JP4205324B2 - Vehicle lighting - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp, and more particularly to a vehicular lamp that prevents condensation on the inner surface of a front lens to prevent a decrease in lamp function and a decrease in appearance.
[0002]
[Prior art]
BACKGROUND ART A vehicular lamp such as an automobile has a configuration in which a lamp chamber is formed by a lamp body and a front lens, and a light source (bulb) and a reflector are disposed in the lamp chamber. In such a vehicular lamp, when the outside air temperature falls below the temperature in the lamp chamber, water vapor in the lamp chamber may be saturated and condensation may occur on the inner surface of the front lens or the surface of the reflector. In particular, a lamp mounted on a vehicle is prone to dew condensation on the inner surface of the front lens because the front lens is most easily exposed to the outside air and the temperature is significantly lower than that of the lamp body or reflector. Thus, when dew condensation occurs on the inner surface of the front lens, the lens becomes cloudy, the transmittance when the light emitted from the light source passes through the front lens is lowered, and the lamp function is lowered. Further, since the reflectance of the cloudy area of the front lens is lowered, there is a problem that the appearance of the front lens, that is, the lamp, is lowered when the lamp is viewed from the outside. These problems become remarkable in the case of a front lens composed of a so-called clear lens in which no step for light distribution exists in the front lens.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to solve such a problem, various measures have been conventionally considered. For example, a vent hole is provided in the lamp body, and air is circulated between the lamp chamber and the outside through the vent hole, thereby promoting air convection in the lamp body, particularly along the inner surface of the front lens, thereby improving the inner surface of the front lens. There are measures to prevent condensation in Alternatively, there is a measure for preventing condensation on the front lens by providing a cooling means in a part of the lamp body in the lamp chamber and positively generating condensation in the cooling means. However, it is difficult to prevent dew condensation on the front lens even by these measures, and the dew condensation on the front lens becomes particularly prominent when the outside air temperature drops rapidly.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to prevent condensation on the effective surface of the front lens by limiting the region where condensation occurs to the ineffective surface of the front lens, rather than completely preventing condensation on the front lens. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicular lamp that prevents a decrease in appearance and appearance.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp that forms a lamp chamber with a lamp body and a front lens and emits light emitted from a light source disposed in the lamp chamber to the outside through an effective surface of the front lens. A convection suppressing portion that suppresses convection of air flowing along the inner surface is provided on at least a part of the inner surface of the ineffective surface, and the convection suppressing portion is covered by a vehicle body or a decorative plate of the front lens. It is characterized by being arranged in a region that is not visible from the outside . Here, the convection suppressing part is formed by a small gap formed between a part of an extension or reflector provided in the lamp chamber in the vicinity of the inner surface of the ineffective surface of the front lens.
[0006]
According to the present invention, the convection suppressing portion is provided on a part of the inner surface of the ineffective surface of the front lens in which the light emitted from the light source does not transmit to the outside, and along the inner surface of the front lens by the convection suppressing portion. By suppressing the convection of air, condensation occurs on the ineffective surface of the front lens, and condensation on the effective surface is prevented. As a result, it is possible to prevent the effective function of the front lens from becoming cloudy and the transmittance when the light from the light source passes through the front lens from being lowered to lower the lamp function. In addition, by providing a convection suppression portion in an area that is covered by the vehicle body or a decorative plate of the front lens and is not exposed to the outside of the ineffective surface of the front lens, it is possible to prevent condensation from being seen from the outside, and Deterioration of appearance can be prevented.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a hybrid headlamp CHL of an automobile, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a schematic structure disassembled into parts, FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part thereof, FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part in an assembled state as viewed from the inner surface side, and FIG. FIG. In this embodiment, an example in which a front head signal lamp FTSL and a headlamp HL are integrated as a composite headlamp CHL is shown. The schematic configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. The headlamp CHL includes a lamp body 1 that shows only a bottom area, and a front lens 2 that is attached to the front opening of the lamp body 1. The lamp body 1 and the front lens 2 define a lamp chamber 10. Forming. Further, in the headlamp HL, the reflector 3 installed in the lamp body 1, the extension 4 for preventing the gap between the reflector 3 and the lamp body 1 from being exposed to the outside, and the reflector 3 are attached. And a bulb 5 as a light source. Further, the front turn signal lamp FTSL has a bulb 6 attached to the lamp body 1, a lamp chamber is formed in an upper region of the extension 4, and an amber cap 7 is put on the bulb 6. Is configured to emit light.
[0008]
Hereinafter, a detailed description will be given with reference to FIGS. The lamp body 1 has a structure in which a head lamp body 11 in a lower region and a front turn signal lamp body 12 in an upper region are integrally formed, and the front lens 2 is disposed in a front opening 1 a of the lamp body 1. Then, the sealing leg portion 21 provided on the peripheral edge of the front lens 2 is inserted into the sealing groove 13 provided along the peripheral edge of the lamp body 1 and sealed with the sealing agent 14. The lamp chamber 10 is formed inside. The lamp body 1 is formed by resin molding and has a front shape in which a region corresponding to an ineffective surface (described later) of the front lens 2 protrudes downward. The front lens 2 is a clear lens having no lens step for light distribution.
[0009]
Inside the headlamp body 11, the reflector 3 molded with resin and subjected to aluminum vapor deposition is housed, and tilted in the vertical and horizontal directions by an aiming adjustment mechanism (not shown) to enable aiming adjustment. ing. A description of the aiming adjustment mechanism is omitted. A bulb mounting hole 31 is opened on the back surface of the reflector 3, and the headlamp bulb 5 can be attached and detached through a bulb insertion hole 15 opened on the back surface of the headlamp body 11. The space between the bulb socket 51 supporting the headlamp bulb 5 and the bulb insertion hole 15 is sealed with a rubber cap 52. Further, at the position on the front side of the headlamp bulb 5, a shade-shaped bulb shade 53 for covering a partial area on the front side and adjusting to a required light distribution characteristic is provided on the inner surface of the reflector 3 with a screw 54. It is fixed by etc. On the other hand, the front turn signal lamp body 12 is provided with a bulb mounting hole 16 on the back surface, and a bulb socket 61 that supports the turn signal bulb 6 is detachably attached to the bulb mounting hole 16. Sometimes the turn signal bulb 6 is arranged in the turn signal lamp body 12.
[0010]
Further, in the lamp body 1, the extension 3 along the front side of the peripheral edge 3 a so that the peripheral edge 3 a on the front end side of the reflector 3 does not pass through the front lens 2 and is exposed outside. 4 is decorated. The extension 4 is formed of resin and is subjected to aluminum vapor deposition so as to have the same appearance as the reflector 3. The extension 4 has a frame-like portion 41 formed in a frame shape along the front end edge 3 a of the reflector 3 in the headlamp body 11, and the front-end of the reflector 3 is formed by the frame-like portion 41. The gap between the edge 3a and the surrounding headlamp body 1 is prevented from being exposed to the outside. Further, the extension 4 has a box-shaped portion 42 having a front wall 43, an upper bottom wall 44, and a lower bottom wall 45 in the turn signal lamp body 11. In particular, the lower bottom wall 45 extends as a boundary between the head lamp HL and the front turn signal lamp FTSL and is configured as a shielding wall that shields the lamp chamber 10 from each lamp area. The wall 45 divides the lamp chamber 10 into a headlamp lamp chamber 10H and a front turn signal lamp lamp chamber 10F.
[0011]
In the box portion 42 of the extension 4 in the front turn signal lamp lamp chamber 10F, a cylindrical portion 46 corresponding to the turn signal bulb 6 is integrally formed between the upper bottom wall 44 and the lower bottom wall 45. A lattice window 46a is opened on the front surface of the cylindrical portion 46, and the amber cap 7 having a rectangular container shape is fitted into the cylindrical portion 46 from the back side. The turn signal valve 6 is built in the amber cap 7, and when the turn signal valve 6 is turned on, the amber color light from the amber cap 7 passes through the lattice window 46 a and passes through the front lens 2 to the outside. It is comprised so that it may radiate | emit to.
[0012]
As shown in FIG. 1, the front lens 2 has an effective surface 2A through which light emitted from the headlamp bulb 5 and the turn signal lamp 6 is transmitted and irradiated to the outside, and around the effective surface 2A. A non-effective surface (surface area indicated by hatching in FIG. 1) 2B that is present and is not irradiated with light from the bulbs 5 and 6, and therefore cannot effectively irradiate light to the outside and does not function effectively as a lens; Is present. That is, the lower side region 22 of the front lens 2, the boundary region 23 between the lamp chambers 10H and 10F of each lamp, and the upper side region 24 of the front turn signal lamp lamp chamber 10F are ineffective surfaces. As shown in FIG. 2, when the headlamp is mounted on a vehicle body, the lower side region 22 and the boundary region 23 are not exposed to the outside of the ineffective surface 2B. Here, the lower side region 22 of the front lens 2 has a curved shape that is somewhat recessed toward the rear in correspondence with the shape of the bumper X1 existing at the lower part of the vehicle body. Covered by some. A band-shaped decorative plate Y made of metal or surface-treated resin is bonded to the surface of the front lens 2 in the boundary region 23 of the front lens 2. Is obscured. Here, in order to attach the decorative plate Y, the boundary region 23 is provided with a bent portion 23a in which the surface of the front lens 2 is bent concavely at two locations. The upper region of the headlamp HL is covered with a part of the hood X2 of the vehicle body, but the upper side region 24 is exposed to the outside.
[0013]
Further, in the ineffective surface 2 </ b> B of the front lens 2, a partial region of the frame-like portion 41 of the extension 4 extends along the inner surface of the front lens 2 in the lower side region 22 and the boundary region 23. However, in this partial region, a proximity portion 47 is provided so as to be close to each other so that the distance from the inner surface of the front lens 2 is about 2 mm. That is, the proximity portion 47 is formed in substantially the same shape as the inner surface shape of each of the lower side region 22 and the boundary region 23 of the front lens 2. Therefore, when the extension 4 is installed in the lamp chamber 10 and the frame-like portion 41 is disposed along the inner surface of the front lens 2, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the ineffective surface 2B of the front lens 2 is used. As a result, a gap d having a minute interval is formed between the inner surface of the lower side region 22 and the boundary region 23 and the surface of the proximity portion 47 of the extension 4. Since the gap d is about 2 mm as described above, the air convection in the gap d is suppressed in the lamp chamber 10, and as a result, the lower side region 22 or the boundary region 23 of the front lens 2 and the extension. The four adjacent portions 47 constitute the convection suppressing portion 8. In the upper side region 24 that is exposed to the outside even among the ineffective surfaces 2B of the front lens 2, the distance between the front lens 2 and the extension 4 is 10 mm or more.
[0014]
According to the above configuration, when the temperature in the lamp chamber 10 is raised above the outside air temperature due to engine heat or the like even when the headlamp bulb 5 is lit or not lit, Warm air having a high temperature flows upward, and cold air having a low temperature flows downward to generate air convection in the lamp chamber 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, since this air convection flows along the effective surface 2A of the front lens 2 as shown by a solid line, vaporization of the water vapor condensing on the inner surface of the effective surface 2A is accelerated by this air convection. And condensation is prevented. In addition, this air convection causes the high-temperature air to raise the temperature of the front lens 2 and further prevent condensation.
[0015]
On the other hand, the ineffective surface 2B of the front lens 2 is formed with a convection suppressing portion 8 having a minute gap d between the inner surface and the proximity portion 47 of the extension 4, and therefore air convection is effective in the convection suppressing portion 8. The air convection hardly occurs along the inner surface of the non-effective surface 2B. Therefore, as indicated by a chain line in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, in the convection suppressing unit 8, the high-temperature air in the lamp chamber 10 hardly flows along the inner surface of the ineffective surface 2 </ b> B of the front lens 2, The temperature of 2B becomes difficult to rise. At the same time, low-temperature air tends to stay in the gap d in the convection suppression unit 8, so that condensation tends to occur on the ineffective surface 2 </ b> B facing the convection suppression unit 8. By actively generating condensation on the non-effective surface 2B in this way, the saturated state of the water vapor pressure in the lamp chamber 10 is reduced, and the subsequent condensation, in particular, generation of condensation on the effective surface 2A of the front lens 2 is prevented. It becomes possible to prevent. In addition, although the upper side area | region 24 of the front lens 2 is comprised as an ineffective surface, since it is an area | region exposed outside, it is preferable to prevent dew condensation from the point of appearance. In the present embodiment, the distance between the upper side region 24 and the extension 4 is 10 mm or more, so that the above-described convection is not suppressed and the occurrence of dew condensation is prevented.
[0016]
Therefore, in the composite type headlamp CHL of the present embodiment, dew condensation occurs on the inner surface of the front lens 2 in the lower side region 22 and the boundary region 23 in the non-effective surface 2B. , 6 is not irradiated with light, the transmitted light amount of irradiated light is not reduced by condensation, and the lamp function as the composite headlamp CHL is not reduced. Further, since the lower side region 22 which is the ineffective surface 2B of the front lens 2 where condensation occurs is covered by the bumper X1, and the boundary region 23 is also covered by the decorative plate Y, the front lens caused by condensation The cloudiness of 2 is not exposed outside the vehicle, and the appearance of the composite type headlamp CHL does not deteriorate. On the other hand, in the upper side region 24, no condensation occurs, and the appearance of the front lens 2 is prevented from being deteriorated in appearance as described above.
[0017]
Here, in the above-described embodiment, even in the ineffective surface 2 </ b> B of the front lens 2, regions that cause condensation are disposed in the lower region 22 and the boundary region 23 facing the lower edge of the reflector 3, respectively. In particular, in the lower side region 22, air having a low temperature in the headlamp lamp chamber 10 </ b> H flows downward and flows through the gap d of the convection suppression unit 8, so the temperature of the front lens 2 in the lower side region 22 is lowered than the boundary region 23. It is possible to easily cause condensation. Further, in this case, by extending the proximity portion 47 of the extension 4 disposed close to the lower side region 22 to the lower side than the front end portion 3a of the reflector 3, the convection suppression portion 8 is disposed below and behind the reflector 3. It communicates with the region 1b. Therefore, even when air convects in the convection suppression unit 8 in the lower side region 22, the convective air is air outside the reflector 3, that is, air having a relatively low temperature that is not exposed to light from the headlamp bulb 5. Therefore, the temperature of the front lens 2 in the lower side region 22 is not increased even by air convection, and it is possible to further cause dew condensation.
[0018]
Further, as in the above-described embodiment, the lower side region 22 as the ineffective surface 2B of the front lens 2 has a curved surface shape, or has a structure in which the bent portion 23a is provided as in the boundary region 23, so that the convection suppressing unit is provided. 8, the shape of the gap d, that is, the shape of the air flow path is bent, and the effect of suppressing convection can be enhanced. In the above-described embodiment, the distance between the inner surface of the front lens 2 constituting the convection suppression unit 8 and the proximity portion 47 of the extension 4 is 2 mm, but it is possible to change and adjust appropriately within a range of dimensions smaller than 10 mm. It is. Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the proximity part 47 provided in a part of extension 4 as the convection suppression part 8 is formed close to the inner surface of the front lens 2, if the structure of the lamp is different, the reflector 3 The front end portion 3a may be bent and the bent portion may be configured as a proximity portion that is disposed close to the inner surface of the front lens. Alternatively, the convection suppressing portion 8 can be formed using a member different from the reflector 3 and the extension 4. However, it is advantageous to reduce the number of components if it is formed integrally with the extension or reflector.
[0019]
In the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which a region (upper side region 24) exposed to the outside exists in a part of the ineffective surface of the front lens. If not, a convection suppressing portion may be provided over the entire ineffective surface. If it does in this way, the area of a convection suppression part can be enlarged as much as possible, and it becomes possible to raise the prevention effect of dew condensation in an effective surface.
[0020]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention includes a convection suppressing unit that suppresses convection of air flowing along a part of the inner surface of the ineffective surface other than the effective surface of the front lens. It is possible to prevent condensation on the inner surface of the other part of the effective surface and the ineffective surface. This prevents fogging from occurring on the effective surface of the front lens and lowering the lamp function by reducing the transmittance when light from the light source passes through the front lens. In addition, by providing a convection suppression part in the area that is covered by the vehicle body or a decorative plate of the front lens and is not exposed to the outside of the ineffective surface of the front lens, it is possible to prevent condensation from being seen from the outside, and the appearance of the lamp It is possible to prevent deterioration of the above appearance.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a vehicular lamp according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a schematic configuration disassembled into parts.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part in an assembled state as viewed from the inner surface side.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part for explaining the state of air convection in the lamp chamber.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lamp body 2 Front lens 2A Effective surface 2B Non-effective surface 3 Reflector 4 Extension 5 Head lamp bulb 6 Turn signal lamp bulb 7 Amber cap 8 Convection control part 10 Lamp chamber 11 Head lamp body 12 Front turn signal lamp body 22 Lower side area ( Non-effective side)
23 Boundary area (ineffective surface)
24 Upper side area (ineffective surface)
41 Frame-shaped part 42 Box-shaped part 47 Proximity part CHL Composite type headlamp HL Headlamp FTSL Front turn signal lamp

Claims (2)

A vehicle lamp that forms a lamp chamber with a lamp body and a front lens, and emits light emitted from a light source disposed in the lamp chamber to the outside through an effective surface of the front lens, other than the effective surface of the front lens A convection suppressing unit that suppresses convection of air flowing along the inner surface at least partially on the inner surface of the ineffective surface, and the convection suppressing unit includes a vehicle body or a decorative plate of the front lens out of the ineffective surface. A vehicular lamp characterized in that it is disposed in a region that is covered with a light and cannot be seen from the outside .   The convection suppressing part is formed by a small gap formed between a part of an extension or reflector provided in the lamp chamber, in close proximity to the inner surface of the ineffective surface of the front lens. The vehicular lamp according to claim 1, wherein the vehicular lamp is provided.

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