Vehicle Headlight Unit Sealing and Illumination Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle headlight units face challenges in maintaining a proper seal while allowing for adjustable illumination ranges and distinguishing between headlight and auxiliary lights, as through-holes for adjusting the reflector's angle compromise sealing performance.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle design featuring a headlight unit that rotates with respect to a cover, allowing adjustment of the headlight unit's angle without through-holes in the base member, and an auxiliary light cover configuration that maintains visibility and sealing by positioning the auxiliary light-use lens to protrude from the main lens, ensuring effective sealing and illumination adjustment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If through-holes are formed in the base member to adjust the reflector's attachment angle, then the illumination range can be adjusted, but the sealing performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveillumination range adjustmentVSAvoidsealing performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the Dynamics principle by making the headlight unit rotatable relative to the cover through a support device. This allows the illumination range to be adjusted dynamically by rotating the entire headlight unit assembly, eliminating the need for through-holes in the base member and thereby maintaining sealing performance while achieving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If the auxiliary light-use lens is made contiguous with the main lens as a unit, then the structure is simplified, but the distinction between headlight and auxiliary light becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelens structureVSAvoidlight function distinction
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the Local quality principle by making the auxiliary light-use lens protrude from the main lens assembly. This creates a distinct local feature that allows visual differentiation between the headlight and auxiliary light functions, while the lenses remain structurally integrated. The protruding portion provides a unique visual characteristic that preserves function identification without requiring complete structural separation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of information

If the auxiliary light-use lens protrudes from the main lens, then the auxiliary light is easier to distinguish, but the sealing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight function distinctionVSAvoidsealing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the Merging principle by integrating the auxiliary light-use lens as part of the headlight unit assembly that rotates together with the main lens. The auxiliary light-use lens protrudes from the main lens, and both are covered by a single cover that rotates with the headlight unit. This merging approach maintains sealing simplicity while achieving visual distinction through the protruding lens design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution ensures a sealed headlight unit while allowing for adjustable illumination ranges and clear distinction between headlight and auxiliary lights, reducing interference and enhancing recognition of the auxiliary light.

Implementation Method 1

The reflector is supported by the base member and reflects forward the light emitted from the headlight-use light emitter and the auxiliary light-use light emitter

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReflection: Reflection

Implementation Method 2

The lens forms part of the outer surface of the vehicle. The lens transmits light emitted from the headlight-use light emitter, light emitted from the auxiliary light-use light emitter, and light reflected by the reflector

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight transmission: Lens

Data Source

PatentEP3015347B1vehicle
Publication Date: 2016.11.16 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3015347B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3015347B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3015347B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle comprising a headlight unit (56) having a lens made up of a main lens (503) and an auxiliary light-use lens (523), a cover (23) including an auxiliary light cover (232) surrounding at least part of the outer periphery of the auxiliary light-use lens (523), a support device supporting the headlight unit (56) on the cover (23) so that the angle by which the headlight unit (56) can rotate around a rotational axis extending in the left and right direction is greater than the angle by which the headlight unit (56) can rotate around a rotational axis extending in the up and down direction wherein the auxiliary light cover (232) is provided so that the distance from a left edge and a right edge to the auxiliary light-use lens (523) is less than the distance between an upper edge and the auxiliary light-use lens (523).