Vehicle Headlamp Coupling Mechanism Vibration Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle headlamps face challenges in vibration suppression due to the load distribution and positioning of coupling points, which leads to displacement and reduced vibration resistance during vehicle operation.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle headlamp design featuring first and second coupling portions positioned vertically, with the lighting unit supported on a frame fixed to the lamp housing, allowing rotation about one axis and tilting about another, thereby improving vibration resistance by aligning coupling points with the center of gravity and reducing the load on adjustment shafts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the lighting unit is supported by three coupling points (fulcrum shaft and two adjustment shafts) spaced from the center of gravity, then the aiming adjustment function is achieved, but the vibration suppression property deteriorates due to load distribution and displacement during vehicle operation
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism is divided into two separate coupling portions instead of three coupling points. The first coupling portion enables rotation about a first axis, while the second coupling portion enables tilting about a second axis. This segmentation reduces the number of coupling points from three to two, minimizing vibration-induced displacement while maintaining full aiming adjustment functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The two coupling portions are positioned at different vertical heights (first vertical position and second vertical position), utilizing the vertical dimension to create spatial separation. This dimensional arrangement allows the coupling portions to be aligned with the center of gravity in the vertical plane, improving vibration resistance while preserving rotational and tilting adjustment capabilities.
2Ease of operation
If margin (play) is formed in the lighting unit design to absorb load during aiming adjustment, then the adjustment mechanism operates smoothly, but the lighting unit becomes susceptible to vibration-induced displacement during vehicle operation
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling portions are strategically positioned to align with the center of gravity of the lighting unit in the vertical plane. This counterbalancing arrangement ensures that vibration forces act through the center of gravity rather than creating additional moments that would exploit design margins, thereby maintaining position stability while preserving adjustment smoothness.
3Device complexity
If the total load of the lighting unit and frame is placed on the fulcrum shaft and two adjustment shafts, then the support structure is simplified, but the vibration suppression property of the adjustment shafts and fulcrum shaft deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The load support function is segmented between the frame and the two coupling portions. The frame, being fixed to the lamp housing, bears the primary structural load, while the two coupling portions (positioned at different vertical heights) share the remaining load. This segmentation reduces the total load on each individual shaft compared to the three-shaft configuration, improving vibration suppression while maintaining structural simplicity.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided a vehicle headlamp including a frame (16) fixed to a lamp housing in a lamp chamber (5), a lighting unit (7) including a first coupling portion (13) and a second coupling portion (14), the lamp unit (7) being supported on the frame (16) rotatably about the first coupling portion (13), a rotor (22) supported on the frame (16) and rotating the lighting unit (7) about the first coupling portion (13) in a horizontal direction, a slider (26) supported on the rotor (22), the slider being coupled to the second coupling portion (14) of the lighting unit (7) and tilting the lighting unit (7) about the first coupling portion (13) in a substantially vertical direction, a rotation operation portion (31) rotating the rotor (22) in the horizontal direction by being rotated relative to the frame (16), and a drive operation portion (32) moving the slider (26) in a back-and-forth direction by being rotated relative to the frame (16). The first coupling portion (13) and the second coupling portion (14) of the lighting unit (7) are positioned so as to be substantially vertically spaced apart.