JP7406326B2 - Vehicle lights - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp, and particularly to a vehicular lamp that can suppress the formation of a step between an outer lens and a housing.

Conventionally, vehicle lamps are known in which an extension and an inner lens are accommodated in a lamp chamber formed by inserting an open end of an outer lens into a seal groove provided in a housing (for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 1) (See Reference 2).

French Patent Application No. 2544839 International Publication No. 2014/157354

However, in the vehicle lamps described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, when the light chamber is formed by inserting the open end of the outer lens into the seal groove provided in the housing, there is a step between the outer lens and the housing. There is a problem with the formation of

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can suppress the formation of a stepped portion between the outer lens and the housing (that is, by flattening the connecting portion between the outer lens and the housing). The purpose of this project is to provide vehicle lighting equipment (capable of).

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides a first closed end, a first open end on the opposite side, and a gap between the first closed end and the first open end. an outer lens including an inner member housing part, a second closed end part, and a second open end part on the opposite side thereof; an internal member forming a sealing groove between the housing and an inner surface of the opening end; and an adhesive applied to the sealing groove; The vehicle lamp is characterized by being provided with a protrusion inserted into a groove.

According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp that can suppress the formation of a stepped portion between the outer lens and the housing. In other words, the connecting portion between the outer lens and the housing can be made flat.

Further, in a preferable aspect of the above invention, the protruding portion is provided on the inner circumferential portion of the open end surface of the housing, the first step portion is provided on the outer circumferential portion of the open end surface of the housing, and The opening end surface of the outer lens and the first stepped portion of the housing face each other in a state in which the protruding portion is inserted into the sealing groove coated with an adhesive.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the internal member is welded to the outer lens with the seal groove formed therein.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the above invention, a second stepped portion is provided on the inner surface of the first opening end of the outer lens, and a portion of the internal member has the seal groove formed therein. It is characterized in that it is welded to the second stepped portion.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the above invention, the positioning rib provided on the opening end surface of the outer lens contacts the first stepped portion of the housing, so that the adhesive is disposed between the protruding portion and the seal groove. It is characterized by a space filled with

Further, a preferable aspect of the invention is characterized in that the apparatus further includes a screw that screws together the internal member and the housing in a state in which the protrusion is inserted into the seal groove coated with the adhesive.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the screw is inserted into a through hole formed in the second closed end of the housing, and is further screwed into the internal member.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the length of the outer lens in the optical axis direction is longer than the length of the housing in the optical axis direction.

Another aspect of the present invention provides an outer lens including a first closed end and a first open end opposite to the first closed end, a second closed end and a second opening opposite to the first closed end. a housing including an end portion and an internal member accommodating portion between the second closed end portion and the second open end portion; an inner member forming a seal groove between the outer lens and the inner surface; and an adhesive applied to the seal groove; The present invention is characterized in that the vehicle lamp is provided with a protruding portion having a shape.

According to this aspect, it is possible to provide a vehicle lamp that can suppress the formation of a stepped portion between the outer lens and the housing. In other words, the connecting portion between the outer lens and the housing can be made flat.

Further, in a preferred aspect of the above invention, the protruding portion is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the opening end surface of the outer lens, and the third step portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the opening end surface of the outer lens. , the opening end surface of the housing and the third stepped portion of the outer lens face each other in a state in which the protruding portion is inserted into the sealing groove coated with the adhesive.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the internal member is welded to the housing with the seal groove formed therein.

Further, in a preferred aspect of the invention, the inner surface of the second open end of the housing includes a fourth step, and the fourth step and a part of the internal member are formed with the seal groove. They are characterized in that they are welded together in a state where they are held together.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the above invention, the positioning rib provided on the opening end surface of the housing abuts the third stepped portion of the outer lens, so that the adhesive is disposed between the protruding portion and the seal groove. It is characterized by a space filled with

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the outer surface of the first open end of the outer lens and the outer surface of the second open end of the housing are flush with each other.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the internal member is at least one of an extension, an inner lens, a light guide rod, and a reflector.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the internal member includes a first member and a second member.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the above invention, the first member is provided with at least one convex portion, the second member is provided with at least one through hole, and the convex portion is provided in the through hole. It is characterized in that it is inserted and exposed from the through hole to form a part of the seal groove.

Further, in a preferred embodiment of the above invention, the first member is an extension, and the second member is an inner lens.

Further, in a preferable aspect of the above invention, a positioning rib provided on the protrusion inserted into the seal groove coated with the adhesive comes into contact with the seal groove, so that the protrusion and the seal groove are connected to each other. A space filled with the adhesive is formed in between.

1 is a front view of a vehicle lamp 10. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outer lens 20 seen from the back side. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an internal member 70. FIG. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the internal member 70. FIG. (a) A CC sectional view of the extension 40 shown in FIG. 6, and (b) a DD sectional view of the inner lens 50 shown in FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line EE in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of one convex portion 43 in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a front view of an inner lens 50. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the outer lens 20 in which the internal member 70 is housed. 3 is a perspective view of the housing 30. FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. 12. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of the upper protrusion 34 in FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing an example of a method for manufacturing a vehicle lamp 10. FIG. This is a modification of the vehicle lamp 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Corresponding components in each figure are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the vehicle lamp 10, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

The vehicle lamp 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a vehicle lamp that functions as a position lamp and a turn lamp, for example, and is mounted on both left and right sides of the front end of a vehicle (not shown) such as an automobile. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, XYZ axes will be defined. The X-axis extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the Y-axis extends in the vehicle width direction, and the Z-axis extends in the vertical direction.

First, an overview of the main optical members constituting the vehicle lamp 10 will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle lamp 10 of this embodiment includes an outer lens 20 and a housing 30. The outer lens 20 and the housing 30 are combined as described below to constitute a lamp chamber S1. Inside the lamp chamber S1, there are an inner lens 50 to which an extension 40 is attached, an upper light guide rod 60A, a lower light guide rod 60B, a reflector 61, a first light source 62A, a second light source 62B, a third light source 63A, and a fourth light source. 63B is placed.

The first light source 62A and the second light source 62B are, for example, semiconductor light emitting elements such as LEDs that emit white light. The third light source 63A and the fourth light source 63B are, for example, semiconductor light emitting elements such as LEDs that emit amber light.

The first light source 62A is arranged to face one end surface of the upper light guide rod 60A. The same applies to the third light source 63A.

The upper light guide rod 60A is a long rod-shaped light guide rod extending in the Y-axis direction (direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 2). The outer circumferential surface (side surface) of the upper light guide rod 60A includes an output surface 60A1 disposed on the front side (vehicle front side) and a reflection surface 60A2 disposed on the opposite rear side (vehicle rear side). The cross section of the upper light guide rod 60A taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has a generally round bar shape. The reflective surface 60A2 includes a plurality of structures for diffusing the light from the first light source 62A (or the light from the third light source 63A) guided within the upper light guide rod 60A and emitting it from the output surface 60A1. include. The structure is, for example, a lens cut such as a V-groove.

The second light source 62B is arranged to face one end surface of the lower light guide rod 60B. The same applies to the fourth light source 63B.

The lower light guide rod 60B is a long rod-shaped light guide rod extending in the Y-axis direction (direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in FIG. 2). The outer peripheral surface (side surface) of the lower light guide rod 60B includes an output surface 60B1 disposed on the front side (vehicle front side) and a reflection surface 60B2 disposed on the opposite rear side (vehicle rear side). A cross section of the lower light guide rod 60B taken along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction has a generally round bar shape. The reflective surface 60B2 includes a plurality of structures for diffusing the light from the second light source 62B (or the light from the fourth light source 63B) guided within the lower light guide rod 60B and emitting it from the output surface 60B1. include. The structure is, for example, a lens cut such as a V-groove.

The inner lens 50 includes an upper lens part 50A disposed in front of the upper light guide bar 60A and a lower lens part 50B disposed in front of the lower light guide bar 60B.

The upper lens portion 50A is a wedge-shaped lens portion that has a thick thickness in the X-axis direction and becomes thinner in the Z-axis direction toward the exit surface 50A2 (distal end surface). The upper lens portion 50A includes a light entrance surface 50A1 facing the exit surface 60A1 of the upper light guide rod 60A, and an exit surface 50A2 on the opposite side thereof.

Similarly, the lower lens portion 50B is a wedge-shaped lens portion that is thinner in the X-axis direction and becomes thinner in the Z-axis direction toward the exit surface 50B2 (distal end surface). The lower lens portion 50B includes a light entrance surface 50B1 facing the exit surface 60B1 of the lower light guide rod 60B, and an exit surface 50B2 on the opposite side thereof.

The reflector 61 is arranged behind the upper light guide rod 60A and the lower light guide rod 60B. The reflector 61 is made of, for example, white resin, and is arranged such that the reflective surface 60A2 of the upper light guide rod 60A and the reflective surface 60B2 of the lower light guide rod 60B are opposed to each other.

The position lamp is realized by lighting the first light source 62A and the second light source 62B.

The light from the first light source 62A enters the upper light guide rod 60A from one end surface of the upper light guide rod 60A, is guided inside the upper light guide rod 60A toward the other end surface, and is guided through the reflective surface 60A2 (lens cut ) and is then diffusely reflected and emitted from the output surface 60A1. At this time, the light leaking from the reflective surface 60A2 is reflected by the reflector 61 and returned into the upper light guide rod 60A.

The light emitted from the output surface 60A1 of the upper light guide rod 60A enters the upper lens section 50A from the light entrance surface 50A1 of the upper lens section 50A, and is guided inside the upper lens section 50A toward the output surface 50A2. The light is emitted from the emission surface 50A2 of the upper lens portion 50A. At this time, part of the light is emitted from the upper surface 50A3 of the upper lens portion 50A, so that the upper surface 50A3 emits light.

On the other hand, the light from the second light source 62B enters the lower light guide rod 60B from one end surface of the lower light guide rod 60B, is guided inside the lower light guide rod 60B toward the other end surface, and is guided from the reflective surface 60B2 ( It is diffusely reflected by the lens cut) and exits from the exit surface 60B1. At this time, the light leaking from the reflective surface 60B2 is reflected by the reflector 61 and returned into the lower light guide rod 60B.

Then, the light emitted from the output surface 60B1 of the lower light guide rod 60B enters the lower lens section 50B from the light entrance surface 50B1 of the lower lens section 50B, and is guided inside the lower lens section 50B toward the output surface 50B2. The light is emitted from the emission surface 50B2 of the lower lens portion 50B.

As described above, a position lamp is realized by the light from the first light source 62A that is emitted from the emission surface 50A2 of the upper lens portion 50A and the light from the second light source 62B that is emitted from the emission surface 50B2 of the lower lens portion 50B. .

On the other hand, the turn lamp is realized by lighting the third light source 63A and the fourth light source 63B.

The light from the third light source 63A enters the upper light guide rod 60A from one end surface of the upper light guide rod 60A, and follows the same optical path as the light from the first light source 62A to the exit surface 50A2 of the upper lens portion 50A. Emits from.

Further, the light from the fourth light source 63B enters the lower light guide rod 60B from one end surface of the lower light guide rod 60B, follows the same optical path as the light from the second light source 62B, and is emitted from the lower lens portion 50B. The light is emitted from the surface 50B2.

As described above, a turn lamp is realized by the light from the third light source 63A that is emitted from the emission surface 50A2 of the upper lens portion 50A and the light from the fourth light source 63B that is emitted from the emission surface 50B2 of the lower lens portion 50B. .

Next, details of the main optical members constituting the vehicle lamp 10 will be explained.

First, the outer lens 20 will be explained.

3 is a perspective view of the outer lens 20 seen from the back side, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer lens 20 has a first closed end portion 21 disposed on the front side (vehicle front side) and a first closed end portion 21 disposed on the opposite back side (vehicle rear side). 1 open end 22 , and an internal member accommodating portion 23 between the first closed end 21 and the first open end 22 . The material of the outer lens 20 is, for example, a transparent resin such as acrylic or polycarbonate.

The first open end portion 22 includes an upper surface portion 22a, a lower surface portion 22b, a left side surface portion 22c, and a right side surface portion 22d.

A stepped portion 25a is provided on the inner surface 24 of the upper surface portion 22a (see FIG. 4) in order to weld the internal member 70 (see FIG. 11) accommodated in the outer lens 20 (internal member accommodating portion 23). Similarly, a stepped portion 25b is provided on the inner surface 24 of the lower surface portion 22b in order to weld the internal member 70 accommodated in the outer lens 20 (internal member accommodating portion 23) (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The step portions 25a and 25b are, for example, planes parallel to the YZ plane.

The opening end surface 26 of the outer lens 20 is provided with a positioning rib 26a that comes into contact with a step 36 (see FIG. 14) provided on the outer periphery of the opening end surface 33 of the housing 30 (see FIGS. 3 and 4). A plurality of positioning ribs 26a are provided in the circumferential direction of the open end surface 26 of the outer lens 20.

Next, the inner lens 50 to which the extension 40 is attached will be described. Hereinafter, the inner lens 50 to which the extension 40 is attached may be referred to as an internal member 70.

5 is a perspective view of the internal member 70, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the internal member 70.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the internal member 70 includes an extension 40 and an inner lens 50. The extension 40 is an example of the first member of the present invention. The inner lens 50 is an example of the second member of the present invention.

The internal member 70 has a seal groove M (U-shaped seal groove).

First, the extension 40 will be explained.

FIG. 7(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of the extension 40 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7(a), the extension 40 includes a rectangular frame portion 41. As shown in FIG. The rectangular frame section 41 includes upper and lower arm sections 41a and 41b extending in the Y-axis direction, and left and right arm sections 41c and 41d extending in the Z-axis direction. The material of the extension 40 is, for example, an opaque resin such as acrylic or polycarbonate.

An upper decorative portion 42 that covers the upper surface of the upper lens portion 50A of the inner lens 50 is provided on the front side of the upper arm portion 41a. A convex portion 43 that is inserted into the through hole 53 of the inner lens 50 is provided on the back side of the upper arm portion 41a. For example, a plurality of convex portions 43 are provided in the Y-axis direction.

A lower decoration part 44 that covers the upper surface of the lower lens part 50B of the inner lens 50 is provided on the front side of the lower arm part 41b. A hook portion 45 that engages with an engaging portion (for example, a through hole, not shown) of the inner lens 50 is provided on the back side of the lower arm portion 41b. For example, a plurality of hook portions 45 are provided in the Y-axis direction.

In the extension 40 having the above configuration, the upper lens part 50A of the inner lens 50 is inserted into the space S2 (see FIGS. 6 and 7(a)) surrounded by the rectangular frame part 41, and the convex part 43 penetrates the inner lens 50. It is inserted into the hole 53 and attached to the inner lens 50 with the hook part 45 engaged with an engaging part (not shown) of the inner lens 50 (for example, see FIG. 8).

Next, the inner lens 50 will be explained.

FIG. 7(b) is a DD cross-sectional view of the inner lens 50 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7(b), the inner lens 50 includes a rectangular frame portion 51. As shown in FIG. The rectangular frame portion 51 includes upper and lower arm portions 51a and 51b extending in the Y-axis direction, and left and right arm portions 51c and 51d extending in the Z-axis direction. The material of the inner lens 50 is, for example, a transparent resin such as acrylic or polycarbonate.

A protrusion 52 is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the rectangular frame portion 51 on the back side. The protruding portion 52 is provided around the entire inner circumference of the rectangular frame portion 51 on the back side.

A through hole 53 is formed in the upper arm portion 51a. A plurality of through holes 53 are formed corresponding to the plurality of convex portions 43 of the extension 40 . The through hole 53 passes through the front side (inner peripheral part) and the back side (inner peripheral part) of the upper arm part 51a.

The convex portion 43 of the extension 40 is inserted into the through hole 53 from the front side of the upper arm portion 51a, and is exposed from the back side of the upper arm portion 51a (see FIGS. 8 and 9). 8 is a sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 5, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of one convex portion 43 in FIG.

The rectangular frame portion 51, the protruding portion 52, and the convex portion 43 exposed from the through hole 53 of the upper arm portion 51a constitute a part of the seal groove M (L-shaped cross section A) (see FIG. 8).

FIG. 10 is a front view of the inner lens 50.

As shown in FIG. 10, a welding rib 54a that comes into contact with the stepped portion 25a (see FIG. 11) of the outer lens 20 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the front side of the upper arm portion 51a. For example, a plurality of welding ribs 54a are provided in the Y-axis direction. Similarly, a welding rib 54b that comes into contact with the stepped portion 25b (see FIG. 11) of the outer lens 20 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the front side of the lower arm portion 51b. For example, a plurality of welding ribs 54b are provided in the Y-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 11, the internal member 70 is accommodated in the outer lens 20 (internal member accommodating portion 23), and is located between the inner surface 24 of the first open end 22 of the outer lens 20 and the L-shaped section A. It is welded to the outer lens 20 with the seal groove M formed therein. Specifically, the welding is performed by irradiating ultrasonic waves or laser light from the inner lens 50 side toward the welding ribs 54a, 54b that are in contact with the stepped portions 25a, 25b.

As shown in FIG. 10, the outer peripheral surface of the rectangular frame portion 51 is provided with a positioning rib 55 that comes into contact with the inner surface 24 of the outer lens 20. As shown in FIG. A plurality of positioning ribs 55 are provided in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the rectangular frame portion 51. Note that in order to make the explanation easier to understand, the positioning rib 55 is drawn larger than its actual size in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7(b), on the front side of the rectangular frame portion 51, an upper lens portion 50A and a lower lens portion 50B are provided. A screw N (see FIG. 2) inserted into a through hole 31a formed in the second closed end portion 31 of the housing 30 is screwed into the connecting portion 56 that connects the upper lens portion 50A and the lower lens portion 50B. A screw hole 56a is formed.

Next, the housing 30 will be explained.

12 is a perspective view of the housing 30, and FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the housing 30 includes a second closed end 31 located on the back side (vehicle rear side) and a second closed end 31 located on the opposite front side (vehicle front side). an open end 32. The material of the housing 30 is, for example, an opaque resin such as ABS resin or polycarbonate.

A protrusion 34 is provided on the inner circumference of the open end surface 33 of the housing 30 to be inserted into a seal groove M (see FIG. 14) coated with (or filled with) an adhesive 65. FIG. 14 is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of the upper protrusion 34 in FIG. The protrusion 34 is provided around the entire inner circumference of the open end surface 33 of the housing 30 .

A first positioning rib 35a is provided on the outer surface 34a of the protrusion 34. A plurality of first positioning ribs 35a are provided in the circumferential direction of the outer surface 34a of the protrusion 34. Furthermore, a second positioning rib 35b is provided on the inner surface 34b of the protrusion 34. A plurality of second positioning ribs 35b are provided in the circumferential direction of the inner surface 34b of the protrusion 34.

Furthermore, a stepped portion 36 is provided on the outer periphery of the open end surface 33 of the housing 30 . The step portion 36 is provided around the entire outer periphery of the open end surface 33 of the housing 30 .

Next, an example of a method for manufacturing the vehicle lamp 10 will be described.

FIG. 15 is a process diagram showing an example of a method for manufacturing the vehicle lamp 10. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 15, the vehicle lamp 10 is manufactured through steps S10 to S20, for example.

(1) Internal member assembly process (S10).

In this step, the extension 40 is attached to the inner lens 50.

Specifically, the upper lens part 50A of the inner lens 50 is inserted into the space S2 (see FIGS. 6 and 7(a)) surrounded by the rectangular frame part 41 of the extension 40, and the convex part 43 of the extension 40 is inserted into the space S2 (see FIGS. 6 and 7(a)). It is inserted into the through hole 53 of the lens 50 (see FIGS. 5 and 8), and the hook part 45 of the extension 40 is engaged with the engaging part (not shown) of the inner lens 50.

(2) Groove formation step (welding step) (S12).

In this step, as shown in FIG. 11, by inserting (accommodating) the internal member 70 into the outer lens 20 (internal member accommodating portion 23), the first opening end 22 (inner surface 24) of the outer lens 20 and A seal groove M is formed between the internal member 70 (L-shaped section A). The seal groove M is formed by three members: the outer lens 20 (the inner surface 24 of the first opening end 22), the inner lens 50 (the rectangular frame portion 51, the protruding portion 52), and the extension 40 (the inner lens 50). It is formed by a convex portion 43) exposed from the through hole 53.

At this time, the welding ribs 54a and 54b provided on the internal member 70 (inner lens 50) come into contact with the step portions 25a and 25b of the outer lens 20. Furthermore, a positioning rib 55 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rectangular frame portion 51 abuts on the inner surface 24 of the outer lens 20 . Thereby, the internal member 70 is positioned with respect to the outer lens 20 in the XYZ directions.

Next, the inner member 70 housed with the seal groove M formed therein as described above and the outer lens 20 are welded together. Specifically, welding is performed by irradiating ultrasonic waves or laser light from the inner lens 50 side toward the welding ribs 54a, 54b that are in contact with the stepped portions 25a, 25b. As a result, the outer lens 20 and the internal member 70 are integrated, thereby simplifying the subsequent assembly process.

(3) Optical component mounting process (S14).

In this step, as shown in FIG. 2, optical components (upper light guide rod 60A, lower light guide rod 60B, reflector 61, etc.) are attached to the inner lens 50 using known means such as fitting.

(4) Adhesive application step (S16).

In this step, adhesive 65 is applied to the seal groove M. As the adhesive 65, for example, a thermosetting adhesive is used.

(5) Adhesion step (S18).

In this step, the protrusion 34 of the housing 30 is inserted into the seal groove M coated with the adhesive 65. At that time, as shown in FIG. 14, the positioning rib 26a provided on the open end surface 26 of the outer lens 20 comes into contact with the stepped portion 36 of the housing 30, so that the tip of the protrusion 34 of the housing 30 and the seal groove M A space S3 (see FIG. 14) filled with adhesive 65 is formed between the bottom part (rectangular frame part 51 of the inner lens 50) and the bottom part (rectangular frame part 51 of the inner lens 50).

Further, the first positioning rib 35a provided on the protrusion 34 (outer surface 34a) of the housing 30 inserted into the seal groove M coated with the adhesive 65 is connected to the seal groove M (the first opening end of the outer lens 20). 22), the adhesive 65 is formed between the protrusion 34 (outer surface 34a) of the housing 30 and the seal groove M (inner surface 24 of the first open end 22 of the outer lens 20). A space S4 (see FIG. 14) filled with is formed.

Similarly, the second positioning rib 35b provided on the protrusion 34 (inner surface 34b) of the housing 30 inserted into the seal groove M coated with the adhesive 65 is connected to the seal groove M (protrusion 52 of the inner lens 50). A space S5 (see FIG. 14) filled with adhesive 65 is formed between the protrusion 34 (inner surface 34b) of the housing 30 and the seal groove M (protrusion 52 of the inner lens 50). be done.

By forming the seal groove M with multiple members as described above and further forming the spaces S3 to S5 filled with the adhesive 65, four members, namely, the outer lens 20, the inner member 70 (extension 40, The inner lens 50) and the housing 30 can be bonded together at once.

Specifically, the protruding portion 34 of the housing 30 inserted into the seal groove M and three members forming the seal groove M, namely, the outer lens 20 (the inner surface 24 of the first open end 22), and the inner lens 50 (rectangular frame part 51, protruding part 52) and extension 40 (convex part 43 exposed from through hole 53 of inner lens 50) are bonded.

At this time, the open end surface 26 of the outer lens 20 and the stepped portion 36 of the housing 30 face each other, and the outer surface 27 of the first open end 22 of the outer lens 20 and the outer surface 37 of the second open end 32 of the housing 30 are flush (or approximately flush) (see FIG. 14).

(6) Screwing step (S20).

In this step, the internal member 70 and the housing 30 are screwed together with the protrusion 34 of the housing 30 inserted into the seal groove M coated with the adhesive 65 (see FIG. 14). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a screw N inserted into a through hole 31a formed in the second closed end 31 of the housing 30 is screwed into the inner lens 50 (screw hole 56a). As a result, the internal member 70 and the housing 30 are temporarily fixed until the adhesive 65 filled in the spaces S3 to S5 hardens (eg, several hours at room temperature). Note that after the adhesive has hardened, the screw N may be removed or may be left as is.

The vehicle lamp 10 is manufactured as described above. Note that each of the above steps may be performed manually by an operator (including when using a jig), or may be performed automatically by a working robot or the like.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, formation of a stepped portion between the outer lens 20 and the housing 30 can be suppressed. In other words, the connecting portion between the outer lens 20 and the housing 30 can be made flat (see FIG. 14). Thereby, the area covered by the outer lens 20 by the vehicle body cover (not shown) can be reduced, and the degree of freedom in designing the outer lens 20 and the vehicle cover is improved.

Firstly, this is because the first open end 22 (inner surface 24) of the outer lens 20 and the internal member 70 (L-shaped section A) accommodated in the outer lens 20 (internal member accommodating portion 23) A seal groove M is formed therebetween (see FIG. 11), and secondly, a protrusion 34 is provided on the inner periphery of the open end surface 33 of the housing 30 to be inserted into the seal groove M coated with adhesive 65. Thirdly, as a result, the protrusion 34 of the housing 30 is inserted into the seal groove M coated with the adhesive 65. In this case, the open end surface 26 of the outer lens 20 and the stepped portion 36 of the housing 30 face each other, and the outer surface 27 of the first open end 22 of the outer lens 20 and the outer surface 37 of the second open end 32 of the housing 30 face each other. This is because the surfaces are flush (or approximately flush) (see FIG. 14).

Further, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the length L1 of the outer lens 20 in the X-axis direction (optical axis direction) is longer than the length L2 of the housing 30 in the X-axis direction (optical axis direction). be able to.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, by forming the seal groove M in the outer lens 20, the thickness T4 of the outer lens 20 can be made approximately half the thickness T5 of the housing 30, as shown in FIG. 16(b). I can do it.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, by forming the seal groove M in the outer lens 20, the length of the outer lens 20 in the X-axis direction can be reduced compared to the case where the seal groove M is formed in the housing 30 as described later. It can be made longer. This is because when forming the seal groove M in the housing 30 as described later, the area indicated by the symbol L3 is configured as the housing 30, as shown in FIG. By forming the groove M, the range indicated by the symbol L3 is configured as the outer lens 20, as shown in FIG. 16(b).

Further, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the gap between the outer lens 20 and the inner lens 50 (see the rectangular range surrounded by the dashed-dotted line indicated by the symbol B1 in FIG. 14) and the extension 40 and the inner lens 50 (see the rectangular range surrounded by the dashed line indicated by symbols B2 and B3 in FIG. 14) are each configured to have an L-shaped cross section. Compared to the case where the thermosetting adhesive 65 (low viscosity) leaks through each gap, it is suppressed.

Next, a modification will be explained.

In the embodiments described above, an example has been described in which the present invention is applied to a vehicle lamp that functions as a position lamp and a turn lamp, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the present invention may be applied to rear combination lamps, headlamps, high-mounted stop lamps, and other vehicle lamps other than position lamps and turn lamps.

FIG. 16(a) shows a modification of the vehicle lamp 10.

In the embodiment described above, the internal member accommodating portion 23 is provided on the outer lens 20 , the stepped portions 25 a and 25 b are provided on the inner surface 24 of the first open end portion 22 of the outer lens 20 , and the protrusion 34 is provided on the open end surface 33 of the housing 30 . Although an example has been described in which the stepped portion 36 is provided on the inner circumference of the outer lens 20, the stepped portion 36 is provided on the outer circumference of the open end surface 33 of the housing 30, and the positioning rib 26a is provided on the open end surface 26 of the outer lens 20, the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, as shown in FIG. 16(a), the internal member accommodating portion 23 is provided in the housing 30, the stepped portion 25a (same as the stepped portion 25b) is provided on the inner surface of the second open end 32 of the housing 30, and the protruding portion 23 is provided in the housing 30. The portion 34 may be provided on the inner periphery of the open end surface 26 of the outer lens 20, the stepped portion 36 may be provided on the outer periphery of the open end surface 26 of the outer lens, and the positioning rib 26a may be provided on the open end surface 33 of the housing 30.

In this case, the groove forming process (welding process) and the bonding process are performed as follows. Note that other steps are performed in the same manner as in the above embodiment.

In the groove forming process (welding process), by inserting (accommodating) the internal member 70 into the housing 30 (internal member accommodating section 23), the second open end 32 (inner surface) of the housing 30 and the internal member 70 (cross section) A seal groove M is formed between the L-shaped portion A). The seal groove M is formed by three members: the housing 30 (the inner surface of the second opening end 32), the inner lens 50 (the rectangular frame part 51, the protruding part 52), and the extension 40 (the through hole of the inner lens 50). It is formed by a convex portion 43) exposed from 53.

At this time, the welding ribs 54a and 54b provided on the internal member 70 (inner lens 50) come into contact with the step portions 25a and 25b of the housing 30. Furthermore, a positioning rib 55 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rectangular frame portion 51 abuts on the inner surface of the housing 30 (not shown).

Next, the housing 30 is welded to the internal member 70 housed with the seal groove M formed therein as described above. Specifically, welding is performed by irradiating ultrasonic waves or laser light from the inner lens 50 side toward the welding ribs 54a, 54b that are in contact with the stepped portions 25a, 25b.

In the bonding step, the protrusion 34 of the outer lens 20 is inserted into the seal groove M coated with the adhesive 65. At this time, spaces S3 to S5 (see FIG. 14) filled with adhesive 65 are formed, as in the above embodiment.

By forming the seal groove M with multiple members as described above and further forming the spaces S3 to S5 filled with the adhesive 65, four members, namely, the outer lens 20, the inner member 70 (extension 40, The inner lens 50) and the housing 30 can be bonded together at once.

Specifically, the protrusion 34 of the outer lens 20 inserted into the seal groove M and the three members that constitute the seal groove M, namely, the housing 30 (the inner surface of the second open end 32), and the inner lens 50 (the rectangular frame portion 51, the protruding portion 52), and the extension 40 (the convex portion 43 exposed from the through hole 53 of the inner lens 50) are bonded.

At this time, the open end surface 33 of the housing 30 and the stepped portion 36 of the outer lens 20 face each other, and the outer surface 27 of the first open end 22 of the outer lens 20 and the outer surface 37 of the second open end 32 of the housing 30 are flush (or approximately flush) (see FIG. 16(a)).

Also according to this modification, formation of a stepped portion between the outer lens 20 and the housing 30 can be suppressed. In other words, the connecting portion between the outer lens 20 and the housing 30 can be made flat. Thereby, the area covered by the outer lens 20 by the vehicle body cover (not shown) can be reduced, and the degree of freedom in designing the outer lens 20 and the vehicle cover is improved.

Note that when forming the seal groove M in the housing 30 as in this modification, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the thickness of the outer lens 20 (particularly the thickness of the first opening end 22 of the outer lens 20) becomes extremely thick.

On the other hand, by forming the seal groove M in the outer lens 20 as in the above embodiment, the thickness T4 of the outer lens 20 can be reduced to about half the thickness T5 of the housing 30, as shown in FIG. 16(b). can do. That is, by forming the seal groove M in the outer lens 20 as in the above embodiment, the thickness of the outer lens 20 (especially the thickness of the first opening end 22 of the outer lens 20) is suppressed from becoming extremely thick. can do.

Furthermore, when forming the seal groove M in the housing 30 as in this modification, the length of the outer lens 20 in the X-axis direction becomes shorter. This is because when forming the seal groove M in the housing 30 as in this modification, the range indicated by the symbol L3 in FIG. 16(a) is configured as the housing 30.

On the other hand, by forming the seal groove M in the outer lens 20 as in the above embodiment, the length of the outer lens 20 in the X-axis direction can be increased. This is because by forming the seal groove M in the outer lens 20 as in the above embodiment, the range indicated by the symbol L3 is configured as the outer lens 20, as shown in FIG. 16(b). .

Further, in the above embodiment, the inner lens 50 to which the extension 40 is attached is used as the internal member 70, and the internal member 70 is housed in the outer lens 20 (internal member accommodating portion 23) and welded to the seal groove. Although the example in which M is formed has been described, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as the internal member 70, at least one (or a combination of two or more) of the extension 40, the inner lens 50, the upper light guide bar 60A, the lower light guide bar 60B, and the reflector 61 is used, and the internal member 70 The seal groove M may be formed by accommodating the outer lens 20 (internal member accommodating portion 23) and welding it.

Further, in the above embodiment, an example in which a thermosetting adhesive is used as the adhesive 65 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as the adhesive 65, an adhesive other than a thermosetting adhesive, for example, a thermoreversible adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive may be used.

All of the numerical values shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it goes without saying that other appropriate numerical values can be used.

The above embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects. The present invention is not to be construed as being limited by the descriptions of the above embodiments. The invention may be embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Vehicle lamp, 20... Outer lens, 21... First closed end, 22... First open end, 22a... Top surface, 22b... Bottom surface, 22c... Left side, 22d... Right side, 23... Inside Member housing portion, 24...inner surface, 25a...stepped portion, 25b...stepped portion, 26...opening end surface, 26a...positioning rib, 27...outer surface, 30...housing, 31...second closed end, 31a...through hole , 32... second opening end, 33... opening end surface, 34... protrusion, 34a... outer surface, 34b... inner surface, 35a... first positioning rib, 35b... second positioning rib, 36... step, 37... Outer surface, 40... Extension, 41... Rectangular frame part, 41a... Upper arm part, 41b... Lower arm part, 42... Upper decorative part, 43... Convex part, 44... Lower decorative part, 45... Hook part, 50... Inner Lens, 50A...upper lens section, 50A1...light incident surface, 50A2...output surface, 50A3...upper surface, 50B...lower lens section, 50B1...light entrance surface, 50B2...output surface, 51...rectangular frame section, 51a...upper arm 51b...Lower arm part, 52...Protrusion part, 53...Through hole, 54a...Welding rib, 54b...Welding rib, 55...Positioning rib, 56...Connection part, 56a...Screw hole, 60A...Upper light guide rod, 60A1...Emission surface, 60A2...Reflection surface, 60B...Lower light guide bar, 60B1...Emission surface, 60B2...Reflection surface, 61...Reflector, 62A...First light source, 62B...Second light source, 63A...Third light source, 63B ...Fourth light source, 65...Adhesive, 70...Internal member, A...L-shaped section, M...Seal groove, N...Screw, S1...Light chamber

Claims (17)

an outer lens including a first closed end, a first open end on the opposite side thereof, and an internal member housing portion between the first closed end and the first open end;
a housing including a second closed end and an opposite second open end;
an internal member that forms a sealing groove between the internal member and the inner surface of the first opening end when accommodated in the internal member housing;
an adhesive filled in the seal groove,
The opening end surface of the housing is provided with a protrusion inserted into the adhesive filled in the seal groove,
The outer lens, the internal member, and the protrusion are adhered by the adhesive filled in the seal groove,
The internal member includes a first member and a second member,
The first member is provided with at least one convex portion,
At least one through hole is formed in the second member,
The vehicular lamp is configured such that the convex portion is inserted into the through hole, exposed from the through hole, and forms a part of the seal groove . The protrusion is provided on the inner circumference of the opening end surface of the housing,
A first stepped portion is provided on an outer peripheral portion of the opening end surface of the housing,
The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the opening end surface of the outer lens and the first stepped portion of the housing face each other in a state in which the protrusion is inserted into the seal groove coated with the adhesive. . 3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the internal member is welded to the outer lens with the seal groove formed therein. A second stepped portion is provided on the inner surface of the first opening end of the outer lens,
4. The vehicular lamp according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the internal member is welded to the second stepped portion with the seal groove formed therein. A space filled with the adhesive is formed between the protrusion and the seal groove by the positioning rib provided on the opening end surface of the outer lens coming into contact with the first stepped portion of the housing. The vehicular lamp according to claim 2. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a screw that screws together the internal member and the housing in a state where the protrusion is inserted into the seal groove coated with the adhesive. Light equipment. 7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 6, wherein the screw is inserted into a through hole formed in the second closed end of the housing and is further screwed into the internal member. The vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the length of the outer lens in the optical axis direction is longer than the length of the housing in the optical axis direction. an outer lens including a first closed end and a first open end on the opposite side;
a housing including a second closed end, a second open end opposite the second closed end, and an internal member housing between the second closed end and the second open end;
an internal member that forms a seal groove between the internal member and the inner surface of the second opening end when accommodated in the internal member accommodating portion;
an adhesive applied to the seal groove,
The opening end surface of the outer lens is provided with a protrusion inserted into the seal groove coated with the adhesive,
The internal member includes a first member and a second member,
The first member is provided with at least one convex portion,
At least one through hole is formed in the second member,
The vehicular lamp is configured such that the convex portion is inserted into the through hole, exposed from the through hole, and forms a part of the seal groove . The protrusion is provided on the inner circumference of the opening end surface of the outer lens,
A third stepped portion is provided on the outer periphery of the opening end surface of the outer lens,
The vehicle lamp according to claim 9, wherein the opening end surface of the housing and the third stepped portion of the outer lens face each other in a state in which the protrusion is inserted into the seal groove coated with the adhesive. . 11. The vehicle lamp according to claim 9, wherein the internal member is welded to the housing with the seal groove formed therein. The inner surface of the second open end of the housing includes a fourth step,
12. The vehicle lamp according to claim 11, wherein the fourth stepped portion and a portion of the internal member are welded to each other with the seal groove formed therein. A positioning rib provided on the opening end surface of the housing comes into contact with the third stepped portion of the outer lens, thereby forming a space filled with the adhesive between the protrusion and the seal groove. The vehicle lamp according to claim 10. 14. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the first open end of the outer lens and an outer surface of the second open end of the housing are flush with each other. The vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the internal member is at least one of an extension, an inner lens, a light guide rod, and a reflector. the first member is an extension;
The vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 9 , wherein the second member is an inner lens. A positioning rib provided on the protrusion inserted into the seal groove coated with the adhesive comes into contact with the seal groove, so that the adhesive is filled between the protrusion and the seal groove. The vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 16 , wherein a space is formed.

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