KR102707607B1 - Maintenance device and method for vehicle headlamp - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a maintenance device and method for a headlamp for a vehicle, comprising: a separation unit which heats the headlamp to a predetermined temperature to melt an adhesive at a joining portion in order to separate a housing and a transparent lens portion from a headlamp removed from a vehicle; and a plurality of attachment and maintenance means which apply an adhesive along the edges of the housing and the transparent lens portion after replacement or maintenance of internal parts of the housing or replacement of the transparent lens portion, and are installed along the joining portion for a predetermined period of time in order to maintain the bonding strength of the applied adhesive.

Description

{Maintenance device and method for vehicle headlamp}

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle headlamp, and more particularly, to a maintenance device and method for a vehicle headlamp provided on the front side of a vehicle to illuminate the front.

Headlamps are lighting devices installed on each side of the front of a vehicle to illuminate the front for safe driving.

As in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, a general headlamp (10) may be composed of a lamp (12) that generates light, a housing (14) that constitutes the rear portion of the headlamp (10), and a transparent lens portion (16) that constitutes the front portion of the headlamp (10).

The housing (14) has an open front and a lamp (12) can be placed inside.

And the transparent lens part (16) can be provided to cover the open front of the housing (14), is exposed to the outside of the vehicle, and emits light emitted from the lamp (12) to the outside of the vehicle.

Since the headlamp of the above configuration is a component for securing the driver's vision, maintenance is required to secure good vision.

That is, since it is difficult to secure a field of vision when a lamp (12) whose lifespan has expired is replaced or when the transparent lens part (16) is damaged by scratches or the like, some parts must be replaced or maintenance must be performed periodically.

However, headlamps removed from vehicles had a difficult separation between the housing and the transparent lens, and there was a problem that the headlamp itself was damaged during replacement or maintenance due to the difficulty in separation.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2012-0050270

Embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to provide a maintenance device and method for a vehicle headlamp that improves the problems described above, and relate to a maintenance device and method for a vehicle headlamp that can easily and efficiently separate a bonded housing and a transparent lens portion using a separation unit.

In addition, another purpose of the present invention relates to a maintenance device and method for a headlamp, which can increase adhesive strength by using an adhesive to bond a housing and a transparent lens part, which have been subjected to maintenance, and then use an adhesive maintenance means.

The technical problems to be achieved in the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be considered by a person having ordinary skill in the art from the various embodiments described below.

A maintenance device for a headlamp for a vehicle according to the invention comprises: a separation unit which heats the headlamp to a predetermined temperature to melt an adhesive at a joint portion in order to separate a housing and a transparent lens portion from a headlamp removed from a vehicle; and a plurality of attachment and maintenance means which apply adhesive along the edges of the housing and the transparent lens portion after replacement or maintenance of internal parts of the housing or replacement of the transparent lens portion, and are installed along the joint portion for a predetermined period of time to maintain the adhesive strength of the applied adhesive.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the separation unit may include a separation body having a door installed on the front to form a space inside and open the space, casters installed on the bottom surface to be movable, and a storage space open on all sides on the lower side; a support plate installed inside the separation body via a buffer member; a lower heating unit installed above the support plate to be height-adjustable, having an electric heating wire installed inside and the headlamp mounted thereon; and an upper heating unit installed above the lower heating unit and spaced apart from it, moving up and down by a cylinder, and having an electric heating wire installed inside.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the lower heating unit may have a lower mounting groove formed in a curved shape for mounting the headlamp, and the upper heating unit may have an upper support groove formed in a curved shape to support an upper surface of the headlamp mounted in the lower mounting groove.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the attachment/retention means may include a first retaining unit installed to be in close contact with a joining portion, which is a joining portion of either the housing or the transparent lens portion, a second retaining unit installed to face the first retaining unit but to be movable toward the first retaining unit, and a screw unit that penetrates the second retaining unit and is connected to a fastening hole of the first retaining unit to bring the second retaining unit into close contact with the first retaining unit through a linear movement to mutually fix the joining portion of the housing and the transparent lens portion.

A maintenance method for a headlamp for a vehicle according to another aspect of the present invention comprises the steps of: checking a damaged state of a headlamp removed from a vehicle; heating the headlamp to melt an adhesive at a joint between the housing and the transparent lens portion in order to separate the housing and the transparent lens portion of the headlamp; checking whether there is an abnormality in internal parts after separating the housing and the transparent lens portion; applying an adhesive to a joint portion of the frame of the housing and the transparent lens portion that has been replaced or maintained; and fixing the joint portion, which is a joint portion between the housing and the transparent lens portion, with an attachment and maintenance means for a predetermined period of time.

In the maintenance device and method for a vehicle headlamp according to the present invention, maintenance or part replacement work of the headlamp can be easily and efficiently performed.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a typical vehicle headlamp.
Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the headlamp in Figure 1,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a separation unit for separating a housing and a transparent lens portion in a vehicle headlamp according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of line AA in Figure 3.
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Figure 3.
FIG. 6(a)(b) is a cross-sectional view showing an attachment/retention means for fixing a joint portion to a joint portion of a housing and a transparent lens portion according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a maintenance process of a housing and a transparent lens portion in a vehicle headlamp according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

The embodiments described in this specification and the configurations illustrated in the drawings are merely preferred examples of the disclosed invention, and there may be various modified examples that can replace the embodiments and drawings of this specification at the time of filing of the present application.

The same reference numbers or symbols presented in each drawing of this specification represent parts or components that perform substantially the same function. The shape and size of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing embodiments only and is not intended to limit and/or restrict the disclosed invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, the terms “comprises” or “has” and the like are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as “first,” “second,” etc., used herein may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms, and the terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component. The term “and/or” includes any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any item among a plurality of related listed items.

The terms "... unit," "device," "module," and the like, used in the specification, mean a unit that processes at least one function or operation, which may be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software. In addition, the terms "a" or "an," "one," "the," and similar related words may be used in the context of describing various embodiments (especially, in the context of the claims below) to include both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context.

The terms “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” etc. used below are defined based on the drawings, and the shape and position of each component are not limited by these terms.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Here, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a separation unit for separating a housing and a transparent lens portion in a vehicle headlamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 3, FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are cross-sectional views showing an attachment/retention means for fixing a joining portion to a frame joining portion of the housing and the transparent lens portion according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a maintenance process of the housing and the transparent lens portion in a vehicle headlamp according to an embodiment of the present disclosure step by step.

A maintenance device for a vehicle headlamp according to one embodiment of the present disclosure largely includes a separation unit (100) that assists in separating a housing (14) and a transparent lens portion (16) from a headlamp (10), and a plurality of attachment and maintenance means (200) that apply adhesive along the edges of the maintained housing (14) and transparent lens portion (16), and are installed along the bonding portion for a predetermined period of time to maintain the bonding strength of the applied adhesive.

First, the headlamp (10) is a lighting device installed on each side of the front of the vehicle to illuminate the front for safe driving.

Referring to the conventional drawing, as in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, it may be composed of a lamp (12) that generates light, a housing (14) that constitutes the rear portion of the headlamp (10), and a transparent lens portion (16) that constitutes the front portion of the headlamp (10).

The housing (14) has an open front and a lamp (12) can be placed inside. A transparent lens portion (16) can be provided to cover the open front of the housing (14), is exposed to the outside of the vehicle, and emits light emitted from the lamp (12) to the outside of the vehicle.

In the present invention, a separation unit (100) is used to help separate the housing (14) and the transparent lens part (16) in order to replace the lamp (12) or maintain or replace other parts installed in the housing (14), and an attachment and maintenance means (200) can be used to maintain the bonding strength between the maintained housing (14) and the transparent lens part (16).

Therefore, the headlamp (10) removed from the vehicle is separated into the housing (14) and the transparent lens part (16) using a separation unit (100).

The separation unit (100) heats the headlamp (10) to a certain temperature to melt the adhesive hardened at the joint (18) between the housing (14) and the transparent lens portion (16), thereby enabling separation of the housing (14) and the transparent lens portion (16).

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the separation unit (100) may largely include a separation body (101), a support plate (110) installed inside the separation body (101), a lower heating unit (120) installed so as to be height-adjustable above the support plate (110), and an upper heating unit (150) installed so as to be able to move up and down above the lower heating unit (120).

The separating body (101) is preferably made of metal, has a square frame shape to form an internal space, and a support plate (110), a lower heating part (120), and an upper heating part (150) can be installed in the internal space.

And, a door (102) that opens to one side is installed on the front of the separation body (101) and can be an entrance/exit for the headlamp (10).

In addition, the upper outer surface of one side of the separation body (101) is formed as an inclined surface, and a control panel part (106) such as a temperature gauge (104) can be installed on the inclined surface.

The control panel unit (106) may include a control unit (not shown) that is electrically connected to control the internal temperature of the separation body (101).

The temperature gauge (104) is a device in which an unillustrated temperature sensor is installed inside the separator body (101), and the temperature sensor detects changes in the internal temperature and displays the temperature so that the user can see it.

Here, the internal temperature of the separation body (101) can be a temperature that can melt the adhesive attached to the housing (14) and transparent lens part (16) of the headlamp (10), and a temperature of approximately 100°C to 150°C is suitable.

Continuing, casters (107) are installed on each corner of the lower surface of the separation body (101) to enable movement.

And, on the upper side where the cast (107) is installed, a storage space (108) is provided that is open on all sides, where various electronic components or tools can be placed.

A support plate (110) can be installed continuously on the inner bottom surface of the above-mentioned separation body (101).

Referring again to FIG. 5, the support plate (110) may have an overall cross-section in the shape of a “┗┛”, and may be composed of a plate portion (112) installed horizontally and a vertical portion (114) that is vertically folded integrally on both sides based on the plate portion (112).

The bottom surface of the plate portion (112) having a certain area can be supported and installed by a plurality of buffer members (116).

The buffer member (116) may be a general spring, one end of which is supported on the inner bottom surface of the separating body (101), and the other end supports the plate portion (112).

The above-mentioned buffer member (116) can cushion the impact when the headlamp (10) is mounted on the lower heating member (120) described below.

Meanwhile, vertically extending holes (114a) can be formed in the vertical sections (114) on both sides of the support plate (110), and the height of the lower heating section (120) can be adjusted by the holes (114a).

And the lower heating part (120) may have an overall cross-sectional shape of “┏┓” corresponding to the “┗┛” shape of the support plate (110).

For convenience of explanation, it can be referred to as a lower vertical part (122) coupled to a vertical part (114) of a support plate (110) and a horizontal heating part (124) integrally connected from the upper end of the lower vertical part (122).

The lower vertical portion (122) is located on the inner side of the vertical portions (114) on both sides, can be fixed with a fastening means (130), and can be fastened along the long hole (114a) so that its height can be adjusted.

This may require height adjustment to accommodate different sizes of headlamps (10).

The fastening means (130) may be of the bolt and nut type.

And, an electric heating wire (126) can be installed embedded in the lower side of the heating unit (124) that is connected integrally from the lower vertical unit (122).

The above electric heating wire (126) can generate heat depending on the application of power and can be controlled by the control unit of the control panel unit (106).

Here, the electric heating wire (126) is an example, and any component that generates heat using electricity may be possible.

For example, a thermoelectric device or the like can be used, and a configuration and structure selected by the user from among conventionally known technologies can be suitably applied.

And, a lower mounting groove (128) can be formed in a curved shape on the upper surface of the heating unit (124) to allow mounting of the headlamp (10).

In general, since the frame of the headlamp (10) is curved, a lower mounting groove (128) having a certain depth and curve can be formed to ensure stable mounting of the headlamp (10).

And a cylinder (140) may be installed on the inner upper side of the separation body (101), and an upper heating part (150) that is raised and lowered by the cylinder (140) may be installed.

The cylinder (140) is preferably installed in the center of the inner upper surface of the separating body (101), operates according to the application of power, and can be controlled by the control panel (106).

The degree of descent of the cylinder (140) can be controlled by installing a proximity sensor (not shown) to control the degree of descent of the upper heating part (150).

The above cylinder (140) is widely used and therefore a separate description is omitted.

And an upper heating part (150) is connected and installed to a cylinder rod operated from a cylinder (140).

The upper heating part (150) has the same area as the lower heating part (120), and the upper support groove (152) can be formed in a curved shape to support the upper surface of the headlamp (10) toward the lower heating part (120).

It is preferable that the upper support groove (152) and the lower fixing groove (128) are formed with opposite curvatures, and the headlamp (10) can be stably supported from above.

The degree of support may be desirable if it prevents the headlamp (10) from rolling left and right.

Additionally, an electric heating wire (154) can be installed built into the upper heating part (150).

The attachment and maintenance means (200) illustrated in Fig. 6(a)(b) is installed and removed in multiple pieces along the bonding area for a certain period of time to apply adhesive along the edges of the housing (14) and the transparent lens portion (16) after replacement or maintenance of internal parts of the housing (14) or replacement of the transparent lens portion (16), and to maintain the bonding strength of the applied adhesive.

Before the explanation, a flange protruding along the edge of the housing (14) is formed, and a flange protruding along the edge of the transparent lens portion (16) is also formed, and an adhesive is applied along these flanges, and the part where the flanges meet is referred to as a joining portion (18).

The above attachment maintenance means (200) is temporarily installed at a certain distance along the connecting portion (18) and can be removed after a certain period of time when the connecting portion (18) is bonded.

The above-described attachment and retention means (200) comprises a first retaining unit (210) that is installed to be in close contact with a joint portion (18) that is a joint portion of either the housing (14) or the transparent lens portion (16), and a second retaining unit (220) that is installed facing the first retaining unit (210) but is installed to be movable toward the first retaining unit (210). The attachment and retention means (200) may include a screw portion (230) that penetrates the second retaining unit (220) and is connected to a fastening hole (214) of the first retaining unit (210) to bring the second retaining unit (220) into close contact with the first retaining unit (210) through a linear movement, thereby mutually fixing the joint portion (18) of the housing (14) and the transparent lens portion (16).

The first retaining member (210) is formed with a first joining surface (212) that is stepped downward in an inverted “ㄱ” shape and is in close contact with one surface of the joining portion (18), and a fastening hole (214) that extends horizontally inward toward the upper side of the first joining surface (212) can be formed at a certain depth.

A screw thread can be formed in the fastening hole (214).

Additionally, a step guide groove (216) may be formed at the top and bottom of the first maintenance bundle (210).

And the second maintenance bundle (220) is installed facing the first maintenance bundle (210), and a second joining surface (222) that is stepped downward in an “ㄱ” shape is formed so that it can be tightly pressed together with the first joining surface (212) to surround the joining portion (18).

In the second retaining member (220), a through hole (224) is formed on the same line so as to be connected to the fastening hole (214), and screw threads may also be formed in the through hole (224).

And, a step-shaped guide projection (226) is integrally formed at the top and bottom of the second maintenance unit (220) and can move along the guide groove (216).

The screw part (230) is inserted into the through hole (224) and the fastening hole (214), and the screw head (232) is formed integrally and protrudes from the first second retaining unit (220) and then is inserted into the second retaining unit (220) to be pressed against the first retaining unit (210).

A maintenance method of a vehicle headlamp according to one embodiment of the present invention as described above is described with reference to FIG. 7.

The headlamp (10) is removed from the vehicle, and the overall damage status of the removed headlamp (10) is checked visually or using an electronic device to check whether it is working. Step (S100)

And in step (S110), the adhesive at the joint between the housing (14) and the transparent lens part (16) of the headlamp (10) is melted using the separation unit (100).

After opening the door (102) of the separation body (101), the headlamp (10) is placed on the lower mounting groove (128) of the lower heating part (120).

At this time, the height of the lower heating part (120) is adjusted from the support plate (110) to the long hole (114a) and the fastening means (130).

Height adjustment is made to suit headlamps (10) of various sizes and shapes.

Continuing, the upper heating part (150) is lowered by the operation of the cylinder (140) to support the upper surface of the headlamp (10) seated in the lower mounting groove (128).

The lowering of the upper heating part (150) prevents the rolling of the headlamp (10).

As described above, when the headlamp (10) is positioned between the upper heating unit (150) and the lower heating unit (120), the door (102) is closed, and power connected from the outside is supplied by operation of the control panel unit (106), thereby causing the electric heating wire (154) of the upper heating unit (150) and the electric heating wire (126) of the lower heating unit (120) to heat up, respectively.

The heating temperature rises to approximately 100℃ to 150℃, and the adhesive hardened at the bonding area between the housing (14) and the transparent lens portion (16) melts due to the heating.

After the set time has elapsed, the power is cut off, the door (102) is opened, and the headlamp (10) is taken out.

The housing (14) and the transparent lens part (16) can be easily separated while the adhesive continues to melt.

In the separated housing (14) and transparent lens part (16), the internal parts are checked for abnormalities, and parts requiring maintenance or replacement are replaced. Step (S120)

Then, a step (S130) of applying adhesive to the edge joint of the replaced or maintained housing (14) and the transparent lens part (16) is performed.

Here, the adhesive is preferably made of a resin including one or more radical initiators selected from an ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, a radical polymerizable material, diacyl peroxide, peroxydicarbonate, and peroxyester, so that it can have excellent adhesive strength.

By using an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer as a binder and an adhesive maintenance means (200), a composite radical initiator that exhibits high flowability when pressed, maintains low-temperature curing properties, and can appropriately crosslink the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer can be used, thereby maintaining adhesion even under harsh vehicle conditions.

And in step (S140), the housing (14) to which the adhesive has been applied and the transparent lens part (16) are joined, which is the joint part (18), is fixed for a certain period of time by an attachment and maintenance means (200).

The above-mentioned attachment and maintenance means (200) positions the first coupling surface (212) of the first retaining unit (210) so as to be in close contact with one surface of the coupling portion (18), which is a joint portion of either the housing (14) or the transparent lens portion (16), and the second coupling surface (222) of the second retaining unit (220) is spaced apart and faces the coupling portion (18).

And when the screw part (230) installed in the fastening hole (214) and the through hole (224) is rotated in one direction, the screw part (230) moves along the screw thread, and the screw head (232) is brought into close contact with the second retaining unit (220), and the guide projection (226) of the second retaining unit (220) moves along the guide groove (216) of the first retaining unit (210), so that the second joining surface (222) can also be brought into close contact with the joining unit (18).

The joint portion (18) of the housing (14) and the transparent lens portion (16) can be mutually fixed so that adhesive is attached to maintain bonding strength.

After a certain period of time, the attachment and maintenance means (200) is removed from the joint (18), and the headlamp (10) for which maintenance has been completed is re-mounted on the vehicle.

As described above, maintenance or replacement of headlamp parts can be performed easily and efficiently.

The above has been illustrated and described with respect to specific embodiments. However, it is not limited to the above embodiments, and those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains can make various modifications and implementations without departing from the gist of the technical idea of the invention described in the claims below.

10 : Headlamp 12 : Lamp
14: Housing 16: Transparent lens part
18: Joint 100: Separation unit
101: Separate body 102: Door
104: Temperature gauge 106: Control panel
107: Caster 108: Storage space
110: Support plate 112: Plate section
114 : Vertical section 114a : Long section
116: Buffer member 120: Lower heating part
122: Lower vertical section 124: Heating section
126, 154: Electric heating wire 128: Lower mounting groove
130: Fastening means 140: Cylinder
150: Upper heating part 152: Upper support groove
200: Attachment retention means 210: First retention bundle
212: First joining surface 214: Fastening hole
216: Guide Home 220: Second Maintenance Bundle
222: Second joining surface 224: Through hole
226: Guide protrusion 230: Screw part
232 : Screw head

Claims (5)

A separation unit that heats the headlamp to a certain temperature to melt the adhesive at the joint to separate the housing and the transparent lens portion from the headlamp removed from the vehicle, and
After replacing or maintaining the internal parts of the housing or replacing the transparent lens part, an adhesive is applied along the edges of the housing and the transparent lens part, and a plurality of attachment maintenance means are installed along the bonding portion for a certain period of time to maintain the bonding strength of the applied adhesive.
The above attachment maintenance means is,
A first retaining member installed to be in close contact with a joining portion, which is a joining portion of either the housing or the transparent lens portion;
A second maintenance bundle installed facing the first maintenance bundle but installed so as to be able to move toward the first maintenance bundle, and
A screw portion that penetrates the second retaining unit and is connected to the fastening hole of the first retaining unit to move linearly to bring the second retaining unit into close contact with the first retaining unit, thereby mutually fixing the connecting portion of the housing and the transparent lens portion.
A maintenance device for a headlamp for a vehicle including:
In the first paragraph,
The above separation unit is,
A separate body having a door installed on the front to form a space inside and open said space, casters installed on the bottom surface to enable movement, and a storage space open on all sides on the lower side,
A support plate installed inside the above-mentioned separation body via a buffer member,
A lower heating part that is installed so as to be height-adjustable on the upper side of the above support plate, has an electric heating wire installed inside, and on which the headlamp is installed, and
An upper heating unit installed above the lower heating unit, moved up and down by a cylinder, and having an electric heating wire installed therein.
A maintenance device for a headlamp for a vehicle including:
In the second paragraph,
In the lower heating section above, a lower mounting groove is formed in a curved shape for mounting the headlamp.
A vehicle headlamp maintenance device, wherein the upper heating section has an upper support groove formed in a curved shape to support the upper surface of the headlamp mounted in the lower mounting groove.



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