Universal joint component and automotive lamp unit

A universal joint component for connecting two members, comprising:

• a shaft,
• an installation section formed on one end of the shaft, and
• a spherical head formed on the other end of the shaft, said spherical head including a joint base joined to the shaft, a top end located at a side opposite to the joint base, at least one gap formed on a side of the spherical head between the top end and the joining base, said at least one gap being formed of a groove or through hole so as to straddle a phantom line substantially passing through a center of the spherical head to perpendicularly intersect a shaft axis of the shaft, and split head sections defined by the at least one gap so that the split head sections flexibly deforms when the spherical head is inserted into a spherical socket;
• wherein said at least one gap has a first distance between an upper end of the at least one gap positioned near the top end of the spherical head and the phantom line and a second distance between a lower end of the at least one gap positioned near the joining base of the spherical head and the phantom line, said first distance being greater than that of the second distance;
• and
• wherein said at least one gap includes grooves extending in different directions and communicating with each other inside the spherical head to thereby form a core defined by the grooves surrounding the core and gaps between upper and lower ends, said split head sections being connected by the core with respect to the joint base and deformable by the gaps.