JP2002133914A - Head lamp for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a head lamp for a vehicle that has a simple mounting structure, where a retainer does not come off from a shade even after being used for long years. SOLUTION: A stopper 19 that is pressed and contacted with the opposite side of a base panel 14 is formed in the tip of a projection 18 that is inserted into a notch 15 of the base panel 14, so that even when a large force is applied from a plunger 9 stroking in the optical axial direction, the retainer does not come off from the base panel 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle headlamp device, and more particularly to a projector type vehicle headlamp device capable of switching an irradiation range.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A headlight of an automobile is normally low so that it does not dazzle an oncoming vehicle when a high beam (running beam) that irradiates a light at a high position to a distant place during normal driving is used. A low beam (passing beam) for irradiating the light at a position nearby can be switched.
No. 222).

[0003] In this type of headlamp, a reflector having a reflecting surface based on an elliptical surface is provided integrally with or separately from a holder in which a condenser lens is attached to a front end opening. A light source is provided at a position corresponding to one focal point. After being reflected by the reflector, the light from the light source is once collected at the second focal point, then refracted by the condenser lens, and emitted forward.

[0004] Inside the holder, there is provided a shade which is supported so as to be able to rotate back and forth about a rotation shaft set at a vertically intermediate position. The lower end of the shade is connected to a plunger of a solenoid, and when the plunger is stroked in the optical axis direction, the upper end of the shade rotates back and forth. When the upper end of the shade rotates back and forth, its height position changes, and it is possible to switch between a high beam and a low beam by blocking a part of the light reflected from the reflector.

[0005] Since the solenoid plunger is connected to the lower end of the shade which is rotatable back and forth about the rotation shaft at the upper and lower intermediate positions, the tip of the plunger can only linearly stroke in the optical axis direction. A mechanism for absorbing a vertical displacement between the two and a lower end of the shade that draws an arc locus in the optical axis direction is provided. As a mechanism for absorbing the displacement, a retainer is attached to the lower end of the shade to allow a vertical rotation of the tip of the plunger, and the difference in movement between the retainer and the plunger is absorbed. It is supposed to.

[0006]

However, in such a conventional technique, a retainer is interposed between the lower end of the shade and the plunger to absorb the difference between the movements of the shade and the plunger. However, since a large force is applied to the retainer from the plunger that strokes in the optical axis direction, there is a possibility that the retainer may come off from the lower end of the shade during long-term use. In order to prevent such detachment, the retainer may be firmly attached to the lower end of the shade using a plurality of screws, adhesives, or the like, but this makes the work of attaching the retainer troublesome.

The present invention has been made in view of such prior art, and provides a vehicle headlamp device having a simple mounting structure and a retainer that does not come off the shade even after long use. is there.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
At the end on the anti-solenoid side of the retainer, a projection is inserted from below into a notch formed from the lower end of the base panel, and the tip of the projection is larger than the projection at the opposite side of the base panel. A stopper portion to be abutted is formed, and a groove portion of the retainer is formed in a non-penetrating state from the lower surface to an intermediate position in the vertical direction.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the stopper which is in contact with the opposite side of the base panel is formed at the tip of the projection inserted into the cutout of the base panel, the stroke is made in the optical axis direction. Even when a large force is applied from the plunger, the retainer does not come off the base panel. Further, since the projection of the retainer is simply inserted from below into the cutout of the base panel, the mounting operation is easy.
Even if the convex part of the retainer is just inserted from below, the groove part of the retainer is not penetrated from the lower surface to the middle position up and down, so the upper surface of the groove part is supported from below by the tip of the plunger, and the lower part of the retainer Dropout is prevented.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, at the optimum high beam position of the shade, the upper surface of the groove of the retainer interferes with the base of the plunger, and further rotation of the shade is restricted.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, at the optimum high beam position of the shade, the upper surface of the groove of the retainer interferes with the base of the plunger, and further rotation of the shade is restricted. Even if the plunger overstrokes, the shade stops at the optimal high beam position.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a projection is formed at an end of the retainer on the side opposite to the solenoid, from above into a notch formed from an upper end of the base panel, and a projection is formed at the tip of the projection. A stopper portion that is larger than the portion and is in contact with the opposite side surface of the base panel, and the groove portion of the retainer is in a non-penetrating state from the upper surface to a middle position in the vertical direction,
Alternatively, it is formed in a vertically penetrating state from the upper surface to the lower surface.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the stopper prevents the retainer from coming off, and the work of mounting the retainer is the same as in the first aspect. Since the convex portion of the retainer is inserted into the cutout portion of the base panel from above, and the retainer does not fall down, the groove portion of the retainer may be either a non-penetrating state or a penetrating state.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an urging means which acts in the pulling direction between the base panel of the shade and the solenoid.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by providing the urging means acting in the pulling direction, the state of the base panel at the time of retraction of the plunger is stabilized, and rattling of the shade is prevented.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 to FIG. 5 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. The holder 2 of the headlamp 1 according to this embodiment has a container shape having a front end opening 3,
A condenser lens 4 having an aspheric outer surface is attached to the front end opening 3. The rear part of the holder 2 has an elliptical cross section, and the inner surface thereof is subjected to vapor deposition to form a reflector 5.

At the rear end of the holder 2, a bulb holder 6 is provided, on which a discharge bulb (light source) 7 is mounted. The bulb 7 is a high-pressure metal vapor discharge lamp such as a metal halide lamp, a high-intensity discharge lamp (HID), or the like. The discharge unit 7 a is located at the first focal point A of the reflector 5. Therefore, the light emitted from the bulb 7 is reflected by the reflector 5, is once collected at the second focal point B, is refracted by the condenser lens 4, and is irradiated forward.

A solenoid 8 is fixed below the second focal point B inside the holder 2. A plunger 9 is provided on the front surface of the solenoid 8 to make a stroke in the front-rear direction (direction along the optical axis S). The tip portion 10 of the plunger 9 has a spherical shape with a larger diameter than the base portion.

A shade 11 is provided inside the holder 2 at a position below the second focal point B. The shade 11 is supported rotatably back and forth about a rotation shaft 12. The shade 11 is bent at a right angle around the rotation shaft 12, and the upper end portion 13 has an upwardly curved shape. The lower end is
A horizontally long plate-shaped base panel 14 having a predetermined vertical width is formed downward. At the center of the base panel 14, a cutout 15 is formed from the lower end.

A retainer 16 is attached to a portion of the base panel 14 where the cutout 15 is formed. The retainer 16 is formed with a non-penetrating groove 17 from the lower surface to the middle position in the vertical direction. The groove 17 has a shape that has a portion that is inscribed in the distal end portion 10 of the plunger 9, enables rotation in the vertical direction, and allows the base of the plunger 9 to pass therethrough, and is open to the solenoid 8 side. It is formed with.

At the end of the retainer 16 on the side opposite to the solenoid 8, a projection 18 having a shape corresponding to the notch 15 of the base panel 14 and having the same thickness as the base panel 14 is formed. A stopper 19 having the same cross-sectional shape as the main body of the retainer 16 is provided at the tip of the projection 18.
Are integrally formed. A spring (biasing means) 20 acting in the pulling direction is provided between the base panel 14 of the shade 11 and the solenoid 8.

The retainer 16 is attached by inserting the projection 18 into the cutout 15 of the base panel 14 from below. In the mounted state, the stopper portion 19 abuts on the opposite side of the base panel 14 and is prevented from coming off to the solenoid 8 side. The plunger 9 is inserted from below into the groove 17 of the retainer 16 thus attached. Since the upper surface 17a of the groove 17 of the retainer 16 is supported from below by the distal end portion 10 of the plunger 9, the retainer 16 is prevented from dropping downward. Since the protrusion 18 of the retainer 16 is simply inserted into the cutout 15 of the base panel 14 from below, the mounting operation is easy.

The tip 10 of the plunger 9 is
6 is inserted into the groove 17 and is in contact with the groove 17. Therefore, the plunger 9 is rotatable in the up-down direction relative to the retainer 16, and no excessive force acts between the plunger 9 and the retainer 16.

When the plunger 9 of the solenoid 8 is stroked back and forth, the retainer 16 is pushed back and forth.
The plunger 9 of the shade 11 also rotates back and forth, and the height position of the upper end 13 of the shade 11 changes. Shade 11
Is the upper end 13 of the plunger 9 in the retracted state.
Is located near the second focal point B, and of the reflected lights L1 and L2 from the reflector 5, a part of the reflected light L1 reflected on the lower side of the reflector 5 and irradiated upward is cut off to form a low beam. Can be. When the plunger 9 is protruded and the retainer 16 is pressed, the upper end 13 of the shade 11 is pressed.
Is rotated backward so as to be switched to the high beam. In this embodiment, the upper end portion 13 of the shade 11 is formed in a straight line. However, in actuality, the upper end portion 13 is formed into cut lines of various shapes according to a desired light distribution pattern.

When the plunger 9 is retracted, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface 17a of the groove 17 interferes with the base of the plunger 9, and the further rotation of the shade 11 is restricted. Therefore, even if the plunger 9 of the solenoid 8 overstrokes, the shade 11
Will always stop at the optimal high beam position.
Further, since the spring 20 acting in the pulling direction is provided between the base panel 14 and the solenoid 8, the base panel 1 when the plunger 9 is retracted is provided.
State 4 is stable, and rattling of the shade 11 is prevented.

In this embodiment, as described above, since the stopper 19 is formed at the tip of the projection 18 inserted into the cutout 15 of the base panel 14 so as to abut the opposite side surface of the base panel 14. Even if a large force is applied from the plunger 9 that strokes in the direction of the optical axis S, the retainer 16 does not come off the base panel 14.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the notch 22 is formed at the upper end of the base panel 21, and the groove 24 of the retainer 23 is also formed in a non-penetrating state from the upper surface to an intermediate position. Convex part 25
Was also formed above the retainer 23. As in the previous embodiment, the stopper 19 prevents the retainer 23 from coming off and the work of attaching the retainer 23 is easy.

According to the second embodiment, the retainer 23
Since the convex portion 25 is inserted into the cutout portion 22 of the base panel 21 from above, the retainer 23 does not fall down even when the groove 24 of the retainer 23 is open to the upper side. In addition, as shown in FIG.
Even if it is 6, the retainer 23 does not fall down.

In each of the above embodiments, the tip 10 of the plunger 9 is made spherical, and the retainers 16 and 23
The grooves 17, 24, and 26 have a shape corresponding to the distal end portion 10, but are not limited to this. The grooves 17, 24, and 26 may have any shape as long as they are in contact with the distal end portion 10 of the plunger 9 and can be rotated in the vertical direction.

[0031]

According to the present invention, since the stopper which comes into contact with the opposite side of the base panel is formed at the tip of the projection inserted into the notch of the base panel, the plunger which strokes in the optical axis direction can be used. Even when a large force is applied, the retainer does not come off the base panel.
Further, since the projection of the retainer is simply inserted from below into the cutout of the base panel, the mounting operation is easy. Even if the convex part of the retainer is simply inserted from below, the groove part of the retainer is not penetrated from the lower surface to the middle position up and down, so the upper surface of the groove part is supported from below by the tip of the plunger,
The retainer is prevented from falling down.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a headlamp according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a peripheral structure of the shade of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the vicinity of a retainer in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a peripheral structure of the shade of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a base panel and a retainer of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 5, showing a base panel and a retainer according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 6, showing a modified example of the retainer in the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Head lamp 2 Holder 3 Front end opening 4 Condensing lens 5 Reflector 7 Valve 8 Solenoid 9 Plunger 10 Tip part 11 Shade 12 Rotation axis 13 Upper end part 14,21 Base panel 15,22 Notch part 16,23 Retainer 17,24, 26 Groove 18, 25 Convex 19 Stopper 20 Spring (biasing means) A First focus B Second focus L1, L2 Light

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A reflector having a reflecting surface based on an elliptical surface, which is integrated with or separate from the holder, is provided inside a holder in which a condenser lens is attached to a front end opening, and corresponds to a first focal point of the reflector. A light source is provided at a position where the light is reflected, and the reflected light from the reflector is refracted by the condenser lens after passing through the second focal point and is irradiated forward. The lower end of the reflector has an upper end and a lower end. In addition to providing a shade for switching between a high beam and a low beam supported rotatably back and forth about a rotation axis set between the solenoid and a solenoid having a plunger that strokes in the optical axis direction near the lower end of the shade. The plunger has a tip portion having a diameter larger than that of the base portion and having a circular cross-section in the up-down direction. A plate-shaped base panel is provided, and a groove having a portion that is inscribed in the distal end portion of the plunger so as to be vertically rotatable and has a portion that allows the base of the plunger to pass through is provided on the solenoid side with respect to the base panel. A vehicle headlamp device having a retainer formed in an open state attached thereto, wherein a convex portion inserted from below into a notch formed from a lower end of a base panel is provided at an end of the retainer on a side opposite to the solenoid. And a stopper portion that is larger than the convex portion and is in contact with the opposite side surface of the base panel is formed at the tip of the convex portion, and the groove portion of the retainer is formed in a non-penetrating state from the lower surface to a middle position in the vertical direction. A headlamp device for a vehicle, comprising: 2. The vehicular headlamp device according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the groove of the retainer interferes with the base of the plunger at an optimum high beam position of the shade, and further rotation of the shade is prevented. A vehicle headlamp device characterized by being regulated. 3. A reflector having a reflecting surface based on an elliptical surface, which is integral with or separate from the holder, is provided inside a holder in which a condenser lens is attached to a front end opening, and corresponds to a first focal point of the reflector. A light source is provided at a position where the light is reflected, and the reflected light from the reflector is refracted by the condenser lens after passing through the second focal point and is irradiated forward. The lower end of the reflector has an upper end and a lower end. A shade that switches between a high beam and a low beam that is supported to be able to rotate back and forth about the rotation axis set between them is provided, and a solenoid that has a plunger that strokes in the optical axis direction is provided near the lower end of the shade. An elongated plate having a tip end portion having a larger diameter than the base portion and having a circular cross section in the vertical direction, and having a predetermined vertical width at a lower end portion of the shade; A groove having a shape having a portion which is inscribed in the distal end portion of the plunger so as to be vertically rotatable and allows the base portion of the plunger to pass through is provided on the solenoid panel. A headlamp device for a vehicle to which a retainer formed in a state where the retainer is mounted is provided with a convex portion which is inserted from above into a notch formed from an upper end of a base panel at an end of the retainer on the side opposite to the solenoid. At the same time, a stopper portion is formed at the tip of the convex portion, which is larger than the convex portion and is in contact with the opposite side surface of the base panel, and the groove portion of the retainer is in a non-penetrating state from the upper surface to an intermediate position in the vertical direction or from the upper surface. A headlamp device for a vehicle, wherein the headlamp device is formed in a vertically penetrating state reaching a lower surface. 4. The vehicle headlamp device according to claim 1, wherein a biasing means that acts in a pulling direction is provided between a base panel of the shade and a solenoid. A headlamp device for a vehicle, comprising: