JPS6082459A - Car headlight device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent breakdown due to obstacle by containing a headlight at the outside of turning in the right/left headlights provided on the inclined section at the rear of chassis front along the inclined section when turning. CONSTITUTION:Upon turning on of a light switch 32, a controller 36 comprising a microprocessor is provided with the rotary amount of steering wheel 18 from steering angle sensor 40 while when travelling straight, both headlights 14a, 14b are set to the maximum rotary position perpendicular with the longitudinal direction of car. When turning the car, to the right for example, the right headlight 14b is directed to the front wheels 16a, 16b by means of a drive mechanism 42b while rotated to the containing position as the rotation in turning direction increases and the left side headlight 14a is contained at the containing position along the inclined section 12a by means of a drive mechanism 42a. Consequently, breakdown of headlight due to an obstacle can be prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a headlamp device for a motor vehicle such as an automobile, and particularly to a headlamp device whose irradiation direction can be changed according to the steering direction.

(Prior Art) A headlamp is known in which the headlamp is rotated in response to steering in order to constantly illuminate the direction in which the vehicle is traveling in order to improve the safety of driving on a dark road such as when driving at night. Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 51-38867 describes a vehicle whose front part is rectangular in plan view, in which the headlamp is configured to be rotatable, and the headlamp is configured to be freely rotatable, and the headlamp is configured to move forward of the heavy vehicle by following the rotation of the handle axis. A lighting structure for an automobile that illuminates the direction ahead is disclosed. This structure can change the illumination direction to some extent by following changes in the direction of travel of the vehicle, but since the headlamp mounting parts at both ends of the front of the vehicle are located at the left and right corners of the front end of the vehicle, the headlights cannot be used. If you turn it a lot,
Part of the illumination is blocked by a part of the vehicle body, and there is a limit to the direction of illumination that can be changed.Therefore, there is a problem in that when a large amount of steering is performed, the headlights cannot sufficiently follow the direction of the steering. Furthermore, since the front of the vehicle is square, there is a risk that the headlights will hit foreign objects when turning.

C. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION) Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a headlamp device for a vehicle that allows turning with a small turning radius while preventing the risk of damage to the headlamp during turning.

C) Structure of the present invention) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following features.
will be accomplished. That is, the headlamp device of the present invention has an inclined part formed at both ends of the front part of the vehicle body and inclined rearward and outward from the front end, and a storage position substantially along the inclined part in a horizontal plane in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Left and right headlamps installed rotatably up to a right angle angle 14, a steering detection means for detecting the steering direction of the vehicle, a lamp rotation means for rotating the headlamps, and a steering detection means for rotating the headlamps. control means for controlling both the left and right headlamps to move to the protruding position when the vehicle is traveling straight and for controlling the outer headlamps to be in the retracted position when the vehicle is turning in response to an output signal from the vehicle. It is characterized by:

The configuration of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG.

The vehicle according to the present invention cures the vehicle body In, and the claw body]
Slanted parts 12a and 12b are provided on both sides of the front part. The headlamps 14a and 14b are mounted on the inclined portion 1.
2a and 12b so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane. The front wheels 16a, 6b in the city are steered by a steering unit 20 that interlocks with the steering wheel 18. Steering wheel] 8 rotation direction and rotation 8Jh amount, that is, front vehicle rA 16
a.

The steering direction of the steering wheel 16b is detected by the steering detection means 22 and input to the control means 24. Based on the signal from the detection means 22, the control means 24 controls the lamp rotation means 26.
A control signal is output to rotate the headlamps 14a and 14b. Lamp times 'rJj (1 means 26 turns on the headlamp '14 a, 1 according to the signal from the control means 22
4 Rotate and control b. When the vehicle is traveling straight, the control means 24 causes the lamp rotation means 26 to rotate the left and right headlamps to protruding positions approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle so that they both illuminate the front. jljfl (iRJ
Output a signal.

The rotation control of the headlamp can be performed so that the headlamp selectively rotates between the retracted position and the protruding position 1d, but preferably, when turning, the inner headlamp is rotated according to the magnitude of the steering. The vehicle according to the present invention is equipped with a sloped part that slopes backward and outward at the front of the vehicle body, and when turning, the vehicle is equipped with a sloped part that slopes backward and outward. Of the two left and right headlamps installed on the slope, the headlamp on the outer side of the turn is always held at a storage position substantially along the slope. Therefore, there is no possibility that the headlamp will be damaged by hitting a book when turning, and the turning radius can be maintained as small as the original purpose. In addition, the headlamp that is on the inside of the turn R1 preferably illuminates the steering direction in response to the steering.
Since the rotation is controlled so that it rotates at 1, it is possible to improve the safety of driving on a dark road.

(Description of Embodiments) Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

Referring to 21 ￥1, the front structure of a vehicle embodying the present invention is shown, and the vehicle body 10 of the vehicle includes a horizontal plane from the front end to the rear end on both sides of the front part. (□ Incline (, taj)
The n-slanted portion 12 as 12 b is formed and discussed. The left and right headlamps 14a, 14bt and the inclined portions 12a, 1
2b, and is approximately n'1 angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body from the storage position which is approximately flush with the inclined portions 12a and 12b shown by A 9 in FIG. It is possible to move in a horizontal plane up to the turning position shown by the 4 lines.

Front wheels 16a, 16b are wheel 117 hub 28a12
8b, and is connected to the steering rack 20 via tie rods 30a, 30b connected to knuckle arms 29a, 29b of the wheel hub 28a128b. Steering machine′! pt20 is engaged with the steering wheel 18 and the steering shaft 34, and moves left and right in response to rotation of the steering wheel 18 to steer the wheels 16a and 16b. A controller 36 is provided to control the movement of the headlamps 14a, 14b. Controller 3G is T! The steering angle sensor 40 and the light switch 32 are connected to a battery 38 as a power source.
are connected to and removed so that these signals can be input. The steering angle sensor 4o is connected to the steering wheel 18)!
! ! It is attached to the moving steering shaft 34, and detects the rotational direction and rotation angle of the steering wheel 18, that is, the steering direction and steering strength of the wheels 16a and 16b. The light switch 32 is the headlamp 14a.

14b is an ON/OFF switch indicating activation/deactivation. The headlamps 14a and 14b are driven by a drive mechanism 42.
8% 42b allows a rotation I type to be mounted around the rotation fNII 44a and 44b, and the drive mechanism 4
28, 42b are adapted to be driven by signals from the controller 36. Referring to FIG. , is supported by the headlamp support frame 46b. Headlamp support frame 4
6b is attached to the vehicle body so that the inner end in the lateral direction of the vehicle body can be turned around @J44 via a hinge mechanism 48b. Hinge 4a drawing 48b #'j: Consists of a hinge fitting 50b provided at the inner end of the headlamp support frame 46b in the vehicle body lateral direction and a hinge bracket 52b attached to the vehicle body 1o. The rotation shaft is inserted. A link 54b of the rotation mechanism 42b is connected to the end of the rotation 1 glaze 44b and the rotation 1 glaze 1 of the support frame 46b.
Another link 56b is coupled to this link 54b. The number J mechanism 42b includes a motor 59b connected to a power source via a lead wire 58t) and a gear mechanism 61b such as a rack and pinion mechanism that transmits the rotation of the motor to the link 56b. The gear mechanism 61b has an output shaft 60b, which is fixed to the end of the link 56b. Referring also to FIG. 4, when the motor 59b operates and the shaft 60b rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the link 56b, and the tip of the link 56b swings along an arcuate trajectory. Along with this, the link 54b performs a reciprocating motion in the substantially axial direction, and in conjunction with this, the headlamp 1
4b is the storage position shown by the solid line around the rotation axis 44.
Rotate ′ between the # line position.

Controller 3 for controlling the operation of the device of the present invention
It is preferable that the computer be configured with a 61"t microcomputer. An example of the computer according to the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG.

When the ignition switch is turned on (Sl) and the % light switch 32 is set to 0NKfx (S2), the headlamp 14as14b is controlled by IJ1. That is, first, the steering angle sensor 40 reads the steering angle θω of the front wheels 16a, 16b from the rotation amount aJ of the steering wheel 18 (S6). Next, the left and right headlamp setting angles corresponding to this steering angle θω are functions f (θω), fR (
θω) (S4).

The functions fL(θω) and R(θω) are functions of the steering angle θω, as shown in FIG.
b is set at the maximum rotation position that is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when driving straight ahead, and the headlamp on the inside of the turning direction is set so that as the turning direction force I increases, the amount of rotation from the storage position becomes smaller. There are many people. In this case, the headlamp, which becomes the outer cylinder 1 in the turning direction, is set to be located at the storage position. Next, determine the turning direction of the vehicle (
S5) In this case, if the steering angle θω is negative η4, the vehicle is turning to the left, and if it is positive, the vehicle is turning to the right. If the value is 0, the vehicle is traveling straight ahead. When the vehicle is traveling forward, the headlamps 14a and 14b illuminate the front at a position along the reconnaissance direction reference line L1 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, where the rotation angle is defined as 00 in FIG. (S6). That is, the left headlamp 14
The left motor 59 is rotated in the opposite direction until the rotation angle reaches 0°, that is, the position along the reference line L1 (S7).
sq). Next, the same operation is performed for the right headlamp 14b (S10, S11.512)
. When the vehicle turns to the left, the right headlamp 14a, which is on the outside in the turning direction, is controlled to be in the retracted position, and the left headlamp 14a, which is on the inside of the turning direction τI11, is controlled to be in a position corresponding to the amount of steering rotation. (S13).

That is, the current rotational position of the right headlamp 14b is detected (514), and the right motor 59b is rotated in the forward direction until it reaches the storage position indicated by rotation angle -ao (S15.
516). Then, the current rotational position θLL of the left headlamp 14a is detected (S16), and the current rotational angle θ,
and the set angle value fLL [θω] corresponding to the steering angle, and the left motor 59a is rotated forward or backward until both values become the same (S17, S18.519). When the vehicle turns to the right, a luck operation is performed as when the vehicle turns to the left. That is, the left headlamp 14a, which is located on the outside in the turning direction, is located at the storage position, and the right headlamp 14a, which is located on the inside 1 in the turning direction, is controlled so that it is located in a position corresponding to the amount of steering rotation (SZO). This specific control content is the same as when turning left (S20.321
, S22, S23. S24, S25, S26, 527)
6 Also, when the light switch 32 is set to 0FFVCfx, an operation is performed to return the headlamps 14a, ], 4b to their storage positions. In this operation, the left headlamp angle (QLL) is detected (528), and the stowed position tθ
That is, the motor is rotated according to the difference between the current position and the position 1a which has rotated backward by o from the reference line L1 at 2 in FIG. 7 (S29), and the above operation is repeated until this difference is resolved. , the headlamp 14a is returned to the stowed position 1θ (S30). Similar operation is Seisen 1 Head Ranzo 10a
The headlamp 14b is returned to the storage position (S61, S52.535).
When the light switch 32 is in the OFF state, the headlamp 14a is turned off as shown in FIG. 8 [I].
, 14b is in the storage position, and the light switch 42 is turned on.
in! When the vehicle is moving forward, the headlamps 14a and 14b are both orange so as to illuminate the front, as shown in FIG. When the vehicle is steered to the left and turns to the left, the left headlamp 14a is rotated according to the amount of steering rotation to illuminate the front in the turning direction, and the right headlamp 14a
b is illuminated in the stowed position. Also, when Kameoka turns right, the right headlamp 14b illuminates the front in the turning direction at an appropriate rotational position, and the left headlamp 14a illuminates in the stowed position. . Therefore, since the headlamp located on the outside in the turning direction always lights up in the retracted position, there is no danger that the headlamp will turn into an object when turning. Such control meets the need to reduce the turning radius by providing sloped sections on both sides of the front of the vehicle body. Furthermore, this shape of the front of the vehicle body has the advantage of reducing air resistance when driving straight ahead.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a view corresponding to the claims of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of a headlamp device U of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a headlamp device U according to one embodiment of the present invention. A perspective view showing the setting G1 state of α,
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle incorporating the headlamp device of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of tIII control of the headlamp device, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the setting angle of the headlight and the steering angle. Figure 7 is a plan view showing the operating range of the headlamp, Figure 8 is a graph showing the relationship between
11), [111), and [IV) are plan views showing the operating state of the headlamp. Explanation of symbols 10...Vehicle, 12a, 12b-slanted part, 14a,
14b...Headlamp, 16a, 16b...Front wheel, 18...Steering wheel, 2()...Steering mechanism, 36...Controller, 42...
Drive mechanism. Patent applicant: Toyo Industrial Flooring Company Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] An inclined part formed at both ends of the front part of the vehicle body that slopes rearward and outward from the front end, and a rotatable installation within a horizontal plane from a storage position approximately along the inclined part to a protruding position approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. a steering detection means for detecting the steering direction of the vehicle, a lamp rotation means for rotating the headlamps, and an output signal from the steering detection means when the vehicle is traveling straight; A head lamp for a vehicle is characterized in that it is provided with a control means for controlling both the left and right headlamps to come to the protruding position, and for controlling so that when the vehicle turns, the outer headlamp comes to the storage position.