Leveling actuator and vehicle lighting fixture

Abstract

To provide a leveling actuator having a simple structure and capable of saving a space in a lamp body.SOLUTION: This leveling actuator comprises: a leveling shaft 14 driven so as to slide in an axial direction in a state where a tip side is connected to a lighting fixture unit via a pivot; a case 11 that stores the leveling shaft 14 inside from the opening of a backside and protrudes the tip side of the leveling shaft 14 forward from a hole 21 of a front side; a cover 12 that covers the opening of the case 11 and has a hole 12e provided on the backside; and an aiming nut 43 provided on the backside of the cover 12 to face the hole 12e. An aiming bolt 44 inserted into the cover 12 form the hole 12e in the state of being engaged with the aiming nut 43 is positioned on the same axis as that of the leveling shaft 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a leveling actuator and a vehicle lighting fixture. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle lighting fixtures such as vehicle headlights (headlamps) have been provided with a lighting unit that emits light toward the front of the vehicle, located inside a lamp body composed of a housing with an opening at the front and an outer lens that covers the opening of the housing, and with an optical axis adjustment mechanism that adjusts the optical axis of the light emitted from this lighting unit toward the front of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

[0003] In vehicle lamps equipped with such optical axis adjustment mechanisms, the optical axis of the light emitted from the lamp unit toward the front of the vehicle is adjusted by an aiming operation that adjusts the left-right and up-down tilt of the lamp unit.

[0004] In addition, after detecting the vehicle's tilt in the longitudinal direction, a leveling operation is performed to automatically adjust the optical axis of the light emitted from the lighting unit toward the front of the vehicle in the vertical direction, thereby correcting fluctuations in the optical axis due to changes in the vehicle's posture.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a headlamp with an auto-leveling function in which a reflector equipped with a light source is supported by an aiming mechanism consisting of a pair of left and right ball joint structure aiming points and a fulcrum directly below, and the aiming fulcrum moves back and forth when driven by an actuator, the aiming point being composed of a nut member with a slider that screws onto a screw, and a bearing that is attached to a bracket on the reflector side and supports the ball portion of the nut member, the bearing being composed of a pair of split molded bodies connected by a hinge, and the split molded bodies being integrated around the hinge so as to sandwich the ball portion, thereby forming a ball joint. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-55600 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Incidentally, in the invention described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the aiming mechanism is attached to the lamp body via a bracket housed inside the lamp body so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.

[0008] However, this configuration requires a bracket between the lamp body and the aiming mechanism, which not only increases the space required to accommodate the bracket but also increases the number of parts and assembly steps.

[0009] In addition, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the slider provided integrally with the slider-equipped nut member is supported on a nut sliding guide provided on the lamp body, and the slider-equipped nut member is supported so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction. Also, in order to eliminate a gap formed between the nut sliding guide and the slider, an elastic extension piece provided on the slider is pressed against the inner wall surface of the nut sliding guide.

[0010] However, in this configuration, it is necessary to provide the slider with a spring structure such as an elastic extension piece, which complicates the mold structure when resin molding the slider-attached nut member.

[0011] The present invention has been proposed in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and aims to provide a leveling actuator that has a simple structure and enables space saving within the lamp body, as well as a vehicle lamp equipped with such a leveling actuator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means. [1] A leveling actuator for adjusting the optical axis of light emitted from a lighting unit of a vehicle lighting fixture disposed inside a lamp body toward the front of the vehicle, a leveling shaft that is slidably driven in an axial direction while its tip side is connected to the lighting unit via a pivot portion; a case in which the leveling shaft is housed inward from an opening on the rear side and the tip side of the leveling shaft protrudes forward from a hole on the front side; a cover that closes the opening of the case and has a hole on the back side; an aiming nut provided on the rear surface side of the cover so as to face the hole, A leveling actuator characterized in that an aiming bolt, which is inserted into the inside of the cover through the hole while being threaded onto the aiming nut, is positioned on the same axis as the leveling shaft. [2] The leveling actuator according to [1], characterized in that the rear end of the leveling shaft is provided with an axial hole into which the tip end of the aiming bolt is inserted in a non-contact state. [3] The leveling actuator described in [1] is characterized in that the aiming bolt is rotatably attached to a housing that forms the rear side of the lighting body, and the housing formed by the case and the cover slides in the forward and backward directions by rotating the aiming bolt. [4] The housing has an accommodating recess that accommodates the casing so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, The leveling actuator according to [3] above, characterized in that a plurality of guide protrusions that come into sliding contact with the inner surface of the accommodating recess are provided around the periphery of the housing. [5] A rotary motor and a drive transmission unit are housed inside the case, The leveling actuator according to [1] above, characterized in that the rotational drive of the rotary motor is converted into a sliding drive of the leveling shaft via the drive transmission section and transmitted. [6] A vehicle lamp including the leveling actuator according to any one of [1] to [5]. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] As described above, the present invention provides a leveling actuator that has a simple structure and allows space inside the lamp body to be saved, as well as a vehicle lamp that includes such a leveling actuator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a rear view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp including a leveling actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line AA shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the leveling actuator shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from the front side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the leveling actuator shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 5] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the leveling actuator shown in FIG. 1, as viewed from the front side. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is an exploded perspective view of the leveling actuator shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear side. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the leveling actuator shown in FIG. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B show a cover provided in the leveling actuator, in which FIG. 1A is a front view thereof and FIG. 1B is a side view thereof. [Figure 9] 2 is a diagram showing the dimensions of a wheel portion of a shaft and a rotary cylinder of a rotary support body provided in the leveling actuator shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a front view showing an accommodating recess provided inside the housing. [Figure 11] 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of the receiving recess shown in FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a front view showing a state in which the casing of the leveling actuator is accommodated in the accommodation recess of the housing. FIG. [Figure 13] 13A and 13B show a state in which the leveling actuator has slid forward, with FIG. 13A being a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 12, and FIG. 13B being a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. [Figure 14] 13A and 13B show a state in which the leveling actuator has slid rearward, with FIG. 13A being a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 12, and FIG. 13B being a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the dimensions of the components may be shown at different scales to make them easier to see, and the dimensional ratios of the components may not necessarily be the same as in reality.

[0016] As an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle lamp 1 shown in, for example, FIGS. 1 to 14 will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp 1 equipped with a leveling actuator. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp 1 taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the leveling actuator 5 as seen from the front side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the leveling actuator 5 as seen from the rear side. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the leveling actuator 5 as seen from the front side. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the leveling actuator 5 as seen from the rear side. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the leveling actuator 5. FIG. 8 shows a cover 12 equipped in the leveling actuator 5, with (A) a front view and (B) a side view. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the dimensions of the wheel portion 28 of the leveling shaft 14 and the rotary cylinder 30 of the rotary support 15 equipped in the leveling actuator 5. FIG. 10 is a front view showing an accommodating recess 40 provided inside the housing 2. FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main portion of the accommodating recess 40. Fig. 12 is a front view showing a state in which the casing of the leveling actuator is accommodated in the accommodation recess of the housing. Fig. 13 shows a state in which the leveling actuator 5 has slid forward, with (A) being a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 12 and (B) being a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 12. Fig. 14 shows a state in which the leveling actuator 5 has slid rearward, with (A) being a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 12 and (B) being a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in Fig. 12.

[0017] In addition, in the drawings shown below, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set up, with the X-axis direction representing the front-to-rear direction (length direction) of the vehicle lighting fixture 1, the Y-axis direction representing the left-to-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle lighting fixture 1, and the Z-axis direction representing the up-to-down direction (height direction) of the vehicle lighting fixture 1.

[0018] The vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment is an application of the present invention to a vehicle headlamp mounted on both corners on the front end side of a vehicle (not shown), for example.

[0019] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, this vehicle lamp 1 has a structure in which a lamp unit that emits light toward the front of the vehicle (in the +X-axis direction) is arranged inside a lamp body 4 that is composed of a housing 2 with an open front and a transparent outer lens 3 that covers the opening of the housing 2.

[0020] 2 does not show the lamp unit and other components disposed inside the lamp body 4. The shape of the lamp body 4 is not particularly limited, and can be changed as appropriate to suit the design of the vehicle lamp 1, etc.

[0021] The lighting unit includes, for example, a light source consisting of a light-emitting diode (LED) that emits white light (hereinafter simply referred to as light), and a reflector that reflects the light emitted from the light source, and is configured to irradiate the light reflected by the reflector toward the front of the vehicle.

[0022] The lamp unit emits light toward the front of the vehicle as a passing beam (low beam) that forms a low beam light distribution pattern including a cutoff line at the upper end, or emits light toward the front of the vehicle as a driving beam (high beam) that forms a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern.

[0023] The lighting unit is not necessarily limited to a configuration in which light reflected by the reflector described above is irradiated toward the front of the vehicle, but may also be configured, for example, to use a lens to irradiate light emitted from a light source toward the front of the vehicle.

[0024] Furthermore, as for the light source, in addition to the above-mentioned LED, for example, a light emitting element such as a laser diode (LD) can be used. Furthermore, the number of light emitting elements is not limited to one, and may be plural.

[0025] The vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment is provided with an optical axis adjustment mechanism 50 for adjusting the optical axis of light emitted from the lamp unit toward the front of the vehicle.

[0026] The optical axis adjustment mechanism 50 includes an aiming bracket 51 that holds the light source unit, and this aiming bracket 51 is supported so as to be able to tilt freely relative to the housing 2 via a fixed support portion 52, a first aiming portion 53, and a second aiming portion 54.

[0027] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, this optical axis adjustment mechanism 50 has three support points S1, S2, and S3 that support the aiming bracket 51 relative to the housing 2. Of these, a fixed support part 52 is located at the first support point S1 and fixes the position of the aiming bracket 51 relative to the housing 2 while supporting the aiming bracket 51 so that it can tilt freely; a first aiming part 53 is located at the second support point S2 and adjusts the left-right tilt of the aiming bracket 51 relative to the housing 2; and a second aiming part 54 is located at the third support point S3 and adjusts the up-down tilt of the aiming bracket 51 relative to the housing 2.

[0028] Furthermore, when the light source unit is viewed from the front, the first support point S1 and the second support point S2 are located below the optical axis center O of the light source unit, and a line LH12 connecting the first support point S1 and the second support point S2 is parallel to a horizontal line LH passing through the optical axis center O. Furthermore, the third support point S3 is located above the optical axis center O of the light source unit, and a line LV13 connecting the second support point S2 and the third support point S3 is parallel to a vertical line LV passing through the optical axis center O. Furthermore, the optical axis center O of the light source unit is located inside an area E surrounded by the first support point S1, the second support point S2, and the third support point S3. Note that the arrangement of the three support points S1, S2, and S3 is not limited to this arrangement and can be changed as appropriate.

[0029] In the vehicle lamp 1 equipped with the optical axis adjustment mechanism 50 of this embodiment, the optical axis of the light emitted from the light source unit toward the front of the vehicle can be adjusted by performing an aiming operation to adjust the left-right and up-down tilt of the aiming bracket 51 that holds the light source unit.

[0030] That is, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 50 of this embodiment, by rotating the adjuster 53a of the first aiming portion 53 using a jig T such as a screwdriver, the first aiming portion 53 slides the second support point S2 of the aiming bracket 51 in the front-to-rear direction. At this time, the aiming bracket 51 swings left and right with the fixed support portion 52 (first support point S1) as a fulcrum. This makes it possible to adjust the left-to-right tilt of the aiming bracket 51 that holds the light source unit.

[0031] On the other hand, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 50 of this embodiment, the adjuster 54a of the second aiming portion 54 is rotated using the jig T described above, which causes the second aiming portion 54 to slide the third support point S3 of the aiming bracket 51 in the front-to-rear direction. At this time, the aiming bracket 51 swings up and down around the fixed support portion 52 (first support point S1) as a fulcrum. This makes it possible to adjust the up-and-down tilt of the aiming bracket 51 that holds the light source unit.

[0032] In addition, the optical axis adjustment mechanism 50 of this embodiment is configured to support the aiming bracket 51 that holds the above-mentioned light source unit so that it can be tilted freely. However, for example, in a light source unit that includes a light source and a reflector that reflects light emitted from the light source and irradiates the light reflected by the reflector toward the front of the vehicle, the aiming bracket 51 attached to the back side of the reflector may be supported so that it can be tilted freely via the fixed support part 52, the first aiming part 53, and the second aiming part 54, thereby adjusting the optical axis of the light irradiated from the light source unit toward the front of the vehicle.

[0033] Furthermore, in a vehicle lamp 1 equipped with a light axis adjustment mechanism 50, after detecting the longitudinal tilt of the vehicle, it is possible to correct fluctuations in the light axis due to changes in the vehicle's posture by performing a leveling operation that automatically adjusts the optical axis of the light emitted from the lamp unit toward the front of the vehicle in the vertical direction.

[0034] Specifically, the optical axis adjustment mechanism 50 includes the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment. The leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment is located in the second aiming portion 54 and is attached to the housing 2 so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction in order to slide the third support point S3 of the aiming bracket 51 in the front-rear direction.

[0035] Furthermore, in the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, the tip side of the leveling shaft 14 is connected to the reflector via a pivot part 7 provided on the back side of the aiming bracket 51. As a result, the aiming bracket 51 is supported via the pivot part 7 so as to be able to tilt freely.

[0036] In the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, by sliding the leveling shaft 14 in the forward and backward directions, it is possible to automatically adjust the optical axis of the light emitted from the lighting unit toward the front of the vehicle in the vertical direction while changing the vertical tilt of the aiming bracket 51.

[0037] Here, a specific configuration of the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0038] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment has a structure in which the various components, including a leveling shaft 14, a rotary support 15, a rotary motor 16, a drive transmission unit 17, and a circuit board 18, are housed inside a housing 13 composed of a case 11 with an open rear side and a cover 12 that closes the rear side of the case 11.

[0039] The case 11 and cover 12 that constitute the housing 13 are both made of synthetic resin molded bodies formed using a mold. The case 11 has a front wall 11a, an outer peripheral wall 11b that rises rearward from the periphery of the front wall 11a, and an opening 11c that opens on the back side of the outer peripheral wall 11b, and is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape. On the other hand, the cover 12 has a rear wall 12a, an outer peripheral wall 12b that rises forward from the periphery of the rear wall 12a, and an opening 12c that opens on the front side of the outer peripheral wall 12b, and is also formed in a substantially rectangular box shape.

[0040] The housing 13 forms a storage space for accommodating the above-mentioned components inside by butting the outer wall 11b of the case 11 and the outer wall 12b of the cover 12 against each other and closing the opening 11c of the case 11 with the cover 12.

[0041] The structure for attaching the cover 12 to the case 11 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, screw fastening or hook fastening. In this embodiment, the cover 12 is attached to the case 11 by engaging locking claws 19c provided at the tips of a plurality of hook pieces 19b protruding forward from the outer peripheral wall 12b of the cover 12 with a plurality of locking holes 19a provided in the outer peripheral wall 11b of the housing 2.

[0042] The case 11 has a front sleeve portion 20 that protrudes cylindrically forward and backward from the upper front side and upper back side of the front wall 11a, a circular hole portion 21 that penetrates the front side of the front sleeve portion 20, and a circular ring-shaped front sliding surface 22 formed by the rear tip surface of the front sleeve portion 20.

[0043] As shown in Figures 3 to 7 and Figures 8(A) and (B), the cover 12 has a rear sleeve portion 23 that protrudes forward from the upper part of the front side of the rear wall 12a, a circular ring-shaped rear sliding surface 24 formed by the front tip surface of the rear sleeve portion 23, and a guide slit 25 that cuts out a portion of the rear sleeve portion 23 in the axial direction.

[0044] 3 to 7, the leveling shaft 14 is made of a resin molded body made of synthetic resin with excellent wear resistance and is formed into an elongated shaft shape as a whole. The leveling shaft 14 has a spherical pivot ball 26 at its tip end, a male thread portion 27 on its outer periphery, a wheel portion 28 protruding in the shape of a circular ring from the outer periphery on the rear end side, and a guide protrusion 29 protruding from the outer periphery of the wheel portion 28.

[0045] The leveling shaft 14 has its tip end protruding forward from the hole 21 in the case 11, and is supported so as to be freely slidable in the axial direction (front-to-back direction) with the wheel portion 28 fitted inside the rear sleeve portion 23.

[0046] Furthermore, the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment is provided with a guide mechanism that guides the guide protrusion 29 engaged with the guide slit 25 so that it can slide freely in the axial direction. This restricts the rotation of the leveling shaft 14 (so-called co-rotation) that accompanies the rotation of the rotary support 15 about its axis, which will be described later.

[0047] The tip end of the leveling shaft 14 is attached to the mount ring 6 via the pivot portion 7. The pivot portion 7 connects the tip end of the leveling shaft 14 to the mount ring 6 by fitting the pivot ball 26 of the leveling shaft 14 into a pivot bearing (not shown) provided on the mount ring 6.

[0048] The rotary support 15 is made of a resin molded body made of synthetic resin with excellent wear resistance and is formed into a generally cylindrical shape as a whole. The rotary support 15 has a cylindrical rotary cylinder 30 through which the leveling shaft 14 passes in the axial direction, a female threaded portion 31 on the inner periphery of the rotary cylinder 30 that is threadedly engaged with the male threaded portion 27, and a ring gear 32 that protrudes in a ring shape from the outer periphery of the rotary cylinder 30.

[0049] The rotary support 15 is supported rotatably around the axis of the leveling shaft 14 with the front side of the rotary cylinder 30 sandwiching the ring gear 32 fitted inside the front sleeve part 20 and the rear side of the rotary cylinder 30 sandwiching the ring gear 32 fitted inside the rear sleeve part 23.

[0050] In addition, the rotary support 15 is supported so as to be freely rotatable around the axis of the leveling shaft 14, with the ring gear 32 sandwiched axially between a front sliding surface 22 provided at the tip (rear end) of the front sleeve portion 20 and a rear sliding surface 24 provided at the tip (front end) of the rear sleeve portion 23.

[0051] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the rotary motor 16 has a rotary shaft 16a and a drive gear 33 provided at the tip of the rotary shaft 16a, and drives the rotary shaft 16a to rotate.

[0052] The drive transmission unit 17 has transmission gears 34, 35 meshed between a ring gear 32 of the rotary support 15 and a drive gear 33 of the rotary motor 16. Specifically, the drive transmission unit 17 has a first transmission gear 34 meshed with the ring gear 32 and a second transmission gear 35 meshed with the drive gear 33, and these transmission gears 34, 35 are arranged coaxially and integrated. Of these, the ring gear 32, which serves as a worm wheel, and the first transmission gear, which serves as a worm, form a worm gear that meshes with each other, and the drive gear 33, which serves as a worm, and the second transmission gear, which serves as a worm wheel, form a worm gear that meshes with each other.

[0053] In the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, the driving force of the rotary motor 16 can be transmitted to the rotary support 15 via the drive transmission unit 17.

[0054] It should be noted that the drive transmission unit 17 is not necessarily limited to this configuration, and the number and arrangement of the speed change gears may be changed. Also, the drive transmission unit 17 may be omitted, and the drive force of the rotary motor 16 may be directly transmitted to the rotary support 15 by meshing the drive gear 33 of the rotary motor 16 with the ring gear 32 of the rotary support 15.

[0055] The circuit board 18 is electrically connected to the rotary motor 16. The circuit board 18 also has a connector portion 36. The connector portion 36 is provided on the circuit board 18 in a state where it faces the outside through a window portion 12d provided in the outer peripheral wall 12b of the cover 12.

[0056] As a result, in the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, it is possible to supply power to the rotary motor 16 via a harness connected to the connector portion 36 and to control the driving of the rotary motor 16.

[0057] In the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment having the above-described configuration, the driving force of the rotary motor 16 is transmitted to the rotary support 15 via the drive transmission unit 17, causing the rotary support 15 to rotate around the axis of the leveling shaft 14. Furthermore, when the rotary support 15 rotates, the leveling shaft 14 slides in the axial direction due to the engagement between the male thread portion 27 and the female thread portion 31. Furthermore, depending on the rotation direction of the rotary motor 16, it is possible to move the leveling shaft 14 forward or backward.

[0058] In the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, the rotary support 15 is supported so as to be freely rotatable around the axis of the leveling shaft 14, with the ring gear 32 sandwiched between the front sliding surface 22 provided on the inside of the above-mentioned case 11 and the rear sliding surface 24 provided on the inside of the cover 12.

[0059] As a result, in the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, the rotary support 15, which is supported rotatably around the axis of the above-mentioned leveling shaft 14, can be supported rotatably with high precision within the housing 13 without causing any rattling.

[0060] Furthermore, in the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, by supporting the rotary support 15 with high precision, it is possible to slide the leveling shaft 14 in the axial direction with high precision.

[0061] In particular, in the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the outer diameter a of the wheel portion 28 of the leveling shaft 14 and the outer diameter b of the rotating cylinder 30 of the rotating support 15 are made the same dimensions, thereby making it possible to improve the axial accuracy of the rotating support 15 between the front sleeve portion 20 and the rear sleeve portion 23.

[0062] Therefore, in the vehicle lamp 1 equipped with the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, the optical axis adjustment by the optical axis adjustment mechanism 50 can be performed with high precision.

[0063] Furthermore, with the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, there is no need to employ a conventional hook fastening structure, and the mold structure does not become complicated when molding the case 11 and the cover 12. This also makes it easier to control the dimension between the front sliding contact surface 22 and the rear sliding contact surface 24 that sandwich the ring gear 32.

[0064] In the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the leveling actuator 5 is attached to the housing 2 so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction, and the leveling actuator 5 can be slid in the front-to-rear direction by rotating the adjuster 54a of the second aiming portion 54.

[0065] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, the front side of the housing 2 is provided with an accommodating recess 40 for accommodating the casing 13 of the leveling actuator 5 so that it can slide back and forth.

[0066] The accommodating recess 40 is provided inside the wall 40a that surrounds the four sides of the casing 13 and protrudes forward from the front side of the housing 2. The inner surface of the accommodating recess 40 is provided with a plurality of guide recesses 41 that guide the casing 13 in the front-rear direction.

[0067] The guide recesses 41 are formed by grooves cut out in the front-rear direction on the inner surface of the wall 40a. The number and arrangement of the guide recesses 41 are not particularly limited and can be adjusted as appropriate. For example, in this embodiment, two guide recesses 41 are provided on each of the top and both side surfaces of the inner surface of the wall 40a, and one guide recess 41 is provided on the bottom surface.

[0068] Meanwhile, a plurality of guide protrusions 42 are provided around the periphery of the housing 13, which are engaged with the plurality of guide recesses 41 and are guided in the front-rear direction of the accommodating recess 40. The plurality of guide protrusions 42 extend in the front-rear direction of the housing 13 and are configured by rib walls that protrude in a substantially arc shape from positions facing each of the plurality of guide recesses 41.

[0069] As a result, in the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, the housing 13 is accommodated inside the accommodation recess 40 with multiple guide protrusions 42 engaged with multiple guide recesses 41, and the guide recesses 41 and the guide protrusions 42 are in sliding contact with each other, and the leveling actuator 5 is attached so as to be freely slidable in the forward and backward directions of the housing 2.

[0070] Incidentally, the inner surface of the accommodating recess 40 is provided with a draft angle due to the mold used when resin-molding the housing 2. That is, the inner surface of the wall portion 40a is provided with an inclination that gradually widens toward the front.

[0071] In contrast, the guide recesses 41 are parallel to one another in the front-rear direction of the accommodation recess 40, and are formed so that the depth of the guide recesses 41 gradually decreases toward the front relative to the inclined inner surface of the wall 40a.

[0072] As a result, in the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, the sliding resistance between the guide recess 41 and the guide protrusion 42, which are in sliding contact with each other, is kept constant, and the housing 13 housed inside the housing recess 40 can be slid back and forth with high precision.

[0073] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 to 7, in addition to the above configuration, the leveling actuator of this embodiment is characterized in that it is equipped with an aiming nut 43, and the aiming bolt 44 screwed into this aiming nut 43 is positioned on the same axis as the leveling shaft 14.

[0074] Specifically, the cover 12 has a rectangular hole 12e penetrating the rear wall 12a. The hole 12e is provided penetrating the inside of the rear sleeve portion 23 so as to allow the tip end of the aiming bolt 44 to pass through.

[0075] The aiming nut 43 is made of a resin molded body and has a female thread portion 43a on its inner periphery, a retaining portion 43b on its outer periphery, and a flange portion 43c protruding in the radially expanding direction from the outer periphery on the rear end side.

[0076] The aiming nut 43 is attached to the cover 12 with the anti-slip portion 43b engaged around the hole portion 12e and the flange portion 43c abutting against the back side of the cover 12, while being inserted into the inside of the cover 12 through the hole portion 12e.

[0077] As a result, the aiming nut 43 is provided opposite the hole 12e on the rear surface side of the cover 12. Note that the aiming nut 43 is not limited to being provided separately from the cover 12 as described above, and may be provided integrally with the cover 12 opposite the hole 12e on the rear surface side of the cover 12.

[0078] The aiming bolt 44 is formed in an elongated shaft shape as a whole, and has a male threaded portion 44a on its outer periphery, and a wheel portion 44b that protrudes in the shape of a circular ring from the outer periphery on the rear end side.

[0079] The aiming bolt 44 is available in metal and resin materials, and it is possible to interchangeably attach a metal or resin aiming nut 43 that matches the difference in material to the cover 12. This makes it possible to standardize the parts other than the metal or resin aiming nut 43.

[0080] The aiming bolt 44 is rotatably attached to the housing 2 such that the housing 2 is sandwiched between the mounting ring 45 and the wheel portion 44b, with the aiming bolt 44 penetrating through an axial hole (not shown) that penetrates the accommodating recess 40 of the housing 2 and through an attachment ring 45 provided inside the accommodating recess 40 from the rear side of the housing 2.

[0081] The aiming bolt 44 is positioned coaxially with the leveling shaft 14, and the male thread portion 44a is threadedly engaged with the female thread portion 43a of the aiming nut 43. Correspondingly, a shaft hole 14a is provided on the rear end side of the leveling shaft 14, into which the tip end side of the aiming bolt 44 is inserted in a non-contact state. In other words, the rear end side of the leveling shaft 14 is provided with a shaft hole 14a having a larger diameter than the tip end side of the aiming bolt 44.

[0082] In the optical axis adjustment mechanism 50, the adjuster 54a of the second aiming portion 54 described above can be rotated in conjunction with a rotational operation to rotate the aiming bolt 44 about its axis.

[0083] In the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, when the aiming bolt 44 rotates, the aiming bolt 44 slides in the front-rear direction of the accommodation recess 40 together with the housing 13 due to the male thread portion 44a and the female thread portion 43a being threaded together.

[0084] Furthermore, depending on the direction of rotation of the aiming bolt 44, it is possible to move the leveling actuator 5 (housing 13) forward as shown in Figures 13(A) and (B), or to move the leveling actuator 5 (housing 13) backward as shown in Figures 14(A) and (B).

[0085] As a result, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 50, by rotating the adjuster 54a of the second aiming section 54 described above, it is possible to slide the leveling actuator 5 (housing 13) in the forward and backward directions relative to the accommodating recess 40 of the housing 2.

[0086] The vehicle lamp 1 equipped with the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment having the above-described configuration does not require a bracket to hold the leveling actuator 5 between the housing 2. This makes it possible to save space inside the lamp body 4 and reduce the weight of the vehicle lamp 1 by reducing the number of parts.

[0087] Furthermore, in the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment, the aiming bolt 44 described above is positioned on the same axis as the leveling shaft 14, and the tip side of this aiming bolt 44 can be inserted into the shaft hole 14a from the rear end side of the leveling shaft 14. This makes it possible to prevent interference between the aiming bolt 44 and the leveling shaft 14, while reducing the space in the front-to-rear direction for the leveling actuator 5, which slides in the front-to-rear direction inside the accommodating recess 40.

[0088] In addition, the tip side of the leveling shaft 14 does not necessarily have to be always inserted inside the shaft hole 14a, but may be positioned outside the shaft hole 14a when the leveling shaft 14 is advanced.

[0089] Furthermore, the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment has a simple structure in which the above-mentioned guide recess 41 and guide protrusion 42 are in sliding contact with each other, and yet the leveling actuator 5 housed inside the housing recess 40 can be slid in the front-to-rear direction with high precision. As described above, the vehicle lamp 1 equipped with the leveling actuator 5 of this embodiment has a simple structure and can reduce the space inside the lamp body 4. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1...vehicle lamp 2...housing 3...outer lens 4...lamp body 5...leveling actuator 11...case 12...cover 13...casing 14...leveling shaft 15...rotation support 16...rotation motor 17...drive transmission section 18...circuit board 20...front sleeve section 21...hole section 22...front sliding surface 23...rear sleeve section 24...rear sliding surface 25...guide slit 26...pivot ball 27...male thread section 28...wheel section 29...guide protrusion 30...rotating cylinder 31...female thread section 32...ring gear 33...drive gear 34...first speed change gear 35...second speed change gear 40...accommodating recess 41...guide recess 42...guide protrusion 43...aiming nut 44...aiming bolt 45...mounting ring 50...optical axis adjustment mechanism 51... Aiming bracket 52... Fixed support part 53... First aiming part 54... Second aiming part

Claims

1. A leveling actuator for adjusting an optical axis of light emitted from a lighting unit of a vehicle lighting fixture disposed inside a lamp body toward a front of the vehicle, a leveling shaft that is slidably driven in an axial direction while its tip side is connected to the lighting unit via a pivot portion; a case in which the leveling shaft is housed inward from an opening on the rear side and the tip side of the leveling shaft protrudes forward from a hole on the front side; a cover that closes the opening of the case and has a hole on the back side; an aiming nut provided on the rear surface side of the cover so as to face the hole, A leveling actuator characterized in that an aiming bolt, which is inserted into the inside of the cover through the hole while being threaded onto the aiming nut, is positioned on the same axis as the leveling shaft.

2. 2. The leveling actuator according to claim 1, wherein a shaft hole is provided at the rear end of the leveling shaft, into which the tip end of the aiming bolt is inserted in a non-contact state.

3. The leveling actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that the aiming bolt is rotatably attached to a housing that forms the rear side of the lamp body, and the housing formed by the case and the cover is slid in the forward and backward directions by rotating the aiming bolt.

4. the housing has an accommodating recess that accommodates the enclosure so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction, 4. The leveling actuator according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of guide protrusions that come into sliding contact with the inner surface of the accommodation recess are provided around the periphery of the housing.

5. a rotary motor and a drive transmission unit housed inside the case, 2. The leveling actuator according to claim 1, wherein the rotational drive of the rotary motor is converted into a sliding drive of the leveling shaft and transmitted via the drive transmission section.

6. A vehicle lamp comprising the leveling actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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