JPH0530251Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The vehicle lamp of the present invention will be explained according to the following items.

A. Industrial field of application B. Overview of the invention C. Background art D. Problems to be solved by the invention E. Means for solving the problems F. Example F-1 First example [Figures 1 to 3] a Lamp body, lens [Figures 1 to 3] b Reflector, light bulb [Figure 1] c Communication hole, insertion pipe [Figures 1 to 3] d Heat-sensitive flexible material, plug material [Figures 1 to 3] [Fig. 3] e Opening and closing of the communication hole [Fig. 3] F-2 Second embodiment [Fig. 4] F-3 Third embodiment [Fig. 5] G Effect of the invention (A Industrial application Field) The present invention relates to a novel vehicular lamp. Specifically, it relates to a vehicle lamp in which a communication hole communicating with the outside is formed in the wall of the lamp body, which is one of the members defining the lamp space, and the lamp body is one of the members defining the lamp space. The object of the present invention is to provide a novel vehicular lamp in which the communication hole can be opened and closed using heat generation.

(B Summary of the invention) The vehicle lamp of the present invention includes a lamp body, a lens that covers the front opening of the lamp body, and a light bulb arranged in a lamp space defined by the lamp body and the lens. A vehicular lamp is provided with a communication hole that communicates with the outside, and a heat-sensitive flexible member to which a plug made of an elastic material is fixed is inserted into the lamp body so that the plug faces the communication hole. By supporting it on the inner wall surface, the communication hole is closed by the plug material when the light bulb is not lit, and when the light bulb is lit, the heat-sensitive flexible material is bent by the heat and the communication hole is opened. It is something.

(C. Background Art) A vehicle lamp, for example, an automobile lamp, generally includes a lamp body supported by a car body or a support member fixed to the car body, and a lamp body attached to the lamp body so as to cover a front opening of the lamp body. It consists of a lens, a light bulb, etc. placed in a lamp space defined by the lamp body and lens, and a waterproof member is usually provided at the abutment between the lamp body and the lens and at the light bulb mounting hole in the lamp body.

However, since automotive lamps are used with at least a portion exposed outside the vehicle body, it is difficult to completely prevent moisture such as rainwater from entering the lamp space.

In addition, in modern vehicle lights, the lamp body or the reflector disposed within the light space is often made of synthetic resin, and the lens may also be made of synthetic resin. In other types of lighting equipment, the heat generated when the light bulb is turned on raises the temperature within the lighting space and increases the air pressure in the space, which deforms the lamp body, reflector, and lens, deteriorating the light distribution performance. Sometimes it happens.

Therefore, in the case of vehicle lamps, there is a method to release moisture that has entered the lamp space to the outside, or to evaporate it by the heat generation action of the light bulb and discharge it outside the lamp space, or to increase the pressure inside the lamp space. In order to prevent the lamp body from being stowed away, a communication hole is sometimes provided in the wall of the lamp body to provide ventilation with the outside, that is, a hole that communicates between the lamp space and the outside.

(Problem to be solved by the D idea) However, although such a communication hole can drain moisture and ventilate the space in the lamp, it also encourages moisture and dust to enter the space in the lamp. There is a problem.

(Means for Solving Problem E) Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the vehicle lamp of the present invention uses an elastic material as a heat-sensitive flexible material made by laminating a plurality of plate materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion. While fixing the formed plug material, the heat-sensitive flexible material is supported on the inner wall surface of the lamp body so that the plug material closes the communication hole of the lamp body, and as the temperature of the lamp space increases, the heat-sensitive flexible material The plug material is bent to release the communication hole from being blocked by the plug material.

Therefore, according to the vehicle light of the present invention, when the light bulb placed in the light space is not lit, the communication hole is blocked by the plug material, and when the light bulb is lit, the heat causes the inside of the light space to be closed. As the temperature rises, the heat-sensitive flexible material bends and the communication hole is unblocked by the plug material, so when the bulb is turned on, moisture is discharged out of the lamp space through the communication hole and pressure rises inside the lamp space. The predetermined purpose of the communication hole, such as prevention, is fulfilled, and the communication hole is closed when the light bulb is not lit, thereby preventing moisture and dust from entering the lamp space. Since the closing and opening of the communication hole by the plug material is controlled by the temperature change in the lamp space as the light bulb turns on and off, there is no need for any special driving force or mechanism to move the plug material. Therefore, the structure of the lamp does not become complicated or its weight increases.

(F. Embodiment) Details of the vehicle lamp of the present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

(F-1 First Embodiment) [Figures 1 to 3] Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment in which the vehicle lamp of the present invention is applied to an automobile headlamp 1. It is.

(a Lamp body, lens) [Figures 1 to 3
Figure] 2 is a lamp body made of synthetic resin, and the front 3
The front end 4 is thicker than the remaining part, and a lens mounting groove 5 is formed in the front surface of the front end 4, and the rear wall 6 has a substantially central box shape. An insertion hole 7 is formed in the portion, a cylindrical portion 7a is formed that projects rearward from the opening edge of the insertion hole 7, and a flange protrudes outward at the rear end of the cylindrical portion 7a. 7b is formed.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a lens, in which a front part 9 on which a lens element (not shown) is formed and a peripheral wall part 10 protruding rearward from the outer periphery of the front part 9 are integrally formed of transparent glass or synthetic resin. , the rear end portion 10a of the peripheral wall portion 10 is fitted into the lens installation groove 5 of the lamp body 2 with the sealing material 11 interposed therebetween;
It is fixed to the lamp body 2 by a fixing means (not shown).

Thus, the front opening 3 of the lamp body 2 is covered by the lens 8, and the insertion hole 7 of the lamp body 2 is covered by a waterproof cover, which will be described later, thereby creating a substantially sealed lamp space 12. defined.

(b Reflector, light bulb) [Fig. 1] Reference numeral 13 is a synthetic resin reflector, which has a concave shape that opens toward the front, and most of its inner surface 14 has a paraboloid of revolution shape. It also has a reflective surface that has been treated to have high light reflectivity.
Further, a light bulb support hole 15 is formed at the top thereof.

And, such a reflecting mirror 13 is used in the lighting space 12.
1 for the lamp body 2.
The lamp body 2 is supported via two rotation fulcrums and two spacing adjustment sections, that is, an adjustment section that adjusts the spacing between the reflecting mirror and the rear wall 6 of the lamp body 2, so that the light on the reflecting surface 14a It is tiltably supported by the lamp body 2 so that the shaft can be adjusted vertically and horizontally.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a light bulb supported by the reflector 13, whose base 17 is supported in the light bulb support hole 15 of the reflector 13 via a light bulb support member (not shown), and a filament 18a sealed in the glass bulb 18. It is located at or near the focal point of the reflective surface 14a.

In addition, 19 is a rubber cover, and the front part of the cylindrical part 19a in the center is the cap part 1 of the light bulb 16.
7, a rear wall portion 19b protruding outward from the rear end of the cylindrical portion 19a, and an outer ring portion 19 extending forward from the outer edge of the rear wall portion 19b.
c, the outer ring part 19c is positioned so as to fit over the cylindrical part 7a of the lamp body 2, and the outer ring part 19
The engagement protrusion 19d formed on the inner surface of the front end of the lamp body 2 is engaged with the front side of the flange 7b formed on the cylindrical portion 7a of the lamp body 2, thereby keeping the insertion hole 7 of the lamp body 2 airtight. be done.

(c Communication hole, communication pipe) [Figs. 1 to 3] 20 is a hole formed in the back wall 6 of the lamp body 2 so as to form a substantially cylindrical shape from a position substantially directly above the rear opening 1 toward the rear. It is a protruding part provided protrudingly, and its hole 2
0a (hereinafter referred to as a "communication hole") opens on the inner surface of the back wall 6, and an annular engagement protrusion 20b protruding outward is formed at the rear end of this protrusion 20. There is.

Incidentally, this communication hole 20a is, for example, connected to the lamp space 1.
This hole is for discharging moisture inside the lamp space 12 to the outside of the lamp space 12, or for providing ventilation between the lamp space 12 and the outside.

21 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is approximately L when viewed from the side.
It is a communicating pipe bent in a character shape, and an annular engagement protrusion 22 that protrudes inward is formed at the front end of a portion extending in the front-rear direction.

The communication pipe 21 is made up of half bodies 21a and 21b that are divided into left and right halves, and the two halves 21a and 21b are divided into left and right halves 21a and 21b, with the engagement protrusion 22 being fitted onto the protrusion 20. and 21b are integrally joined to the lamp body 2 by a joining means such as adhesive. 23
is the engagement protrusion 20b of the protrusion 20 and the communication pipe 21
This is an O-ring inserted between the engaging protrusion 22 of.

The communication hole 20a is communicated with the outside of the lamp space 12 via the communication pipe 21, and since the rear part of the communication pipe 21 is open downward, the intrusion of rainwater and dust is considerably prevented. be done.

(d Heat-sensitive flexible material, plug material) [Figures 1 to 3] 24 is a heat-sensitive flexible material, which is made by pasting together two metal plates 25 and 26 in the shape of a single fence with different coefficients of thermal expansion. , two mounting holes 27, 27 are formed at one end in the longitudinal direction. Incidentally, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the two metal plates 25 and 26 is 2.
5 is larger, and the heat-sensitive flexible material 24 is in a flat state without warping in the thickness direction at approximately room temperature.

Reference numeral 28 denotes a plug material made of rubber, and the main portion 28 is approximately disk-shaped and has a diameter larger than the inner diameter of the communication hole 20a.
a and a substantially conical protrusion 28b protruding rearward from the center of the main portion 28a are integrally formed, and the two metal plates 25 of the heat sensitive flexible member 24,
It is fixed to the end of the metal plate 25 on the side opposite to the mounting holes 27, 27, which has a larger coefficient of thermal expansion among the metal plates 26, by means of fixing means such as adhesive.

Reference numerals 29 and 29 denote mounting protrusions that protrude from the inner surface of the rear wall 6 of the lamp body 2 at a position spaced apart to the left from the communication hole 20a, and the front portions 29a, 29
A is formed to have a slightly smaller diameter than the remaining portion.

The heat-sensitive flexible member 24 is opposed to the back wall 6 of the lamp body 2, with its longitudinal direction extending along the left-right direction, and the plug member 28 fixed thereto facing the communication hole 20a. The front part 29a of the mounting protrusion 29, 29 is inserted into the mounting hole 27, 27,
29a is inserted, and the portions of the front portions 29a, 29a that protrude forward from the attachment holes 27, 27 are caulked.

As a result, the left end of the heat-sensitive flexible material 24 is held between the shoulder parts 29b, 29b of the protrusions 29, 29 and the caulked front parts 29a, 29a in the thickness direction, and is thereby supported by the back wall 6. be done. When the temperature inside the lamp space 12 is approximately normal temperature, the main part 28a of the plug material 28 is lightly pressed against the front opening edge of the communication hole 20a, as shown by solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 3. (hereinafter referred to as the "closed position").

(e. Opening and Closing the Communication Hole) [Figure 3] Therefore, when the light bulb 16 is not lit, the temperature inside the lamp space 12 is usually at or near room temperature, so in this state, the heat-sensitive flexible member 24 There is no warpage in the communication hole 20.
a is placed in a closed state by the plug material 28, thereby preventing moisture and dust from entering from the outside through the communication hole 20a.

Also, when the light bulb 16 lights up, the filament 1
Since the temperature in the lamp space 12 rises due to the heat generated from the bulb 8a, the metal plates 25 and 26 thermally expand at different expansion coefficients. Since the metal plate 25 that is fixed and has a larger coefficient of thermal expansion is on the rear side, the right end portion is curved so as to be displaced forward, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
As a result, the plug material 28 is separated forward from the rear wall 6 of the lamp body 2, so that the communication hole 20a is opened and a portion of the air expanded within the lamp space 12 is discharged to the outside. Become.

When the light bulb 16 is turned off from this state, the temperature inside the lamp space 12 gradually decreases, and the heat-sensitive flexible material 24 gradually returns to its original shape, thereby causing the plug material 28 to The communication hole 20a is closed.

(F-2 Second embodiment) [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a second embodiment 1A of the vehicle lamp of the present invention.
This shows that.

The vehicular lamp 1A shown in this second embodiment differs from the automobile headlamp 1 shown in the first embodiment only in the way the heat-sensitive flexible material is bent. Therefore, only the main parts are shown in the drawings, and explanations will be given only on the above-mentioned differences, and the remaining parts will be given the same reference numerals as the same parts in the first embodiment. Explanation will be omitted by adding symbols.

In this embodiment 1A, the plug material 28 is fixed to the approximately central portion in the longitudinal direction of the metal plate 26 having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient among the two metal plates 25 and 26 of the heat-sensitive flexible member 24. is fixed at both ends to the mounting protrusions 29, 29, . In this state, the communication hole 20a is connected to the plug material 2.
8.

Therefore, when the light bulb 16 is turned on and the temperature inside the lamp space 12 rises, the heat-sensitive flexible member 24 curves so that its central portion is displaced forward as shown by the two-dot chain line, thereby causing the plug material 28 is moved forward to open the communication hole 20a, and the lamp space 12
When the temperature inside decreases, the plug material 28 returns to its original closed position and closes the communication hole 20a.

(F-3 Third embodiment) [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the third embodiment 1B of the vehicle lamp of the present invention.
This vehicular lamp 1B differs from the automobile headlamp 1 shown in the first embodiment only in the way the heat-sensitive flexible material is bent.

In this embodiment, the metal plate 2
The metal plates 5 and 26 are bent in advance in the thickness direction at approximately the same curvature and have a smaller thermal expansion coefficient.
The plug 28 is attached to the approximate center in the longitudinal direction of the metal plate 26 having the smaller thermal expansion coefficient.

One end of the heat-sensitive flexible member 24 is provided with mounting protrusions 29, 29 protruding from the rear wall 6 of the lamp body 2.
The long holes 30, 30 are formed in the other end along the longitudinal direction, and these long holes 30,
30, the tip portions 29'a, 29'a of the mounting protrusions 29', 29' protruding from the rear wall 6 of the lamp body 2 are slidably inserted, so that the other end portions are aligned in the longitudinal direction. The plug material 2 is made movable at approximately room temperature.
8 is held in a closed position where it closes the communication hole 20a.

Therefore, when the light bulb 16 is turned on and the temperature inside the lamp space 12 rises, the heat-sensitive flexible material 24 bends to increase its radius of curvature, as shown by the two-dot chain line, and thereby the plug material 28 is moved forward to open the communication hole 20a, and the lamp space 12
When the temperature inside falls, the plug material 28 returns to the closed position and closes the communication hole 20a.

(G. Effect of the device) As is clear from the above description, the vehicle lamp of the present invention consists of a lamp body, a lens that covers the front opening of the lamp body, and a lamp space defined by the lamp body and lens. The vehicle lamp is equipped with a light bulb and a communication hole communicating with the outside is formed in the wall of the lamp body. The movable part is supported on the inner surface of the lamp body so as to face the communication hole, and a stopper made of an elastic material is provided in the part of the heat-sensitive flexible material facing the communication hole, so that the light bulb can be turned off. It is characterized in that the communicating hole is sometimes closed with a plug material.

Therefore, according to the vehicle light of the present invention, when the light bulb placed in the light space is not lit, the communication hole is blocked by the plug material, and when the light bulb is lit, the heat causes the inside of the light space to be closed. As the temperature rises, the heat-sensitive flexible material bends and the communication hole is unblocked by the plug material, so when the bulb is turned on, moisture is discharged outside the lamp space through the communication hole and pressure rises inside the lamp space. The predetermined purpose of the communication hole, such as prevention, is fulfilled, and when the light bulb is not lit, the communication hole is closed, thereby preventing moisture and dust from entering the lamp space.

Moreover, since the blocking and release of the communication hole by the plug material is controlled by the temperature change in the lighting space as the light bulb turns on and off, there is no need for any special driving force or mechanism to move the plug material. Therefore, the structure of the lamp does not become complicated or its weight increases.

In each of the above embodiments, the heat-sensitive flexible material is
Although this heat-sensitive flexible material can be constructed by pasting three or more plates together as long as they are stacked in the thickness direction in the order of the coefficient of thermal expansion. good.

In the above embodiment, the present invention was applied to a movable reflector type automobile headlamp, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and can be applied to a movable unit type automobile headlamp. The lamp body includes a lamp body such as a lighting lamp, a lens covering a front opening thereof, and a light bulb disposed in a lamp space defined by the lamp body and the lens, and a communication hole communicating with the outside is formed in the wall of the lamp body. It can be applied to various types of vehicle lamps, and the function of the communication hole is not limited to removing moisture or adjusting the pressure in the lamp space. It is not limited to any location.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 3 show a first embodiment in which the vehicle lamp of the present invention is applied to an automobile headlamp.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the main parts exploded, Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the - line in Fig. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part showing a third embodiment of the vehicle lamp of the present invention. Explanation of symbols, 1... Vehicle lamp, 2... Lamp body, 3... Front opening, 6... Wall, 8... Lens, 12... Light space, 16... Light bulb, 20a
...Communication hole, 24...Heat-sensitive flexible material, 25, 26...
...Plate material, 28...Plug material, 1A...Vehicle lamp, 1
B... Vehicle lighting equipment.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A lamp body comprising a lamp body, a lens covering the front opening thereof, and a light bulb disposed within a lamp space defined by the lamp body and the lens, and communicating with the outside through a wall of the lamp body. A lamp body for a vehicle is provided with a communication hole, and a heat-sensitive flexible material made by bonding together a plurality of plate materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion is arranged in a lamp body such that the part of the heat-sensitive flexible material that moves due to temperature changes faces the communication hole. A plug material made of an elastic material is provided on the inner surface of the heat-sensitive flexible material in a portion facing the communication hole, so that the communication hole is blocked by the plug material when the light bulb is not lit. Lighting equipment for vehicles