Housing member for vehicle lamp

Abstract

To provide a housing member of a vehicular lamp fitting which is light-weight and has partially high rigidity.SOLUTION: A housing member (10) of a vehicular lamp fitting (1) includes: a first portion (20) formed by a first resin material containing polypropylene as a main component; and a second portion (30) formed by a second resin material containing polypropylene as a main component and a filler. The first resin material and the second resin material have compositions different from each other. The second portion (30) is an attachment part to which another member forming the vehicle lamp fitting (1) is attached or which is used to attach the vehicular lamp fitting (1) to a vehicle body. The first portion (20) and the second portion (30) are joined to each other to be integrated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses an illumination device comprising a first member integrally formed by two-color molding of a first material part constituting an outer lens and a second material part constituting an exterior panel, and a second member which is a housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-174573 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a housing member for a vehicle lamp that is lightweight and partially has high rigidity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A housing member for a vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: A housing member for a vehicle lamp, comprising: a first portion made of a first resin material containing polypropylene as a main component; and a second portion made of a second resin material containing polypropylene as a main component and containing a filler, the first resin material and the second resin material have different compositions; the second portion is a mounting portion to which other members constituting the vehicular lamp are attached or for mounting the vehicular lamp to a vehicle body, The first portion and the second portion are joined together to form an integral unit. A housing member for a vehicle lamp.

[0006] According to the above housing member, the housing member is made of a first resin member and a second resin member containing lightweight polypropylene as a main component, thereby making the vehicle lamp lighter. In addition, the second portion of the housing member is made of a second resin material containing a filler, thereby making it possible to partially increase the rigidity of the housing member. This makes it possible to provide a housing member for a vehicle lamp that is lightweight and partially has high rigidity. Furthermore, the second portion with high rigidity makes it possible to stably attach the member and attach it to the vehicle body. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a housing member for a vehicle lamp that is lightweight and partially has high rigidity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, the dimensions of each component shown in the drawings may differ from the actual dimensions of each component.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle lamp 1 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle lamp 1 has an outer lens 3, a housing member 10, and a light source member 5 (an example of a heat-generating member). The vehicle lamp 1 is, for example, a headlamp that is provided at the front of the vehicle to illuminate the area ahead of the vehicle. The outer lens 3 is a member that transmits light. The outer lens 3 is made of, for example, a glass material or a resin material. The housing member 10 is a member that has an opening that is covered by attaching the outer lens 3. The outer lens 3 is attached to cover the opening of the housing member 10 to define a lamp chamber S. The light source member 5 is disposed inside the lamp chamber S. The light source member 5 is, for example, an LED lighting unit equipped with a heat sink.

[0011] The housing member 10 includes a first portion 20 and a second portion 30. The first portion 20 is a portion that occupies most of the housing member 10. In the illustrated example, the first portion 20 is a portion that is not involved in the attachment of other members or the attachment to a vehicle. The second portion 30 is a mounting portion to which other members constituting the vehicle lamp 1 are attached, or for mounting the vehicle lamp 1 to a vehicle body. The first portion 20 and the second portion 30 are joined together and integrated. The first portion 20 and the second portion 30 may be joined via an adhesive, or may be joined by insert molding, welding, or multi-color molding. In particular, it is preferable that the first portion 20 and the second portion 30 are joined by multi-color molding.

[0012] The second portion 30, which is the mounting portion, preferably includes a seal portion 32 to which the outer lens 3 is attached. The seal portion 32 is a portion to which a sealant for attaching the outer lens 3 is provided. In the illustrated example, the seal portion 32 has a groove portion 33, and the protruding portion 4 of the outer lens 3 is inserted into the groove portion 33 provided with the sealant, thereby attaching the outer lens 3 to the housing member 10. The sealant may be made of a hot melt adhesive or the like. Note that the attachment of the outer lens 3 to the housing member 10 may be reinforced by screwing or clipping in addition to the attachment using the sealant. The second portion 30, which is the mounting portion, preferably includes a vehicle body mounting portion 34 for mounting the vehicle lamp 1 to a vehicle body. In the illustrated example, the vehicle body mounting portion 34 protrudes to the outside of the housing member 10 and includes a fixing portion 35 that is fixed to the vehicle body. The second portion 30, which is the mounting portion, preferably includes a light source member supporting portion 36 (an example of a heat-generating member supporting portion) for supporting the light source member 5 mounted on the housing member 10. In the illustrated example, the light source member 5 is directly mounted on an upper portion of the light source member supporting portion 36.

[0013] The second portion 30 preferably includes at least one of the sealing portion 32, the vehicle body mounting portion 34, and the light source member support portion 36. In the illustrated example, the second portion 30 includes all of the sealing portion 32, the vehicle body mounting portion 34, and the light source member support portion 36. The housing member 10 may also include an opening for passing an electric cable through, an opening for allowing gas to flow between the inside and outside of the lamp chamber S, and the like.

[0014] The first portion 20 is made of a first resin material containing polypropylene as a main component. The second portion 30 is made of a second resin material containing polypropylene as a main component and a filler. The first resin material and the second resin material have different compositions. The vehicle lamp 1 can be made lighter by forming the housing member 10 from the first resin member and the second resin member containing lightweight polypropylene as a main component. In addition, the rigidity of the housing member 10 can be partially increased by forming the second portion 30 from the second resin material containing filler. This makes it possible to provide a housing member 10 that is lightweight and has partially high rigidity. In addition, the second portion 30 with high rigidity allows for stable attachment of the member and attachment to the vehicle body.

[0015] The first resin material preferably contains plant fibers. Plant fibers are fibers whose main components are cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and the like. When the first resin member constituting the first portion 20 contains plant fibers, the rigidity of the first portion 20 can be increased. In addition, the housing member 10 can be made lighter than when it contains inorganic fillers, etc. In addition, the use of plant-derived materials can reduce the environmental impact. Examples of plant fibers include pulp, jute hemp, Manila hemp, sisal hemp, gampi, mitsumata, paper mulberry, cedar, bamboo, cacao, kenaf, banana, pineapple, sugar cane, coconut, corn, bagasse, palm, reed, esparto, sabai grass, palm, bamboo, pine, mulberry, agave, wheat, rice, and cypress. The first resin material may contain a small amount of heavy filler, such as talc, wollastonite, potassium titanate, xonotlite, aluminum borate, MOS, carbon fiber, glass fiber, talc, mica, glass flakes, whiskers, etc. The first resin material preferably has a deflection temperature under load (0.45 MPa) of 120°C or higher. The first resin material preferably has a durability against light sources and engine heat such that the rate of decrease in physical properties after standing for 1000 hours in an atmosphere at 90°C is 5% or less. The first resin material preferably has a durability in a high temperature and high humidity environment such that the rate of decrease in physical properties after standing for 1000 hours in an atmosphere at a temperature of 60°C and a humidity of 95% is 5% or less. The first resin material preferably does not develop cracks or the like after standing for 500 hours in an atmosphere at 150°C. The polypropylene, which is the main component of the first resin material, preferably has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 250,000 to 450,000. When the first resin material contains vegetable fibers, it preferably contains vegetable fibers in an amount of 5% to 50% by weight. When the first resin material contains a filler other than vegetable fibers, it preferably contains the filler other than vegetable fibers in an amount of 10% to 40% by weight.

[0016] The filler contained in the second resin material is preferably an inorganic filler. By containing an inorganic filler in the second resin material constituting the second portion 30, the rigidity of the housing member 10 can be partially further increased. This makes it possible to provide a housing member 10 that is lightweight and has partially higher rigidity. Examples of the inorganic filler include wollastonite, potassium titanate, xonotlite, aluminum borate, MOS, carbon fiber, glass fiber, talc, mica, glass flakes, whiskers, and the like. Glass fiber, talc, and whiskers are inorganic fillers that are widely used, and therefore are preferable for application to the second resin material of the present disclosure. In particular, glass fiber can further increase the rigidity of the second portion 30 and further improve the impact resistance, and is more preferable for application to the second resin material of the present disclosure. The second resin material preferably has a deflection temperature under load (0.45 MPa) of 120°C or higher. The second resin material preferably has a durability against light sources and engine heat such that the rate of decrease in physical properties after standing for 1000 hours in an atmosphere at a temperature of 90°C is 5% or less. The second resin material preferably has a durability in a high temperature and high humidity environment such that the rate of decrease in physical properties after standing for 1000 hours in an atmosphere at a temperature of 60°C and humidity of 95% is 5% or less. The second resin material preferably does not develop cracks or the like after standing for 500 hours in an atmosphere at 150°C. The polypropylene, which is the main component of the second resin material, preferably has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 250,000 or more and 450,000 or less. The second resin material preferably contains a filler of 10% by weight or more and 40% by weight or less. The second resin material preferably has a water absorption rate of 0.5% or less when it is left in a 90°C atmosphere for 24 hours on a flat plate with a thickness of 50 mm x 50 mm x 2 mm and then tested in an atmosphere with a temperature of 60°C and a humidity of 95% for 24 hours. By using a second resin material with a water absorption rate of 0.5% or less when tested in an atmosphere with a temperature of 60°C and a humidity of 95% for 24 hours, it is possible to suppress the generation of gas from the second part 30 made of the second resin material. This makes it possible to suppress the deterioration of the sealant and the generation of cloudiness.

[0017] However, resin materials containing plant fibers have a high water absorption rate, and when such resin materials are used for housing members, gas is likely to be generated due to temperature rise, etc. In particular, when the housing member is used for a headlamp, the temperature is likely to rise due to engine heat or heat generated when the headlamp is turned on. The generation of gas can cause the deterioration of the sealant provided in the seal portion. By forming the seal portion 32 for attaching the outer lens 3 with a second resin material having a low water absorption rate different from the first resin material containing plant fibers, the deterioration of the sealant can be suitably suppressed. In addition, by forming the light source member support portion 36 for supporting the light source member 5 that can generate heat with a second resin material having a low water absorption rate different from the first resin material containing plant fibers, the generation of gas can be suppressed, and the fogging of the vehicle lamp 1 can be suitably suppressed. In addition, the second resin material contains an inorganic filler, so that the rigidity of the housing member can be partially increased.

[0018] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of the embodiment. The embodiment is merely an example, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiment are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0019] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the housing member 10 was made of a first resin material and a second resin material, but the housing member of the present disclosure may have other parts made of resin materials other than the first resin material and the second resin material.

[0020] In the above embodiment, the second portion 30 includes all of the seal portion 32, the vehicle body mounting portion 34, and the light source member support portion 36. However, the housing member 10 of the present disclosure is not limited to this embodiment. The second portion 30 may entirely constitute only the seal portion 32, may entirely constitute only the vehicle body mounting portion 34, or may entirely constitute only the light source member support portion 36. Any one of the seal portion 32, the vehicle body mounting portion 34, and the light source member support portion 36 may be formed by the second portion 30 made of the second resin material, and any one of the seal portion 32, the vehicle body mounting portion 34, and the light source member support portion 36 that is not formed by the second portion 30 may be formed by the first portion 20 made of the first resin material or a portion made of a resin material other than the first resin material and the second resin material. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 1: vehicle lamp, 3: outer lens, 4: protruding portion, 5: light source member, 10: housing member, 20: first portion, 30: second portion, 32: seal portion, 33: groove portion, 34: vehicle body mounting portion, 35: fixing portion, 36: light source member support portion, S: lamp chamber

Claims

1. A housing member for a vehicle lamp, comprising: a first portion made of a first resin material containing polypropylene as a main component; and a second portion made of a second resin material containing polypropylene as a main component and containing a filler, the first resin material and the second resin material have different compositions; the second portion is a mounting portion to which other members constituting the vehicular lamp are attached or for mounting the vehicular lamp to a vehicle body, The first portion and the second portion are integrated together by multi-color molding. A housing member for a vehicle lamp.

2. the mounting portion includes a seal portion to which the outer lens is attached, 2. The housing member according to claim 1, wherein the seal portion is a portion to which a sealant for mounting the outer lens is applied.

3. 3. The housing member according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion includes a vehicle body mounting portion for mounting the vehicle lamp to a vehicle body.

4. The housing member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mounting portion includes a heat generating member support portion for supporting a heat generating member mounted on the housing member.

5. The housing member according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first resin material contains vegetable fibers.

6. The housing member according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the filler is an inorganic filler.

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