Patent Publication Number: US-9896134-B2

Title: Utility vehicle

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a utility vehicle, and in particular relates to a headlight thereof. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     There has been known a utility vehicle configured to travel on wild lands, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,827,357. 
     A head light assembly of the utility vehicle configured to travel on wild lands is more likely to vibrate in comparison to a headlight assembly equipped on a vehicle configured to travel on paved roads. In particular, the headlight assembly may vibrate largely depending on how the headlight assembly is attached to a vehicle body. Such large vibration possibly breaks wiring of the headlight assembly. For example, vibration possibly disconnects between a connector of a headlamp in the headlight assembly and a connector of a harness. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is an object of the present invention to restrain vibration of a headlight assembly of a traveling utility vehicle. 
     In order to achieve the object mentioned above, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a utility vehicle including: 
     a main frame; 
     a front grille; and 
     right and left headlight assemblies each provided between the front grille and a portion of the main frame facing the front grille in an anteroposterior direction of the utility vehicle, and including a front end attached to a rear side of the front grille and a rear end attached to the portion of the main frame. 
     According to the aspect, vibration of the headlight assembly is restrained while the utility vehicle is traveling. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a utility vehicle according to an aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of a front portion of the utility vehicle; 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view showing a layout of headlight assemblies, a front grille, and a main frame; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a front side of a left headlight assembly; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a rear side of the left headlight assembly; 
         FIG. 6  is a view of a rear portion of the front grille configured to receive the left headlight assembly; 
         FIG. 7  is a view of the rear portion of the front grille to which the left headlight assembly is attached; 
         FIG. 8  is a top view partially showing a section of the left headlight assembly that is attached between the front grille and a front beam of the main frame; 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of the left headlight assembly; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a rear side of a headlamp; 
         FIG. 11  is a front view of a headlamp housing of the left headlight assembly, to which headlamp connectors and harness connectors are attached; 
         FIG. 12  is a front view of the headlamp housing of the left headlight assembly, from which the headlamp connectors and the harness connectors are detached; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the headlamp connector to which a connector holder is attached; and 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the headlamp connector from which the connector holder is detached. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, a utility vehicle includes: a main frame; a front grille; and right and left headlight assemblies each provided between the front grille and a portion of the main frame facing the front grille in an anteroposterior direction of the utility vehicle, and including a front end attached to a rear side of the front grille and a rear end attached to the portion of the main frame. 
     For example, each of the right and left headlight assemblies is provided, at the rear end, with a convex portion extending in the anteroposterior direction of the utility vehicle, and the main frame has engagement holes engaging with the convex portions of the right and left headlight assemblies in the anteroposterior direction of the utility vehicle. 
     For example, each of the right and left headlight assemblies includes a headlamp and a headlamp housing having an opening at a front end thereof and accommodating the headlamp, and the headlamp housing has an edge of the opening attached to the front grille and a rear end attached to the main frame. 
     For example, the headlamp is an LED lamp provided with a cooling fin. 
     For example, the utility vehicle further includes: a hood attached to the main frame; and right and left fenders disposed on the right and the left of the hood and attached to the main frame; in which the front grille is attached to the hood, the right fender, and the left fender to be supported by the main frame. 
     An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 12 .  FIGS. 1 to 12  show a utility vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Unnecessarily detailed description may not be made where appropriate. For example, an already well known matter may not be described in detail or substantially identical configurations may not be described repeatedly. It is for preventing the following description from becoming unnecessarily long as well as for allowing those skilled in the art to easily understand the description. 
     The inventors provide the accompanying drawings and the following description in order to allow those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and do not intend to limit a subject matter recited in the patent claims. 
     Directions of “front”, “rear”, “left”, and “right” mentioned herein are viewed from a driver boarding and driving the utility vehicle. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a utility vehicle  10  includes a hood  14  provided ahead of a steering wheel  12  manipulated by the driver, a left fender  18 L provided on the left of the hood  14  and covering a left front wheel  16 L, a right fender  18 R provided on the right of the hood  14  and covering a right front wheel  16 R, a front grille  20  serving as a front cover provided ahead of the hood  14  and including a grille portion located at the center in the vehicle width direction, and a bumper  22  provided ahead of the front grille  20 . 
     The hood  14 , the left fender  18 L, the right fender  18 R, and the bumper  22  are attached to a main frame  24  of the utility vehicle  10 . The front grille  20  has an upper edge attached to the front end of the hood  14 , a left edge attached to the front end of the left fender  18 L, and a right edge attached to the front end of the right fender  18 R. 
     The front grille  20  is provided, therebehind (i.e. on a rear side of the front grille  20 ), or below the hood  14 , with a left headlight assembly  30 L and a right headlight assembly  30 R. 
     The left headlight assembly  30 L and the right headlight assembly  30 R are configured substantially identically with each other except that they are symmetric with respect to each other. The left headlight assembly  30 L will thus mainly be described below. 
     The headlight assembly  30 L is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 .  FIG. 4  shows the left headlight assembly  30 L viewed from ahead of the utility vehicle  10 , in other words, viewed from the position of the front grille  20 .  FIG. 5  shows a rear side of the headlight assembly  30 L. 
     In the embodiment, the headlight assembly  30 L shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  includes headlamps  32  and a headlamp housing  34  accommodating the headlamps  32 . The headlamp housing  34  accommodates the two headlamps  32  aligned in a left-right direction such that the headlamp  32  close to the outer end of the vehicle body is located behind the headlamp  32  close to the center of the vehicle body. The headlamps  32  are accommodated in and thus protected by the headlamp housing  34 . 
     The headlamp housing  34  is made of a plastic material or the like and has a box shape provided with an opening  34   a  at the front end thereof (at the end facing the front grille  20 ). The opening  34   a  is provided, on its edge, with three attachment tabs  34   b  configured to attach the headlight assembly  30 L to a rear side of a left portion (a left portion with respect to a center grille portion  20   a )  20   b  of the front grille  20 . 
     The three attachment tabs  34   b  are each provided with a through hole  34   c  allowing a screw  36  (see  FIG. 7 ) to penetrate. Two of the attachment tabs  34   b  are each provided with a positioning hole  34   d  configured to position the headlight assembly  30 L with respect to the front grille  20 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 6 , the back side (rear side) of the left portion  20   b  of the front grille  20 , to which an open edge of the headlight assembly  30 L is attached, is provided with three female screw holes  20   d  and two positioning pins  20   e.    
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the positioning pins  20   e  of the front grille  20  are inserted correspondingly through the two positioning holes  34   d  of the headlamp housing  34 , so that the headlight assembly  30 L is positioned with respect to the front grille  20 . The screws  36  penetrating the three through holes  34   c  of the headlamp housing  34  engage correspondingly with the female screw holes  20   d  of the front grille  20 , so that the headlight assembly  30 L is fixed to the rear side of the front grille  20 . 
     The front end (the opening end) of the headlight assembly  30 L is attached to the front grille  20  as described above, so that the two headlamps  32  of the headlight assembly  30 L are positioned correspondingly with respect to through holes  20   f  provided in the left portion  20   b  of the front grille  20 . The headlamps  32  are thus disposed to emit light forward through the through holes  20   f  of the front grille  20 , i.e. in a forward travel direction of the utility vehicle  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the left headlight assembly  30 L attached to the left portion  20   b  of the front grille  20  is cantilever supported. Specifically, the front end (open edge) of the headlight assembly  30 L is supported by the front grille  20 . The right headlight assembly  30 R is similarly cantilever-supported by a right portion  20   c  of the front grille  20 . 
     Therefore, the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R possibly vibrate largely while the utility vehicle  10  is traveling. The headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R possibly vibrate largely to be detached from the front grille  20  particularly in a case where the utility vehicle  10  is traveling on wild lands. Otherwise, the headlight assembly  30 L or  30 R possibly has broken wiring. Furthermore, large vibration of the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R possibly damages the front grille  20 . If the front grille  20  is improved in rigidity in order to prevent these defects, the front grille  20  is increased in weight. This will lead to increase in weight of the utility vehicle  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the rear end of the headlight assembly  30 L (i.e. the rear end of the headlamp housing  34 ) is fixed to the main frame  24  in the embodiment. The rear end of the headlight assembly  30 R is similarly fixed to the main frame  24 . 
     Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 3 , a front beam  24   a  as part of the main frame  24  is provided behind the front grille  20 . The front beam  24   a  extends in the vehicle width direction (left-right direction) of the utility vehicle  10 . 
     The headlight assembly  30 L is disposed between the front grille  20  and the front beam  24   a  that face each other in the anteroposterior direction of the utility vehicle  10 . The rear end of the headlight assembly  30 L is fixed to the front beam  24   a  in this state. 
     In the embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the headlamp housing  34  of the headlight assembly  30 L has a rear surface (the surface opposite to the front beam  24   a )  34   e  that is provided with a convex portion  34   f  extending in the anteroposterior direction of the utility vehicle  10 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the front beam  24   a  has a surface  24   b  that is opposite to the headlight assembly  30 L and is provided with an engagement hole  24   c  opened in the anteroposterior direction of the utility vehicle  10 . 
     The convex portion  34   f  of the headlamp housing  34  engages with the engagement hole  24   c  of the front beam  24   a  so as to enter the front beam  24   a  as shown in  FIG. 8 . The rear surface  34   e  of the headlamp housing  34 , i.e. the rear end of the headlight assembly  30 L, is thus fixed to the front beam  24   a.    
     In this configuration, the rear end of the headlight assembly  30 L is restrained from vibrating in the left-right direction and in the vertical direction while the utility vehicle  10  is traveling. 
     Accordingly, the front end of the headlight assembly  30 L is fixed to the front grille  20  whereas the rear end thereof is fixed to the front beam  24   a . Vibration of the headlight assembly  30 L is restrained more effectively in this configuration while the utility vehicle  10  is traveling in comparison to the case where the headlight assembly  30 L is cantilever supported by the front grille  20 . 
     Use of the front beam  24   a  as part of the main frame  24  requires no separate member that is configured to restrain vibration of the headlight assembly  30 L and that will cause increase in weight of the utility vehicle  10 . 
     The headlight assembly  30 L (similarly the headlight assembly  30 R) is fixed to the front beam  24   a  of the main frame  24  in the embodiment, so that the front grille  20  and the main frame  24  are provided more integrally with each other. 
     The upper edge, the left edge, and the right edge of the front grille  20  are attached to the hood  14 , the left fender  18 L, and the right fender  18 R, respectively, which are attached to the main frame  24 . As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the front grille  20  is provided, at a lower portion on the rear side, with a boss  20   g  that is attached to a front grille support  24   e  of the main frame  24 . Moreover, the front grille  20  is attached to the main frame  24  via the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R. In comparison to a case where the rear ends of the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R are not fixed to the front beam  24   a  of the main frame  24 , the front grille  20  and the main frame  24  are provided more integrally with each other and deformation of the front grille  20  is restrained while the utility vehicle  10  is traveling. This configuration restrains vibration of the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R fixed to the front grille  20 . 
     This configuration in the embodiment further facilitates attachment of the front grille  20 . Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the headlight assembly  30 L (similarly the headlight assembly  30 R) is initially attached to the front grille  20 . The convex portions  34   f  of the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R are subsequently inserted to the engagement holes  24   c  of the front beam  24   a  of the main frame  24 , so that the front grille  20  is temporarily fixed to the main frame  24 . This temporary fixing allows the front grille  20  to be easily fixed to the hood  14 , the left fender  18 L, the right fender  18 R, and the front grille support  24   e  of the main frame  24 . 
       FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of the headlight assembly  30 L.  FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a rear side of the headlamp  32 . 
     The headlamp  32  in the embodiment is an LED lamp provided therein with a light emitting diode (LED) (not shown), and includes a headlamp connector (first connector)  32   a  configured to receive driving electric power of the LED. The headlamp connector  32   a  is provided at a distal end of cable  32   c  extending from a rear side (opposite to a cover  32   b  allowing transmission of light emitted from the LED) of the headlamp  32 . The headlamp  32  is also provided, on the rear side, with a plurality of cooling fins  32   d  configured to cool the LED. The cooling fins  32   d  are made of aluminum or the like. 
     Adoption of the LED lamps as the headlamps  32  achieves long service lives of the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R. The headlamps  32  provided with the cooling fins  32   d  configured to cool the LEDs will further prolong the service lives of the LEDs. 
     The headlamps  32  provided with the cooling fins  32   d  are increased in weight, so that the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R will be more likely to vibrate. However, the vibration is restrained because the front ends of the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R are attached to the front grille  20  and the rear ends thereof are fixed to the main frame  24 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the headlamp connector  32   a  of each of the headlamps  32  is detachably connected to a harness connector (second connector)  40   a  that is provided at a first end of a harness  40  configured to supply the headlamp  32  with electric power. The harness  40  has a second end connected to a controller (not shown) configured to control lighting of the headlamps  32 . 
     In the embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the headlamp connector  32   a  and the harness connector  40   a  are connected with each other in the headlamp housing  34 . As shown in  FIG. 9 , the headlamp housing  34  is provided with a through hole  34   g  allowing the harness connector  40   a  to penetrate. 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , the headlamp connector  32   a  and the harness connector  40   a  connected with each other in the headlamp housing  34  are held by (fixed to) the headlamp housing  34 . 
     The headlamp housing  34  holds the headlamp connector  32   a  of the headlamp  32  and the harness connector  40   a  of the harness  40  connected with each other in order to avoid unintended disconnection therebetween while the utility vehicle  10  is traveling. 
     Specifically, if the headlamp connector  32   a  and the harness connector  40   a  connected with each other are not fixed, the headlamp connector  32   a  and the harness connector  40   a  will move freely to possibly collide with peripheral members to cause disconnection between the connectors while the utility vehicle  10  is traveling particularly on wild lands. 
     In the embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 11 , the headlamp connector  32   a  of the headlamp  32  and the harness connector  40   a  of the harness  40  connected with each other are attached to a far surface  34   h  of each inner space of the headlamp housing  34  (i.e. a surface behind the headlamp  32 ). As shown in  FIG. 12 , the far surfaces  34   h  of the headlamp housing  34  are each provided with an engagement hole  34   j  for the attachment. As shown in  FIG. 13 , the headlamp connector  32   a  is provided with an engagement pin  42   a  rotatably engaging with the engagement hole  34   j  of the headlamp housing  34 . Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 14 , the engagement pin  42   a  in the embodiment is provided on a connector holder  42  holding the headlamp connector  32   a  (attached to the headlamp connector  32   a ) of the headlamp  32 . The engagement hole  34   j  and the engagement pin  42   a  (the connector holder  42 ) serve as a connector holding portion of the headlamp housing  34  holding the headlamp connector  32   a  and the harness connector  40   a.    
     The engagement pin  42   a  of the connector holder  42  holding the headlamp connector  32   a  of the headlamp  32  shown in  FIG. 13  engages with each of the engagement holes  34   j  of the headlamp housing  34  shown in  FIG. 12 . In other words, the engagement holes  34   j  serve as holder holding portions each holding the connector holder  42 . Each of the engagement holes  34   j  holds the connector holder  42 , so that the headlamp connector  32   a  and the harness connector  40   a  connected with each other are fixed to the headlamp housing  34 . In this configuration, the headlamp connector  32   a  and the harness connector  40   a  connected with each other do not move freely and keep the connection while the utility vehicle  10  is traveling. 
     The engagement pin  42   a  of the connector holder  42  rotatably engages with the engagement hole  34   j  of the headlamp housing  34 , so that the headlamp connector  32   a  and the harness connector  40   a  connected with each other have a plurality of different postures with respect to the headlamp housing  34 . The cable  32   c  of the headlamp  32  and the harness  40  are thus enhanced in layout flexibility in the headlamp housing  34 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , the headlamp housing  34  is provided with clamps  34   k  holding the harness  40 . The clamps  34   k  hold the harness  40  outside the headlamp housing  34  and limit free movement of the harness  40  while the utility vehicle  10  is traveling. This configuration restrains disengagement between the engagement pin  42   a  of the connector holder  42  and the engagement hole  34   j  of the headlamp housing  34  possibly caused by free movement of the harness  40 . 
     According to the embodiment, vibration of the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R is restrained while the utility vehicle  10  is traveling. 
     The headlamps of the headlight assemblies are LED lamps in the embodiment described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this case. Halogen lamps or the like are applicable as the headlamps. 
     In the above embodiment, the convex portions  34   f  of the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R (the headlamp housings  34 ) engage with the engagement holes  24   c  of the main frame  24  (the front beam  24   a ), so that the rear ends of the headlight assemblies  30 L and  30 R are fixed to the main frame  24 . How the rear ends of the headlight assemblies are fixed to the main frame is not limited to that of the above embodiment. Alternatively, the main frame is provided with convex portions whereas the headlight assemblies are each provided, at the rear end, with an engagement hole engaging with the convex portion. 
     The embodiment described above exemplifies the technique of the present invention. The accompanying drawings and the detailed description are provided herein for the exemplification. Those constituent elements shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the detailed description will include constituent elements essential for achievement of the object as well as constituent elements not essential for achievement of the object but for exemplification of the technique. Accordingly, those inessential constituent elements should not be regarded as being essential simply because those inessential constituent elements are shown in the accompanying drawings or described in the detailed description. 
     The above embodiment is provided for exemplification of the technique according to the present invention, and will thus accept modification, replacement, addition, removal and the like in various manners within the scope of the patent claims or an equivalent scope.