Vehicle lighting fixtures

Abstract

To provide a vehicular lighting fixture capable of achieving light weight, and improvement in rigidity.SOLUTION: A vehicular lighting fixture (1) is provided which includes: a container-like lamp body (2) in which a front surface opens; and a front cover (4) assembled to a front surface opening part of the lamp body (2), and for defining a lamp chamber inside. At a back surface wall (6) of the lamp body (2), a plurality of beams in which cross-section is substantially circular arc-shaped constituting part of the back surface wall (6) extends in a truss-like shape from an upper edge part to a lower edge part of the back surface wall (6). As the beams whose cross-section is circular arc-shaped disperses stress, rigidity of the back surface wall improves. Also, by the truss structure of the beams constituting part of the back surface wall, rigidity is improved without adding a reinforcement member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp having a lamp body and a front cover. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, there has been a demand for lighter lamps from the perspective of carbon neutrality. Simply reducing the thickness of the lamp body to reduce weight can result in a decrease in the rigidity of the body. Furthermore, the number of components mounted on vehicle lamps is increasing due to factors such as an increase in the number of lamp units to be housed and an increase in sensors to improve safety performance. This increases the load on the lamp body to which the components are attached, raising concerns about deformation and interference problems. To prevent these problems, it is necessary to improve the rigidity of the lamp body. For example, in Patent Document 1, a reinforcing rib is provided on the lamp body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2010-123292 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, providing reinforcing ribs to improve the rigidity of the lamp body results in an increase in the weight of the lamp body.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a vehicle lamp that can be made lighter and has improved rigidity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, one configuration of the present disclosure provides a vehicle lamp comprising a container-shaped lamp body that is open at the front, and a front cover that is assembled to the front opening of the lamp body and defines a lamp chamber inside, and the rear wall of the lamp body has a plurality of beams that are approximately arc-shaped in cross section and form part of the rear wall, extending in a truss-like manner from the upper edge to the lower edge of the rear wall.

[0007] According to this aspect, the rigidity of the rear wall is improved by the truss structure of the beams. Because the cross section of the beams is formed of curved surfaces that are approximately arc-shaped, stress is dispersed more than when the beams are formed of flat surfaces. This improves the rigidity of the lamp body, reduces the need for rib reinforcement, and reduces weight.

[0008] In one aspect, the rear wall of the lamp body is configured to be connected to at least one of the ceiling, bottom, and left and right side surfaces of the lamp body via a ridge line. According to this aspect, the formation of corners at the connection points between surfaces where stress concentrates is suppressed, and the rigidity of the lamp body is improved.

[0009] In one embodiment, a seal groove is provided around the periphery of the front opening of the lamp body to engage with the seal legs of the front cover, and at least a portion of the seal groove forms a truss structure together with the beams formed in the lamp body. In this embodiment, the highly rigid seal groove, which engages with other components, is made part of the beams of the truss structure, thereby further improving the rigidity of the rear wall and, ultimately, the lamp body.

[0010] In one embodiment, the rear wall of the lamp body is provided with a plurality of holes for mounting components, and at least one of the holes is provided at the end of the beam. Similar to the seal groove, the mounting hole that engages with other components has high rigidity, and by using it as part of the beam, the truss structure described above is strengthened.

[0011] In one aspect, at least a portion of the protruding end of the protruding portion provided on the rear wall extends toward the base end of the protruding portion to form part of the rear wall. By making the protruding portion also form part of the rear wall, rigidity is increased. Furthermore, there is no need to provide a rib on the portion extending from the protruding portion to form part of the rear wall, which allows for weight reduction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As is clear from the above description, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp that can achieve a reduction in weight and an improvement in rigidity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle lamp according to a preferred embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is an end view of the lamp body taken along the indicated lines (cutting planes) shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a truss structure using beams, corresponding to FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams of the shape of a lamp body, in which Fig. 6A is a vertical end view of a lamp body 102 having a conventional configuration for comparison, and Fig. 6B is a vertical end view of a lamp body 2. [Figure 7] 7A and 7B are enlarged views of part F in Fig. 2. Fig. 7A is a front perspective view, and Fig. 7B is a rear perspective view. [Figure 8] This is an enlarged view of part F in Fig. 2. Fig. 8(A) is a front view, Fig. 8(B) is a horizontal end view taken along line GG in Fig. 8(A), and Fig. 8(C) is an end view taken along line HH in Fig. 8(A). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Specific embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. In addition, in the following description of the embodiments and modifications, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0015] (Vehicle lighting fixtures 1) 1 is a front view of a vehicle lamp 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle lamp 1 is a headlamp mounted on the left and right corners of the front of a vehicle.

[0016] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle lamp 1 comprises a container-shaped lamp body 2 that is open at the front side, and a front cover 4 that is attached to the front opening of the lamp body 2. The front cover 4 is made of a translucent resin such as polycarbonate or glass, and by attaching the front cover 4 to the opening of the lamp body 2, a lamp chamber S is defined inside.

[0017] The lamp chamber S accommodates a high beam lamp unit Hi and a low beam lamp unit Lo.

[0018] The high beam lamp unit Hi and the low beam lamp unit Lo are optical units configured to irradiate light emitted from a light source ahead of the vehicle to form a high beam light distribution and a low beam light distribution. Each lamp unit (Hi, Lo) uses a lamp unit of a conventionally known configuration, such as a reflector type or projector type, and the type is not important.

[0019] (Lamp body 2) The shape of the lamp body 2 will be described in detail below. Fig. 2 is a front view of the lamp body 2. Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the lamp body 2.

[0020] The lamp body 2 is injection molded from a hard synthetic resin material. A seal groove 3 is provided around the periphery of the front opening of the lamp body 2 to engage with a seal leg provided around the periphery of the front cover 4. On the outer surface of the periphery of the front opening of the lamp body 2, a vehicle body mounting portion 5 for mounting to the vehicle body is provided so as to protrude in accordance with the shape of the mounting portion on the vehicle body. The vehicle body mounting portions 5 are provided in a total of five locations on the outer surface of the lamp body 2: three on the top and two on the left.

[0021] The lamp body 2 has a rear wall 6, a ceiling surface 7, a bottom surface 8, and left and right side surfaces 9, 9 as its constituent surfaces. The rear wall 6 bulges rearward and is connected to the adjacent ceiling surface 7, bottom surface 8, and side surfaces 9, 9 via ridges. The ceiling surface 7, bottom surface 8, and side surfaces 9, 9 basically have a convex curved shape that bulges gently toward the outside of the lamp body 2, and are gently curved at their edges, connecting continuously without bends or steps. Therefore, the lamp body 2 is formed as a rounded container overall. In this embodiment, the ceiling surface 7 extends from the opening of the lamp body 2 toward the rear, but the extension is small. It extends from the edge of the opening, gently curving downward toward the rear, and connects to the rear wall 6, forming an integral part with the rear wall 6. Thus, the constituent surfaces of the lamp body 2 are primarily curved surfaces with a large radius of curvature, rather than flat surfaces.

[0022] In the lamp body 2, a first unit mounting hole 31 for mounting a low beam lamp unit Lo is formed in the upper center of the rear wall 6. In addition, a second unit mounting hole 32 for mounting a high beam lamp unit Hi is formed in the upper left of the rear wall 6.

[0023] In addition, the lamp body 2 has a first aiming member mounting hole 41, a second aiming member mounting hole 42, and a third aiming member mounting hole 43 formed around the first unit mounting hole 31. Aiming members (not shown) are mounted in the aiming member mounting holes 41, 42, and 43, respectively.

[0024] The first aiming member mounting hole 41 is disposed between the first unit mounting hole 31 and the second unit mounting hole 32 in the left-right direction and is provided at the lower edge of the rear wall 6 in the up-down direction. The second aiming member mounting hole 42 is provided at a position roughly symmetrical to the first aiming member mounting hole 41, with the first unit mounting hole 31 as the reference. Therefore, the second aiming member mounting hole 42 is provided at the lower edge of the rear wall 6, offset from the first unit mounting hole 31 to the right, opposite the left side where the first aiming member mounting hole 41 is provided, by a distance roughly equal to the distance from the first unit mounting hole 31 to the first aiming member mounting hole 41. The third aiming member mounting hole 43 is formed at the upper end of the rear wall 6 above the second aiming member mounting hole 42.

[0025] Furthermore, the lamp body 2 is formed with a ventilation hole 50 in the rightmost area of ​​the rear wall 6, to the right of the third aiming member mounting hole 43. This ventilation hole 50 allows the air inside the lamp chamber S to expand and contract due to heat generated by the lighting of the light sources of the lamp units Hi and Lo and changes in temperature, and also allows moisture inside the lamp chamber S to escape to the outside, preventing moisture from accumulating inside the lamp chamber S. This prevents fogging inside the lamp chamber S caused by moisture inside the lamp chamber S adhering to the front cover 4 from the inside of the lamp chamber S.

[0026] (Back wall and beam) A first beam 61, a second beam 62, a third beam 63, a fourth beam 64, and a fifth beam 65, which constitute part of the rear wall 6, extend from the upper end to the lower end of the rear wall 6. Here, the part of the rear wall 6 other than the parts constituting the beams 61 to 65 is referred to as a rear wall main body 69.

[0027] The first beam 61 extends generally upward in a straight line from the first aiming member attachment hole 41 provided in the lower end of the rear wall 6 to the upper end of the rear wall 6 when viewed from the front.

[0028] The second beam 62 extends from the lower first aiming member mounting hole 41 to the upper second unit mounting hole 32. Therefore, the second beam 62 is formed to be inclined to the right when viewed from the front.

[0029] The third beam 63 extends so as to connect the lower second aiming member mounting hole 42 and the upper first unit mounting hole 31. For this reason, the third beam 63 is formed so as to incline to the left, in the opposite direction to the second beam 62, when viewed from the front.

[0030] The fourth beam 64 extends from the lower second aiming member mounting hole 42 to the upper third aiming member mounting hole 43. Therefore, the fourth beam 64 is formed substantially vertically when viewed from the front.

[0031] The fifth beam 65 starts from the second aiming member attachment hole 42 on the lower side and the breathing hole 50 on the upper side, and extends to connect the two. For this reason, the fifth beam is formed to be inclined to the right when viewed from the front.

[0032] FIG. 4 is an end view taken along the cutting line shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4(A) is an end view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and mainly shows the cross-sectional shape of the first beam 61. FIG. 4(B) is an end view taken along line BB in FIG. 2, and mainly shows the cross-sectional shape of the second beam 62. FIG. 4(C) is an end view taken along line CC in FIG. 2, and mainly shows the cross-sectional shape of the third beam 63. FIG. 4(D) is an end view taken along line DD in FIG. 2, and mainly shows the cross-sectional shape of the fourth beam 64. FIG. 4(E) is an end view taken along line EE in FIG. 2, and mainly shows the cross-sectional shape of the fifth beam 65.

[0033] As shown in Figures 5(A) to 5(E), the cross-sectional shape of each beam 61 to 65, taken perpendicular to its extension direction, is generally arc-shaped, although the radius of curvature, width, and protrusion amount vary. Beams 61, 62, 63, and 65 are formed so that the protruding direction of their curved surfaces is toward the lamp chamber S (forward). Beam 64 is formed so that its curved surface and protruding direction are toward the outside of the lamp chamber S (rearward).

[0034] Regardless of the protruding direction, each beam 61 to 65 is smoothly connected to the rear wall main body 69 via a ridge line, and the corresponding cross-sectional shape of the lamp body 2 is continuous without any bends while maintaining a constant thickness. For example, the vertical cross-sectional shape of the rear wall 6 including the second beam 62 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4(B). As shown in FIG. 4(B), a seal groove 3 is provided at the upper edge of the opening of the lamp body 2 (see also FIG. 2). From there, a rear wall main body 69, which is integrated with the ceiling surface 7, extends downward on the rear surface. At the boundary with the second beam 62, it curves forward and smoothly connects to the second beam 62. The second beam 62 extends downward, curves forward, and then curves back toward the rear surface, forming a generally arc-shaped shape that bulges forward. The second beam 62 curves downward and forward at its lower edge and smoothly connects again to the rear wall main body 69. The rear wall main body 69 extends downward and curves toward the inside of the lamp chamber S to connect to the edge of the bottom surface 8, which is curved with the same curvature. The bottom surface 8 continues to extend forward and connects to the seal groove 3 provided at the lower edge of the opening of the lamp body 2. In this way, the ceiling surface 7 and the rear wall main body 69, the rear wall main body 69 and the second beam 62, and the rear wall main body 69 and the bottom surface 8 are smoothly curved with the same curvature at their respective connection points so as not to form bends or steps.

[0035] 5(A), (C), (D), and (E), the first beam 61, the third beam 63, the fourth beam 64 (the convex directions of the beam portions are opposite), and the fifth beam 65 are also connected to the rear wall main body 69 via ridges in a similar manner. In this way, each of the beams 61 to 65 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the rear wall 6 while maintaining a substantially arc-shaped cross section in the extension direction, and is connected continuously and smoothly to the rear wall main body 69 as adjacent surfaces at their ends without forming steps or corners.

[0036] The cross-sectional shape of the lamp body 2 configured as described above is a wave-like shape with a series of complex curves. Furthermore, the rear wall 6, ceiling surface 7, bottom surface 8, and side surfaces 9, 9 are also similarly connected via ridges, and at their boundaries, they are curved with the same curvature and smoothly connected. The rear wall 6, ceiling surface 7, bottom surface 8, and side surfaces 9, 9 themselves are generally curved surfaces that bulge outward with a large radius of curvature, and adjacent curved surfaces are smoothly connected. As a result, the lamp body 2 itself is mainly composed of curved surfaces, the formation of corners is reduced, and the wall thickness is maintained at a roughly constant level.

[0037] (Action and effect) The effects of the rear wall 6 and lamp body 2 configured as above will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a front view of the lamp body 2, with beams 61 to 65 of the lamp body 2 indicated in light ink.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, each beam 61-65 extends from the upper end to the lower end of the rear wall 6, and one beam extends diagonally from the other beam, forming a truss structure with a triangular unit. Therefore, the lamp body 2 including the rear wall 6 has a structure that is resistant to deformation under load. Furthermore, the beams 61-65 themselves have curved surfaces with a substantially arc-shaped cross section that distributes stress, resulting in a structure with high rigidity that is more resistant to deformation. This improves the rigidity of the lamp body 2, and the improved rigidity allows for a thinner wall, which contributes to weight reduction.

[0039] In this embodiment, the ends of each beam 61 to 65 are provided with a first unit mounting hole 31 and aiming member mounting holes 41, 42, 43, which are provided in the rear wall 6. Since the mounting holes are used to mount other components, they are thicker and more rigid than other parts of the rear wall 6, and so these structurally necessary components are used in parts of the beams, particularly in important joints of the beams, thereby improving the rigidity of the rear wall 6 and, in turn, the lamp body 2. Note that a waterproof wall is provided around the breathing hole 50 to surround it, making it a location with high rigidity, similar to the mounting holes.

[0040] In addition, a part of the seal groove 3 at the opening also constitutes part of the truss structure. Like the mounting hole, the seal groove 3 at the opening is configured to be thicker and more rigid than other parts because it is the part that other parts engage with (see FIG. 4). By using at least a part of the seal groove 3 to form a truss structure together with the beams 61 to 65, the rigidity of the lamp body 2 is improved.

[0041] Next, we will explain the effects of the shape of the lamp body 2. Fig. 6(A) is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic diagram of a lamp body 102 with a conventional configuration for comparison. Fig. 6(B) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the lamp body 2.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6(A), a lamp body 102 with a conventional configuration has a generally flat rear wall 106, a ceiling surface 107, and a bottom surface 108. The ceiling surface 107 and the bottom surface 108, which are horizontal surfaces, are connected to the upper and lower ends of the vertically disposed rear wall 106. This results in corners that are bent at 90 degrees at the connection points. Corners formed by the collision of two flat surfaces in this manner are prone to stress concentration. To suppress deformation due to stress concentration and ensure rigidity, ribs 110 are provided at the corners.

[0043] In contrast, as shown in FIG. 6(B), in the lamp body 2, the rear wall 6, ceiling surface 7, and bottom surface 8 are connected to one another via ridges. In this way, the lamp body 2 is mainly composed of curved surfaces, and adjacent surfaces are connected at their boundaries by curving with the same curvature. The constituent surfaces are smoothly continuous, and no bends are formed at the connections, and no corners due to stress concentration are formed. By suppressing the formation of corners where stress concentrates, stress is dispersed, resulting in a structure that is resistant to deformation and has high rigidity. In this embodiment, all of the constituent surfaces are connected by ridges, but it is sufficient that at least the rear wall 6 is connected to one of the ceiling surface 7, bottom surface 8, and side surfaces 9, 9 via a ridge.

[0044] Similarly, the beams 61-65 are connected to the rear wall main body 69 via ridges, and are smoothly continuous even at the connection points. Therefore, the cross-sectional shape of the rear wall 6 is configured to be corrugated without bends, which suppresses stress concentration at corners and improves rigidity. In this case, as long as it is not flat, the direction in which each beam 61-65 curves relative to the extension direction (the protruding direction of the approximately arc-shaped cross section) may be either forward or backward (toward the rear).

[0045] Furthermore, the thickness can be kept roughly constant even at the connection points with surfaces that tend to be thick, which contributes to weight reduction.In addition, the connection points of reinforcing members such as ribs and corners tend to be thick and trap heat, which makes them prone to molding defects during resin molding, but by reducing this, molding defects can also be suppressed.

[0046] (Boss shape) The lamp body 2 is mainly configured as a series of curved surfaces so as not to have any bent portions, and this structure is equally applicable to holes, bosses, etc. provided in the rear wall 6. This will be explained using Figures 7 and 8. Figures 7 and 8 show part F in Figure 2, mainly showing the third aiming member mounting hole 43. Figure 7(A) is a front perspective view, and Figure 7(B) is a rear perspective view. Figure 8(A) shows a front view of part F. Figure 8(B) is an end view taken along line GG shown in Figure 8(A). Figure 8(C) is an end view taken along line HH shown in Figure 8(A).

[0047] 7 and 8, the third aiming member attachment hole 43 is configured by a cylindrical boss peripheral wall 71 and a boss bottom surface 72, and is provided so as to protrude forward from the rear wall 6. The third aiming member attachment hole 43 is not a through-hole but is provided in the shape of a boss with a bottom surface, into which the shaft of the pivot member is inserted.

[0048] The boss peripheral wall 71 is provided to protrude from the rear wall 6, but similar to the beam structure described above, it constitutes part of the rear wall 6 and is connected to the rear wall 6 via a ridge. Furthermore, in order to reduce the thickness of the wall, at least a portion of the boss peripheral wall 71 extends from the opening at the tip end toward the base end and is connected to the rear wall 6.

[0049] This structure will be explained in detail using the drawings. In the rear wall 6 around the boss peripheral wall 71, an upper region 75 and a lower region 76 of the boss peripheral wall 71 are formed concavely toward the rear surface when viewed from the front, while a left region 73 and a right region 74 of the boss peripheral wall 71 are formed convexly in comparison (see FIG. 7(A)). The boss peripheral wall 71 is formed thick because it engages with other components, but the thickness of the rear wall 6 is kept roughly constant. Therefore, when viewed from the rear, the upper region 75 and the lower region 76 are formed convexly, while the left region 73 and the right region 74 are formed concavely (see FIG. 7(B)). As a result, the boss peripheral wall 71 is formed convexly on the rear wall 6 in the upper and lower regions (see FIG. 8(C)), and concavely on the left and right regions (see FIG. 8(B)).

[0050] The boss peripheral wall 71 extends gently toward the rear surface at the edge of the left-right region of the tip opening and is connected to the rear wall 6, forming part of the rear wall 6. The boss bottom surface 72 is continuous with the rear wall main body 69 at its vertical edge without any steps, and is integral with it. Part of the tip and part of the base end of the protrusion (boss peripheral wall 71) are directly connected to the rear wall 6, resulting in high rigidity. Conventionally, it was necessary to provide ribs at the landing portion (base end) of the protrusion to improve rigidity, which resulted in the rib connection portion being thick. However, in this embodiment, the above structure allows for a so-called thickness reduction configuration, which reinforces the boss shape without creating thick portions.

[0051] In the configuration of the present disclosure, beams are provided on the back wall, but beams may also be provided on the ceiling, bottom, and side surfaces. The extension direction and shape of each beam are merely examples, and other types of truss shapes may be used as long as a truss structure based on a triangle is formed. Furthermore, the joints of the beams are not limited to mounting holes, and highly rigid parts such as protrusions, mounting parts, and ventilation holes may also be used. A structure in which mounting holes or protrusions are provided midway along the beams is also possible.

[0052] The above describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the above embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and these can be combined based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such forms are also included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1: Vehicle lighting fixtures 2: Body 2: Lamp body 3: Seal groove 4: Front cover 6: Back wall 7: Ceiling surface 8: Bottom 9: Side 31~32: Unit mounting holes 41-43: Aiming member mounting holes 61~65: Beam S:Light room

Claims

1. a container-shaped lamp body with an open front; a front cover that is attached to the front opening of the lamp body and defines a lamp chamber therein; A plurality of beams, each having a substantially arc-shaped cross section and constituting a part of the rear wall, extend in a truss shape from an upper edge to a lower edge of the rear wall. A vehicle lamp characterized by:

2. The rear wall of the lamp body is connected to at least one of a ceiling surface, a bottom surface, and left and right side surfaces of the lamp body via a ridge line.

2. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1.

3. a seal groove for engaging with a seal leg of the front cover is provided around the periphery of the front opening of the lamp body, and at least a part of the seal groove forms a truss structure together with the plurality of beams formed in the lamp body; 3. A vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The rear wall of the lamp body is provided with a plurality of holes for mounting components, At least one of the holes is provided at an end of the beam.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are electrically connected to the first and second electrodes.

5. In the protrusion provided on the rear wall, at least a part of a protruding end of the protrusion extends toward a base end side of the protrusion to form a part of the rear wall.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a light source for a vehicle.

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