Vehicular lamp

Abstract

A vehicular lamp (10) comprises: a housing (16) that has an access opening (16a); a lamp unit (18) that is disposed in the housing (16); a fulcrum part (20) that supports the lamp unit (18) in a manner tiltable with respect to the housing (16); an aiming screw (22) that has an access part (32) disposed in the housing (16) and tilts the lamp unit (18) about the fulcrum part (20) when the access part (32) is rotated; and a closing member (16b) that is attached to the housing (16) and closes the access opening (16a). The access part (32) is visible through the access opening (16a) when the access opening (16a) is open.

Description

Vehicle lighting fixture

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting fixture mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

[0002] Generally, a vehicle lighting fixture such as a headlamp has an aiming mechanism for adjusting the optical axis direction. A typical aiming mechanism includes an aiming screw and a nut member. One end of the aiming screw is exposed outside the lamp body so that an operator can operate it with a tool, and is rotatably attached to the lamp body. The other end of the aiming screw is screwed into the nut member. The nut member is connected to a lamp unit on which a light source is mounted. When the operator rotates the aiming screw around its axis, the nut member moves forward and backward along the axis of the aiming screw, thereby tilting the lamp unit. Thus, the optical axis direction of the vehicle lighting fixture is adjusted (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-55600

[0004] The present inventor has studied a vehicle lighting fixture having the above-described aiming mechanism and recognized the following problems. The regulatory requirements that the aiming mechanism should satisfy may vary depending on the country. For example, there are countries that prohibit aiming in a specific direction when the vehicle lighting fixture is mounted on a vehicle. One way to comply with such regulations is not to mount the aiming mechanism for that specific direction on the vehicle lighting fixture. However, this may cause inconvenience in manufacturing for the manufacturer of the vehicle lighting fixture. This is because, in the actual situation of the manufacturing process of the vehicle lighting fixture, the aiming mechanism can be used as a simple means for correcting the deviation of the optical axis direction that may occur due to the assembly work. Therefore, when the vehicle lighting fixture is not equipped with an aiming mechanism, it may be necessary to improve the assembly accuracy in order to ensure that the optical axis coincides with the specified direction. This may unfortunately result in an increase in the load of the assembly work and the manufacturing cost.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and one exemplary objective of a certain embodiment thereof is to enable aiming in a specific direction during the manufacturing stage of vehicle lighting equipment, and to prevent such aiming in a specific direction after shipment.

[0006] A vehicle lamp according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing having an access opening, a lamp unit disposed within the housing, a pivot point that tiltably supports the lamp unit relative to the housing, an access part disposed within the housing, an aiming screw that tilts the lamp unit around the pivot point when the access part is rotated, and a closing member attached to the housing that closes the access opening. The access part is visible through the access opening when the access opening is open.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to enable aiming in a specific direction during the manufacturing stage of vehicle lighting equipment, and to prevent such aiming in a specific direction after shipment.

[0008] This is a schematic front view showing a vehicle light fixture according to an embodiment. This is a schematic diagram showing a vertical cross-section of the vehicle light fixture shown in Figure 1 along line A-A. This is a schematic diagram showing a vertical cross-section of the vehicle light fixture shown in Figure 1 along line B-B. This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a vehicle light fixture according to an embodiment.

[0009] The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, based on preferred embodiments. The embodiments are illustrative and not limiting, and not all features or combinations thereof described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the scale and shape of each part shown in each drawing are set for convenience to facilitate explanation and are not to be interpreted restrictively unless otherwise specified. In addition, terms such as "first," "second," etc., used in this specification or claims do not indicate any order or importance, but are used to distinguish one configuration from another. Furthermore, some components that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted in each drawing.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic front view showing a vehicle light fixture according to an embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing a vertical cross-section of the vehicle light fixture shown in Figure 1 along line A-A. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a vertical cross-section of the vehicle light fixture shown in Figure 1 along line B-B.

[0011] The vehicle lighting device 10 is a vehicle headlight system having a pair of headlight units positioned on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle. The pair of headlight units have a generally symmetrical structure and are substantially identical in configuration, so Figure 1 shows the vehicle lighting device located on the right side when viewed from the front of the vehicle. Therefore, in Figure 1, the right side is on the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the left side is on the inside in the vehicle width direction.

[0012] For the sake of clarity, this book may use terms such as vertical, horizontal, and horizontal directions to facilitate understanding of the positional relationships and operation of the components of the vehicle lighting fixture 10. The vertical direction refers to the vertical direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane). The horizontal and vertical directions refer to the horizontal and vertical directions of the vehicle on which the vehicle lighting fixture 10 is mounted, respectively. Typically, the horizontal and vertical directions are perpendicular to the vertical direction (parallel to the horizontal plane) and orthogonal to each other.

[0013] In the illustrated example, the front-to-back direction of the vehicle light fixture 10 corresponds to the up-and-down direction in Figure 2. In Figure 2, the lower part corresponds to the front of the vehicle light fixture 10, and the upper part corresponds to the rear of the vehicle light fixture 10. Also, the front-to-back direction of the vehicle light fixture 10 corresponds to the left-to-right direction in Figure 3. In Figure 3, the left side corresponds to the front of the vehicle light fixture 10, and the right side corresponds to the rear of the vehicle light fixture 10.

[0014] The vehicle light fixture 10 comprises a lamp body 12 having a front opening 13, and a front cover 14 attached to the lamp body 12 so as to cover the front opening 13. The lamp body 12 is configured to be attachable to the vehicle body, and the front cover 14 is attached to the vehicle body via the lamp body 12. The lamp body 12 and the front cover 14 constitute the housing 16 of the vehicle light fixture 10, and the internal space of the housing 16 is formed as a light chamber 17. The lamp body 12 is made of a suitable synthetic resin material, such as a general-purpose resin material. The front opening 13 opens towards the front of the vehicle. The front cover 14 is made of a suitable translucent material, such as a translucent synthetic resin material or glass. The front cover 14 is also called an outer lens.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 16 has an access opening 16a. In this example, the access opening 16a is formed in the lamp body 12 as a separate opening from the front opening 13. The access opening 16a is a through hole formed on the back of the lamp body 12.

[0016] Furthermore, the vehicle light fixture 10 is attached to the housing 16 and includes a closing member 16b that closes the access opening 16a. The closing member 16b may be a lid configured to block the access opening 16a. The closing member 16b may be made of an appropriate material, such as a synthetic resin material such as a general-purpose resin material, or a metal material.

[0017] In this embodiment, the closing member 16b is permanently attached to the access opening 16a to prevent access to the lamp chamber 17 from outside the housing 16 through the access opening 16a. Alternatively, the closing member 16b may be permanently attached to the access opening 16a to allow access to the lamp chamber 17 as needed.

[0018] The access opening 16a, together with the closing member 16b, may constitute a so-called breathing hole provided in the lamp body 12. In this case, the closing member 16b may be waterproof and breathable in order to ensure ventilation between the inside and outside of the lamp chamber 17 through the access opening 16a and to ensure the waterproofness of the access opening 16a. For example, the closing member 16b may have a hole that communicates with the access opening 16a when attached to the access opening 16a, and this hole may be covered with a waterproof and breathable material (for example, Gore-Tex®). The closing member 16b is also called an air cap. Alternatively, the closing member 16b may be a sheet of waterproof and breathable material, and the access opening 16a may be covered with this sheet.

[0019] The vehicle lighting fixture 10 includes a lamp unit 18 located within a housing 16. When the lamp unit 18 is illuminated, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 functions as a headlight. The lamp unit 18 may include a light source, such as a light-emitting diode (LED), and at least one optical element, such as a reflector or projection lens, which controls the light emitted by the light source. Various known configurations can be appropriately adopted for the lamp unit 18, so they will not be described in detail here.

[0020] Furthermore, the vehicle lighting fixture 10 includes a pivot point 20 attached to the housing 16, an aiming screw 22, and an actuator 24. The pivot point 20, the aiming screw 22, and the actuator 24 are located at the rear of the vehicle lighting fixture 10, specifically between the lamp unit 18 and the lamp body 12. As will be described later, the lamp unit 18 can be tilted in two directions, vertically and horizontally, relative to the housing 16 by the pivot point 20, the aiming screw 22, and the actuator 24.

[0021] The lamp unit 18 may include a first support member 26 and a second support member 27 positioned in front of the lamp body 12 within the lamp chamber 17. The first support member 26 is positioned on the lamp unit 18 side, and the second support member 27 is positioned on the lamp body 12 side. The first support member 26 and the second support member 27 can also be called the first bracket and the second bracket, respectively. The first support member 26 and the second support member 27 may be formed from a suitable synthetic resin material, such as a general-purpose resin material, or a suitable metal material.

[0022] The first support member 26 is attached to the rear of the lamp unit 18 by an appropriate mounting method, such as screw fastening, and is fixed to the lamp unit 18. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first support member 26 is connected to the lamp body 12 via a pivot point 20. The first support member 26 may also be connected to the second support member 27 via the pivot point 20. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the first support member 26 is connected to the second support member 27 via an aiming screw 22, and as shown in Figure 3, it is connected to the second support member 27 via an actuator 24. The second support member 27 supports the aiming screw 22 and the actuator 24 and is also supported by the lamp body 12. The second support member 27 may be fixed immovably to the lamp body 12 by an appropriate mounting method, such as screw fastening.

[0023] The pivot point 20 supports the lamp unit 18 so that it can tilt relative to the housing 16. The pivot point 20 has a pivot member 28 and a pivot support part 30 which are connected to form a so-called ball joint structure.

[0024] The pivot member 28 is fixed to the housing 16 (lamp body 12 in this example) and connected to the lamp unit 18 to allow tilting of the lamp unit 18. The pivot member 28 has a spherical body 28a and a mounting portion 28b. The spherical body 28a is fixed to the lamp body 12 by the mounting portion 28b. The spherical body 28a is a spherical portion formed at the tip of the mounting portion 28b and may have a diameter somewhat larger than the diameter of the mounting portion 28b. The mounting portion 28b may be a shaft portion extending from the spherical body 28a and may have a threaded portion on its outer circumference and be screwed into a corresponding mounting hole 12a of the lamp body 12.

[0025] The pivot support portion 30 is a bearing that supports the spherical body 28a of the pivot member 28. The pivot support portion 30 is fixed to the first support member 26. The pivot support portion 30 has a fitting hole into which the spherical body 28a of the pivot member 28 is fitted. When the spherical body 28a is fitted into this fitting hole, the spherical body 28a makes slidable contact with the fitting hole. Therefore, when the pivot support portion 30 slides against the spherical body 28a, the first support member 26 and thus the lamp unit 18 can tilt relative to the lamp body 12, i.e., the housing 16.

[0026] The pivot member 28 may be made of a suitable metal material, such as stainless steel. The pivot support portion 30 may be made of a synthetic resin material with excellent sliding properties, such as engineering plastic.

[0027] Note that the relative positions of the pivot member 28 and the pivot support portion 30 may be reversed. In other words, the pivot member 28 may be provided on the lamp unit 18 side (for example, the first support member 26), and the pivot support portion 30 may be provided on the housing 16 side (for example, the lamp body 12).

[0028] The aiming screw 22 has an access portion 32 formed at one end and a shaft portion 34 extending from the access portion 32. When the access portion 32 of the aiming screw 22 is rotated, it tilts the lamp unit 18 in the left-right direction around the pivot portion 20. The entire aiming screw 22, including not only the shaft portion 34 but also the access portion 32, is located inside the housing 16. Since the aiming screw 22 does not protrude outside the lamp body 12, the size of the vehicle light fixture 10 in the front-rear direction can be reduced.

[0029] The access portion 32 is rotatably mounted on the second support member 27. The access portion 32 is rotatable around the axis 36 of the aiming screw relative to the second support member 27. A through hole 27a for holding the access portion 32 may be formed in the second support member 27, and the access portion 32 may be rotatably supported on the second support member 27 by the through hole 27a.

[0030] As will be described later with reference to Figure 4, the access portion 32 is visible through the access opening 16a when the access opening 16a is open. The access portion 32 is positioned inside the housing 16 so that it can be accessed by a linear path from the access opening 16a. In the illustrated example, the access opening 16a is positioned on the axis 36 of the aiming screw 22. When the access opening 16a is open, the access portion 32 can be accessed from outside the housing 16 through the access opening 16a via a linear path along the axis 36.

[0031] The shaft portion 34 has a threaded portion formed on its outer circumferential surface for screwing into the nut member 38. The nut member 38 is connected to the first support member 26 to form a so-called ball joint structure. The first support member 26 is provided with a fitting hole into which the nut member 38 is fitted. When the nut member 38 is fitted into this fitting hole, the nut member 38 makes slidable contact with the fitting hole. As the aiming screw 22 rotates around the axis 36, the nut member 38 moves back and forth along the aiming screw 22 in the direction of the axis 36, and the first support member 26 slides against the nut member 38. As a result, the first support member 26 and, consequently, the lamp unit 18 can tilt relative to the lamp body 12, i.e., the housing 16.

[0032] The aiming screw 22 may be made of a suitable metal material such as stainless steel. The nut member 38 may be made of a synthetic resin material with excellent sliding properties, such as engineering plastic.

[0033] The actuator 24 tilts the lamp unit 18 vertically around the pivot point 20. As shown in Figure 3, the actuator 24 comprises an actuating body 24a and a main body 24b. The actuator 24 is a linear actuator that outputs the linear motion of the actuating body 24a.

[0034] The actuator 24a is connected to the lamp unit 18 so as to allow tilting of the lamp unit 18 relative to the actuator 24a. The actuator 24a has a spherical tip 40, which is connected to a mating member 42 so as to constitute a so-called ball joint structure. The mating member 42 is a bearing that supports the spherical tip 40. The mating member 42 has a fitting hole into which the spherical tip 40 is fitted. When the spherical tip 40 is fitted into this fitting hole, the spherical tip 40 makes slidable contact with the fitting hole. The mating member 42 is fixed to the first support member 26. The actuator 24a may be made of a suitable metal material such as stainless steel. The mating member 42 may be made of a synthetic resin material with excellent sliding properties such as engineering plastic.

[0035] The main body 24b supports the actuator 24a so that it can move forward and backward. The main body 24b also houses a drive mechanism that moves the actuator 24a linearly forward and backward relative to the main body 24b. The drive mechanism may include, for example, an electric motor that outputs rotational motion and a motion conversion mechanism that reduces the rotational motion from the motor and converts it into linear motion. The main body 24b is attached to the back of the second support member 27 and is positioned in the space between the second support member 27 and the lamp body 12. The second support member 27 is provided with an opening 26a for the actuator 24a to pass through, and the actuator 24a extends through this opening 26a toward the mating member 42 of the first support member 26 along the front-rear direction (left-right direction in Figure 3) of the vehicle lamp 10. The actuator 24a is positioned in the space between the first support member 26 and the second support member 27.

[0036] Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle light fixture according to an embodiment. Similar to Figure 2, Figure 4 schematically shows a vertical cross-section of the vehicle light fixture 10 along the line A-A in Figure 1. However, Figure 4 shows the state before the closing member 16b is attached to the access opening 16a in the manufacturing process of the vehicle light fixture 10, i.e., the state in which the access opening 16a is open.

[0037] As can be seen from Figure 4, the access portion 32 of the aiming screw 22 is visible through the access opening 16a when the access opening 16a is open. The space 44 formed between the access opening 16a and the access portion 32 within the housing 16 is open. That is, there are no objects in the space 44 that obstruct the view of the access portion 32 (for example, some component of the vehicle light fixture 10). Therefore, when the access opening 16a is open before the closing member 16b is attached, the worker can see the access portion 32 through the access opening 16a from outside the housing 16.

[0038] This configuration allows an operator to access the access section 32 from outside the housing 16 using a tool 46, such as a box wrench or a Phillips screwdriver. In Figure 4, for ease of understanding, the tool 46 inserted into the access section 32 from outside the housing 16 through the access opening 16a is shown by a dashed line. This allows the operator to manipulate the access section 32 with the tool 46 and rotate the aiming screw 22 around its axis 36, as schematically shown by the arrow 48, even though the entire aiming screw 22, including the access section 32, is located inside the housing 16.

[0039] The access section 32 is positioned within the housing 16 so that it can be accessed via a linear path from the access opening 16a. Generally, the tool 46 used to rotate the aiming screw 22 has a linear shape. Therefore, this arrangement of the access section 32 facilitates the tool 46's access to the access section 32 from the access opening 16a.

[0040] In the illustrated example, the access opening 16a is positioned on the axis 36 of the aiming screw 22. As a result, the access section 32 is positioned in front of the access opening 16a. The access section 32 can be easily accessed from the access opening 16a with a tool 46.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, in an exemplary arrangement, the aiming screw 22 is positioned at the same vertical height as the pivot point 20 but at a different horizontal position from the pivot point 20. The actuator body 24a of the actuator 24 is positioned vertically above the pivot point 20 but at the same horizontal position as the pivot point 20. The pivot point 20 and the actuator 24 are located on one side of the ramp unit 18 (right side in Figure 1), and the aiming screw 22 is located on the other side of the ramp unit 18 (left side in Figure 1). Therefore, the first rotation axis 19a is set to pass through the pivot point 20 and the aiming screw 22, and the second rotation axis 19b is set to pass through the pivot point 20 and the actuator body 24a of the actuator 24. The first rotation axis 19a and the second rotation axis 19b are perpendicular at the pivot point 20.

[0042] When an operator operates the access portion 32 of the aiming screw 22 with a tool 46, the aiming screw 22 is rotated about the axis 36, and the nut member 38 advances and retreats along the aiming screw 22 in the direction of the axis 36 (i.e., the front-rear direction of the vehicle lamp 10). In response to the movement of the nut member 38, the first support member 26 and thus the lamp unit 18 tilt about the second rotation axis 19b with respect to the housing 16. Thus, the optical axis of the lamp unit 18 can be adjusted in the left-right direction.

[0043] Also, when the actuator 24 linearly advances and retreats the actuator body 24a in the front-rear direction of the vehicle lamp 10, the mating member 42 slides with respect to the spherical tip portion 40, whereby the first support member 26 and thus the lamp unit 18 tilt about the first rotation axis 19a with respect to the lamp body 12, i.e., the housing 16. Thus, the optical axis of the lamp unit 18 can be adjusted in the up-down direction.

[0044] In this way, when the access opening 16a is not blocked by the closing member 16b in the manufacturing process of the vehicle lamp 10, the operator can adjust the optical axis of the vehicle lamp 10 in two directions, the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The deviation of the optical axis direction that may occur in the assembly work of the vehicle lamp 10 can be easily corrected.

[0045] The access opening 16a is finally closed by the closing member 16b in the manufacturing process of the vehicle lamp 10. The closing member 16b may be non-removably attached to the access opening 16a as described above. As a result, the subsequent operation of the aiming screw 22 becomes impossible. The left-right aiming at the stage of assembling the vehicle lamp 10 to the vehicle or at the stage where the vehicle equipped with the vehicle lamp 10 is used is prohibited. Regarding the up-down aiming, it can be executed at an arbitrary timing using the actuator 24.

[0046] Therefore, according to the embodiment, it is possible to perform lateral aiming during the manufacturing stage of the vehicle lamp 10, and it is possible to prevent lateral aiming after shipment from the manufacturer of the vehicle lamp 10. In North American countries, lateral aiming of the vehicle lamp 10 when mounted on a vehicle is prohibited, but the vehicle lamp 10 complies with such regulations.

[0047] In addition, an actuator for lateral aiming may be provided in the vehicle lamp 10 instead of the aiming screw 22. That is, the vehicle lamp 10 may include an additional actuator for lateral aiming in addition to the actuator 24 for vertical aiming. From the perspective of commonality of parts, this additional actuator may be an actuator having the same specifications as the actuator 24. For vehicle lamps 10 for countries where lateral aiming is legally permitted, a configuration of the vehicle lamp 10 having two such actuators is acceptable.

[0048] In this case, the second support member 27 may form a space 44 capable of accommodating the actuator 24 between the access portion 32 and the housing 16. The second support member 27 may have a shape recessed from the access opening 16a toward the access portion 32, and the space 44 may be formed in this recess. The space 44 is sized to accommodate the actuator 24. In this way, the aiming screw 22 can be easily replaced with an additional actuator for lateral aiming without changing the design of the second support member 27.

[0049] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and it is also possible to combine the embodiments and modifications or to make further modifications such as various design changes based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. Embodiments or modifications combined or further modified in this way are also included in the scope of the present invention. The new embodiments resulting from the combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications and the combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications and the following modifications have the effects of the combined embodiments, modifications, and further modifications.

[0050] The above-described embodiment illustrates the case where the access opening 16a is positioned on the axis 36 of the aiming screw 22, but other arrangements are possible as long as the access section 32 is visible from the access opening 16a. The access opening 16a may be positioned off-center from the axis 36 of the aiming screw 22. For example, the access opening 16a may be positioned on a straight line inclined with respect to the axis 36 of the aiming screw 22, thereby positioning the access section 32 within the housing 16 so that it can be accessed via a linear path from the access opening 16a.

[0051] The above-described embodiment illustrates the case where the aiming screw 22 and the actuator 24 are supported by a common support member (e.g., a second support member 27), but this is not essential in the present invention. The aiming screw 22 and the actuator 24 may be supported by separate support members. For example, the actuator 24 may be supported by the second support member 27, while the aiming screw 22 may be supported by an additional support member located within the housing 16 and different from the second support member 27.

[0052] The above-described embodiment explains the case where the aiming screw 22 is responsible for aiming in the left-right direction, but this is not essential in the present invention. The aiming screw 22 may also be responsible for aiming in directions other than left-right. For example, the aiming screw 22 may be responsible for aiming in the up-down direction, and the actuator 24 may be responsible for aiming in the left-right direction.

[0053] Although the present invention has been described using specific terms based on the embodiments, the embodiments only illustrate one aspect of the principle and application of the present invention, and many modifications and changes in arrangement are permitted in the embodiments, as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0054] This invention can be used in vehicle lighting fixtures installed in vehicles such as automobiles.

[0055] 10 Vehicle lighting fixture, 16 Housing, 16a Access opening, 16b Closing member, 18 Lamp unit, 20 Pivot point, 22 Aiming screw, 24 Actuator, 32 Access section, 36 Axis, 44 Space.

Claims

1. A vehicle lighting device comprising: a housing having an access opening; a lamp unit disposed within the housing; a pivot point that tiltably supports the lamp unit relative to the housing; an access part disposed within the housing, and an aiming screw that tilts the lamp unit around the pivot point when the access part is rotated; and a closing member attached to the housing that closes the access opening, wherein the access part is visible through the access opening when the access opening is open.

2. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the access portion is arranged within the housing so that it can be accessed by a straight path from the access opening.

3. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the access opening is located on the axis of the aiming screw.

4. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the closing member has waterproof and breathable properties.

5. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the aiming screw tilts the lamp unit in the left-right direction around the pivot point when the access portion is rotated.

6. The vehicle lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an actuator for tilting the lamp unit vertically around the pivot point.

7. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 6, further comprising a support member disposed within the housing and supporting the actuator, wherein the access portion is rotatably mounted on the support member.

8. The vehicle lighting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the support member forms a space between the access portion and the housing that can accommodate the actuator.

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