JP3603757B2 - Vehicle lamp device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicular lamp device, and more particularly to a vehicular lamp device capable of preventing dew condensation in a visible area through an outer lens and achieving downsizing.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art A lamp device mounted on a front portion or a rear portion of a vehicle, for example, an automobile has a structure in which a reflector is provided in a sealed housing having an outer lens on a surface side, and a bulb is attached to the reflector.
[0003]
The interior space of the housing is kept closed in order to prevent water from entering. However, simply sealing the housing causes a pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the housing due to temperature changes due to the heat generated by the valve, etc., which makes it easier for water to enter the housing. Has small vents. The formation of the ventilation holes makes the pressure inside and outside the housing the same, so that the intrusion of water due to the pressure difference can be prevented.
[0004]
Since moisture may enter the housing through the vent and cause dew condensation on the inner surface of the outer lens, a moisture-proof container containing a moisture absorbent may be attached to the outside of the vent (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei 8- 195104), or a balloon-shaped variable volume portion that absorbs a change in pressure is attached (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-245507).
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such a conventional technique, since the moisture-proof container and the variable volume portion are mounted outside the housing in a protruding state, the size of the housing increases, and it is difficult to secure an installation space in the vehicle body.
[0006]
The present invention has been made by paying attention to such a conventional technique, and provides a vehicular lamp device capable of reducing the size of a housing while preventing dew condensation in a visible area through an outer lens. is there.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a sealed housing space is formed inside a housing having an outer lens on the front surface side, and the interior of the housing space is closely joined to a surface of a reflector provided in the housing. The inner cap, the valve space which is connected between the back surface of the reflector and the back surface of the housing, and has a valve space having airtightness with respect to the housing space, is formed by a cylindrical body having at least a film whose deformation can be changed by a change in gas volume. A vent was formed in each of the reflector and the rear surface of the housing in the valve space, and the valve space was connected to outside air, and a valve was mounted inside.
[0008]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the housing space including the outer lens is sealed, moisture does not enter and no dew condensation occurs in the visible area (particularly, the inner surface of the outer lens) seen through the outer lens. In addition, the pressure in the housing space is kept constant because the cylindrical body absorbs a change in the volume of the gas in the housing space due to the film fluctuation. Moisture that has entered through the vent hole is confined only in the valve space, and may cause dew condensation in the valve space. However, it is hard to see from the outside and does not pose a visual problem. Therefore, unlike the related art, there is no need to add a structure for preventing moisture from entering the outside of the housing, and the entire housing can be reduced in size. Therefore, the installation space of the lamp device in the vehicle body is small, and the degree of freedom in designing the vehicle body is increased.
[0009]
In the invention according to claim 2, an infrared reflection film is formed on the inner surface of the inner cap.
[0010]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the infrared reflection film is formed on the inner surface of the inner cap, visible light from the bulb can be transmitted to the outside to ensure brightness, while infrared rays for warming the housing space are It shuts off and suppresses the temperature rise of the housing space, and suppresses the pressure change.
[0011]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the reflector is movable with respect to the housing, and the tubular body is freely expandable and contractible in the longitudinal direction.
[0012]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the cylindrical body can be extended and contracted in the longitudinal direction, the airtightness of the valve space with respect to the housing space is maintained even when the reflector is moved with respect to the housing.
[0013]
In the invention according to claim 4, the cylindrical body has a bellows shape.
[0014]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the cylindrical body has a bellows shape, it can be extended and contracted in the longitudinal direction, and the film can be changed by a pressure change.
[0015]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the end of the cylindrical member made of an elastic material is attached to the housing by pressing the housing with the cap body detachable from the rear surface of the housing.
[0016]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the end of the cylindrical body made of the elastic material is clamped and attached by the cap body, the connecting operation of the end of the cylindrical body is easy, and the end of the cylindrical body is formed. It functions as a sealing material and can maintain airtightness.
[0017]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the end of the tubular body is attached to the rear surface of the housing by an attaching seat formed on a cap body that is removable.
[0018]
According to the invention of claim 6, since the end of the cylindrical body is attached to the mounting seat formed on the cap body, a state in which airtightness is secured to the cap body even if the cylindrical body is not made of an elastic material. Can be connected.
[0019]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0020]
1 to 3 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. The lamp device 1, which is a headlamp mounted on the front part of an automobile, basically includes an outer lens 2, a housing 3, a reflector 4, an inner cap 5, and a bulb 6. The outer lens 2 is a transparent lens on which no prism is formed, and is attached to an opening on the front surface side of the housing 3. An inner panel 7 is also mounted inside the opening of the housing 3. The rear surface of the housing 3 is detachable by rotating as a cap body 3a. The cap body 3a is attached with a rubber O-ring 8 interposed in order to maintain airtightness. A space defined by the housing 3 including the cap body 3a and the outer lens 2 is a housing space A, and is kept airtight to the outside.
[0021]
The reflector 4 has a dome shape, and the inner surface is a reflective surface on which aluminum is deposited. The lower end of the reflector 4 is rotatably supported on the housing 3 via a ball hinge 9, and the upper end is supported on the housing 3 via a rotatable shaft 11 using a driver 10. Have been. Therefore, by controlling the rotation of the shaft 11, the upper end of the reflector 4 can be tilted in any direction indicated by the arrow R in FIG. 2 to adjust the angle (optical axis) of the reflector 4.
[0022]
The inner cap 5 is welded to the center of the surface of the reflector 4. On the inner surface of the inner cap 5, a multilayer film of a silicon oxide film and a tungsten oxide is deposited to form an infrared reflection film 12. Accordingly, the inner cap 5 transmits visible light for obtaining brightness, but blocks infrared rays that transmit heat.
[0023]
On the back surface of the reflector 4, a closed loop-shaped mounting seat 13 is formed so as to surround the center, and a ring 15 provided at one end of a rubber cylinder 14 is mounted thereon. This ring 15 also has a structure to be rotationally engaged similarly to the cap body 3a, and an O-ring 8 is interposed therebetween. The cylindrical body 14 has a bellows shape along the longitudinal direction, is capable of expanding and contracting in the longitudinal direction, and easily fluctuates in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
[0024]
The other end 16 of the cylindrical body 14 has an O-ring shape, and is pressed between the cap body 3 a and the housing 3. Therefore, the attachment of the other end 16 of the cylinder 14 can be performed simultaneously with the attachment of the cap 3a, and the airtightness of the other end 16 of the cylinder 14 is maintained. In this manner, both ends of the cylindrical body 14 are connected to the reflector 4 and the cap body 3a while maintaining airtightness, respectively, and the inner cap 5 is secured to the surface of the reflector 4 in airtightness. Because of the welding, the inner cap 5 and the cylindrical body 14 form a valve space B with the reflector 4 interposed therebetween.
[0025]
The valve 6 is attached to the reflector 4 in the valve space B (the valve 6 may be attached to the cap body 3a by opening a hole in the center of the reflector 4). In addition, ventilation holes 17 and 18 are formed in the reflector 4 and the cap body 3a in the valve space B, respectively, so that the valve space B communicates with the outside air.
[0026]
According to this embodiment, since the housing space A including the outer lens 2 is completely sealed, moisture does not enter the housing space A from the outside, and a visible area (in particular, the outer lens 2 Condensation does not occur on the inner surface of the Therefore, the appearance through the outer lens 2 is good, and the appearance quality of the lamp device 1 is improved. Further, even if the temperature in the housing space A changes due to heating by solar heat or the like or cooling by water at the time of car washing, the film of the cylindrical body 14 fluctuates to absorb a change in the volume of gas in the housing space A. The pressure in the housing space A is always kept constant. Further, an infrared reflecting film 12 is provided on the inner surface of the inner cap 5 of this embodiment, and the infrared radiation emitted from the bulb 6 is blocked. A change in the volume of gas in A is suppressed.
[0027]
Further, since the valve space B is in communication with the outside air through the two ventilation holes 17 and 18, moisture may enter the valve space B through the ventilation holes 17 and 18. However, since the moisture is sealed only in the bulb space B, the moisture does not reach the inner surface of the outer lens 2 and no dew condensation occurs on the inner surface of the outer lens 2. Therefore, there is no problem in appearance of the lamp device 1. As described above, the air hole 18 of the cap body 3a in the housing 3 is simply exposed to the outside, and a structure for preventing the invasion of moisture as in the related art is not added thereto. The overall size can be reduced. Therefore, the installation space for the lamp device 1 in the vehicle body is small, and the degree of freedom in designing the vehicle body is increased.
[0028]
Further, since the cylindrical body 14 has a bellows shape and can be expanded and contracted in the longitudinal direction, the airtightness of the bulb space B with respect to the housing space A is ensured even when the angle of the reflector 4 is changed for adjusting the optical axis.
[0029]
4 and 5 are views showing a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the cylindrical body 19 has a bellows shape formed of a thin metal plate, and is provided with rings 20 and 21 at both ends, one of which is engaged with an attachment seat 13 formed on the back surface of the reflector 4 via an O-ring 8. The other is engaged with the mounting seat 23 formed on the cap body 22 via the O-ring 8. An O-ring 8 for ensuring airtightness is also interposed between the cap body 22 and the housing 3. Since this tubular body 19 has a bellows shape and is freely expandable and contractable in the longitudinal direction, first, one of the rings 20 is engaged with the mounting seat 13 on the back surface of the reflector 4, and then the tubular body 19 is extended and attached to the housing 3. The cap body 22 is engaged with the mounting seat 23 of the front cap body 22, and then the cap body 22 is mounted on the housing 3. Further, although the cylindrical body 19 is made of metal, the film can be changed, so that the internal pressure can be kept constant by absorbing the volume change of the gas in the housing space A.
[0030]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the lamp device 1 mounted on the front portion of the vehicle has been described as an example, but the present invention is also applicable to a lamp device mounted on the rear portion of the vehicle.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a lamp device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the lamp device according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing a structure of both ends of the cylindrical body of the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a lamp device according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing a structure of both ends of a cylindrical body according to a second embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Lamp apparatus 2 Outer lens 3 Housing 3a, 22 Cap body (back side)
4 Reflector 5 Inner cap 6 Valve 12 Infrared reflective film 14, 19 Cylindrical body 17, 18 Vent A Housing space B Valve space

Claims (6)

Forming a sealed housing space inside a housing having an outer lens on the front side,
Inside the housing space, an inner cap closely connected to the surface of the reflector provided in the housing, and connected between the back surface of the reflector and the back surface of the housing, the film can be changed by at least a change in gas volume. By a cylinder body having easy deformation, a valve space having airtightness with respect to the housing space is formed,
A lamp device for a vehicle, wherein a ventilation hole is formed in each of the reflector and the rear surface of the housing in the bulb space to communicate the bulb space with the outside air, and a bulb is mounted inside. The vehicle lamp device according to claim 1,
A vehicle lamp device, wherein an infrared reflecting film is formed on an inner surface of the inner cap. The vehicle lamp device according to claim 1 or 2,
A vehicle lamp device, wherein the reflector is movable with respect to the housing, and the tubular body is extendable and contractible in a longitudinal direction. The vehicle lamp device according to claim 3,
A lamp device for a vehicle, wherein the tubular body has a bellows shape. The vehicle lamp device according to claim 4,
A lamp device for a vehicle, wherein an end of a cylindrical body made of an elastic material is attached to a housing by a cap body detachable from a rear surface of the housing. The vehicle lamp device according to claim 4,
A lamp device for a vehicle, wherein an end portion of a cylindrical body is attached to a mounting seat formed on a cap body detachable from a rear surface portion of the housing.

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