JP6678466B2 - Vehicle lighting - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a dehumidifying unit that can operate even when a start switch of an engine or a motor that is a driving source of a vehicle is turned off.

  Patent Literature 1 discloses a vehicle lamp in which a light source is disposed in a lamp chamber formed inside a lamp body and a translucent cover, and dehumidification in the vehicle lamp by being disposed in the vehicle lamp. Is disclosed. Inside the light-transmitting cover of the vehicular lamp, fogging may occur until the temperature in the lamp room rises due to the lighting of the light source or the heat or radiant heat of the engine transmitted to the lamp room after starting. Since such fogging may affect light distribution, the vehicular lamp of Patent Literature 1 uses a dehumidifying unit disposed in the lamp room until the temperature of the lamp room rises due to lighting of the light source. Dehumidification is performed so that fogging hardly occurs inside the light transmitting cover.

  The dehumidifying unit of Patent Literature 1 applies a voltage from a generation circuit to a dehumidifying element arranged in a lamp room, electrolyzes water molecules contained in air in the lamp room, and discharges the water molecules to the outside of the lamp room. The room is dehumidified.

JP 2014-127381 A

  As described in [0023] of Patent Document 1, the dehumidifying element of Patent Document 1 is “when the engine is started or the light source is turned on”, that is, “at the same time that the engine start switch is turned on. Or later "by applying a voltage from the generator circuit. However, dehumidification in the lamp room requires a certain period of time, so if a voltage is applied "at the same time as or after the start switch of the engine is turned on", the time required for dehumidification may be insufficient. There is. To prevent fogging inside the cover at the start of lighting of the light source, the dehumidifying element of the dehumidifying unit must be started before turning on the engine start switch, that is, by turning the engine start switch on or off. It is desirable to work regardless of what you do.

  In addition, in an electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid vehicle having an electric motor as a driving source for traveling, when the vehicle is parked in a parking space, the vehicle is driven from an external power source such as a quick charging spot or a home power source. Battery may be charged. Since it takes a certain amount of time to fully charge the driving battery, using the charging time while parking to dehumidify the lighting room of the vehicle lamp requires a sufficient charging time. This is desirable in that reliable dehumidification of the lighting room can be performed.

  In view of the above-described problems, the present application provides a dehumidifying unit that can operate even when a start switch of an engine or a motor that is a driving source of a vehicle is turned off, and a vehicle lamp including the same. Note that the state in which the start switch of the engine or the motor is OFF indicates a state in which the power to the starting device of the vehicle is cut off and the engine or the motor as the driving source cannot be started.

  The dehumidifying unit has a dehumidifying element, a solar cell for supplying power to the dehumidifying element, and a control circuit for controlling power supply from the solar cell to the dehumidifying element.

  (Operation) The dehumidifying element is installed independently of another power supply source that starts power supply in conjunction with ON / OFF of a switch, and is supplied with power from a solar cell that continuously generates power by receiving light.

  In the dehumidifying unit, the control circuit includes a power storage unit that stores power generated by the solar cell and supplies power to the dehumidifying element.

  (Operation) The power storage unit of the control circuit supplies the stored power to the dehumidifying element in addition to the power from the solar cell. As a result, the dehumidifying element receives the power supply from the power storage unit even if the amount of sunlight irradiated on the solar cell is insufficient and the power supply required for operation cannot be received from the solar cell.

  Further, in the dehumidification unit, the control circuit may supply power to the dehumidifying element from the power storage unit when the power detected by the power detection unit is lower than a predetermined value. And a power supply control unit for stopping the power supply from the power storage unit to the dehumidifying element after a predetermined time.

(Operation) The power storage unit of the control device supplies the necessary amount of power from the solar cell only when the power storage unit of the control device needs to supply power to the dehumidifying element, that is, from the solar cell. Only when not, power is supplied to the dehumidifying element.
Further, the power supply time from the start of power supply to the dehumidifying element from the power storage unit of the control device to the end of power supply is limited.

  Further, in the vehicle lighting device, a light source is disposed in a lamp chamber formed inside the translucent cover and the lamp body, a dehumidifying element disposed in the lamp chamber, a solar cell for supplying power to the dehumidifying element, and A dehumidifying unit including a control circuit for controlling power supply from the solar cell to the dehumidifying element, and an optical member arranged to irradiate the solar cell with the received sunlight are provided.

  (Operation) Irrespective of where the solar cell is placed in the lighting room of the vehicular lamp, the solar cell irradiates the sunlight received by the optical member. The solar cell is sufficiently irradiated with the sunlight by the optical member, even if the solar cell is arranged in a position where the sunlight cannot be directly received sufficiently in the lamp room of the vehicle lamp. The dehumidifying element is powered by a solar cell that is arranged independently of the power supply to the engine and motor start switch, and is not limited to the case where the engine and motor start switch is turned on, and is turned off. It operates even if it is in the state.

  Further, in the vehicle lamp, the vehicle lamp unit is fixed to any one of a back surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, and a side surface inside the lamp body.

  (Operation) The dehumidifying unit including the solar cell receives light, and is arranged at an arbitrary position in the lamp room of the vehicle lamp where sunlight is hardly irradiated.

  Further, in a dehumidifying unit for a vehicle, comprising: a dehumidifying mechanism that performs dehumidification by receiving power supply; and a control circuit that controls power supply to the dehumidifying mechanism. A part of the electric power supplied for charging during the charging is supplied to the dehumidifying mechanism.

  (Operation) By supplying a part of the charging power supplied from the external power supply to the storage battery for vehicle travel to the dehumidification mechanism of the dehumidification unit, the dehumidification mechanism functions without using the power of the storage battery. In addition, by operating the dehumidifying mechanism during the charging time while the vehicle is stopped, a sufficient dehumidifying time for the lamp room is ensured. The dehumidifying mechanism is supplied with a larger current from an external power supply than the storage battery.

  Further, in the dehumidification unit, the control circuit may include an energization detecting unit that detects a start and end of charging of the vehicle storage battery from an external power supply, and the detection unit detects the start of charging of the travel storage battery from the external power supply. A power supply control unit that starts supplying power to the dehumidifying mechanism from an external power supply and stops supplying power to the dehumidifying mechanism when the end of charging is detected.

  (Operation) The dehumidifying mechanism of the dehumidifying unit functions to perform dehumidification from the start of charging of the storage battery for vehicle traveling to the end of charging from the external power supply.

  Further, in the dehumidification unit, the control circuit may include an energization detecting unit that detects a start and end of charging of the vehicle storage battery from an external power supply, and the detection unit detects the start of charging of the travel storage battery from the external power supply. A power supply control unit that starts power supply from the external power supply to the dehumidification mechanism and stops power supply to the dehumidification mechanism after a lapse of a predetermined time from the detection of the start of charging.

  (Operation) The dehumidifying mechanism of the dehumidifying unit functions and performs dehumidification from the start of charging of the storage battery for vehicle running from an external power supply to a certain time after the charging of the storage battery for vehicle running is appropriate or not. .

  The dehumidifying unit operates not only when the switch of the other power supply source is ON, but also when it is OFF.

  According to the dehumidifying unit, even if the power directly supplied from the solar cell to the dehumidifying element is insufficient, the operation is performed by supplying the power from the power storage unit of the control circuit.

  According to the dehumidification unit, unnecessary power supply from the power storage unit of the control device to the dehumidifying element is not performed, so that useless power consumption in the power storage unit is prevented, and a reduction in life due to consumption of the power storage unit is prevented. .

  According to the vehicle lamp, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the dehumidifying element inside the vehicle lamp is improved.

  According to the vehicular lamp, the dehumidifying unit can be disposed in the lamp room at a position where it can be easily replaced from outside the lamp room.

  According to the dehumidifying unit, the opportunity to use the storage battery mounted on the vehicle for supplying power to the dehumidification mechanism is reduced, so that a decrease in the performance of the storage battery can be reduced. In addition, since the dehumidifying time is sufficiently ensured, and the dehumidifying mechanism is operated by the large current to shorten the dehumidifying time, more reliable dehumidification of the lamp chamber becomes possible.

  Since a certain amount of time is required to sufficiently charge the vehicle storage battery, according to the dehumidification unit, the operation time of the dehumidification mechanism is reduced from the external power supply to the charging time of the vehicle storage battery. By matching, a sufficient dehumidification time is secured, and more reliable dehumidification in the lamp room becomes possible.

  According to the dehumidifying unit, when the time required for sufficient dehumidification in the lamp room is shorter than the time required for sufficiently charging the storage battery for vehicle traveling, the dehumidification mechanism is provided even if the storage battery is not completely charged. Stops after the time required for sufficient dehumidification elapses, so that useless use of the dehumidification mechanism is prevented, thereby preventing deterioration of the performance of the dehumidification mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the vehicular lamp of the first embodiment having a dehumidifying unit. (A) The right side view of a dehumidification unit. (B) The top view of a dehumidification unit. (C) Longitudinal sectional view of the dehumidifying element shown in FIG. (A) The perspective view which looked at the dehumidification unit from the back. (B) The exploded perspective view which looked at the dehumidification unit from the back. Explanatory drawing which shows the mounting structure of the dehumidification unit with respect to a lamp body. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control circuit of the dehumidifying unit. The front view of the vehicle lamp of the 2nd Example which has a dehumidification unit. FIG. 5B is a sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 5A. The longitudinal section of the vehicle lamp of the 3rd example which has a dehumidification unit. (A) The longitudinal section of the vehicle lamp of the 4th example which has a dehumidification unit. (B) The longitudinal section showing the modification of the dehumidification unit of a 4th example. The longitudinal section of the vehicular lamp of a 5th example which has a dehumidification unit. (A) The left view of the dehumidifying mechanism of the dehumidifying unit of the sixth embodiment. (B) Rear view of the dehumidifying mechanism of the sixth embodiment. FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG. FIG. 17 is an exploded perspective view of a dehumidifying mechanism according to a sixth embodiment. (A) The block diagram of the control system of the vehicle lamp which contains the control circuit of the dehumidification unit of 6th Example in a vehicle ECU. (B) The block diagram of the control system of the vehicle lamp which contains the control circuit of the dehumidifying unit of 6th Example in LDM.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on first to fifth examples shown in FIGS. 1 to 9. In each of the figures, the directions of the vehicle, the vehicular lamp, and the dehumidifying unit, which are assumed to be viewed from the driver's seat by the driver, are as follows (upper: lower: left: right: front: rear = Up: Lo: Le: Ri: Fr: Fr : Re).

  A first embodiment of a vehicle lamp including a dehumidifying unit will be described with reference to FIGS. The vehicle lamp 1 is an example of a right headlamp, and includes a lamp body 2 having an opening on the front side of the vehicle, and a transparent or translucent translucent cover 3 for closing the opening. Inside a lamp chamber S1 formed inside the lamp body 2 and the translucent cover 3, an LED light source unit 4 for forming a light distribution pattern for a headlight, an aiming mechanism 5, a dehumidifying unit 6, an optical member 7, And the extension reflector 8.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the LED light source unit 4 is configured by providing an LED light emitting element 4b, a reflector 4c, and a transparent or translucent projection lens 4d on a metal bracket 4a, and distributes a low beam light in the lamp room S1. A pair of LED light source units 4 for pattern formation and for forming a high beam light distribution pattern are arranged on the left and right. The emitted light B1 from the LED light emitting element 4b is reflected forward by the reflection surface 4e of the reflector 4c, and forms a light distribution pattern for a headlight having a predetermined shape in front of the vehicle. The aiming mechanism 5 includes a support member 5a, a plurality of aiming screws 5b, and a motor 5c for rotating one of the aiming screws 5b. The support member 5a is formed in a plate shape extending vertically, and the LED light source unit 4 is fixed to the support member 5a via a metal bracket 4a. The support member 5a is attached to the lamp body 2 by a plurality of aiming screws 5b, and the optical axis of the vehicular lamp 1 is rotated horizontally and vertically by rotating each aiming screw 5b to tilt the LED light source unit 4. It is adjusted to. In the light source unit constituting the light distribution pattern for the headlight, not only the LED light source unit 4 as in the present embodiment but also a light source unit having a halogen bulb, a discharge lamp bulb or the like as a light source may be employed. I do not care.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the dehumidifying unit 6 includes a dehumidifying element 10, a solar cell panel 11 constituting a solar cell, a control board 12 having a control circuit 18 shown in FIG. 5 described later, a resin housing 13, and a rubber. It is constituted by packing 14. The control board 12 has a conductive path (not shown) formed by a copper foil pattern or the like, and a capacitor 25 forming a power storage unit.

  As shown in FIG. 2B, the solar cell panel 11 and the capacitor 25 are both mounted on the upper surface 12a of the control board 12, and are electrically connected to conductive paths (not shown) of the control board 12. Further, the housing 13 has a substrate supporting portion 13a integrally formed in order from the front, a mounting portion 13b to the lamp body, and a flange portion 13c having an outer diameter larger than the mounting portion 13b. The substrate supporting portion 13a is formed in a U-shape when viewed from the front, has a plurality of (five in this embodiment) ventilation holes 13d vertically penetrating at the bottom thereof, and a pair of upper portions (13e, 13e) thereof. The control board 12 is mounted on the controller. The ventilation holes 13d improve the air permeability inside the substrate support 13a on which the control substrate 12 is mounted. The power storage unit may be a mechanism other than the capacitor as long as the mechanism has a power storage function.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a circular hole 13f for engaging the main body of the dehumidifying element is provided at the center of the mounting portion 13b to the lamp body and the flange 13c. As shown in FIG. 2A, a plurality of claw portions (13g, 13h) and a claw portion 13i having a stopper 13k are provided at an outer peripheral front end portion 13j of the attachment portion 13b. A rubber packing 14 is attached to the outer periphery of the attachment portion 13b. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, on the back surface 2a of the lamp body 2, a mounting hole 2b for engaging the mounting portion 13b of the housing 13 and a claw portion (13g to 13i) provided on the outer periphery of the mounting hole 2b. (2c to 2e) are provided respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the dehumidifying unit 6 inserts the substrate supporting portion 13a and the mounting portion 13b into the mounting hole 2b from outside the lamp body 2, and inserts the claw portions (13g to 13i) in front of the insertion grooves (2c to 2e). The housing 13 is attached to the lamp body 2 by rotating the housing 13 in the clockwise direction D1 about the central axis L0 in a state where the housing 13 is inserted up to the center, or the housing 13 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction D2 and pulled out from the mounting hole 2b. As a result, it is detached from the lamp body 2. In this manner, the dehumidifying unit 6 is easily attached to and detached from the lamp body 2 from outside the vehicle lamp 1. The mounting holes 2b may be provided not only on the rear surface 2a of the lamp body but also on any of the top surface 2f, the bottom surface 2g, and the left and right side surfaces (not shown) shown in FIG.

  Next, the dehumidifying element 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2C. The dehumidifying element 10 includes a main body 10a and a dehumidifying unit 15. The main body 10a has the same outer diameter as the inner diameter of the circular hole 13f of the housing 13, and a hole 10b that penetrates back and forth is provided at the center of the main body 10a. A flange 10c having a larger outer diameter than the main body 10a is provided on the outer periphery of the rear end of the main body 10a. The dehumidifying element 10 is mounted on the housing 13 by inserting the main body 10a while engaging the circular hole 13f in FIG. 3B, and at this time, the front end opening 10d of the hole 10b is connected to the lamp chamber S1. The rear end opening 10e of the hole 10b is disposed inside, and is disposed outside the lamp room S1. The dehumidifying element 10 is detached from the housing 13 by pinching the flange portion 10c and pulling it backward. The dehumidifying element 10 is configured to be detachable from the housing 13 with the dehumidifying unit 6 attached to the lamp body 2. As a result, according to the dehumidifying unit 6 of this embodiment, only the dehumidifying element 10 whose life has expired can be easily replaced from outside the lamp body 2.

  In the housing 13, an eaves portion 13m (see a two-dot chain line portion in FIG. 2A) extending rearward from the upper end of the flange portion 13c is provided and generated above the dehumidifying element 10 outside the lamp room S1. It is desirable that the dehumidifying effect is not reduced by the water droplet falling on the dehumidifying element 10.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2C, the dehumidifying unit 15 is provided inside the hole 10b so as to shield the lamp room S1 from the outside and prevent air outside the lamp room from entering the lamp room S1. Can be The dehumidifying unit 15 includes a pair of porous electrodes (15a, 15b) and a polymer electrolyte membrane 15c sandwiched between the porous electrodes (15a, 15b). The porous electrode 15a is configured as an anode disposed toward the front end opening 10d of the hole 10b, and the porous electrode 15b is configured as a cathode disposed toward the rear end opening 10e of the hole 10b. The housing 13 is provided with a terminal mechanism (not shown) electrically connected to a conductive path (not shown) of the control board 12. The porous electrodes (15 a, 15 b) connect the dehumidifying element 10 to the housing 13. Is electrically connected to the control board 12 via the terminal mechanism (not shown). The dehumidifying element 10, the solar cell panel 11, and the capacitor 25 are all electrically connected to a conductive path of a control board (not shown). It receives power from at least one of them and exhibits a dehumidifying effect.

  Next, the principle of dehumidification by the dehumidification unit 6 will be described. The air containing moisture (water molecules) in the lamp chamber S1 shown in FIG. 1 flows from the first ventilation port 16 formed at the front end of both the control board 12 and the board support section 13a of the housing 13 to the inside of the board support section 13a. Or through the second vent 17 formed near the rear end of the control board 12 and the rear end of the substrate support 13a, or through one of the plurality of vents 13d. It is guided from the part 10d to the inside of the hole 10b of the dehumidifying element 10, and contacts the anode (porous electrode 15a).

  When current is applied to the porous electrodes (15a, 15b), water molecules are electrolyzed to hydrogen and oxygen by the anode (porous electrode 15a). The decomposed oxygen is released again into the lamp chamber S1, and the hydrogen ions pass through the polymer electrolyte membrane 15c and come into contact with the cathode (porous electrode 15b). Hydrogen ions in contact with the energized cathode (porous electrode 15b) chemically react with oxygen in the outside air that has entered the hole 10b from the rear end opening 10e to become water molecules again. It is released outside the chamber S1. As a result, water molecules in the lamp room S1 decrease, and the inside of the lamp room S1 is dehumidified.

  Note that the dehumidifying element of the present embodiment is an example of a dehumidifying device, and the dehumidifying device may have any configuration as long as it dehumidifies moisture in the lamp chamber S1 and discharges the moisture to the outside of the lamp chamber S1. Not limited. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a fan 23 directed to the dehumidifying element 10 may be provided inside the lamp chamber S1 to guide the air in the lamp chamber S1 to the dehumidifying element 10. Note that the fan 23 need not be directly directed to the dehumidifying element 10 as long as it can guide air to the dehumidifying element by creating convection in the lamp room S1. The fan 23 is electrically connected to the control board 12 by a conductive cable (not shown), and is rotated by being supplied with electricity from the solar cell panel 11 and the capacitor 25.

  Next, the optical member 7 will be described with reference to FIG. The extension reflector 8 is disposed in the lamp room S1 and shields the dehumidifying unit 6 and other internal structures from being seen from the outside. The optical member 7 of the first embodiment is constituted by first and second reflecting mirrors (7a, 7b). The first reflecting mirror 7a is fixed to the lamp body 2, the extension reflector 8, or the like, and the second reflecting mirror 7b is fixed to the top surface 2f of the lamp body 2 behind the first reflecting mirror 7a. The first reflecting surface 7c of the first reflecting mirror 7a is formed toward the light transmitting cover 3. The second reflecting surface 7d of the second reflecting mirror 7b is formed toward both the first reflecting surface 7c of the first reflecting mirror 7a and the solar cell panel 11. Light B2 such as sunlight passing through the translucent cover 3 from the outside of the vehicular lamp 1 and entering the lamp room S1 is reflected by the second reflecting mirror 7b and the first reflecting surface 7c of the first reflecting mirror 7a. By being reflected by the reflection surface 7d a plurality of times and entering the solar cell panel 11, electric power supplied to the dehumidifying unit 6 is generated. Note that the optical member may be constituted by one reflecting mirror having a shape capable of directly reflecting the light incident into the lamp room S1 to the solar cell panel 11.

  Next, the control circuit 18 formed on the control board 12 of the dehumidifying unit 6 will be described with reference to FIG. The control circuit 18 includes a capacitor 25 that is a power storage unit, an ECU (electronic control device) 19 that is a power supply control unit, a power detection unit 20, a ROM 21, a RAM 22, and the like. The dehumidifying element 10 is supplied with power from at least one of the connected solar cell panel 11 and capacitor 25 independently of a vehicle-mounted power supply (not shown). The power supply to the dehumidifying element 10 is controlled by connecting the solar cell panel 11 and the capacitor 25 to the ECU 19.

  The capacitor 25 is charged by the electromotive force of the solar cell panel 11 by being connected to the solar cell panel 11. The ECU 19 performs power supply from the solar cell panel 11 or the capacitor 25 to the dehumidifying element 10, control for charging the solar cell panel 11 to the capacitor 25, and the like.

  The power detection unit 20 is connected to the solar cell panel 11, the capacitor 25, and the ECU 19, detects the power generated by the solar cell panel 11 and the capacitor 25, and notifies the ECU 19 of the generated power. A control program for controlling power supply from the solar cell panel 11 and the capacitor 25 to the dehumidifying element 10 based on the electromotive force of the solar cell panel 11 is stored in the ROM 21, and the ECU 19 stores the control program recorded in the ROM 21 in the RAM 22. By executing, power supply control to the dehumidifying element 10 is performed.

  The ECU 19 controls the dehumidifying element 10 as described below, for example. First, when the amount of power from the solar cell panel 11 detected by the power detection unit 20 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the ECU 19 causes the solar cell panel 11 to supply power to the dehumidifying element 10. The dehumidifying element 10 operates even when power is not supplied from an in-vehicle power supply (not shown) by being supplied with power from a solar cell panel 11 independent of the in-vehicle power supply, and dehumidifies the interior of the lamp room S1.

  When surplus power is generated due to the amount of power generated by the solar cell panel 11 exceeding the amount of power required for the operation of the dehumidifying element 10, the ECU 19 simultaneously supplies power from the solar cell panel 11 to the dehumidifying element 10. The capacitor 25 is charged by the surplus power of the solar cell panel 11. In the charging control of the capacitor 25 by the ECU 19, when the charging of the capacitor 25 is completed and the amount of power by the capacitor 25 detected by the power detection unit 20 becomes equal to or more than a predetermined value, the charge from the solar cell panel 11 to the capacitor 25 It is desirable to terminate the charging of the battery. In this case, a reduction in the life of the capacitor 25 due to overcharging is prevented.

  On the other hand, when the amount of power from the solar cell panel 11 detected by the power detection unit 20 is less than the predetermined value, the ECU 19 supplies power from the solar cell panel 11 to the dehumidifying element 10 and Power supply. As a result, even if the amount of power generated by the solar cell panel 11 is lower than the amount of power required to operate the dehumidifying element, or the amount of power by the solar cell panel 11 is 0, the dehumidifying element 10 It operates by the electric power of the charged capacitor 25 to dehumidify the inside of the lamp room S1. Further, the ECU 19 stops the power supply from the capacitor 25 to the dehumidifying element 10 after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the power supply from the capacitor 25 to the dehumidifying element 10. The capacitor 25 supplies power to the dehumidifying element only when the amount of power supplied from the solar cell panel 11 to the dehumidifying element 10 is insufficient, and stops supplying power after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of power supply. Power consumption is prevented, and the life is prevented from being shortened.

  The dehumidifying element 10 is supplied with power from a solar cell panel 11 and a capacitor 25 independent of a vehicle-mounted power supply (not shown), and performs dehumidification in the lamp room S1 regardless of whether a start switch of an engine or a motor is turned on or off. Therefore, the fogging that occurs inside the translucent cover 3 is prevented when the LED light source unit 4 starts lighting. Although the power of the vehicle-mounted power supply is consumed, the dehumidifying element 10 and the capacitor 25 may be supplied with power from a vehicle-mounted power supply (not shown) whose charging is controlled by the ECU 19.

  In the control of the dehumidifying element 10 by the ECU 19, the LED light source unit 4 may be connected to the control device 18 to perform control based on turning on or off the LED light emitting element 4b of the LED light source unit 4. After the LED light-emitting element 4b is turned on, the light-transmitting cover-3 is maintained in a cloud-free state due to a temperature rise in the lamp room S1 due to the lighting of the LED light-emitting element 4b. Therefore, when the LED light emitting element 4b is turned on, the power supply from the solar cell panel 11 and the capacitor 25 to the dehumidifying element 10 is stopped, and the ECU performs control to charge the solar cell panel 11 and the capacitor 25. desirable. In this case, the life of the dehumidifying element 10 is prevented from being shortened, and unnecessary discharge by the capacitor 25 is prevented. Further, when the power supply to the dehumidifying element 10 is stopped, when the LED light emitting element 4b is turned off, the ECU performs control to restart the power supply to the dehumidifying element 10 from at least one of the solar cell panel 11 and the capacitor 25 again. It is desirable. In this case, even if the temperature in the lamp room S1 decreases due to the turning off of the LED light emitting element 4b, the translucent cover 3 is maintained in a cloudless state by restarting the operation of the dehumidifying element 10.

  Since the solar cell panel 11 and the capacitor 25 are independent power sources of an unillustrated vehicle-mounted power source for turning on the LED light source unit 4, the dehumidifying element 10 can operate even when the start switch of the engine or the motor is turned off. It operates without consuming the power of an unillustrated in-vehicle power supply, that is, without causing the in-vehicle power supply to rise, and exhibits a sufficient dehumidifying effect at the start of lighting of the light source. Although the power of the vehicle-mounted power supply is consumed, the dehumidifying element 10 and the capacitor 25 may be supplied with power from a vehicle-mounted power supply (not shown) whose charging is controlled by the ECU 19.

  Next, a second embodiment of the vehicular lamp including the dehumidifying unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A and 6. The vehicular lamp 30 of the second embodiment has the same configuration as the vehicular lamp 1 except that the configuration of the optical member is different from the optical member 7 of the vehicular lamp 1 of the first embodiment. The optical member of the second embodiment is formed by a light guide 31 instead of the first and second reflecting mirrors (7a, 7b) of the first embodiment. FIG. 5A is a front view of a vehicle lamp 30 that is a left headlight according to the second embodiment. The light guide 31 has a first light guide 31a extending left and right along the width direction of the front cover in the vicinity of the light transmitting cover 3 shown in FIG. 5A, and a gentle curve from a left end 31f of the first light guide 31a. The second light guide portion 31b of FIG. 6 extends rearward, and the third light guide portion 31c gently curves and extends downward from the rear end of the second light guide portion. The entire area of the first light guide section 31a and the vicinity of the front end of the second light guide section 31b are formed so as to face the translucent cover 3 to form a light entrance section 31d, and the third light guide section 31c. Is formed as a light emitting portion 31e which is formed so as to expand toward the bottom and faces the lower solar cell panel 11. Light B3 such as sunlight that has passed through the light transmitting cover 3 and entered from the light incident portion 31d is repeatedly internally reflected from the first light guide portion to the inside of the third light guide portions (31a to 31c). The internally reflected light B3 travels to the left (direction d1) in the first light guide 31a, travels backward (direction d2) in the second light guide 31b, and travels in the third light guide 31c. By moving downward, the light emitting unit 31e irradiates the solar cell panel 11 to operate the dehumidifying element 10 of the dehumidifying unit 6. The light guide 31 may be formed so as to have only the second and third light guides (31b, 31c) without the first light guide 31a in the present embodiment.

  Next, a third embodiment of a vehicle lamp including a dehumidifying unit will be described with reference to FIG. The vehicle lamp 40 of the third embodiment differs from the lamp body 2, the optical member 7 and the extension reflector 8 of the vehicle lamp 1 in the configuration of the lamp body, the optical member, and the extension reflector, and has the same configuration as the vehicle lamp 1. Having.

  The lamp body 41 of the third embodiment has a mounting hole 41b having the same shape as the mounting hole 2b of the lamp body 2 of the first embodiment on the top surface 41a of the lamp body 41. The shape of the lamp body 41 is the same as that of the lamp body 2 except that the mounting hole 41b is provided not on the back surface 41c of the lamp body 41 but on the top surface 41a. The dehumidifying unit 6 inserts the mounting portion 13b into the mounting hole 41b from the outside of the lamp body 41 with the substrate supporting portion 13a of the housing 13 facing downward, and rotates the mounting portion 13b around the central axis to thereby provide a solar cell. It is mounted on the top surface 41a of the lamp body 41 with the panel 11 facing forward. The dehumidifying unit 6 is detached from the lamp body 41 by rotating the mounting portion 13b in the reverse direction.

  Further, the optical member of the third embodiment is formed as a reflection portion 42b provided in a part of the extension reflector 42. The extension reflector 42 shields the internal structure of the vehicular lamp 40 from the front of the light transmitting cover 3. It is formed by a shielding part 42a and a reflecting part 42b extending obliquely rearward from an upper end part 42c of the shielding part 42a. A reflection surface 42d is formed on the upper surface of the reflection portion 42b by performing a silver vapor deposition process or the like, and the reflection surface 42d is disposed so as to face both the light transmitting cover 3 and the solar cell panel 11. Light B4 such as sunlight that has entered the lamp chamber S1 from outside the translucent cover 3 is reflected by the reflection surface 42d of the extension reflector 42 onto the solar cell panel 11, and the light incident on the solar cell panel 11 is dehumidified by the dehumidifying unit. 6 is operated.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of a vehicular lamp including a dehumidifying unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 (a) and 8 (b). The vehicle lamp 50 of the fourth embodiment is different from the dehumidification unit 6 and the extension reflector 8 of the first embodiment in the configuration of the dehumidification unit and the extension reflector. The vehicle lamp 50 of FIG. 8A is different from the vehicle lamp 1 of the first embodiment in that the vehicle lamp 50 of FIG. 8A does not have the optical member 7, and is an extension that is a modified example of the extension reflector 53 of FIG. The reflector 56 differs from the vehicle lamp 1 of the first embodiment in having a function as an optical member. Except for the above configuration, the vehicle lamp 50 of the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as the vehicle lamp 1 of the first embodiment.

  The solar cell panel 52 of the dehumidifying unit 51 of the fourth embodiment is different from the solar cell panel 11 of the dehumidifying unit 6 of the first embodiment in that it is not mounted on the control board 12. The solar cell panel 52 is fixed to a rear surface 53a of the extension reflector 53. In addition, the solar cell panel 52 is electrically connected to a conductive path (not shown) of the control board 12 via a metal conductive line 54 wired along the inner peripheral surface of the lamp body 2 and the like. Then, the electric power obtained by the solar cell panel 52 is conducted to the control board 12. In addition, the extension reflector 53 is provided with an opening 53b that penetrates forward and backward, and the solar cell panel 52 is exposed in front of the extension reflector 53 through the opening 53b. Light B5 such as sunlight, which has entered the lamp chamber S1 from outside the translucent cover 3, passes through the opening 53b, enters the solar cell panel 11, and operates the dehumidifying element 10 of the dehumidifying unit 51.

  FIG. 8B shows an improved example of the extension reflector 53. FIG. 8 (b) The extension reflector of the fourth embodiment does not have the opening 53b unlike the extension reflector 53, and is formed as a half mirror by performing a half deposition process of silver or the like on the front surface 56b of a transparent resin or glass. The extension reflector 56 may be used. In this case, the light B5 such as the sun passes through the extension reflector 56, which is a half mirror, and enters the solar cell panel 52 fixed to the rear surface 56a of the extension reflector 56. Further, instead of being formed as a half mirror, the extension reflector 56 may be formed of a multilayer film that transmits only light of a specific wavelength with high power generation efficiency.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of a vehicle lamp including a dehumidifying unit will be described with reference to FIG. The vehicular lamp 60 of the fifth embodiment has a different configuration from the dehumidifier unit 6 of the vehicular lamp 1 in that the configuration of the dehumidification unit 61 is different from that of the vehicular lamp 1 in having no optical member. It has the same configuration as the vehicle lamp 1 of the first embodiment.

  The solar cell panel 62 of the dehumidifying unit 61 of the fifth embodiment is different from the solar cell panel 11 of the dehumidifying unit 6 of the first embodiment in that the solar cell panel 62 is not mounted on the control board 12. The solar cell panel 62 is formed of a film-shaped material such as a flexible resin, and is fixed to an upper portion, a lower portion, or the like of the light transmitting cover 3. The solar cell panel 62 is formed so as to be flexible and can be fixed to either the inside or the outside of the light transmitting cover 3 along the curved surface portion of the light transmitting cover 3. The solar cell panel 62 is wired along the inner peripheral surface of the lamp body 2 or the like, and is electrically connected to a conductive path (not shown) of the control board 12 via a metal conductive line 63 continuous inside the lamp chamber S1. Is done. Light B <b> 6 such as sunlight is incident on the solar cell panel 62 fixed to the translucent cover 3, supplies power to the control board 12 via the conductive wire 63, and operates the dehumidifying element 10 of the dehumidifying unit 61. .

  The solar panel 11 according to the first to third embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 7 has a rear surface 2a of the lamp body 2 and a top surface 41a of the lamp body 41 which are hardly irradiated with sunlight or the like. , The solar cell panel 11 is sufficiently irradiated with light such as sunlight by the optical member 7, the light guide 31, and the reflecting portion 42 b of the extension reflector 42. As a result, in the vehicle lamps (1, 30, 40) of the first to third embodiments, the top surface and the rear surface inside the lamp body where the solar battery panel 11 is hardly directly irradiated with light such as sunlight. The dehumidifying unit 6 can be mounted by freely providing a hole corresponding to the mounting hole 2b at any position of the bottom surface, the left and right side surfaces, so that the dehumidifying unit 6 can be easily replaced from outside the lamp body (2, 41). Can be fixed to

  Next, a sixth embodiment of the dehumidifying unit 70 (vehicle lamp itself is omitted) will be described with reference to FIGS. A dehumidifying unit 70 shown in FIG. 12 is a dehumidifying unit used for an electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle, and the like, and includes a dehumidifying mechanism 71 shown in FIGS. 10 to 12 and a control circuit 89 shown in FIG. The dehumidifying mechanism 71 includes a first housing 72, a rubber packing 73, a dehumidifying unit 74, a second housing 78, and a sealing material 79.

  The first housing 72 shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 11 is made of resin, and is integrally formed in order from the rear, a cylindrical portion 72a, a flange portion 72b having a larger outer diameter than the cylindrical portion 72a, and a lamp body (not shown). )). As shown in FIGS. 10 (a), (b) and FIG. 11, the mounting portion 72c has a cylindrical shape, and two opposing claw portions (72e, 72f) are provided on the front end outer peripheral portion 72d of the mounting portion 72c. Two opposing claws (72g, 72h) having a stopper 72i are provided. Also, as shown in FIG. 10C, a partition portion 72j that partitions the cylindrical portion 72a and the mounting portion 72c is provided inside the flange portion 72b. As shown in FIG. 10C, a circular hole 72L having an inner diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 72k of the cylindrical portion 72a is provided at the center of the partition portion 72j. As shown in FIG. 10C, cylindrical positioning pins (80a to 80c) are provided on the front surface of the partition 72j at three equally spaced locations in the circumferential direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, an annular rubber packing 73 is attached to the outer periphery of the rear end of the attachment portion 72c. A lamp body (not shown) is provided with a mounting hole for engaging the mounting portion 72c on the back surface or the like as shown in FIG. 4, and an insertion groove for the claw portions (72e to 72h) on the outer periphery of the mounting hole. The dehumidifying mechanism 71 inserts the mounting portion 72c into the mounting hole from the outside of the lamp body (not shown) toward the inside, and makes the rubber packing 73 contact the lamp body (not shown) while holding the claw portions (72e to 72e). 73h) is inserted to the front of the insertion groove, and the first housing 72 is rotated about the central axis L1 to be attached to and detached from the lamp body (not shown) in the same manner as the housing 13 of the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the dehumidifying section 74 is formed by the first electrode 75, the second electrode 76, and the electrolyte membrane 77. The first electrode and the second electrode (75, 76) respectively protrude forward from the outer periphery of the electrode body (75a, 76a) and an electrode body (75a, 76a) formed of a porous metal in an annular shape. It is formed by the provided bar-shaped metal terminals (75b, 76b). The metal electrode bodies (75a, 76a) are not limited to those formed porous. Recesses (75c to 75e, 76c to 76e) are provided on the outer periphery of the electrode bodies (75a, 76a) at positions corresponding to the cylindrical positioning pins (80a to 80c) of the first housing 72, respectively. The electrolyte membrane 77 is formed as a polymer disc-shaped membrane that allows only hydrogen ions to pass through and does not short-circuit the first electrode and the second electrode (75, 76) disposed on the front and back surfaces.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the second housing 78 is formed of a resin, and includes an annular main body 78a and a hollow box-shaped connector housing 78b protruding from the front surface of the main body 78a. . The main body part 78a is provided with circular insertion holes (78c to 78e) for inserting the cylindrical positioning pins (80a to 80c) of the first housing 72, respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 10C and 11, the first electrode and the second electrode (75, 76) each have a pair of electrode bodies (75 a, 76 a) sandwiching the electrolyte membrane 77 in the front-rear direction. The recesses (75c to 75e, 76c to 76e) are engaged with the positioning pins (80a to 80c) of the first housing 72. At that time, the terminals (75b, 76b) of the first electrode and the second electrode (75, 76) are arranged in parallel on the left and right. The second housing 78 inserts the positioning pins (80a to 80c) of the first housing 72 into the insertion openings (78c to 78e) of the main body 78a, and further inserts the first and second electrodes (75, 76) into the connector housing 78b. ) Terminals (75b, 76b) are inserted. In this state, the first electrodes 75, the electrolyte membrane 77, the second electrodes 76, and the second housing 78 are fixed to the first housing 72 by heat caulking the positioning pins (80a to 80c).

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the connector housing 78b and the terminals (75b, 76b) form a power supply connector 81 to the first electrode and the second electrode (75, 76). As shown in FIG. 11, the electrolyte membrane 77 is exposed forward from the central circular hole 75f of the first electrode 75 and the central circular hole 78f of the second housing 78, and further exposed rearward from the central circular hole 76f of the second electrode 76. I do. The sealing material 79 is a disk-shaped resin material having waterproofness and moisture permeability. As shown in FIG. 10C and FIG. 11, the circular hole 72L provided at the center of the partition portion 72j of the first housing 72 is provided with a sealing material 79 provided on the peripheral edge of the rear end opening of the circular hole 72L by a double-sided tape ゜ or the like. Is sealed by sticking. A power supply cable (not shown) capable of supplying power from an external power supply 100 or a solar cell (not shown) is connected to the power supply connector 81, the first electrode 75 is configured as an anode, and the second electrode 76 is configured as an anode. , Configured as a cathode.

  Next, the principle of dehumidification by the dehumidification mechanism 71 will be described. Air containing moisture (water molecules) in the lamp chamber of the vehicle lamp (not shown) passes through the central circular hole 78f of the second housing 78 from the front and contacts the first electrode 75 serving as an anode. When the first electrode 75 and the second electrode 76 are each energized, water molecules are electrolyzed by the first electrode 75 into hydrogen ions and oxygen. The decomposed oxygen passes through the central circular hole 78f again and is released into a lamp chamber (not shown), and the hydrogen ions pass through the electrolyte membrane 77 and contact the second electrode 76 as a cathode. The hydrogen ions that have come into contact with the second electrode 76 chemically react with oxygen in the outside air that has passed through the sealing material 79 to become water molecules, pass through the sealing material 79 again, and go out of a lamp chamber (not shown). Released. As a result, water molecules in the lamp room of the vehicle lamp (not shown) are reduced, and the lamp room is dehumidified.

  Next, a dehumidifying unit 70 including a dehumidifying mechanism 71 and a control circuit 89 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 shows a control system 90 for a vehicle headlamp (vehicle lamp) including the dehumidifying unit 70 of the sixth embodiment. The vehicle headlight control system 90 includes a vehicle ECU 91 for electrically controlling the entire vehicle, an AC / DC converter 92, a driving battery 93 serving as a driving storage battery for driving a driving motor of the vehicle, a meter panel, The vehicle has an auxiliary battery 94, a left headlight 95, and a right headlight 96 used for lighting a vehicle headlight. The left and right headlights (95, 96) are headlights using an LED light source or the like (not shown) as a light emitting source, and include an LDM (LED Driver Module) 97 for controlling turning on and off of the light source, and FIGS. Dehumidifying mechanism 71.

  The control circuit 89 of the dehumidifying unit 70 is formed in the vehicle ECU 91 as shown in FIG. 12A, or is formed in each LDM 97 as shown in FIG. 12B.

  The vehicle headlight control system 90 is detachably connected to an AC external power supply 100 for charging the drive battery 93 by a cable (not shown) or the like. The driving battery 93 is charged by being supplied with the power of the external power supply 100 which is converted to a direct current by the AC / DC converter 92. The auxiliary battery 94 is charged by receiving power supply from the driving battery 93. The control circuit 89 illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B includes an energization detection unit 98 and a power supply control unit 99. The energization detection unit 98 detects the start and end of energization from the external power supply 100 to the drive battery 93, and the power supply control unit 99 controls the power supply from the drive battery 93 to the auxiliary battery 94 and controls the power supply from the auxiliary battery 94. The energization control of the left and right headlights (95, 96) to the respective dehumidifying mechanisms 71 is performed.

  The power supply control to the dehumidifying mechanism 71 by the control circuit 89 shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B is performed as follows. First, when a vehicle (not shown) is connected to the external power supply 100 and the energization detection unit 98 detects the start of power supply (start of charging) from the external power supply 100 to the driving battery 93, the power supply control unit 99 Then, a part of the power of the external power supply 100 that is supplying power to the driving battery 93 is supplied to the auxiliary battery 94. Further, the power supply control unit 99 supplies the power supplied from the external power supply 100 to the auxiliary battery 94 to the dehumidifying mechanisms 71 of the left and right headlights (95, 96) via the vehicle ECU 91 and the LDM 97. The dehumidifying mechanism 71 dehumidifies the left and right headlights (95, 96).

  When the power supply detection unit 98 detects the end of power supply from the external power supply 100 to the drive battery 93 due to, for example, removal of the external power supply 100 from the vehicle (not shown), the power supply control unit 99 The power supply from the auxiliary battery 93 to the auxiliary battery 94 is stopped, the power supply from the auxiliary battery 94 to the dehumidifying mechanism 71 via the vehicle ECU 91 and the LDM 97 is stopped, and the dehumidifying in the lamp room by the dehumidifying mechanism 71 is terminated. According to the dehumidifying unit 70 of the sixth embodiment, since the dehumidifying unit functions by a large current, the dehumidifying efficiency is improved, and the dehumidifying time is shortened.

  Note that the power supply control unit 99 supplies power to the drive battery 93 from the external power supply 100 under the timer control of the vehicle ECU 91 and the LDM 97 even before the end of power supply to the drive battery 93 from the external power supply 100 is detected. The power supply to the dehumidifying mechanism 71 may be stopped after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start (for example, after a lapse of 2 hours from the start of energization). In this case, according to the dehumidifying unit 70, even if the charging of the storage battery is not completed, if the dehumidification in the lamp room is sufficiently performed, the dehumidification is stopped, so that useless use of the dehumidifying mechanism 71 is prevented. This prevents the performance of the dehumidifying mechanism 71 from deteriorating.

Reference Signs List 1 vehicle lamp 2 lamp body 2a rear surface of lamp body 2f top surface of lamp body 2g bottom surface of lamp body 3 translucent cover 4 LED light source unit as light source 6 dehumidifying unit 7 optical member 10 dehumidifying element 11 solar cell as solar cell Panel 18 Control circuit 19 ECU as power supply control unit
Reference Signs List 20 power detection unit 25 capacitor as power storage unit 30 vehicular lamp 31 light guide as optical member 40 vehicular lamp 41 lamp body 41a top surface of lamp body 42b reflection unit of extension reflector as optical member 50 vehicular lamp REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 51 dehumidifying unit 52 solar cell panel 56 extension reflector as optical member 60 vehicle lamp 61 dehumidifying unit 62 solar cell panel 70 dehumidifying unit 71 dehumidifying mechanism 89 control circuit 93 driving battery (storage battery for vehicle traveling)
98 Power supply detection unit 99 Power supply control unit 100 External power supply S1 Light room

Claims (3)

A light source disposed in a lamp chamber formed inside the light-transmitting cover and the lamp body;
A dehumidifying unit disposed in the lamp chamber, a solar cell that supplies power to the dehumidifying element, and a control circuit that controls power supply from the solar cell to the dehumidifying element, a dehumidifying unit ,
An optical member arranged to be able to irradiate the received sunlight to the solar cell,
With
The control circuit is configured to store power generated by the solar cell and store the power to supply power to the dehumidifying element; a power detection unit configured to detect power generated by the solar cell; and a power detected by the power detection unit. A power supply control unit, which supplies power to the dehumidifying element from the power storage unit when the value is less than a predetermined value and stops supplying power to the dehumidifying element from the power storage unit after a predetermined time,
A vehicle lamp, wherein the optical member is a reflector or a reflector for reflecting the received sunlight to the solar cell. A light source disposed in a lamp chamber formed inside the light-transmitting cover and the lamp body;
A dehumidifying element disposed in the lamp chamber, a solar cell for supplying power to the dehumidifying element, and a control circuit for controlling power supply from the solar cell to the dehumidifying element, a dehumidifying unit,
An optical member arranged to be able to irradiate the received sunlight to the solar cell,
With
The control circuit is configured to store power generated by the solar cell and store the power to supply power to the dehumidifying element; a power detection unit configured to detect power generated by the solar cell; and a power detected by the power detection unit. A power supply control unit, which supplies power to the dehumidifying element from the power storage unit when the value is less than a predetermined value, and stops power supply to the dehumidifying element from the power storage unit after a predetermined time.
A vehicular lamp, wherein the optical member is a light guide that internally reflects received sunlight and guides the sunlight to the solar cell. The moisture-proof unit, back inside the lamp body, top, characterized in that secured to either the bottom surface or side, the vehicular lamp according to claim 1 or 2.

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