Vehicle lighting apparatus having a lens seated on movable member slidingly coupled to support member that is coupled to light source section

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9523472-B2
Application number	US-201514608075-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Oct 15, 2014
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

A vehicle lighting apparatus includes a light source section and a lens disposed at a front side of the light source section to refract light from the light source section. A movable member has an end portion on which the lens is seated. A support member has an end portion which is coupled to the light source section and slidably coupled to the movable member such that the movable member is movable in a forward and rearward direction of the light source section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle lighting apparatus comprising:
a light source section;
a lens disposed at a front side of the light source section to refract light from the light source section;
a movable member having an end portion on which the lens is seated; and
a support member having an end portion which is coupled to the light source section and slidably coupled to the movable member such that the movable member is movable in a forward and rearward direction of the light source section,
wherein the movable member has a cylindrical shape, and planar cutting faces are respectively formed on one surface and the opposite surface of the movable member, which are symmetrical to each other, on an outer peripheral surface of the movable member,
wherein the support member is configured as a pair of support members to protrude forward, and inner surfaces of the pair of support members come into contact with the planar cutting faces to guide the movable member,
wherein the vehicle lighting apparatus further comprises an operation nut having an inner peripheral portion, into which the pair of support members and the movable member are inserted and an inner peripheral surface of the operation nut engages with a thread of the movable member,
wherein the movable member moves forward or rearward along with rotation of the operation nut.

2. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light source section comprises:
a light source for generating the light; and
a heat sink having a plurality of cooling fins to cool heat generated by the light source.

3. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the light source is laser.

4. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the heat sink is provided on a rear surface of the light source.

5. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a thread is continuously formed along the outer peripheral surface of the movable member in a longitudinal direction thereof, and the thread is formed on a portion in which the planar cutting faces are not formed on the outer peripheral surface.

6. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a housing provided at a front side of the support member to cover the front side of the support member, the housing having one side opened toward the support member and a hollow formed such that the movable member is movable therein.

7. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a through-hole is formed on another side of the housing, and a fluorescent body is provided in the through-hole.

8. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the housing further comprises a reflector provided on a front surface thereof to reflect the light emitted via the fluorescent body.

9. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the housing further comprises a light guide provided to correspond to the through-hole, along which the light moves when the light is incident thereon.

10. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 9 , wherein when a cross-sectional diameter of the light guide is similar to that of the fluorescent body, the light from the light source is entirely incident on a cross-sectional area of the light guide abutting the fluorescent body.

11. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 9 , wherein when a cross-sectional diameter of the light guide is smaller than that of the fluorescent body, the light from the light source is incident on an area corresponding to a cross-sectional area of the light guide.

12. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the light guide is supported through a separate fixing structure or an end portion thereof and is bonded around the through-hole.

13. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support member is provided in plural corresponding to the number of the planar cutting faces.

14. The vehicle lighting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an outer peripheral surface of each support member has an arc shape corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the operation nut.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ahn Byoung Suk
• Oh Young Sub

Classifications

• F21S41/176

  Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element · CPC title

• F21S43/16

  Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element · CPC title

• F21S45/48

  with means for conducting heat from the inside to the outside of the lighting devices, e.g. with fins on the outer surface of the lighting device · CPC title

• F21S43/26

  Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255 · CPC title

• F21S41/173

  Fluorescent light sources · CPC title