 extends from the front end face of the inner peripheral wall 20 to the through hole 83. The shaft body 90 aligns the reduced diameter portion 91 with the recess 81 and inserts it horizontally from the front of the recess 81. Figure 9A (The white arrow marking in the image). Next, as... Figure 9B As shown, when the shaft 90 is guided to the recess 81 and pressed rearward, the reduced diameter portion 91 abuts against the tongue 85 bulging inward. Through the further pressing of the shaft 90, the tongue 85 elastically deforms outward (towards the outer peripheral wall 19). Figure 9B (The black arrow mark in the image).

[0086] like Figure 9C As shown, when the shaft 90 is pressed further back to reach the through hole 83, the reduced diameter portion 91 engages with the through hole 83, the elastic deformation of the tongue 85 is released, and the shaft 90 is supported in the through hole 83 in a rotatable manner.

[0087] The reduced diameter portion 91 is inserted into the through hole 83. The stepped portion of the reduced diameter portion 91 engages with the peripheral edge of the opening of the inner peripheral wall 20 (the peripheral end of the through hole 83), thus stably supporting the shaft 90. Through the elastic deformation of the tongue 85, the shaft 90 engages with the through hole 83. Therefore, the load applied to the tongue 85 disappears when the elastic deformation is released and it returns to its original state. The tongue 85 acts as an anti-disengagement component for the shaft 90. When viewed from the side, the shaft 90 is held between the arc-shaped curved surface 84 and the shaft engagement portion 85a, and is supported in the through hole 83 in a manner that allows it to rotate about a horizontal axis. In this way, the shaft 90 engages with the bearing portion 80 through a one-touch operation.

[0088] Because the wall surface where the bearing portion 80 is located is a double-layered wall surface, the surface area in contact with the shaft 90 can be increased compared to a single-layered wall surface. This ensures a sufficiently secure area for supporting the shaft 90, and also provides high rigidity, enabling stable shaft support of the shaft 90. The recess 81 at the front end of the double-layered wall acts as a guide for the movement of the shaft 90.

[0089] When the shaft 90 is engaged, the tongue 85 elastically deforms, so the shaft 90 does not need to elastically deform. Even when the shaft 90 is made of metal, has a large diameter, or protrudes from the lamp unit LU, or has high rigidity, it can be engaged with the bearing portion 80 without any problems. Engaging also does not require the use of other parts, making the bearing portion 80 a structure that allows for easy engagement of the shaft 90.

[0090] (Second Implementation)

[0091] The following is based on Figures 10 to 15B A second embodiment of the bracket component of the present invention will be described. In the figures, the directions of the vehicle lamp 1001 and the bracket component are described as (up:down:left:right:front:rear = Up:Lo:Le:Ri:Fr:Re).

[0092] Figure 10 This is a front view of a vehicle lamp 1001 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front. Figure 10 The vehicle lamp 1001 includes: a lamp body 1002; and a transparent or semi-transparent lamp cover 1003 that encloses the front surface of the lamp body 1002 and divides the inside into a lamp chamber S. Inside the lamp chamber, a lamp unit 1005 is mounted via a bracket member 1004, and the light waves of the lamp unit 1005 are transmitted forward through the lamp cover 1003.

[0093] use Figures 11-15BThe support member 1004 of this embodiment will be described. The support member 1004 is composed of a peripheral sidewall 1006 having a surrounding shape. The surrounding peripheral sidewall 1006 is formed in a surrounding shape by a top surface wall 1007, a bottom surface wall 1008, a left side surface wall 1009, and a right side surface wall 1010 that are continuous at positions of reference numerals 1006a to 1006b, respectively. In addition, the peripheral sidewall 1006 extends front to back and has a front opening 1017 and a rear opening 1018.

[0094] At least a portion of the peripheral wall 1006 is formed as a double-layered wall 1021 consisting of an outer peripheral wall 1019 and an inner peripheral wall 1020. Specifically, as Figures 11 to 14 As shown, in this embodiment, apart from the thick wall 1012 of the top wall 1007, the top wall 1007, bottom wall 1008, left side wall 1009, and right side wall 1010 are all formed as double-layer walls 1007 composed of an outer peripheral wall 1007 and an inner peripheral wall 1007.

[0095] In addition, such as Figures 11 to 13 and Figure 15A , Figure 15B As shown in the figures, the double-layer wall 1021 has an inner wall 1013 on its inner side. The inner wall 1013 is sandwiched between the outer peripheral wall 1019 and the inner peripheral wall 1020 at a position (middle portion 1013b) away from both the front opening 1017 and the rear opening 1018. In the support member 1004 of this embodiment, the inner wall 1013 is formed circumferentially over the entire region of the double-layer wall 1021 from the left end 1012a to the right end 1012b of the thick wall 1012 that constitutes a pair of circumferential ends of the double-layer wall.

[0096] The support member 1004, which has a front opening 1017 and a rear opening 1018 and extends front to back, and has a circumferential sidewall 1006, is formed as a double wall 1021 except for the thick wall 1012. It also has an inner wall 1004 sandwiched by the double wall 1021 along the circumferential direction. As a result, the support member 1004 is lighter than the case where the entire circumferential sidewall 1006 is a thick wall. Furthermore, the inner wall 1013 extending along the circumferential direction has strong rigidity relative to the bending stress generated about the axis extending in the front-back direction.

[0097] In addition, such as Figures 11 to 13 As shown, the double-layered wall 1021 has a plurality of first branch walls 1014 on its inner side, which are sandwiched between the outer peripheral wall 1019 and the inner peripheral wall 1020. Figure 15A and Figure 15B As shown, a plurality of first branch walls 1014 extend from the circumferentially extending inner wall 1013 to the front opening 1017 and the rear opening 1018.

[0098] like Figure 15A and Figure 15B As shown, the support member 1004 has strong rigidity relative to the bending stress generated about the axis extending circumferentially along the peripheral sidewall 1006, through the first branch wall 1014 extending from the inner wall 1013 to the front opening 1017 and the rear opening 1018. It should be noted that the first branch wall 1014 only needs to provide sufficient bending rigidity for the support member 1004 relative to the bending stress about the axis extending circumferentially, or it can be extended to either the front opening 1017 or the rear opening 1018 to achieve further weight reduction.

[0099] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the support component 1004 uses the left and right ends 1012a and 1012b of the thick wall 1012 as a pair of circumferential ends of the double-layer wall 1021, and has an inner wall 1013 in the entire area between the left and right ends 1012a and 1012b. However, the inner wall 1013 may also be... Figure 15A The left end 1012a of the thick wall 1012 and any one of the adjacent first branch wall 1014, or a combination of a pair of adjacent first branch walls 1014, or the right end 1012b of the first branch wall 1014 and the adjacent thick wall 1012, serve as a pair of circumferential ends of the double-layer wall 1021, forming a portion of the inner side of the double-layer wall 1021 in such a way that any one of the adjacent pair of circumferential ends is buried. That is, a portion of the area between adjacent circumferential ends may also be formed as a through-tube shape without an inner wall 1013.

[0100] In addition, besides being integrally formed on both ends of an adjacent pair of circumferential ends as in this embodiment, the inner wall 1013 can also be integrally formed on only one of the pair of circumferential ends, with the other circumferential end not integrally formed with the inner wall 1013 and having a through-hole. Thus, the support member 1004 can achieve further weight reduction while maintaining the necessary and sufficient rigidity relative to the bending stress generated about the axis extending in the front-rear direction.

[0101] Additionally, as from Figures 11 to 14 and Figure 15B As shown, the left side wall 1009 and right side wall 1010 of the bracket component 1004 each have a component mounting portion 1016 integrated with a portion of the double-layer wall 1021. Figure 14 and Figure 15B As shown, a pair of component mounting portions 1016 are composed of a first shaft support portion 1016a with a concave semi-circular shape and a second shaft support portion 1016b with a concave arc shape at its front end and disposed opposite to the first shaft support portion 1016a in front of it. Figure 10The lamp unit 1005 is supported by a cylindrical shaft member (not shown) between the first shaft support 1016a and the second shaft support 1016b of the component mounting portions 1016 on the left and right side walls 1009 and 1010.

[0102] like Figure 15B As shown, the component mounting portion 1016 is integrally formed with the upper and lower inner walls 1013 respectively. By being integrated with the inner wall 1013 that is sandwiched inside the double-layer wall 1021 and extends circumferentially in the peripheral side wall 1006, the component mounting portion 1016 also has strong rigidity relative to the bending stress generated about the axis extending in the front-rear direction.

[0103] In addition, such as Figure 12 and Figure 15B As shown, the double-layer wall 1021 extends from the first shaft support portion 1016a of the component mounting portion 1016 to the rear end opening portion 1018, and has a second branch wall 1015 integrally formed with the outer peripheral wall 1019 on its inner side. The component mounting portion 1016 is integrally formed with the outer peripheral wall 1019 via the second branch wall 1015 extending in the front-rear direction of the peripheral side wall 1006, thereby having stronger rigidity relative to the bending stress generated about the axis extending circumferentially along the peripheral side wall 1006. It should be noted that the second branch wall 1015 integrally formed with the outer peripheral wall 1019 may also be formed from the second shaft support portion 1016b to the rear end opening portion 1018.

[0104] In addition, such as Figure 15B As shown, the component mounting portion 1016 is located in front of the inner wall 1013 and is integrally formed with the first support wall 1014 by a pair of third branch walls 1016c extending upward and downward from the component mounting portion 1016. The component mounting portion 1016, utilizing the pair of third branch walls 1016c integrally formed with the upper and lower first branch walls 1014, exhibits greater rigidity relative to bending stress generated about an axis extending in the front-rear direction.

[0105] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the above embodiments are only examples of the present invention, and they can be combined based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Such combinations are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0106] As stated above, the following matters are disclosed in this specification.

[0107] (1) A support component, wherein a bearing portion for supporting a shaft is provided on a side wall surface, characterized in that the side wall surface is a double-layer wall composed of an inner wall and an outer wall, and a through hole is formed through the inner wall and the outer wall, a recess is formed on the inner wall in the direction of the through hole from the end face of the inner wall toward the outer wall, a tongue is formed in the direction of the through hole from the end of the recess facing the through hole, and a shaft fitting portion in the arc shape is formed at the front end of the tongue.

[0108] (2) The support component according to (1) is characterized in that, in the double wall, a branch wall that is sandwiched by the double wall and integrated with the inner wall and the outer wall is disposed between the recess of the inner wall and the outer wall.

[0109] (3) The support component according to (1) or (2) is characterized in that the double wall has front and rear openings and is configured as part of a circumferential sidewall extending in the front and rear direction, the double wall having an inner wall that is sandwiched by the double wall and extends circumferentially along the sidewall and is located at the middle portion away from both the front and rear openings.

[0110] (4) A bracket component for a vehicle lamp, which houses and fixes at least a portion of a lamp unit that irradiates light forward, characterized in that it has a circumferential sidewall having front and rear openings extending in a front-rear direction and dividing the lamp unit into a housing portion on its inner side, wherein at least a portion of the sidewall is formed as a double wall having an inner wall sandwiched by the double wall and extending circumferentially along the sidewall and located at the middle portion away from both the front and rear openings.

[0111] (5) The bracket component for a vehicle lamp according to (4) is characterized in that the double wall has a pair of circumferential ends, and the inner wall is integrally formed on at least one of the pair of circumferential ends.

[0112] (6) The bracket component for a vehicle lamp according to (4) or (5) is characterized in that the double wall has a first branch wall sandwiched by the double wall and extends from the inner wall to at least one of the front and rear openings.

[0113] (7) A bracket component for a vehicle lamp according to any one of (4) to (6), characterized in that the double wall has a component mounting portion in at least a portion, and the inner wall is integrally formed with the component mounting portion.

[0114] (8) The bracket component for a vehicle lamp according to (7) is characterized in that the double wall has a second branch wall that is held by the double wall and extends from the component mounting portion to at least one of the front and rear openings.

[0115] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2023-100454 and 2023-100453, filed on June 20, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A support component, wherein a bearing portion for supporting a shaft is provided on the side wall, characterized in that, The sidewall is a double-layered wall consisting of an inner wall and an outer wall, with a through hole penetrating both the inner and outer walls. A recess is formed on the inner wall, extending from the end face of the inner wall to the through hole and facing the outer wall. A tongue is formed protruding from the end of the recess facing the through hole toward the through hole. An arc-shaped recessed shaft fitting portion is formed at the front end of the tongue.

2. The bracket component according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the double-layered wall, a branch wall, which is sandwiched between the double-layered wall and integrated with the inner wall and the outer wall, is disposed between the recess of the inner wall and the outer wall.

3. The support component according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The double-layered wall has front and rear openings and is formed as part of a circumferential sidewall extending in the front-rear direction. The double-walled structure has an inner wall that is sandwiched between the double-walled structure and extends circumferentially along the peripheral sidewalls, and is located at the middle portion away from both the front and rear openings.

4. A bracket component for a vehicle lamp, comprising housing and securing at least a portion of a lamp unit that emits light forward, characterized in that, It has a circumferential sidewall with front and rear openings extending in the front-rear direction, and a storage section for the lamp unit is defined on its inner side. At least a portion of the peripheral sidewall is formed as a double-layered wall. The double-walled structure has an inner wall that is sandwiched between the double-walled structure and extends circumferentially along the peripheral sidewalls, and is located at the middle portion away from both the front and rear openings.

5. The bracket component for a vehicle lamp according to claim 4, characterized in that, The double-walled structure has a pair of circumferential ends. The inner wall is integrally formed on at least one of the pair of circumferential ends.

6. The bracket component for a vehicle lamp according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The double-walled structure has a first branch wall that is held between the double-walled structure and extends from the inner wall to at least one of the front and rear openings.

7. The bracket component for a vehicle lamp according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The double-walled structure has a component mounting portion in at least a portion. The inner wall is integrally formed with the component mounting portion.

8. The bracket component for a vehicle lamp according to claim 7, characterized in that, The double-walled structure has a second branch wall that is held between the double-walled structure and extends from the component mounting portion to at least one of the front and rear openings.

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