Vehicle headlamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9381849-B2
Application number	US-201313943839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2013
Priority date	Jul 18, 2012
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle headlamp includes a lamp body including a lamp housing having an opening and a cover covering the opening in the lamp housing, and a lamp unit disposed in the lamp body and including, a light source unit having a light source configured to emit light, a structural unit having a projection lens configured to project the light emitted from the light source and a lens holder configured to hold the projection lens, an irradiating direction changing mechanism configured to change an irradiating direction of the light emitted from the light source and projected by the projection lens, and a bracket configured to being operated by a driving force of the irradiating direction changing mechanism and to change an orientation of an optical axis of the projection lens. The structural unit and the light source unit are mounted on the bracket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle headlamp comprising:
a lamp body including a lamp housing having an opening and a cover covering the opening in the lamp housing; and
a lamp unit disposed in the lamp body and including,
a light source unit having an LED light source configured to emit light, and a heat sink,
a structural unit having a reflector that reflects light from the LED light source, a projection lens configured to project the light emitted from the LED light source and reflected by the reflector, a lens holder configured to hold the projection lens, and a light quantity control mechanism that varies an amount of light passing therethrough,
an irradiating direction changing mechanism, including a drive source, configured to change an irradiating direction of the light emitted from the LED light source and projected by the projection lens,
a bracket, including a frame-shaped base portion, configured to being operated by a driving force of the irradiating direction changing mechanism and to change an orientation of an optical axis of the projection lens, and
a support base that supports the bracket,

wherein the structural unit and the light source unit are each directly mounted on the bracket,
wherein the light quantity control mechanism comprises a movable shade that rotates between a first position and a second position, and
wherein a supported portion of the bracket is supported by the support base via a spherical bearing portion as a fulcrum upon operation of the drive source.

2. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the structural unit is mounted on the bracket from a front of the bracket, and
wherein the light source unit is mounted on the bracket from a rear of the bracket.

3. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the irradiating direction changing mechanism is mounted on the bracket.

4. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the bracket is configured to be able to rotate relative to the lamp housing.

5. A vehicle headlamp comprising:
a lamp body including a lamp housing having an opening and a cover covering the opening in the lamp housing; and
a lamp unit disposed in the lamp body and including,
a light source unit having an LED light source configured to emit light, and a heat sink,
a structural unit having a reflector that reflects light from the LED light source, a projection lens configured to project the light emitted from the LED light source and reflected by the reflector, a lens holder configured to hold the projection lens, and a light quantity control mechanism that varies an amount of light passing therethrough,
an irradiating direction changing mechanism, including a drive source, configured to change an irradiating direction of the light emitted from the LED light source and projected by the projection lens,
a bracket, including a frame-shaped base portion, configured to being operated by a driving force of the irradiating direction changing mechanism and to change an orientation of an optical axis of the projection lens, and
a support base that supports the bracket,

wherein the structural unit and the light source unit are each directly mounted on the bracket,
wherein the light quantity control mechanism comprises a movable shade that rotates between a first position and a second position, and
wherein a supported portion of the bracket is supported by the support base via a supported shaft as a fulcrum upon operation of the drive source.

Assignees

• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shibata Hiroki

Classifications

• F21S41/148

  the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis · CPC title

• B60Q1/0483

  mounted on a bracket, e.g. details concerning the mouting of the lamps on the vehicle body · CPC title

• F21S45/435

  circulating the gas within a closed system · CPC title

• B60Q1/06 Primary

  adjustable, e.g. remotely-controlled from inside vehicle (B60Q1/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F21S48/1159

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic