Vehicle lamp fitting

Abstract

An aiming unit (30) comprises a mounting ring (31) that is provided on a bracket, an adjustment nut (32) that is supported so as to be free to slide in a front-rear direction when connected to the mounting ring (31) via a pivot portion (35), and an adjustment bolt (33) that includes a male thread portion (33a) that screws into a female thread portion (32a) provided in the adjustment nut (32), the adjustment bolt (33) being supported with freedom to rotate about an axis, wherein: the pivot portion (35) has a spherical concave portion (36) provided on the inner surface of the mounting ring (31), and a spherical convex portion (37) provided on the outer surface of the adjustment nut (32); and the mounting ring (31) is attached to the adjustment nut (32) so as to be free to tilt in a state in which the spherical convex portion (37) has been fitted into the spherical concave portion (36).

Description

Vehicle lighting fixtures

[0001] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-095723, filed on June 13, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle lighting fixtures such as vehicle headlights (headlamps) have been configured such that a lighting unit that irradiates light toward the front of the vehicle is disposed inside a lamp body that is composed of a housing with an opening at the front and an outer lens that covers the opening of the housing, and a light axis adjustment mechanism that adjusts the optical axis of the light irradiated from this lighting unit toward the front of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).

[0003] In vehicle lamps equipped with such optical axis adjustment mechanisms, the optical axis of the light emitted from the lamp unit toward the front of the vehicle is adjusted by an aiming operation that adjusts the left-right and up-down tilt of the lamp unit.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a nut member that includes a fitting portion that fits into a fitting hole provided in an object, and a female thread portion into which a screw is inserted and which is screwed into the male thread portion of the screw, wherein the fitting portion and the female thread portion are formed at different axial positions of the nut member, the fitting portion has a pair of elastically deformable leg pieces that are arranged opposite each other in the radial direction of the female thread portion, and these leg pieces have fitting grooves on their outer radial surfaces that fit into the fitting hole, and each leg piece has a cavity in the inner region of the groove bottom of the fitting groove.

[0005] Japanese Patent No. 6062178

[0006] In the invention described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the fitting portion is composed of a pair of elastically deformable leg pieces, and fitting grooves are provided in these leg pieces, and a cavity is provided on the inside of the bottom surface of the fitting groove, so that the fitting portion elastically abuts against the fitting hole.

[0007] However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, although the mating portion elastically abuts against the mating hole, which can absorb the play between the mating hole and the mating groove, the mating portion will become misaligned relative to the mating hole due to the elastic deformation of the mating portion.

[0008] Therefore, in such a configuration, vibrations and the like while the vehicle is traveling may cause the support position of the light source unit by the optical axis adjustment mechanism to become unstable, or the optical axis adjustment by the optical axis adjustment mechanism may become misaligned.

[0009] An aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle lamp that can support a light source unit in a stable state and that allows the optical axis of the light source unit to be adjusted with high precision.

[0010] The present invention provides the following configuration: [1] A vehicle lamp having a light source unit disposed on the front side of a housing with an open front surface, and including a light axis adjustment mechanism for adjusting the light axis of light emitted from the light source unit toward the front of the vehicle, wherein the light axis adjustment mechanism includes a bracket that supports the light source unit and an aiming portion that adjusts the tilt of the bracket relative to the housing, wherein the aiming portion includes a mount ring provided on the bracket, an adjustment nut that is connected to the mount ring via a pivot portion and supported on the housing so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction, and an adjustment bolt that includes a male threaded portion that screws into a female threaded portion provided on the adjustment nut and is supported on the housing so as to be rotatable about its axis, wherein the pivot portion has a spherical concave portion provided on the inner surface of the mount ring and a spherical convex portion provided on the outer surface of the adjustment nut, wherein the mount ring is attached so as to be tiltable relative to the adjustment nut with the spherical convex portion fitted into the spherical concave portion. [2] The vehicle lamp according to [1], wherein the adjustment nut has a plurality of elastic pieces that sandwich the adjustment bolt, the outer surfaces of the plurality of elastic pieces are provided with the spherical convex portions, and when the adjustment bolt passes through the insides of the plurality of elastic pieces, the plurality of elastic pieces are elastically deformed and pushed outward, so that the spherical convex portions are fitted into the spherical concave portions.[3] The spherical recess is divided into a front spherical portion and a rear spherical portion on the inner surface of the mount ring, and the front spherical portions and the rear spherical portions lined up in the circumferential direction of the mount ring are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the mount ring, and the front spherical portions and the rear spherical portions as a whole form a single concave spherical surface; the inner surface of the mount ring is provided with a front straight recess that cuts out in the front-to-rear direction between each of the front spherical portions lined up in the circumferential direction of the mount ring, and a rear straight recess that cuts out in the front-to-rear direction between each of the rear spherical portions lined up in the circumferential direction of the mount ring; the front straight recess is arranged so as to cut out in the front-to-rear direction the inner surface of the mount ring from the front end of the mount ring to the front end of the rear spherical portion with an outline that is the same as or larger than the outline of the front end of the rear spherical portion,

[0014] The vehicle lamp according to [2], characterized in that the rear straight recess is provided by cutting out the inner surface of the mount ring from the rear end of the mount ring to the rear end of the front spherical portion in the fore-and-aft direction with an outline the same as or larger than the outline of the rear end of the front spherical portion. [4] The vehicle lamp according to [2], characterized in that the adjusting nut has a base portion located below the multiple elastic pieces and a spring portion located on the underside of the base portion and elastically deformable in the up-and-down direction, and is supported slidably in the fore-and-aft direction on the housing with the base portion and the spring portion engaged in a slide groove provided in the housing, and when the mount ring is tilted up or down relative to the adjusting nut, the mount ring abuts on the base portion and the base portion is pressed downward, elastically deforming the spring portion. [5] The vehicle lamp according to [1], characterized in that the tilt of the light source unit supported by the bracket is adjusted by rotating the adjustment bolt to slide the adjusting nut in the fore-and-aft direction.[6] The vehicle lamp according to [1], wherein the optical axis adjustment mechanism has a fixed support part located at a first support point among three support points that support the bracket relative to the housing, and that supports the bracket so that it can tilt freely while fixing the position of the bracket relative to the housing; a first aiming part located at a second support point and that adjusts the left-right tilt of the bracket relative to the housing; and a second aiming part located at a third support point and that adjusts the up-down tilt of the bracket relative to the housing, wherein at least one of the first aiming part and the second aiming part is constituted by the aiming part.

[0011] According to an aspect of the present invention, a vehicle lamp is provided that can support a light source unit in a stable state and that allows the optical axis of the light source unit to be adjusted with high precision.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of a vehicle lamp according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp taken along line II-II shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the optical axis adjustment mechanism provided in the vehicle lamp shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the aiming portion provided in the optical axis adjustment mechanism shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the aiming portion shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the aiming portion shown in FIG. 4. Part (A) is a front view of the mount ring, and part (B) is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the mount ring and the adjusting nut. Part (A) is a rear view of the mount ring, and part (B) is a vertical cross-sectional view of the mount ring and the adjusting nut. Part (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the aiming portion when the aiming bracket is tilted upward relative to the housing. Part (B) is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the aiming portion when the aiming bracket is tilted downward relative to the housing.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the dimensions of the components may be shown at different scales to make them easier to see, and the dimensional ratios of the components may not necessarily be the same as those in reality.

[0014] As one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle lamp 1 equipped with an optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 shown in, for example, FIGS. 1 to 10 will be described. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp 1 taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 provided in the vehicle lamp 1. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the aiming portion 30 provided in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the aiming portion 30. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the aiming portion 30. Portion (A) of FIG. 7 is a front view of the mount ring 31. Portion (B) of FIG. 7 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the mount ring 31 and the adjusting nut 32. Portion (A) of FIG. 8 is a rear view of the mount ring 31. Portion (B) of FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the mount ring 31 and the adjusting nut 32. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the aiming portion 30 when the aiming bracket 21 is tilted upward relative to the housing 2. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of the aiming portion 30 when the aiming bracket 21 is tilted downward relative to the housing 2. As shown in FIG.

[0015] In addition, in the drawings shown below, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is set up, with the X-axis direction representing the front-to-rear direction (length direction) of the vehicle lighting fixture 1, the Y-axis direction representing the left-to-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle lighting fixture 1, and the Z-axis direction representing the up-to-down direction (height direction) of the vehicle lighting fixture 1.

[0016] The vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment is an application of the present invention to a vehicle headlamp mounted, for example, at both corners on the front end side of a vehicle (not shown).

[0017] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, this vehicle lamp 1 has a structure in which a light source unit 4 that projects light toward the front of the vehicle (in the +X-axis direction) is arranged inside a lamp body 3 that is composed of a housing 2 that is open at the front and a transparent outer lens (not shown) that covers the opening of the housing 2.

[0018] The light source unit 4 includes, for example, a light source 5 that emits white light (hereinafter simply referred to as light) L, a reflector 6 that reflects the light L emitted upward from the light source 5 toward the front of the vehicle, a shade 7 that blocks (cuts) a portion of the light L reflected by the reflector 6, a projection lens 8 that projects the light L that has been cut by the shade 7 toward the front of the vehicle, a substrate 9 on one side (the upper side in this embodiment) of which the light source 5 is mounted, and a heat sink 10 that dissipates heat emitted by the light source 5 while in contact with the other side (the lower side in this embodiment) of the substrate 9.

[0019] In the light source unit 4, a low beam light distribution pattern including a cutoff line at the upper end is formed by inverting and projecting the light source image defined by the front end of the shade 7 using the projection lens 8 as a passing beam (low beam).

[0020] The light source unit 4 may be configured such that a cooling fan (not shown) is attached to the rear side of the light source unit 4. The light source 5 may be a light-emitting element such as a light-emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode (LD). The number of light-emitting elements is not limited to one, and may be multiple.

[0021] In addition, the light source unit 4 may be configured such that another light source (not shown) is placed below the shade 7 as a driving beam (high beam), and the light emitted from this light source is projected by the projection lens 8 toward the direction of vehicle travel, thereby forming a high beam light distribution pattern above the low beam light distribution pattern.

[0022] The light source unit 4 is not necessarily limited to a projector-type light source unit that projects light L toward the front of the vehicle using the above-mentioned projection lens 8, but may be, for example, a reflector-type light source unit that omits the projection lens and projects light L toward the front of the vehicle using a reflector including multiple reflective surfaces, or a light-guiding lens-type light source unit that projects light L toward the front of the vehicle using a light-guiding lens.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment includes a light axis adjustment mechanism 20 that adjusts the optical axis of light L emitted from the light source unit 4 toward the front of the vehicle.

[0024] The optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 has an aiming bracket 21 that holds the light source unit 4, and this aiming bracket 21 has a structure in which it is supported so as to be able to tilt freely relative to the housing 2 via a fixed support portion 22, a first aiming portion 23, and a second aiming portion 24.

[0025] Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, this optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 has three support points S1, S2, and S3 that support the aiming bracket 21 relative to the housing 2. Of these, a fixed support part 22 is located at the first support point S1 and supports the aiming bracket 21 so as to be tiltable while fixing the position of the aiming bracket 21 relative to the housing 2; a first aiming part 23 is located at the second support point S2 and adjusts the left-right tilt of the aiming bracket 21 relative to the housing 2; and a second aiming part 24 is located at the third support point S3 and adjusts the up-down tilt of the aiming bracket 21 relative to the housing 2.

[0026] Furthermore, when the light source unit 4 is viewed from the front, the first support point S1 and the second support point S2 are located above the optical axis center O of the light source unit 4, and a line LH12 connecting the first support point S1 and the second support point S2 is parallel to a horizontal line LH passing through the optical axis center O. Furthermore, the third support point S3 is located below the optical axis center O of the light source unit 4, and a line LV23 connecting the second support point S1 and the third support point S3 is parallel to a vertical line LV passing through the optical axis center O. Furthermore, the optical axis center O of the light source unit 4 is located inside an area E surrounded by the first support point S1, the second support point S2, and the third support point S3. Note that the arrangement of the three support points S1, S2, and S3 is not limited to this arrangement and can be changed as appropriate.

[0027] In the vehicle lamp 1 equipped with the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, the optical axis of the light L emitted from the light source unit 4 toward the front of the vehicle can be adjusted by performing an aiming operation to adjust the left-right and up-down tilt of the light source unit 4.

[0028] That is, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, by rotating the adjuster of the first aiming portion 23, the first aiming portion 23 slides the second support point S2 of the aiming bracket 21 in the front-to-rear direction. At this time, the aiming bracket 21 swings left and right with the fixed support portion 22 (first support point S1) as the fulcrum. This makes it possible to adjust the tilt of the light source unit 4 in the left and right direction.

[0029] On the other hand, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, by rotating the adjuster of the second aiming portion 24, the second aiming portion 24 slides the third support point S3 of the aiming bracket 21 in the front-to-rear direction. At this time, the aiming bracket 21 swings up and down with the fixed support portion 22 (first support point S1) as the fulcrum. This makes it possible to adjust the tilt of the light source unit 4 in the up and down direction.

[0030] In addition, the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment is configured to support the aiming bracket 21 that holds the above-mentioned light source unit 4 so that it can be tilted freely. However, for example, in a light source unit that includes a light source and a reflector that reflects light emitted from the light source and irradiates the light reflected by the reflector toward the front of the vehicle, the aiming bracket 21 attached to the back side of the reflector may be supported so that it can be tilted freely via the fixed support part 22, the first aiming part 23, and the second aiming part 24, thereby adjusting the optical axis of the light L irradiated from the light source unit 4 toward the front of the vehicle.

[0031] In the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, at least one of the first aiming section 23 and the second aiming section 24 (the second aiming section 24 in this embodiment) is configured by an aiming section 30 to which the present invention is applied.

[0032] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 to 6, this aiming portion 30 has a mount ring 31 provided on the aiming bracket 21, an adjustment nut 32 supported so as to be able to slide freely in the forward and backward directions relative to the housing 2, and an adjustment bolt 33 supported so as to be able to rotate freely around an axis relative to the housing 2.

[0033] The mount ring 31 is provided to protrude downward from the outer periphery of the aiming bracket 21. The mount ring 31 has a hole 31a that penetrates in the front-rear direction, and is formed in a generally cylindrical shape as a whole.

[0034] The adjustment nut 32 is made of a resin molded body made of synthetic resin with excellent wear resistance, and has an approximately cylindrical nut body 32b on which a female thread portion 32a is formed, multiple (four in this embodiment) elastic pieces 32c protruding forward from the front side of the nut body 32b, a base portion 32d located below the nut body 32b and the multiple elastic pieces 32c and supporting the nut body 32b, and a spring portion 32e located on the underside of the base portion 32d and capable of elastically deforming in the vertical direction.

[0035] The adjusting nut 32 is supported so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 2 with the base portion 32d and the spring portion 32e engaged in a slide groove 34 provided in the housing 2.

[0036] The spring portions 32e of this embodiment have a curved spring plate shape, and are provided on the lower surface of the base portion 32d with two spring portions symmetrically arranged on the front side and two spring portions symmetrically arranged on the rear side.

[0037] The adjustment bolt 33 is made of a resin molded body made of synthetic resin with excellent wear resistance and is formed into an elongated shaft shape as a whole. The adjustment bolt 33 has a screw shaft 33b formed with a male thread portion 33a that screws into the female thread portion 32a, and an adjustment dial 33c that serves as an adjuster at the rear end of the screw shaft 33b.

[0038] The adjustment bolt 33 is supported rotatably about its axis relative to the housing 2 with the rear end of the screw shaft 33b engaged with a shaft hole (not shown) provided in the housing 2.

[0039] The mount ring 31 is connected to the tip side of the adjusting nut 32 via a pivot portion 35. The pivot portion 35 has a spherical recess 36 provided on the inner surface of the mount ring 31 and a spherical protrusion 37 provided on the outer surface of the adjusting nut 32. The pivot portion 35 is structured so that the mount ring 31 is attached to the adjusting nut 32 in a manner that allows it to tilt (swing) freely, with the spherical protrusion 37 fitted into the spherical recess 36.

[0040] Specifically, in this pivot portion 35, multiple elastic pieces 32c are arranged at equal intervals around the screw shaft 33b of the adjustment bolt 33, and are each cantilevered forward from the front side of the nut body 32b so as to clamp the tip side of the screw shaft 33b.

[0041] The spherical convex portions 37 are provided separately on the outer surfaces of the plurality of elastic pieces 32c, and together form one convex spherical surface.

[0042] On the other hand, the spherical recess 36 is divided into a front spherical portion 36a and a rear spherical portion 36b on the inner surface of the hole portion 31a (mount ring 31), and as a whole forms a single spherical recess.

[0043] The front spherical surface portions 36a and the rear spherical surface portions 36b are arranged in multiple rows in the circumferential direction of the hole 31a (mount ring 31). Furthermore, the front spherical surface portions 36a and the rear spherical surface portions 36b arranged in the circumferential direction of the hole 31a are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the hole 31a. As a result, the front spherical surface portions 36a and the rear spherical surface portions 36b together form a single concave spherical surface as the spherical recess 36.

[0044] Specifically, in this embodiment, two front spherical portions 36a are provided at positions opposite to each other in the left-right direction of the hole 31a, as shown in parts (A) and (B) of Figure 7. Meanwhile, two rear spherical portions 36b are provided at positions opposite to each other in the up-down direction of the hole 31a, as shown in parts (A) and (B) of Figure 8.

[0045] The inner surface of the hole 31a is provided with front straight recesses 38a that are cut out in the front-to-rear direction between each of the front spherical portions 36a that are lined up circumferentially around the hole 31a, and rear straight recesses 38b that are cut out in the front-to-rear direction between each of the rear spherical portions 36b that are lined up circumferentially around the hole 31a.

[0046] That is, in this embodiment, two front straight recesses 38a are provided at positions opposite to each other in the vertical direction of the hole 31a, as shown in parts (A) and (B) of Figure 7. On the other hand, two rear straight recesses 38b are provided at positions opposite to each other in the horizontal direction of the hole 31a, as shown in parts (A) and (B) of Figure 8.

[0047] That is, the front straight recesses 38a and the rear straight recesses 38b are arranged in multiple rows in the circumferential direction of the hole 31a. Furthermore, the front straight recesses 38a and the rear straight recesses 38b arranged in the circumferential direction of the hole 31a are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the hole 31a.

[0048] As shown in parts (A) and (B) of Figure 7, the front straight recess 38a is provided by cutting out the inner surface of the hole 31a, which extends from the front end of the mount ring 31 to the front end of the rear spherical portion 36b, in the front-to-rear direction with an outer shape that is the same as or larger than the outer shape of the front end of the rear spherical portion 36b.

[0049] 7A, when the mount ring 31 is viewed from the front side, the hole 31a opens in a circular shape as a whole, with the front spherical surface 36a and the rear spherical surface 36b aligned in the circumferential direction. When the mount ring 31 is viewed from the front side, the front straight recess 38a opens in a circular shape as a whole, with a diameter larger than that of the hole 31a.

[0050] On the other hand, in the cross section of the mount ring 31 shown in Figure 7 (B), the hole portion 31a is narrowed in diameter toward the rear end of the mount ring 31 by the rear spherical portion 36b, while the front straight recess 38a opens toward the front end of the mount ring 31 with the same diameter as the front end of the rear spherical portion 36b.

[0051] The front straight recess 38a does not necessarily have to have the same diameter as the front end of the rear spherical portion 36b, but may have a larger diameter than the front end of the rear spherical portion 36b, or may increase in diameter from the front end of the rear spherical portion 36b toward the front end of the mount ring 31.

[0052] This allows the mold that forms the front side of the mount ring 31 to be removed from the hole 31a after the mount ring 31 has been molded.

[0053] On the other hand, as shown in parts (A) and (B) of Figure 8, the rear straight recess 38b is provided by cutting out the inner surface of the hole 31a, which extends from the rear end of the mount ring 31 to the rear end of the front spherical portion 36a, in the front-to-rear direction with an outer shape that is the same as or larger than the outer shape of the rear end of the front spherical portion 36a.

[0054] 8A, when the mount ring 31 is viewed from the rear side, the hole 31a opens in a circular shape as a whole, with the front spherical portion 36a and the rear spherical portion 36b aligned in the circumferential direction. When the mount ring 31 is viewed from the rear side, the rear straight recess 38b opens in a circular shape as a whole, with a diameter larger than that of the hole 31a.

[0055] On the other hand, in the longitudinal cross section of the mount ring 31 shown in Figure 8 (B), the hole portion 31a is narrowed in diameter toward the front end of the mount ring 31 by the front spherical portion 36a, while the rear straight recess 38b opens toward the rear end of the mount ring 31 with the same diameter as the rear end of the front spherical portion 36a.

[0056] The rear straight recess 38b does not necessarily have to have the same diameter as the rear end of the front spherical portion 36a, but may have a larger diameter than the rear end of the front spherical portion 36a, or may increase in diameter from the rear end of the front spherical portion 36a toward the rear end of the mount ring 31.

[0057] This allows the mold that forms the back side of the mount ring 31 to be removed from the hole 31a after the mount ring 31 has been molded.

[0058] 6, with the screw shaft 33b of the adjustment bolt 33 passing through the insides of the multiple elastic pieces 32c, the multiple elastic pieces 32c are elastically deformed and pushed outward, causing the spherical convex portion 37 to fit into the spherical concave portion 36. In this way, the mount ring 31 is attached to the tip end side of the adjustment nut 32 so as to be able to tilt (swing).

[0059] In the aiming unit 30, the adjustment bolt 33 rotates around its axis by rotating the adjustment dial 33c located on the back side of the housing 2. When the adjustment bolt 33 rotates, the male threaded portion 33a and the female threaded portion 32a thread together, causing the adjustment nut 32 to slide forward and backward. Depending on the direction of rotation of the adjustment dial 33c, the adjustment nut 32 can be advanced or retracted.

[0060] As a result, in the aiming section 30, the aiming bracket 21 is swung by sliding the adjustment nut 32 connected to the mount ring 31 back and forth, and the inclination of the light source unit 4 supported by this aiming bracket 21 is adjusted.

[0061] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, by moving the adjusting nut 32 forward, it is possible to tilt the aiming bracket 21 including the mount ring 31 upward relative to the adjusting nut 32. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 10, by moving the adjusting nut 32 backward, it is possible to tilt the aiming bracket 21 including the mount ring 31 downward relative to the adjusting nut 32.

[0062] In the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, in the aiming section 30 described above, the spherical convex portion 37 on the adjustment nut 32 side is fitted into the spherical concave portion 36 on the mount ring 31 side that constitutes the pivot section 35, and the mount ring 31 is attached so as to be able to tilt (swing) freely relative to the adjustment nut 32.

[0063] As a result, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent positional misalignment in the front-to-back, up-down, and left-to-right directions between the mount ring 31 and the adjustment nut 32 without causing any play in the connection between the mount ring 31 and the adjustment nut 32.

[0064] Furthermore, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce distortion that occurs between the mount ring 31 and the adjustment nut 32 when the mount ring 31 is tilted up or down relative to the adjustment nut 32.

[0065] Furthermore, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, when the mount ring 31 is tilted up or down relative to the adjustment nut 32, the mount ring 31 comes into contact with the base portion 32d of the adjustment nut 32, and the base portion 32d is pressed downward. At this time, the four spring portions 32e located on the underside of the base portion 32d described above elastically deform independently in accordance with the load applied to the base portion 32d.

[0066] As a result, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the load applied to the base ends of the multiple elastic pieces 32c that sandwich the screw shaft 33b, and prevent damage to the pivot portion 35.

[0067] As described above, in the vehicle lamp 1 of this embodiment, the light source unit 4 held by the aiming bracket 21 can be supported in a stable state without being affected by vibrations, etc., when the vehicle is traveling, and further, the optical axis of the light source unit 4 can be adjusted with high precision by the aiming portion 30 of the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 described above.

[0068] The present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0069] For example, the above-mentioned vehicle lamp 1 illustrates an example in which the configuration of the aiming section 30 of the present invention is applied to the above-mentioned second aiming section 24, but the configuration of the aiming section 30 of the present invention may also be applied to the first aiming section 23, and it is also possible to apply the configuration of the aiming section 30 of the present invention to each of the first and second aiming sections 23, 24.

[0070] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...vehicle lamp 2...housing 3...lamp body 4...light source unit 5...light source 6...reflector 7...shade 8...projection lens 9...substrate 10...heat sink 20...optical axis adjustment mechanism 21...aiming bracket 22...fixed support portion 23...first aiming portion 24...second aiming portion 30...aiming portion 31...mount ring 32...adjusting nut 32a...female thread portion 32c...elastic piece 32e...spring portion 33...adjusting bolt 33a...male thread portion 34...slide groove 35...pivot portion 36...spherical concave portion 36a...front spherical portion 36b...rear spherical portion 37...spherical convex portion 38a...front straight concave portion 38b...rear straight concave portion

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp having a light source unit disposed on the front side of a housing whose front is open, and a light axis adjustment mechanism for adjusting the light axis of light emitted from the light source unit toward the front of the vehicle, wherein the light axis adjustment mechanism has a bracket that supports the light source unit, and an aiming part that adjusts the tilt of the bracket relative to the housing, wherein the aiming part has: a mount ring attached to the bracket; an adjustment nut that is connected to the mount ring via a pivot part and is supported so as to be slidable in the front-to-rear direction relative to the housing, and an adjustment bolt that includes a male threaded part that screws into a female threaded part provided on the adjustment nut and is supported so as to be rotatable around its axis relative to the housing, wherein the pivot part has a spherical concave part provided on the inner surface of the mount ring and a spherical convex part provided on the outer surface of the adjustment nut, wherein the mount ring is attached so as to be tiltable relative to the adjustment nut with the spherical convex part fitted into the spherical concave part.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting nut has a plurality of elastic pieces that sandwich the adjusting bolt, the outer surfaces of the plurality of elastic pieces are provided with the spherical convex portions, and when the adjusting bolt passes through the insides of the plurality of elastic pieces, the plurality of elastic pieces are elastically deformed and pushed outward, causing the spherical convex portions to fit into the spherical concave portions.

3. The spherical recess is divided into a front spherical portion and a rear spherical portion on the inner surface of the mount ring, and the multiple front spherical portions lined up in the circumferential direction of the mount ring and the multiple rear spherical portions lined up in the circumferential direction of the mount ring are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the mount ring, and the front spherical portions and the rear spherical portions as a whole have a structure that forms a single concave spherical surface; the inner surface of the mount ring is provided with a front straight recess that cuts out in the front-to-rear direction between each of the front spherical portions lined up in the circumferential direction of the mount ring, and a rear straight recess that cuts out in the front-to-rear direction between each of the rear spherical portions lined up in the circumferential direction of the mount ring; the front straight recess is arranged so as to cut out the inner surface of the mount ring in the front-to-rear direction from the front end of the mount ring to the front end of the rear spherical portion with an outline that is the same as or larger than the outline of the front end of the rear spherical portion, 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the rear straight recess is provided by cutting out the inner surface of the mount ring from the rear end of the mount ring to the rear end of the front spherical portion in the fore-and-aft direction with an outer shape that is the same as or larger than the outer shape of the rear end of the front spherical portion.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 2, wherein the adjusting nut has a base portion located below the plurality of elastic pieces, and a spring portion located on the underside of the base portion and elastically deformable in the vertical direction, and is supported so as to be slidable in the longitudinal direction relative to the housing with the base portion and the spring portion engaged in a slide groove provided in the housing, and when the mount ring is tilted vertically relative to the adjusting nut, the mount ring abuts against the base portion and the base portion is pressed downward, causing the spring portion to elastically deform.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment nut slides in the front-rear direction by rotating the adjustment bolt, thereby adjusting the inclination of the light source unit supported by the bracket.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the optical axis adjustment mechanism has a fixed support part located at a first support point among three support points that support the bracket on the housing, and that supports the bracket so that it can tilt freely while fixing the position of the bracket on the housing, a first aiming part located at a second support point that adjusts the left-right tilt of the bracket on the housing, and a second aiming part located at a third support point that adjusts the up-down tilt of the bracket on the housing, and wherein at least one of the first aiming part and the second aiming part is constituted by the aiming part.

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