Koito Manufacturing Company, Ltd.

Yoshio Suehiro

Katutada Shirai

Hitoshi Takeda

Hironori Tsukamoto

Masahiro Kusagaya

Takashi Hori

Masatoshi Yoneyama

Hideki Ohashi

Ken Matsuoka

Yasushi Ohtsuka

Hirokazu Endo

In a vehicular head lamp wherein a synthetic resin reflector having a light source is tiltably supported in a synthetic resin lamp body by an aiming mechanism interposed between the reflector and the lamp body, an elastic engagement strip which projects forwards and has a side surface provided with an engagement concave portion, is formed integrally with an interior of the lamp body, and an engagement convex portion that can engage the engagement concave portion of the lamp body is formed integrally with a back face of the reflector. The engagement convex portion is brought to engage the engagement concave portion so that the engaged engagement convex and concave portions constitute an aiming fulcrum.

Vehicular head lamp

A vehicle headlamp including: a reference member mounted on and fixed to a vehicle body; an inclinable member including a light source mounted thereon, and disposed in the reference member inclinably with respect to the reference member for setting an optical axis of the headlamp; an aiming mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the inclinable member in the vertical direction thereof as well as in the right and direction thereof with respect to the reference member; and an inclination measuring device interposed between the reference member and the inclinable member for measuring the inclination of said optical axis of the headlamp in the right and left direction thereof, while a zero point adjustment operation portion of a zero point adjust mechanism disposed in the inclination measuring device is exposed outwardly of the reference member, the headlamp being characterized in that a hide member is mounted directly on the zero point adjustment operation portion or on a vertical wall formed integrally with the reference member in such a manner as to surround the zero point adjustment operation portion, and the zero point adjustment operation portion is hidden by the hide member.

Vehicle headlamp

A reflector,installed in a lamp body,of a headlamp is supported by an aiming mechanism E,in such a way as to adjustably tilt the reflector,. The aiming mechanism E,includes one ball joint,which is held between the reflector,and the lamp body,, two aiming screws,and,which are each rotatably supported by the lamp body,, and nut members,and,which are each screwed onto the aiming screws,and,and integrally fitted to the reflector,. The reflector,is fitted with a light-distribution switching mechanism F,for alternatively switching between light distribution for a low beam and light distribution for a high beam. Each of the nut members,and,is carried by a pair of vertically opposed horizontal ribs,and,extendedly formed in the lamp body,so that a reflector-side load (weight) acting on the aiming mechanism E,is reduced to ensure smooth aiming and the formation of adequate light distribution.

Automobile headlamp having light distribution switching mechanism

An automobile headlamp is equipped with a lamp body that can deal with different aiming specifications. An automobile headlamp such that a light source unit in a lamp body is made tiltable vertically and horizontally by an aiming mechanism, and rotatable portions of a vertical and a horizontal aiming screw as members of the aiming mechanism, are provided outside the lamp body, so that these rotatable portions are turned to adjust the light source unit by tilting the light source vertically and horizontally. A cap can be fitted to the rotatable portion of at least the horizontal adjustable aiming screw in order to cover the rotatable portion thereof where horizontal aiming is unnecessary according to specifications applicable to the headlamp. Thus, horizontal aiming is made ineffective by not allowing a rotatable tool to engage with the rotatable portion of the horizontal aiming screw.

Automobile headlamp

In an automobile headlamp, a light source unit in a lamp body is inclined vertically and horizontally with an aiming mechanism, the rotating operation sections of a vertical aiming screw and a horizontal aiming screw which form the aiming mechanism are provided outside of the lamp body, and the rotating operation sections are turned to incline the light source unit vertically and horizontally. In the automobile headlamp, a protruding wall is extended at least at the horizontal aiming screw in such a manner as to surround the rotating operation section of the horizontal aiming screw, and a part of the protruding wall extending end portion is integrated through a thin hinge with a lid, namely, a tongue-shaped plate in such a manner that the latter is extended in the same direction as the protruding wall. As for a specification that requires no horizontal aiming operation, the tongue-shaped plate is folded along the thin hinge and locked in such a manner as to close the opening of the protruding wall, to close the rotating operation section in the protruding wall with the tongue-shaped plate, thereby to make it impossible to perform the horizontal aiming operation.

A reflector 11 to which a discharge bulb 16 is attached is made of a conductive material, and a casing (turn-on circuit casing 30) made of a conductor is attached to a rear-side opening portion of a lamp body enclosing the reflector so that the opening is closed. A grounded shielding tube 21 is provided to enclose the discharge bulb 16, and a grounded extension reflector 3B is disposed at the opening of the reflector 11. At least the reflector 11 and the casing 30 are collectively grounded so that it becomes possible to suppress the electromagnetic waves radiated from the discharge bulb 16 to its circumference.

Vehicle lamp with discharge bulb

A reflector with an electric lighting bulb mounted thereto is coupled to a lamp body via a ball-and-socket connection and a vertical and a horizontal aiming screw. Each aiming screw comprises a threaded shank engaged with a nut on the back of the reflector, a journal joined to the threaded shank and rotatably received in a bearing sleeve formed on the lamp body, and a head portion joined to the journal and projecting rearwardly from the bearing sleeve. The aiming screw is formed to include two collars for engaging the bearing sleeve therebetween and so the aiming screw is restrained from axial displacement relative to the sleeve. The diameters of the various parts of the aiming screw and of the bearing sleeve are so determined in relation to one another that, in the assemblage of the headlamp, the aiming screw can be inserted, with its head portion foremost, into and through the bearing sleeve from inside the lamp body, either before or after coupling the aiming screw to the reflector via the nut.

Easy-to-assemble aiming mechanism for vehicle lamps

In vehicular headlamp an adjusting shaft is provided in a lamp housing for adjusting the irradiating angle of the headlamp. The adjusting shaft is threadedly joined to a nut formed with a threaded hole and a notch which opens the threaded hole into a side surface. The threaded shaft portion of the adjusting shaft is engaged with the threaded hole through the notch.

Vehicular headlamp having improved assembly efficiency

An automobile headlamp aiming mechanism including a tilting member supported on a stationary member so as to be capable of tilting and defining the illumination angle of the headlamp beam. A cylindrical nut member is rotatably supported by a bearing formed on the stationary member. An aiming screw threadedly joined with the nut member extends forward and backward in threaded connection with the nut member, the aiming screw being prevented from moving with respect to the nut member, and moving forward and backward in the axial direction to tilt the tilting member. The aiming mechanism allows the nut member to rotate smoothly when a bevel gear formed on the nut member is engaged with a driver inserted in a direction at a right angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the aiming screw. Concavo-convex engaging parts for engaging the nut member with the bearing are provided on predetermined confronting faces in sliding contact between the bearing and the nut member, the nut member engaging parts operating to prevent the nut member from rotating in response to vibration or the like. The nut member is supported elastically in the axial direction in such a manner that the engagement of the engaging parts is released by the thrust generated when the nut member is rotated.

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Shizuoka, Japan

Yoshio Suehiro