Lamp cleaner mounting structure

Abstract

To provide an attachment structure of a lamp cleaner which has good design despite having a simple structure.SOLUTION: An attachment structure of a lamp cleaner 20 includes: a head lamp 10 provided at an end of a vehicle and having a lamp lens 12; a bezel cover 14 provided with a lamp opening 16; a lamp cleaner 20 configured to jet a cleaning fluid to a surface of the lamp lens 12; and a bracket 26 which holds the lamp cleaner 20 and is fastened to a rear surface of the bezel cover 14. The bezel cover 14 has a cleaner opening 18 through which the cleaning fluid jetted from the lamp cleaner 20 passes. The bracket 26 has a cover part 30 which covers the cleaner opening 18 from the vehicle inner side. The bracket 26 holds the lamp cleaner 20 at a position offset from the cleaner opening 18 in a front view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This specification discloses an attachment structure of a lamp cleaner that injects cleaning liquid onto an in-vehicle lamp.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, lamps for illuminating the surroundings or transmitting information to the surroundings have been provided at the ends of vehicles. Naturally, such lamps are required to maintain a sufficient light quantity.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Therefore, conventionally, a lamp cleaner that injects cleaning liquid onto the surface of a lamp to clean the surface of the lamp has been proposed. In many cases, the periphery of the lamp is covered with a resin panel member called a bezel or a bumper, and the lamp cleaner protrudes outward from the surface of this panel member. In this case, the design property of the vehicle may be degraded by the lamp cleaner.

[0005] Therefore, in some cases, a movable lamp cleaner has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a movable lamp cleaner. Such a lamp cleaner retracts to the back side of the panel member when not in use, and advances to the outside of the panel member when in use. According to such a lamp cleaner, the design property can be improved.

[0006] However, in the case of a movable lamp cleaner as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the structure becomes complicated, leading to an increase in cost and the like.

[0007] Therefore, this specification discloses a lamp cleaner mounting structure that is simple in configuration yet highly aesthetically pleasing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The lamp cleaner mounting structure disclosed herein comprises an on-board lamp provided at the end of a vehicle and having a lamp lens exposed to the outside of the vehicle; a panel member having a lamp opening formed therein that exposes the surface of the lamp lens to the outside; a lamp cleaner that sprays cleaning fluid onto the surface of the lamp lens; and a bracket that holds the lamp cleaner and is fixed to the back surface of the panel member, wherein the panel member has a cleaner opening through which the cleaning fluid sprayed from the lamp cleaner passes, the bracket has a cover portion that covers the cleaner opening from the inside of the vehicle, and the bracket holds the lamp cleaner at a position offset from the cleaner opening in a front view.

[0009] This configuration prevents the lamp cleaner from being visible from outside the vehicle. Furthermore, because the cleaner opening is covered by the cover, it becomes less conspicuous. As a result, a high level of aesthetic appeal is maintained despite the simple configuration.

[0010] In this case, the lamp cleaner is located on the opposite side of the lamp opening, straddling the cleaner opening, and the cover portion is a wall that extends from a position closer to the lamp lens on the periphery of the cleaner opening across the cleaner opening to the vicinity of the lamp cleaner, and the cover portion extends in a direction away from the design surface of the panel member as it moves outward in the surface direction of the lamp lens, and the cover portion may extend in a direction substantially parallel to the spray direction of the cleaning liquid.

[0011] This configuration makes the cleaner opening less conspicuous. Furthermore, because the cover extends in a direction approximately parallel to the direction of the cleaning fluid spray, the cover functions as a guide member that directs the spray direction of the cleaning fluid. As a result, the cleaning fluid can be sprayed more effectively.

[0012] Furthermore, the cleaner opening is positioned near the upper corner of the lamp opening, the panel member protrudes in an overhang shape above the lamp lens, and the lamp cleaner may spray the cleaning solution diagonally downward.

[0013] This configuration makes the cleaner opening less visible to standing users. As a result, the vehicle's aesthetic appeal is maintained. In addition, because the cleaning fluid nozzle is angled downwards, snow and dust are less likely to accumulate in the nozzle. As a result, the lamp cleaner's performance is more easily maintained.

[0014] In this case, the on-board lamp is a headlamp provided at the front of the vehicle, the panel member is cone-shaped and extends forward from the lamp opening towards the front of the vehicle, and the cleaner opening may be located in front of the center of the lamp lens.

[0015] This configuration allows the cleaning solution sprayed from the lamp cleaner to reach the center of the lamp lens without being obstructed by its periphery. As a result, the lamp lens can be cleaned more effectively.

[0016] Furthermore, the texture and color of the cover portion may be substantially the same as the texture and color of the panel member.

[0017] This configuration makes the cleaner opening less conspicuous. As a result, the vehicle's aesthetic design is improved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The technology disclosed herein allows for a simple configuration while maintaining a high level of aesthetic appeal. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the area around the headlights. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of a bracket.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, the mounting structure of the lamp cleaner 20 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the headlamp 10 provided at the front end of the vehicle. Further, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bracket 26. In each figure, Fr, Up, and Rh indicate the front, upper, and right side of the vehicle, respectively.

[0021] A headlamp 10 is provided at the front end of the vehicle. The headlamp 10 is a kind of in-vehicle lamp that irradiates the front of the vehicle. A lamp lens 12 for transmitting light from a light source (not shown) is provided at the front end of the headlamp 10. The lamp lens 12 is exposed outside the vehicle. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the lamp lens 12 is curved so as to protrude forward of the vehicle.

[0022] The bezel cover 14 is a panel member arranged to surround the lamp lens 12. The bezel cover 14 is a decorative panel made of resin. A lamp opening 16 for exposing the surface of the lamp lens 12 to the outside of the vehicle is formed in the bezel cover 14. The bezel cover 14 spreads in a cone shape from the lamp opening 16 toward the front of the vehicle. In other words, the center of the bezel cover 14 is recessed toward the rear of the vehicle, and a lamp opening 16 is formed in the recess. Therefore, the bezel cover 14 projects in a eaves shape above the lamp lens 12.

[0023] A cleaner opening 18 is further formed in the bezel cover 14. The cleaner opening 18 is arranged near the upper corner of the lamp opening 16. The cleaner opening 18 is a hole through which the cleaning liquid sprayed from the lamp cleaner 20 described later passes.

[0024] The lamp cleaner 20 is a device that cleans the surface of the lamp lens 12 by spraying cleaning fluid onto the surface of the lamp lens 12. As shown in Figure 2, the lamp cleaner 20 is approximately cylindrical in shape. The front end of the lamp cleaner 20 is provided with a nozzle 22 for forcefully spraying the cleaning fluid. The lamp cleaner 20 sprays the cleaning fluid from this nozzle 22 toward approximately the center of the lamp lens 12. In this example, the cleaner opening 18 is formed near the upper corner of the lamp lens 12. The center of the lamp lens 12 is located diagonally downward when viewed from the lamp cleaner 20. Therefore, the nozzle 22 of the lamp cleaner 20 is directed diagonally downward, and the cleaning fluid is sprayed diagonally downward from this nozzle 22. Here, the angle θ between the spray direction of the cleaning fluid and the surface of the lamp lens 12 is acute. More specifically, this angle θ is less than 45 degrees, for example, 30 degrees or less. In this way, by reducing the angle θ, the area over which the cleaning solution directly contacts the lamp lens 12 increases.

[0025] The bracket 26 is a resin component that holds the lamp cleaner 20. As shown in Figure 2, the bracket 26 is attached to the back surface of the bezel cover 14 (i.e., the surface not visible from outside the vehicle) with double-sided adhesive tape. The thick lines in Figure 2 indicate this attachment point.

[0026] The texture and color of the bracket 26 are almost the same as those of the bezel cover 14. For example, the bracket 26 may be made of the same type of resin as the bezel cover 14. Such a bracket 26 has a retaining cylinder 28 into which the lamp cleaner 20 is inserted. When the lamp cleaner 20 is inserted into this retaining cylinder 28, it is claw-fitted with a part of the retaining cylinder 28.

[0027] A cover portion 30 extends from the front end of the retaining cylinder 28. The cover portion 30 is a wall that covers the cleaner opening 18 from the inside of the vehicle. In this example, the cover portion 30 extends from a position on the periphery of the cleaner opening 18 closer to the lamp lens 12 to a position that completely crosses the cleaner opening 18. Furthermore, the cover portion 30 extends in a direction away from the design surface of the bezel cover 14 as it moves outward in the surface direction of the lamp lens 12. The inclination direction of this cover portion 30 is approximately parallel to the spray direction of the cleaning fluid. In other words, the cover portion 30 also functions as a guide member that guides the discharge direction of the cleaning fluid. Moreover, the cover portion 30 is large enough to completely cover the cleaner opening 18.

[0028] The retaining cylinder 28 is connected to the rear end of the cover portion 30. Therefore, the retaining cylinder 28 is located on the opposite side of the lamp lens 12, with the cleaner opening 18 in between. As a result, the lamp cleaner 20 is held in a position offset from the cleaner opening 18 when viewed from the front. Therefore, when a user views the vehicle from the front, only the cover portion 30 is visible through the cleaner opening 18, and the lamp cleaner 20 is not visible.

[0029] As described above, the lamp lens 12 is curved convexly toward the front of the vehicle. The bezel cover 14 also widens in a cone shape toward the front of the vehicle, extending from the lamp opening 16 toward the front of the vehicle. The cleaner opening 18 is formed in this cone-shaped bezel cover 14. Therefore, the cleaner opening 18 is located in front of the center of the lamp lens 12. By spraying cleaning fluid from this cleaner opening 18, the cleaning fluid can reach the target position of the lamp lens 12 without interfering with the peripheral portion of the lamp lens 12. The target position of the lamp lens 12 is usually at the center of the lamp lens 12, or slightly above the center. By spraying cleaning fluid at this position, the cleaning fluid can easily spread along the surface of the lamp lens 12 and across the entire lamp lens 12.

[0030] As is clear from the explanation above, in this example, the bracket 26 is fixed to the back surface of the bezel cover 14, and the lamp cleaner 20 is held by the bracket 26. The reason for this configuration will be briefly explained below.

[0031] Conventionally, it has been widely proposed to provide a lamp cleaner 20 for cleaning the lamp lens 12. However, conventional lamp cleaners 20 often protrude to the outside of panel members (bezel cover, bumper, etc.), which detracts from the vehicle's aesthetic design. Therefore, some have proposed making the lamp cleaner 20 movable. In this case, the lamp cleaner 20 only extends to the outside of the panel member when spraying cleaning fluid, and retracts behind the panel member when not in use. Such a movable lamp cleaner 20 allows for a high level of vehicle aesthetics to be maintained. However, movable lamp cleaners 20 have a complex structure and are expensive.

[0032] In this example, as described above, the lamp cleaner 20 is positioned behind the bezel cover 14, which is a panel component, and a cleaner opening 18 for passing the cleaning liquid is formed in the bezel cover 14. With this configuration, the cleaning liquid can be sprayed onto the lamp lens 12 without the lamp cleaner 20 protruding outside the bezel cover 14. However, if the lamp cleaner 20 is located immediately behind the cleaner opening 18, the lamp cleaner 20 will be visible from the cleaner opening 18, which reduces the aesthetic appeal.

[0033] In this example, a bracket 26 having a cover portion 30 is fixed to the bezel cover 14, and the lamp cleaner 20 is held by this bracket 26 in a position offset from the cleaner opening 18. As a result, only the cover portion 30 of the bracket 26 is visible from the cleaner opening 18. The bracket 26, including the cover portion 30, is of the same material and color as the bezel cover 14. Therefore, even though the cover portion 30 is located on the back side of the cleaner opening 18, the cover portion 30 is hardly noticeable. As a result, users are unlikely to notice the presence of the cleaner opening 18, and consequently, the lamp cleaner 20. Consequently, the aesthetic design of the vehicle is maintained to a high degree.

[0034] As explained above, the bezel cover 14 extends in a cone shape from the lamp opening 16 toward the front of the vehicle. The cleaner opening 18 is located near the upper corner of the lamp opening 16. Here, the vehicle's headlamp 10 is usually positioned lower than the eye level of a standing person. Therefore, when a standing user looks around the headlamp 10, the lamp opening 16 is obscured by the overhanging bezel cover 14. As a result, the lamp opening 16 is almost invisible to a standing user. Consequently, the vehicle's aesthetic design is maintained to a higher degree.

[0035] Furthermore, since the lamp cleaner 20 is positioned diagonally above the lamp lens 12, the nozzle 22 of the lamp cleaner 20 is angled downwards. In this case, snow and debris are blocked by the overhanging bezel cover 14 as they approach the nozzle 22. Also, snow and debris that reach the nozzle 22 tend to fall due to gravity. As a result, the above configuration effectively prevents the nozzle 22 from becoming clogged with snow and debris, and effectively prevents performance degradation of the lamp cleaner 20.

[0036] It should be noted that the configurations described so far are all examples, and other configurations may be changed as long as the configuration described in claim 1 is met. For example, in the above description, the cleaner opening 18 is formed near the upper corner of the lamp opening 16. However, the cleaner opening 18 may be formed in another location. For example, the cleaner opening 18 may be formed near the lower corner of the lamp opening 16.

[0037] Furthermore, the shape of the bezel cover 14 can also be changed. For example, the bezel cover 14 may be a flat plate extending in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the lamp lens 12. In the description so far, a lamp cleaner 20 for cleaning the headlamp 10 has been used as an example. However, the technology disclosed herein may also be applied to lamp cleaners for cleaning other in-vehicle lamps. For example, the technology disclosed herein may be applied to the installation of a lamp cleaner for cleaning taillights. The shape of the lamp lens 12 can also be changed and may be a flat, non-curved surface. In addition, the panel member surrounding the lamp opening 16 is not limited to the bezel cover 14, but may be other panel members, such as a bumper. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0038] 10 Headlamp, 12 Lamp lens, 14 Bezel cover, 16 Lamp opening, 18 Cleaner opening, 20 Lamp cleaner, 22 Spray nozzle, 26 Bracket, 28 Retaining cylinder, 30 Cover section.

Claims

1. An on-board lamp having a lamp lens that is installed at the end of the vehicle and exposed to the outside of the vehicle, A panel member having a lamp opening formed therein that exposes the surface of the lamp lens to the outside, A lamp cleaner that sprays cleaning solution onto the surface of the lamp lens, A bracket that holds the lamp cleaner and is fixed to the back surface of the panel member, Equipped with, The panel member has a cleaner opening through which the cleaning liquid sprayed from the lamp cleaner passes, The bracket has a cover portion that covers the cleaner opening from the inside of the vehicle, The bracket holds the lamp cleaner in a position offset from the cleaner opening when viewed from the front. A lamp cleaner mounting structure characterized by the following features.

2. A lamp cleaner mounting structure according to claim 1, The lamp cleaner is located on the opposite side of the lamp opening, with the cleaner opening in between. The cover portion is a wall that extends from a position closer to the lamp lens on the periphery of the cleaner opening, across the cleaner opening, to the vicinity of the lamp cleaner. The cover portion extends in a direction away from the design surface of the panel member as it moves outward in the surface direction of the lamp lens. The cover portion extends in a direction substantially parallel to the spray direction of the cleaning liquid. A lamp cleaner mounting structure characterized by the following features.

3. A lamp cleaner mounting structure according to claim 1, The cleaner opening is located near the upper corner of the lamp opening. The panel member protrudes in an overhang shape above the lamp lens. The lamp cleaner sprays the cleaning solution diagonally downwards. A lamp cleaner mounting structure characterized by the following features.

4. A lamp cleaner mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned on-board lamp is a headlamp located at the front of the vehicle. The panel member is cone-shaped, extending from the lamp opening toward the front of the vehicle. The cleaner opening is located in front of the vehicle, from the center of the lamp lens. A lamp cleaner mounting structure characterized by the following features.

5. A lamp cleaner mounting structure according to claim 1, The texture and color of the cover portion are substantially the same as the texture and color of the panel member. A lamp cleaner mounting structure characterized by the following features.

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