Frame member and method for breaking frame member

Abstract

The invention provides a novel technology for easily taking out components in a vehicle lamp. The frame member (42) constitutes a part of a frame that accommodates a functional member for implementing the function of the vehicle lamp. The frame member (42) has a portion (44) to be destroyed, and the portion (44) to be destroyed is configured to be easily destroyed by a predetermined operation of a predetermined tool. The destroyed portion (44) is configured so as to be destroyed to form an opening portion (46) through which the functional component inside the housing can be taken out without decomposing the housing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for easily destroying a part of a component constituting a vehicle lamp. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, developments aimed at achieving carbon neutrality have been steadily advancing across various fields. Therefore, it is desirable to disassemble and sort components used in vehicles for those that can be recycled or reused. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a projector-type headlight that uses LEDs as a light source. However, the lamp unit and lighting circuitry housed within the headlight's lamp housing are relatively common and should be reused to the extent possible.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-212485 Summary of the Invention

[0004] However, many components are designed with ease of assembly and the ability to prevent them from becoming disassembled, rather than being designed for disassembly. Consequently, disassembly requires significant time and effort, increasing component recycling costs and reducing recycling rates.

[0005] For example, the aforementioned lamp housing integrates a container-shaped lamp body and a translucent front cover by bonding or welding. Disassembling the lamp housing to remove the internal lamp unit and lighting control circuit requires a lot of work.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned situation, and one of its exemplary objects is to provide a new technique for easily removing internal components of a vehicle lamp.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, a frame member according to one embodiment of the present invention constitutes a portion of a frame that houses functional components for realizing the functions of a vehicle lamp. The frame member has a destructible portion that is easily destructible by a predetermined action of a predetermined tool. The destructible portion is configured so that, upon being destroyed, an opening is formed that allows the functional components within the frame to be removed without disassembling the frame.

[0008] According to this aspect, the functional components inside the housing can be taken out by a predetermined operation of a predetermined tool without disassembling the housing.

[0009] The destructible portion may be provided at intervals on the outer edge of the region forming the opening. Thus, a large opening can be formed in the frame by performing a predetermined operation of a predetermined tool a plurality of times.

[0010] The region forming the opening is rectangular. The destructible portion may include: a first destructible portion disposed along one side of the region; and a second destructible portion disposed along the other side of the region. This allows for a simple formation of a rectangular opening in the frame.

[0011] The portion to be broken may include: a recessed portion that is recessed from the outside of the frame member toward the inside, allowing the tip of a predetermined tool to enter; a thin-walled portion formed at the base of a protrusion formed by the recess protruding toward the inside of the frame member; and a force-bearing portion that receives force from the tool when the tool is tilted with its tip stuck in the bottom of the recess, with the thin-walled portion being configured to break due to the force applied to the force-bearing portion. The thin-walled portion may be configured to break due to the force applied to the force-bearing portion. Thus, by arranging the thin-walled portion so as to surround the area desired to become the opening, the portion to be broken can be controlled.

[0012] The recessed portion may be a horizontally long groove whose width narrows toward the bottom, and the force-bearing portion may be a linear portion protruding from an inclined surface of the groove and extending in the longitudinal direction of the groove.

[0013] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for destroying a frame member. This method comprises the following steps: preparing a frame member having a breakable portion configured to be easily broken by a predetermined action of a predetermined tool; and inserting the tool into the breakable portion and tilting it, thereby breaking the breakable portion and forming an opening that allows the functional components within the frame to be removed without disassembling the frame.

[0014] According to this aspect, the functional components inside the housing can be taken out by a predetermined operation of a predetermined tool without disassembling the housing.

[0015] Any combination of the above-mentioned components and expressions of the present invention converted into manufacturing methods, lamps, lighting devices, light-emitting modules, light sources, etc. are also effective as modes of the present invention.

[0016] Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, internal components of the vehicle lamp can be easily removed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic structure of the vehicle lamp according to the present embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 (a) is a front view of the frame member according to this embodiment. Figure 2 (b) is viewed from the opposite side Figure 2 (a) is a rear view of the frame member shown.

[0020] Figure 3 (a) is Figure 2 AA sectional view of the frame member shown in (a), Figure 3 (b) is Figure 3 An enlarged view of region R3 shown in (a).

[0021] Figure 4 It is a perspective view for explaining a predetermined action of a predetermined tool with respect to the frame member according to the present embodiment.

[0022] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main part for explaining a state of destruction of a destroyable portion of the frame member according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings based on preferred embodiments. Identical or equivalent structural elements, components, and processes shown in the various drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The embodiments do not limit the invention but rather illustrate it. All features and their combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily the essential contents of the invention.

[0024] The frame member according to the present embodiment is one of the components constituting a vehicle lamp. Below, a vehicle lamp will be described using a headlight as an example, but the frame member according to the present embodiment can also be used for a taillight.

[0025] Figure 1 It is a longitudinal sectional view showing a schematic structure of the vehicle lamp according to the present embodiment. Figure 1 The illustrated vehicle lamp 10 is disposed in the space between a vehicle hood 12 and a bumper 14. The vehicle lamp 10 includes a projection-type lamp unit 16 that uses LEDs as a light source. The lamp unit 16 comprises a substrate 18 on which the LEDs are mounted; a reflector 20 that reflects light emitted upward from the LEDs toward the front of the lamp; and a projection lens 22 that projects the light reflected by the reflector 20 toward the front of the lamp to form a desired light distribution pattern.

[0026] The lamp unit 16 is disposed in a lamp chamber 30 surrounded by an outer lens 26 and a lamp body 28. Between the lamp unit 16 and the outer lens 26, an extension portion 24 is formed as an opening where the projection lens 22 is provided.

[0027] The substrate 18 is mounted on a base member 32 integral with a heat sink or the like. The base member 32 is supported by a leveling bracket 34. The output shaft 36a of a leveling actuator 36 is connected to the upper portion of the leveling bracket 34, and a calibration screw 38 is connected to the lower portion of the leveling bracket 34. The leveling actuator 36 and the calibration screw 38 are directly or indirectly supported by the lamp body 28.

[0028] As previously mentioned, when the vehicle lamp 10 is discarded or replaced, one approach to reusing functional components such as the lamp unit 16, LED driver module, and leveling actuator 36 housed within the lamp chamber 30 is to disassemble the outer lens 26 and lamp body 28. However, in this embodiment, the outer lens 26 and lamp body 28 are firmly bonded via the gel adhesive 40. Therefore, heating or melting the gel adhesive 40 to disassemble the outer lens 26 and lamp body 28 requires considerable labor (time). Therefore, after intensive research, the present inventors have devised a new structure that facilitates the removal of internal components of the vehicle lamp.

[0029] Next, a new structure provided in the lamp body 28 as a frame member will be described. Figure 1 The lamp body 28 is shown with respect to a bottom region R1 and a back region R2. Figure 2 (a) is a front view of the frame member according to this embodiment. Figure 2 (b) is viewed from the opposite side Figure 2 In addition, the frame parts in the following figures show the main parts required to illustrate the damaged parts described later, and are not necessarily limited to the shape and size of the actual frame parts used in the vehicle lamp.

[0030] Figure 2 (a) Figure 2 The frame member 42 shown in (b) constitutes a portion of the frame that houses the functional components (such as the lamp unit 16, the base member 32, and the leveling actuator 36) that realize the functions of the vehicle lamp 10. The frame member 42 has a destructible portion 44 that is easily destructible by a predetermined action of a predetermined tool. The destructible portion 44 is configured so that, upon being destroyed, it forms an opening 46 that allows the functional components within the frame to be removed without disassembling the frame.

[0031] In addition, in the frame member 42 involved in this embodiment, multiple destructible portions 44 are provided at intervals on the outer edge of the area forming the opening 46. Thus, by performing a predetermined operation with a predetermined tool multiple times, a large opening can be formed in the frame. Furthermore, in the frame member 42, the area forming the opening 46 is rectangular. The destructible portion 44 includes a first destructible portion 45a, which is arranged along one side of the area forming the opening 46, and a second destructible portion 45b, which is arranged along the other side of the area forming the opening 46. Thus, a rectangular opening 46 can be easily formed in the frame.

[0032] Figure 3 (a) is Figure 2 AA sectional view of the frame member shown in (a), Figure 3 (b) is Figure 3 An enlarged view of region R3 shown in (a). Figure 4 It is a perspective view for explaining a predetermined action of a predetermined tool with respect to the frame member according to the present embodiment. Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional perspective view of a main part for explaining a state of destruction of a destroyable portion of the frame member according to the present embodiment.

[0033] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown in FIG, as the predetermined tool involved in this embodiment, for example, a screwdriver 48 with a wedge-shaped tip. Figure 3 、 Figure 4 The screwdriver 48 is moved in the direction shown, thereby destroying the destructible portion 44. In other words, the predetermined movement of the predetermined tool also constitutes a method for destroying the frame member 42, which constitutes a portion of the housing housing the functional components that realize the functions of the vehicle lamp. This method involves preparing the frame member 42 having a destructible portion 44 that is easily destroyed by the predetermined movement of the screwdriver 48. By inserting the screwdriver 48 into the destructible portion 44 and tilting it, a portion of the destructible portion 44 is destroyed, forming an opening 46 that allows the functional components within the frame to be removed without disassembling the frame.

[0034] Next, use Figures 2 to 5 The structure of the breakable portion 44 will be described in detail. The breakable portion 44 comprises a recessed portion 44a, which is recessed from the outer side EX toward the inner side IN of the frame member 42, into which the tip 48a of the screwdriver 48 enters; a thin-walled portion 44d formed at the base 44c of a protrusion 44b, which protrudes from the recessed portion 44a toward the inner side IN of the frame member 42; and a force-receiving portion 44f, which receives force from the screwdriver 48 when the screwdriver 48 is tilted with the tip 48a of the screwdriver 48 engaged with the bottom 44e of the recessed portion 44a. The screwdriver 48 has two flat surfaces at the tip, with the tip forming an acute angle.

[0035] Therefore, as shown in Figure 5 by abutting the front end 48a of the screwdriver 48 against the bottom 44e of the recess 44a, the screwdriver 48 is tilted as a whole with the front end 48a as a fulcrum, and one of the two flat surfaces 48b presses the force receiving portion 44f. As a result, the thin wall portion 44d of the breakable portion 44 is broken by the two forces in opposite directions shown by the arrows, and finally breaks.

[0036] As described above, the thin wall portion 44d is configured to have a thickness and a shape that break by the force received by the force receiving portion 44f. In the present embodiment, the thin wall portion 44d is realized by a linear notch 44g formed on the inner side IN of the frame member 42. The cross section of the notch 44g is wedge-shaped. Thus, as shown in Figure 2 by arranging the thin wall portion 44d so as to surround the region where the opening 46 is desired to be formed, it is possible to control the position to be broken. Further, the length L of the thin wall portion 44d that is broken (broken) when the breakable portion 44 of one position is broken is longer than the length LI in the length direction of the breakable portion 44 itself. Therefore, by breaking a plurality of breakable portions 44 that are dispersedly arranged, it is possible to form the opening 46. Thus, it is possible to easily take out the functional components such as the luminaire unit 16, the LED driver module, the levelling actuator 36, and the like that can be reused, from the region Rl of the bottom of the lamp body 28 and the region R2 of the back surface portion to the outside of the lamp chamber 30.

[0037] The recess 44a is a horizontally long groove whose width narrows toward the bottom 44e, and the force receiving portion 44f is a linear portion that protrudes from one inclined surface 44h of the groove and extends in the length direction of the groove. The thickness dl of the frame member 42 according to the present embodiment is included in the range of 1.2 to 1.8 mm, and the thickness d2 of the thin wall portion 44d is included in the range of 0.5 to 1.2 mm. The angle a of the two faces of the wedge-shaped notch 44g is included in the range of 45 to 75°. The depth d3 of the recess 44a is included in the range of 3 to 5 mm, and the width W of the flat portion of the bottom 44e of the recess 44a is 1.0 to 1.5 mm. The material of the frame member 42 is, for example, ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) resin or ASA (acrylonitrile styrene acrylate) resin.

[0038] The present application has been described above with reference to the above-described embodiments, but the present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and a structure in which the structures of the embodiments are appropriately combined or a structure in which the embodiments are replaced is also included in the present application. In addition, the order of the combinations and processes in the embodiments can be appropriately rearranged based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and various design changes and the like are applied to the embodiments, and the embodiments to which such changes are applied are also included in the scope of the present application.

[0039] This international application claims priority based on Japanese patent application No. 2023-030298, filed on February 28, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0040] The above descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are provided for illustrative purposes only. They are intended to be comprehensive and do not limit the present invention to the described embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made based on the above descriptions.

[0041] Description of the label

[0042] 10 Vehicle lamp, 16 Lamp unit, 28 Lamp body, 30 Lamp chamber, 32 Base component, 34 Leveling bracket, 36 Leveling actuator, 42 Frame component, 44 Destroyable portion, 44a Concave portion, 44b Protruding portion, 44c Base portion, 44d Thin-walled portion, 44e Bottom portion, 44f Force-bearing portion, 44g Notch, 44h Inclined surface, 45a First Destroyable portion, 45b Second Destroyable portion, 46 Opening portion, 48 Screwdriver, 48a Front end.

Claims

1. A frame member constituting a portion of a frame for housing a functional component for realizing a function of a vehicle lamp. The frame member is characterized in that The frame member has a destructible portion that is easily destructible by a predetermined action of a predetermined tool. The destructible portion is configured to form an opening by being destroyed so as to allow functional components inside the housing to be taken out without disassembling the housing.

2. The frame member according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of the destructible portions are provided at intervals on the outer edge of a region serving as the opening.

3. The frame member according to claim 2, wherein: The area forming the opening is rectangular. The destroyed portion has: a first destructible portion disposed along one side of the region; and The second destructible portion is arranged along the other side of the region.

4. The frame member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The destroyed portion has: a recessed portion, which is recessed from the outside of the frame member to the inside, for the front end of a specified tool to enter; a thin-walled portion formed at a base of a convex portion formed by the concave portion convexing toward the inner side of the frame member; as well as The force receiving portion receives force from the tool when the tool is tilted in a state where the front end of the tool is stuck in the bottom of the recess. The thin-walled portion is configured to be broken by the force received by the force receiving portion.

5. The frame member according to claim 4, wherein: The recessed portion is a horizontally long groove that narrows toward the bottom. The force-bearing portion is a linear portion that protrudes from an inclined surface of the groove and extends in the longitudinal direction of the groove.

6. A method for destroying a frame member, the frame member constituting a portion of a frame housing a functional component for realizing a function of a vehicle lamp, The method for destroying the frame member is characterized by comprising the following steps: preparing a frame member having a breakable portion that is easily breakable by a predetermined action of a predetermined tool; and By inserting a tool into the breakable portion and tilting it, the breakable portion is broken, thereby forming an opening portion that allows the functional components inside the housing to be taken out without disassembling the housing.

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