Vehicle lamp

Abstract

In this vehicle lamp, an aiming unit (30) has an adjustment bolt (33) and an adjustment gear (34); the adjustment bolt (33) includes a screw shaft (33b), a shaft portion (33c) positioned on the rear side of the screw shaft (33b), a central shaft (33d) positioned on the rear side of the shaft portion (33c), and a fixing portion (41) positioned on the rear side of the central shaft (33d); the adjustment gear (34) includes a hub portion (34a) positioned at the center, and a ring-shaped gear portion (34d) positioned around the hub portion (34a); and in a state in which the shaft portion (33c) of the adjustment bolt (33) inserted from the front side of a housing (2) is rotatably supported in a shaft hole (39a) penetrating the housing (2), the hub portion (34a) of the adjustment gear (34) is fixed, from the rear side of the housing (2), to the fixing portion (41) of the adjustment bolt (33), whereby the adjustment gear (34) rotates integrally with the adjustment bolt (33).

Description

Vehicle lighting device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle lighting device. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-025570 filed on February 20, 2025, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicle lighting devices such as vehicle headlamps (headlamps), a lighting unit that irradiates light forward of the vehicle is disposed inside a lamp body composed of a housing having an open front surface and an outer lens that covers the opening of the housing, and a light axis adjustment mechanism for adjusting the light axis of the light irradiated from this lighting unit forward of the vehicle is provided (for example, see Patent Document 1 below).

[0003] In a vehicle lighting device provided with such a light axis adjustment mechanism, the light axis of the light irradiated from the lighting unit forward of the vehicle is adjusted by an aiming operation for adjusting the inclination in the left-right direction and the inclination in the up-down direction of the lighting unit.

[0004] For example, in Patent Document 1 below, an aiming mechanism E is composed of an aiming fulcrum, aiming screws 30, 40, and nut members 130A, 130B attached to a reflector 14 and screwed to the aiming screws, and the nut members are guided by nut sliding guides 230A, 230B formed in a lamp body 10, and a ball joint structure stress relief means is provided at the attachment portions of the nut members and brackets 150a, 150b. In a reflector movable type headlamp, a ball portion of a ball joint is formed on the nut member body itself forming an internal thread portion, a slider supported by a sliding guide is integrally formed on the side of the ball portion, and a ball receiving portion of bearings 160A, 160B attached to the bracket supports the ball portion of the nut member. A reflector movable type automotive headlamp is disclosed.

[0005] Japanese Patent No. 3888672

[0006] By the way, in the invention described in Patent Document 1 above, an aiming screw 30 (40) rotatably supported in a screw insertion hole 10a (10b) of a lamp body 10 is inserted and attached to a cylindrical portion 50 from the outside of the lamp body 10.

[0007] Furthermore, the aiming screw 30 (40) inserted into the cylindrical portion 50 is positioned and fixed in the axial direction with respect to the screw insertion hole 10a (10b) by the engagement of an elastic locking piece 38 (48) provided on the front end side of its supported portion 34 (44) with the front end surface 50a of the cylindrical portion 50.

[0008] However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, the aiming screw 30 (40) cannot be removed from the lamp body 10 unless the engagement of the elastic latch piece 38 (48) is released from the inside of the lamp body 10. For example, when disassembling an automobile headlamp, the aiming screw 30 (40) cannot be removed unless other parts attached to the inside of the lamp body 10 are removed.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle light fixture equipped with an optical axis adjustment mechanism that is easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0010] An aspect of the present invention provides the following configuration: [1] A vehicle lamp comprising a light source unit arranged on the front side of a housing having an open front, and an optical axis adjustment mechanism for adjusting the optical axis of light emitted from the light source unit toward the front of the vehicle, wherein the optical axis adjustment mechanism has an aiming portion for adjusting the inclination of the light source unit with respect to the housing, the aiming portion comprises an adjustment bolt and an adjustment gear, the adjustment bolt includes a screw shaft with a male threaded portion formed thereon, a shaft portion located behind the screw shaft, a central shaft located behind the shaft portion, and a fixed portion located behind the central shaft, the adjustment gear includes a hub portion located at the center and a ring-shaped gear portion located around the hub portion, the shaft portion of the adjustment bolt being rotatably supported in an axial hole penetrating the housing from the front side of the housing, and the hub portion of the adjustment gear being fixed to the fixed portion of the adjustment bolt from the rear side of the housing, thereby causing the adjustment gear to rotate integrally with the adjustment bolt. [2] The vehicle light fixture according to [1], wherein the housing has a first projection that protrudes circumferentially from the inside of the shaft hole, and the adjustment bolt has a first locking portion that locks to the first projection from the opposite side of the shaft when the shaft portion is in contact with the front side of the first projection. [3] The vehicle light fixture according to [2], wherein the first locking portion is located in the middle of the central axis, protrudes outward diagonally forward from around the central axis, and includes a plurality of first flexible pieces that are flexible in the diameter reduction direction. [4] The vehicle light fixture according to [3], wherein the locking state of the plurality of first flexible pieces to the first projection can be released by flexing the plurality of first flexible pieces that are locked to the first projection from the rear side of the housing in the diameter reduction direction, and the adjustment bolt can be removed from the housing.[5] The vehicle light fixture according to [1], wherein the adjustment gear has a central hole that penetrates the hub portion, a second protrusion that protrudes circumferentially from the inside of the central hole, and a fitting recess located in front of the second protrusion of the central hole, and the fixing portion includes a flange portion that protrudes from around the central axis and is fitted inside the fitting recess in a state that prevents rotation around the axis, and a second locking portion that locks against the second protrusion from the opposite side of the flange portion when the flange portion is in contact with the front side of the second protrusion. [6] The vehicle light fixture according to [5], wherein the second locking portion is located on the rear end side of the central axis, protrudes outward diagonally forward from around the central axis, and includes a plurality of second flexible pieces that can be deformed by bending in the diameter reduction direction. [7] The vehicle light fixture according to [6], wherein the plurality of second flexible pieces, which are locked to the second protrusion, are deformed in the diameter-reducing direction from the rear side of the housing, thereby releasing the locking state of the plurality of second flexible pieces to the second protrusion, and the adjustment gear can be removed from the adjustment bolt. [8] The vehicle light fixture according to [1], wherein the adjustment bolt has a ring-shaped sealing member that slides against the inner surface of the shaft hole when fitted into a ring-shaped groove that cuts out the periphery of the shaft.

[0011] According to an aspect of the present invention, a vehicle light fixture is provided that is equipped with an optical axis adjustment mechanism that is easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0012] This is a front view showing the configuration of a vehicle light fixture according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle light fixture along the line segment II-II shown in Figure 1. This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the aiming section of the optical axis adjustment mechanism shown in Figure 2. This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the aiming section shown in Figure 3. This is a perspective view showing the state before the adjustment gear is attached to the rear end of the adjustment bolt of the aiming section shown in Figure 3. This is a perspective view showing the state with the adjustment gear attached to the rear end of the adjustment bolt of the aiming section shown in Figure 3. Part (A) is a perspective view showing the rear end of the adjustment bolt, and part (B) is a side view showing the rear end of the adjustment bolt. This is a perspective view of the adjustment gear seen from the front. Part (A) is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another aiming section, and part (B) is a plan view of another aiming section seen from the rear.

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the dimensional scale may be different for each component in order to make them easier to see, and the dimensional ratios of each component may not be the same as in reality.

[0014] As an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle lamp 1 equipped with an optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 as shown in Figures 1 to 9 will be described. Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the vehicle lamp 1. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle lamp 1 along the line segment II-II shown in Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the aiming section 30 provided in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the aiming section 30. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the state before the adjustment gear 34 is attached to the rear end of the adjustment bolt 33 of the aiming section 30. Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the state with the adjustment gear 34 attached to the rear end of the adjustment bolt 33 of the aiming section 30. Part (A) of Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the rear end side of the adjustment bolt 33. Part (B) of Figure 7 is a side view showing the rear end side of the adjustment bolt 33. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the adjustment gear 34 as seen from the front. Part (A) of Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of another aiming section 30A. Part (B) of Figure 9 is a plan view of another aiming section 30A as seen from the rear side.

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

[0016] The vehicle lighting device 1 of this embodiment is, for example, a vehicle headlamp mounted on both corners of the front end of a vehicle (not shown).

[0017] Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle light fixture 1 has a structure in which a light source unit 4 that projects light toward the front of the vehicle (+X axis direction) is arranged inside a light body 3 which is composed of a housing 2 with an open 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, which has been partially cut by the shade 7 toward the front of the vehicle, a substrate 9 on which the light source 5 is mounted on one side (the top surface in this embodiment), and a heat sink 10 that dissipates the heat emitted by the light source 5 while in contact with the other side (the bottom surface in this embodiment) of the substrate 9.

[0019] In the light source unit 4, a low beam is formed by projecting the light source image defined by the front end of the shade 7 inverted by the projection lens 8, thereby creating a low beam light distribution pattern that includes a cutoff line at the upper end.

[0020] Furthermore, the light source unit 4 may be configured with a cooling fan (not shown) attached to its rear side. Also, the light source 5 can be a light-emitting element such as a light-emitting diode (LED) or a laser diode (LD). Moreover, the number of light-emitting elements is not limited to one; there may be multiple elements.

[0021] In addition, the light source unit 4 may be configured to place another light source (not shown) below the shade 7, and project the light emitted from this light source in the direction of vehicle travel using the projection lens 8, 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 projection lens 8 described above. For example, it may be 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 guide lens-type light source unit that projects light L toward the front of the vehicle using a light guide lens.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle lighting fixture 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 that adjusts the optical axis of the light L emitted from the light source unit 4 toward the front of the vehicle.

[0024] The optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 includes an aiming bracket 21 that holds the light source unit 4, and this aiming bracket 21 has a structure in which it is tiltably supported with respect 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, the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 includes, among the three support points S1, S2, and S3 that support the aiming bracket 21 with respect to the housing 2, a fixed support part 22 located at the first support point S1 that fixes the position of the aiming bracket 21 with respect to the housing 2 while supporting the aiming bracket 21 so that it can be tilted freely; a first aiming part 23 located at the second support point S2 that adjusts the left-right tilt of the aiming bracket 21 with respect to the housing 2; and a second aiming part 24 located at the third support point S3 that adjusts the up-down tilt of the aiming bracket 21 with respect 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 the line LH12 connecting the first support point S1 and the second support point S2 is parallel to the horizontal line LH passing through the optical axis center O. Also, the third support point S3 is located below the optical axis center O of the light source unit 4, and the line LV23 connecting the second support point S2 and the third support point S3 is parallel to the vertical line LV passing through the optical axis center O. Moreover, the optical axis center O of the light source unit 4 is located inside the area E enclosed 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 lighting fixture 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 an aiming operation that adjusts the tilt of the light source unit 4 in the left-right direction and the tilt in the up-down direction.

[0028] In other words, in the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, by rotating the adjuster of the first aiming part 23, the first aiming part 23 slides the second support point S2 of the aiming bracket 21 in the front-rear direction. At this time, the aiming bracket 21 swings from side to side with the fixed support part 22 (first support point S1) as the pivot point. This makes it possible to adjust the tilt of the light source unit 4 in the left-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 part 24, the second aiming part 24 slides the third support point S3 of the aiming bracket 21 in the front-rear direction. At this time, the aiming bracket 21 swings up and down with the fixed support part 22 (first support point S1) as the pivot point. This makes it possible to adjust the vertical tilt of the light source unit 4.

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

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

[0032] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the aiming section 30 includes a connecting section 31 provided on the aiming bracket 21, an adjustment nut 32 that is slidably supported in the front-rear direction relative to the housing 2, an adjustment bolt 33 that is rotatably supported around an axis relative to the housing 2, and an adjustment gear 34 that rotates integrally with the adjustment bolt 33 on the outside of the housing 2.

[0033] The connecting portion 31 is provided so as to protrude downward from the outer circumference of the aiming bracket 21 and connects the aiming bracket 21 and the adjustment nut 32.

[0034] The adjustment nut 32 is made of a resin molded body of synthetic resin with excellent wear resistance, and has a substantially cylindrical nut body 32b with a female threaded portion 32a formed thereon, and a base portion 32c that supports the nut body 32b.

[0035] On the other hand, a guide portion 25 is provided on the inside of the housing 2. The guide portion 25 is provided with a sliding groove (not shown) that guides the base portion 32c of the adjustment nut 32 so that it can slide freely in the front-rear direction. As a result, the adjustment nut 32 is mounted to the housing 2 so that it can slide freely in the front-rear direction.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the adjustment bolt 33 is made of a resin molded body made of synthetic resin with excellent wear resistance and is formed in an overall elongated axial shape. The adjustment bolt 33 has a screw shaft 33b on which a male screw portion 33a is formed to be screwed into a female screw portion 32a, a shaft portion 33c located behind the screw shaft 33b and having a larger diameter than the screw shaft 33b, a central shaft 33d located behind the shaft portion 33c, a first locking portion 38 located on the shaft portion 33c side of the central shaft 33d, and a fixing portion 41 located behind the first locking portion 38.

[0037] The first locking portion 38 has a plurality (two in this embodiment) of first flexible pieces 38a that protrude outward and diagonally forward from around the central axis 33d and are capable of bending and deforming in the diameter reduction direction. In this embodiment, the first flexible pieces 38a are provided protruding diagonally from the middle of the central axis 33d toward the rear outer peripheral end of the shaft portion 33c.

[0038] On the other hand, the housing 2 is provided with a sleeve portion 39. The sleeve portion 39 has an axial hole 39a that penetrates the housing 2 in the front-rear direction, and a first protrusion 39b that protrudes circumferentially from the inside of the axial hole 39a, and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape overall.

[0039] When attaching the adjustment bolt 33 to the housing 2, the shaft portion 33c is inserted into the shaft hole 39a of the sleeve portion 39 from the inside (front side) of the housing 2, and the shaft portion 33c is engaged with the shaft hole 39a when it comes into contact with the first protrusion 39b. Also, the fixing portion 41 of the adjustment bolt 33 passes through the shaft hole 39a.

[0040] Furthermore, with the shaft portion 33c in contact with the front side of the first protrusion 39b, the tips of the multiple first flexible pieces 38a are locked to the first protrusion 39b from the opposite side of the shaft portion 33c. As a result, the adjustment bolt 33 is mounted to the housing 2 with the shaft portion 33c rotatably supported around the axis of the shaft hole 39a.

[0041] Furthermore, the adjustment bolt 33 is provided with a ring-shaped groove 33e that cuts out around the shaft portion 33c, and a ring-shaped sealing member 40 that, when fitted into the groove 33e, slides against the inner surface of the shaft hole 39a.

[0042] As shown in Figures 3 to 8, the adjustment gear 34 is made of a resin molded body made of synthetic resin or a metal molded body made of metal, and has a hub portion 34a located in the center, a disc portion 34b protruding in the radial direction from around the hub portion 34a, a peripheral wall portion 34c formed rising from around the disc portion 34b toward the front side, and a ring-shaped gear portion 34d formed around the entire circumference at the tip of the peripheral wall portion 34c.

[0043] Furthermore, the adjustment gear 34 has a central hole 34e that penetrates the center of the hub portion 34a in the front-rear direction, a second protrusion 34f that protrudes circumferentially from the inside of the central hole 34e, and a fitting recess 34g located in front of the second protrusion 34f of the central hole 34e.

[0044] In the present embodiment, the central hole 34e is circular in a front view, while the fitting recess 34g has a regular hexagonal shape in a front view. Further, the inner diameter d2 of the central hole 34e is smaller than the inner diameter d1 of the shaft hole 39a. Also, the inner diameter d4 of the second convex portion 34f is smaller than the inner diameter d3 of the first convex portion 39b.

[0045] The adjustment gear 34 is attached to the rear end side of the adjustment bolt 33 via a fixing portion 41. Specifically, this fixing portion 41 has a flange portion 33f located on the rear side of the first locking portion 38 of the central shaft 33d, and a second locking portion 42 located on the rear end side of the flange portion 33f of the central shaft 33d.

[0046] The flange portion 33f has a shape corresponding to the fitting recess 34g in a plan view, that is, a regular hexagonal shape in a front view, and is provided so as to project from around the central shaft 33d. Thereby, the flange portion 38e is fitted inside the fitting recess 34g in a state of being rotationally stopped around the axis.

[0047] Note that the fitting recess 34g and the flange portion 33f are not limited to the above-described regular hexagonal shape, and any shape may be used as long as the flange portion 33f is fitted inside the fitting recess 34g in a state of being rotationally stopped around the axis. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which concave and convex shapes that engage with each other are provided on a part of the fitting recess 34g and the flange portion 33f.

[0048] The second locking portion 42 has a plurality (two in the present embodiment) of second flexible pieces 42a that project outward and obliquely forward from around the central shaft 33d and are deformable by bending in the diameter-reducing direction. In the present embodiment, the second flexible piece 42a is provided so as to project obliquely from the rear end of the central shaft 33d toward the outer peripheral end portion on the rear side of the flange portion 33f. Also, the outer diameter d6 at the tip of the second flexible piece 42a is smaller than the outer diameter d5 at the tip of the first flexible piece 38a.

[0049] When attaching the adjustment gear 34 to the adjustment bolt 33, with the central shaft 33d inserted into the central hole 34e of the adjustment gear 34 from the outside (rear side) of the housing 2, the flange portion 33f is fitted into the fitting recess 34g.

[0050] Furthermore, with the flange portion 33f in contact with the front side of the second protrusion 34f, the tips of the multiple second flexible pieces 42a are locked to the second protrusion 34f from the opposite side of the flange portion 33f. As a result, the adjustment gear 34 is attached to the rear end of the adjustment bolt 33 via the fixing portion 41.

[0051] In the aiming section 30, the adjustment gear 34, which acts as an adjuster, is rotated by the jig G, which is engaged with the gear portion 34d of the adjustment gear 34, using a jig G such as a screwdriver. As a result, the adjustment bolt 33 rotates around its axis together with the adjustment gear 34. When the adjustment bolt 33 rotates, the adjustment nut 32 slides in the front-back direction due to the screwing of the male thread portion 33a and the female thread portion 32a.

[0052] Furthermore, in the aiming section 30, the adjustment nut 32 can be moved forward or backward depending on the rotation direction of the adjustment gear 34. This makes it possible to adjust the vertical tilt of the light source unit 4 supported by the aiming bracket 21 while the aiming bracket 21 swings in accordance with the forward and backward sliding of the adjustment nut 32.

[0053] Specifically, by moving the adjustment nut 32 forward, it is possible to tilt the aiming bracket 21 upward relative to the adjustment nut 32. Conversely, by moving the adjustment nut 32 backward, it is possible to tilt the aiming bracket 21 downward relative to the adjustment nut 32.

[0054] In the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, in the aiming section 30 described above, the hub section 34a of the adjustment gear 34 is fixed from the outside (rear side) of the housing 2 to the fixing section 41 of the adjustment bolt 33, which is inserted into the axial hole 39a of the sleeve section 39 from the inside (front side) of the housing 2.

[0055] In this case, by using a jig such as needle-nose pliers to deform the multiple second flexible pieces 42a that are locked to the second protrusion 34f from the outside (rear) of the housing 2 in the direction of reduction in diameter, the locking state of the multiple second flexible pieces 42a to the second protrusion 34f can be released, and the adjustment gear 34 can be removed from the adjustment bolt 33.

[0056] In other words, in this aiming section 30, multiple second flexible pieces 42a (second locking parts 42) are exposed from the outside (rear side) of the housing 2, so the locking state of these multiple second flexible pieces 42a with respect to the second protrusions 34f can be released, and the adjustment gear 34 can be easily removed from the outside (rear side) of the housing 2.

[0057] Furthermore, after removing the adjustment gear 34 from the adjustment bolt 33, the adjustment bolt 33 can be removed from the housing 2 by deforming the multiple first flexible pieces 38a, which are locked to the first protrusion 39b, in the diameter-reducing direction from the outside (rear) side of the housing 2, thereby releasing the locking state of the multiple first flexible pieces 38a to the first protrusion 39b.

[0058] In other words, in this aiming section 30, multiple first flexible pieces 38a (first locking parts 38) are exposed from the outside (rear side) of the housing 2, so the locking state of these multiple first flexible pieces 38a with respect to the first protrusions 39b can be released, and the adjustment bolt 33 can be easily removed from the outside (rear side) of the housing 2.

[0059] In particular, in the aiming section 30 of this embodiment, the outer diameter d5 at the tip of the first flexible piece 38a is larger than the outer diameter d6 at the tip of the second flexible piece 42a. This makes it easier to release the locking state of the multiple first flexible pieces 38a from the first protrusion 39b from the rear side of the housing 2 after removing the adjustment gear 34.

[0060] As a result, in the vehicle lighting device 1 of this embodiment, by including the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, the adjustment bolt 33 can be easily attached to the housing 2 from the inside (front side) of the housing 2 during assembly, together with the light source unit 4 and other parts that constitute the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20.

[0061] On the other hand, in the vehicle lighting fixture 1 of this embodiment, by providing the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 of this embodiment, when disassembling, it is possible to easily remove the adjustment bolt 33 from the housing 2 after removing the adjustment gear 34 from the adjustment bolt 33 from the outside (rear side) of the housing 2.

[0062] As described above, the vehicle lighting device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with the above-mentioned optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 which is easy to assemble and disassemble, thereby reducing the man-hours and time required for assembly and disassembly.

[0063] It should be noted that the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0064] Specifically, the vehicle lighting device 1 equipped with the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20 is not necessarily limited to the configuration of the aiming unit 30 of the present invention described above, but may also be configured with an aiming unit 30A as shown in parts (A) and (B) of Figure 9.

[0065] In the aiming section 30A shown in parts (A) and (B) of Figure 9, the adjustment bolt 33 has a flange portion 33g that protrudes in the expanding direction from between the screw shaft 33b and the shaft portion 33c.

[0066] The adjustment gear 34 is attached to the rear end of the adjustment bolt 33 via a fixing portion 41A. Specifically, this fixing portion 41A has a plurality (two in this embodiment) of flexible pieces 43a that protrude rearward from the rear end of the shaft portion 33c and are capable of bending and deforming in the direction of diameter reduction, and a claw portion 43b that protrudes in the direction of diameter expansion from the tip side of the flexible pieces 43a. In addition, the hub portion 34a of the adjustment gear 34 is provided with a rectangular central hole 34e in front view, and a pair of second protrusions 34f that protrude from opposing positions inside the central hole 34e.

[0067] On the other hand, the front end of the sleeve portion 39 is provided with a ring-shaped groove portion 39c that cuts out around the shaft hole 39a, and a ring-shaped sealing member 40 that is fitted into the groove portion 39c and slides against the outer surface of the shaft portion 33c.

[0068] In the aiming section 30A, the shaft portion 33c is inserted into the shaft hole 39a of the sleeve portion 39 from the inside (front side) of the housing 2, and the flange portion 33g comes into contact with the front end side of the sleeve portion 39, thereby engaging the shaft portion 33c with the shaft hole 39a. Also, the fixing portion 41A of the adjustment bolt 33 passes through the shaft hole 39a.

[0069] In this state, in the aiming section 30A, with multiple flexible pieces 43a inserted into the central hole 34e of the adjustment gear 34 from the outside (rear side) of the housing 2, the claw portion 43b of each flexible piece 43a is locked into a pair of second protrusions 34f of the adjustment gear 34.

[0070] As a result, the adjustment bolt 33 is mounted to the housing 2 with its shaft portion 33c rotatably supported around the axis of the shaft hole 39a. The adjustment gear 34 is attached to the rear end of the adjustment bolt 33 via a fixed portion 41A.

[0071] In this configuration, for example, by using a jig such as needle-nose pliers to deform the multiple flexible pieces 43a in the diameter-reducing direction from the outside (rear) of the housing 2, the locking state of each flexible piece 43a by the claw portion 43b can be released, allowing the adjustment gear 34 to be removed from the adjustment bolt 33, and the adjustment bolt 33 to be removed from the housing 2. In other words, in this aiming section 30A, the adjustment gear 34 and the adjustment bolt 33 can be removed from the outside (rear) of the housing 2.

[0072] Therefore, even in this configuration, during assembly, the adjustment bolt 33 can be easily attached to the housing 2 from the inside (front side) of the housing 2, along with the other components that make up the light source unit 4 and the optical axis adjustment mechanism 20.

[0073] On the other hand, during disassembly, after removing the adjustment gear 34 from the adjustment bolt 33 from the outside (rear side) of the housing 2, the adjustment bolt 33 can be easily removed from the housing 2.

[0074] In the above-described vehicle lighting device 1, the configuration of the aiming units 30 and 30A of the present invention is applied to the second aiming unit 24 as an example. However, the configuration of the aiming unit 30 of the present invention may be applied to the first aiming unit 23, and it is also possible to apply the configuration of the aiming units 30 and 30A of the present invention to each of the first and second aiming units 23 and 24, respectively.

[0075] 1...Vehicle lighting fixture 2...Housing 3...Light body 4...Light source unit 5...Light source 6...Reflector 7...Shade 8...Projection lens 9...Circuit board 10...Heat sink 20...Optical axis adjustment mechanism 21...Aiming bracket 22...Fixed support part 23...First aiming part 24...Second aiming part 30, 30A...Aiming part 31...Connecting part 32...Adjustment nut 33...Adjustment bolt 34...Adjustment gear 38...First locking part 39...Sleeve part 40...Sealing member 41, 41A...Fixing part 42...Second locking part

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising a light source unit positioned on the front side of a housing with an open front, and an optical axis adjustment mechanism for adjusting the optical axis of light emitted from the light source unit toward the front of the vehicle, wherein the optical axis adjustment mechanism has an aiming part for adjusting the inclination of the light source unit relative to the housing, the aiming part has an adjustment bolt and an adjustment gear, the adjustment bolt includes a screw shaft, a shaft portion located behind the screw shaft, a central shaft located behind the shaft portion, and a fixed part located behind the central shaft, the adjustment gear includes a hub portion located at the center and a ring-shaped gear portion located around the hub portion, the shaft portion of the adjustment bolt being rotatably supported in an axial hole penetrating the housing from the front side of the housing, and the hub portion of the adjustment gear being fixed to the fixed part of the adjustment bolt from the rear side of the housing, thereby causing the adjustment gear to rotate integrally with the adjustment bolt.

2. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a first projection that protrudes circumferentially from the inside of the shaft hole, and the adjustment bolt has a first locking portion that locks against the first projection from the opposite side of the shaft when the shaft portion is in contact with the front side of the first projection.

3. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 2, wherein the first locking portion is located in the middle of the central axis, protrudes outward and diagonally forward from around the central axis, and includes a plurality of first flexible pieces that are flexible in the direction of reduction in diameter.

4. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of first flexible pieces, which are locked to the first protrusion, can be deformed in the diameter-reducing direction from the rear side of the housing, thereby releasing the locking state of the plurality of first flexible pieces with respect to the first protrusion, and the adjustment bolt can be removed from the housing.

5. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment gear has a central hole that penetrates the hub portion, a second protrusion that protrudes circumferentially from the inside of the central hole, and a fitting recess located in front of the second protrusion of the central hole, and the fixing portion includes a flange portion that protrudes from around the central axis and is fitted into the inside of the fitting recess in a state that prevents rotation around the axis, and a second locking portion that locks against the second protrusion from the opposite side of the flange portion when the flange portion is in contact with the front side of the second protrusion.

6. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 5, wherein the second locking portion is located on the rear end side of the central axis, protrudes outward and diagonally forward from around the central axis, and includes a plurality of second flexible pieces that are flexible in the diameter reduction direction.

7. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of second flexible pieces, which are locked to the second protrusion, are deformed in the diameter-reducing direction from the rear side of the housing, thereby releasing the locking state of the plurality of second flexible pieces to the second protrusion, and the adjustment gear can be removed from the adjustment bolt.

8. The vehicle light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment bolt has a ring-shaped sealing member that slides against the inner surface of the shaft hole while fitted into a ring-shaped groove that cuts out the periphery of the shaft portion.

Images