Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-21
2001-12-04
Husar, Stephen (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S513000, C362S508000, C362S526000, C362S280000, C362S282000, C362S512000, C362S464000, C362S465000, C362S466000, C362S467000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325528
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to headlight assemblies in general, and more particularly to headlight assemblies the light beams of which can be adjusted or switched at least between their high-beam and low-beam positions.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are already known various constructions of motor vehicle headlight assemblies switchable between their low-beam and high-beam operating modes. A typical assembly of this kind includes a housing, in the interior of which there are arranged a reflector component and a light source component. In many motor vehicles, especially recently built ones, the light source component is movable relative to the reflector between its position for the low-beam, and that for the high-beam, mode of operation of the headlight assembly.
An example of a headlight assembly of this kind is disclosed, for instance, in the German patent application. DE 44 35 507 A1. In the headlight assembly revealed there, the light source component is moved, for the purpose of switching between its position corresponding to the low-beam operating mode, and that assumed in the high-beam operating mode of the headlight assembly, both in the direction of the optical axis of the reflector component and transversely to that optical axis. In order to accomplish this movement, there is provided an adjusting member that causes the light source component to pivot relative to the reflector component about a light source pivoting axis. This light source pivoting axis extends substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis of the reflector component and horizontally as considered in the orientation of the headlight assembly when in normal use, at an offset from the optical axis. It is also disclosed there that the adjusting member can be constructed an electric motor, a hydraulic or pneumatic driving unit, or even as an electromagnet.
In the last instance, the electromagnet or solenoid constituting the adjusting member must be relatively large and be dimensioned so as to exhibit a high degree of sturdiness. The effective displacement of the movable part of the electromagnet must be sufficiently large to cover the distance required for moving the light source component between its position for the low beam and that for the high beam. While it would be possible to shorten this required distance by the use of a suitable transmission, this approach would have a negative side effect of requiring the electromagnet to overcome a considerably greater force than in the absence of such a transmission and, consequently, to be built even stronger than before. It will be appreciated, though, that the larger and stronger the electromagnet is, the heavier it is and the greater amount of space must be available for it to occupy. Yet, in this construction a smaller and lighter electromagnet would not be able to reliably perform the function that is expected from it, that is that of the aforementioned adjusting member that switches or moves the light source component between its low-beam and its high-beam position relative to the reflector component.
Moreover, the German patent application No. 44 35 507 A1 mentioned before does not include any indication whatsoever that the adjusting member should or even could be used in the context of the headlight assembly revealed there for any other purpose but for that stated, that is that of moving the light source component relative to the reflector component. As a matter of fact, the disclosure of this application is such as to dissuade a person familiar with its contents from even contemplating any such other use.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a headlight assembly that does not possess the drawbacks of the known vehicle equipment of this type.
Still another object of the present invention is to devise a mechanism for switching the movable parts of the assembly of the type here under consideration between their various positions with respect to one another and the vehicle on which the assembly is mounted, especially between those corresponding to the low-beam and high-beam modes of operation of the assembly, which mechanism would be significantly lighter and occupy a lesser amount of space than similar mechanisms known in the past.
It is yet another object of the present invention to design the above mechanism in such a manner as to keep both the amount of work to be performed by the electromagnet and the range over which the latter needs to be effective to a minimum.
A concomitant object of the present invention is so to construct the headlight assembly of the above type as to be relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and yet reliable in operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In keeping with the above objects and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of the present invention resides in a motor vehicle headlight assembly switchable between low-beam and high-beam modes of operation that includes a housing, a reflector component mounted in the housing for displacement relative to it between a plurality of beam aiming positions, and a light source component mounted in the housing for movement relative to the reflector component between a low-beam position and a high-beam position. Then, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, means including a motor for displacing the reflector component between the aforementioned plurality of beam aiming positions relative to the housing, and means for selectively moving the light source component between, and for holding the light source component in at least one of, the low-beam and high-beam positions thereof relative to the reflector component, including the motor and an electromagnet cooperating with the motor.
A particular advantage of the headlight assembly construction as described so far is that the electromagnet now does not need to perform all the work needed for displacing the light source component relative to the reflector component because its effect in this respect is augmented, if not supplanted altogether, by that of the motor. As a consequence, it can be dimensioned much smaller than in conventional assemblies using this approach. Moreover, the provision of such a further drive (the motor) in addition to the original one (e.g. the electromagnet) has rendered it possible to envision a dual purpose for such a further drive, that is not only that of moving the light source component between its low-beam and high-beam positions relative to the reflector component, but also that of angularly displacing the reflector component relative to the headlight housing in order to adjust the distance ahead of the vehicle at which, say, the low beam issued by the headlight assembly is aimed. This is quite an important issue that has not been addressed at all in the above application but ought to be considered, especially nowadays when the intensity of the light beams issued by the motor vehicle headlights is already much higher than it was in the past and has a tendency to increase even further. In this regard, the present invention presents the advantage of being able to use the motor to adjust the aimed-at distance for instance in dependence on the loading of the vehicle, that is not only its total load but also, and possibly even more importantly, its distribution, and thus on the inclination of the vehicle relative to the roadway or horizontal plane about a transverse axis of the vehicle, which results from such loading. In this manner, it is possible to give the car occupants and especially the driver the farthest illumination possible under the circumstances by aiming the low beams as far as possible, while simultaneously avoiding blinding the drivers of the vehicles approaching in the opposite direction, by aiming the headlight beams higher relative to the vehicle when the vehicle front is relatively low, and lower
Grimm Heinz
Wittmeier Erwin
Husar Stephen
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
Ton Anabel
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