JP4364839B2 - Discharge lamp lighting device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a discharge lamp lighting device that controls lighting of a discharge lamp used as a headlamp of a vehicle, for example.

  This type of discharge lamp does not light up when energized like a normal light source, and it is necessary to control the power supplied for lighting, and a dedicated lighting control means is used. This lighting control means is attached to the outer surface of the lamp housing in a spatial relationship. For this reason, the lighting control means is waterproof so that the components inside the casing do not malfunction due to water entering from the outside. However, it is necessary to make the two parts of the originally waterproofing lamp housing and the waterproof lighting control means waterproof separately, and each must use a functional part of the same purpose such as a breathable waterproof sheet. However, there is a problem that the space size for mounting on the vehicle is increased and the cost is increased.

Conventionally, as waterproof specifications of electric devices, there are those described in Patent Documents 1 to 4 shown below.
The one described in Patent Document 1 relates to an electric device having a waterproof and dew condensation prevention function. A breathing hole is provided in a sealed case with a built-in circuit part, and the breathing hole is closed to block moisture and pass air. A possible film is provided. However, this is not related to a discharge lamp lighting device.

  The thing of patent document 1 shows the structure of a vehicle-mounted headlamp, forms a guide passage communicating with the lamp chamber in a grommet fixed to a housing forming the lamp chamber, and communicates with the guide passage A breathable hole smaller than the guide passage is provided in the inflatable / decompressible hollow body attached in (5) so that the bonding property and adhesion of the seal portion are not impaired.

The thing of patent document 2 gives the component which ensures air permeability, avoiding permeation of water to the functional component of a headlamp, and the air permeability of a lighting device bundles the harness which connects a headlamp and a lighting device, Secured by the tube to be coated.
However, the one described in Patent Document 2 relies on the waterproofness of the headlamp, and water is infiltrated into the headlight due to an unexpected waterproof deterioration such as a vehicle accident. Intruded water enters the headlamp side opening of the tube provided on the wall surface along the wall surface. When water enters in this manner, the lighting device side waterproof performance of the tube portion is lost, and there is a possibility that water enters the lighting device through the tube. Therefore, in a vehicle that swings back and forth and from side to side, the water that has entered due to the swing travels along the wall surface of the housing and easily reaches the opening of the wall surface.

The thing of patent document 3 is another example which provides the tube to which the said patent document 2 is connected, and connects the tube which provided the opening part in the place higher than this component main body to the component which should ensure waterproofness, Even if the component main body is submerged, the waterproof and breathable structure is ensured.
Moreover, although it is not related to a headlamp, there is Patent Document 4 as a waterproof electric device.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-036111 (paragraphs 0017 to 0020, FIG. 1) JP-A-5-101703 (paragraphs 0005 and 0006, FIGS. 1 and 2) Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-015656 (paragraphs 0009, 0010, FIG. 8) JP-A-8-222864 (paragraph 0012, FIGS. 1 to 3)

  Since the waterproof specification of the conventional electric device is configured as described above, Patent Document 1 describes the waterproof specification of this room, but the configuration is complicated. In addition, as described in Patent Document 2, when a simple opening is provided in the waterproof lamp case housing, in the event that accidental flooding occurs inside the lamp case case, the lighting control means is also flooded. There is a possibility of hindering the operation of the lighting control means. Further, as described in Patent Document 3, if the breathable tube is lifted above the lighting control means, even if water enters the inside of the lamp chamber housing, the lighting control means will not be submerged. Adding new components for supporting the end portion has problems such as undesirable cost and space.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to simplify a waterproof structure of a lighting control means for controlling lighting of a discharge lamp.

  A discharge lamp lighting device according to the present invention is supported by a lamp chamber formed by attaching a lens to a front opening of a housing, a reflecting mirror positioned in the center of the lamp chamber, and a substantially central portion of the reflecting mirror. A discharge lamp mounting connector, a case as a component member of the connector, a lighting control means supported by an elastic member as a waterproof partition on the housing, and the lighting control means and the connector as the elastic member. In a discharge lamp lighting device having a harness that penetrates and connects a member, a ventilation means in which one end opening is located inside the lighting control means and the other end opening that penetrates the elastic member is located in the vicinity of the connector It is equipped with.

  According to the present invention, since the one end opening is located inside the lighting control means and the other end opening penetrating the elastic member is provided in the vicinity of the connector, the vent control means is provided. The ventilating means communicates with the outside, there is no pressure difference between the inside and outside of the case, and sufficient waterproof performance can be obtained at a low cost by a simple configuration of adding the venting means. In addition, since the opening for ventilation is located at the center of the headlamp, even if the water that has entered the lamp chamber due to the swing of the vehicle moves along the inner wall surface of the headlamp housing, the end opening of the ventilation means is opened. The water does not reach the water and a more reliable waterproof effect is obtained.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the configuration of a discharge lamp lighting device according to the present invention. A lamp chamber 3 is formed by attaching a lens 2 to a front opening of a housing 1. The reflecting mirror 4 is disposed in the center of the interior of the lamp chamber 3 and is supported by a support member (not shown). A connector 6 disposed at the center of the reflecting mirror 4 is supported by a case 7, and a discharge lamp 5 as a light source is attached to the connector 6. In the illustrated example, the lighting control means 8 of the discharge lamp 5 is supported in the lower opening 2a of the housing 1 via an elastic member 9 serving as a waterproof partition. Inside the lighting control means 8, a wiring board 8a on which electronic components are mounted is incorporated. The discharge lamp lighting circuit on the wiring board and the connector 6 are connected by a harness 10 penetrating the elastic member 9. The ventilation tube 11 as a ventilation means has one end opened inside the lighting control means 8 and the other end penetrated through the elastic member 9 and opened in the case 7 of the connector 6.

  With the above configuration, a lighting signal from the discharge lamp lighting circuit is supplied to the connector 6 via the harness 10, and the discharge lamp 5 is lit based on this lighting signal. The lighting light of the discharge lamp 5 is reflected by the reflecting mirror 4 so that the radiation direction is regulated and emitted through the lens 1. In this case, the inside of the lighting control means 8 has no pressure difference from the outside air pressure through the ventilation tube 11, and a sufficient waterproof effect can be achieved by a simple and inexpensive configuration in which one ventilation tube 11 is added. .

  Further, since the end opening of the ventilation tube 11 is positioned at the center of the headlamp, even if water that has entered due to the swing of the vehicle travels along the inner wall surface of the case 2, Never reach the opening. As a result, the inside of the lighting control means 8 can be reliably waterproofed.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the connector portion showing the second embodiment. A support plate 7a is formed in the case 7, and the igniter 12 provided in the case 7 is supported by the support plate 7a. Further, the other end of the ventilation tube 11 is supported through an opening provided in the support plate 7a.

  With such a configuration, the igniter 12 can be activated by the lighting signal from the discharge lamp lighting circuit on the wiring board 8a, and the discharge lamp 5 can be reliably turned on, and the same waterproof effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. It is done.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged explanatory view of the other end opening portion of the ventilation tube 11 according to the third embodiment. The ventilation tube 11 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 13a of the opening member 13 that is passed through the hole of the support plate 7a in the case 7. The other end is inserted and supported, and a breathable waterproof member 14 is provided at the opening of the opening member 13. With this configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent water that has entered and splashed into the case 2 from entering the end opening of the ventilation tube 11, and more reliably prevent waterproofing inside the lighting control means 8. Can do.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
FIG. 4 is a front view showing the harness 10 and the ventilation tube 11 that connect the connector 6 and the lighting control means 8 according to the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, a ventilation tube 11 having substantially the same diameter (appearing the same shape as the harness) is used as the sheath outer shape of the harness. By adopting such a configuration, the waterproof partition of the lighting control means 8 is used. Thus, the harness penetration part of the elastic member 9 and the penetration part of the ventilation tube have compatibility. Further, when a waterproof connector 15 is provided in the middle of the harness 10 that connects the connector 6 and the lighting control means 8, and the harness is detached and connected, the connection between the connector 6 and the lighting control means 8 is simplified. In this case, the ventilation tube 11 can be cut off in the same way as the harness 10. As a result, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom and design margin for routing the harness 10, rearranging the arrangement, adjusting the length, and the like.

  FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the waterproof connector 15. The waterproof connector 15 includes detachable housings 15a-1 and 15b-1, and one end of the harness 10a connected to the connector 6 to which the discharge lamp 5 is attached is provided in the housing 15a-1. Is supported through. The conductive member 10a-1 of the harness 10a is connected to a female pin terminal 15a-3 supported by a front holder 15a-2 in the housing 15a-1.

  Further, in the housing 15b-1, one end of the harness 10b penetrating through the elastic member 9 serving as a waterproof partition of the lighting control means 8 is supported via a waterproof plug 15b-4. The conductive member 10b-1 of the harness 10b is connected to a male pin terminal 15b-3 supported by a front holder 15b-2 in the housing 15b-1.

  In order to connect the waterproof connector 15 having the above configuration, one end of the housing 15a-1 is inserted into the housing 15b-1, and the female pin terminal 15b-3 is inserted and connected to the male pin terminal 15a-3. When the housing 15a-1 is inserted, the stopper portion 15a-5 formed on the outer surface of the housing 15a-1 moves while being bent inward in a groove (not shown) formed in the housing 15b-1, so that the housing 15b -1 returns to the outside when reaching the front of the stopper portion 15b-6 formed on the inner surface. In this state, the housing 15a-1 and the housing 15b-1 are engaged with each other without coming back to the stopper portion 15a-5. In this engaged state, the waterproof effect is enhanced by closely contacting the front peripheral surface of the housing 15a-1 in which the packing 15b-6 provided in the housing 15b-1 is inserted. As shown in the figure, in order to separate the housing 15a-1 and the housing 15b-1, the stopper portion 15a-5 may be bent inward and pulled out.

Embodiment 5 FIG.
6 is a view showing a portion of the connector 6 in the fifth embodiment, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one harness 10 crossed. In the fifth embodiment, the gap 10-3 between the conductive member 10-1 of the harness 10 and the insulating coating 10-2 is also used as the ventilation tube 11. According to this configuration, it is not necessary to provide the ventilation tube 11 in particular, and the same waterproof effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained with a simpler configuration.

Embodiment 6 FIG.
FIG. 8 is a front view showing a sixth embodiment in which the connector 6 and the lighting control means 8 are connected by a harness 10, and FIG. 9 shows a portion of the harness 10 that penetrates the elastic member 9 serving as a waterproof partition of the lighting control means 8. It is an enlarged vertical sectional view. In the sixth embodiment, the harness 10 is wrapped and covered with a protective tube 16 so that the harness 10 is not damaged, and the protective tube 16 is also used as a ventilation tube.

  In this case, the portion of the ventilation tube 16 also serving as a harness protection that penetrates the elastic member 9 is compressed appropriately by the elastic member so that the ventilation tube 16 and the elastic member 9 are in close contact with each other and water does not enter. Apply force or bond them together with an adhesive. For this reason, a reinforcing member 17 such as a pipe that can withstand compression is inserted into a portion of the ventilation tube 16 that penetrates the elastic member to which a compressive force is applied, and the harness 10 is passed through the reinforcing member 17 to reinforce the reinforcing member 17. The ventilation tube 16 is covered on the outside of the gas, and adhesion can be secured by the elastic force of the ventilation tube 16.

  By configuring as described above, the harness 10 can be protected together, and there is no need to provide a special ventilation tube, and the interior of the lighting control means 8 can be communicated with the vicinity of the connector 6. It is possible to reliably prevent water from entering the lighting control means from the opening portion of the ventilation tube 16 penetrating the elastic member 9.

Embodiment 7 FIG.
FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section showing the configuration of the discharge lamp lighting device according to the seventh embodiment. The overall configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. The opening portion of the ventilation tube 11 is positioned therein, and the waterproof effect is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG.

Embodiment 8 FIG.
FIG. 11 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a portion where the ventilation tube 11 in Embodiments 1 and 7 penetrates through the elastic member 9 which becomes a waterproof partition wall of the lighting control means 8, and the penetration portion prevents water from entering. In order to do this, the elastic member 9 is pressed from the periphery or bonded to the elastic member. In this case, a reinforcing member 18 such as a pipe that can withstand the pressure is provided in the ventilation tube 11 so that the ventilation tube 11 is not crushed by pressure from the surroundings.
With such a configuration, it is possible to reliably prevent water from entering the lighting control means from the portion of the ventilation tube 11 penetrating the elastic member 9.
In the illustrated example, the lighting control means 8 is supported at the lower part of the housing 1, but the lighting control means 8 may be supported at the side of the housing 1, or in some cases, at the upper part. Alternatively, the one end opening may be positioned inside the lighting control means 8 and the other end opening penetrating the elastic member 9 and positioned near the connector may face downward.

2 is a longitudinal section showing a configuration of a headlamp having a waterproof structure according to the first embodiment. 6 is an enlarged view of a connector portion according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is an enlarged explanatory view of the other end portion of the ventilation tube according to the third embodiment. It is a front view which shows the harness which connects the connector by Embodiment 4, and the lighting control means, and the tube for ventilation | gas_flowing. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows an example of the connector for waterproofing. It is a figure which shows the part of the connector by Embodiment 5. FIG. It is an expansion cross-sectional view of a harness. It is the front view which connected the connector and lighting control means by Embodiment 6 with the harness. It is an expanded longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the site | part of the harness which penetrates the elastic member used as the waterproof partition of the lighting control means. 10 is a longitudinal section showing a configuration of a headlamp according to a seventh embodiment. FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a portion where the ventilation tube in Embodiments 1 and 7 penetrates an elastic member serving as a waterproof partition wall of the lighting control means.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lens, 2 case, 3 lamp chamber, 4 reflector, 5 discharge lamp, 6 connector, 7 case, 8 lighting control means, 9 elastic member, 10, 10a, 10b harness, 11, 16 ventilation tube, 12 igniter, 13 Opening member, 14 Waterproof member, 15 Waterproof connector, 17, 18 Reinforcing member.

Claims (11)

  A lamp chamber formed by attaching a lens to the front opening of the housing, a reflecting mirror supported at the center of the lamp chamber, a connector for mounting a discharge lamp positioned at a substantially central portion of the reflecting mirror, and this A case serving as a component member of the connector, a lighting control means supported by the housing via an elastic member serving as a waterproof partition, and a harness connecting the lighting control means and the connector through the elastic member. A discharge lamp lighting device comprising: a discharge means having an opening at one end positioned inside the lighting control means and an opening at the other end passing through the elastic member positioned in the vicinity of the connector Lighting device.   The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1, wherein an igniter is incorporated in the case of the connector.   The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ventilation means has the other end opening located inside the case of the connector or near the outer surface of the case.   The discharge lamp lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a breathable waterproof member is provided at the other end opening of the ventilation means.   5. The air discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation unit also serves as a gap between the conductive member of the harness that connects the lighting control unit and the connector and the insulating coating. Electric light lighting device.   The discharge lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ventilation means uses a ventilation tube having substantially the same diameter as the outer shape of a harness connecting the lighting control means and the connector. Lighting device.   The ventilation means uses a ventilation tube having substantially the same diameter as the sheath outer shape of the harness connecting the lighting control means and the connector, and is attached / detached / connected by a waterproof connector in the same manner as the harness. The discharge lamp lighting device according to claim 5 or 6.   The discharge lamp lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ventilation means is also used as a protective tube that wraps and covers a harness connecting the lighting control means and the connector.   The portion of the ventilation means that penetrates the elastic member serving as the waterproof partition of the lighting control means is compressed from the periphery with the elastic member or bonded to the elastic member. The discharge lamp lighting device according to item.   The ventilation means that also serves as a protective tube that wraps and covers the harness that connects the lighting control means and the connector is formed by compressing the portion of the ventilation means that penetrates the elastic member that serves as a waterproof partition of the lighting control means from the surroundings with the elastic member. The discharge lamp lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the discharge lamp lighting device is bonded to an elastic member. The discharge lamp lighting according to claim 9 or 10, wherein a reinforcing member capable of withstanding a compressive force is provided in a portion of the ventilation means penetrating the elastic member serving as a waterproof partition of the lighting control means. apparatus.

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