Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Adjustable lamp or lamp support
Patent
1998-05-18
2000-07-11
Cariaso, Alan
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Adjustable lamp or lamp support
362272, 362274, 362288, 362524, 74 8914, 74625, B60Q 1068
Patent
active
060862327
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on a device for changing the range of headlights. One such device is known from German Patent Disclosure DE 29 52 217 A1. This device has a housing in which a drive motor is disposed, and by means of the drive motor an adjusting element is drivable in a rotary motion via a gear. The rotary motion of the adjusting element is converted via a threaded connection and a transmission element into a longitudinal motion that is transmitted to the headlight part, for instance its reflector, that is to be adjusted, and the range of the headlight is thereby adjusted. The adjusting element has an female thread, and the transmission element has an male thread; the adjusting element is supported rotatably but nondisplaceably in the direction of its longitudinal axis in the housing, while the transmission element is supported nonrotatably but displaceably in the direction of its longitudinal axis in the housing. Also connected to the transmission element in the longitudinal direction is a connecting element pivotably connected to the headlight part to be adjusted. In addition to a basic setting of the headlight part to be adjusted, an actuating element protruding out of the housing is provided, which is retained on the transmission element so as to be rotatable about its longitudinal axis but nondisplaceable in the longitudinal direction. The actuating element is connected to the connecting element via a further threaded connection. Upon a rotation of the actuating element, independently of the drive motor, the connecting element is moved in the longitudinal motion via its threaded connection, and this longitudinal motion is transmitted to the headlight part to be adjusted. The construction of this known device is complicated overall and requires many components, making it complicated and expensive to manufacture and assemble, which ought to be avoided in large-scale mass production.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The device for changing the range of headlights according to the invention has the advantage over the prior art that it is simple in construction and requires only a few components.
An embodiment of the device offers the advantage that the actuating element does not also rotate upon a rotation of the adjusting element caused by the drive motor. A further feature enables a secure coupling of the transmission element to the adjusting element once a basic setting of the range has been established.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Three exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing and described in further detail below. FIG. 1 in fragmentary form shows a headlight with a device for changing its range; FIG. 2, on a larger scale, shows the device in a longitudinal section in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment; FIG. 3 shows the device in a longitudinal section in accordance with a second exemplary embodiment; FIG. 4 shows the device in a longitudinal section in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment; and FIG. 5 shows the device in a cross section taken along the line V--V of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A headlight for vehicles, especially motor vehicles, shown in FIG. 1 has a housing 10, in which a reflector 12 is disposed that is pivotably supported in the housing 10 about at least a horizontal axis 14. When the reflector 12 is pivoted about the axis 14, the range of the headlight is changed. This changing of the range is necessary on the one hand to enable making a basic setting of a headlight, and on the other it is also needed in order to be able to compensate for changes in the inclination of the vehicle when loading, and thus to be able to keep the range at least approximately constant. The reflector 12 is eccentrically engaged with respect to the axis 14 by a connecting element 16, which by way of example is embodied as a threaded spindle. A nut 18, which is screwed onto the threaded shaft 20 of the threaded spindle 16, is connected to the reflector 12. The threaded spindle 16 is supported nondisplaceab
REFERENCES:
patent: 3070687 (1962-12-01), Marchant
patent: 4524407 (1985-06-01), Igura
patent: 5251114 (1993-10-01), Cantin et al.
patent: 5580149 (1996-12-01), Kusagaya
Konto Elefterios
Schulze Werner
Westermann Michael
Cariaso Alan
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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