JP2018016251A - Vehicle lamp defrosting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure a lighting performance of a vehicle lamp. SOLUTION: This is a defrosting device 1 for a vehicle lighting device 20 provided in a lighting chamber with a light source that emits light toward a lens 21 equipped at a front end of a vehicle 10, and has an upward outer surface inclined toward the lens 21. Panels 3 and 4 having 31a and 41a, electromagnets 5 and 6 provided below the panels 3 and 4 and generating illuminant currents in the panels 3 and 4 to heat the outer surfaces 31a and 41a when energized, and a lamp. The illuminance sensor 11 that detects the illuminance E in the room, the temperature sensor 12 that detects the temperature TH of the outer surface 31a, and the illuminance E detected by the illuminance sensor 11 are higher than the predetermined first illuminance E1 and the temperature sensor 12 A control device for starting energization of the electromagnets 5 and 6 when a start condition including that the temperature TH detected in the above is lower than a predetermined first temperature T1 is satisfied. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a defrosting device for melting snow, frost and the like adhering to a lens of a vehicle lamp.

  A lamp such as a headlight or tail lamp of a vehicle has a lens that is exposed to the outside and a light source that emits light toward the lens. Conventionally, when snow, frost, ice or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as snow) adheres to the lens and light from the light source cannot pass through the lens, there is a problem that the illumination performance of the lamp cannot be ensured. In particular, in the case of a lamp using an LED (Light Emitting Diode) as a light source, the temperature of the lens is lower than when a light source with high heat generation such as a halogen lamp is used, so that the snow attached to the lens is difficult to melt. It is difficult to ensure the lighting performance of the lamp.

  In order to solve this problem, various techniques for melting snow adhering to the lens have been proposed. For example, by using a heating wire installed in the lens of a headlamp (lamp) and a cleaner nozzle that ejects washer fluid from below to the lens according to the operation by the driver, snow attached to the lens is removed. There has been proposed a technique for removing (see Patent Document 1). According to this technology, as the heating wire is energized, the snow adhering to the lens heating wire melts and the washer fluid from the cleaner nozzle permeates the boundary between the outer lens and the snow so that the attached snow is removed from the lens. It is said that it will fall easily.

JP 2006-176029 A

  The ejection of the washer liquid from the cleaner nozzle as described above depends on the operation by the driver. However, since the driver cannot see the lens from the seat, for example, during driving, the driver cannot grasp the presence or amount of snow attached to the lens. For this reason, it is difficult for the driver to eject the washer liquid appropriately according to the state of the lens. For example, when the washer liquid is insufficient with respect to the amount of snow adhering to the lens, only a part of the snow adhering to the lens can be removed. Therefore, there is a possibility that the lighting performance of the lamp cannot be secured by the ejection of the washer liquid depending on the operation of the driver.

  The present case has been invented in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicular lamp defrosting device capable of ensuring the lighting performance of the vehicular lamp. . The present invention is not limited to this purpose, and is a function and effect derived from each configuration shown in the embodiment for carrying out the invention described later, and has another function and effect that cannot be obtained by conventional techniques. is there.

  (1) The vehicle lamp defrosting device disclosed herein is a vehicle lamp defrosting device having a light source that emits light toward a lens mounted at a front end portion or a rear end portion of a vehicle. A panel having an upward outer surface inclined toward the lens, an electromagnet provided below the panel and generating an eddy current in the panel when energized to heat the outer surface, An illuminance sensor that detects illuminance, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the outer surface, and the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor is higher than a predetermined first illuminance, and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is And a control device that starts energization of the electromagnet when a start condition including being lower than a predetermined first temperature is satisfied.

(2) Preferably, the panel includes a first panel which is provided above the vehicular lamp and has a first outer surface as the outer surface inclined downward toward the lens.
(3) The defrosting device includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed, and the vehicular lamp is a headlight provided at a front portion of the vehicle, and the panel has a lower side than the headlight. Preferably, a second panel having a second outer surface as the outer surface provided and inclined upward toward the lens is included. In this case, when the start condition is satisfied, the control device preferably controls energization to the electromagnet provided below the second panel according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor. .

(4) The control device is detected by the temperature sensor when the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor becomes equal to or lower than a second illuminance lower than the first illuminance during energization of the electromagnet. When the temperature becomes equal to or higher than the second temperature higher than the first temperature, it is preferable to end energization of the electromagnet.
(5) During energization of the electromagnet, the control device increases the energization amount as the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor is higher or as the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower. Is preferred.

(6) It is preferable that the defrosting device includes a heat conducting member connected to the outer surface and disposed adjacent to the lens. Moreover, it is preferable that the said heat conductive member is a thing with higher heat conductivity than the said panel.
(7) It is preferable that the defrosting device includes a convex or concave channel portion extending in the vertical direction on the lens.

(8) It is preferable that the defrosting device includes a guide member provided between the vehicle lamps located on the left and right of the vehicle. Moreover, it is preferable that the said guide member has a guide surface which respectively inclined downward toward the said lens on either side from the center part of the left-right direction of the said vehicle.
(9) It is preferable that the defroster includes a shielding member that is formed of a non-magnetic material and covers the electromagnet from below and accommodates the electromagnet between the panel.

  When the start condition based on the illuminance in the lamp chamber of the lamp and the temperature of the outer surface of the panel is satisfied, energization to the electromagnet is started, and the outer surface of the panel is heated. Thereby, the snow on the outer surface melts, and the melted water flows to the lens, so that the snow adhering to the lens can be melted. Therefore, the lighting performance of the lamp can be ensured without depending on the operation of the driver.

1 is a front view of a vehicle to which a defrosting device for a vehicle lamp according to an embodiment is applied. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the defroster of FIG. 1 typically (AA arrow sectional drawing of FIG. 1). It is a block diagram which illustrates the composition of the defrosting device of FIG. It is a flowchart which illustrates the control content implemented with the control apparatus of the defrosting apparatus of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect | action by the defroster of FIG. 1, (a) shows the case where a vehicle speed is comparatively low, (b) has shown the case where a vehicle speed is comparatively high. It is a front view of the vehicle to which the defrosting device concerning one modification was applied.

  A vehicle lamp defrosting device as an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below is merely an example, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and technical applications that are not explicitly described in the following embodiment. In the following description, the traveling direction of the vehicle is defined as the front, the opposite is defined as the rear, and the left and right are determined based on the front. That is, the front-rear direction in the following description corresponds to the vehicle length direction, and the left-right direction corresponds to the vehicle width direction. In addition, the direction of gravity will be described below, and the reverse will be described as upward.

[1. Device configuration]
The vehicle lamp defrosting device 1 according to the present embodiment is applied to a headlight (lamp) 20 provided at the front portion of the vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 1, and snow accumulated on a lens 21 of the headlight 20. Or melted ice and snow (hereinafter collectively referred to as “snow”). As shown in FIG. 2, the headlight 20 includes a lens 21, a light source 22, a reflecting mirror 23, a casing 24, and the like. The lens 21 is a transparent component (for example, resin or glass) that transmits light from the light source 22 and is attached to the front end portion of the vehicle 10 and exposed forward. The lens 21 is coupled to a casing 24 provided behind the lens 21, and defines a lamp chamber 25 together with the casing 24.

  The light source 22 is an electronic component that emits light toward the lens 21 when supplied with power, and is installed in the lamp chamber 25. An LED is applied to the light source 22 of the present embodiment. The reflecting mirror 23 reflects light from the light source 22 toward the lens 21, and is provided so as to surround the light source 22 in the lamp chamber 25.

  As shown in FIG. 1, at the front part of the vehicle 10, a plate-shaped hood (panel, first panel) 3 that covers the engine room from above, and a plate-shaped bumper (panel, 2nd panel) 4 is equipped. The hood 3 is located above the headlight 20, and the bumper 4 is located below the headlight 20. The hood 3 of the present embodiment is formed in a shape that is inclined downward toward the front and is inclined downward from the central portion 32 in the left-right direction to the outer portions 31, 31 on both left and right sides.

  Further, the bumper 4 of the present embodiment includes a front surface portion 42 that forms the front end surface of the vehicle 10, and an upper surface portion 41 that is bent from the upper end of the front surface portion 42 toward the rear. The upper surface portion 41 of the bumper 4 is a flat portion that is located on the front side of the front end of the headlight 20 and faces obliquely upward. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcement panel 30 for reinforcement is joined to the back surface side (lower side) of the hood 3 of this embodiment.

  The defrosting device 1 melts snow existing on at least one of the hood 3 and the bumper 4 into water, and uses this water to melt the snow adhering to the lens 21 of each headlight 20. It is. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the defroster 1 according to the present embodiment includes a hood IH coil (electromagnet) 5 for melting snow on the hood 3 in addition to the hood 3 and the bumper 4 described above. A bumper IH coil (electromagnet) 6 for melting snow on the bumper 4, a heat conducting member 7 that conducts heat between the hood 3 and the bumper 4, and a flow path portion 21 a that guides water up and down on the lens 21. Is provided. Hereinafter, the hood IH coil 5 and the bumper IH coil 6 are collectively referred to as “coils 5 and 6”. The coils 5 and 6 are electromagnets that generate lines of magnetic force when energized.

  The hood 3 has an upward hood outer surface (outer surface, first outer surface) 31 a inclined downward toward the lens 21 at a portion adjacent to the headlight 20 in each outer side portion 31. The hood outer surface 31 a is a portion of the upward outer surface exposed in the hood 3 that is close to each headlight 20. A hood IH coil 5 is disposed below the hood outer surface 31a. The hood IH coil 5 of the present embodiment is disposed vertically above each headlight 20 and is accommodated between the hood 3 and the reinforcement panel 30.

  The bumper 4 has an upward bumper outer surface (outer surface, second outer surface) 41 a inclined upward toward the lens 21 on the upper surface portion 41. The bumper outer surface 41 a is a portion located on the front side of each headlight 20 among the upward outer surfaces exposed in the bumper 4. A bumper IH coil 6 is disposed below the bumper outer surface 4a. The bumper IH coil 6 of the present embodiment is disposed in front of and below the headlights 20. Hereinafter, the hood outer surface 31a and the bumper outer surface 41a are collectively referred to as “panel outer surfaces 31a, 41a”.

  Both the hood 3 and the bumper 4 are made of a magnetic material (for example, iron) and have a property of being magnetized when placed in a magnetic field. The defroster 1 uses this property to heat the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a. Specifically, the defrosting device 1 generates an eddy current in the hood 3 with the magnetic lines of force generated by the hood IH coil 5, and heats the hood outer surface 31 a with Joule heat generated thereby. That is, the hood IH coil 5 heats the hood outer surface 31a by generating an eddy current in the hood 3 when energized. Similarly, the defroster 1 generates an eddy current in the bumper 4 by the magnetic lines of force generated by the bumper IH coil 6, and heats the bumper outer surface 41a by Joule heat generated thereby. In other words, the bumper IH coil 6 heats the bumper outer surface 41a by generating an eddy current in the bumper 4 when energized.

  The defroster 1 according to the present embodiment includes a shielding member 8 made of a non-magnetic material in order to protect peripheral members (for example, the headlight 20) from magnetic lines generated by the hood IH coil 5. The shielding member 8 has a property that it is not affected by a magnetic force (that is, it is not magnetized even when placed in a magnetic field). The shielding member 8 covers the hood IH coil 5 from below and accommodates the hood IH coil 5 with the hood 3.

  The heat conducting member 7 is a flat plate member made of a material (for example, copper or aluminum) having a higher heat conductivity than the hood 3 and the bumper 4 and is disposed adjacent to the lens 21. The heat conducting member 7 of the present embodiment extends in the vertical direction, and upper and lower ends thereof are connected to the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a, respectively. Thereby, the heat conducting member 7 conducts heat between the hood outer surface 31a and the bumper outer surface 41a. For example, when the hood outer surface 31a is hotter than the bumper outer surface 41a, heat is transferred from the hood outer surface 31a to the bumper outer surface 41a. When the bumper outer surface 41a is hotter than the hood outer surface 31a, the bumper outer surface 41a Heat is transferred to the hood outer surface 31a. Note that the heat conducting member 7 of this embodiment is disposed on the inner side in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10 than the lens 21.

  The channel portion 21a is a concave groove provided in the lens 21, and extends in the vertical direction. The channel portion 21a has a function of guiding water droplets flowing from the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a in the vertical direction along the channel. In the present embodiment, in each lens 21, a plurality of flow path portions 21a are provided at substantially equal intervals. In addition, the width dimension (dimension in the left-right direction) of the flow path portion 21a is set to be small as long as the function of guiding water droplets is ensured so as not to affect the design and light distribution performance of the lens 21. . Moreover, the flow path part 21a should just be extended in the up-down direction on the lens 21 as mentioned above, and should have a function which guides a water drop to an up-down direction, The shape is not restricted to a concave shape. For example, the channel portion 21 a may be a convex rail provided on the lens 21.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the defrosting device 1 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 9 that performs defrosting control for melting snow adhering to the lenses 21 of the left and right headlights 20 and 20. It has. Specific contents of the defrosting control will be described later. The ECU 9 is an electronic control device mounted on the vehicle 10 and is configured as, for example, an LSI device or a built-in electronic device in which a known microprocessor, ROM, RAM, or the like is integrated, and is connected to a communication line of an in-vehicle network. The ECU 9 of the present embodiment receives information related to the on / off state of the light source 22 of the headlight 20 (whether or not the light source 22 is emitting light), for example, via a communication line of an in-vehicle network.

  An illuminance sensor 11, a hood temperature sensor 12, an outside air temperature sensor 13, a vehicle speed sensor 14, and a manual switch 15 are connected to the input side of the ECU 9. Further, the coils 5 and 6, the speaker 16, and the display device 17 are connected to the output side of the ECU 9. The ECU 9 of this embodiment controls the energization state of the coils 5 and 6 and the output states of the speaker 16 and the display device 17 based on information transmitted from the various sensors 11 to 15.

  Note that the “energized state” here includes a state in which current flows (on state) and a state in which no current flows (off state). The ECU 9 of this embodiment switches the on / off state for each of the coils 5 and 6 (controls the start and end of energization). In the present embodiment, the energization states of the left and right hood IH coils 5 and 5 are controlled to be equal to each other, and the energization states of the left and right bumper IH coils 6 and 6 are controlled to be equal to each other.

  The illuminance sensor 11 detects the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 of each headlight 20 and transmits the detection result to the ECU 9. When snow is attached to the lens 21 of the headlight 20, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a part of the light L from the light source 22 is reflected by the snow adhering to the lens 21, and is reflected by the reflected light L '. The illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 increases. That is, when the light source 22 emits light (is in an on state), it can be estimated that the higher the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25, the higher the possibility that snow is attached to the lens 21. Further, the amount of snow attached to the lens 21 may be estimated according to the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25. For example, the higher the illuminance E, the higher the possibility that snow is attached to the lens 21, and it may be estimated that more snow is attached. In addition, when dirt, such as mud and sand, is attached to the lens 21 instead of snow, the light L from the light source 22 is not reflected, and the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 hardly changes.

  By the way, it is also conceivable to detect the transparency of the lens 21 instead of the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 and to estimate the possibility and amount of attachment of snow based on the transparency. However, since the transparency of the lens 21 is known to decrease in the same manner when the adhering matter to the lens 21 is dirt such as mud or sand instead of snow, it is estimated that the transparency of the lens 21 is used. There is a risk that accuracy may not be ensured. On the other hand, if the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 is used as described above, it is not affected by dirt, so the presence / absence and amount of snow attached to the lens 21 based on the reflected light L ′ can be accurately determined. Can be estimated.

  Each illuminance sensor 11 is installed in an appropriate position in the lamp chamber 25 where the above-described reflected light L ′ reaches. The illuminance sensor 11 of the present embodiment is installed in the vicinity of the lens 21 and at a position where the reflected light L ′ traveling downward from the lens 21 arrives. Note that the position of the illuminance sensor 11 is not limited to this. For example, as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2, a position where the reflected light L ′ that reaches the diagonally upward direction from the lens 21 on the reflecting mirror 23 arrives. It may be.

  As shown in FIG. 3, each hood temperature sensor (temperature sensor) 12 detects the temperature TH of the hood outer surface 31 a (hereinafter referred to as hood temperature TH), and transmits the detection result to the ECU 9. In the present embodiment, the hood temperature sensor 12 is installed in the vicinity of each hood outer surface 31a. The outside air temperature sensor 13 detects an outside air temperature TA that is the outside air temperature of the vehicle 10 and transmits the detection result to the ECU 9. The vehicle speed sensor 14 detects the vehicle speed V of the vehicle 10 and transmits the detection result to the ECU 9.

  The manual switch 15 is an operation switch for the driver of the vehicle 10 to stop the execution of the defrosting control, and is provided at a position where the driver can operate. The manual switch 15 according to the present embodiment is configured to be switchable between an on state in which the defrosting control is stopped and an off state in which the defrosting control is permitted, and transmits information on the on / off state to the ECU 9.

  The speaker 16 and the display device 17 are for informing the driver of the start and end of defrosting control, and are installed near the driver's seat of the vehicle 10, for example. The speaker 16 of the present embodiment is controlled so as to emit a predetermined alarm sound in accordance with each timing when the defrosting control is started and ended. In addition, the display device 17 is controlled so as to perform a predetermined display (for example, turning on / off the light, changing the meter, etc.) in accordance with the timing at which the defrosting control is started and ended. Note that the alarm sound that informs the end of the defrosting control is generated only when the defrosting control is performed.

  As the outside air temperature sensor 13, the vehicle speed sensor 14, the speaker 16, and the display device 17, for example, an existing device equipped in the vehicle 10 can be applied. That is, these devices 13, 14, 16, and 17 do not have to be dedicated to the defrosting device 1, and the detection result may be used for control other than defrosting control.

[2. Control configuration]
The defrosting control is a control for energizing at least one of the coils 5 and 6 when it can be estimated that snow is attached to the lens 21 of the headlight 20. When defrosting control is performed, since at least one of the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a is heated, the snow on the heated panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a melts and becomes water. When this water flows to the lens 21, the snow adhering to the lens 21 melts, and the lighting performance is ensured.

  In the defrosting control of the present embodiment, energization to the bumper IH coil 6 is controlled according to the vehicle speed V. Specifically, the bumper IH coil 6 is controlled to be in an off state when the vehicle speed V is relatively low, and is controlled to be in an on state in other cases (when the vehicle speed V is relatively high). This is because the case where the water on the hood outer surface 31a can be made to flow toward the lens 21 using gravity and the case where the water cannot be flowed are mainly determined according to the vehicle speed V.

  When the vehicle 10 is stopped (the vehicle speed V is 0), the force acting on the water formed by melting the snow on the hood outer surface 31a is mainly gravity, and as shown in FIG. In addition, the water flows downward (toward the lens 21) along the outer surface 31a of the hood by gravity. On the other hand, when the vehicle 10 is traveling, the force acting on the water on the outer surface 31a of the hood is mainly two of gravity and the force caused by the traveling wind from the front of the vehicle. Depending on the orientation, the water on the hood outer surface 31 a may not flow toward the lens 21. Note that while the vehicle 10 is traveling, not only the above two forces but also an inertial force corresponding to the acceleration of the vehicle 10 may act on the water on the hood outer surface 31a. For this reason, if the direction of the resultant force including the inertia force is taken into consideration, the flow direction of water on the hood outer surface 31a can be determined more accurately.

  In the present embodiment, it is assumed that only two forces of gravity and a force caused by the traveling wind act on the water on the hood outer surface 31a while the vehicle 10 is traveling, and the water on the hood outer surface 31a is based on these two forces. Is determined to flow toward the lens 21. Under this assumption, the flow direction of water on the hood outer surface 31a is determined by the magnitude relationship of the component forces when the forces of gravity and traveling wind are decomposed in the direction along the hood outer surface 31a. Here, since the force caused by the traveling wind increases as the vehicle speed increases, the magnitude relationship between the component forces described above is reversed according to the vehicle speed V. That is, it can be said that whether or not the water on the hood outer surface 31 a flows toward the lens 21 is mainly determined by the vehicle speed V.

  In the present embodiment, based on the above assumption, if the gravity component is greater than the force component of the traveling wind, it is determined that the water on the hood outer surface 31 a flows toward the lens 21. On the other hand, if the force component of the traveling wind is greater than the force component of gravity, it is determined that the water on the hood outer surface 31 a does not flow toward the lens 21. That is, in the latter case, there is a possibility that the snow adhering to the lens 21 cannot be melted with the water in which the snow on the hood outer surface 31a is melted.

  Therefore, in this case, as shown in FIG. 5B, the bumper IH coil 6 positioned in front of the lens 21 is turned on to melt the snow on the bumper outer surface 41a. Thereby, the water on the bumper outer surface 41a flows upward (toward the lens 21) along the bumper outer surface 41a by the force of the traveling wind W, so that the snow of the lens 21 can be melted. The water that has flowed to the lens 21 is guided in the vertical direction by the flow path portion 21a. That is, the water that has traveled along the outer surface 31a of the hood flows downward on the lens 21 along the flow path portion 21a, and the water that has traveled on the outer surface 41a of the bumper travels upward on the lens 21 along the flow path portion 21a. Flowing.

  In the defrosting control according to the present embodiment, when the following start condition is satisfied, the coils 5 and 6 are alternatively controlled to be turned on according to the vehicle speed V. That is, the hood IH coil 5 is controlled to be on when the bumper IH coil 6 is off, and is controlled to be off when the bumper IH coil 6 is on. The threshold value of the vehicle speed V (second threshold value Vth described later) for determining the coils 5 and 6 to be turned on is based on the above assumption, for example, the magnitude of gravity component and force component due to the running wind W Set to the value when the relationship is reversed. Note that the method of setting the second threshold value Vth is not limited to this, and may be set to the lowest value of the vehicle speed V when the influence of the traveling wind W becomes strong enough to neglect the influence of gravity, for example.

  In addition, since the defrosting apparatus 1 of this embodiment is provided with said heat conductive member 7, even if it does not control both coils 5 and 6 to an ON state, the heat | fever generate | occur | produced on one side of the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a on the other side Can be communicated to. That is, snow can be melted effectively while suppressing the amount of power consumed by the coils 5 and 6.

  In the defrosting control according to the present embodiment, when the light source 22 of the headlight 20 is in the on state and the manual switch 15 is in the off state, the success or failure of the following start condition is determined. That is, the condition for performing the defrosting control start determination of the present embodiment is that the light source 22 of the headlight 20 is in the on state and the manual switch 15 is in the off state.

The defrosting control of this embodiment is started when the following start conditions are satisfied.
Start condition: Conditions A to C are all satisfied.
Condition A: The illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 is higher than the first illuminance E1 (E> E1)
Condition B: Hood temperature TH is lower than first temperature T1 (TH <T1)
Condition C: outside temperature TA is lower than first threshold Tth (TA <Tth)

  As described above, the condition A is a condition set based on the fact that, when the light source 22 is in the on state, the higher the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25, the higher the possibility that snow will adhere to the lens 21. It is. In the present embodiment, when the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 is higher than the first illuminance E1, it is determined that snow is attached to the extent that the lighting performance of the headlight 20 is not ensured, and the conditions B and C are also satisfied. Defrost control is started. The first illuminance E1 is set in advance to a value with which it is possible to determine that the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 is higher than the illuminance E in the normal usage mode. As a method for setting the first illuminance E1, for example, there is a method in which the illuminance E when the snow is attached to the lens 21 is obtained in advance by experiments or simulations. Further, there is a method of setting the maximum value of the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 when the brightness of the front of the vehicle 10 is secured by the headlight 20 or a value higher than this maximum value.

  The condition B is a condition set based on the fact that in the situation where the hood temperature TH is high to some extent, there is a high possibility that the snow on the hood outer surface 31a is naturally melted even if the hood IH coil 5 is not turned on. In this embodiment, when the hood temperature TH is lower than the first temperature T1, it is determined that the snow on the hood outer surface 31a does not melt unless the hood outer surface 31a is heated by the hood IH coil 5, and the conditions A and C are also satisfied. Defrost control is started. The first temperature T1 is preset to the lowest value of the hood temperature TH when the snow on the hood outer surface 31a melts naturally (even if the hood IH coil 5 is not used).

  The condition C is set based on the fact that, in the situation where the outside air temperature TA is high to some extent, the possibility of snowfall is low, so the possibility that snow will adhere to the lens 21 is low, and even if it adheres, the possibility of melting immediately is high. It is a condition. In the present embodiment, when the outside air temperature TA is lower than the first threshold Tth, it is determined that the outside air temperature TA is low enough to allow snow to adhere to the lens 21 of the headlight 20, and if conditions A and B are satisfied, frost Control is started. For example, the first threshold value Tth is set in advance to the lowest value of the outside air temperature TA when no snow falls.

  The ECU 9 determines the success or failure of the above conditions A to C based on the detection results of the illuminance sensor 11, the hood temperature sensor 12, and the outside air temperature sensor 13. In the present embodiment, if at least one of the illuminances E detected by the two illuminance sensors 11, 11 provided on the left and right satisfies the condition A, it is determined that the condition A is satisfied. Similarly, if at least one of the hood temperatures TH detected by the two hood temperature sensors 12, 12 provided on the left and right satisfies the condition B, it is determined that the condition B is satisfied. Note that the order of determining success or failure of the conditions A to C is not particularly limited.

When the start condition is satisfied, the ECU 9 switches one of the coils 5 and 6 from the off state to the on state (starts energization of either one of the coils 5 and 6), and applies predetermined power to the speaker 16 and the display device 17. The alarm sound and display are output.
As described above, the ECU 9 according to the present embodiment controls the hood IH coil 5 and the bumper IH coil 6 according to the vehicle speed V during the defrosting control (that is, when the start condition is satisfied). Switch. That is, the ECU 9 of the present embodiment controls energization to the hood IH coil 5 and energization to the bumper IH coil 6 according to the vehicle speed V.

  Specifically, the ECU 9 controls the hood IH coil 5 to the on state and turns off the bumper IH coil 6 when the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 14 is equal to or lower than the second threshold value Vth (V ≦ Vth). Control to the state. In addition, when the vehicle speed V is higher than the second threshold value Vth (V> Vth), the ECU 9 controls the bumper IH coil 6 to the on state and controls the hood IH coil 5 to the off state.

  Here, as described above, the second threshold value Vth is, for example, a value when the magnitude relationship between the gravity force and the force component of the running wind W is reversed, or the influence of gravity is negligible. The minimum value (for example, about 30 km / h) when the influence of the wind W becomes strong is set in advance. The case where the vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than the second threshold value Vth is a case where the vehicle speed V is relatively low and the vehicle 10 does not receive the traveling wind W, or even if received, there is almost no influence. In the present embodiment, the energization amount is constant during energization of the coils 5 and 6. That is, the value of the current flowing through the coils 5 and 6 in the on state is controlled to be constant.

The defrosting control of this embodiment is complete | finished if the completion | finish conditions shown below are satisfied.
Termination condition: At least one of the conditions D and E is satisfied.
Condition D: The illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 is equal to or less than the second illuminance E2 (E ≦ E2)
Condition E: The hood temperature TH is equal to or higher than the second temperature T2 (TH ≧ T2)

  Condition D is a condition set based on the fact that when the light source 22 is in the on state, if the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 is low, it can be estimated that the possibility of snow attachment to the lens 21 is low. In the present embodiment, when the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 decreases to the second illuminance E2 or less, it is determined that the snow attached to the lens 21 has melted and the lighting performance of the headlight 20 has been secured, and defrosting control is performed. Exit. The second illuminance E2 is a value lower than the first illuminance E1, and is set in advance to a value comparable to, for example, the illuminance E in a normal usage mode. As a method for setting the second illuminance E2, for example, there is a method in which the illuminance E in a normal usage state (when no snow is attached to the lens 21) is obtained in advance by experiments or simulations. Moreover, the method of setting to the illumination intensity E in the lamp chamber 25 when the brightness of the front of the vehicle 10 is sufficiently ensured by the headlight 20 is mentioned.

  The condition E is a condition set based on the fact that if the hood temperature TH rises to some extent, it is highly possible that the snow on the hood outer surface 31a will melt naturally without turning on the hood IH coil 5. In the present embodiment, when the hood temperature TH rises to the second temperature T2 or higher, it is determined that the snow on the hood outer surface 31a is melted without heating the hood outer surface 31a with the hood IH coil 5, and the defrosting control is terminated. To do. The second temperature T2 is higher than the first temperature T1, and is set in advance to a hood temperature TH at which, for example, snow on the hood outer surface 31a melts immediately without using the hood IH coil 5.

  The ECU 9 determines success or failure of the above conditions D and E based on the detection results of the illuminance sensor 11 and the hood temperature sensor 12. As described above, in the present embodiment, if at least one of the illuminances E detected by the two illuminance sensors 11 and 11 satisfies the condition D, it is determined that the condition D is satisfied. Similarly, if at least one of the hood temperatures TH detected by the two hood temperature sensors 12, 12 satisfies the condition E, it is determined that the condition E is satisfied. Note that the order of determining success or failure of the conditions D and E is not particularly limited.

  The ECU 9 determines from time to time whether or not the end condition is satisfied during energization of one of the coils 5 and 6, and when at least one of the conditions D and E is satisfied, controls both the coils 5 and 6 to be in an off state (coils 5 and 5). 6 is terminated, and a predetermined alarm sound and display are output to the speaker 16 and the display device 17, respectively. Note that the ECU 9 of the present embodiment can also be used when the light source 22 of the headlight 20 is switched to an off state or when the manual switch 15 is switched to an on state during energization of one of the coils 5 and 6. Defrosting control is forcibly terminated. That is, the fact that the light source 22 of the headlight 20 is switched to the OFF state or the manual switch 15 is switched to the ON state is also regarded as a sufficient condition for ending the defrosting control of the present embodiment. Can do.

[3. flowchart]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the contents of control performed by the ECU 9 described above. This flowchart is repeatedly performed at a predetermined calculation cycle while the light source 22 of the headlight 20 is in the ON state. At the start of this flowchart, the coils 5 and 6 are both off. When the light source 22 is switched to an off state during the execution of this flowchart, a flag F (to be described later) is reset to 0, and all the controls that have been performed are controlled to be off.

  In step S1, information from various sensors 11 to 15 is input. Various information input here is used in the following processing. In step S2, it is determined whether or not the manual switch 15 is off. If the manual switch 15 is off, the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, it is determined whether or not the flag F is zero. Here, the flag F is a variable for checking whether or not the defrosting control is being performed, F = 1 corresponds to the fact that the defrosting control is being performed, and F = 0 is the defrosting control. Corresponds to the fact that control is not in progress.

  When the flag F is 0 in step S3, the process proceeds to step S4, and it is determined whether or not the start condition described above is satisfied. If the start condition is not satisfied, this flow is returned. On the other hand, if the start condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S5 and the flag F is set to 1. In step S6, the speaker 16 and the display device 17 are controlled so that an alarm sound and a display indicating the start of the defrosting control are output. In the following step S7, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed V is higher than the second threshold value Vth based on the information on the vehicle speed V input in step S1.

  If the vehicle speed V is higher than the second threshold value Vth, the process proceeds to step S8, where the hood IH coil 5 is controlled to be turned off and the bumper IH coil 6 is controlled to be turned on. That is, in step S8, energization is performed only to the bumper IH coil 6. If the vehicle speed V is equal to or lower than the second threshold value Vth, the process proceeds to step S9, where the hood IH coil 5 is controlled to be on and the bumper IH coil 6 is controlled to be off. That is, in step S9, energization is performed only to the hood IH coil 5.

  In step S10, it is determined whether or not the termination condition described above is satisfied. If the end condition is not satisfied, this flow is returned. In this case, in the next calculation cycle, since the flag F is set to 1 (the defrosting control is already being performed), if the manual switch 15 is not operated (step S2), steps S4 to S6 are performed. Skip to step S3 to step S7. And the energization state to the coils 5 and 6 is switched according to the vehicle speed V acquired in the calculation cycle (steps S7 to S9), and these processes are repeated until the end condition of step S10 is satisfied.

In step S11, the flag F is set to 0. In step S12, the coils 5 and 6 are both controlled to be in the off state. That is, in step S12, the energization of all the coils 5 and 6 is terminated, and in the subsequent step S13, the speaker 16 and the display device 17 are controlled so that an alarm sound and display indicating the end of the defrosting control are output. And return this flow.
In addition, when the manual switch 15 is operated and turned on before the completion condition of step S10 is satisfied, the process proceeds from step S2 to step S11, and the defrosting control is forcibly terminated (steps S11 to S13).

[4. Action, effect]
(1) In the defrosting apparatus 1 described above, the illuminance E detected by the illuminance sensor 11 is higher than the first illuminance E1, and the hood temperature TH detected by the hood temperature sensor 12 is lower than the first temperature T1. The ECU 9 starts energizing at least one of the coils 5 and 6 when the start condition including the above is satisfied. When energization to the hood IH coil 5 is started, the hood outer surface 31a is heated, so that the snow on the hood outer surface 31a melts and becomes water. In addition, if energization to the bumper IH coil 6 is started, the bumper outer surface 41a is heated, so that the snow on the bumper outer surface 41a melts and becomes water. The water on the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a flows to the lens 21 of the headlight 20 along the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a.

  That is, according to the defrosting apparatus 1 described above, when the start condition is satisfied, at least one of the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a is heated, so that snow existing on the outer surfaces 31a and 41a becomes water and is applied to the lens 21. Flowing. For this reason, the snow adhering to the lens 21 of the headlight 20 can be melted. Moreover, according to the defrosting apparatus 1 mentioned above, since the energization to the coils 5 and 6 is started when the start condition is satisfied, the lighting performance of the headlight 20 is not dependent on the operation of the driver of the vehicle 10. Can be secured.

  Furthermore, since the start condition includes a condition A in which the illuminance E detected by the illuminance sensor 11 is higher than the first illuminance E1, the case where snow is attached to the lens 21 and dirt such as mud and sand are attached. It is possible to make a determination by distinguishing from the case where the error occurred. In addition, since the start condition includes a condition B that the hood temperature TH detected by the hood temperature sensor 12 is lower than the first temperature T1, snow is attached to the lens 21, and the hood outer surface 31a. It is possible to accurately estimate that snow has accumulated on the top, and in this case, defrosting control can be started. Therefore, the lighting performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured more reliably under appropriate conditions.

  (2) According to the defrosting device 1 described above, as shown in FIG. 5A, the hood outer surface 31 a inclined downward toward the lens 21 is heated by the hood IH coil 5, so that the hood outer surface 31 a is heated. The existing snow can be melted, and the water on the outer surface 31a of the hood can be caused to flow to the lens 21 using gravity (see the thick arrow in FIG. 5A). Further, since the hood 3 easily accumulates snow, more snow can exist on the hood outer surface 31a. For this reason, by heating the hood outer surface 31a, the amount of water for melting the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be increased, and the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be effectively dissolved.

  In addition, in the conventional structure in which the snow attached to the lens is melted by the heating wire provided on the lens of the headlight or the washer liquid sprayed from below the lens, the lens is used during continuous snowfall or from a hood. During the snowfall, it was difficult to keep the headlight lighting performance. On the other hand, according to the defrosting device 1 described above, the snow on the outer surface 31a of the hood can be melted and water can be flowed to the lens 21 using gravity, so that it adheres to the lens 21 even during continuous snowfall. Snow can be melted continuously. Furthermore, snowfall from the hood 3 to the lens 21 can be avoided by heating the hood outer surface 31a. Therefore, according to the defrosting device 1, the illumination performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured continuously.

  (3) In the defrosting device 1 described above, energization to the bumper IH coil 6 is controlled according to the vehicle speed V when the above start condition is satisfied. For example, the ECU 9 energizes the bumper IH coil 6 when traveling at a medium to high speed where the vehicle speed V is higher than the second threshold value Vth. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5B, the bumper outer surface 41a is heated and the snow existing on the bumper outer surface 41a melts and becomes water, and this water is caused to flow to the lens 21 by the force of the traveling wind W [FIG. (See thick arrow in 5 (b)). Therefore, the water on the bumper outer surface 41a can be caused to flow to the lens 21 by using the traveling wind W acting according to the vehicle speed V, and the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be melted. Thereby, the illumination performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured. In this case, if the energization of the hood IH coil 5 is stopped, the corresponding power can be saved.

  Further, for example, the ECU 9 does not energize the bumper IH coil 6 during low-speed traveling or when the vehicle speed V is equal to or less than the second threshold value Vth, thereby saving the power required for energizing the bumper IH coil 6. be able to. In this case, if the hood IH coil 5 is energized, the water on the hood outer surface 31a can be flowed to the lens 21 using gravity as described above, and the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be removed. Can be melted. Thereby, also in this case, the illumination performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured.

  (4) When the illuminance E detected by the illuminance sensor 11 is equal to or lower than the second illuminance E2, the ECU 9 described above, or the hood temperature TH detected by the hood temperature sensor 12 is equal to or higher than the second temperature T2. In this case, energization of the coils 5 and 6 is terminated. That is, the ECU 9 determines the end of the defrosting control according to the state of the lens 21 and the hood outer surface 31a. For this reason, for example, when it can be estimated that the snow adhering to the lens 21 has melted, or when it can be estimated that the snow on the hood outer surface 31a has melted, the defrosting control can be terminated. Therefore, the illumination performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured more reliably under an appropriate situation, and an increase in power consumed by the coils 5 and 6 can be suppressed.

  In addition, since the second illuminance E2 used for the end determination of the defrosting control is set to a value lower than the first illuminance E1 used for the start determination of the defrosting control, the lighting performance of the headlight 20 is more reliably determined. Can be secured. In addition, since the second temperature T2 used for the determination of the end of the defrosting control is set to a value higher than the first temperature T1 used for the determination of the start of the defrosting control, a predetermined period after the end of the defrosting control. The hood temperature TH is kept higher than the first temperature T1. Thereby, during the predetermined period after the end of the defrosting control, the snow that has fallen on the outer surface 31a of the hood melts naturally and water flows into the lens 21 even if the hood IH coil 5 is not in the on state. The lighting performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured afterwards.

  (5) Since the defrosting device 1 described above includes the heat conducting member 7 that is connected to the panel outer surfaces 31 a and 41 a and is disposed adjacent to the lens 21, the heat of the panel outer surfaces 31 a and 41 a is the heat conducting member 7. As a result, the wide area adjacent to the lens 21 is warmed. Further, the heat of the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a is transmitted to the surroundings through the hood 3 and the bumper 4, respectively, but if the heat conductive member 7 having a higher thermal conductivity than the hood 3 and the bumper 4 is arranged as described above, the panel The heat of the outer surfaces 31a and 41a is quickly transmitted to the portion adjacent to the lens 21 through the heat conducting member 7. In this way, by providing the heat conducting member 7, the area adjacent to the lens 21 can be warmed using the heat of the outer surfaces 31a and 41a, so that the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be melted more effectively. Can do.

  Moreover, since the heat conductive member 7 of this embodiment is extended between the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a, heat can be transmitted between the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a. That is, when the hood outer surface 31a is hotter than the bumper outer surface 41a, the bumper outer surface 41a can be heated by transferring heat from the hood outer surface 31a to the bumper outer surface 41a through the heat conducting member 7, and the bumper outer surface 41a is heated. When it is hotter than the outer surface 31a, the hood outer surface 31a can be heated by transferring heat from the bumper outer surface 41a to the hood outer surface 31a through the heat conducting member 7. In any case, since heat can be transmitted to a wider area around the lens 21 by the heat conducting member 7, the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be melted more effectively.

  Further, if the heat conducting member 7 is provided, heat can be transmitted between the hood outer surface 31a and the bumper outer surface 41a as described above, so either one of the hood IH coil 5 and the bumper IH coil 6 is omitted. Even if it does, both the food | hood outer surface 31a and the bumper outer surface 41a can be heated. As described above, if the heat conducting member 7 is provided and any one of the coils 5 and 6 is omitted, the lighting performance of the headlight 20 can be secured and the device cost can be reduced and the control configuration can be simplified. it can.

  In addition, since the heat conducting member 7 described above is disposed on the inner side in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10 than the lens 21, the inner side of the lens 10 in the left-right direction of the vehicle 10 due to heat transmitted to the heat conducting member 7. It is possible to melt the snow adhering to this part more effectively by warming the part close to. For this reason, the illumination performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured more efficiently.

  (6) Since the defrosting apparatus 1 described above includes the concave flow path portion 21a that extends in the vertical direction on the lens 21, water formed by melting snow is caused to follow the flow path portion 21a. Can be flowed up and down. That is, the water from the hood outer surface 31a can be dropped downward along the flow path portion 21a, and the water from the bumper outer surface 41a can flow upward along the flow path portion 21a. . For this reason, the water from the panel outer surfaces 31 a and 41 a can flow more reliably on the lens 21. Thereby, the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be more reliably melted.

  In addition, if the lens 21 is provided with a plurality of flow path portions 21 a, water formed by melting snow can flow in the vertical direction over a wider range of the lens 21. For this reason, the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be melted in a wider range, and the illumination performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured more appropriately. In addition, also when the flow-path part 21a is formed in convex shape, the effect | action and effect similar to the case where it forms in concave shape as mentioned above can be acquired.

  (7) Since the defrosting device 1 described above includes the shielding member 8 that houses the hood IH coil 5 between the hood 3 and the hood IH coil 5, the frosting device 1 is emitted from the hood IH coil 5. It is possible to prevent the magnetic body other than the hood 3 from being heated by the magnetic lines of force. For this reason, the magnetic member existing around the hood IH coil 5 can be protected from heating.

  (8) When the LED is applied to the light source 22 of the headlight 20 as described above, the lens 21 has a lower temperature than when a halogen lamp or an HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamp is applied. The snow adhering to 21 is difficult to melt, and the lighting performance of the headlight 20 is difficult to be ensured. On the other hand, according to the defrosting apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the LED as the light source 22 is used to melt the snow adhering to the lens 21 using the water on the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a as described above. Even if it is applied, the illumination performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured.

  (9) When the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle (electric vehicle) that does not include an engine, the hood outer surface 31a is not heated by the engine, so that the hood outer surface compared to a vehicle in which the engine is disposed below the hood 3 Snow existing on 31a is hard to melt. On the other hand, according to the defrosting device 1, even if the vehicle 10 does not include an engine, the snow on the hood outer surface 31a is melted by heating the hood outer surface 31a with the hood IH coil 5 as described above. Therefore, the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be melted, and the lighting performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured.

[5. Modified example]
Regardless of the embodiment described above, various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Each structure of this embodiment can be selected as needed, or may be combined appropriately. In the following modification examples, the same or corresponding elements as those described in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the defroster 1 may include a guide member 2 provided between headlights 20 and 20 located on the left and right of the vehicle 10. The guide member 2 is for guiding water from the center portion 32 in the left-right direction of the hood 3 to each lens 21 of the left and right headlights 20, 20, and forms a mountain shape when the vehicle 10 is viewed from the front. The hood 3 of this modification is formed in a shape that is inclined downward from each of the outer side portions 31, 31 on both the left and right sides to the central portion 32. That is, in this modification, the water on the hood outer surface 31 a is easily collected in the central portion 32 of the hood 3.

  The guide member 2 has guide surfaces 2a and 2a inclined downward from the central portion of the vehicle 10 in the left-right direction toward the left and right lenses 21 and 21, respectively. Each guide surface 2 a extends so as to connect the center portion 32 of the hood 3 and the lens 21. The guide member 2 is provided as a front grille of the vehicle 10, for example. That is, the front grill can be formed so as to have the above-described guide surfaces 2 a and 2 a, and this front grill can be applied as the guide member 2. In addition, in this modification, although the case where the heat conductive member 7 is abbreviate | omitted from the defroster 1 is shown, the defroster 1 may be provided with both the guide member 2 and the heat conductive member 7. FIG.

  According to the defrosting device 1 according to the present modification, the guide member 2 is provided between the left and right headlights 20, 20. It can guide along the guide surface 2a from the center part 32 of the food | hood 3 to each lens 21 on either side. For this reason, the shape of the hood 3 is such that the central portion 32 is located below the outer portions 31, 31, and the water on the hood outer surface 31 a is collected in the central portion 32 of the hood 3. Even so, water can flow from the central portion 32 of the hood 3 to the left and right lenses 21 through the guide member 2. As a result, the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be melted more reliably, and the lighting performance of the headlight 2 can be ensured. Moreover, according to the defrosting apparatus 1 which concerns on this modification, the same effect | action and effect can be acquired from the structure similar to the above-mentioned embodiment.

The hood 3 only needs to have at least an upward outer surface inclined toward the lens 21, and the specific shape is not limited to that described above. For example, the hood 3 may have a shape without a step between the outer side portions 31, 31 in the left-right direction and the central portion 32.
Moreover, although the above-mentioned embodiment demonstrated the case where the defroster 1 was equipped with both the coils 5 and 6, one of the coils 5 and 6 may be abbreviate | omitted. According to the defroster 1, even if one of the coils 5 and 6 is omitted, one of the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a can be heated by one of the coils 5 and 6. For this reason, as described above, the snow on the hood outer surface 31a or the bumper outer surface 41a is melted into water, and the water adhering to the lens 21 can be melted by flowing this water through the lens 21. Thereby, the illumination performance of the headlight 20 can be ensured.

  Moreover, although the case where the heat conductive member 7 was connected to both panel outer surface 31a, 41a was illustrated in the above-mentioned embodiment, the heat conductive member 7 should just be connected to at least one of panel outer surface 31a, 41a. . For example, the heat conducting member 7 is connected to the hood outer surface 31a and may not be connected to the bumper outer surface 41a. Even in this case, the heat conducting member 7 is heated from the hood outer surface 31a heated by the hood IH coil 5. Heat can be transferred to a wide area adjacent to the lens 21. For this reason, the snow adhering to the lens 21 can be melted more effectively as described above. In addition, the heat conductive member 7 should just be arrange | positioned adjacent to the lens 21, and the specific position is not restricted to the position illustrated by the above-mentioned embodiment.

  The contents of the control performed by the ECU 9 are not limited to those shown in the above-described embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the energization amount of the coils 5 and 6 is constant has been described, but instead, the ECU 9 performs the illumination sensor 11 while energizing at least one of the coils 5 and 6. The energization amount may be increased as the illuminance E detected in step 1 is higher or as the hood temperature TH detected by the hood temperature sensor 12 is lower. That is, when the coils 5 and 6 are in the on state, the ECU 9 can be configured to adjust the value of the current flowing through the coils 5 and 6, and the higher the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 or the lower the hood temperature TH, You may control so that the value of the electric current sent through the coils 5 and 6 in energization may be enlarged.

  As the energization amount of the hood IH coil 5 is increased, the Joule heat per unit time generated in the hood 3 increases, so that the snow on the hood outer surface 31a can be melted more effectively. Similarly, since the Joule heat per unit time generated in the bumper 4 increases as the energization amount of the bumper IH coil 6 increases, the snow on the bumper outer surface 41a can be melted more effectively.

  As described above, when the light source 22 is in the on state, it can be estimated that the higher the illuminance E in the lamp chamber 25 is, the more snow is attached to the lens 21. If the energization amount of the coils 5 and 6 is increased, the snow on the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a can be melted in accordance with the amount of snow attached to the lens 21. For this reason, even when a large amount of snow is attached to the lens 21, the snow on the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a can be melted more effectively and water can flow quickly to the lens 21. Can be dissolved quickly. Therefore, the lighting performance of the headlight 20 can be secured quickly.

  Further, it can be estimated that the snow amount on the hood outer surface 31a increases as the hood temperature TH becomes lower because the snow on the hood outer surface 31a becomes harder to melt. Furthermore, it can be estimated that the lower the hood temperature TH, the lower the temperature of the exposed bumper outer surface 41a in the same manner as the outer surface 31a of the hood, and the less the snow on the bumper outer surface 41a melts. . Therefore, if the energization amount to the coils 5 and 6 is increased as the hood temperature TH is lower, the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a can be heated in accordance with the amount of snow on the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a. For this reason, even when there is a large amount of snow on the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a, the snow on the panel outer surfaces 31a and 41a can be melted more effectively and water can flow quickly to the lens 21. It can be dissolved quickly. Therefore, the lighting performance of the headlight 20 can be secured quickly.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the coils 5 and 6 are alternatively controlled to be in the on state during the execution of the defrosting control is illustrated, but it is sufficient that at least one of the coils 5 and 6 is controlled to be in the on state. For example, all the coils 5 and 6 may be controlled to be in the on state regardless of the vehicle speed V. When the bumper IH coil 6 is controlled to be in an ON state when the vehicle speed V is relatively low, when the bumper outer surface 41a is heated and the snow on the bumper outer surface 41a melts and becomes water, the water passes through the front portion 42 of the bumper 4. Fall down. In this case, since the snow accumulated on the bumper outer surface 41a is removed, the field of view in front of the headlight 20 can be secured.

  Note that the defrosting control start condition and end condition shown in the above-described embodiment are both examples. The start condition may be, for example, “that both conditions A and B are satisfied” instead of the above-described one. That is, the condition C regarding the outside air temperature TA may be omitted. Moreover, conditions other than the above-mentioned conditions D and E may be added as termination conditions.

  Moreover, although the above-mentioned embodiment demonstrated the case where the same defrost control was implemented with respect to the left and right headlights 20 and 20, different defrost control was performed with respect to the left and right headlights 20 and 20. May be. For example, in the defrost control for the left headlight 20, the ECU 9 determines whether the start condition and the end condition are successful based on the detection results of the left illuminance sensor 11 and the left hood temperature sensor 12, and the right headlight. In the defrosting control for 20, the success or failure of the start condition and the end condition may be determined based on the detection results of the right illuminance sensor 11 and the right hood temperature sensor 12.

  In the success / failure determination of the start condition and the end condition, the detection result of at least one illuminance sensor 11 and the detection result of at least one hood temperature sensor 12 may be referred to. That is, at least one illumination sensor 11 and one hood temperature sensor 12 may be provided. Further, instead of or in addition to the hood temperature sensor 12, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the bumper outer surface 41 a is provided, and the detection result of the temperature sensor is set as the defrosting control start condition in the same manner as the detection result of the hood temperature sensor 12. And it may be used in the success / failure determination of the end condition.

  In the above-described embodiment, the shielding member 8 that covers the hood IH coil 5 from below has been described, but similarly, a shielding member that covers the bumper IH coil 6 from below may be provided. In this case, similarly to the shielding member 8 described above, the magnetic member existing around the bumper IH coil 6 can be protected from heating.

  In the above-described embodiment, the defrosting device 1 applied to the headlight 20 of the vehicle 10 is illustrated, but the present defrosting device can also be applied to a tail lamp of a vehicle. The tail lamp here is a lamp having a light source in the lamp chamber that emits light toward a lens mounted at the rear end of the vehicle. When this defrosting device is applied to a tail lamp, for example, a trunk lid can be applied instead of the hood 3 described above.

1 Defroster 2 Guide member 2a Guide surface 3 Hood (panel, first panel)
4 Bumper (panel, second panel)
5 Hood IH coil (electromagnet)
6 Bumper IH coil (electromagnet)
7 heat conduction member 8 shielding member 9 ECU (control device)
10 Vehicle 11 Illuminance Sensor 12 Hood Temperature Sensor (Temperature Sensor)
14 Vehicle speed sensor 20 Headlight (lamp)
21 Lens 21a Channel 22 Light source 25 Lamp chamber 31a Hood outer surface (outer surface, first outer surface)
41a Bumper outer surface (outer surface, second outer surface)
E Illuminance
E1 First illuminance
E2 Second illumination
T1 first temperature
T2 Second temperature
TH Hood temperature
V vehicle speed

Claims (9)

A defrosting device for a vehicular lamp comprising a light source that emits light toward a lens mounted at a front end portion or a rear end portion of a vehicle,
A panel having an upward outer surface inclined toward the lens;
An electromagnet provided below the panel and generating an eddy current in the panel when energized to heat the outer surface;
An illuminance sensor for detecting the illuminance in the lamp chamber;
A temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the outer surface;
When the start condition including that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor is higher than a predetermined first illuminance and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a predetermined first temperature is satisfied, A defrosting device for a vehicular lamp, comprising: a control device that starts energization of the electromagnet. The said panel is provided above the said vehicle lamp, The 1st panel which has the 1st outer surface as the said outer surface inclined down toward the said lens is contained, The said panel is included. A defrosting device for vehicle lamps. The defroster includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed,
The vehicular lamp is a headlight provided at the front of the vehicle;
The panel includes a second panel provided below the headlight and having a second outer surface as the outer surface inclined upward toward the lens,
The control device controls energization to the electromagnet provided below the second panel according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor when the start condition is satisfied. The defrosting device for a vehicle lamp according to claim 1 or 2. When the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor is equal to or lower than a second illuminance lower than the first illuminance during energization of the electromagnet, or the temperature detected by the temperature sensor The frost of the vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the energization of the electromagnet is terminated when the temperature becomes equal to or higher than a second temperature higher than the first temperature. Taking device. The control device increases the energization amount as the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor is higher or the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower during energization of the electromagnet. The defrosting device for a vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. The vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a heat conductive member connected to the outer surface and disposed adjacent to the lens and having a higher heat conductivity than the panel. Defrosting device for lamps. The defrosting device for a vehicular lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a convex or concave channel portion extending in the vertical direction on the lens. A guide member provided between the vehicular lamps located on the left and right sides of the vehicle, and having a guide surface inclined downward from the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle toward the left and right lenses, respectively. The defrosting device for a vehicle lamp according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a shielding member that is formed of a non-magnetic material and covers the electromagnet from below and accommodates the electromagnet between the panel and the panel. Defrosting device for lighting equipment.

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