JPH0321537A - Vehicle headlight device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To have smooth leveling adjustment by coupling a tilting member, which tilts when the beam projecting direction is changed, with an adjusting rod of a leveling adjusting mechanism for adjusting the leveling through a coupling member, with which they are joined in the forms of spherical joint. CONSTITUTION:A tilting member as a headlight 2 consists of a headlight unit 3, an aux. mounting ring 8 in the form of an approx. rectangular frame, and a retainer ring 13 and is supported with tiltability in vertical direction by a tilt fulcrum shaft 36 with respect to a mounting ring 24. A leveling adjusting mechanism 40 is supported on a bracket 41 mounted at the bottom of this mounting ring 24, and the tip of an adjusting rod 42 stretching fore and aft is coupled with a mounting lug 12 at the bottom of the aux. mounting ring 8 through a coupling piece 43. This coupling piece 43 is equipped with a shank 44, a contact part 45 with the rear face formed approx. hemi-spherically situated approx. in the middle of this shank 44, and a sphere 46 positioned at the tail of the shank 44, and is embodied in an integrated construction of plastics.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The vehicle headlamp device of the present invention will be explained in accordance with the following items.

A. Industrial application field B. Summary of the invention C Prior art 1iF [Fig. 13] D. Problem to be solved by the invention [Figure 13 C.E. Means for solving problems F. Example [Figures 1 to 12 F-1. First embodiment [Figures 1 to 5] a. Headlights [Figures 1 to 5] b. Lamp housing [Figures 1 to 5] C. Mounting ring [Figures 1 to 5] d. Support of the headlamp to the mounting ring [Figs. 1 to 5 d-1, Tilt fulcrum shaft [Figs. 2, 3, and 5] d-2, Leveling adjustment mechanism [Fig. 1, Figure 2, Figure 4, Figure 5] d-3. Connector [Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 4, Fig. 5] d-4. Connecting rod [Fig. 1, Fig. 4, Fig. 5] e. Operation e-1. Aiming adjustment e-2. Leveling adjustment F-2. Second embodiment [Figs. 6 and 7] a. connector b. Opening stop ring etc. F-3. Third embodiment [Figures 8 to 12] a. Headlight unit [Figures 8 to 10] b. Tilt fulcrum shaft, aiming adjustment mechanism [Figures 8 to 12] b-1. Tilting fulcrum Il! th [Figure 9] b-2. Aging adjustment mechanism [Figures 8 to 12] b-3. Attaching the headlight unit to the vehicle bodyC. Leveling adjustment mechanism [Figures 8 to 12 d. Connection between the adjuster screw and the adjustment rod [Figs. 9, 10, 12] Regarding equipment. For more information,
The present invention relates to a vehicle headlamp device equipped with a tilting member that is tilted when changing the irradiation direction and a leveling adjustment mechanism for performing leveling adjustment, and a connection structure between the tilting member and the adjustment rod of the leveling adjustment mechanism. An object of the present invention is to provide a novel vehicle headlamp device which enables smooth leveling adjustment without straining the connecting portion between the tilting member and the leveling adjustment mechanism. It is.

(B. Summary of the Invention) The vehicle headlight device of the present invention is a vehicle headlight device including a tilting member that is tilted when changing the irradiation direction and a leveling adjustment mechanism for performing leveling adjustment. There it is,
The tilting member and the adjusting rod of the leveling adjustment mechanism are connected through two ball joints, thereby absorbing the deviation between the moving direction of the adjusting rod and the moving direction of the tilting member during leveling adjustment. This allows for smooth leveling adjustment.

(C. Prior Art) [Figure 13] In a vehicle headlight device, for example, an automobile headlight device, in addition to so-called initial aiming adjustment, leveling adjustment,
That is, there are some devices in which adjustments are made to correct the irradiation direction, which is deviated upward or downward due to changes in the number of passengers or the weight of cargo carried on the vehicle, each time.

In such a headlamp device, a leveling adjustment mechanism including an adjustment rod that is moved in the longitudinal direction by an appropriate drive means is usually fixed to the vehicle body or a vehicle body side member, and the front end of the adjustment rod is fixed to the vehicle body or a vehicle body side member. is connected to a connecting member provided at the tilting end of a tilting member such as a headlamp unit or a reflector, and is configured to tilt the tilting member upward or downward by moving the adjustment rod in the front-rear direction. .

FIG. 13 schematically shows an example a of a vehicle headlamp device equipped with such a leveling adjustment mechanism.

In the figure, b is a headlamp unit, and the headlamp unit b is supported by the vehicle body (not shown) at three points on the back of the headlamp unit b, and these three supporting points are near the upper end of the headlamp unit b. They are located at three locations: two locations appropriately spaced apart from each other on the left and right, and a location spaced vertically downward from one of the two locations.

Of the above three support points, a line connecting two horizontally spaced support points near the top end (not shown) is defined as the tilting axis C, and the remaining support points (hereinafter referred to as "leveling adjustment points") The headlamp unit b is tilted by moving the headlamp unit b in the front-rear direction as will be described later.

That is, a protruding part d protruding downward is formed at the lower end of the headlamp unit b, a connecting shaft e extending rearward is provided in the protruding part d, and a ball is attached to the rear end of the connecting shaft e. A portion f is formed. Then, the piston rod of the leveling adjustment mechanism described below and the ball part f of the connecting shaft e are connected to form a support point located on the lower side of the three support points, that is, a leveling adjustment point. Ru.

g is a leveling adjustment mechanism fixed to the vehicle body, and a drive mechanism (not shown) is provided inside the casing h, and a piston rod i whose axial direction extends in the front-rear direction
is provided to be moved in the axial direction by a drive mechanism, a spherical recess j is formed in the front end of the piston rod i, and the spherical part f of the connecting shaft e is rotatably inserted into the spherical recess j. It is fitted inside.

Then, when the piston rod i moves, the downward protrusion d of the headlight unit b is moved approximately in the front-back direction, whereby the headlight unit b is tilted about the tilting axis C, and the headlight unit b is tilted about the tilting axis C. The irradiation direction is adjusted vertically.

(D. Problems to be Solved by the Invention) [Fig. 13] However, in such a vehicle headlamp device a,
Since the locus of movement of the piston rod i and the locus of movement of the ball part f of the connecting shaft e do not match, there is a problem in that the movement of the piston rod i becomes heavy.

That is, while the piston rod i moves linearly in its axial direction, the ball part f of the connecting shaft e moves in an arc centered on the tilting axis C. Therefore, the movement of the piston rod i and the connecting shaft A vertical shift occurs between the movement of the piston rod i and the casing h.
Side pressure is generated between the piston rod i and the member that slidably supports it inside the piston rod, making the movement of the piston rod i heavier, and this also adds a considerable load to the drive mechanism. There was a problem in that it caused malfunctions and breakdowns.

(E. Means for Solving the Problems) Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, the vehicle headlight device of the present invention has a tilting member and an adjustment ring of a leveling adjustment mechanism in a ball joint shape for each. They are connected via a connecting member.

Therefore, according to the vehicle headlamp device of the present invention, the connecting member rotates to correct the deviation between the moving direction of the adjusting rod and the moving direction of the tilting member when leveling adjustment is performed. Since it can be absorbed by changing the posture, unreasonable force is not applied to the connecting portion between the tilting member and the adjusting rod, and thereby the leveling adjustment can be carried out smoothly.

(F. Embodiments) [The details of the vehicle headlamp device of the present invention will be explained in accordance with the illustrated embodiments below in FIGS. 1 to 12.

(F-1. First Embodiment) [Figures 1 to 5] In Figures 1 to 5, the vehicle headlight device of the present invention is applied to a unit movable type vehicle headlight device 1. This figure shows a first example.

(a. Headlamp) [Figs. 1 to 5] A headlamp 2 is composed of a headlamp unit, a sub-mounting ring holding the headlamp unit, a retaining ring, and the like.

3 is a headlight unit that is approximately rectangular when viewed from the front;
It consists of a lamp body 4 with an open front, a lens 5 attached to the lamp body 4 so as to cover the front opening, and a light bulb 6 arranged in a lamp space defined by the lamp body 4 and lens 5. , the bulb 6 has its base 6a supported by the rear top portion of the lamp body 4, and the forward facing portion of the inner surface of the bulb body 4 is formed into a paraboloid of revolution reflecting surface, which is not shown in the figure of the bulb 6. The filament is located approximately at the focal point of the reflective surface.

Further, a mounting flange 7 that projects outward is formed at the joint between the lamp body 4 and the lens 5.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a sub-mounting ring, which includes a main part 9 that is shaped like a substantially rectangular frame when viewed from the front, a mounting part 10 that projects outward from the front edge of the main part 9 in the shape of a flange, and the rear side of the main part 9. A back portion 11 protrudes inward from the edge, and mounting ears 12, 12, . It is integrally formed from a metal plate, and the mounting portion 10 has supporting protrusions 10a, 10a5, . . . protruding forward in a protruding manner. Further, a large hole 11a is formed in the back surface portion 11 so that the rear portion of the headlamp unit 3 can be inserted therethrough.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a retaining ring, which includes a frame-shaped main part 14 that is slightly larger than the mounting flange 7 of the headlamp unit 3, and a locking edge that projects inward from the front edge of the main part 14. 15 and mounting ears 16, 16, . . . projecting upward or downward from positions corresponding to the mounting ears 12, 12, . . . of the sub-mounting ring 8 on the rear edge of the main portion 14.
・It is formed by integrally forming a metal plate.

Then, the locking edge 1 of the tening ring 13 becomes like this.
5 on the front surface of the mounting flange 7 of the headlamp unit 3, and a hole 11a on the back plate 11 of the sub-mounting ring 8.
The rear part of the headlamp unit 3 is inserted through the headlight unit 3, and the support protrusions 10a, 10a, . The screws 17, 17, . . . that have been pushed through the insertion holes 16a, 16a, . . . formed in the ears 16, 16, . The formed screw hole 12a, 1
2a, . . . , so that the mounting flange 7 of the headlamp unit 3 is held in a pinched manner by the sub-mounting ring 8 and the retaining ring 13.

(b. Lamp Housing) [Figures 1 to 5] 18 is a vehicle body, and 19 is a lamp housing fixed to the vehicle body 18.

The lamp housing 19 has an outer shape that is approximately one size larger than the outer shape of the headlamp 2 when viewed from the front, and includes a frame-shaped annular portion 20 formed in an oval shape that is elongated in the horizontal direction, and a frame-shaped annular portion 20 that extends outward from the front edge of the annular portion 20. The lower part 21a of the front part 21 is gently inclined so as to be displaced forward as it goes downward.

Attachment holes 22, 22 (see FIG. 5) are formed at approximately the center of the lower part 21a of the front part 21 and at positions slightly higher than the center in the vertical direction of the left side. Self-locking nuts 23, 2 in holes 22, 22
3' is attached.

(c, mounting ring) [Figures 1 to 5] 24 is a mounting ring.

The mounting ring 24 has substantially the same outer shape as the sub-mounting ring 8 when viewed from the front,
Also, an annular main part 25 whose front end periphery is approximately the same size as the main part 9 of the sub-mounting ring 8, and a flange part 26 protruding outward from the front end edge of the main part 25.
and support portions 27, 27 that protrude forward from both left and right edges of the flange portion 26, a projection piece 28 that protrudes leftward from approximately the center of the left support portion 27, and approximately the center portion of the lower side of the flange portion 26. A protruding piece 29 protruding downward from is integrally formed of a metal plate.

Further, the left and right side wall portions 25a, 25a of the main portion 25 are formed in a spherical shape, and the protrusions 28, 29 are each formed with notches 28a, 29a, one end of which reaches the tip edge of the protrusions 28, 29. has been done.

Reference numeral 30 is a hooking hole formed at the upper end of the right support part 27, and reference numerals 31 and 31 are insertion holes formed at positions closer to the upper end than the center of the support parts 27, 27.

In such a mounting ring 24, the outer surfaces of the left and right side wall portions 25a, 25a of the main portion 25 are located on the left and right sides of the ridge edge where the annular portion 20 and the front portion 21 of the lamp housing 19 are connected. a substantially arc-shaped portion 32;
32 (see Figure 5) and is slidably seated on the
It is connected to the lamp housing 19 at two points.

That is, numerals 33 and 34 are assuring screws for adjusting aiming, and annular engagement grooves 33b and 34b are formed in contact with the heads 33a and 34a, and the opposite head 3. 3 Approximately half portions 33c, 34c on the side of 3a, 34a
is formed into a screw shaft, the edges of the notches 28a, 29a of the projections 28, 29 are engaged with the engagement grooves 33b, 34b, and the screw shaft portions 33c, 34c are connected to the mounting hole 22 of the lamp housing 19, They are screwed into self-locking nuts 23 and 23' attached to 22, respectively. Further, 35 is a tension spring, one end of which is engaged with the spring hook hole 30 of the mounting ring 24, and the other end of which is engaged with the spring hook 19a of the lamp housing 19.

Thus, the mounting ring 24 is connected to the lamp housing 19 through adjusting screws 33 and 34 so that the approximate center of the left side and the approximate center of the lower side thereof can be adjusted. At the same time, the part separated from the two connected positions is pulled rearward by the tension spring 35, so that the spherical side wall parts 25a, 25a of the main part 25 of the mounting ring 24 are connected to the lamp housing l9. ridge edge 32
, 32, so that the mounting ring 24 is supported so as to be tiltable in the left-right direction and the up-down direction with respect to the lamp housing 19. That is, for example,
When the left adjusting screw 33 is screwed into or unscrewed from the self-locking nut 23,
The mounting ring 24 is tilted approximately in the left-right direction with the vertical line passing through the position where the lower adjusting screw 34 and the projection piece 29 are engaged as the tilting axis, and the lower adjusting screw 34 is When the locking nut 23' is pushed back or twisted,
The mounting ring 24 is tilted approximately in the vertical direction with the horizontal line passing through the position where the left adjuster screw 33 and the protrusion 28 are engaged as the tilting axis.

(d. Headlamp support to mounting ring) [1st
The headlamp 2 is supported by the mounting ring 24 in the following manner so as to be tiltable in the vertical direction.

(d-1. Tilting fulcrum M) [FIGS. 2, 3, and 5 36 and 36 are tilting fulcrum axes. These tilting fulcrums! Ii
[ll36, 36 are nuts 37, 37 attached to mounting holes 9a, 9a formed near the upper end of both left and right sides of the main portion 9 of the sub-mounting ring 8, and the support portion of the mounting ring 24. The collars 38, 38 are inserted into the insertion holes 3l, 31 formed in the holes 27, 27 from the outside and are rotatably supported. ,
37 and bolts 39, 39 screwed onto the bolt 37.

As a result, positions near the upper end of both left and right sides of the headlamp 2 are rotatably supported with respect to the mounting ring 24.

(d-2. Leveling Adjustment Mechanism) [Figures 1, 2, 4, and 5] 40 is a leveling adjustment mechanism, which is fixed to the lower surface of the bottom 25b of the main portion 25 of the mounting ring 24. The piston rod 42 is supported by a bracket 41.
extends in the front-rear direction, and a sub-mounting ring 8
It is provided so as to face the lower left mounting ear 12 from the rear.

12b is a connector mounting hole formed in the mounting ear 12.

A spherical portion 42a is formed at the front end of the piston rod 42.

(d-3. Connector) [Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 4, Figure 5] 43 is a connector, which has a flat rear surface at a substantially intermediate portion between the shaft portion 44 and the shaft portion 44. A hemispherical contact portion 45 and a ball portion 46 located at the rear end of the shaft portion 44 are integrally formed of synthetic resin, and an annular locking groove 44a is formed at the front end of the shaft portion 44.
is formed.

Reference numeral 47 denotes a push-on fix made of a plate spring material, which has a substantially flat washer shape, and has a number of notches reaching the center hole 47a extending radially.
Such a push-on fix 47 has its center hole 4
When a slightly larger shaft member is inserted into 7a in the axial direction, the portion between the notches is bent in the axial direction, and the center hole 47
a has an enlarged diameter and is fitted onto the shaft member.

Then, the portion of the connector 43 on the side of the anti-spherical portion 46 from the contact portion 45 is inserted from the rear into the connector attachment hole 12b formed in the lower left attachment ear 12 of the sub-mounting ring 8, and the shaft portion A push-on fix 47 is fitted onto a portion of the mounting hole 44 that protrudes forward from the mounting hole 12b.
The peripheral edge of 7a is engaged with a locking groove 44a formed in the shaft portion 44, thereby preventing the connector 43 from coming off from the connector attachment hole 12b.

Thus, the connector 43 is attached so that the mounting ear 12 is sandwiched between the push-on fix 47 and the contact portion 45, which are connected to the push-on fix 47, and the spherical surface 4 of the contact portion 45 of the connector 43
5a contacts the rear surface of the mounting lug 12, and the spring elasticity of the push-on fix 47 allows the connector 43 to rotate relative to the mounting lug 12 to some extent.

(d-4. Connecting rod) [Fig. 1, Fig. 4, Fig. 5] 48 is a connecting rod.

The connecting rod 48 is made of synthetic resin and has a substantially cylindrical shape, and has spherical recesses 49, 49 which are opened separately and have a substantially C-shaped longitudinal section on both end faces thereof, and these spherical recesses 49, 49 Slits 50, 50, . . . are formed at positions opposite to each other across the axis in the portion between the outer circumferential surface and the slits 50, 50, . It is formed to reach the end face of the rod 48.

The spherical portion 42a of the piston rod 42 and the spherical portion 46 of the connector 43 are individually rotatably fitted into the two spherical recesses 49, 49 of the connecting rod 48.

Thereby, the piston rod 42 and the connector 43 are respectively connected to the connecting rod 48 in a ball joint shape.

Thus, the headlight 2 is rotatably supported by the mounting ring 24 via the tilting fulcrum shafts 36, 36 at positions near the upper end of both left and right sides thereof, and at the same time, its lower end is supported by the connector 43 and the connecting member 43. Rod 48 and leveling adjustment mechanism 40
The headlight 2 is connected to the mounting ring 24 via the connector 43, so that when the mounting ring 24 is tilted, the headlight 2 is tilted momentarily with the mounting ring 24, and the connector 43
When the is moved in the front-back direction, mounting ring 2
It will be tilted relative to 4.

(e. Operation) Therefore, the initial aiming adjustment and leveling adjustment of the headlamp 2 by the automobile headlamp device 1 configured as described above are performed as follows.

(.e-1. Aiming Adjustment) Initial aiming adjustment of the headlight 2 is performed by operating the adjusting screw 33 or 34 as described above. That is, since the headlight 2 is supported by the mounting ring 24, when the adjusting screw 33 is screwed into or unscrewed from the self-locking nut 23, the mounting ring 24 tilts in the left-right direction as described above. Therefore, the headlight 2 is tilted in the left and right direction integrally with the mounting ring 24 to adjust the irradiation direction in the left and right directions, and the adjusting screw 34 is screwed into the self-locking nut 23' or When untwisted, the mounting ring 24 is tilted in the vertical direction as described above, so that the headlamp 2 is tilted vertically together with the mounting ring 24, and the irradiation direction is adjusted in the vertical direction.

(e-2. Leveling Adjustment) The leveling adjustment of the headlight 2 is performed by moving the piston rod 42 of the leveling adjustment mechanism 40.

That is, when the piston rod 42 moves, the connector 43 connected thereto via the connecting rod 48 moves approximately in the front-rear direction, so that the lower part of the sub-mounting ring 8 is displaced approximately in the front-rear direction. The headlamp 2 is tilted approximately vertically about the tilting axis of the tilting support shafts 36, 36, thereby adjusting the irradiation direction in the vertical direction.

In this case, the moving direction of the piston rod 42 is the front-back direction, whereas the moving direction of the headlamp 2 and the connector 43 supported thereon is a circle centered on the axis of the tilting fulcrum shafts 36, 36. Since these piston rods 42 are arc-shaped,
The connecting rod 48 connected to the piston rod 42 and the connector 43 rotates relative to the piston rod 42 and the connector 43, while the portion connected to the piston rod 42 is linear in the direction of movement of the piston rod 42. The portion connected to the connector 43 is displaced in an arc shape in the direction of movement of the connector 43.

In other words, the connecting rod 48 rotates around the location where it is connected to the piston rod 42 and changes its posture.

Therefore, the deviation between the moving direction of the piston rod 42 and the moving direction of the connector 43 is absorbed by the connecting rod 48 changing its attitude as described above, and the piston rod 48
No unreasonable force is applied between the piston rod 42 and the connector 43, so that both the piston rod 42 and the headlight 2 are moved smoothly.

As mentioned above, since the connector 43 is attached to the headlight 2 so that it can be rotated to a certain extent, it is difficult to determine the degree of change in the posture of the connecting rod 48 or the connection between the connecting rod 48 and the connecting rod 48. Depending on the size of the sliding resistance pile at the part where the connector 43 or the piston rod 42 is connected, the connector 43 itself rotates with respect to the sub-mounting ring 8, and changes the direction of movement of the piston rod 42 and the headlight. This makes it possible to more reliably absorb deviations from the moving direction of the lamp 2.

(F-2. Second embodiment) [Figures 6 and 7] Figures 6 and 7 show the application of the vehicle headlight device of the present invention to a unit movable type vehicle headlight device 51. This shows a second example.

The automobile headlamp device 51 shown in this second embodiment differs from the automobile headlamp device 1 shown in the first embodiment in that the connector attached to the headlamp is The only difference is the structure and the provision of a locking ring on the connecting rod. Therefore, only the main parts are shown in the drawings, and explanations will be given only on the points that are different from those mentioned above, and for other parts, the reference numerals assigned to the same parts in the first embodiment will be used to refer to the other parts. Explanation will be omitted by assigning the same reference numerals.

(a. Connector) A connector 52 is composed of a synthetic resin fastener and a pivot connected to the fastener.

Reference numeral 53 denotes a fastener, and the main portion 53a has a substantially square columnar shape when viewed from the front and is slightly elongated in the front-rear direction.
, a flange portion 53b projecting outward from the rear end of the main portion 53a, and a front surface of the main portion 53b of the flange portion 53b.
A hole 53 is integrally formed with sliding contact portions 53c, 53c protruding forward from positions on both left and right sides of a and having a substantially semicircular shape when viewed from the left and right directions, and a hole 53 that penetrates the center portion in the front and back direction.
d is formed, and cut grooves 53e, 53e are formed in the left and right side walls of the main portion 53a and are approximately U-shaped and open forward.
are formed, and the portions 53f, 53f surrounded by these grooves 53e, 53e are locking portions having a certain degree of flexural elasticity with the base as the starting point, and the locking portions 53f, 5
The rear end portion 3f is slightly protruded to the side so as to face the sliding contact portions 53c, 53c, and the rear surface is shaped into a substantially arcuate surface.

54 is the lower left mounting ear 12 of the sub-mounting ring 8
This is a fastener mounting hole formed in a substantially square shape.

Then, the main part 53a of the fastener 53 is inserted into the fastener mounting hole 54 from behind, and at this time, the locking parts 53f, 53f are pressed by the periphery of the mounting hole 54, so that they temporarily turn inward toward each other. When it is bent and comes out of the attachment hole 54 forward, it returns to its original state, and at approximately the same time, the sliding contact portions 53c, 53c come into contact with the rear surface of the attachment ear 12.

Therefore, the sliding contact parts 53c, 53c and the locking parts 53f, 53f
grips the peripheral edge of the fastener mounting hole 54 from both front and rear sides, thereby allowing the fastener 53 to fit into the mounting ear 1.
2, and the fastener 53 is attached to the sliding portion 5.
3c153c arcuate front surface and locking portion 53f,
Since the arcuate rear surface of 53f is in contact with the mounting lug 12, it can rotate up and down to some extent. Reference numeral 55 denotes a pivot, which is integrally formed of metal with a cylindrical shaft portion 55a, a flange portion 55b located approximately in the middle thereof, and a ball portion 55c located at the rear end. The portion 55d on the front side from the portion 55b is formed into a self-tapping screw-like spiral shaft whose diameter becomes slightly smaller as it goes toward the front end.

The pivot 55 has a helical shaft portion 55d.
is attached to the fastener 53 by being screwed into the hole 53d of the fastener 53 from behind.

(b. Opening stop ring, etc.) 56, 56 is an opening stop ring approximately in the shape of a C ring, 57
, 57 are annular ring engaging grooves formed on the outer circumferential surface of the connecting rod 48 near both ends, and the inner diameter of the locking rings 56, 56 is equal to the diameter of the bottom surface of the ring engaging grooves 57, 57. are approximately the same size.

Therefore, the spherical part 42a of the piston rod 42 and the spherical part 55c of the bihot 55 are fitted into the two spherical recesses 49, 49 of the connecting rod 48, respectively, so as to be freely circular, and in this state, the ring engaging groove 57, Opening stop rings 56, 56 are engaged with 57.

Therefore, the spherical recesses 49, 49 of the connecting rod 48 have the slits 50, 50, so that the spherical recesses 49, 49 have the spherical parts 42a, 49,
55c can be opened to some extent in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction, but when the stopper rings 56, 56 are engaged, such opening is prevented, and as a result, The connection between the connecting rod 48, piston rod 42, and pivot 55 is stably maintained.

As described above, since the connector 52 itself is attached to the sub-mounting ring 8 so that it can be rotated in the vertical direction, the connecting rod 48 is connected to the piston rod 42 and the sub-mounting ring 8 when leveling adjustment is performed. The piston rod 42 and the headlight 2 can move more smoothly by being rotated relative to the connector 52 and, in some cases, the connector 52 itself is also rotated relative to the sub-mounting ring 8.

(F-3. Third Embodiment) [Figs. 8 to 12] Figs. 8 to 12 show a third embodiment of the vehicle headlamp device of the present invention.

In this third embodiment, the vehicle headlight device of the present invention is applied to a unit movable type vehicle headlight device 58.

(a. Headlight unit) [Figures 8 to 10] Reference numeral 59 indicates a headlight unit, which includes a lamp body 60, a lens 61 that covers the front opening of the lamp body 60, and a lamp body. The lamp body 60 has a reflecting surface 60a facing forward, and the light emitting part of the lamp 62 is a lamp stem defined by the lamp body 60 and a lens 61. located within space.

Point A, point B, and point C (see Figure 8) are the headlight unit 5.
9 is a point supported by the unit support plate 63, point A is a tilting fulcrum located near one side of the lower end of the back surface of the lamp body 60, and point B is a position spaced upward from point A. A certain vertical adjustment section, point C, is a horizontal adjustment section located laterally apart from point A.

64 and 65 are both parts of the vehicle body (hereinafter referred to as "r-part vehicle body"), and these partial vehicle bodies 64 and 65 are located apart from each other in the longitudinal direction, and the headlight unit 59 is described later. The unit support plate 63 is supported so as to be tiltable in the vertical and horizontal directions via a tilting fulcrum shaft and an aiming adjustment mechanism.
It is fixed at 4.

(b. Tilt fulcrum shaft, aiming adjustment mechanism) [Figs. 8 to 12] (b-1. Tilting fulcrum shaft) [Fig. 9] 66 is a tilt fulcrum shaft, and the rear end thereof is connected to the unit support plate 63. A ball portion 66a is integrally formed at the front end. Reference numeral 67 denotes a ball receiver made of synthetic resin attached to a bracket 68 provided at point A, which is the tilting fulcrum portion of the headlamp unit 59, and the tilting fulcrum shaft is attached to a spherical concave hole 67a opened on the rear surface. 66 ball portions 66a are fitted inside so as to be freely retractable.

(b-2. Aiming Adjustment Mechanism) [Figures 8 to 12] 69 is a vertical aiming adjustment mechanism, and 70 is its casing. And inside the casing 70,
A worm body 71 (see FIG. 11) whose glaze direction extends in the vertical direction is rotatably arranged, and the worm body 7
A worm wheel 72 that meshes with a pinion gear 71a that forms the lower part of the worm body 71 and a drive gear 73 that meshes with the pinion gear 7lb that forms the upper part of the worm body 71 are respectively arranged rotatably. A screw hole 72 that penetrates through the casing in the front and back direction and is coaxial with the insertion holes 70a and 70a formed in the front and rear side walls of the casing 70.
a is formed, and the lower end of an operating shaft 74 is fixed to the center of the drive gear 73.

Reference numeral 75 denotes an adjuster screw, in which a shaft portion 76 and a connecting portion 77 continuous to the rear end of the shaft portion 76 are integrally formed of synthetic resin.

The front end 76a of the shaft portion 76 is connected to the other portion 7.
The other portion 76 is formed into a spiral shaft with a diameter smaller than that of 6b.
Most of b, excluding both front and rear ends, is also formed into a spiral shaft.

Further, the connecting portion 77 has a substantially block shape, and has a deep cylindrical recess 77a that is open on its upper surface, and a notch 77b between the rear end surface and the recess 77a. , the width of the notch 77b in the left-right direction is equal to the width of the recess 7
It is formed smaller than the inner diameter of 7a.

Reference numeral 78 denotes a lid, which has a plate shape and has approximately the same size as the upper surface of the connecting portion 77, and is fixed to the upper surface by a fixing means such as ultrasonic welding, thereby closing the upper surface of the recess 77a.

The adjusting screw 75 has a large diameter screw shaft 76b that is screwed into the screw hole 72a of the worm wheel 72 from the rear.
A sphere 79 is screwed onto the front end 76a of the sphere.

Reference numeral 80 denotes a ball receiver attached to a bracket 81 provided at point B, which is the vertical adjustment section of the headlamp unit 59, and has a spherical recess 80a opening at the rear surface. .

Thus, the casing 70 of the vertical aiming adjustment mechanism 69 is fixed to the rear surface of the upper end of the unit support plate 63, and the front part of the adjusting screw 75 is projected forward through the hole 63a formed in the unit support plate 63. A sphere 79 attached to the front end thereof is rotatably fitted into the spherical recess 80a of the sphere receiver 80.

A left/right aiming adjustment mechanism (not shown) is provided at point C of the headlamp unit 59. Point C of the light unit 59 is moved in the front and back direction.

(b-3. Attaching the headlight unit to the vehicle body)
The headlamp unit 59 is supported by a unit support plate 63 via a tilting fulcrum shaft 66, a vertical aiming adjustment mechanism 69, and a left and right aiming adjustment mechanism (not shown) provided at the C point. Partial car body 64
Fixed.

As a result, the headlamp unit 59 can be moved to point A, point B, and point C.
It is supported by the vehicle body so that it can tilt freely at three points. (c. Leveling adjustment mechanism) [Figures 8 to 12] 82 is a leveling adjustment mechanism. Reference numeral 83 denotes a casing of the leveling adjustment mechanism 82, and a substantially cylindrical cylindrical portion 83a is provided on the front wall of the casing to protrude forward.
A bearing recess 83b (see FIG. 10) is formed at a position coaxial with a.

Reference numeral 84 denotes a driving body (see FIG. 10), and the driving body 84 has a substantially cylindrical front part 85, a substantially cylindrical rear part 86, and a substantially oval-shaped intermediate part 87 when viewed from the axial direction. The front portion 85 is rotatably inserted into the cylindrical portion 83a of the casing 83, and the rear end portion is rotatably inserted into the bearing recess 83b of the casing 83. Note that the hole 85a in the front portion 85 is formed so that its cross section has a substantially oval shape.

Reference numeral 88 denotes a worm wheel, which has a circular insertion hole 88a formed in its center, and an annular engagement protrusion 88b positioned so as to surround the insertion hole 88a on the rear surface. The inner circumferential surface of the protrusion 88b is formed to have a substantially oval shape when viewed from the axial direction. The worm wheel 88 has a driving body 8 inserted into its insertion hole 88a.
4 is inserted through the front part 85 near the rear end, and the intermediate part 87 of the drive body 84 is tightly fitted into the engagement protrusion 88b, which allows the drive body 84 to rotate integrally with it. supported to do so.

89 is a motor disposed at the lower part of the casing 83;
A worm gear 0 is rotatably supported by the casing 83 and meshed with the worm wheel 88. A transmission gear (not shown) is integrally formed at one end of the worm gear 90, and the transmission gear is connected to the output shaft of the motor 89. It is meshed with a fixed output gear 89a.

Reference numeral 91 denotes an adjustment rod, which is composed of a shaft portion 92 having a substantially oval cross-sectional shape and a ball portion 93 located at the front end of the shaft portion 92. Two side surfaces 92a and 92 of the shaft portion 92 are parallel to each other.
The distance between a and the adjuster screw 75 is
The width is slightly smaller than the width of the notch 77b formed in the connecting portion 77 (see FIG. 12).

Then, the shaft portion 92 of the adjustment rod 91 is slidably inserted into the hole 85a of the front portion 85 of the driver 84, and the driver 84
When the adjustment rod 91 rotates, the adjustment rod 91 rotates together with the adjustment rod 91, and is connected to the adjustment rod 91 so as to be slidable relative to the adjustment rod 91 in the axial direction.

When the motor 89 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the drive body 84 via a transmission gear (not shown) formed at one end of the output gear 89a of the motor 89, the worm gear 90, and the worm gear 88. The driving body 84 is rotated, and thereby the adjustment rod 91 is rotated.

The leveling adjustment mechanism 82 is mounted on the back surface of the rear partial vehicle body 65 so that its adjustment rod 91 is substantially coaxial with the adjuster screw 75 of the vertical aiming adjustment mechanism 69.

Note that the adjustment rod 91 projects forward through a rod insertion hole 65a formed in the partial vehicle body 65.

(d. Connection between the adjusting screw and the adjusting rod) [Figs. 9, 10, and 12] The ball portion 93 of the adjusting rod 91 is connected to the recess formed in the connecting portion 77 of the adjusting screw 75. 77a, and side surfaces 92a, 92 of the front end of the shaft portion 92.
a is engaged with a notch 77b formed in the connecting portion 77 with some margin, and thereby the adjusting rod 91 is connected to the adjuster screw 75 in a non-rotatable manner. Note that, thereafter, the lid 78 is fixed to the connecting portion 77.

Therefore, the front end of the shaft portion 92 of the adjustment rod 9l is engaged with the notch 77b of the connecting portion 77 with a slight margin in the axial direction, so that the adjustment rod 91 and the adjuster screw 75 are engaged with each other with a slight margin in the axial direction. are connected so that they rotate almost integrally, but the connections are made so that they can rotate to some extent in the vertical and horizontal directions. Since the vertical adjustment mechanism 69 having the adjusting screw 75 and the leveling adjustment mechanism 82 having the adjusting rod 91 are separately attached to the two partial vehicle bodies 64 and 65 that are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction, the adjuster Although some axial misalignment inevitably occurs between the screw 75 and the adjustment rod 91, since the adjuster screw 75 and the adjustment rod 91 are connected to be rotatable to some extent in the vertical and horizontal directions as described above, Even if there is some axial misalignment, the misalignment will be absorbed by the rotatable coupling structure at the connecting portion between them, and as a result, these adjuster screws 75 and adjustment rods 91
It is possible to prevent the application of excessive force that would make the movement difficult.

(e. Operation) Therefore, when performing aiming adjustment in the vertical direction, the operating shaft 74 of the vertical aiming adjustment mechanism 69 is rotated. Then, the rotation causes the drive gear 73 and the worm body 71
The worm wheel 72 is rotated by the transmission to the worm wheel 72, which is prevented from moving in the axial direction by the casing 70, and the adjuster screw 75 is an adjusting screw connected thereto. Since the rotation of the rod 91 is prevented by the driver 84, the worm wheel 72 is prevented from rotating.
The rotation of the adjuster screw 75 screwed into the screw hole 72a is moved in the axial direction. As a result, the adjusting screw 75 moves in the axial direction, so the ball holder 80 attached to the point B of the headlamp unit 59 is moved approximately in the front-back direction, thereby moving the headlamp unit 59 to the point A. The headlamp unit 59 is tilted substantially vertically using a straight line connecting point C and C as a tilting axis, thereby adjusting the irradiation direction of the headlamp unit 59 in the vertical direction.

Note that the aiming adjustment in the left-right direction is performed by a left-right aiming adjustment mechanism (not shown).

Further, the leveling adjustment is performed by rotating the motor 89 of the leveling adjustment mechanism 82 by a remote control means (not shown). That is, as described above, the motor 89
When the adjusting rod 91 is rotated, the adjusting screw 75 connected to the adjusting rod 91 is rotated, and the worm wheel 72 to which the adjusting screw 75 is screwed cannot be rotated due to engagement with the worm body 71. Since the adjusting screw 75 is screwed into or unscrewed from the screw hole 72a of the worm wheel 72, it is moved in the axial direction, and the headlamp unit 2 is thereby moved vertically. tilted in direction.

(G. Effects of the Invention) As is clear from the above description, the vehicle headlight device of the present invention includes a tilting member that is tilted when changing the irradiation direction and a leveling adjustment mechanism for performing leveling adjustment. A vehicle headlamp device is characterized in that the tilting member and the adjustment rod of the leveling adjustment mechanism are connected to each other via a connection member connected in a ball joint shape.

Therefore, according to the vehicle headlamp device of the present invention, the connecting member rotates with respect to both of the moving directions of the adjusting rod and the tilting member to compensate for the misalignment between the moving direction of the adjusting rod and the moving direction of the tilting member when leveling adjustment is performed. Since the force can be absorbed by changing the posture, unreasonable force is not applied to the connecting portion between the tilting member and the adjustment rod, and thereby the leveling adjustment can be carried out smoothly.

In the first and second embodiments, the connector 43 or the fastener 53 has a structure that allows the connector 43 or the fastener 53 to be rotated to some extent with respect to the tilting member (headlamp unit 3) at the leveling adjustment point. However, by doing so, the movement of the tilting member and the movement of the adjustment rod can be made even smoother.

Furthermore, in the above three embodiments, the vehicle headlight device of the present invention was applied to a so-called unit movable type vehicle headlight, but the vehicle headlight device of the present invention is applicable to this. It can also be applied not only to automobile headlights of a movable mirror type that tilts the reflector relative to the lamp body, but also to other vehicle headlights, not just automobile headlights. Of course, it can be applied.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the vehicle headlamp device of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part, FIG. 2 is a front view, and FIG. 3 is a front view. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line III--III in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts, and FIGS. 6 and 7.
The figures show a second embodiment of the vehicle headlamp device of the present invention, in which FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the main parts, FIG. 7 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the main parts, and FIGS. 12 shows a third embodiment of the vehicle headlamp device of the present invention, FIG. 8 is a front view, FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8, and FIG.
Figure 0 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part, Figure 11 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the main part, Figure 12 is an enlarged sectional view along the ■ group line in Figure 10, and Figure 13 is a conventional vehicle headlight. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of the device. 1 ・ ・ 2 ・ ・ 4 0 ・ 4 2 ・ 4 8 ・ 5 1 ・ 5 8 ・ 5 9 ・ 8 2 ・ 9 1 ・ Vehicle headlight device, tilting member, ・ Leveling adjustment mechanism, ・ Adjustment rond, ・Connecting member, ・Vehicle headlight device, ・Vehicle headlight device, ・Tilt member, 75...Connection member, ・Leveling adjustment mechanism, ・Adjustment rod code explanation 0 ~ α Co A Copy measurement Top view (conventional example) Figure 13

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A vehicle headlamp device comprising a tilting member that is tilted when changing the irradiation direction and a leveling adjustment mechanism for adjusting the leveling, the headlight device comprising: a tilting member that is tilted when changing the irradiation direction; and a leveling adjustment mechanism for adjusting the leveling; A vehicle headlight device characterized in that the rods are connected to each other through connection members connected in a ball joint shape.