Vehicle lighting

Abstract

This invention provides a vehicle lighting fixture with a miniaturized angle adjustment unit that tilts the lamp unit to adjust its angle, and a miniaturized aiming device. [Solution] [0009] This is a vehicle lighting fixture comprising a lamp unit 1 housed in a lamp housing 100 and an aiming device 2 for tilting the lamp unit 1. The aiming device 2 comprises a pivot point 3 that supports the lamp unit 1 so that it can tilt, and an up-and-down angle adjustment unit 5 that tilts the lamp unit 1 using the pivot point 3 as a pivot. The up-and-down angle adjustment unit 5 comprises an aiming gear 51 that is rotated on an axis, a cam plate 53 that is rotated by the rotation of the aiming gear 51, and a follower (cam follower) 54 that is erected on the lamp unit 1 and engages with a cam groove (driven groove) 56.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp provided with an aiming device for adjusting the light irradiation direction of a lamp, that is, the direction of the lamp optical axis.

Background Art

[0002] In lighting lamps such as automobile headlamps, in order to achieve suitable lighting without dazzling other vehicles, the direction of the lamp optical axis directed toward the center of the light distribution irradiated by the lamp is adjusted in the left - right direction and the up - down direction with respect to the vehicle body. Therefore, an aiming device is provided. For example, there is an aiming device provided with a fulcrum portion serving as a tilting fulcrum at one location of a lamp unit, and aiming adjustment portions for adjusting the angles of the lamp optical axis in the left - right direction and the up - down direction at different positions in the left - right direction and the up - down direction with respect to this fulcrum portion.

[0003] In recent years, due to design requirements for headlamps, lamp units with a reduced thickness, particularly lamp units with a reduced vertical dimension of an irradiation lens for irradiating light, have been proposed. In such a thin lamp unit, if the position of the fulcrum portion serving as the tilting fulcrum of the lamp unit is set at a position closer to the rear of the lamp unit, when the lamp unit is tilted in the up - down direction by the aiming device, the amount of movement in the up - down direction of the front end portion of the lamp unit, for example, the irradiation lens installed inside the lamp unit, becomes large. Therefore, the gap between the front end portion of the lamp unit and design components such as an extension becomes large, and the design property of the lamp is deteriorated.

[0004] Patent Document 1 proposes an aiming device in which a fulcrum portion is provided on a movable frame that supports a lens holder. By tilting this movable frame in an adjustment portion, aiming adjustment of an irradiation lens provided integrally with the lens holder is performed. If the fulcrum portion is arranged at the front end portion close to the irradiation lens of the lamp unit in this way, it is effective in suppressing the amount of movement in the up - down direction of the irradiation lens during aiming adjustment.

Prior Art Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-164429 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] As in Patent Document 1, in a configuration where the pivot point is located at the front end of the lamp unit, it is preferable to also locate the adjustment part for tilting the lamp unit in the left-right and up-down directions near the lens holder. In this configuration, there are no particular problems with the adjustment part for tilting the lamp unit in the left-right direction, but the adjustment part for tilting the lamp unit in the up-down direction is easily constrained and becomes difficult to design. That is, the adjustment part for the up-down direction will be located above or below the pivot point, but if this is done, the lamp unit and the adjustment part will interfere with each other due to the up-down tilting of the lamp unit.

[0007] Therefore, the adjustment unit is positioned behind or to the side of the lamp unit so as not to interfere with the lamp unit. In Patent Document 1, the adjustment unit, which includes an aiming operating shaft (aiming screw), is positioned behind the lamp unit, but in this configuration, the axial length of the aiming operating shaft becomes long. As a result, the space required to accommodate the adjustment unit becomes large, leading to the problem of the aiming device becoming large.

[0008] The objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lighting device that enables miniaturization of the aiming device by miniaturizing the angle adjustment section that tilts the lamp unit to adjust its angle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting fixture comprising a lamp unit housed in a lamp housing that directs light from a light source forward, and an aiming device that tilts the lamp unit to adjust the angle of the lamp's optical axis. The aiming device comprises a pivot point that supports the lamp unit so that it can tilt, and an angle adjustment unit that tilts the lamp unit using the pivot point as a pivot. Furthermore, the angle adjustment unit comprises an aiming gear that is rotated on an axis, a cam plate that is rotated by the rotation of the aiming gear, and a drive element that is erected on the lamp unit and engages with a cam groove formed in the cam plate.

[0010] In this invention, the pivot point is formed at one lateral position on the front portion of the lamp unit, and the angle adjustment part is configured as an up-and-down angle adjustment part that tilts the lamp unit in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the up-and-down angle adjustment part is disposed at the rear or lateral position of the lamp unit, and the aiming gear is pivotally supported on the rear wall of the lamp housing at the rear of the lamp unit.

[0011] In the present invention, the cam plate is equipped with a drive gear that meshes with an aiming gear and rotates the cam plate by the rotation of the aiming gear. This drive gear is formed in a drive groove formed in the cam plate, and idle portions are provided at both ends of the drive groove where no drive gear is formed. Furthermore, a guide pin is provided at the tip of the aiming gear, and a guide slit is provided in the drive groove into which the guide pin is inserted. In addition, it is preferable that the inner surface of the cam groove has a curved shape with a convex cross-section in the thickness direction of the cam plate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, since the angle adjustment section of the aiming device that tilts the lamp unit is composed of a cam plate and an aiming gear, it is only necessary to secure space between the lamp unit and the lamp housing for arranging the cam plate, which allows for miniaturization of the angle adjustment section and the aiming device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] A schematic perspective view of an automobile in which the vehicle lighting device of the present invention is applied to the headlamp. [Figure 2] A schematic longitudinal section of the front lamp along the line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] A perspective view of a portion of the lamp unit, including the aiming device of the headlamp shown in Figure 1, with a section cut away. [Figure 4] A plan view of a portion of the headlamp and aiming device shown in Figure 3, with the parts cut away. [Figure 5] Perspective view of the vertical angle adjustment mechanism. [Figure 6] A vertical cross-sectional view of the vertical angle adjustment section. [Figure 7] (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the vertical angle adjustment mechanism, respectively. [Figure 8] A schematic diagram of the vertical angle adjustment mechanism in a modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an automobile CAR equipped with the vehicle lighting fixture of the present invention. Front lamps FL are installed on the left and right sides of the front of the automobile CAR. Figure 1 shows a perspective view in which a part of the left front lamp FL is cut off, and the right front lamp FL has a symmetrical configuration. The front lamp FL has two lamp units CL and HL housed inside a lamp housing 100, which consists of a lamp body 101 with an opening at the front and a light-transmitting cover 102 attached to the opening of the lamp body 101. The upper lamp unit CL is configured as a clearance lamp using a light guide. The lower lamp unit HL is configured as a headlamp and, as will be described later, is equipped with an aiming device according to the present invention, which allows for aiming adjustment of the lamp optical axis.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view along line II-II of the front lamp FL shown in FIG. 1. A light guide 105 constituting a clearance lamp CL is disposed above in a lamp housing 100. This clearance lamp CL may be configured as a side marker lamp, DRL (daytime running lamp), turn signal lamp, or other auxiliary lamp by switching the light source color. Further, a lamp unit 1 of a headlamp HL is installed below the clearance lamp CL in the lamp housing 100, and irradiates light forward of the lamp through an opening 104 provided in an extension 103. As will be described later, this lamp unit 1 is configured such that the lamp optical axis Lx, which is the center of the light emission direction of the lamp unit 1, is angle-adjusted in the vertical and horizontal directions by an aiming device 2 in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic external perspective view of the lamp unit 1 and the aiming device 2 configured as a headlamp HL, and FIG. 4 is a plan view with a part thereof broken away. The lamp unit 1 includes a resin unit case 11 having a shape that is flat in the vertical direction and a metal heat sink 16. A light source unit 12, a reflector 13, a shade 14, and an irradiation lens 15 are assembled in the unit case 11.

[0017] The configuration of the lamp unit 1 is a known configuration, and thus a detailed description thereof is omitted. A plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) 12a constituting the light source unit 12 are arranged in the left-right direction, and the light emitted from each LED 12a is reflected by the reflector 13 and transmitted through the irradiation lens 15 for irradiation with a required light distribution. The LED 12a provided with the shade 14 is configured as a low beam lamp unit that irradiates light with a low beam light distribution, and the LED 12a not provided with the shade is configured as a high beam lamp unit that irradiates light with a high beam light distribution.

[0018] The irradiation lens 15 is configured as a narrow-width lens whose vertical dimension is shorter than its horizontal dimension, and as shown in FIG. 2, it is exposed to the front side of the lamp through the narrow and horizontally long opening 104 of the extension 103 installed inside the lamp housing 100. Although not shown, a plurality of fins are integrally provided on the heat sink 16, and heat generated when the LED 12a of the light source unit 12 emits light is dissipated from the heat sink 16.

[0019] The lamp unit 1 is supported by the lamp body 101 by the aiming device 2, and the lamp optical axis Lx directed toward the center of the light distribution pattern formed by the light emitted from the irradiation lens 15 by this aiming device 2 is adjusted in angle in the left-right direction and the up-down direction with respect to the lamp body 101.

[0020] The aiming device 2 will be described. In FIGS. 3 and 4, a fulcrum portion 3 is disposed at a portion on the right side when viewed from the front of the lamp unit 1, and a left-right angle adjustment portion 4 is disposed at a portion on the left side opposite thereto. Also, an up-down angle adjustment portion 5 is disposed in the rear region of the lamp unit 1. Then, by performing the required adjustment in the left-right angle adjustment portion 4, the lamp unit 1 is tilted horizontally with the fulcrum portion 3 as a fulcrum, and the angle of the lamp optical axis Lx in the left-right direction is adjusted. Also, by performing the required adjustment in the up-down angle adjustment portion 5, the lamp unit 1 is tilted vertically with the virtual axis Ax connecting the fulcrum portion 3 and the left-right angle adjustment portion 4 as a fulcrum, and the angle of the lamp optical axis Lx in the up-down direction is adjusted.

[0021] The fulcrum portion 3 and the left-right angle adjustment portion 4 will be described. In FIGS. 3 and 4, on the right and left sides of the heat sink 16 of the lamp unit 1, that is, at positions sandwiching the irradiation lens 15 left and right, left and right flanges 161, 162 protruding outward are integrally formed. Then, the fulcrum portion 3 is assembled to the right flange 161 on the right side, and the left-right angle adjustment portion 4 is assembled to the left flange 162 on the left side. The front-rear positions of these left and right flanges 161, 162 are positions closer to the front end of the lamp unit 1.

[0022] The pivot point 3 comprises a ball stud 31 with a spherical ball at its tip, and a ball socket 32 ​​that fits into the ball 311 of the ball stud 31 to form a ball joint. The other end of the ball stud 31 is fixedly supported with its rod shape embedded in a part of the lamp body 101. The ball socket 32 ​​is fitted so as to surround the outer circumference of the ball 311 and is fitted and supported in an opening provided in the right flange 161 of the heat sink 16. With this configuration, the lamp unit 1 can be tilted in the left-right and up-down directions relative to the lamp housing 100, using the ball joint, i.e., the ball 311, as a pivot point. The vertical position of the ball 311 is the same as the lamp optical axis Lx of the lamp unit 1. The front-rear position of the ball 311 is between the light source 12 and the illumination lens 15.

[0023] The left and right angle adjustment section 4 comprises left and right aiming screws 41 and driven nuts 42 that are screwed into the screw grooves of the left and right aiming screws 41. The left and right aiming screws 41 are arranged to extend in the front-rear direction of the lamp within the lamp housing 100, and their rear ends are exposed outside the lamp housing 100 as operating ends 43, inserted through the rear wall of the lamp body 101. The operating ends 43 can be rotated using a jig such as a screwdriver, and may have a screw head structure with a Phillips or slotted groove, for example. In this case, a crown gear structure is used.

[0024] The driven nut 42 has a cylindrical bushing structure and is screwed into the thread grooves 411 of the left and right aiming screws 41 inside, and is inserted into an opening provided in the left flange 112 on the left side of the unit case 1 outside. The inserted driven nut 42 is connected to the left flange 162 of the heat sink 16 in a state in which it is not rotated in the axial direction of the left and right aiming screws 41 and is integrated axially with respect to the left flange 112.

[0025] In this configuration, when the operating end 43 of the left / right angle adjustment section 4 is operated and the left / right aiming screws 41 are rotated, the driven nut 42, which is screwed into the screw groove 411, moves relative to the lamp body 101 in the axial direction of the left / right aiming screws 41, i.e., in the front-to-back direction of the lamp. As a result, the left flange 162 of the heat sink 16, which is connected to the driven nut 42, also moves integrally in the front-to-back direction, and the lamp unit 1 tilts in the left-to-right direction with the pivot point 3 as the pivot point, and the lamp optical axis Lx of the lamp unit 1 relative to the lamp housing 100 is angle-adjusted in the left-to-right direction.

[0026] The vertical angle adjustment unit 5 is located on the rear side of the ramp unit 1, as shown in Figures 2 to 4. Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of the vertical angle adjustment unit 5 from the rear, and the ramp unit 1 is schematically shown. As shown in Figure 5, the vertical angle adjustment unit 5 includes an aiming gear 51 that is rotated during aiming adjustment, and a cam mechanism 52 that is driven by the rotation of the aiming gear 51 to adjust the vertical angle of the ramp unit 1. The cam mechanism 52 includes a cam plate 53 that is rotated by the aiming gear 51, as will be described later, and a follower (cam follower) 54 that moves vertically in conjunction with the rotation of the cam plate 53.

[0027] Figure 6 is a vertical end view of the vertical angle adjustment section 5. The aiming gear 51, which is rotatably supported on the rear wall of the lamp housing 100, i.e., the rear wall of the lamp body 101, is rotatably supported at a pivot point 511 approximately in the axial center, with the gear penetrating the rear wall of the lamp body 101 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, an operating part 512, such as a crown gear, is formed at the rear end of the pivot point 511, similar to the left and right aiming screws 41, and the aiming gear 51 is rotatably rotated by operating this operating part 512. In addition, a pinion (small gear) 510 is connected to the front end of the aiming gear 51, and a small diameter guide pin 513 is formed to protrude forward from the front end surface of the pinion 510.

[0028] The cam mechanism 52 is positioned between the rear portion of the lamp unit 1 and the rear wall of the lamp body 101. It comprises a cam plate 53 rotatably supported by the rear wall of the lamp body 101, and a drive element 54 that is driven vertically by the rotation of the cam plate 53. The surface of the cam plate 53 is oriented parallel to the rear surface of the lamp unit 1. In other words, it is oriented parallel to the virtual axis Ax connecting the pivot point 3 and the left and right angle adjustment section 4 shown in Figure 4.

[0029] The cam plate 53 is formed in a roughly circular plate shape, but the areas that do not function as a cam, in this case two areas in the circumferential direction, are cut out in a straight line to reduce the size and weight of the cam plate 53. A boss 531 having an axial hole that opens in the direction of the plate thickness is provided at the center of the cam plate 53, and a bolt 533 serving as the central axis is inserted into this boss 531 via a cylindrical collar 532. This bolt 533 is screwed and supported on the rear wall of the ramp body 101, and the cam plate 53 is rotatable around its center, i.e., the boss 531, in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the aiming gear 51.

[0030] The cam plate 53 has two curved grooves formed therein: a drive groove 55 and a driven groove 56. The drive groove 55 is an arc groove formed over a required angular area at a required radial position centered on the boss 531 of the cam plate 53. As shown in the partially broken view in Figure 5, this drive groove 55 is formed as a recessed groove formed from the rear surface side of the cam plate 53, and the pinion 510 of the aiming gear 51 is inserted inside it. A guide slit 551 into which a guide pin 513 is inserted is formed on the bottom surface of the drive groove 55. In addition, a drive gear, in this case a sector gear (arc gear) 552 that meshes with the pinion 510 is formed on the inner diameter side surface of the drive groove 55. Idle sections 553 where the sector gear 552 is not formed are formed at both ends of the drive groove 55, and when the pinion is positioned in these idle sections 553, the pinion 510 does not mesh with the sector gear 552 and is in a free-rotating state.

[0031] Therefore, when the aiming gear 51 is rotated, the sector gear 552, which is meshed with the pinion 510 that rotates integrally with it, is driven, and the cam plate 53 is rotated. At this time, because the guide pin 513 is inserted into the guide slit 551, the relative position of the pinion 510 and the sector gear 552 is secured, and the meshed state of the two is maintained. Also, when the pinion 510 is positioned in the idle portion 553 of the drive groove 55, the pinion 510 disengages from the sector gear 552 and rotates freely.

[0032] The driven groove 56 is formed as a groove that penetrates the cam plate 53 in the thickness direction, and is configured as a so-called cam groove. The shape of this driven groove 56 is a spiral shape in which the radial position changes according to the rotation angle of the cam plate 53 as required. Here, it is formed in the shape of an Archimedes spiral. The driven shaft 56 is formed to the required groove width dimension (radial dimension), but a circular insertion / removal portion 561 with an enlarged groove width is formed at one end thereof.

[0033] A follower (cam follower) 54 is inserted into the driven groove 56. The follower is erected facing rearward on a portion of the rear side of the lamp unit 1, in this case a portion of the rear side of the heat sink 16, and consists of a ball stud with a spherical ball 541 at the tip of its shaft portion 542. The length of the shaft portion 542 of the cam follower 54 is somewhat longer than the thickness of the cam plate 53, and its diameter is approximately equal to the inner width of the driven groove 56. The ball 541 at the tip is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the insertion / removal portion 561 provided at one end of the driven groove 56. Therefore, the cam follower 54 is able to move relative to the cam plate 53 with the ball 561 at the tip passing through the insertion / removal portion 561 of the driven groove 56 in the thickness direction, and the shaft portion 542 inserted into the driven groove 56.

[0034] As a result, as will be described later, when the cam follower 54 moves vertically within the driven groove 56 as the cam plate 53 rotates, the ball 541 cannot pass through the driven groove 56, preventing the cam follower 54 from disengaging from the driven groove 56. In addition, when the ramp unit 1 is tilted horizontally by the left / right angle adjustment unit 4, the shaft portion 542 of the cam follower 54 moves in the thickness direction within the driven groove 56, enabling the ramp unit 1 to tilt horizontally.

[0035] As shown in Figure 6, the inner circumferential surface 562 facing the radially opposite the driven groove 56 may be formed in a curved shape with a convex cross-section in the thickness direction, for example, in an arc shape. This ensures that even if the angle of the cam follower 54 with respect to the cam plate 53 changes, the shaft portion of the cam follower 54 inserted into the driven groove 56 makes point contact with the inner circumferential surface 562, maintaining a stable contact state between the cam follower 54 and the driven groove 56.

[0036] When adjusting the angle of the lamp unit 1 vertically using the vertical angle adjustment section 5 configured above, the operating end 512 of the aiming gear 51 exposed on the rear side of the lamp body 101 is rotated. This rotation causes the pinion 510 to rotate, and the cam mechanism 52 is activated. Specifically, the sector gear 552 of the cam plate 53, which is meshed with the pinion 510, moves in the circumferential direction, causing the cam plate 53 to rotate. This rotation of the cam plate 53 causes the cam follower 54 to be cam-operated by the driven groove 56 and move vertically.

[0037] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing the cam operation in this cam mechanism 52. The driven groove 56 of the cam plate 53 has a spiral shape in which its radial position from the center changes according to the change in the rotation angle of the cam plate 53. As a result, the vertical length of the cam follower 54 relative to the center, i.e., its height relative to the center, changes. Figure 7(a) shows the state in which the cam plate 53 is rotated most clockwise, and the cam follower 54 is in its lowest position. Figure 7(b) shows the state in which the cam plate 53 is rotated most counterclockwise, and the cam follower 54 is in its highest position.

[0038] As a result, the rear of the lamp unit 1 on which the cam follower 54 is erected moves vertically, and the lamp unit 1 tilts vertically relative to the lamp body 101, using the pivot point 3 as a pivot point, or more precisely, the virtual axis Ax connecting the pivot point and the left / right angle adjustment part 4 as a pivot point. In other words, the lamp optical axis Lx of the lamp unit 1 is angle-adjusted vertically. In the state shown in Figure 7(a), the lamp optical axis Lx of the lamp unit 1 is tilted upward, and in the state shown in Figure 7(b), the lamp optical axis Lx of the lamp unit 1 is tilted downward.

[0039] At this time, the guide pin 513 at the tip of the aiming gear 51 is inserted into the guide slit 551 of the drive groove 55, so the meshing state of the pinion 510 and the sector gear 552 is stably maintained. Furthermore, when the aiming gear 51 is rotated to the limit position of a predetermined axial rotation angle range, that is, in the state shown in Figure 8(a) or (b), the pinion 510 is positioned corresponding to the idle portion 553 of the drive groove 55. However, since the sector gear 552 is not present in this idle portion 553, the pinion 510 rotates freely, and no stress exceeding the limit is applied to the aiming gear 51 and the cam plate 53.

[0040] As the ramp unit 1 tilts vertically, the angle of the cam follower 54 relative to the cam plate 53, particularly the angle of the shaft, changes. However, as shown in Figure 6, the inner surface 562 of the driven groove 56 has an arc-shaped cross-section, so even with changes in the angle of the cam follower 54, the shaft maintains point contact with the inner surface 562. Therefore, the contact resistance between the cam follower 54 and the driven groove 56 does not change even with vertical angle adjustment of the ramp unit 1, resulting in smooth cam operation and smooth vertical angle adjustment.

[0041] As described above, in the aiming device 2 of this embodiment, the pivot point 3, which serves as the pivot point when the lamp unit 1 is tilted vertically, is located near the front of the illumination lens 15 of the lamp unit 1. Therefore, the amount of vertical movement of the illumination lens 15 when the lamp unit 1 is tilted vertically can be suppressed. As a result, even in a headlamp HL configured to emit light through the opening 104 of the extension 103, a decrease in appearance can be prevented, and controlling the light distribution of the light emitted from the illumination lens 15 does not become difficult.

[0042] Furthermore, in the aiming device 2 of this embodiment, the vertical angle adjustment unit 5 is located on the rear side of the lamp unit 1, which shortens the distance between the rear surface of the lamp unit 1 and the lamp body 101, allowing the aiming gear 51 of the vertical angle adjustment unit 5 to be shortened. Also, the space required in the front-to-back direction for arranging the vertical angle adjustment unit 5 is approximately equal to the thickness of the cam plate 53 and the length of the aiming gear 51, thus reducing the space required for installation within the lamp housing 100 and enabling miniaturization of the aiming device 2.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the point of force applied when tilting the ramp unit 1 vertically, i.e., the vertical angle adjustment section 5, is located on the rear side of the ramp unit 1, allowing for a larger distance from the pivot point 3. This reduces the ratio of the change in the vertical tilt angle of the ramp unit 1 to the vertical movement of the cam follower 54 in the vertical angle adjustment section 5, facilitating fine and highly accurate angle adjustments. Moreover, the tilting force applied when tilting the ramp unit 1 vertically in the vertical angle adjustment section 5 can be reduced, making the operation easier when adjusting the vertical aiming.

[0044] Furthermore, when applying the present invention to lamp units of different specifications, for example, lamp units with different dimensions in the front-to-back direction, the distance from the pivot point 3 to the vertical angle adjustment part 5, or more precisely, the distance from the pivot point 3 to the cam plate 53, will differ. Therefore, when using the same cam plate, even if the cam plate 53 rotates by a predetermined angle, the amount of vertical movement of the cam follower 54 will differ, and the vertical tilt angle of the lamp unit 1 will also differ.

[0045] In cases where the specifications of the lamp units differ, multiple cam plates with different driven groove shapes can be prepared, and the appropriate cam plate can be selected and used according to the specifications of the lamp unit. Alternatively, multiple driven grooves of different shapes can be formed on a single cam plate, and the cam follower can be inserted into the driven groove selected according to the specifications of the lamp unit.

[0046] Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view of a modified example of the vertical angle adjustment section 5 in the aiming device 2. In this modified example, parts equivalent to those in the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. In this modified example, the aiming gear 51 is still supported by the rear wall of the ramp body 101, but the cam plate 53 of the vertical angle adjustment section 5 is arranged to the side of the ramp unit 1. That is, the cam plate 53 is rotatably supported by one of the left or right side walls of the ramp body 101, and the cam plate 53 is configured to rotate in a plane along the front-rear direction of the ramp body 1.

[0047] Furthermore, a portion of the circumference of the cam plate 53 is cut out to form a drive groove 55, and an arc-shaped flat gear (crown gear) 552a is formed on the bottom surface of this drive groove 55, replacing the sector gear of the embodiment. In addition, a guide slit 551 is formed on the side surface of the drive groove 55. The guide pin 513 at the tip of the aiming gear 51 is inserted into the guide slit 551, and the pinion 510 is meshed with the flat gear 552a.

[0048] On the other hand, the ramp unit 1 has a cam follower 54 erected laterally on the side facing the cam plate 53, and this cam follower 54 is inserted into the driven groove 56 of the cam plate 53. This driven groove 56 is basically the same as in the embodiment.

[0049] In this modified version as well, by operating the aiming gear 51 to rotate its axis, the cam plate 53 is rotated by the meshing of the pinion 510 and the planar gear 552a, and the cam follower 54 inserted into the driven groove 56 is moved vertically, causing the ramp unit 1 to tilt vertically. With this modified version, since the vertical angle adjustment part 5 is not disposed on the rear side of the ramp unit 1, the space on the rear side of the ramp unit 1 can be reduced, and a ramp with a shorter front-to-back dimension can be realized.

[0050] In the present invention, as a configuration for rotationally driving the cam plate in the embodiment, although not shown in the figures, a drive gear may be formed along the outer circumferential surface of the cam plate 53, and the pinion 510 of the aiming gear 51 may be meshed with this drive gear to rotate the cam plate 53. Alternatively, as a modified configuration for rotationally driving the cam plate 53, the planar gear 552a of the cam plate 53 may be made of a bevel gear, and the pinion 510 of the aiming gear 51 may be made of a bevel gear that meshes with it.

[0051] Furthermore, the driven groove of the cam plate is not limited to the Archimedes spiral of the embodiment, and may be a groove shape that is most suitable for adjusting the vertical angle of the ramp unit based on the relationship between the rotation angle of the cam plate and the vertical movement of the cam follower.

[0052] The aiming device according to the present invention is not limited to being applied to the thin lamp unit described in the embodiment. Furthermore, the vehicle lighting device of the present invention can also be applied to fog lamps as vehicle lamps equipped with the aiming device. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 1 Lamp Unit 2. Aiming device 3. Support point 4 Left / right angle adjustment section 5. Vertical angle adjustment section 11 Lens holder 12 Light source section 13 Reflectors 14 Shades 15 Irradiation lenses 16. Heat sink (heat dissipation part) 51 Aiming Gear 52 Cam mechanism 53 Cam plate 54. Follower (subordinate verb) 55 drive grooves 56 Driven groove (cam groove) 100 Lamp Housing 101 Lamp Body 101 Translucent Cover 510 pinion 513 Guide pin 551 Guide slit 552,552a Drive gear 553 Idol Club FL Front Lamp CL Clearance Lamp HL Headlamp Lx Lamp Beam Axis

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting fixture comprising a lamp unit housed in a lamp housing and emitting light from a light source forward, and an aiming device that tilts the lamp unit to adjust the angle of the lamp's optical axis, wherein the aiming device comprises a pivot point that supports the lamp unit so as to be tiltable, and an angle adjustment part that tilts the lamp unit using the pivot point as a pivot, and the angle adjustment part comprises an aiming gear that is rotated, a cam plate that is rotated by the rotation of the aiming gear, and a drive element that is erected on the lamp unit and engages with a cam groove formed in the cam plate.

2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the pivot point is formed at one lateral position on the front portion of the lamp unit, and the angle adjustment portion is configured as an up-and-down angle adjustment portion that tilts the lamp unit in the up-and-down direction.

3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the vertical angle adjustment unit is disposed at a rear or lateral position of the lamp unit, and the aiming gear is pivotally supported on the rear wall of the lamp housing at the rear of the lamp unit.

4. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the cam plate is driven by a drive gear that meshes with the aiming gear and rotates the cam plate by the rotation of the aiming gear.

5. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 4, wherein the drive gear is formed in a drive groove formed in the cam plate, and idle portions are provided at both ends of the drive groove where no drive gear is formed.

6. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 1, wherein a guide pin is provided at the tip of the aiming gear, and the drive groove is provided with a guide slit into which the guide pin is inserted.

7. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the cam groove has a curved shape with a convex cross-section in the thickness direction of the cam plate.

8. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising a left-right angle adjustment section located on the other side of the lamp unit, which tilts the lamp unit in the left-right direction using the pivot point as a pivot.

9. A vehicle light according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the vehicle light is configured as a headlamp for a vehicle.

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