JP4471291B2 - Cleaning device for vehicle lamp - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a novel vehicle lamp cleaning apparatus. Specifically, the present invention relates to a technique that is easy to assemble to a vehicle body and that firmly engages a bracket and an opening.

  2. Description of the Related Art A cleaning device for a vehicle lamp, for example, a cleaning device for cleaning dirt on a front cover (lens) of an automotive headlamp is known.

  The above-described vehicle lamp cleaning device includes an injection nozzle at the tip of a piston driven by the cylinder, and the cleaning liquid (water) supplied through the cylinder and the piston in a state where the piston protrudes from the cylinder. Is sprayed from the spray nozzle toward the vehicle lamp.

  When not in use, the piston is retracted into the cylinder, and therefore the injection nozzle is positioned at a standby position inside an opening formed in a part of the vehicle body, for example, a bumper. In use, the injection nozzle protrudes from the opening and goes out to the use position. Therefore, if the cylinder is not positioned with respect to the opening, the movement trajectory of the injection nozzle accompanying the movement of the piston becomes unstable, and the injection nozzle and the piston may interfere with the edge of the opening. Therefore, it is important to accurately position the cylinder with respect to the opening.

  Therefore, for example, in the vehicular lamp cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the engagement positioning portion (46) of the bracket (38) attached to the front end portion of the cylinder, the claw portion formed at the tip of (46) (46c) and (46c) are engaged with the front surface of the opening edge portion of the opening (37) facing each other, and the flat plate-like pieces (47) and (47) of the bracket (38) The front end of the bracket (38) is brought into contact with the opening edge facing the opening edge engaged with the claw portions (46c) and (46c) of the opening in a direction different by about 90 °. The mounting pieces (41) and (41) formed on the bracket (38) are fixed to the vehicle body at a position away from the opening (37) by bolting. In the above description, the numbers in parentheses indicate the symbols given to the respective parts in the drawing of Patent Document 1.

  In the vehicular lamp cleaning device of Patent Document 1, as described above, the tip of the bracket (38) is positioned with respect to the opening (37), thereby indirectly opening the injection nozzle. Positioning relative to the part (37) is performed.

JP 2003-182536 A

  Incidentally, in the vehicular lamp cleaning device disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above, the engagement between the front end portion of the bracket (38) and the opening portion (37) is related to the claw portion (46c). ) And (46c) are only engaged with the front surface of the opening edge, the positions where the mounting pieces (41) and (41) are fixed and the position of the opening (37) are accurately positioned. Otherwise, excessive force is applied to the claw portions (46c), (46c) and the engagement positioning portions (46), (46), or the claw portions (46c), (46c) are the opening edges of the opening portion (37). The problem arises when the positioning state collapses from the front surface of the part. Further, the engagement positioning portions (46) and (46) may bend toward the center of the opening (37), and the engagement with the opening edges of the claw portions (46c) and (46c) may be disengaged. There is also.

  Furthermore, since the engaging positioning portions (46) and (46) having the claw portions (46c) and (46c) engaged with the opening edge portion of the opening portion (37) have bending elasticity, two places (attachment) If the pieces (41) and (41)) are not fixed to the vehicle body, there is a problem that the claw portions (46c) and (46c) are easily detached from the opening edge of the opening (37), and the mounting state is not stable.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to facilitate the assembly to the vehicle body and to firmly engage the bracket and the opening.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the vehicle lamp cleaning device of the present invention has a bracket attached to the front end of the cylinder and a fixed arm protruding from the bracket in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the cylinder, The bracket has a pair of engaging arm pieces that are respectively engaged with two opening edge portions of the opening provided in the vehicle body facing each other, and one of the pair of engaging arm pieces is a front end portion. An engaging piece that engages with the front side of the opening edge and an elastic engaging arm piece that has a bending elasticity in a direction to be engaged with and disengaged from the opening edge, and the other engaging arm piece is the opening edge. It has an engagement piece that engages with the front side of the lens and a clamping piece that cooperates with the engagement piece to clamp the opening edge from the rear side, and bends easily in the direction of engagement with the opening edge. A rigid engagement arm piece having no rigidity, and the front ends of the pair of engagement arm pieces are While engaging with the opening edge of the mouth portion is intended to be supported on the vehicle body by fixing the fixed arm to the vehicle body.

  Therefore, the vehicle lamp cleaning device of the present invention can be easily assembled to the vehicle body, and the bracket and the opening can be firmly engaged.

  The vehicle lamp cleaning device of the present invention includes a piston having an injection nozzle for injecting a cleaning liquid at the tip, a nozzle cover for covering the injection nozzle to the front, and the piston in and out of an opening provided in the vehicle body. A vehicular lamp cleaning device having a cylinder that is driven so as to have a bracket attached to the front end of the cylinder and a fixed arm protruding from the bracket in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the cylinder. The bracket has a pair of engaging arm pieces that are respectively engaged with two opening edges of the opening facing each other, and one of the pair of engaging arm pieces is at the front end. An elastic engagement arm piece having an engagement piece that engages with the front side of the opening edge and has a bending elasticity in a direction to engage with and disengage from the opening edge, and the other engagement arm piece is a front side of the opening edge. Engaging pieces to be engaged with the A rigid engagement arm piece having a clamping piece for clamping the opening edge portion from the rear side in cooperation with the combination piece and having a rigidity that does not easily bend in the direction of engagement / disengagement with the opening edge portion. The pair of engaging arm pieces are supported by the vehicle body by fixing the fixed arm to the vehicle body with the front end portions engaged with the opening edge of the opening.

  Therefore, in the vehicular lamp cleaning device of the present invention, one of the pair of engagement arm pieces (elastic engagement arm piece) has flexion elasticity, but the other (rigid engagement arm piece) has The rigid engagement arm piece is provided with a clamping piece in addition to the engagement piece, and the opening edge of the opening is sandwiched between these two pieces. The state where the front end portion of the bracket is positioned in the opening portion is stabilized. In addition, this makes it possible to securely attach only one fixed arm to the vehicle body at one location.

  In the invention described in claim 2, the fixed arm protrudes in a direction almost opposite to the rigid engagement arm piece with the elastic engagement arm piece interposed therebetween, and the protruding end is fixed to the vehicle body by bolting or the like. Therefore, the attachment state to the vehicle body is further stabilized and the assembling property is improved.

  In the invention described in claim 3, since the fixed arm is formed integrally with the bracket, the number of parts can be reduced and the strength of both the bracket and the fixed arm is improved.

  The best mode for carrying out the vehicular lamp cleaning apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  First, an outline of a vehicular lamp cleaning apparatus will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a vehicular lamp cleaning apparatus 1 in a state where a bracket is not attached.

  A vehicular lamp cleaning apparatus 1 includes a cylinder 2, a piston 3 slidably coupled to the cylinder 2, and an injection nozzle 5 connected to the tip of the piston 3 via a check valve portion 4.

  The cylinder 2 includes a main portion 21 having a substantially cylindrical shape and a joint portion 22 that closes the rear end of the main portion 21. A plurality of engaging projections 21a, 21a,... (See FIGS. 2 and 3) are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the front end portion of the outer peripheral surface of the main portion 21.

  The piston 3 is slidably coupled to the cylinder 2. The piston 3 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape.

  A tension coil spring 6 is disposed inside the piston 3, and hook portions 61 and 62 formed on the front and rear sides of the tension coil spring 6 are respectively engaged with the front end portion of the piston 3 and the rear end portion of the cylinder 2. Thus, the piston 3 is urged in the direction in which it is drawn into the cylinder 2.

  A check valve portion 4 is connected to the front end portion of the piston 3, a check valve 42 is disposed in a housing 41 of the check valve portion 4, and nozzle holding portions 43, 43 provided in the housing 41 are connected to the check valve portion 4. The injection nozzles 5 and 5 are supported.

  A nozzle cover 7 is supported at the front end of the check valve portion 4.

  In the vehicular lamp cleaning apparatus 1, the cleaning liquid (water) is supplied to the inside of the rear end of the cylinder 2 through a cleaning liquid (water) supply pipe 22 a (see FIG. 2) provided in the joint portion 22 of the cylinder 2. Then, the cleaning liquid passes through the inside of the piston 3 and fills up to the front of the check valve 42, and the tension coil spring 6 is extended by the pressure of the cleaning liquid, and the piston 3 protrudes from the cylinder 2. When the pressure of the cleaning liquid before the check valve 42 exceeds the pressure resistance of the check valve 42, the check valve 42 opens, the cleaning liquid reaches the injection nozzles 5 and 5, and is injected from the nozzle holes of the injection nozzles 5 and 5. .

  The cylinder 2 is positioned in an opening 11 provided in the vehicle body 10 via a bracket 8 attached to the cylinder 2, and is supported by the vehicle body by fixing the fixed arm 9 to the vehicle body 10. Here, the vehicle body 10 is often a bumper, but is not limited to a bumper, and may be other than a bumper, for example, a rim of a headlamp.

  The bracket 8 includes a mounting portion 81 having a substantially cylindrical shape at the rear end portion, and a positioning portion 82 is provided on the front side of the mounting portion 81.

  In the mounting portion 81, engagement holes 81a, 81a, ... are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction, the mounting portion 81 is externally fitted to the front end portion of the main portion 21 of the cylinder 2, and Engaging projections 21a, 21a,... Projecting from the outer peripheral surface of the front end portion of the main portion 21 of the cylinder 2 engage with engaging holes 81a, 81a,. Thus, the bracket 8 is attached to the front end portion of the cylinder 2.

  The positioning portion 82 is formed in a rectangular tube shape having a substantially rectangular shape in cross section, and a pair of engagement arm pieces 83 and 84 project forward from front end edges located at both ends in the longitudinal direction. . Slits 83a and 83a extending in parallel rearward are formed on both sides of the base portion of one engagement arm piece 83, whereby the engagement arm piece 83 is elastic in the thickness direction. It is given as an elastic engagement arm piece. An engagement piece 83 b is formed at the front end of the elastic engagement arm piece 83 so as to protrude in the direction opposite to the other engagement arm piece 84. The other engagement arm piece 84 has a slight forward protrusion amount, and is therefore a rigid engagement arm piece having rigidity that hardly bends in the thickness direction. An engagement piece 84a is formed at the front end of the rigid engagement arm piece 84 so as to protrude in a direction opposite to the direction in which the engagement piece 83b protrudes, and slightly behind the front end of the rigid engagement arm piece 84. From this position, the sandwiching piece 84b protrudes in the same direction as the engagement piece 84a and substantially parallel to the engagement piece 84a. The distance between the engaging piece 84a and the sandwiching piece 84b is formed to be slightly larger than the thickness of the opening 11 of the vehicle body 10.

  The fixed arm 9 protrudes from the vicinity of the elastic engagement arm piece 83 at the front end of the positioning portion 82 in the direction opposite to the rigid engagement arm piece 84. A fixed portion 91 is formed at the protruding end of the fixed arm 9, and a bolt insertion hole 91 a is formed in the fixed portion 91. It should be noted that a large number of reinforcing ribs 92, 92,... Are formed on the fixed arm 9, thereby giving high rigidity.

  The vehicular lamp cleaning apparatus 1 is supported by the vehicle body 10 as follows.

  First, from the back side of the vehicle body 10, one of the opening edge portions 11 a located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the opening portion 11 is sandwiched between the engaging piece 84 a and the holding piece 84 b of the rigid engaging arm piece 84 of the bracket 8, Next, the elastic engagement arm piece 83 is deflected toward the rigid engagement arm piece 84, and the force that has deflected the elastic engagement arm piece 83 after passing the engagement piece 83b through the opening 10 to the front side. The engagement piece 83b is engaged with the front side of the engagement edge portion 11b located on the opposite side of the engagement edge portion 11a except for the above, and the front end portion of the bracket 8 is positioned at the opening portion 10 and temporarily fixed. To do.

  As described above, the front end portion of the bracket 8 is positioned in the opening portion 10, and the fixing portion 91 of the fixing arm 9 is fixed to the vehicle body 10 by bolting while being temporarily fixed.

  As described above, the vehicular lamp cleaning apparatus 1 is assembled to the vehicle body 10.

  In the vehicular lamp cleaning device 1 described above, only one of the pair of engaging arm pieces 83 and 84 for positioning the front end portion of the bracket 8 with respect to the opening 10 has elasticity, and the other 84 Has a rigidity that does not easily bend, so that the positioning of the front end portion of the bracket 8 to the opening 10 is difficult to be eliminated.

  Further, since the opening edge portion 11a of the opening portion 10 is sandwiched by the engagement piece 84a and the sandwiching piece 84b of the rigid engagement arm piece 84, only one fixed arm 9 is fixed to the vehicle body at one place. Since the vehicular lamp cleaning device 1 can be sufficiently supported by the vehicle body 10, the assembling workability is good. In particular, as shown in the above embodiment, the fixed arm 9 is protruded in a direction almost opposite to the rigid engagement arm piece 84 with the elastic engagement arm piece 83 interposed therebetween, and the protruding end 91 is fixed to the vehicle body 10. By doing so, the assembled state of the vehicle body 10 of the vehicle lamp cleaning device 1 becomes more stable.

  Further, as shown in the above embodiment, by forming the fixed arm 9 integrally with the bracket 8, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and increase the strength of both the bracket 8 and the fixed arm 9. .

  It should be noted that the shapes and structures of the respective parts shown in the above-described embodiments are merely examples of implementations in carrying out the present invention, and these limit the technical scope of the present invention. It should not be interpreted.

The drawings show an embodiment of a vehicle lamp cleaning device of the present invention, and this figure is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion excluding a bracket and a fixing member. It is a perspective view which sees through the vehicle body, and removes the nozzle cover and shows the state assembled | attached to the vehicle body from the front. It is a perspective view of the principal part which shows the state which engaged the bracket with the opening edge part of the opening part, notching a vehicle body and seeing from the downward direction.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle lamp cleaning device, 2 ... Cylinder, 3 ... Piston, 5 ... Injection nozzle, 7 ... Nozzle cover, 8 ... Bracket, 83 ... Elastic engagement arm piece, 83b ... Engagement piece, 84 ... Rigid engagement Arm piece, 84a ... engagement piece, 84b ... clamping piece, 9 ... fixed arm, 91 ... fixed portion (projecting end), 10 ... vehicle body, 11 ... opening portion, 11a ... opening edge portion, 11b ... opening edge portion

Claims (3)

An injection nozzle that injects cleaning liquid at the tip, a piston that has a nozzle cover that covers the injection nozzle forward, and a cylinder that drives the piston so as to be inserted into and removed from an opening provided in the vehicle body. A cleaning device for a vehicle lamp,
A bracket attached to the front end of the cylinder and a fixed arm protruding from the bracket in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the cylinder;
The bracket has a pair of engaging arm pieces that are respectively engaged with two opening edges of the opening facing each other, and one of the pair of engaging arm pieces has the opening edge at a front end. An elastic engagement arm piece having an engagement piece that engages with the front side of the opening portion and flexing elasticity in a direction to engage with and disengage from the opening edge portion, and the other engagement arm piece is engaged with the front side of the opening edge portion. The engagement piece and the engagement piece cooperate with the engagement piece to hold the opening edge portion from the rear side, and have rigidity that does not easily bend in the direction of engagement with the opening edge portion. A rigid engaging arm piece having
The vehicular lamp cleaning device, wherein the fixing arm is fixed to the vehicle body with the front end portions of the pair of engaging arm pieces engaged with the opening edge of the opening. . The fixed arm protrudes in a direction substantially opposite to the rigid engagement arm piece across the elastic engagement arm piece, and its protruding end is fixed to the vehicle body by bolting or the like. Cleaning equipment for vehicle lamps. The cleaning device for a vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fixed arm is formed integrally with the bracket.

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