Headlamp unit

Abstract

This headlamp unit includes a housing and a lens disposed in front of the housing. The housing includes a first rear wall constituting a rear surface of the headlamp unit, a second rear wall constituting a rear surface above the first rear wall, and a first upper wall extending in the front-rear direction at a position vertically distanced from the first rear wall. The front end of the first upper wall is connected to a lens, the rear end is connected to the second rear wall behind the first rear wall, and the first upper wall constitutes at least part of the upper surface of the headlamp unit.

Description

headlamp unit

[0001] The present invention relates to a headlamp unit.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a support structure for an automobile lamp, which includes a lamp housing and a lamp lens, the lamp housing and the lamp lens being connected to each other at their peripheral edges.

[0003] JP 2014-210490 A

[0004] To protect the pedestrian's head in the event of a collision between a vehicle and the vehicle, a headlamp unit is sometimes required to absorb impacts from above. In Patent Document 1, the lamp lens has an inclined portion between its periphery and its front end. The lamp housing has a protrusion between its periphery and its rear end, and the rear end extends downward approximately vertically to connect to the lower part of the lamp housing. Therefore, the support structure has a certain strength against loads from above and a small amount of impact absorption.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a headlamp unit that can better absorb impact when a load is input from above.

[0006] A headlamp unit according to one aspect of the present invention includes a housing and a lens disposed in front of the housing. The housing includes a first rear wall constituting a rear surface of the headlamp unit, a second rear wall constituting the rear surface above the first rear wall, and a first upper wall extending in the front-to-rear direction at a position spaced apart in the vertical direction from the first rear wall. The first upper wall has a front end connected to the lens and a rear end connected to the second rear wall rearward of the first rear wall, constituting at least a portion of the upper surface of the headlamp unit.

[0007] According to the headlamp unit according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to better absorb impact when a load is input from above.

[0008] Fig. 1 is a front view showing the structure of a headlamp unit in a vehicle according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the structure of the headlamp unit in a vehicle. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the structure of the headlamp unit in a vehicle. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the headlamp unit. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the headlamp unit.

[0009] Hereinafter, a headlamp unit 1 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, FW and BW indicate the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, respectively, UP indicates the upper side in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and LH and RH indicate the left and right sides in the width direction of the vehicle, respectively. Furthermore, components having the same functions as those already described will be assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described again. Below, the left headlamp unit 1 will be described. The right headlamp unit 1 is similar to the left headlamp unit 1, so its description will be omitted.

[0010] When a vehicle collides with a pedestrian, it is expected that the pedestrian's head will collide with the vehicle. Therefore, it is important for the vehicle to have the ability to protect the pedestrian's head during a collision. In the case of a high-riding vehicle such as an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), the distance from the ground to the hood of the vehicle is relatively long, and the headlamp unit 1 may be included in the area where the pedestrian's head may be hit. In such a case, the headlamp unit 1 is required to absorb impacts effectively against load input from above.

[0011] The headlamp unit 1 according to the embodiment is disposed on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the front ends of left and right fender panels 3, which are outer panels of the vehicle body (see FIG. 1-3). The headlamp unit 1 is also disposed above the left and right ends of a front bumper 4, which covers the front part of the vehicle body from the front. When the headlamp unit 1 is attached to a vehicle body 2, the headlamp unit 1 is covered from above by a hood 5 (see FIG. 1-3).

[0012] The headlamp unit 1 includes a housing 11 and a lens 21 disposed in front of the housing 11 (see FIG. 4 ). The housing 11 is disposed to cover the lens 21 from behind and below and is connected to the peripheral edge of the lens 21. The housing 11 is assembled and fixed to the vehicle body 2. For example, the side or rear portion of the housing 11 may be assembled to a fender panel 3 or a hood ridge panel on the side of the engine compartment. Alternatively, the lower portion of the housing 11 may be assembled to the front bumper 4. The housing 11 includes a first rear wall 12, a second rear wall 13, and a first upper wall 14 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ). Note that the locations of the fixing points for assembling the housing 11 to the vehicle body 2 are not limited to those exemplified above and in the drawings.

[0013] The first rear wall 12 and the second rear wall 13 form the rear surface 1B of the headlamp unit 1 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The first rear wall 12 forms the lower part of the rear surface 1B. The second rear wall 13 is disposed above the first rear wall 12 and forms the upper part of the rear surface 1B. An upper end 13A of the second rear wall 13 is connected to a rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14.

[0014] The first upper wall 14 extends forward from a rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14 (see FIGS. 4 and 5). That is, the first upper wall 14 is disposed extending in the front-to-rear direction at a position spaced upward from the first rear wall 12. A front end 14F of the first upper wall 14 is connected to the rear end of the lens 21. Therefore, the first upper wall 14 constitutes at least a part of the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1.

[0015] The rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14, to which the upper end 13A of the second rear wall 13 is connected, is located rearward of the first rear wall 12 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ). That is, the second rear wall 13 is located rearward of the first rear wall 12. Therefore, the upper portion of the rear surface 1B of the headlamp unit 1, where the second rear wall 13 is located, protrudes further rearward than the lower portion, where the first rear wall 12 is located. In this embodiment, the rear surface 1B of the headlamp unit 1 is configured such that the entire wall constituting the second rear wall 13 is located rearward of the first rear wall 12 (see FIG. 5 ). The shape of the second rear wall 13 is not limited to the above, as long as the rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14, to which the upper end 13A of the second rear wall 13 is connected, is located rearward of the first rear wall 12. That is, a portion of the wall constituting the second rear wall 13 may be located forward of the first rear wall 12. Although the upper end 13A of the second rear wall 13 is connected to the rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14, the upper end 13A of the second rear wall 13 may be formed further forward than the rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14. In other words, the rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14 may extend further rearward than the portion to which the upper end 13A of the second rear wall 13 is connected.

[0016] The first upper wall 14 extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction as well as in the vehicle width direction (see FIGS. 2 and 4). In this embodiment, the right end 14RH of the first upper wall 14 is located slightly outward in the vehicle width direction from the right end of the lens 21 and the housing 11. The first upper wall 14 extends outward from the right end along the vehicle width direction. The left end 14LH of the first upper wall 14 is located slightly outward in the vehicle width direction from the center of the lens 21 and the housing 11 (see FIGS. 2 and 4). Therefore, the first upper wall 14 is not located inward in the vehicle width direction from the right end 14RH or outward in the vehicle width direction from the left end 14LH. Furthermore, the length of the first upper wall 14 in the vehicle longitudinal direction is shorter at the outer portion in the vehicle width direction than at the inner portion in the vehicle width direction. The shape and arrangement of the first upper wall 14 are not limited to those described above, and the length of the first upper wall 14 in the vehicle longitudinal direction may be gradually shortened as it is positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction. For example, the left portion of the first upper wall 14 may extend to the vicinity of the left end of the housing 11, and the length of the first upper wall 14 in the vehicle longitudinal direction may be shortened as it approaches the fender panel 3.

[0017] The lens 21 contains the lamp unit 31 (see FIG. 5 ). The lens 21 is disposed in front of the housing 11. The lens 21 includes a front surface 22 that constitutes the lens surface of the headlamp unit 1, a second upper wall 23 that extends rearward from the upper end of the front surface 22, and a lower surface 24 that extends rearward from the lower end of the front surface 22 (see FIG. 5 ). The front surface 22 is made of a transparent material, and light emitted from the lamp unit 31 is output to the outside of the vehicle body through the front surface 22. The rear end 23R of the second upper wall 23 is connected to the front end 14F of the first upper wall 14, thereby constituting the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1. That is, the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 is composed of the first upper wall 14 and the second upper wall 23. Therefore, a connection portion is formed on the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1, where the rear end 23R of the second upper wall 23 of the lens 21 and the front end 14F of the first upper wall 14 of the housing 11 are connected. The rear end of the lower surface 24 is connected to the peripheral edge of the lower part of the housing 11 (see FIG. 5).

[0018] The portion of lens 21 that constitutes second upper wall 23 may be formed from a single-color material. In this case, it is easier to form a thinner plate than when the portion that constitutes second upper wall 23 is formed by two-color molding, and therefore second upper wall 23 can better absorb impact when a load is input from above. Note that the portion of lens 21 that constitutes lower surface 24 may be formed from a single-color material like second upper wall 23, or may be formed by two-color molding.

[0019] When the headlamp unit 1 is mounted to the vehicle body 2, the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 is covered by a hood 5 (see FIGS. 1-3 and 1-5). The hood 5 is an exterior vehicle body member that covers the front of the vehicle from above. That is, in a top view, the hood 5 is positioned so as to overlap the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1. The hood 5 is also positioned above and spaced apart from the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 (see FIG. 5).

[0020] The state of the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 when a load is input to the headlamp unit 1 from above will be described. When an impact from a collision is input to the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 through the upper hood 5, the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 is displaced downward. During this displacement, the front end 23F of the lens 21, which is the front end of the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1, serves as a front fulcrum. Furthermore, the rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14, which is the rear end of the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1, serves as a rear fulcrum. This rear fulcrum is located further rearward than when the rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14 does not extend rearward beyond the first rear wall 12. Therefore, the distance between the front fulcrum and the rear fulcrum is longer than when the rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14 does not extend rearward beyond the first rear wall 12. The longer distance between the fulcrums allows the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 to bend downward and undergo a greater displacement. Therefore, the headlamp unit 1 can better absorb impacts when a load is input from above. Furthermore, because the headlamp unit 1 can better absorb impacts when a load is input from above, the clearance between the upper surface 1A and the upper hood 5 can be reduced. More specifically, in a vehicle body that does not have the headlamp unit 1, in order to have the hood 5 absorb more impacts when a load is input from above, it is necessary to increase the clearance between the hood 5 and the upper surface 1A and lengthen the displacement stroke of the hood 5. In a vehicle body 2 that has the headlamp unit 1, because the headlamp unit 1 can better absorb impacts when a load is input from above, it is not necessary to lengthen the displacement stroke of the hood 5, and the clearance can be reduced. The rear fulcrum may be the portion where the upper end 13A of the second rear wall 13 is connected to the first upper wall 14.

[0021] (1) A headlamp unit 1 according to the embodiment includes a housing 11 and a lens 21 disposed in front of the housing 11. The housing 11 includes a first rear wall 12 that constitutes a rear surface 1B of the headlamp unit 1, a second rear wall 13 that is above and rearward of the first rear wall 12 and constitutes the rear surface 1B, and a first upper wall 14 that extends in the front-to-rear direction at a position spaced apart in the up-down direction from the first rear wall 12. A front end 14F of the first upper wall 14 is connected to the lens 21 and a rear end 14R is connected to the second rear wall 13, and the first upper wall 14 constitutes at least a portion of an upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1.

[0022] With the above configuration, when a load is input to the headlamp unit 1 from above and the top surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 is displaced, the front end 23F of the lens 21 becomes the front fulcrum, and the rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14 becomes the rear fulcrum. This increases the distance between the fulcrums, allowing the top surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 to bend and displace significantly in the vertical direction. This allows the headlamp unit 1 to better absorb impacts when a load is input from above.

[0023] (2) In the embodiment, the lens 21 includes a front surface 22 that constitutes the lens surface of the headlamp unit 1, and a second upper wall 23 that extends rearward from the front surface 22, has a rear end 23R connected to the front end 14F of the first upper wall 14, and, together with the first upper wall 14, constitutes the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1. With this configuration, when a load is input from above to the headlamp unit 1 and the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 is displaced, the front end 23F of the second upper wall 23 serves as a front fulcrum, and the rear end 14R of the first upper wall 14 serves as a rear fulcrum. This further increases the distance between the fulcrums, allowing the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 to bend vertically and displace even more. This allows the headlamp unit 1 to better absorb impacts when a load is input from above.

[0024] (3) Furthermore, in the embodiment, the portion of the lens 21 that constitutes the second upper wall 23 is formed in a single color. This configuration allows the portion of the lens 21 that constitutes the second upper wall 23 to be formed with a thinner plate thickness than when the portion is formed by two-color molding. Therefore, when a load is applied to the headlamp unit 1 from above and the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 is displaced, the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 can bend and displace more in the vertical direction than when the portion that constitutes the second upper wall 23 is formed by two-color molding. Therefore, the headlamp unit 1 can absorb more impact when a load is applied from above than when the portion that constitutes the second upper wall 23 is formed by two-color molding.

[0025] (4) In addition, in the embodiment, when the headlamp unit 1 is mounted to the vehicle body 2, the upper surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 is covered by the hood 5. The headlamp unit 1 of the embodiment can better absorb impacts caused by loads input from above, so the clearance provided between the upper surface 1A and the hood 5 can be reduced. As a result, the degree of freedom in body design is improved, and the hood 5 can be made smaller and lighter.

[0026] (5) Furthermore, in the embodiment, the first upper wall 14 may extend in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle front-rear direction, and the length of the first upper wall 14 in the vehicle front-rear direction may be formed to be shorter the further outward the position of the first upper wall 14 in the vehicle width direction. This reduces the length of the first upper wall 14 in areas of the upper surface 1A that are closer to the sides of the vehicle body and require less impact absorption than the center of the headlamp unit 1 in the vehicle width direction, thereby reducing the weight of the headlamp unit 1.

[0027] The above-described embodiments are merely examples described to facilitate understanding of the invention. The technical scope of the invention is not limited to the specific technical matters disclosed in the above-described embodiments, but also includes various modifications, changes, alternative technologies, etc. that can be easily derived therefrom.

[0028] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the top surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 is formed by the first top wall 14 of the housing 11 and the second top wall 23 of the lens 21. However, a damper member for absorbing impacts from above may be connected to the rear of the first top wall 14 of the housing 11. In that case, the top surface 1A of the headlamp unit 1 may be formed by the first top wall 14 of the housing 11, the second top wall 23 of the lens 21, and the top wall of the damper member.

[0029] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 headlamp unit 1A upper surface 1B rear surface 2 vehicle body 5 hood 11 housing 12 first rear wall 13 second rear wall 14 first upper wall 21 lens 22 front surface 23 second upper wall

Claims

1. A headlamp unit comprising a housing and a lens arranged in front of the housing, wherein the housing comprises: a first rear wall that forms the rear surface of the headlamp unit; a second rear wall that forms the rear surface above and rearward of the first rear wall; and a first upper wall that forms at least a part of the upper surface of the headlamp unit, extending in the front-to-rear direction at a position spaced apart in the vertical direction from the first rear wall, with a front end connected to the lens and a rear end connected to the second rear wall.

2. A headlamp unit as described in claim 1, wherein the lens comprises: a front surface that constitutes the lens surface of the headlamp unit; and a second upper wall that extends rearward from the front surface, has a rear end connected to the front end of the first upper wall, and together with the first upper wall constitutes the upper surface of the headlamp unit.

3. The headlamp unit according to claim 2, wherein the portion of the lens that constitutes the second upper wall is formed in a single color.

4. A headlamp unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper surface of the headlamp unit is covered by a hood when the headlamp unit is mounted on a vehicle body.

5. A headlamp unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first upper wall extends in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the length of the first upper wall in the vehicle longitudinal direction becomes shorter the further it is positioned outward in the vehicle width direction.

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