Lighting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834135-B2
Application number	US-201514844472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 11, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A lighting apparatus includes: a light source; a sealed housing accommodating the light source therein; and an aiming screw rotatably supported in a through-hole which extends through the housing. Therefore, an optical axis of light emitted from the light source can be adjusted by rotating the aiming screw. A breathing passage communicating inside and outside of the housing with each other is provided inside the aiming screw, so that it is unnecessary to separately provide a breathing passage, thereby enabling decrease in the number of parts, and simplification of the structure. Accordingly, breathing of the housing of the lighting apparatus is achieved using a simple and compact structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting apparatus comprising:
a light source;
a sealed housing accommodating the light source therein; and
an aiming screw rotatably supported in a through-hole which extends through the housing, wherein
an optical axis of light emitted from the light source is adjusted by rotating the aiming screw,
a breathing passage communicating inside and outside of the housing with each other is provided inside the aiming screw,
an air-permeable, water-proof and dust-proof filter is provided in a part of the breathing passage,
a fitting recessed portion is formed in the opposite end of the aiming screw,
the filter is placed between a main passage of the breathing passage open to a bottom portion of the fitting recessed portion and a first outer opening of the breathing passage,
the filter is covered with a fitting member by fitting the fitting member into the fitting recessed portion, the fitting member including an engagement groove engageable with a tool used for adjusting the optical axis, and
the fitting member is fixed to the fitting recessed portion by locking a lock claw provided to the fitting member into the first outer opening.

2. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
a seal member is provided on an outer periphery of the aiming screw, the seal member abutting against an inner periphery of the through-hole, and
the breathing passage includes
the main passage passing through an inside of the seal member along an axis of the aiming screw,
an inner opening communicating the main passage with the inside of the housing on one end side of the aiming screw, and
the first outer opening communicating the main passage with the outside of the housing on an opposite end side of the aiming screw.

3. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a second outer opening communicating the main passage with the outside of the housing is formed from a passage groove which is formed in at least one of abutment surfaces of the fitting member and the fitting recessed portion.

4. The lighting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting apparatus is a vehicle headlamp.

Assignees

• Honda Access Kk

Inventors

• Seki Kunihiko

Classifications

• B60Q1/0683

  Adjustable by rotation of a screw · CPC title

• B60Q1/20 Primary

  Fog lights · CPC title

• F21V17/16 Primary

  by deformation of parts; Snap action mounting · CPC title

• F21S41/657

  by moving light sources · CPC title

• F21S45/50

  Waterproofing · CPC title