JP5596845B2 - Optical axis adjustment device for vehicle headlamp - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp that always keeps the light irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp constant in accordance with the posture of a vehicle body.

In general, in vehicles, particularly automobiles, the angle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body may be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction depending on the number of passengers and the loading status of the luggage. The light irradiation direction is also inclined.
For this reason, in Patent Document 1, the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp is adjusted in the vertical direction so as to always keep the light irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp constant corresponding to the inclination angle of the vehicle body of the automobile. An optical axis adjusting device for a vehicle headlamp is disclosed.

  More specifically, the vehicle headlamp optical axis adjusting device includes a stroke sensor coupled to a suspension arm of a front wheel and a rear wheel and a stroke sensor for detecting vertical movement of a front wheel and a rear wheel of the vehicle. An angle detector that detects a tilt angle (angle data) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body based on the detection signal from the sensor and the distance between the axles, and the optical axis of the headlamps in the vertical direction according to the detected angle data And an actuator to be changed, and is configured to adjust the optical axis of the headlamp according to average angle data based on a detection signal from the stroke sensor for a certain period before the vehicle stops.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses that a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed having a headlamp that can control at least one of brightness, irradiation direction, and irradiation range, and a vehicle speed sensor that performs dynamic control. An operation amount detection means for detecting an operation amount, an attitude change amount prediction means for predicting an attitude change amount of the vehicle based on the vehicle speed and the operation amount, and the headlamp based on the predicted attitude change amount There is disclosed a vehicle headlamp device provided with control means for controlling at least one of brightness, irradiation direction and irradiation range.

More specifically, in this vehicle headlamp device, the posture change amount predicting means uses, for example, a map for determining the optical axis control amount, and determines the vehicle body speed relative to the vehicle speed from the accelerator pedal depression speed and the brake pedal depression speed. The squat amount and dive amount are predicted and calculated.
The control means controls the optical axis of the headlamp based on a predetermined control routine at the time of acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle in accordance with the predicted squat amount and dive amount of the vehicle body, and the irradiation direction of the headlamp To control.
Furthermore, such control can be applied not only to auto leveling but also to vehicle control such as AFS (Adaptive Front-Lighting System) and active suspension.
JP-A-11-105620 Patent Registration No. 2817600

  By the way, in the optical axis adjusting device for a vehicle headlamp according to Patent Document 1, so-called static control is performed to adjust the inclination of the vehicle body, that is, the inclination of the optical axis of the headlamp caused by the number of passengers and the amount of luggage to be loaded. It is configured, and is not configured to perform so-called dynamic control for adjusting the undulation of the road surface during traveling of the automobile and the change of the optical axis during acceleration / deceleration traveling.

  On the other hand, in the vehicle headlamp device according to Patent Document 2, for example, the amount of change in the posture of the vehicle body is predicted from the operation amount such as the accelerator pedal depression speed and the brake pedal depression speed, and the control amount is calculated from the vehicle speed and the operation amount. It comes to calculate.

  Therefore, during driving, for example, at the time of acceleration, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 8A, the posture of the vehicle body tends to be upward (squat) due to inertia, as shown by the solid line in FIG. Although the vehicle body tries to return to the original horizontal state due to the restoring force of the suspension, the vehicle body turns downward (dive) due to so-called bounce and then gradually attenuates, but repeats upward and downward.

Along with this, the optical axis direction of the vehicle headlamp is also controlled, but the posture change amount prediction processing in the posture change amount prediction means and the control amount calculation processing in the control means become complicated. For this reason, the time required for these processes becomes longer, and it is difficult to quickly respond to the actual posture change amount.
Therefore, when a control delay occurs, control is actually performed as shown by a dotted line in FIG.
For this reason, a control deviation occurs between the vehicle pitch and the control position, and a large control deviation occurs particularly in a region Pu indicated by hatching in FIG.

Also, for example, at the time of deceleration, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 9A, the posture of the vehicle body tends to be downward (dive) due to inertia as the vehicle is decelerated. Although the vehicle body tries to return to the original horizontal state, the vehicle body turns downward (squat) due to so-called bouncing and then gradually attenuates, but repeats downward and upward.
In this case as well, control is performed as shown by the dotted line in FIG.
For this reason, a control deviation occurs between the vehicle pitch and the control position. For this reason, a large control deviation occurs particularly in a region Pd indicated by hatching in FIG.

  In this way, the optical axis adjustment of the vehicle headlamp is performed in the reverse direction due to the generation of the regions Pu and Pd due to the bound described above. For this reason, a dazzling light is given to an oncoming vehicle or a preceding vehicle, or front visibility is impaired.

  In view of the above, the present invention provides an optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp that suppresses a temporary deviation in the irradiation direction during a so-called bounce when an automobile is accelerated, decelerated, or stopped. The purpose is to do.

(1) An optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp according to an aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle headlamp supported on a front part of a vehicle body so that the optical axis can swing in the vertical direction, and the vehicle headlamp. Driving means for swinging the optical axis of the lamp vertically, a vehicle height sensor for detecting the vehicle height of the vehicle body, and a tilt of the vehicle body based on a detection signal from the vehicle height sensor. And an optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp that includes a control unit that drives and controls the driving means so as to cancel out the inclination. When the vehicle brake signal is changed from on to off and less than a predetermined threshold set, the vehicle further includes a determination unit that determines that the vehicle bouncing sign, and the determination unit displays the vehicle bouncing sign. When judged, the drive means is stopped for a predetermined time. Te, characterized in that to fix the illumination angle of the vehicle headlight to a predetermined angle, an optical axis adjusting apparatus of the headlight vehicle.
(2) An optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp according to another aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle headlamp supported at the front of a vehicle body so that the optical axis can swing in the vertical direction, and the vehicle front Driving means for swinging the optical axis of the lighting lamp in the vertical direction, a vehicle height sensor for detecting the vehicle height of the vehicle body, and a tilt of the vehicle body based on a detection signal from the vehicle height sensor And an optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp that includes a control unit that drives and controls the driving means so as to cancel out the inclination. A determination unit that determines that the vehicle bouncing signal is a precursor when the vehicle brake signal is on and the vehicle speed is less than a predetermined threshold that is less than a predetermined threshold set in advance; The determination unit determines a sign of the vehicle body bound When in, a predetermined time to stop the drive means, characterized in that for fixing the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlight to a predetermined angle, an optical axis adjusting apparatus of the headlight vehicle.

According to the present invention, the object is to provide a vehicle headlamp supported on the front of the vehicle body so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, a drive means for swinging the vehicle lamp in the vertical direction, A vehicle height sensor for detecting the vehicle height of the vehicle body, a controller that calculates the inclination of the vehicle body based on the detection signal from the vehicle height sensor, and drives and controls the drive means so as to cancel the inclination; An optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp, wherein the control unit stops the driving means for a predetermined time when the vehicle information exceeds a threshold value when the vehicle is accelerated, decelerated or stopped Thus, this is achieved by an optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp, wherein the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp is fixed to a predetermined angle.
The optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention is preferably configured such that, when the vehicle is accelerating, when the traveling acceleration exceeds a threshold value and the throttle changes from on to off, the control unit only performs a predetermined time. The driving means is stopped and the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp is fixed at a predetermined angle.

  The optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention is preferably configured such that, when the vehicle is decelerating, when the traveling acceleration is less than a threshold value and the brake is changed from on to off, the control unit only performs a predetermined time. The driving means is stopped and the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp is fixed at a predetermined angle.

  In the vehicle headlamp optical axis adjusting device according to the present invention, preferably, when the control unit stops the automobile, the traveling acceleration is less than a threshold, the brake is on, and the vehicle speed is less than the threshold. The driving means is stopped for a predetermined time, and the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp is fixed at a predetermined angle.

According to the above configuration, when the vehicle is accelerating, decelerating, or stopping, when the upper part of the vehicle exceeds the threshold, the driving means is stopped for a predetermined time, and the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp is fixed to the predetermined angle. Is done.
Thereby, at the end of acceleration of the automobile, at the end of deceleration, or immediately after stopping, the vehicle headlamp irradiation angle is fixed at a predetermined angle while the so-called bouncing of the vehicle body occurs due to the restoring force of the suspension. As a result, the control in the direction opposite to the actual inclination of the vehicle body due to the control deviation of the optical axis adjustment corresponding to the bound is suppressed.
In this way, the light irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp is prevented from being temporarily upward or downward due to the bounce, and can be held in a predetermined direction. Therefore, when accelerating, decelerating, or stopping the vehicle, the optical axis adjustment in the opposite direction to the bouncing of the vehicle body does not give illusion light to oncoming vehicles and preceding vehicles, and front visibility is impaired. There is no such thing as

In this case, the said control part fixes the irradiation direction of a vehicle headlamp only during the predetermined time when the bouncing of a vehicle body occurs. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform control processing for adjusting the optical axis for the bouncing of the vehicle body, and the control processing can be performed at a higher speed.
Therefore, it is not necessary to control the bouncing of the vehicle body when accelerating, decelerating, or stopping. For this reason, the control processing can be speeded up, and the control delay is reduced.

  When the travel acceleration exceeds the threshold and the throttle changes from on to off during acceleration of the vehicle, the control unit stops the driving means for a predetermined time and sets the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp to the predetermined angle. In the case where the vehicle head is fixed, the optical axis adjustment of the vehicle headlamp is not controlled with respect to the bouncing of the vehicle body that occurs at the end of acceleration of the automobile, and the irradiation angle is fixed to a predetermined angle.

  When the vehicle acceleration is less than the threshold and the brake changes from on to off when the vehicle is decelerated, the control unit stops the driving means for a predetermined time, and sets the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp to the predetermined angle. When the vehicle is fixed, the vehicle head bounce generated at the end of deceleration of the automobile is not controlled to adjust the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp, and the irradiation angle is fixed to a predetermined angle.

  When the vehicle stops, when the running acceleration is less than a threshold, the brake is on, and the vehicle speed is less than the threshold, the driving means is stopped for a predetermined time, and the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp Is fixed at a predetermined angle, the control of the optical axis adjustment of the vehicle headlamp is not performed with respect to the bounce of the vehicle body that occurs immediately after the automobile stops, and the irradiation angle is fixed at the predetermined angle.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the control unit drives and controls the driving means to determine the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp with respect to the bounce of the vehicle body after completion of acceleration, after completion of deceleration, or immediately after stopping. Fix at an angle. Thereby, even if the vehicle body bounces after the end of acceleration, after the end of deceleration or immediately after stopping, the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp is maintained in a predetermined direction. Therefore, after the end of acceleration of the car, after the end of deceleration or immediately after stopping, the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp is turned upward due to the bouncing of the vehicle body, and it does not give illusion light to the oncoming vehicle or the preceding vehicle, Moreover, the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp is directed downward, and the forward visibility is not impaired.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of one Embodiment of the optical-axis adjustment apparatus of the vehicle headlamp by this invention. It is the schematic which shows the mounting state to the motor vehicle of each element in the optical axis adjustment apparatus of the vehicle headlamp of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the special control at the time of acceleration in the optical axis adjustment apparatus of the vehicle headlamp of FIG. FIG. 4 is a graph showing (A) an actual vehicle body pitch and a control position and (B) a control deviation due to special control during acceleration in FIG. 3. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the special control at the time of the deceleration in the optical axis adjustment apparatus of the vehicle headlamp of FIG. FIG. 6 is a graph showing (A) an actual vehicle body pitch and a control position and (B) a control deviation due to special control during deceleration in FIG. 5. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement of the special control at the time of a stop in the optical axis adjustment apparatus of the vehicle headlamp of FIG. It is the graph which shows the (A) actual vehicle pitch and the control position in the case of the acceleration in the optical axis adjustment apparatus of the conventional vehicle headlamp, and the graph which shows (B) control deviation. It is the graph which shows the (A) actual vehicle pitch and the control position at the time of the deceleration in the optical axis adjustment apparatus of the conventional vehicle headlamp, and the graph which shows (B) control deviation.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
The embodiments described below are preferable specific examples of the present invention, and thus various technically preferable limitations are given. However, the scope of the present invention particularly limits the present invention in the following description. As long as there is no description of the effect, it is not restricted to these aspects.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an embodiment of an optical axis adjusting device for a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention.
1 and 2, an optical axis adjustment device 10 for a vehicle headlamp includes a pair of left and right vehicle headlamps 11 attached to a front portion of a vehicle body B of an automobile so as to be swingable in the vertical direction, and the front of each vehicle. A pair of actuators 12 for swinging the lighting 11 in the vertical direction, a pair of vehicle height sensors 13 provided near the suspension of the front and rear wheels of the vehicle body B, and detection signals from these vehicle height sensors 13 And a control unit 14 that drives and controls the actuator 12 based on vehicle information of the automobile.

  The vehicle headlamp 11 has a known configuration, for example, a configuration in which light from a light source is reflected by a reflector and irradiated with light in a predetermined light distribution pattern along the optical axis direction. The vehicle headlamp 11 is configured such that the light distribution pattern is adjusted in the vertical direction by swinging the whole or at least a part of the vehicle headlamp 11 in the vertical direction.

  The actuator 12 has a known configuration, and is configured to move the lower side of the vehicle headlamp 11 in the vehicle front-rear direction, for example.

The vehicle height sensor 13 is a stroke sensor, for example, and is disposed near the suspension of the front wheels and / or the rear wheels.
The vehicle height sensor 13 detects the height of the vehicle body B of the automobile based on the suspension stroke.

The control unit 14 includes a calculation unit 14a, a travel detection unit 14b, and a memory 14c.
As a result, the calculation unit 14a of the control unit 14 performs calculation processing on the detection signal input from the vehicle height sensor 13 and the ignition signal, headlamp signal, and vehicle information of the vehicle by the vehicle pitch detection unit 14d. The control signal (control angle) for calculating the inclination (vehicle pitch) of the vehicle body B of the vehicle and swinging the vehicle headlamp 11 in a direction that cancels out the inclination corresponding to the inclination by the control angle calculation unit 14e. ) Is generated and sent to the actuator 12.
The vehicle signals of the automobile are a vehicle speed signal, a travel acceleration, a throttle signal, and a brake signal, and are input to the calculation unit 14a via the travel detection unit 14b.

Here, the control unit 14 performs normal control similar to conventional auto leveling control (dynamic control) and special control described below.
In normal control, the control unit 14 calculates the vehicle body inclination by processing the detection signal input from the vehicle height sensor 13 by the signal processing unit 14c, and cancels the inclination corresponding to the inclination. A control signal for swinging the vehicle headlamp 11 in the direction to be generated is generated, and this output signal is sent to the actuator 13 from the output circuit 14d.

Further, in the special control, the control unit 14 determines at the end of acceleration of the vehicle, at the end of deceleration, and immediately after stopping (that is, based on the vehicle information of the vehicle input by the determination unit 14f via the travel detection unit 14b). The control angle calculation unit 14e generates a control signal for fixing the irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ for a predetermined time ΔT. Is sent to the actuator 13.
In this case, the predetermined angle θ is set as a reference position when the automobile is stopped, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, and is stored in the memory 14c.

Further, the predetermined time ΔT described above is set as follows.
That is, it is considered that the vehicle body bounding time becomes longer as the traveling acceleration increases. Therefore, the predetermined time ΔT is set by ΔT = a × | Acc | (a: correlation coefficient) in correlation with the absolute value | Acc | of the traveling acceleration Acc.

On the other hand, the predetermined time ΔT may be a fixed value.
In this case, the predetermined time ΔT may be set to ΔT = T0 by measuring the maximum time T0 at which a response delay may occur with respect to the vehicle body bound.
Further, the maximum period T0 of vehicle body bound may be measured and ΔT = T1. For reference, in an experiment when the vehicle is stopped, the vehicle body bound time is about 1 second.

Specifically, when the automobile is accelerated, the control unit 14 uses the travel acceleration G and the throttle signal as vehicle information.
Based on the throttle signal input via the travel detection unit 14b, the control unit 14 switches from throttle on to throttle off and the travel acceleration G exceeds a preset threshold value G0 (for example, 1 m / s ² ) ( When G> G0), it is determined that acceleration has ended, that is, a sign of bouncing the vehicle body, and a counter for fixing the irradiation position is activated.
Only until the counter counts the predetermined time ΔT, the control unit 14 generates a control signal for fixing the irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ, and sends this control signal to the actuator 13. It is supposed to be.

On the other hand, when the automobile is decelerated, the control unit 14 uses a travel acceleration and a brake signal as vehicle information.
Based on the brake signal input via the travel detection unit 14b, the control unit 14 is brake-on to brake-off and the travel acceleration G falls below a preset threshold value (for example, -1 m / s ² ) ( When G <G0), that is, when the absolute value of the traveling acceleration G exceeds the threshold value, it is determined that deceleration has ended, that is, a sign of bouncing the vehicle body, and a counter for fixing the irradiation position is started. This counter is set to continue counting until the count value reaches a predetermined time ΔT.
When the vehicle is decelerating, the traveling acceleration G becomes a negative value, so the determination is made based on the traveling acceleration G <the threshold value G0.
Only until the counter counts the predetermined time ΔT, the control unit 14 generates a control signal for fixing the irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ, and sends this control signal to the actuator 13. It is supposed to be.

Further, when the automobile is stopped, the control unit 14 uses a travel acceleration, a brake signal, and a vehicle speed signal as vehicle information.
Based on the brake signal and the vehicle speed signal input via the travel detection unit 14b, the control unit 14 is brake-on, the vehicle speed is less than the threshold value (5 km / h), and the travel acceleration G is set to a preset threshold value ( For example, when it is less than −1 m / s ² ) (G <G0), that is, when the absolute value of the running acceleration G exceeds the threshold, it is determined immediately after the vehicle stops, that is, a sign of vehicle bound, and a counter for fixing the irradiation position is set. to start.
Only until the counter counts the predetermined time ΔT, the control unit 14 generates a control signal for fixing the irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ, and sends this control signal to the actuator 13. It is supposed to be.
Each threshold value and the predetermined time ΔT described above are set in advance and stored in the memory 14c.

The optical axis adjustment device 10 for a vehicle headlamp according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured as described above and operates as follows.
That is, the control unit 14 calculates the inclination of the vehicle body by processing the detection signal input from the vehicle height sensor 13 by the calculation unit 14a in the same manner as the optical axis adjustment device 1 of the conventional vehicle headlamp. To do.

As a result, the control unit 14 generates a control signal for swinging the vehicle headlamp 11 in a direction that cancels the tilt in response to the tilt, and sends the control signal to the actuator 13.
Thereby, according to the inclination of the vehicle body, the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp 11 is always adjusted and held in a fixed direction.

Next, the special control during the acceleration of the automobile will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3, the control unit 14 first determines in step ST1 whether the vehicle acceleration is from throttle on to throttle off and the traveling acceleration G exceeds the threshold value G0 based on the throttle signal in the vehicle information. Determine whether or not.
In the case of Y (yes) in step ST1, it is determined that it is a sign that a sudden change in vehicle body pitch (vehicle body bound) at the end of acceleration occurs, and the control unit 14 determines the irradiation position in step ST2. The fixing counter is activated, and the process proceeds to step ST3.
On the other hand, in the case of N (no) in step ST1, it is determined that the acceleration has not ended, and the process proceeds to step ST3.

In step ST3, the control unit 14 checks the operation of the counter. If the counter is counting, the control signal for fixing the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ in step ST4. Is output to the actuator 13. Thereby, the actuator 13 fixes the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ, and the irradiation direction fixing control is performed.
On the other hand, when the counter is not counting in step ST3, the control unit 14 returns to the normal control in step ST5, that is, the irradiation direction variable control, assuming that the predetermined time ΔT has elapsed. To do.
By repeatedly performing the above-described steps ST1 to ST5, the irradiation direction fixing control is performed only for a predetermined time ΔT.

In this way, when the predetermined time ΔT has elapsed in step ST5, the special control at the end of the acceleration of the automobile is terminated. As shown in FIG. After the vehicle body pitch becomes upward (squat) with the start of acceleration, a vehicle body bounce occurs with the vehicle body pitch downward with the end of acceleration. In this case, the irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp 11 is predetermined. The angle θ is fixedly controlled.

As a result, the optical axis adjustment in the reverse direction at the time of the vehicle body bounding as in the prior art is not performed, and the actual vehicle body bounding is greatly reduced.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the control deviation is reduced by ΔPu as compared to the region Pu due to the bounce when there is no fixed control.
This eliminates the upward state of the optical axis due to the vehicle body bounce of the vehicle headlamp 11 that cannot be corrected in time under normal control, and the vehicle headlamp 11 emits light at an irradiation angle of approximately a predetermined angle θ. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the oncoming vehicle and the preceding vehicle from giving illusion light.

Next, the special control at the time of deceleration of the automobile will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, first, in step ST <b> 11, the control unit 14 switches from brake on to brake off based on the brake signal in the vehicle information, and the travel acceleration G is below the threshold value G <b> 0. It is determined whether (G <G0).
In the case of Y (yes) in step ST11, it is determined that it is a sign that a sudden change in vehicle body pitch (vehicle body bound) at the end of deceleration occurs, and the control unit 14 determines the irradiation position in step ST12. The fixing counter is activated, and the process proceeds to step ST13.
If N (no) in step ST11, it is determined that deceleration has not ended, and the process proceeds to step ST13.

In step ST13, the control unit 14 checks the operation of the counter. If the counter is counting, the control signal for fixing the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ in step ST14. Is output to the actuator 13. Thereby, the actuator 13 fixes the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ, and the irradiation direction fixing control is performed.
On the other hand, if the counter is not counting in step ST13, the control unit 14 assumes that the predetermined time ΔT has elapsed, and returns to the normal control in step ST15, that is, the irradiation direction variable control. To do.
By repeatedly performing the above-described steps ST11 to ST15, the irradiation direction fixing control is performed only for a predetermined time ΔT.

Thus, when the predetermined time ΔT elapses in step ST15, the special control at the end of the deceleration of the vehicle is terminated. As shown in FIG. After the vehicle body pitch is turned downward (dive) with the start of deceleration, a vehicle body bound is generated with the vehicle body pitch turned upward with the end of deceleration. In this case, the irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp 11 is predetermined. The angle θ is fixedly controlled.

As a result, the optical axis adjustment in the reverse direction at the time of the vehicle body bounding as in the prior art is not performed, and the actual vehicle body bounding is greatly reduced.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the control deviation is reduced by ΔPd as compared to the region Pd due to bouncing when there is no fixed control.
This eliminates the downward state of the optical axis due to the vehicle body bounce of the vehicle headlamp 11 that cannot be corrected in time under normal control, and the vehicle headlamp 11 emits light at an irradiation angle of approximately a predetermined angle θ. Therefore, forward visibility can be ensured.

Next, the special control when the automobile is stopped will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7, in step ST21, the control unit 14 first turns on the brake on the basis of the brake signal and the vehicle speed signal in the vehicle information, and the vehicle speed signal is less than the threshold value. Is less than the threshold value G0 (G <G0).
In the case of Y (yes) in step ST21, it is determined that it is a sign that a sudden change in the vehicle body pitch (vehicle body bound) immediately after stopping, and the control unit 14 fixes the irradiation position in step ST22. Is started, and the process proceeds to step ST23.
Further, in the case of N (No) in step ST21, it is determined that the vehicle is not immediately stopped and the process proceeds to step ST23.

In step ST23, the control unit 14 checks the operation of the counter. If the counter is counting, the control signal for fixing the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ in step ST24. Is output to the actuator 13. Thereby, the actuator 13 fixes the irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp 11 to the predetermined angle θ, and the irradiation direction fixing control is performed.
On the other hand, if the counter is not counting in step ST23, the control unit 14 assumes that the predetermined time ΔT has elapsed, and returns to the normal control in step ST25, that is, the irradiation direction variable control. To do.
By repeatedly performing the above-described steps ST21 to ST25, the irradiation direction fixing control is performed only for a predetermined time ΔT.

In this way, when the predetermined time ΔT has elapsed in step ST25, the special control at the end of the deceleration of the vehicle is terminated. With the above-described special control, the vehicle body pitch decreases downward when the deceleration of the vehicle is started. (Dive) After the vehicle stops, a vehicle body bound with the vehicle body pitch facing upward occurs. In this case, the irradiation direction of the vehicle headlamp 11 is fixedly controlled at a predetermined angle θ.

As a result, the optical axis adjustment in the reverse direction at the time of the vehicle body bounding as in the prior art is not performed, and the actual vehicle body bounding is greatly reduced.
Therefore, the vehicle headlamp 11 emits light at an irradiation angle of approximately a predetermined angle θ by eliminating the downward state of the optical axis due to the vehicle body bounce of the vehicle headlamp 11 that cannot be corrected in time under normal control. As a result, forward visibility can be ensured.

In the embodiment described above, the travel acceleration is used as the vehicle information in order to detect the sign of the vehicle body bound at the end of acceleration of the automobile, at the end of deceleration, or immediately after stopping. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Any other vehicle information can be used as long as it can detect a sign of a large vehicle body bound, such as the size of the vehicle and the change in the detection signal of the vehicle height sensor.
In the above-described embodiment, the on / off of the throttle signal or the brake signal is used as a trigger for the irradiation direction fixing control. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Any other vehicle information can be used as long as the signal can be used.

The vehicle headlamp optical axis adjusting device 10 according to the present invention is configured to adjust the optical axis of a vehicle headlamp such as a headlamp. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and an auxiliary headlamp such as a fog lamp is used. It is possible to apply the present invention to a vehicle headlamp including
Further, the optical axis adjusting device 10 for a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention can be incorporated into a suspension control system.

  In this way, according to the present invention, an extremely excellent vehicle headlamp that suppresses a temporary deviation in the irradiation direction during so-called bounce at the time of acceleration, speed, or stop of an automobile. An optical axis adjusting device can be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Optical axis adjustment apparatus of vehicle headlamp 11 Vehicle headlamp 12 Actuator (drive means)
13 Vehicle height sensor 14 Control unit

Claims (1)

A vehicle headlamp supported at the front of the vehicle body so that the optical axis can swing in the vertical direction;
Drive means for vertically swinging the optical axis of the vehicle headlamp;
A vehicle height sensor for detecting the vehicle height of the vehicle body;
A controller that calculates the inclination of the vehicle body of the automobile based on a detection signal from the vehicle height sensor and drives and controls the driving means so as to cancel the inclination;
An optical axis adjustment device for a vehicle headlamp, comprising:
The control unit further includes a determination unit that determines that the vehicle bouncing signal is a sign of a vehicle body bound when the traveling acceleration of the vehicle is less than a predetermined threshold value set in advance and the brake signal of the vehicle changes from on to off. ,
When the determination unit determines a sign of the vehicle body bound, the driving unit is stopped for a predetermined time, and an irradiation angle of the vehicle headlamp is fixed to a predetermined angle. Optical axis adjustment device.

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