Vehicle lamp

A vehicle lamp in which a lamp body has an air-hole structure with improved waterproofness and which can be easily molded. The air-hole structure includes an air hole 101 opened in the back of a lamp body 11 and a waterproof cover 106 which is formed integrally with the lamp body and capable of bending so as to cover the air hole 101. Upper wall, side wall and front wall portions 108, 111 and 109 of the waterproof cover 106 are integrally formed so as to cover corresponding upper-, lateral- and front-side areas of the air hole 101, respectively, when the waterproof cover is subjected to bending. The upper wall portion 108 of the waterproof cover 106 is coupled to the lamp body so as to be elastically bendable. The waterproof cover 106 is formed integrally with the upper wall, side wall and front wall portions 108, 111 and 109 so as to cover the upper-, lateral- and front-side areas of the air hole 101. Consequently, water is effectively prevented from penetrating into the air hole 101 through these areas to thereby improve the waterproofing effect. Since the waterproof cover 106 is held in such a condition that the air hole is securely covered by making an engaging hook 113 provided with the waterproof cover 106 for engaging with a retaining plate 105 provided with the air hole 101, a slider for making a mating hole can be dispensed with.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates generally to vehicle lamps installed in vehicles 
such as automobiles having an air-hole structure for ventilating a lamp 
chamber and essentially consisting of a lamp body and a front lens. More 
particularly, this invention relates to a vehicle lamp so constructed as 
to improve waterproofness in such an air-hole structure. 
2. Related Art 
In vehicle lamps such as automobile lamps, a lamp body and a front lens are 
normally used to form a lamp chamber in which a reflector, a light source 
and the like are contained. If such a lamp chamber is airtight, moisture 
existing in the lamp chamber will not be allowed to escape therefrom. When 
the outside air temperature lowers, the moisture condenses on the front 
lens and results in the deterioration of the light-distribution 
characteristics of the lamp, or the degradation of the external appearance 
of the lamp. For the reason stated above, an air hole for communicating 
the inside of the lamp chamber with the outside air has, heretofore, been 
provided in several places of the lamp body. However, simply making the 
air hole allows rain or muddy water to penetrate into the lamp chamber 
through the air hole, thus impairing the function of the lamp. 
Consequently, it has been proposed to provide an air-hole structure using 
a cover for covering the air hole in order to secure ventilation and to 
prevent water from penetrating from the outside. 
FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are perspective views of an example of such an air-hole 
structure; and FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view thereof. A cylindrical 
air hole 201 for communicating the inside of a lamp chamber with the 
outside thereof is made in a plurality of places vertically in the back of 
a lamp body 11. An outer cylindrical wall 202 having a cutout is provided 
on the circumferential lower side of the outer periphery of each air hole 
201, and rectangular waterproof walls 203-206 are uprightly provided on 
the respective four peripheral positions of the air hole 201. A 
rectangular, plate-like waterproof cover 207 capable of bending (i.e., 
elastic) deformation is integrally coupled to the waterproof wall 203 
positioned on the upper side of the lamp. 
In this example, the waterproof cover 207 is capable of bending deformation 
at its coupling portion 208. As shown in FIG. 6(b), a projection 211 
formed at the leading end of the waterproof cover 207 mates with a 
retaining hole 210 provided in the lower-side waterproof wall 206 when the 
waterproof cover 207 is subjected to the bending deformation so as to be 
substantially perpendicular to the lower-side waterproof wall 206 so that 
the area surrounded by the waterproof walls 203-206 can be covered with 
the waterproof cover 207, and so that the air hole 201 can be covered with 
the waterproof cover 207 and the waterproof walls 203-206. 
The outside water which is likely to penetrate into the lamp chamber 
through the air hole 201 can thus be blocked by covering the air hole 201 
with the waterproof cover 207 and the waterproof walls 203-206 and further 
with the outer cylindrical wall 202 and the cylindrical wall of the air 
hole 201. On the other hand, ventilation in the lamp chamber from the 
outside is secured through the gaps between the respective waterproof 
walls 203-206, the gaps between the respective waterproof walls 204 and 
205, and the cutout of the outer cylindrical wall 202. Normally, 
arrangements for increasing the air permeability of the lamp chamber are 
often adopted by providing an air-hole structure of this sort in the upper 
and lower portions of the lamp body and circulating air within the lamp 
chamber through the upper and lower air holes. 
Although ventilation is secured through the gaps between the waterproof 
cover 207 and the respective waterproof walls 203-206 in the conventional 
air-hole structure, the outside water is conversely allowed to penetrate 
into the waterproof walls 203-206 through the gaps and may penetrate into 
the lamp chamber through the air hole 201 unless the dimensions of the 
gaps are precisely controlled because the gaps formed with the waterproof 
cover 207 and the respective edge portions of the waterproof walls 203-206 
are extremely finely dimensioned. As the probability is high that the 
air-hole structure located on the upper side of the lamp body of the 
automobile in particular is exposed to rain and muddy water, moisture is 
allowed to readily penetrate into the lamp body. Since the waterproof 
cover is in the form of a flat plate, it is likely to undergo plastic 
deformation and causes the gap between the waterproof cover and the 
waterproof wall to be enlarged and this may reduce the waterproofing 
effect further. 
The waterproof walls 203-206 and the waterproof cover 207 constituting the 
air-hole structure are resin-molded integrally with the lamp body. In the 
molding of the air-hole structure of the example above, molds K11 and K12 
are provided with sliders S11 and S12, each escaping toward the upper and 
lower sides of the lamp and crossing the parting direction of the molds 
used for resin-molding the lamp body 11 as shown by arrows in FIG. 7. The 
slider S11 is used to form a concave groove 209 in a coupling portion 208 
between the waterproof cover 207 and the lamp body 11. The slider S12 is 
used to form a retaining hole for retaining a projection provided at the 
leading end of the waterproof cover. Consequently, the resin molding 
procedure for the air-hole structure requires a space on both the upper 
and lower sides of the lamp. However, when the air-hole structure is 
required to be arranged right above or below a bulb-socket inserting hole 
formed in the back of the lamp body, for example, one of the sliders S11 
and S12 will interfere with the sleeve of the bulb-socket inserting hole, 
thus restricting the movement of that slider. Therefore, the 
aforementioned air-hole structure becomes difficult to arrange. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp having an 
air-hole structure capable of improving the vehicle lamp's waterproofness 
as well as affording greater design freedom. 
An air-hole structure according to the present invention is characterized 
in that the structure includes an air hole opened in the back of a lamp 
body and a waterproof cover which is formed integrally with the lamp body 
and used for covering the air hole when subjected to bending deformation; 
and in that the upper wall, side wall, and front wall portions of the 
waterproof cover are integrally formed so as to cover the upper-, lateral- 
and front-side areas of the air hole, respectively, when the waterproof 
cover is subjected to bending deformation; and wherein the upper wall 
portion thereof is coupled to the lamp body in such a way as to be capable 
of bending deformation. Further, part of the air hole has a retaining 
portion as an integral part, and an engaging piece is projected from the 
inner surface of the front wall portion of the waterproof cover and 
engages with the retaining portion of the air hole in a position where the 
waterproof cover has been subjected to the bending deformation so that the 
waterproof cover is held in the bent-deformed condition. A waterproof wall 
projected in the back of the lamp body is formed on both lateral sides of 
the air hole and the waterproof cover in the bent-deformed condition is 
positioned so that the waterproof cover and the outside of the waterproof 
wall are overlapped. 
According to the present invention, the waterproof cover is formed 
integrally with the upper wall, side wall and front wall portions so as to 
cover the upper-, lateral- and front-side areas of the air hole. 
Consequently, water is effectively prevented from penetrating into the air 
hole through these areas thereby improving the waterproofing effect. Since 
the waterproof cover is held in such a condition that the air hole is 
covered therewith by making the engaging piece provided for the waterproof 
cover engage with the retaining portion provided for the air hole, 
moreover, a slider for making a mating hole can be dispensed with. 
Therefore, the mold structure is prevented from becoming complicated and 
can be so designed as to locate the air-hole structure in any desired 
position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference 
to the drawings. 
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a headlamp on one side as seen 
from the back of a four-lamp type headlamp of an automobile to which the 
invention is applied. FIG. 1 illustrates the right-side headlamp HL 
including a high beam lamp HHL and a low beam lamp LHL which are 
integrally disposed in a lamp body 11. 
More specifically, a front lens 13 is fitted into a sealing groove 12 
extended along the open edge of the front opening of the resin-molded lamp 
body 11 in such a state that the peripheral edge portion 14 of the front 
lens has been inserted and sealed in the sealing groove 12. The front lens 
13 and the lamp body 11 are used to form a lamp chamber in which a 
reflector 15 and a bulb 16 are contained to provide each of the lamps HHL 
and LHL. In the back of the lamp body 11 is a bulb-socket inserting hole 
18 opened to dispose a bulb socket 17 for supporting the bulb 16 of each 
lamp in the lamp body 11. A sleeve 19 provided for the opening edge of the 
bulb-socket inserting hole 18 is covered with an annular rubber cap 20 in 
order to waterproof the gap between the bulb-socket inserting hole 18 and 
the bulb socket 17. In the back of the lamp body 11 one air-hole structure 
100 is positioned right above the bulb-socket inserting hole 18 of the low 
beam lamp LHL, and two air-hole structures 200A and 200B are each 
positioned on the lower sides close to both the lateral ends of the lamp 
body 11. 
Of the three air-hole structures, the lower two air-hole structures 200A 
and 200B are those similar to conventional air-hole structures according 
to this embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 6, the air hole 201 
which is cylindrical in structure and used to communicate the lamp body 
with the outside is opened and there are provided the outer cylindrical 
wall 202 having a cutout portion on the lower circumferential side along 
the outer periphery of the air hole 201, and the upright waterproof walls 
203-206 in such a way as to surround the vertical and lateral four 
peripheral sides. Furthermore, the waterproof cover 207 in the form of a 
rectangular plate is integrally coupled to the waterproof wall 203 located 
on the upper side of the lamp, and the coupling portion 208 is made 
thin-walled by forming the concave groove 209 from the surface side. 
Accordingly, the waterproof cover 207 can undergo bending deformation 
about the coupling portion 208. The opening of the air hole 201 is covered 
with the waterproof walls 203-206 and the waterproof cover 207 by 
subjecting the waterproof cover 207 to bending deformation so as to mate 
the projection 211 formed at the leading end of the waterproof cover 207 
with the retaining hole 210. 
With respect to this air-hole structure, the waterproofing effect is 
secured in the air hole 201 by the waterproof cover 207, the waterproof 
walls 203-206 and the outer cylindrical wall 202. The air permeability is 
also secured through the gaps between the adjoining waterproof walls 
203-206 and between the waterproof cover 207 and the respective waterproof 
walls 204 and 205 on both sides and through the cutout portion of the 
outer cylindrical wall 202. 
In such an air-hole structure similar to the conventional one, moisture may 
be allowed to penetrate through the gaps between waterproof cover 207 and 
the respective waterproof walls 204 and 205. However, the air-hole 
structure located below the lamp body 11 is less exposed to rain and muddy 
water than the air-hole structure located above the lamp body 11, and, 
therefore, little if any moisture is allowed to penetrate through the gaps 
from the outside. In other words, the aforementioned problem of moisture 
penetration is not as substantial with respect to the lower side of the 
lamp body 11. 
Moreover, though the aforementioned sliders are required when the air-hole 
structures 200A and 200B are resin-molded integrally with the lamp body 
11, the sliders are prevented from interfering with the lamp body because 
the air-hole structures are located in a position other than right above 
or below the bulb-socket inserting hole 18. 
Consequently, it is easy to locate the sliders in positions where the 
sliders are allowed to escape up and down with respect to the lamp body, 
and the air-hole structures and the lamp body can be resin-molded 
together. 
FIG. 2(a) is an enlarged perspective view of the air-hole structure 100 
located above the lamp body 11; and FIG. 2(b) is a vertical sectional view 
thereof. 
An elliptic cylindrical air hole 101 is opened in the back of the lamp body 
11, and a pair of waterproof walls 102 having a predetermined length are 
vertically and uprightly provided, respectively on both sides of the air 
hole 101 held therebetween. An arcuate extended wall 103 is projected from 
the inner surface of each waterproof wall 102 along the lower side of the 
air hole 101. The leading end portions of the extended walls 103 are set 
opposite to each other with a very small gap therebetween right below the 
air hole 101. Moreover, a recessed groove 104 projected in the outer 
diametric direction along the cylindrical axis, that is, in the 
longitudinal direction of the lamp body 11, is formed in part of the 
lower-side circumference of the air hole 101. The outer end portion of the 
recessed groove 104 is blocked by a retaining plate 105. In this case, 
each of the air hole 101, the waterproof wails 102 and the extended walls 
103 is resin-molded integrally with the lamp body 11. 
A waterproof cover 106 having a length covering the pair of waterproof 
walls 102 over the horizontal direction of the lamp body 11 is 
resin-molded integrally with the lamp body 11 in a position along the 
upper side of the air hole 101. The waterproof cover 106 is in the form of 
an L-shaped plate material in cross section having an upper wall portion 
108 projected upward from a projection 107 uprightly provided on the upper 
side surface of the lamp body 11, and a front wall portion 109 projected 
from the upper wall portion 108 in the back direction of the lamp body 11. 
The shape of the leading end of the front wall portion 109 according to 
this embodiment of the invention is formed so that part of the front wall 
portion is cut out arcuately along the circumference of the sleeve 19 of 
the bulb-socket inserting hole 18. A coupling portion 110 where the 
projection 107 of the lamp body 11 is coupled to the upper wall portion 
108 is constricted in the longitudinal direction of the lamp body 11 with 
a thickness dimension smaller than the thickness of both the projection 
107 and the upper wall portion 108. That is, the coupling portion is made 
thinner than the projection 107 and upper wall portion 108. Thus, the 
waterproof cover 106 is capable of bending deformation in the vertical 
direction of the lamp body 11 using the coupling portion 110 as a hinge. 
The height of the upper wall portion 108 is formed so that it is slightly 
greater than the length of the projection of the air hole 101 projecting 
from the back of the lamp body 11. The front wall portion 109 is formed 
slightly longer than the vertical length of the waterproof walls 102. 
Additionally, side wall portions 111 projecting downward from the upper 
wall portion 108 over the front wall portion 109 are formed integrally 
with side wall portions 111 on the respective lateral sides of the 
waterproof cover 106. Furthermore, an integral tapered rib 112 is 
projected downward in the substantially central position in the lateral 
direction of the inner surface of the front wall portion 109, an engaging 
hook 113 being formed in the leading end portion of the rib 112. The 
length of the rib 112 is properly set so that the rib itself is able to 
secure the desired mechanical strength on the one hand, and so that the 
engaging hook 113 is brought into contact with the retaining plate 105 of 
the air hole 101 on the other. 
With respect to the air-hole structure thus arranged, the air hole 101 and 
the lamp body 11 can be resin-molded together by a pair of molds K1 and K2 
parting in the longitudinal direction of the lamp body 11 as shown in FIG. 
3. In this case, the lamp body 11 requires no mating hole (210) for 
retaining the waterproof cover as before and since undercuts in the 
parting direction are absent in the lower-side areas of the molds K1 and 
K2, the resin-molding can be carried out by providing only one slider S1 
escaping upward in order to mold the undercut portion produced between the 
waterproof cover 106 and the sealing leg portion 12 existing in the upper 
edge portion of the lamp body 11. For this reason, the movement of the 
slider S1 never interferes with the sleeve 19 existing on the peripheral 
edge of the bulb-socket inserting hole 18 even when the air-hole structure 
100 is located right above the bulb-socket inserting hole 18 as stated 
above. Thus, the resin-molding can be carried out, whereas the mold 
structure can be simplified further. 
As shown in FIG. 4(a) which is a perspective view of the air-hole structure 
100 and in FIG. 4(b) which is a vertical sectional view thereof, the 
engaging hook 113 of the rib 112 climbs over the retaining plate 105 of 
the air hole 101, and enters and remains in the recessed groove 104 when 
the waterproof cover 106 is subjected to a 90-degree downward bending 
deformation by utilizing the thin-walled deformable coupling portion 110. 
Thus, the engaging hook 113 is caused to engage with the retaining plate 
105, whereby the waterproof cover 106 is held in the bent-deformed 
condition. In this condition, the upper-side area of the air hole 101 is 
covered with the wall portion 108 of the waterproof cover 106; the 
front-side area thereof is covered with the front wall portion 109 
thereof; and the lateral-side areas thereof are covered with both the side 
wall portions 111 along the respective sides of the waterproof walls 102. 
In the upper-side area, since the upper wall portion 108 has been coupled 
to the lamp body 11 in the coupling portion 110, no gap is produced 
between the upper wall portion 108 and the lamp body 11 to ensure that an 
extremely great waterproofing effect is achievable. In the lateral-side 
areas, moreover, the gap between the side wall portion 111 and the lamp 
body 11 is reduced to so-called labyrinth structure where the waterproof 
wall 102 exists as shown in a horizontal sectional view of FIG. 5 to 
ensure that an extremely great waterproofing effect is also achievable. 
On the other hand, though there is produced a gap between the front wall 
portion 109 and the lamp body 11 in the lower-side area. Part of the 
circumference of the sleeve 19 of the bulb-socket inserting hole 18 of the 
lamp body 11 exists in the lower-side area of the air hole and so does the 
extended wall 108 from the inner surface of each waterproof wall 102. 
Consequently, the area of the air hole 101 exposed to the outside through 
the gap in the lower-side area is restricted by the sleeve 19 and both the 
extended walls 103, so that a great waterproofing effect is obtainable. 
Thus, the external moisture is prevented by the waterproof cover 106 from 
penetrating into the air hole 101 from any of the upper, front and lateral 
directions. On the other hand, even in the bent-deformed condition of the 
waterproof cover 106, the front wall portion 109 and upper wall portion 
110 of the waterproof cover 106 hold an extremely small gap with respect 
to the back of the lamp body 11 and the waterproof walls 102, and the 
intended function of the air-hole structure 100 is achieved because the 
ventilation of the lamp body 11 relative to the outside is secured through 
the gap and the air hole 101. 
As described above, the waterproof wall 102 is installed on both sides of 
the air hole 101, and the waterproof cover 106 for covering the air hole 
101 is provided with the upper wall portion 108 covering the upper-side 
area of the air hole 101, the front wall portion 109 covering the 
front-side area of the air hole 101, and the side wall portions 111 
covering the lateral side areas of the air hole 101 in the air-hole 
structure 100 according to this embodiment of the invention. Accordingly, 
excellent waterproofness from any of the upper, lateral and front 
directions is provided for the air hole 101. Therefore, the air-hole 
structure can be employed for securing a great waterproofing effect when 
such an air-hole structure is arranged above the lamp body 11. 
As resin-molding using one slider escaping up the lamp body 11 is possible, 
on the other hand, the air-hole structure can be located right above the 
bulb-socket inserting hole and this is advantageous in that positional 
restriction in locating the air-hole structure is minimized; design 
freedom is improved; the mold structure is prevented from becoming 
complicated; and lamp cost reduction is effectively implemented. 
Since the air-hole structure 100 is located right above the bulb-socket 
inserting hole 18 of the lamp body 11 according to the aforementioned 
embodiment of the invention, the sleeve 19 of the bulb-socket inserting 
hole exists in the lower-side area of the air hole 101, and the gap in the 
lower-side area of the air hole is made narrower by the sleeve 19, which 
is effective in securing the waterproofing effect. Even when the sleeve is 
absent, however, the waterproofing effect is needless to say 
satisfactorily achievable in the lower-side area of the air hole by the 
extended walls 103 of the waterproof walls 102. 
Although the air-hole structure according to the present invention has been 
applied to only the air hole located above the lamp body according to the 
aforementioned embodiment thereof, the air-hole structure according to the 
present invention may be employed for an air hole located below the lamp 
body. 
Further, though the invention has been applied to the two-lamp type 
headlamp according to the aforementioned embodiment of the invention, the 
invention may be applied likewise to a single-lamp type headlamp or any 
other kind of lamp as long as the vehicle lamp is fitted with an air-hole 
structure for use in communicating a lamp chamber with the outside. 
As set forth above, the waterproof cover for covering the air hole is 
formed integrally with the upper wall, side wall and front wall portions 
so as to cover the upper-, lateral- and front-side areas of the air hole 
when the waterproof cover is subjected to bending deformation. 
Consequently, water is effectively prevented from penetrating into the air 
hole through these areas, thereby improving the waterproofing effect. 
In particular, the waterproofing effect from the upper-side area of the air 
hole can be improved to a greater extent as the upper wall portion of the 
waterproof cover capable of bending deformation is formed integrally with 
the lamp body. Since the waterproof cover is held in such a condition that 
the air hole is covered therewith by making the engaging piece provided 
for the waterproof cover engage with the retaining portion provided for 
the air hole, moreover, a slider for making a mating hole can be dispensed 
with. Therefore, the mold structure is prevented from becoming complicated 
and can be so designed as to locate the air-hole structure in any desired 
position. 
It is contemplated that numerous modifications may be made to the air-hole 
structure of the present invention without departing from the spirit and 
scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.