Vehicle headlight

Abstract

This vehicle headlight has: a first lamp unit (10M) that is rotatable about a first rotation axis (ML1); and a second lamp unit (10L) that is rotatable about a second rotation axis (LL2) that is parallel to the first rotation axis (ML1). The second lamp unit (10L) has: a light source unit (SL); a support shaft part (F) that extends along the second rotation axis (LL2); and a light source bracket (14L) which is supported by the support shaft part (F) so as to be rotatable about the second rotation axis (LL2) and which supports the light source unit (SL); and a link bracket (LLB) which is supported by the support shaft part (F) so as to be rotatable about the second rotation axis (LL2) and which is connected to a link unit (LU). The vehicle headlight has an adjustment unit (PU) capable of adjusting the relative angle of the second lamp unit (10L) with respect to the first lamp unit (10M) by transmitting the rotation force of the link bracket (LLB) about the second rotation axis (LL2) to the light source bracket (14L), and adjusting the advance angle of the light source bracket (14L) about the second rotation axis (LL2) with respect to the link bracket (LLB).

Description

Vehicle headlights

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle headlamp and a lamp unit.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle headlamp having a link unit that can collectively control the attitudes of a plurality of lamp units.

[0003] Furthermore, the aiming device described in Patent Document 1 discloses an aiming device that can determine the aiming angle by moving a screw.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-017016

[0005] In a known vehicle headlamp having multiple lamp units, a link unit is used to align the positions of the multiple lamp units. In such cases, a position adjustment mechanism is sometimes provided to enable the position adjustment of each lamp unit. However, the position adjustment mechanism has a problem in that it is prone to rattle.

[0006] A first object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle headlamp that is capable of adjusting the attitude of a lamp unit in the left-right direction and suppressing rattle.

[0007] In recent years, design trends have led to an increasing need for thinner lenses in headlamps, which has led to a corresponding demand for smaller headlamp units. As disclosed in Patent Document 1, when adjusting the optical axis by rotating the lamp unit using linear displacement of the adjuster screw, if the area where the aiming rotation axis and the screw act is short, finer adjustment of the screw rotation angle is required than ever before. Furthermore, as headlamp units in multi-lens units are becoming smaller, it is necessary to fine-tune the relative misalignment of the optical axes of multiple lamp units.

[0008] A second object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle headlamp and lamp unit that are capable of adjusting the aiming angle by a small amount in a mechanism that controls the fine adjustment of the optical axis of the headlamp unit by the linear motion of a screw.

[0009] a link unit that transmits power from the drive mechanism to the second lamp unit and rotates the second lamp unit about the second rotation axis; and a light source unit that is supported on the support shaft unit so as to be rotatable about the second rotation axis and supports the light source unit; and a link bracket that is supported on the support shaft unit so as to be rotatable about the second rotation axis and connected to the link unit. The second lamp unit has an adjustment unit that transmits rotational force of the link bracket about the second rotation axis to the light source bracket and adjusts a lead angle of the light source bracket about the second rotation axis relative to the link bracket, thereby adjusting the relative angle of the second lamp unit with respect to the first lamp unit.

[0010] A lamp unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a light source unit; a bracket that supports the light source unit so that it can rotate about an aiming axis; and an adjustment screw that threads into the light source unit and the bracket to adjust the relative positions of the light source unit and the bracket about the aiming axis, the adjustment screw having a first groove formed with a first pitch and a second groove formed with a second pitch different from the first pitch, the bracket having a first screw hole that engages with the first groove, and the light source unit having a second screw hole that engages with the second groove.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle headlamp that is capable of adjusting the attitude of the lamp unit in the left-right direction and suppressing rattle.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a vehicle headlamp and lamp unit that are capable of adjusting the aiming angle by a small amount in a mechanism that controls the fine adjustment of the optical axis of the headlamp unit by the linear motion of a screw.

[0013] 11 is a conceptual diagram of a vehicle headlamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a lamp unit, a leveling unit, and a swivel unit. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of a main unit. FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of a swivel unit. FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an attachment structure of a first bracket, a swivel unit, and a first spline shaft. FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a first spline shaft. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a first output gear and a first spline shaft taken along a cross section perpendicular to the swivel axis direction. FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a lamp unit and a leveling unit. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a removal jig used when removing the first spline shaft. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a vehicle headlamp according to a second embodiment. FIG. 19 is a side view of a left subunit. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XII-XII of FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 12. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV of FIG. 12. FIG. 19 is a top view of a lamp unit when all of the plurality of lamp units are swiveled. FIG. 19 is a top view of a lamp unit when all of the plurality of lamp units are swiveled. FIG. 20 is a side view of an adjustment screw used in a lamp unit according to the present disclosure. 13 is a diagram showing the left lamp unit in which the light source unit is tilted forward by the pre-aiming unit from the state of FIG. 12. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the adjustment screw applied to a pre-aiming unit having a different configuration from that of the second embodiment.

[0014] In the following description, front, rear, left, right, top and bottom are defined as directions seen by a passenger in a vehicle equipped with a vehicle headlamp. Unless otherwise specified, front, rear, left, right, top and bottom are defined when the vehicle headlamp is oriented to irradiate light in front of the vehicle. In addition, a front view refers to a view of the vehicle headlamp from the front.

[0015] <First embodiment> (Overall configuration) Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a vehicle headlamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle headlamp 1 includes a housing 100 and an outer lens 200 made of a translucent material that forms a lamp chamber together with the housing 100. The vehicle headlamp 1 includes a lamp unit 10, a swivel unit 20, a leveling unit 30, and an extension Sa within the lamp chamber. In the following description, the combined unit of the lamp unit 10, the swivel unit 20, and the leveling unit 30 will be referred to as a main unit M.

[0016] The extension Sa is provided between the outer lens 200 and the main unit M, and is a component that prevents the components inside the lamp chamber and the inner surface of the housing 100 from being visible from the outside through the outer lens 200, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appearance of the vehicle headlamp 1.

[0017] The swivel unit 20 rotates the lamp unit 10 and the leveling unit 30 about a swivel axis L1 extending in the vertical direction relative to the housing 100.

[0018] The leveling unit 30 supports the lamp unit 10 so as to be rotatable about a leveling axis L2 extending in the left-right direction relative to the swivel unit 20.

[0019] The lamp unit 10 emits a high beam light distribution pattern and a low beam light distribution pattern. The lamp unit 10 includes a light source 17, optical components such as a reflector and a lens that project light emitted from the light source 17 forward, a heat sink, and a lamp bracket 14 to which these components are attached (see FIG. 2 , described later). While the illustrated example shows an example in which a single lens L is mounted, multiple lenses or multiple reflectors may be mounted. Furthermore, a single light source 17 or multiple light sources 17 may be provided.

[0020] In the vehicle headlamp 1 of the first embodiment, a single lamp unit 10 is attached to a housing 100 via a swivel unit 20 and a leveling unit 30 so as to be displaceable relative to the housing 100 .

[0021] 2 is a perspective view of the lamp unit 10, the leveling unit 30, the swivel unit 20, and the lamp bracket 14. The lamp unit 10, the leveling unit 30, and the swivel unit 20 are connected to each other to form one main unit M. The front surface of the housing 100 is provided with convex mounting portions 110 (110U, 110R, 110L) that protrude forward. In the illustrated example, three mounting portions 110U, 110R, and 110L are provided. The main unit M is attached to the housing 100 via these mounting portions 110U, 110R, and 110L.

[0022] (Main Unit M) Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the main unit M. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the main unit M has a first bracket B1, a first spline shaft S1, a swivel unit 20, a second bracket B2, a second spline shaft S2, a leveling unit 30, and a lamp unit 10. For convenience of drawing, Fig. 3 shows the outline shapes of the first spline shaft S1 and the second spline shaft S2.

[0023] (First Bracket B1) The first bracket B1 is fixed to the housing 100. The first bracket B1 has three mounting portions 11 (11U, 11R, 11L). The mounting portions 11 are portions that extend in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction. The mounting portions 11 have insertion holes 11H formed therein into which the mounting portions 110 of the housing 100 are inserted. By inserting the mounting portions 110 of the housing 100 into the mounting portions 11 of the first bracket B1, the first bracket B1 is fixed to the housing 100 so that it cannot be displaced.

[0024] In the illustrated example, the mounting portion 11 is composed of an upper mounting portion 11U, and left and right mounting portions 11L and 11R that are provided below the upper mounting portion 11U. In a front view of the lamp unit 10, the right mounting portion 11R is located to the right of the left mounting portion 11L. In the illustrated example, in a front view of the lamp unit 10, the upper mounting portion 11U, the left mounting portion 11L, and the right mounting portion 11R are located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle.

[0025] The upper mounting portion 11U and the left mounting portion 11L are connected by a left beam portion 12L. The upper mounting portion 11U and the right mounting portion 11R are connected by a right beam portion 12R. A plate-shaped bottom portion 13 extending in the front-rear and left-right directions is provided between the left mounting portion 11L and the right mounting portion 11R. A through hole 13H penetrating in the up-down direction is formed in this bottom portion 13. A lance structure may be employed to fit the mounting portion 110 and the mounting portion 11. The lance structure positions the mounting portion 110 and the mounting portion 11 at predetermined positions relative to each other.

[0026] (First spline shaft S1) The first spline shaft S1 is fixed to the bottom 13 of the first bracket B1. The first spline shaft S1 is a hollow shaft portion extending along the swivel axis L1 that extends in the up-down direction. The first spline shaft S1 passes through a through-hole 13H in the bottom 13 of the first bracket B1 from below, and an upper portion of the first spline shaft S1 protrudes above the bottom 13 of the first bracket B1.

[0027] (Swivel unit 20) The swivel unit 20 rotates the lamp unit 10 about a swivel axis L1 extending in the vertical direction. The swivel unit 20 rotates the optical axis of the lamp unit 10 in the horizontal direction. The swivel unit 20 is attached to the first spline shaft S1 so as to be rotatable about the swivel axis L1. The swivel unit 20 engages with the first spline shaft S1 above the bottom 13 of the first bracket B1.

[0028] 4 is an exploded perspective view of the swivel unit 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the swivel unit 20 has a first casing 21 that includes a first motor MO, a first reduction gear unit D, and a first circuit board C.

[0029] The first casing 21 has a first case body 21A, a partition plate 21B, and a second case body 21C. The first case body 21A and the partition plate 21B form a circuit board accommodating chamber CR, and the second case body 21C and the partition plate 21B form a motor accommodating chamber MR.

[0030] The first circuit board C is accommodated in the board accommodation chamber CR. The first motor MO and the first reduction gear unit D are accommodated in the motor accommodation chamber MR. The output shaft of the first motor MO transmits torque to the first reduction gear unit D. The first reduction gear unit D is composed of a first gear T1, a second gear T2, a third gear T3, and a first output gear TO1. The first gear T1 meshes with the output shaft of the first motor MO and the second gear T2. The second gear T2 meshes with the first gear T1 and the third gear T3. The third gear T3 meshes with the second gear T2 and the first output gear TO1.

[0031] The first output gear TO1 is a cylindrical member extending along the swivel axis L1 shown in Fig. 3. The first output gear TO1 has, on a part of its outer circumferential surface, a tooth surface (first gear) TS that meshes with the third gear T3. The first gear T1, the second gear T2, and the third gear T3 are disposed at positions overlapping with the outer circumferential surface of the first output gear TO1 in the direction of extension of the swivel axis L1.

[0032] The first output gear TO1 is fixed to the first spline shaft S1 shown in Figure 3 and meshes with the third gear T3. The rotation axes of the first gear T1, the second gear T2, the third gear T3, and the first output gear TO1 are all parallel to the swivel axis L1. The torque of the first motor MO is transmitted to the first output gear TO1 via the first gear T1, the second gear T2, and the third gear T3.

[0033] (Axial Fixation) Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the mounting structure of the first bracket B1, the swivel unit 20, and the first spline shaft S1. Fig. 5 shows a cross section along the swivel axis L1. The first output gear TO1 is provided inside the first casing 21 so as to be rotatable about the swivel axis L1 and so as not to be displaceable in the direction of the swivel axis L1. As shown in Fig. 4, the first output gear TO1 is a hollow member into which the first spline shaft S1 can be inserted. A window W penetrating radially is provided in a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the first output gear TO1.

[0034] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the first spline shaft S1. As shown in Fig. 6, the first spline shaft S1 has a flat, ring-shaped flange 22 extending in a direction perpendicular to the swivel axis L1, and legs 23 extending from the flange 22 along the swivel axis L1. A locking claw 23L is provided at the axial tip of the leg 23. The leg 23 is an elongated portion in the axial direction, and the tip is elastically deformable in the radial direction.

[0035] 5, the first bracket B1 is held with the first spline shaft S1 inserted into the through-hole 13H. Because the first spline shaft S1 is also inserted into the first output gear TO1, the first output gear TO1 and the first bracket B1 are positioned coaxially. The bottom 13 of the first bracket B1 is held by being sandwiched between the swivel unit 20 and the flange 22 of the first spline shaft S1.

[0036] When the first spline shaft S1 is inserted into the first output gear TO1, the ends of the legs 23 in the insertion direction are pressed against the inner circumferential surface of the first output gear TO1 and elastically deform radially inward. When the first spline shaft S1 is further inserted into the first output gear TO1, the locking pawls 23L fit into the windows W of the first output gear TO1, and the legs 23 return to their original shape after elastically deforming radially inward, as shown in Figure 5. With the locking pawls 23L fitted into the windows W in this way, the locking pawls 23L are in contact with the windows W, and the first spline shaft S1 cannot move in the direction of the swivel axis L1.

[0037] 6, the first spline shaft S1 has a plurality of first mounting tongues FT1 and a plurality of second mounting tongues FT2 that protrude from the flange 22 in the direction of the swivel axis L1. The first mounting tongues FT1 are spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Each second mounting tongue FT2 is located between the first mounting tongues FT1 in the circumferential direction.

[0038] Each first mounting tongue FT1 has a leg portion 23 with a locking claw 23L at its tip, a circumferential abutment portion 24, and a first insertion guide portion 25. A pair of circumferential abutment portions 24 are provided on both circumferential sides of the leg portion 23, sandwiching the leg portion 23. The circumferential abutment portions 24 extend from the flange portion 22 to a length greater than the length of the leg portion 23. The pair of circumferential abutment portions 24 extend at an angle such that the distance between them decreases with increasing distance from the flange portion 22. Ends of the circumferential abutment portions 24 opposite the flange portion 22 are connected in the circumferential direction by the first insertion guide portion 25. The locking claw 23L at the tip of the leg portion 23 is not connected to the first insertion guide portion 25. The outer peripheral surface of the first insertion guide portion 25 opposite the flange portion 22 has a conical shape whose outer diameter decreases with increasing distance from the flange portion 22. In the illustrated example, pairs of circumferential abutment portions 24 are provided at three locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the first spline shaft S1.

[0039] The second mounting tongue FT2 has a main body 26 that protrudes from the flange 22 in the direction of the swivel axis L1, and a second insertion guide 27 that is provided at the tip of the main body 26. Similar to the first insertion guide 25, the outer peripheral surface of the second insertion guide 27 has a conical shape whose outer diameter decreases with increasing distance from the flange 22.

[0040] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the first output gear TO1 and the first spline shaft S1 taken along a cross section perpendicular to the swivel axis L1. The first spline shaft S1 is positioned so that the locking pawls 23L engage with the window portions W of the first bracket B1. Because the locking pawls 23L contact the wall surfaces of the window portions W, the first spline shaft S1 and the first output gear TO1 are prevented from rotating relative to each other around the swivel axis L1.

[0041] 7, the through hole TOH of the output gear TO1 is not circular in cross section, and the first bracket B1 has a plurality of protrusions P that protrude radially inward. The first mounting tongues FT1 of the first spline shaft S1 fit between the circumferential spaces between these protrusions P. Conversely, the protrusions P of the output gear TO1 fit between the circumferential spaces between the plurality of first mounting tongues FT1 of the first spline shaft S1. The circumferential abutment portions 24 of the first spline shaft S1 abut against the protrusions P. This prevents relative rotation between the first spline shaft S1 and the first output gear TO1 about the swivel axis L1.

[0042] 6, the pair of circumferential abutment portions 24 of the first spline shaft S1 are inclined so that the distance between them becomes narrower as they move away from the flange portion 22. As the first spline shaft S1 is inserted into the first output gear TO1, the force with which the circumferential abutment portions 24 are pressed against the protrusion P increases, making it less likely that circumferential play will occur between the first spline shaft S1 and the first output gear TO1.

[0043] 7 , when the first spline shaft S1 is not inserted into the first output gear TO1, the outer diameter of the second mounting tongue FT2 of the first spline shaft S1 and the outer diameters of the locking claws 23L, first insertion guide portions 25, and second insertion guide portions 27 of the first mounting tongue FT1 are slightly larger than the inner diameter of the insertion hole of the first output gear TO1. Therefore, when the first spline shaft S1 is inserted into the first output gear TO1, the first spline shaft S1 is elastically deformed radially inward. In this state, an elastic restoring force acts to displace the second mounting tongue FT2, the locking claws 23L of the first mounting tongue FT1, the first insertion guide portions 25, and the second insertion guide portions 27 radially outward. In other words, when the first spline shaft S1 is inserted into the first output gear TO1, an elastic restoring force acts on the first spline shaft S1, pushing the inner surface of the insertion hole of the output gear radially outward, making it less likely that radial play will occur between the first spline shaft S1 and the first output gear TO1.

[0044] With this structure, the first spline shaft S1 and the first output gear TO1 are fixed so that they cannot be displaced relative to each other. The first output gear TO1 is fixed to the first spline shaft S1, and the first spline shaft S1 is fixed to the housing 100 via the first bracket B1.

[0045] (Second Bracket B2) Returning to Figure 3, the second bracket B2 will be described. The second bracket B2 is fixed to the swivel unit 20. The second bracket B2 supports the leveling unit 30 so that it can rotate about the leveling axis L2. The second bracket B2 is located above the swivel unit 20. The second bracket B2 has a swivel fixing portion 28 that is fixed to the first casing 21 of the swivel unit 20, and a leveling support portion 29A to which the second spline shaft S2 is fixed.

[0046] In the illustrated example, the second bracket B2 is a plate-like member that is approximately U-shaped when viewed from the front. The second bracket B2 has a swivel fixing portion 28 located at the bottom of the U, a leveling support portion 29A, and an auxiliary support portion 29B. The leveling support portion 29A is provided on the left side of the swivel fixing portion 28. The auxiliary support portion 29B is provided on the right side of the swivel fixing portion 28. The swivel fixing portion 28 is a plate-like portion that extends in the front-rear and left-right directions. The leveling support portion 29A and the auxiliary support portion 29B are plate-like portions that extend in the front-rear and up-down directions.

[0047] A fitting hole 28H penetrating in the vertical direction is formed in the swivel fixing portion 28 of the second bracket B2. This fitting hole 28H fits into a fitting portion 20L provided on the upper surface of the first casing 21 of the swivel unit 20, thereby fixing the second bracket B2 and the swivel unit 20 together.

[0048] The leveling support portion 29A of the second bracket B2 is formed with a support hole 29H penetrating in the left-right direction, and the support hole 29H extends along the leveling axis L2.

[0049] The second spline shaft S2 has the same structure as the first spline shaft S1. That is, the second spline shaft S2 fixes the positional relationship between the second bracket B2 and the leveling unit 30 in the same manner as the first spline shaft S1 fixes the positional relationship between the first bracket B1 and the swivel unit 20.

[0050] The leveling unit 30 has the same structure as the swivel unit 20. The motor of the swivel unit 20 differs from the motor of the leveling unit 30 only in output torque and size, and the components are the same. The reduction gear unit of the swivel unit 20 differs from the reduction gear unit of the leveling unit 30 in terms of gear size, number of teeth, number of gears, reduction ratio, etc., but they are common in that they are both configured with multiple gears.

[0051] The connection structure between the second spline shaft S2, the leveling support portion 29A of the second bracket B2, and the leveling unit 30 is the same as the connection structure between the first spline shaft S1, the first bracket B1, and the swivel unit 20 described above, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0052] (Fixing Structure of Lamp Unit 10 and Leveling Unit 30) Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the lamp unit 10 and the leveling unit 30. As shown in Figure 8, the lamp unit 10 includes a lamp bracket 14, a lens holder 15, a projection lens 16, and a light source 17. In the illustrated example, the lamp bracket 14 is made of metal and has fins that function as a heat sink. The lens holder 15 is attached to the front of the lamp bracket 14. This lens holder 15 supports the projection lens 16.

[0053] The lamp bracket 14 has a base portion 14A to which the lens holder 15 is attached, and a leveling support plate portion 14B, which is a plate-shaped member extending in the up-down and front-rear directions and provided on the side of the lamp bracket 14. The leveling support plate portion 14B has a fitting hole (insertion hole) 14D with a recess 14C formed on its inner circumferential surface. The second casing 31 of the leveling unit 30 has an insertion portion 31A that is inserted into the fitting hole 14D. The insertion portion 31A has an insertion portion (claw portion) 31B formed on its outer periphery that can pass through the recess 14C. The fitting hole 14D is formed to be coaxial with the leveling axis L2.

[0054] When the insertion portion 31A is inserted into the fitting hole 14D and the fitting portion 31B penetrates the recess 14C, the lamp unit 10 is rotated relative to the leveling unit 30 along the circumferential direction of the insertion portion 31A, so that the fitting portion 31B fits into the leveling support plate portion 14B.

[0055] The leveling support plate 14B also has a boss 14F that protrudes toward the leveling unit 30. A screw hole (first screw hole) 14G is formed in the tip surface of the boss 14F. The second casing 31 of the leveling unit 30 is also provided with a screw mounting portion 31D in which a screw hole (second screw hole) 31C is formed. The leveling unit 30 and the lamp unit 10 are fixed together by threading a screw that has passed through the screw mounting portion 31D of the leveling unit 30 into the boss 14F of the leveling support plate 14B.

[0056] <Operation> When the swivel unit 20 is activated, the first motor MO generates torque that rotates the first output gear TO1 relative to the first casing 21. The first output gear TO1 is fixed to the first bracket B1 via the first spline shaft S1, and the first bracket B1 is also fixed to the housing 100. In other words, the first output gear TO1 is fixed to the housing 100. As a result, when torque is generated in the first output gear TO1, the first motor MO and the first casing 21 supporting the first motor MO rotate about the swivel axis L1 due to a reaction force. Because the lamp unit 10 is fixed to the first casing 21 via the second bracket B2 and the leveling unit 30, the lamp unit 10 also rotates together with the first casing 21 about the swivel axis L1. As described above, when the swivel unit 20 is activated, the lamp unit 10 rotates about the swivel axis L1, and the optical axis of the lamp unit 10 swivels about the swivel axis L1.

[0057] The operation of the leveling unit 30 is basically the same as that of the swivel unit 20. When the leveling unit 30 is operated, the motor of the leveling unit 30 generates torque that rotates the output gear relative to the second casing 31 of the leveling unit 30. The output gear of the leveling unit 30 is fixed to the second bracket B2 via the second spline shaft S2. The second bracket B2 is fixed to the swivel unit 20. In other words, the output gear of the leveling unit 30 is fixed to the swivel unit 20. As a result, when torque is generated in the output gear of the leveling unit 30, the motor of the leveling unit 30 and the second casing 31 supporting the motor are rotated around the leveling axis L2 by a reaction force. Because the lamp unit 10 is fixed to the second casing 31 of the leveling unit 30 via the lamp bracket 14, the lamp unit 10 also rotates together with the second casing 31 around the leveling axis L2. As described above, when the leveling unit 30 is activated, the lamp unit 10 rotates around the leveling axis L2, and the optical axis of the lamp unit 10 is leveled around the leveling axis L2.

[0058] <Others> According to the vehicle headlamp 1 of the present disclosure, when the main unit M is assembled in advance, the first bracket B1 can be attached to the housing 100 together with the main unit M. This significantly improves work efficiency compared to when the lamp unit 10, swivel unit 20, leveling unit 30, etc. are attached to the housing 100 individually.

[0059] Furthermore, when the lamp unit 10, swivel unit 20, leveling unit 30, etc. are individually attached to the housing 100, the respective attachment positions differ depending on the type of vehicle headlamp 1. However, according to the vehicle headlamp 1 of the present disclosure, even if the type of vehicle headlamp 1 is different, only the attachment structure of the first bracket B1 to the housing 100 differs, so the structure of the main unit M including the lamp unit 10, swivel unit 20, and leveling unit 30 can be standardized among different types of vehicle headlamps 1. Alternatively, even if the type of vehicle headlamp 1 is different, even the attachment structure of the first bracket B1 to the housing 100 can be standardized, making it easy to standardize components.

[0060] Unlike the vehicle headlamp 1 of the present disclosure, it is difficult to move the lamp unit 10 instantaneously when using a screw to rotate the lamp unit 10 about the swivel axis L1 or the leveling axis L2. However, according to the vehicle headlamp 1 of the present disclosure, the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30 use the motor M, so the optical axis of the lamp unit 10 can be moved more quickly than when using a screw to rotate the lamp unit 10 about the swivel axis L1 or the leveling axis L2.

[0061] Unlike the vehicle headlamp 1 of the present disclosure, an aiming unit is used to align the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp 1 before shipping. However, with the vehicle headlamp 1 of the present disclosure, the aiming operation only requires setting the initial position of the motor M, so no aiming unit is required in addition to the swivel unit 20 and the leveling unit 30.

[0062] In the vehicle headlamp 1 of the present disclosure, a six-axis sensor (not shown) and a gyro sensor are mounted on the leveling unit 30. The leveling unit 30 is fixed to the lamp unit 10 and displaces together with the lamp unit 10. Therefore, the attitude of the lamp unit 10 can be directly grasped by the six-axis sensor and the gyro sensor. The six-axis sensor and the gyro sensor may be mounted directly on the lamp unit 10, or may be mounted on the leveling unit 30 fixed to the lamp unit 10. When mounted on the leveling unit 30, they may be mounted on the circuit board CR. When the six-axis sensor and the gyro sensor are mounted on the circuit board CR, the sensors can be easily fixed and powered on the circuit board.

[0063] 5, a removal guide portion 25R is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the leg portion 23. In the cross section shown in the figure, the removal guide portion 25R has a hook-like shape that protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral surface of the leg portion 23 and is folded back toward the flange portion 22 at its tip. The inner peripheral surface of the hook-like barb at its tip is formed as an inclined surface whose diameter increases as it moves away from the flange portion 22 in the axial direction.

[0064] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a removal jig SJ used when removing the first spline shaft S1 from the first output gear TO1. As shown in FIG. 9 , the removal jig SJ has a cylindrical base portion SJB and a cylindrical insertion portion SJI with a diameter smaller than that of the base portion SJB. The outer diameter of the insertion portion SJI is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the first spline shaft S1. The tip of the insertion portion SJI of the removal jig SJ is provided with a plurality of removal tongue portions SJT spaced apart circumferentially and extending in the axial direction of the first spline shaft S1. The removal tongue portions SJT are arc-shaped portions when viewed axially. The inner diameter of the removal tongue portions SJT decreases in the clockwise direction. The clockwise tip of the removal tongue portion SJT is provided with a rotation stopper SJS that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface.

[0065] The procedure for removing the first spline shaft S1 from the swivel unit 20 and the first bracket B1 using the removal jig SJ will now be described. First, the insertion portion SJI of the removal jig SJ is inserted into the first spline shaft S1, and the removal jig SJ is rotated counterclockwise until the leg portion 23 of the first spline shaft S1 abuts against the rotation stopper SJS. As the removal jig SJ rotates counterclockwise, the inner peripheral surface of the removal tongue SJT comes into contact with the wall surface of the removal guide portion 25R of the first spline shaft S1. Because the inner diameter of the removal tongue SJT decreases clockwise, as the removal jig SJ continues to rotate clockwise, the removal guide portion 25R is pulled radially inward. As the removal guide portion 25R is pulled radially inward, the first mounting tongue FT1 of the first spline shaft S1 is displaced radially inward, and the locking pawl 23L disengages from the first output gear TO1. Once in this state, the removal jig can be pulled out together with the first spline shaft S1 from the swivel unit 20 and the first bracket B1.

[0066] In the above description, the second bracket B2 has been described as being U-shaped in front view, but the shape of the second bracket B2 is not limited to this. For example, the second bracket B2 may have a square frame shape in front view. That is, the second bracket B2 may have a shape in which an upper frame portion, to which the upper ends of the leveling support portions 29A and the auxiliary support portions 29B are connected, is added to the U-shaped second bracket B2 described above. This upper frame portion may have a support portion that is supported rotatably about the swivel axis L1 relative to the housing 100. The support portion and the first spline shaft S1 support the second bracket B2 without wobbling about the swivel axis L1.

[0067] <Second embodiment> In the above-described first embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the first bracket B1 is fixed to the housing 100, the swivel unit 20 enables the second bracket B2, the leveling unit 30, and the lamp unit 10 to rotate about the swivel axis L1 relative to the first bracket B1, and the leveling unit 30 enables the lamp unit 10 to rotate about the leveling axis L2 relative to the second bracket B2. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0068] Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a vehicle headlamp 1' according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the vehicle headlamp 1' includes a third bracket B3 fixed to a housing (not shown), a leveling unit 30 that rotates relative to the third bracket B3 about a main leveling axis ML2, a fourth bracket B4 fixed to the leveling unit 30, and three subunits S (SM, SL, SR) that are supported rotatably relative to the fourth bracket B4 about swivel axes ML1, LL1, and RL1, respectively.

[0069] In the example of Figure 10, the subunits S include a left subunit SL located on the leftmost side, a right subunit SR located on the rightmost side, and a central subunit SM located between the left subunit SL and the right subunit SR.

[0070] The central subunit SM can rotate around the central swivel axis ML1 relative to the fourth bracket B4 by the swivel unit 20. The connection structure between the swivel unit 20 and the fourth bracket B4 is similar to the connection structure between the swivel unit 20 and the first bracket B1 in the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, the structure of the swivel unit 20 of this embodiment, including the motor and multiple gears, is similar to that of the swivel unit 20 of the first embodiment.

[0071] In this way, the central subunit SM is provided with a swivel unit 20 that rotates the lamp unit 10 of the central subunit SM about the central swivel axis ML1, but the left subunit SL and the right subunit SR are not provided with a swivel unit 20. The rotation of the swivel unit 20 of the central subunit SM is transmitted to the left subunit SL and the right subunit SR via a link unit LU provided on the fourth bracket B4.

[0072] The link unit LU has a central link bracket MLB provided on the central subunit SM, a left link bracket LLB provided on the left subunit SL, a right link bracket RLB provided on the right subunit SR, a left arm LA suspended between the central link bracket MLB and the left link bracket LLB, a right arm RA suspended between the central link bracket MLB and the right link bracket RLB, a left connecting part LC that rotatably connects the left arm LA and the left link bracket LLB, a right connecting part RC that rotatably connects the right arm RA and the right link bracket RLB, and a central connecting part MC that rotatably connects the left arm LA, the right arm RA, and the central link bracket MLB. When the center link bracket MLB rotates about the center swivel axis ML1, the rotation of the center link bracket MLB is transmitted to the left arm LA and the right arm RA, causing the left link bracket LLB and the right link bracket RLB to rotate about the left swivel axis LL1 and the right swivel axis RL1, respectively. The link unit LU makes the amount of rotation of the center subunit SM about the center swivel axis, the amount of rotation of the left subunit SL about the left swivel axis, and the amount of rotation of the right subunit SR about the right swivel axis equal.

[0073] Figures 11 and 12 are schematic diagrams of the left subunit SL. Figure 11 is a side view of the left subunit SL, and Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view of the left subunit SL taken along line XII-XII in Figure 11. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the left subunit SL includes a left lamp unit 10L, a third spline shaft S3, a fixed cylinder portion FC, a left lamp bracket 14L to which the left lamp unit 10L is fixed, a left link bracket LLB, a left pre-aiming unit 30L, a left phase adjustment unit PU, and a left vibration suppression unit BU.

[0074] The third spline shaft S3 passes through the fourth bracket B4 and the left link bracket LLB and is fixed to the fixed cylinder portion FC. The window portion W of the output gear in the first embodiment is provided in the fixed cylinder portion FC of this embodiment, and the locking claw 23L of the third spline shaft S3 fits into the fixed cylinder portion FC. A left ramp bracket 14L and a left link bracket LLB are provided on the outer periphery of the fixed cylinder portion FC so as to be rotatable about the left swivel axis LL1. The left ramp bracket 14L and the left link bracket LLB slide along the outer periphery of the fixed cylinder portion FC.

[0075] The left pre-aiming unit 30L is provided on the left lamp bracket 14L. The left pre-aiming unit 30L supports the left lamp unit 10L relative to the left lamp bracket 14L so that the left lamp unit 10L can rotate about a left pre-aiming axis AA that is parallel to the main leveling axis ML2. When the left pre-aiming unit 30L is activated, the left lamp unit 10L rotates about the left pre-aiming axis AA. The left pre-aiming unit 30L can adjust the vertical posture of the left lamp unit 10L more precisely than the leveling unit 30.

[0076] The left phase adjustment unit PU connects the left lamp bracket 14L and the left link bracket LLB. The left phase adjustment unit PU transmits the rotational force of the left link bracket LLB about the left swivel axis LL1 to the left lamp bracket 14L. When the left link bracket LLB rotates about the left swivel axis LL1 by the link unit LU, the left lamp bracket 14L rotates about the left swivel axis LL1 via the left phase adjustment unit PU. The left phase adjustment unit PU can change the amount of advance angle between the left lamp unit 10L and the left link bracket LLB about the left swivel axis LL1. The advance angle is an amount (angle) that indicates how many degrees the left lamp unit 10L advances from a reference angle about the left swivel axis LL1 relative to the left link bracket LLB.

[0077] The left vibration suppression unit BU reduces the occurrence of rattle between the left link bracket LLB and the left lamp bracket 14L. The left vibration suppression unit BU continuously applies a force to the left lamp bracket 14L to rotate it in one direction about the left swivel axis LL1. This reduces the occurrence of a gap between the left link bracket LLB and the left lamp bracket 14L, reducing the occurrence of abnormal noise when vibrations act on the vehicle headlamp 1'.

[0078] In this way, when the swivel unit 20 is activated, the central lamp unit 10M rotates around the central swivel axis ML1, the left lamp unit 10L rotates around the left swivel axis LL1 via the link unit LU, and the right lamp unit 10R rotates around the right swivel axis RL1 via the link unit LU.

[0079] Furthermore, when the leveling unit 30 is actuated, the third bracket B3 rotates about the leveling axis L2 relative to the housing 100. The third bracket B3 is provided with a central lamp unit 10M, a left lamp unit 10L, and a right lamp unit 10R. Therefore, when the leveling unit 30 is actuated, the central lamp unit 10M, the left lamp unit 10L, and the right lamp unit 10R rotate all at once.

[0080] Next, the left phase adjustment unit PU and the left vibration suppression unit BU of the vehicle headlamp 1′ according to the present disclosure will be described in detail. As described above, in this embodiment, the swivel unit 20 swivels the entire plurality of lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R. However, due to dimensional accuracy and assembly accuracy of components, the optical axes of the individual lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R may not be parallel to one another. Therefore, in the vehicle headlamp 1′ according to the present disclosure, the phase adjustment unit can adjust the leveling directions of the individual lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R so that they are parallel to one another. The phase adjustment units are provided in the lamp units 10L and 10R. Furthermore, providing the phase adjustment units in the individual lamp units 10L and 10R may cause play between the phase adjustment units and other components. For this reason, the lamp units 10L and 10R are provided with vibration adjustment units. Since the phase adjustment units and vibration suppression units provided in the lamp units 10L and 10R have the same structure, the left phase adjustment unit PU and left vibration suppression unit BU provided in the left lamp unit 10L will be described below.

[0081] (Configuration of Phase Adjustment Unit) First, the left phase adjustment unit PU will be described in detail using FIG. 12 . As shown in FIG. 12 , the left phase adjustment unit PU has an adjustment screw PU1, a screw support portion PU2, and an engagement portion PU3. The adjustment screw PU1 is provided on the screw support portion PU2 and is a member that can engage with the engagement portion PU3. The left lamp bracket 14L and the left link bracket LLB are simply connected by threaded engagement of the adjustment screw PU1. In other words, the adjustment screw PU1 transmits rotational movement of the left link bracket LLB about the left swivel axis to the left lamp bracket 14L. The screw support portion PU2 is a substantially U-shaped member that extends vertically from the left lamp bracket 14L. The screw support portion PU2 supports the adjustment screw PU1 by covering it from below. The screw support portion PU2 supports the adjustment screw PU1 so that it can rotate freely but cannot move axially. The meshing portion PU3 is a generally U-shaped member extending in the left-right direction from the left link bracket LLB in a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction of the adjustment screw PU1. The adjustment screw PU1 threadably engages with the meshing portion PU3 on the inner circumferential surface of the generally U-shaped member. At least a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the meshing portion PU3 is configured in an arc shape so as to protrude toward the adjustment screw PU1. The meshing portion PU3 meshes with the adjustment screw PU1 on at least two surfaces of the arc-shaped inner circumferential surface.

[0082] (Movement of Phase Adjustment Unit) Next, a phase adjustment method for the left phase adjustment unit PU will be described in detail using FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII in FIG. 12 . As shown in FIG. 13 , the adjustment screw PU1 in this embodiment is threadedly engaged with a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the meshing portion PU3. Here, the meshing portion PU3 is formed in an arc shape to match the curvature of the left link bracket LLB, as shown in FIG. 13 . As a result, even if the adjustment screw PU1 is linear, the left link bracket LLB can be rotated relative to the third spline shaft S3 and the fixed cylinder portion FC by turning the adjustment screw PU1.

[0083] When the adjustment screw PU1 is rotated, the adjustment screw PU1 itself does not move axially, but the portion where the meshing portion PU3 meshes with the adjustment screw PU1 moves axially. The adjustment screw PU1 is immovably supported by a screw support portion PU2 extending from the left lamp bracket 14L. The meshing portion PU3 is part of the left link bracket LLB. The left lamp bracket 14L is also rotatable about the left swivel axis. Therefore, when the adjustment screw PU1 is rotated while the left link bracket LLB is stationary, the left lamp bracket 14L rotates relative to the left link bracket LLB about the left swivel axis LL1. In this way, the adjustment screw PU1 can adjust the lead angle of the left lamp bracket 14L about the left swivel axis LL1 relative to the left link bracket LLB.

[0084] In the vehicle headlamp according to the present disclosure, the left lamp unit 10L is rotated about a second rotation axis (left swivel axis LL1) by the drive mechanism (swivel unit 20) via the link unit LU. At this time, the left phase adjustment unit PU adjusts the lead angle of the light source bracket (left lamp unit 10L) relative to the left link bracket LLB about the second rotation axis, thereby adjusting the relative angle of the second lamp unit (left lamp unit 10L) with respect to the first lamp unit (center lamp unit 10M). Therefore, the optical axes of the first lamp unit (center lamp unit 10M) and the second lamp unit (left lamp unit 10L) can be changed while maintaining the orientations of the two units aligned.

[0085] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the present disclosure, at least a portion of the meshing portion PU3 is curved in an arc shape so as to always be in contact with the adjusting screw even when the left lamp bracket 14L rotates about the left swivel axis LL1 relative to the left link bracket LLB. With the above configuration, the threaded area between the adjusting screw and the meshing portion is wider than when a linear thread groove is cut into the meshing portion, allowing for more secure fixation.

[0086] (Configuration of the Vibration Suppression Unit) Next, the left vibration suppression unit BU will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 12 and 14. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 12. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, the left vibration suppression unit BU includes an abutment portion BU1, an elastic member BU2, and a flange portion BU3. The abutment portion BU1 is a member that extends downward from a flange portion FC1 that extends radially outward from the fixed cylinder portion FC. The elastic member BU2 abuts against the abutment portion BU1 and constantly applies a force that rotates the abutment portion BU1 in one direction about the left swivel axis LL1. The flange portion BU3 is a member that extends in the left-right direction from the left link bracket LLB. A hole BU31 capable of accommodating the elastic member BU2 is formed in the flange portion BU3. As shown in FIG. 14 , the hole BU31 is formed to sandwich the abutment portion BU1 in the circumferential direction of the left swivel axis LL1 (see FIG. 12 ). The inner circumferential surface of the hole BU31 has a first abutment portion BU41 and a second abutment portion BU42. In this embodiment, an elastic member BU2 is provided between the first abutment portion BU41 and the abutment portion BU1, and the abutment portion BU1 directly abuts against the second abutment portion BU42. Note that the configuration within the hole BU31 is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the elastic member BU2 may be provided both between the first abutment portion BU41 and the abutment portion BU1 and between the second abutment portion BU42 and the abutment portion BU1.

[0087] (Movement of the Vibration Suppression Unit) Next, referring to FIG. 14 , the operation of the left vibration suppression unit BU will be described in detail. When the abutment portion BU1 attempts to move toward the second abutment portion BU42, the abutment portion BU1 abuts against the second abutment portion BU42, preventing the abutment portion BU1 from moving toward the second abutment portion BU42. On the other hand, when the abutment portion BU1 attempts to move toward the first abutment portion BU41, an elastic force acts on the abutment portion BU1 by the elastic member BU2 in the direction opposite to the direction of the attempted movement, preventing the abutment portion BU1 from moving toward the first abutment portion BU41. The link bracket LLB, in which the hole BU31 is formed, is a member that rotates about the left swivel axis LL1. To allow the link bracket LLB to rotate smoothly, a gap is provided between the link bracket LLB and the fixed cylinder portion FC. Therefore, if the left vibration suppression unit BU is not provided, when vibration acts on the vehicle headlamp, the link bracket LLB and the fixed cylinder portion FC come into contact with each other, causing abnormal noise.Also, when the link bracket LLB is rotated counterclockwise from a state in which it is rotating clockwise, the link bracket LLB and the fixed cylinder portion FC come into contact with each other, causing abnormal noise.

[0088] As described above, the adjustment screw PU1 of the left phase adjustment unit PU is fixed to the left link bracket LLB via the meshing portion PU3. Therefore, when vibrations act on the vehicle headlamp, the adjustment screw PU1 and the meshing portion PU3 move apart and then come into contact with each other, which can cause abnormal noise. However, according to the configuration of the present disclosure, the abutment portion BU1 of the left vibration suppression unit BU is constantly subjected to a force by the elastic member BU2 that rotates the abutment portion BU1 in one direction about the left swivel axis LL1, so that the abutment portion BU1 is always in abutment with the second abutment portion BU42. This reduces rattle between the fixed cylinder portion FC and the left link bracket LLB.

[0089] 15 and 16 are top views of the lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R when the lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R are swiveled as a whole. FIG. 15 shows the lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R before swiveling, and FIG. 16 shows the lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R after swiveling. In the vehicle headlamp 1′ according to the present disclosure, when the swivel unit 20 is activated from the situation shown in FIG. 15 , the rotation of the center lamp unit 10M is transmitted from the center link bracket MLB to the left link bracket LLB and the right link bracket RLB via the link unit LU. At this time, for example, in the left lamp unit 10L, the left link bracket LLB rotates relative to the fixed cylinder portion FC (see FIG. 12 ). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16 , during swiveling, the abutment portion BU1 of the left vibration suppression unit BU abuts against the elastic member BU2. As a result, even when the optical axes of the plurality of lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R are adjusted simultaneously by the swivel unit 20, the vibration suppression unit can suppress vibration of the lamp units 10L and 10R.

[0090] Furthermore, in the vehicle headlamp according to the present disclosure, the left vibration suppression unit BU is located on the opposite side of the fixed cylinder portion FC from the left phase adjustment unit PU. In a vehicle headlamp provided with an adjustment unit, the adjustment unit PU adjustably connects the link bracket LLB and the left lamp bracket 14L, which may cause rattle between the link bracket LLB and the left lamp bracket 14L. However, with the above configuration, the vibration suppression unit is located on the opposite side of the fixed cylinder portion from the phase adjustment unit. This allows the vibration suppression unit to be located away from the phase adjustment unit, where rattle occurs, thereby efficiently suppressing rattle.

[0091] <Basic Configuration of Pre-aiming Unit> Next, the left pre-aiming unit 30L of the vehicle headlamp 1' will be described in detail. The left pre-aiming unit 30L is provided in each of the lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R. Since the left pre-aiming units 30L provided in each of the lamp units 10M, 10L, and 10R have the same structure, the following description will focus on the left pre-aiming unit 30L provided in the left lamp unit 10L.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 11 , the left lamp unit 10L includes a light source unit 1002 and a left pre-aiming unit 30L. The light source unit 1002 includes a light source 1003 and a heat sink 1004. The light source unit 1002 is supported by the left lamp bracket 14L so as to be rotatable about a pre-aiming axis AA. The pre-aiming axis AA is an axis parallel to the main leveling axis ML2. The light source unit 1002 has a shaft portion (not shown) extending along the pre-aiming axis AA. The left lamp bracket 14L has a shaft support portion (not shown) that rotatably supports this shaft portion. The left pre-aiming unit 30L is capable of adjusting the orientation of the light source unit 1002 relative to the left lamp bracket 14L (bracket). Furthermore, the left pre-aiming unit 30L is capable of adjusting the relative position of the light source unit 1002 relative to the left link bracket LLB about the pre-aiming axis AA.

[0093] As shown in FIG. 11 , in this embodiment, the left pre-aiming unit 30L includes a mounting plate portion 1020 of the left lamp bracket 14L, a screw mounting portion 1030 of the light source unit 1002, and an adjustment screw 1001. The mounting plate portion 1020 is a plate-like member extending from the left lamp bracket 14L, and a first screw hole 1021 that engages with a portion of the adjustment screw 1001 is formed in the mounting plate portion 1020. The left lamp bracket 14L has a side plate-like portion facing the side surface of the light source unit 1002. The side plate-like portion is a plate-like portion extending in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction. The mounting plate portion 1020 is provided at the upper end of this side plate-like portion. The mounting plate portion 1020 is a plate-like portion extending in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The first screw hole 1021 is formed to penetrate the mounting plate portion 1020 in the front-rear direction. The screw mounting portion 1030 is a plate-like member extending from the light source unit 1002, and is provided so as to penetrate a second screw hole 1031 that engages with a part of the adjustment screw 1001. The screw mounting portion 1030 protrudes laterally from the light source unit 1002. The screw mounting portion 1030 is a plate-like portion that extends in the up-down and left-right directions. The second screw hole 1031 is formed so as to penetrate the screw mounting portion 1030 in the front-rear direction.

[0094] Next, the adjusting screw 1001 in this embodiment will be described in detail using FIG. 17 . FIG. 17 is a side view of the adjusting screw 1001. In this embodiment, the adjusting screw 1001 is made of resin. Two types of thread grooves, a first groove 1001A and a second groove 1001B, are formed in the adjusting screw 1001. The first groove 1001A can be mated with the first screw hole 1021, and the second groove 1001B can be mated with the second screw hole 1031. The first groove 1001A and the second groove 1001B have different thread groove widths (pitches). Furthermore, the pitch (first pitch) of the first groove 1001A is larger than the pitch (second pitch) of the second groove 1001B. In the example shown in FIG. 17 , the pitch of the first groove 1001A is 0.8 mm, and the pitch of the second groove 1001B is 0.5 mm. It is preferable that the difference between the first pitch and the second pitch be 0.1 mm or greater and 0.4 mm or less. Furthermore, as shown in this embodiment, when the first pitch is larger than the second pitch, the ratio of the second pitch to the first pitch is preferably 0.5 or less.

[0095] In this embodiment, the adjusting screw 1001 further has a step portion 1001C. The step portion 1001C is provided between the first groove 1001A and the second groove 1001B. The step portion 1001C is provided to prevent the second groove 1001B from entering the first screw hole 1021 when the adjusting screw 1001 is fed forward.

[0096] Next, the pre-aiming method for the lamp unit 10 according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 shows the left lamp unit 10L in which the light source unit 1002 has been tilted downward by the left pre-aiming unit 30L from the state shown in Fig. 12 .

[0097] <Adjustment by Pre-Aiming Unit> When the adjustment screw 1001 shown in FIG. 12 is advanced forward, the optical axis of the light source unit 1002 tilts downward, as shown in FIG. 18 . Because the pitch of the first groove 1001A of the adjustment screw 1001 is greater than the pitch of the second groove 1001B, the advancement amount per rotation of the adjustment screw 1001 of the first screw hole 1021 engaging with the first groove 1001A is greater than the advancement amount of the second screw hole 1031 engaging with the second groove 1001B. Therefore, as the adjustment screw 1001 is advanced forward, the screw mounting portion 1030 in which the second screw hole 1031 is provided moves relatively closer to the mounting plate portion 1020 in which the first screw hole 1021 is provided. More specifically, in this embodiment, the pitch of the first groove 1001A of the adjustment screw 1001 is 0.8 mm, and the pitch of the second groove 1001B is 0.5 mm. That is, when the adjustment screw 1001 rotates once, the screw attachment portion 1030 moves relatively closer to the attachment plate portion 1020 by 0.3 mm, which is the difference in pitch between the first groove 1001A and the second groove 1001B.

[0098] Here, even if the adjustment screw 1001 moves, the mounting plate portion 1020 does not displace because the mounting plate portion 1020 is part of the left lamp bracket 14L. In the illustrated example, the aiming axis AA is located below the adjustment screw 1001. Therefore, when the adjustment screw 1001 is fed forward and the screw mounting portion 1030 and the mounting plate portion 1020 come relatively closer to each other, the screw mounting portion 1030 moves forward.

[0099] In reality, the light source unit 1002 rotates around the aiming axis AA, causing the screw mounting portion 1030 to move in an arc. As shown in FIG. 11 , the adjustment screw 1001 penetrates the mounting plate portion 1020 via the self-locking nut 1010, and a first screw hole 1021 is formed in the self-locking nut 1010. The portion where the self-locking nut 1010 contacts the mounting plate portion 1020 is formed as a curved surface. Therefore, the self-locking nut 1010 makes point contact with the mounting plate portion 1020. When the adjustment screw 1001 moves forward, the contact point between the self-locking nut 1010 and the mounting plate portion 1020 moves, converting the screw mounting portion 1030 into linear motion in the forward / backward direction.

[0100] Conventionally, lamp units have been known that use a pre-aiming unit with a screw that can adjust the position of the lamp unit by separating the light source unit from the bracket that supports the light source unit. However, with conventional pre-aiming units, the direction of separation between the lamp unit and the bracket coincided with the axial direction (direction of movement) of the adjustment screw, so there was not much difference between the movement distance of the adjustment screw and the separation distance between the lamp unit and the bracket. For this reason, the pitch width of the adjustment screw usually had a significant effect on the separation distance, i.e., the adjustment amount of the aiming angle.

[0101] Incidentally, in a pre-aiming unit, the lamp unit's posture needs to be adjusted more precisely than in a normal aiming unit. Therefore, in order to fine-tune the scale of the adjustment amount, it was necessary to make the pitch of the adjustment screw fine. However, because the thread height of a fine-pitch adjustment screw is low, there was a risk that the thread would slip due to vibrations related to the device, causing the device angle to shift.

[0102] According to the lamp unit of the present disclosure, the adjustment screw 1001 has a first groove 1001A configured with a first pitch and a second groove 1001B configured with a second pitch. A first screw hole 1021 that meshes with the first groove 1001A is formed in the bracket, and a second screw hole 1031 that meshes with the second groove 1001B is formed in the lamp unit. Since the first pitch and the second pitch are different, the adjustment amount can be set by the difference between the first pitch and the second pitch.

[0103] According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide a lamp unit that can adjust the aiming angle minutely and that can suppress angle deviation of the device due to vibration, since there is no need to make the pitch of the entire adjustment screw fine.

[0104] Furthermore, in the lamp unit according to the present disclosure, the adjustment screw 1001 is threadedly engaged with the light source unit 1002 and the left link bracket LLB at a position different from the aiming axis AA and in a direction different from the aiming axis AA. The above-described configuration prevents the movement distance of the adjustment screw 1001 from directly affecting the amount of change in the attitude of the light source unit. This makes it possible to provide a lamp unit that allows for minute adjustments of the aiming angle.

[0105] Furthermore, in the lamp unit according to the present disclosure, the bracket has a self-locking nut 1010 having a first screw hole 1021 formed therein, and the pitch of first groove 1001A that meshes with first screw hole 1021 is larger than the pitch of second groove 1001B that meshes with second screw hole 1031. According to the above-described configuration, when the thread groove on the inner peripheral surface of self-locking nut 1010 is formed by threading adjustment screw 1001, the large pitch of first groove 1001A increases the mechanical strength when first screw hole 1021 and adjustment screw 1001 are threaded together.

[0106] Furthermore, in the lamp unit according to the present disclosure, it is preferable that the absolute value of the difference between the second pitch and the first pitch of the adjustment screw is 0.1 or more and 0.4 or less. With the above configuration, the pitch of the entire adjustment screw can be reduced inexpensively.

[0107] Furthermore, in the lamp unit according to the present disclosure, the distance between the self-locking nut 1010 and the left pre-aiming axis AA may be 20 mm or less. That is, in Fig. 12, the distance H between the self-locking nut 1010 and the left pre-aiming axis AA may be 20 mm. With the above configuration, minute adjustment of the aiming angle becomes possible even in a small lamp unit.

[0108] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the lamp unit according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, a lamp unit incorporating the adjustment screw according to the present disclosure may be used for a monocular lamp unit. With the above configuration, it is possible to provide a lamp unit that allows minute adjustment of the aiming angle even if the monocular lamp unit is miniaturized.

[0109] Furthermore, the adjusting screw 1001 having the first grooves 1001A configured with the first pitch and the second grooves 1001B configured with the second pitch can be mounted not only on the vehicle headlamp having the configuration described above. Figure 19 is a diagram showing the adjusting screw 1001 applied to a pre-aiming unit 2020 having a configuration different from that of the second embodiment.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 19, the light source unit 2001 is attached to the housing 2030 via the aiming unit 2010 and the pre-aiming unit 2020 .

[0111] The aiming unit 2010 has a known configuration and includes a first ball joint 2012 that supports the bracket 2011 so that the bracket 2011 can swing relative to the housing 2030, and a first adjuster screw 2013 that rotates the bracket 2011 relative to the housing 2030 around the first ball joint 2012 as a fulcrum.

[0112] The pre-aiming unit 2020 is provided on the bracket 2011, and supports the light source unit 2001 so that it can be displaced relative to the bracket 2011. The pre-aiming unit 2020 includes a second ball joint 2022 that supports the light source unit 2001 so that it can swing relative to the bracket 2011, and a second adjuster screw 2023 that rotates the light source unit 2001 relative to the bracket 2011 around the second ball joint 2022 as a fulcrum.

[0113] The second adjuster screw 2023 has a first groove 2023A formed with a first pitch and a second groove 2023B formed with a second pitch different from the first pitch. The first groove 2023A meshes with the light source unit 2001, and the second groove 2023B meshes with the bracket 2011. When the second adjuster screw 2023 is rotated, the second adjuster screw 2023 advances or retreats relative to the bracket 2011 by an amount equal to the difference between the first pitch and the second pitch. Therefore, compared to the aiming unit 2010, the pre-aiming unit 2020 can finely adjust the attitude of the light source unit 2001.

[0114] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of the present embodiments. The present embodiments are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present disclosure should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0115] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-222318 filed on December 28, 2023 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-222319 filed on December 28, 2023. All contents of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlamp, comprising: a first lamp unit rotatable about a first axis of rotation; a second lamp unit rotatable about a second axis of rotation parallel to the first axis of rotation; a drive mechanism for rotating the first lamp unit about the first axis; and a link unit for transmitting the power of the drive mechanism to the second lamp unit and rotating the second lamp unit about the second axis of rotation. The second lamp unit includes a light source unit, a support shaft portion extending along the second axis of rotation, a light source bracket rotatably supported on the support shaft portion about the second axis of rotation and supporting the light source unit, and a link bracket rotatably supported on the support shaft portion about the second axis of rotation and connected to the link unit. The vehicle headlamp further includes an adjustment unit for transmitting the rotational force of the link bracket about the second axis of rotation to the light source bracket and adjusting the relative angle of the second lamp unit with respect to the first lamp unit by adjusting the advance angle of the light source bracket about the second axis of rotation with respect to the link bracket.

2. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1, further comprising a suppression unit for applying an elastic force about the second axis of rotation between the support shaft portion and the link bracket to suppress the vibration of the link bracket about the second axis of rotation with respect to the support shaft portion.

3. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adjustment unit includes an adjustment screw extending in a tangential direction in the circumferential direction of the second axis of rotation, a screw support portion provided on either the light source bracket or the link bracket for rotatably and non-axially supporting the adjustment screw, and an engagement portion provided on the other of the light source bracket or the link bracket and engaging with the adjustment screw. The vehicle headlamp adjusts the advance angle of the light source bracket about the second axis of rotation with respect to the link bracket by rotating the adjustment screw to move the engagement portion along the adjustment screw in the circumferential direction of the second axis of rotation.

4. The suppression unit includes: a butting portion protruding radially outward from the support shaft portion toward the second rotation axis; a first butting portion and a second butting portion provided on the link bracket and configured to sandwich the butting portion in the circumferential direction of the second rotation axis; and an elastic member provided between the first butting portion and the butting portion and configured to apply an elastic force for pressing the butting portion against the second butting portion. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 2 5. At least a part of the meshing portion is curved in an arc shape so as to always contact the adjusting screw even when the light source bracket rotates around the second rotation axis with respect to the link bracket. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 3 6. In a cross section orthogonal to the axial direction of the adjusting screw, the meshing portion has a substantially U shape. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 3 7. The suppression unit is located on the opposite side of the adjustment unit with the support shaft portion interposed therebetween. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 2 or 4 8. A lamp unit for a vehicle headlamp, comprising: a light source unit; a bracket that rotatably supports the light source unit around an aiming axis; and an adjusting screw screwed to the light source unit and the bracket to adjust a relative position of the light source unit and the bracket around the aiming axis. The adjusting screw is formed with a first groove having a first pitch and a second groove having a second pitch different from the first pitch. The bracket is formed with a first screw hole meshing with the first groove. The light source unit is formed with a second screw hole meshing with the second groove 9. The adjusting screw is screwed to the light source unit and the bracket at a position different from the aiming axis and in a direction different from the aiming axis. The lamp unit according to claim 8 10. The absolute value of a difference between the second pitch and the first pitch is 0.1 or more and 0.4 or less. The lamp unit according to claim 8 or 9 11. The bracket includes: a plate-shaped mounting plate portion formed with a through hole; and a self-locking nut attached to the through hole. The self-locking nut is formed with the first screw hole, and the first pitch is larger than the second pitch. The lamp unit according to any one of claims 8 to 10 12. The ratio of the second pitch to the first pitch is 0.5 or less. The lamp unit according to claim 11.

13. The distance between the self-locking nut and the aiming axis is 20 mm or less. The lamp unit according to claim 11.

14. When the adjustment screw is adjusted, the light source unit rotates in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The lamp unit according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

15. The adjustment screw is made of resin. The lamp unit according to any one of claims 8 to 14.

16. The aiming axis extends in the left-right direction. A vehicle headlamp having: the lamp unit according to any one of claims 8 to 15; a common bracket to which a plurality of the lamp units are attached; and a leveling unit that rotates the common bracket around an axis parallel to the aiming axis with respect to the housing.

17. Each lamp unit is attached to the common bracket via a swivel unit that rotates the lamp unit around a swivel axis. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 16.

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