JPS58163901A - Car lighting lens and detecting method of its fitted direction - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect a fitted direction of a lens for car, by providing a reflection prism, etc. on the side edge part formed by bending to the rear from the main face of the lens. CONSTITUTION:On the inside face of a side edge part 3 formed by bending a main part 2 of a car lighting use lens 1 to the rear, a number of lenses are formed, and also an opaque part 4 is formed at suitable intervals so that a bit signal can be obtained. A fitted direction of the lens 1 is detected by projecting light to the side edge part 3 and reading a variation of its reflected light or transmission light, through a photodetector.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is intended to provide a novel lens for a vehicle lamp and a method for detecting its mounting orientation.

In vehicle lighting equipment, (jl ebo, automobile headlights,
Most of them have a frontal shape that is circular, rectangular, etc., with the upper and lower sides being symmetrical, or the upper and lower sides are symmetrical on the left and right sides. This means that the shape of the lens located at the forefront of t4 is such.

As mentioned above, the circular shape should be symmetrical both vertically and horizontally.When assembling it on the reflector or lamp body, the mounting direction must be adjusted. There is a risk of making a mistake. Light distribution is an extremely important element in vehicle lighting; unless it conforms to standards, traffic safety cannot be ensured. Well, the light distribution in vehicle lighting equipment is based on the reflector and reflector.
The light distribution depends on the position of the light source, the arrangement of the light control elements in the lens, etc. Therefore, if the lens is attached to the reflector in the wrong direction, the light distribution may or may not comply with the standards at all. It becomes a thing.
゛Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a lens for a vehicle lamp and a method for detecting its mounting direction, which is suitable for preventing incorrect assembly of the lens in a vehicle lamp. It is characterized in that a light changing part that changes reflected light or transmitted light, such as an opaque part 1 and a reflecting prism part, is formed on one or more of the side edges bent backward from the main surface, and the method for detecting the mounting orientation is as follows: , a light changing part that changes the reflected light or transmitted light, such as an opaque part or a reflective prism part, is formed on one or more of the side edges bent backward from the main surface of the lens, and the side edges are The lens is characterized in that it reflects or transmits light, receives the reflected light or transmitted light, and detects the mounting direction of the lens based on the state of the received light.

In the following, details of the invention will be explained according to illustrated embodiments.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an example 1 of a lens for a vehicle lamp according to the present invention.

This vehicle light lens l is a molded product of hard glass.
The front shape is approximately a horizontally long rectangle. Reference numeral 2 denotes a main portion, and a side edge portion 3 shaped as if the peripheral edge of the main portion 2 is folded back is formed. Although not shown, a large number of lens elements for controlling light are formed on the inner surface of the main portion 2.

Opaque parts 4, 4, . . . are formed on the inner surface of appropriate side edges 3 of the lens l.

The opaque portions 4.4... may be formed by appropriate means such as applying a light-shielding paint to the locations. In addition, in the figure, the opaque parts 4.4 are formed at appropriate intervals so that a signal consisting of several bits can be formed, but it is possible to simply obtain a 1-bit signal. Thus, only - pieces may be formed. When the lens 1 has a rectangular front shape as shown in the embodiment, there are four side edge portions 3, but any number of them may form the opaque portion 4. Alternatively, it may be formed only on one side edge. 1 Furthermore, the opaque portion 4 is designed to form some kind of signal by changing the reflectance or transmittance at the location where the opaque portion 4 is formed when light is projected onto the side edge 3 where the opaque portion 4 is formed. It is not limited to the opaque part, but may be any part as long as the reflectance or transmittance of light changes significantly compared to other parts. ,
A diffusing surface may be formed by sanding or blasting, or a triangular prism-shaped reflective element may be formed on the inner or outer surface of the side edge.

In the lens l for a vehicle lamp as described above, opaque parts 4, 4, etc. are formed on appropriate side edges 3, so that light is projected onto the side edges 3 and the reflected light is reflected. Alternatively, the orientation of the lens l can be detected by reading changes in transmitted light. That is, the optical sensor of the photoelectric detection device is placed at a specific position, the optical sensor detects a signal due to the reflected light or the transmitted light, and the detected signal is determined. You can judge whether it is in the correct direction or not.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an example of such a lens orientation detection device.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a detection head, which is moved along the surface of the side edge 3 on which the opaque parts 4.4 of the lens l are formed (for example, in the direction shown by the arrow). A light emitter 6 and a light receiving element 7 are arranged and fixed in close proximity to the detection head 5 so as to face the front surface (the surface facing the side edge 3 of the lens l). The light emitting element 6 may be anything that can project light of appropriate intensity, such as a small light bulb or a light emitting diode.The light receiving element 7 may generate a voltage depending on the intensity of the light it receives. For example, a photodiode or the like may be used as long as the electrical property or electrical signal changes, such as a resistor.

The detection head 5 as described above is moved along the surface of the side edge 3 while emitting light from the light emitter 6 toward the lens side edge 3. Then, the light emitted from the light emitter 6 is reflected by the lens side edge 3 and received by the light receiving element 7. The amount of light reflected by the lens side edge 3 changes at certain parts of the opaque part 4 compared to other parts (if the opaque part 4 has the property of absorbing light, the amount of light reflected by the lens side edge 3 changes). The amount of light decreases, and conversely, if the opaque portion 4 is light reflective, the amount of reflected light increases.)
. In this way, depending on the number of opaque parts 4.4...,
Since the amount of reflected light changes, when the detection head 5 scans in a fixed direction, the amount of light received by the light receiving element 7 changes over time. Therefore, if the change in electrical quantity accompanying this change is grasped as a string of bit signals, the necessary information can be obtained thereby.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a detection circuit which receives the above-mentioned electrical signal from the light receiving element 7 of the detection head 5, compares information obtained from the signal with preset information, and outputs a judgment result based on the comparison. This is what is output. For example, a signal indicating that the orientation of the lens 1 is correct is determined in advance, and the setting signal is compared with the signal from the detection head 5, and if they are the same, a signal indicating that the orientation of the lens 1 is correct is set. If so, a signal indicating that the direction of lanes l is incorrect is output.

9 is a warning circuit which, when receiving a signal from the detection circuit 8 indicating that the orientation of the lens l is wrong, sends a light,
It is designed to notify you by sound etc.

By using the lens orientation detection device as described above, it is possible to very easily and reliably detect whether or not the orientation of the lens l' is correct.

In addition, when obtaining a signal consisting of several bits by the opaque parts 4, 4, e, etc., "0" and "l" may be expressed by the difference in the width of the opaque parts 4, or by using the opaque parts 4. It may be possible to change the formation interval between the two, and should be designed arbitrarily.

As is clear from the above description, the vehicle light common lens of the present invention has an opaque part 1 a reflective prism part, etc. on the side edge part which is bent backward from the main surface of the lens. Since it has a light changing part that changes the light, the side edge of the lens reflects the light or transmits the light, receives the reflected light or the transmitted light, and depending on the state of the received light, the lens The mounting direction of the lens can be detected, and it is possible to effectively prevent the lens from being mounted in the wrong direction on the reflector or lamp body.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 show an example of implementation of a lens for a vehicle lamp according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lens shown in FIG.
3 is a block diagram showing an example of a device implementing the method for detecting the mounting orientation of a lens for a vehicle cauterizing tool according to the present invention. Explanation of symbols 2--Main surface, 3...Side edge, 4-centered light changing part Fig. 1 Fig. 2

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A vehicle characterized in that a light changing part that changes reflected light or transmitted light, such as an opaque part or a reflective prism part, is formed on one or more of the side edges bent rearward from the main surface of the lens. For lamps - Lens (2) An opaque part on the side edge part formed by bending backward from the main surface of the lens, or on more than one part,
A light changing part that changes the reflected light or transmitted light, such as a reflective prism part, is formed, and the side edge part reflects the light or transmits the light, and the reflected light receives the transmitted light. A method for detecting the mounting direction of a lens for a vehicle lamp, characterized in that the mounting direction of the lens is detected based on the light condition.
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