JP2008234861A - Lighting fixture for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problems wherein a driver of a vehicle is apt to adjust upwardly an aiming device so as to easily see a far place since heads of screws or the like for adjusting an irradiating direction are exposed in a conventional aiming device, and consequently, it makes a driver of an oncoming vehicle dazzled. <P>SOLUTION: The aiming device 1 is provided with an adjusting screw 2 which is engaged with a nylon nut 11a mounted on a reflecting mirror 11 at one pointed head and is fitted into a housing 10 by means of a ball joint 2b at the other end in a free oscillating state and arranges a gear 3 with inner teeth between the nylon nut and the ball joint. A detachable cover 10b is a cover in which a part of the cover corresponding to at least gear teeth of the adjusting screw 2 is detachable. Thus, the structure of the aiming device is simplified, and an incorrect operation of the aiming device is prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp, and more particularly to an illumination lamp such as a headlight, in which a light distribution characteristic and an irradiation direction of a vehicular lamp of a type that are restricted by a related standard for each country. It concerns the configuration.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a configuration of a conventional aiming device 90 of this type, and one end of the housing 91 is supported by a ball joint 93 and formed in an appropriate shape such as a paraboloid of revolution. In general, a light source 92a such as a light bulb is provided at the focal point of the reflecting mirror 92 (reflector).

  As described above, one end portion of the reflecting mirror 92 is attached to the housing 91 so as to be freely swingable by a ball joint 93 or the like, and a nut 94 is attached to the other end of the reflecting mirror 92. And an adjustment screw 96 having a screw head 96b protruding outside through the housing 91 is screwed into the nut 94. Since the adjustment of the irradiation direction is performed independently for the left and right and the top and bottom, the adjustment screw 96 is usually provided with two for adjusting the left and right and for adjusting the top and bottom.

With this configuration, the reflecting mirror 92 can easily adjust the irradiation direction from the outside by the aiming device 90, but on the other hand, the adjustment screw 96 penetrates the housing 91, The possibility of flooding into 91 is also high. Therefore, a flange 96a is provided on the adjustment screw 96 on the adjustment screw 96 side, and an O-ring 97 is provided between the flange 96a and the housing 91 to perform waterproofing.
Japanese Utility Model Application No. 06-048106

  However, in recent years, it is called AFS, and the headlight automatically illuminates the direction of travel in response to operations such as steering, or it is called an auto-leveling device, such as a minivan or other mixed-car model. When a large amount of cargo is loaded on the vehicle, the vehicle moves up and detects the level of the vehicle to prevent the driver of the oncoming vehicle from becoming dazzled. There are an increasing number of vehicles that are adopted.

  In this case, the steering position or the aiming position before the occupant or cargo is loaded becomes the reference position, and the aiming is adjusted from the reference position so that the aiming level is maintained according to the loading amount. , To perform the desired function. Therefore, when aiming is performed on the user side, the initial position when AFS and auto-leveling are performed becomes out of order, and the subsequent operation becomes out of order.

  Therefore, in some countries' standards, some countries already have regulations that make it impossible to adjust the aiming on the vehicle user side. In addition, there is a problem that it is necessary to develop an aiming mechanism having a completely new configuration.

  Therefore, as a solution, as shown in FIG. 2, the screw head 96b of the adjusting screw 96, which is a place for operating the aiming device 90 having almost the same structure as the conventional one, is covered with a cap 98, so that the eyes of the automobile user. There are proposals that try to clear the above rules without touching.

  However, as shown in FIG. 2, in principle, the adjustment screw 96 of the conventional example (see FIG. 3) is shortened to be close to the housing 91 so that it is not noticeable. Since it is only attached, it is easy to know which place can be adjusted for aiming if you are familiar with the configuration of the car.

  Further, since the configuration of the conventional example is overcome, the point that the adjustment screw 96 penetrates the housing 91 is also the same, and similarly to the conventional example, there is a problem in terms of waterproofing, and furthermore, the cap 98. Since it was supposed to be covered, it took time to attach and detach during repairs, and there was a possibility of problems such as forgetting to attach.

  The present invention includes a housing, a reflector, an aiming device, and a pivot device that provides a fulcrum of operation by the aiming device as specific means for solving the above-described conventional problems. One end of the housing is slidably fitted to the housing by a ball joint structure, and the other end is screwed back and forth to a nut attached to the reflector. It is a problem to provide a vehicular lamp equipped with an adjustment mechanism by the pivot device, characterized in that it includes a gear for rotationally driving the pivot device by an adjustment tool inserted from the outside of the lamp through an opening. Is a solution. By using one of the two adjustment screws for the left and right adjustments and the vertical adjustment as the pivot device of the present invention, it is possible to adjust at the time of manufacture, shipment and repair, and the user is provided with adjustment means. A vehicle lamp that is not provided can be provided.

  According to the present invention, a gear is provided between a ball joint provided at one end of the adjusting screw and a screw that is screwed into a nut for driving a reflecting surface provided at the other end, thereby enabling the adjustment. It is not necessary to drive the screw directly.For example, it is possible to perform aiming by providing an openable / closable cover on a part of the housing and rotating the gear with an adjustment tool such as a screwdriver inserted from the outside. The purpose can be achieved as a general automobile user does not know the adjustment method. In addition, the configuration of the present invention has an advantage that the number of parts can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  Furthermore, by providing the ball fitting portion with a driver fitting groove, the pivot mechanism can be screwed onto the reflector without using a special tool in the manufacturing process. In addition, by adopting a configuration in which the pivot mechanism and the reflector are coupled by screwing, the distance between the reflector and the ball joint is set to a predetermined appropriate value for setting the lamp light distribution within a predetermined range in the manufacturing process. Adjustment to be set can be performed before assembly, and lamp light distribution adjustment can be completed immediately after assembly of the lamp.

  Below, this invention is demonstrated in detail based on embodiment shown in a figure. 1 is an aiming device for a vehicular lamp according to the present invention, and this aiming device 1 has a male screw 2a formed in an appropriate range from one end, and the other end has The adjusting screw 2 is formed with a ball joint 2b, and an internal gear 3 is mounted at substantially the center in the length direction of the adjusting screw 2, and is reflected to the housing 10 as in the conventional example. The direction in which the mirror 11 faces is adjusted.

  Here, the ball joint 2b of the adjusting screw 2 is fitted into a ball receiver 10a provided inside the housing 10, and therefore the adjusting screw 2 penetrates the housing 10 as in the conventional example. Therefore, the adjusting screw 2 according to the present invention is not provided with waterproof parts such as an O-ring and a flange.

  In the present invention, the detachable cover 10b is provided on a part of the housing 10 for the reason of introducing a power source into the housing 10 or introducing a signal for AFS control or auto leveling, for example. Since the necessity arises, the position of the detachable cover 10a is adjusted to be an insertion port for the driver 20 for rotating the internal gear 3.

  Therefore, it is preferable that the tooth profile of the internal gear 3 is also adapted to the angle at which the driver 20 is inserted, depending on the position where the detachable cover 10b is provided. Similarly, if the diameter (D) of the internal gear 3 is also appropriate and the rotation speed of the adjusting screw 2 with respect to the rotation of the driver 20 is also appropriate, workability is improved.

  In the above description, the internal gear is used. However, the use of a gear having an appropriate shape such as a simple gear, a crown gear, or a bevel gear is not limited thereto. In the conventional lamp, the pivot mechanism of the present invention is used instead of the aiming mechanism for the left and right direction, for example, the left and right and upper and lower aiming mechanisms. It is possible to make a lamp that can be adjusted by the mechanic and cannot be adjusted by the user.

  By doing in this way, an adjustment port for aiming is provided, for example, using the light source attaching / detaching cover 10b, etc. (where the light source attaching / detaching cover 10b is provided) where the user of the automobile does not normally touch. Therefore, a problem that hinders traffic, such as inadvertently changing the aiming by the user of the automobile and causing dazzling to the driver of the oncoming vehicle, is prevented. Especially in the configuration where the cap needs to be attached and removed during adjustment, as in the conventional example, if the cap is lost, the screw head will be visible and the aiming will be distorted by half of interest, such as AFS and auto leveling. It becomes a factor which stops regular operation.

  Here, when comparing the scores of the components of the conventional aiming device having the above-described configuration (see FIG. 2) and the aiming device 1 of the present invention, first, the conventional example is adjusted. Since the screw is attached through the inside and outside of the housing, a waterproof mechanism is essential.

  Accordingly, a groove having an appropriate width and depth is provided on the outer diameter side of the hole through which the adjustment screw of the housing passes, and an O-ring is attached in the groove, and an appropriate pressure is applied to the O-ring on the outside. An additional washer is installed. A push nut is fitted from the opposite side of the adjustment screw, that is, from the inside of the housing, and the housing and the adjustment screw are attached.

  Then, the inner part of the housing of the adjusting screw is threaded and screwed into a nylon nut attached to the reflecting mirror. In addition, a cap is attached to the screw head of the adjusting screw. The screw head portion is concealed. Therefore, in the configuration of the conventional example, the aiming device is composed of six parts: an adjusting screw, a washer, an O-ring, a push nut, a nylon nut, and a cap.

  Here, the rotational torque when performing the aiming by rotating the adjusting screw is determined by the frictional force between the O-ring housing and the washer, and this frictional force is attached to the inside of the housing when the push nut is attached. Since it is determined by the position, it is easily influenced by the skill level of the operator and the torque at the time of the work is likely to vary.

  On the other hand, the thing of this invention is resin, for example with the said internal gear 3, and the adjustment screw 2 by which the ball joint 2b was provided in one end, and the screw part 2a was provided in the other end. If the adjustment screw 2 is formed by molding into a shape that can be integrated, the aiming device 1 is fitted into a ball receiver 10a provided inside the housing 10 at one end, and the reflecting mirror 11 on the screw portion 2a at the other end. Since the adjustment screw 2 does not penetrate the housing, the waterproof structure can be omitted at all, and only two parts can be used. It becomes.

  Further, in the configuration of the present invention, for example, when the detachable cover 10b is removed for the purpose of replacing the light source, for example, the head to which the driver 20, the hexagon wrench, etc. are fitted is not directly visible in the front. For example, since the internal gear 3 is only visually observed from the removed hole downward, the application is not clear, and it is not clear what tool to operate, so most automobiles The user is not likely to touch the hand actively. Therefore, the possibility that the AFS, the auto leveling device, etc. will go wrong due to the factor on the user side is also reduced.

  This means that the number of assembly steps is naturally reduced, and the ball joint 2b and the ball receiver 10a are both formed of a mold, so that there is little variation in parts and naturally there is no variation in torque during adjustment. Is possible. Furthermore, the reduction in the number of parts can naturally reduce the cost in terms of both the part price and the number of assembly steps.

  In addition, before attaching the reflector to the housing, the pivot mechanism can be attached to the reflector, and at the same time, the reflector can be positioned with respect to the housing. It is also possible to eliminate it. At the same time, the pivot structure of the present invention is a structure that disables the user's operation, but does not have a completely embedded structure, and therefore provides an adjusting means that does not involve disassembly even after the product is completed.

  Furthermore, the reduction in the number of parts can naturally reduce the cost in terms of both the part price and the number of assembly steps.

It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the aiming apparatus which concerns on this invention by the principal part. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the conventional aiming apparatus by the principal part. It is sectional drawing which shows another prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Aiming device 2 ... Adjustment screw 2a ... Male screw 2b ... Ball joint 3 ... Internal gear 10 ... Housing 10a ... Ball receiver 10b ... Removable cover 11 ... Reflective mirror 11a ... Nylon nut 20 ... Driver

Claims (4)

A housing, a reflector, an aiming device, and a pivot device for providing a fulcrum of operation by the aiming device;
The pivot device is
One end is swingably fitted to the housing by a ball joint structure,
At the other end, it is screwed into a nut attached to the reflector so as to be movable back and forth,
Between the both ends, provided with a gear for rotationally driving the pivot device by an adjustment tool inserted from the outside of the lamp through the opening of the housing,
A vehicular lamp provided with an adjusting mechanism using the pivot device.   The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, further comprising a lid for closing the opening of the housing.   The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the gear is a crown gear or a bevel gear.   4. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising: a groove for engaging with a driver to perform rotational driving at an end of the pivot device on the ball joint structure side. 5. Light fixture.

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