Vehicle lamp and method for manufacturing vehicle lamp

Abstract

To provide a new art which fixes components forming a vehicle lamp to each other.SOLUTION: A vehicle lamp 10 comprises: a lamp body 16 forming a part of a lamp chamber 20 of the vehicle lamp; a translucent member which is attached to an opening of the lamp body to form the lamp chamber; a hook-and-loop fastener 44 which fixes the translucent member to the lamp body 16; and a sealing member 32 which is sandwiched between the lamp body 16 and the translucent member to seal the interior of the lamp chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, to waterproof vehicle lighting fixtures, a structure has been devised in which an elastic sealing material is filled into the engagement portion between a seal groove formed in the front opening of the lamp body and a seal leg of the front lens to seal the engagement portion (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-349094 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, recycling of various parts has been promoted, and vehicle lighting fixtures are no exception. However, as in the case of the vehicle lighting fixture mentioned above, the elastic seal material inserted between two parts is often firmly adhered to the parts, leaving room for improvement in the ease of dismantling the parts.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of its exemplary purposes is to provide a new technique for fixing components that constitute a vehicle lamp together. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a vehicle lamp according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a lamp body that forms part of the lamp chamber of the vehicle lamp, a translucent member that forms the lamp chamber by being attached to an opening in the lamp body, a hook-and-loop fastener that fixes the translucent member to the lamp body, and a sealing member that is sandwiched between the lamp body and the translucent member to seal the inside of the lamp chamber.

[0007] According to this aspect, the lamp body and the translucent member can be easily fixed together with the hook-and-loop fastener. Also, the sealing member is sandwiched between the lamp body and the translucent member, thereby improving waterproofing.

[0008] The sealing member may be disposed around the entire periphery of the edge of the opening of the lamp body, and the hook-and-loop fastener may be disposed on the outer periphery of the sealing member, thereby increasing the flexibility of the hook-and-loop fastener arrangement while still satisfying waterproofing requirements, and facilitating the work of fastening components together.

[0009] The hook and loop fasteners may be distributed over a plurality of locations, thereby reducing the cost and effort required to provide the hook and loop fasteners.

[0010] The hook-and-loop fastener may have an engaging portion consisting of a plurality of hook portions provided on one of the lamp body or the light-transmitting member, and an engaged portion consisting of a plurality of loop portions provided on the other of the lamp body or the light-transmitting member. The engaging portion and the engaged portion may contact each other to secure the light-transmitting member to the lamp body. In this way, by bringing the engaging portion and the engaged portion into contact, the engaging portion and the engaged portion are ultimately firmly engaged with each other, and the components are secured together. Here, securing the components together by contact between the engaging portion and the engaged portion includes a state in which a portion of the engaging portion and a portion of the engaged portion that are in contact are engaged with each other at a microscopic level.

[0011] The sealing member is an O-ring, and the height of the hook is smaller than the diameter of the O-ring. This allows the O-ring to be crushed while the parts are fastened together by the hook-and-loop fastener, ensuring waterproofing.

[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp. The method includes the steps of preparing a lamp body that constitutes part of a lamp chamber of the vehicle lamp, preparing a light-transmitting member that is to be attached to an opening of the lamp body to form the lamp chamber, and attaching the light-transmitting member to the opening of the lamp body. The attaching step includes a clamping step of clamping a sealing member that seals the interior of the lamp chamber between the lamp body and the light-transmitting member, and a fixing step of fixing the light-transmitting member to the lamp body with a hook-and-loop fastener.

[0013] According to this aspect, the sealing member can be sandwiched between the lamp body and the light-transmitting member, and the light-transmitting member can be fixed to the lamp body with the hook-and-loop fastener.

[0014] The hook-and-loop fastener may have an engaging portion consisting of a plurality of hook portions provided on one of the lamp body or the light-transmitting member, and an engaged portion consisting of a plurality of loop portions provided on the other of the lamp body or the light-transmitting member. The fixing step may include a shielding step of covering the engaging portion or the engaged portion with a shielding member so that the engaging portion and the engaged portion do not come into contact with each other until they face each other at a fixed position when the light-transmitting member is attached to the lamp body, and a removing step of removing the shielding member when the engaging portion and the engaged portion are facing each other at the fixed position. This prevents the engaging portion and the engaged portion from coming into contact with each other and engaging with each other before they face each other at a predetermined fixed position.

[0015] The lamp body may have a first end face that presses the sealing member in the mounting direction in which the light-transmitting member is mounted, and a first side face that intersects with the first end face and has an engaging portion or an engaged portion. The light-transmitting member may have a second end face that presses the sealing member in the mounting direction, and a second side face that intersects with the second end face and has an engaging portion or an engaged portion. This allows the lamp body and the light-transmitting member to be fixed together while the sealing member is pressed.

[0016] Any combination of the above components, and conversion of the present invention between a manufacturing method, a lighting fixture or lighting device, a light emitting module, a light source, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, a new technique for fixing components that constitute a vehicle lamp together can be realized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp including an electronic unit. [Figure 2] Figure 2(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of hook-and-loop fasteners and sealing members when the opening of the lamp body is viewed from the front, and Figure 2(b) is a schematic diagram showing another example of the arrangement of hook-and-loop fasteners and sealing members when the opening of the lamp body is viewed from the front. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hook-and-loop fastener. [Figure 4] 10 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the engaging portion of the hook-and-loop fastener. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the relationship between the diameter of the O-ring and the height of the hook portion of the hook-and-loop fastener. FIG. [Figure 6] 6(a) to 6(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining a modified example of the mounting step in the manufacturing method of a vehicle lamp. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

[0020] (vehicle lighting fixtures) Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp equipped with an electronic unit. The vehicle lamp 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a device for providing exterior illumination for a vehicle. The vehicle lamp 10 is, for example, a headlamp. The vehicle lamp 10 includes a housing 12 and a light source unit 14.

[0021] The housing 12 is a component that serves as the enclosure of the vehicle lamp 10. The housing 12 holds the light source unit 14. For example, the housing 12 has a lamp body 16 and a front cover 18 that serves as a light-transmitting member. The lamp body 16 forms part of a lamp chamber 20 that houses the light source unit 14. The lamp chamber 20 is formed by attaching the front cover 18 to an opening of the lamp body 16.

[0022] The light source unit 14 is a unit that emits light. The light source unit 14 has a light source 22 that emits light that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle. Although only one light-emitting element that constitutes the light source 22 is depicted in FIG. 1, there are typically multiple light-emitting elements. The light source unit 14 has a switch circuit (not shown). The light source unit 14 also has other components such as a reflector 24, a projection lens 26, an extension 28, and a base member 30. The light source unit 14 is accommodated inside the housing 12.

[0023] The vehicle lamp 10 includes a hook-and-loop fastener 44 that fastens the lamp body 16 and the front cover 18 together, and a sealing member 32 that is sandwiched between the lamp body 16 and the front cover 18 to seal the interior of the lamp chamber 20. This allows the lamp body 16 and the front cover 18 to be easily fastened together with the hook-and-loop fastener 44. Furthermore, having the sealing member 32 sandwiched between the lamp body 16 and the front cover 18 improves waterproofing. The sealing member 32 is, for example, an O-ring or a rubber string.

[0024] The lamp body 16 has a flange 16a formed on the edge of the opening, and the front cover 18 has a flange 18a formed on the edge opposite the flange 16a. The hook-and-loop fastener 44 and sealing member 32 are sandwiched between the flange 16a and the flange 18a. The flanges 16a and 18a are partially fastened together with screws 34.

[0025] Figure 2(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of hook-and-loop fasteners and sealing members when the opening of the lamp body is viewed from the front, and Figure 2(b) is a schematic diagram showing another example of the arrangement of hook-and-loop fasteners and sealing members when the opening of the lamp body is viewed from the front.

[0026] The sealing member 32 shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b) is disposed around the entire periphery of the flange 16a, which is the edge of the opening 16b of the lamp body 16, and the hook-and-loop fasteners 44 are disposed on the outer periphery of the sealing member 32. This increases the degree of freedom in arranging the hook-and-loop fasteners 44 while still providing waterproofing, making it easier to fasten the components together. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2(b), the hook-and-loop fasteners 44 may be disposed in multiple locations. This reduces the number of hook-and-loop fasteners 44 used, and reduces the cost and effort required to install the hook-and-loop fasteners 44.

[0027] Next, the hook and loop fastener 44 will be described in detail. Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a hook and loop fastener. The hook and loop fastener 44 shown in Fig. 3 has an engaging portion 48 made up of a plurality of hook portions 48a provided on the lamp body 16, and an engaged portion 50 fixed to the front cover 18 and made up of a plurality of loop portions 50a.

[0028] The engagement portion 48 has a plurality of hook portions 48a arranged two-dimensionally on the surface of a plate 48b. The plate 48b has a plurality of through holes 48c formed therein. The lamp body 16 has a plurality of positioning bosses 46a for fixing the engagement portion 48 at a predetermined position. The bosses 46a protrude from the through holes 48c and have their tips heat-caulked to fix the engagement portion 48 to the lamp body 16. In this way, when the plurality of hook portions 48a are separate parts fixed to the lamp body 16, the plurality of hook portions 48a can be fixed to locations other than predetermined locations on the lamp body 16. The plurality of hook portions 48a can be fixed by screwing the plate 48b, on which the plurality of hook portions 48a are provided, to the fixing portion, or by using adhesive or double-sided tape.

[0029] Meanwhile, the engaged portion 50 has a plurality of loop portions 50a arranged two-dimensionally on the surface of the plate 50b. The engaged portion 50 is fixed to the front cover 18 with double-sided tape 52 attached to the back side of the plate 50b. The loop portions 50a have a large number of annular raised portions arranged on the plate 50b. When the annular raised portions come into contact with the hook portion at the tip of the hook portion 48a, the outer shape of the annular raised portions changes or the orientation of the annular portion changes, and the hook portion engages with the hook portion of the hook portion 48a. The tip of the hook portion 48a may be bent, and may be bent (folded) at a 90-degree angle (see FIG. 3), curved in an arc (see FIG. 5), or spherical with a larger shaft diameter at the tip (see FIG. 6).

[0030] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the hook-and-loop fastener engagement portion. Hook portion 48a of engagement portion 54 shown in Fig. 4 is formed by integral molding with lamp body 16. This reduces the number of parts and eliminates the need for a step of attaching hook portion 48a to lamp body 16.

[0031] 3, the hook-and-loop fastener 44 has an engaging portion 48 and an engaged portion 50 that come into contact with each other and are pressed together, so that the engaging portion 48 and the engaged portion 50 are eventually firmly engaged with each other, thereby fixing the front cover 18 to the lamp body 16. The engaging portion 48 may be provided on the front cover 18, and the engaged portion 50 may be provided on the lamp body 16. Here, fixing the front cover 18 to the lamp body 16 by the engaging portion 48 and the engaged portion 50 coming into contact with each other includes a state in which the tips of the hook portions 48a and the loop portions 50a, which are in contact with each other, are engaged with each other in a microscopic sense.

[0032] Next, we will explain the crushing allowance when the sealing member 32 is an O-ring. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the diameter of the O-ring and the height of the hook portion of the hook-and-loop fastener. For example, when the engaging portion 48 and the engaged portion 50 are not intertwined, the height H of the hook portion 48a is smaller than the diameter D of the O-ring 36. When the front cover 18 is brought closer to the lamp body 16 in this state to be attached to it, the O-ring 36 is crushed, and the hook portion 48a and the loop portion 50a engage, firmly securing the lamp body 16 and the front cover 18 to a distance equal to the height H of the hook portion 48a. As a result, the O-ring 36 is crushed while the components are secured together by the hook-and-loop fastener 44, ensuring reliable waterproofing.

[0033] (Manufacturing method) Next, a method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp according to this embodiment will be described. This manufacturing method includes a preparation step of preparing the lamp body 16 and the front cover 18 shown in Fig. 1, and an attachment step of attaching the front cover 18 to the opening of the lamp body 16. The attachment step includes a clamping step of aligning the flange 16a of the lamp body 16 and the flange 18a of the front cover 18 and sandwiching the sealing member 32 between the flanges, and a fixing step of fixing the front cover 18 to the lamp body 16 with hook-and-loop fasteners 44. This allows the sealing member 32 to be sandwiched between the lamp body 16 and the front cover 18, and the front cover 18 to be fixed to the lamp body 16 with the hook-and-loop fasteners 44.

[0034] 1, the sealing member 32 and the hook-and-loop fastener 44 are sandwiched on the same surface. Therefore, if the direction in which the engaging portion 48 and the engaged portion 50 of the hook-and-loop fastener are brought closer to each other is the same as the direction in which the sealing member 32 is pressed, and if there is a relationship such as the height of the hook portion 48a and the diameter of the O-ring 36 as described in FIG. 5, there is no risk that the engaging portion 48 and the engaged portion 50 will engage with each other before the sealing member 32 is deformed when the flanges are brought closer to each other.

[0035] However, there may be some vehicle lamps in which the sealing member 32 and the hook-and-loop fastener 44 are not (cannot be) arranged on the same surface depending on the shapes of the flanges of the lamp body 16 and the front cover 18. Figures 6(a) to 6(c) are schematic diagrams for explaining modified examples of the mounting step in the manufacturing method of a vehicle lamp.

[0036] 6(a), the lamp body 38 has a first end face 38a that presses against the sealing member 32 in the mounting direction in which the front cover 40 is mounted, and a first side face 38b that intersects with the first end face 38a and is provided with an engaging portion 48. The front cover 40 has a second end face 40a that presses against the sealing member 32 in the mounting direction, and a second side face 40b that intersects with the second end face 40a and is provided with an engaged portion 50.

[0037] When the front cover 40 is attached to the lamp body 38 in the direction of the arrow X in Figure 6(a), the tip of the engaged portion 50 reaches the end of the engaging portion 48 on the first end face 38a side before the sealing member 32 is clamped between the first end face 38a and the second end face 40a. Therefore, without any ingenuity, the engaged portion 50 will get caught on the engaging portion 48 before the engaging portion 48 and the engaged portion 50 reach a predetermined fixed position, causing an obstacle to the attachment work.

[0038] Therefore, in a modified example of the manufacturing method for a vehicle lamp according to the present embodiment, the fixing step of fixing the front cover 40 to the lamp body 38 with the hook-and-loop fasteners 44 includes a shielding step of covering the engaging portions 48 with a shielding member 56 so that the engaging portions 48 and the engaged portions 50 do not come into contact with each other until they face each other at the fixing position P1 (see FIG. 6(b)) when the front cover 40 is attached to the lamp body 38, and a removing step (see FIG. 6(c)) of removing the shielding member 56 when the engaging portions 48 and the engaged portions 50 face each other at the fixing position P1. The shielding member 56 is held by a jig 58, and is pulled out in the direction of the arrow by the jig 58 when the front cover 40 reaches the fixing position P1. This prevents the engaging portions 48 and the engaged portions 50 from coming into contact with each other and engaging with each other before they face each other at the predetermined fixing position P1. As a result, the lamp body 38 and the front cover 40 can be fixed together with the sealing member 32 pressed.

[0039] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the above-mentioned embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and suitable combinations and substitutions of the configurations of the embodiments are also included in the present invention. Furthermore, it is possible to suitably rearrange the combinations and processing orders in the embodiments based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and to make modifications to the embodiments such as various design changes, and such modified embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10 Vehicle lamp, 12 Housing, 16 Lamp body, 16a Flange, 16b Opening, 18 Front cover, 18a Flange, 20 Lamp chamber, 32 Sealing member, 36 O-ring, 38 Lamp body, 38a First end face, 38b First side face, 40 Front cover, 40a Second end face, 40b Second side face, 44 Hook and loop fastener, 48 Engaging portion, 48a Hook portion, 50 Engaged portion, 50a Loop portion, 56 Shielding member, P1 Fixed position.

Claims

1. a lamp body that constitutes a part of a lamp chamber of a vehicle lamp; a light-transmitting member that is attached to the opening of the lamp body to form a lamp chamber; a hook-and-loop fastener for fixing the light-transmitting member to the lamp body; a sealing member that is sandwiched between the lamp body and the translucent member to seal the interior of the lamp chamber; A vehicle lamp comprising:

2. the sealing member is disposed around the entire periphery of the edge of the opening of the lamp body, 2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the hook-and-loop fastener is disposed on an outer circumferential side of the sealing member.

3. 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the hook-and-loop fasteners are disposed at a plurality of locations.

4. The hook-and-loop fastener is an engaging portion formed of a plurality of hook portions provided on one of the lamp body and the light-transmitting member; an engaged portion formed of a plurality of loop portions provided on the other of the lamp body or the light-transmitting member, 4. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the light-transmitting member is fixed to the lamp body by contact between the engaging portion and the engaged portion.

5. the sealing member is an O-ring, 5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 4, wherein the height of the hook portion is smaller than the diameter of the O-ring.

6. A step of preparing a lamp body that constitutes a part of a lamp chamber of a vehicle lamp; a step of preparing a light-transmitting member that is attached to the opening of the lamp body to form a lamp chamber; and a mounting step of mounting the light-transmitting member in the opening of the lamp body, The mounting step includes: a clamping step of clamping a sealing member that seals the interior of the lamp chamber between the lamp body and the translucent member; a fixing step of fixing the light-transmitting member to the lamp body with a hook-and-loop fastener; A method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp, comprising:

7. The hook-and-loop fastener is an engaging portion formed of a plurality of hook portions provided on one of the lamp body and the light-transmitting member; an engaged portion formed of a plurality of loop portions provided on the other of the lamp body or the light-transmitting member, The fixing step includes: a shielding step of covering the engaging portion or the engaged portion with a shielding member so that the engaging portion and the engaged portion do not come into contact with each other until they face each other at a fixed position when the light-transmitting member is attached to the lamp body; 7. The method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp according to claim 6, further comprising a removing step of removing the shielding member in a state where the engaging portion and the engaged portion face each other at a fixed position.

8. The lamp body is a first end surface that presses the sealing member in an attachment direction in which the light-transmitting member is attached; a first side surface that intersects with the first end surface and on which the engaging portion or the engaged portion is provided, The light-transmitting member is a second end surface that presses the sealing member in the mounting direction; 8. The method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp according to claim 7, further comprising: a second side surface that intersects with the second end surface and on which the engaging portion or the engaged portion is provided.

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