ADJUSTMENT DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING THE POSITION OF AT LEAST ONE LIGHT MODULE IN THE HOUSING OF A HEADLIGHT

Abstract

An adjustment device for adjusting a position of at least one light module in a housing of a headlight, with a rotary member for at least indirectly transmitting a rotary motion to the at least one light module, wherein the rotary member at least at one point is guided through an opening in the housing and wherein for sealing the housing against the rotary member, an elastic sealing member is provided against an annular surface bordering the opening, which bears against the housing. To reduce the friction between the sealing member and the annular surface, the sealing member comprises a non-elastic annular element which is provided for abutment against the annular surface.

Claims

1. An adjustment device for adjusting a position of at least one light module in a housing of a headlight, the adjustment device comprising: a rotary member for at least indirectly transferring a rotary motion to the at least one light module, wherein at least at one location, the rotary member is guided through an opening in the housing; and an elastic sealing member provided against an annular surface bordering the opening which bears against the housing, the elastic member sealing the housing against the rotary member, wherein the sealing member comprises a non-elastic annular element that is provided to bear against the annular surface.

2. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the annular element comprises a metallic material.

3. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the annular element has a disk shape.

4. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the annular element has an outer diameter which is smaller than the outer diameter of the sealing member, wherein the sealing member has a sealing portion which projects up to the annular surface to form a sealing lip, thus enclosing the annular element on the outside.

5. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the annular element has an L-shaped annular cross section, wherein a first leg is in contact with the annular surface and wherein a second leg forms a sleeve around a shaft of the rotary member.

6. The adjustment device according to claim 3, wherein the annular element forms a metal foil or a fiber sheet which is arranged at the end face of the sealing member and is in contact with the annular surface.

7. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member is biased against the annular surface due to an intrinsic elasticity of the annular element.

8. The adjustment device according to claim 1, wherein the sealing member and the annular element are integrally formed from a metal spring plate, wherein a spring portion forms the elastic sealing member, and wherein an annular portion forms the annular element.

9. The adjustment device according to claim 8, wherein an O-ring is inserted in the opening.

10. The adjustment device according to claim 9, wherein the O-ring is held via a portion of the metallic spring plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an adjustment device for adjusting the position of at least one light module in the housing of a headlight according to the conventional art;

[0016] FIG. 2 illustrates an adjustment device according to the invention with a sealing member and an annular element in the form of a disk;

[0017] FIG. 3 illustrates an annular element in an L-shape;

[0018] FIG. 4 illustrates an annular element in the form of a metal foil or fiber sheet; and

[0019] FIG. 5 illustrates an annular element which is formed together with the sealing member by means of a spring plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] FIG. 1 shows an adjustment device 1 according to the conventional art for adjusting the position of a light module in the housing 10 of a headlight. The adjustment device 1 is shown with a rotary member 11 for at least indirectly transmitting rotary motion, the former being coupled to the light module such that the position of the light module can be changed by the rotary motion. The rotary member 11 is guided at one location through an opening 12 in the housing 10, wherein [sicdelete durch?] an elastic sealing member 13 is provided against an annular surface 14 bordering the opening 12 which bears against the housing to seal the housing 10 against the sealing member 11. The sealing member 13 comprises, for example, a rubber sleeve or a rubber ring, and by applying a drive means 23, for example in the form of a toothed wheel, together with a latching element 24 to the rotary member 11, the sealing member 13 can be biased such that it is pressed with an end face 26 against the annular surface 14.

[0021] The surface of the annular surface 14 as part of the housing 10 and the front 26 of the sealing member 13 each have a plastic material and/or a rubber material so that there is a friction pairing of plastic-plastic or plastic-rubber. The disadvantages described above are associated therewith, in particular, when an aging lubricant is used to lubricate the rotary motion of the sealing member 13 against the annular surface 14 of the housing 10. The sealing member 13 thereby corotates with the rotary motion of the rotary member 11 and slides off the annular surface 14 on the housing 10.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows the sealing member 13 for sealing the opening 12 in the housing 10, through which the rotary member 11 is guided, according to the invention. The sealing member 13 is axially biased between a shoulder 25 and the housing 10 by the drive means 23 being mounted by means of the latching means 24 on the rotary member 11 in the form of a toothed wheel. The sealing member 13 comprises an annular element 15, which is in particular made of metal. This forms the main friction partner against the annular surface 14, which borders the opening 12. On the outside of the annular element 15, the sealing member 13 has a sealing portion 16 which encloses the annular element 15 on the outside and forms a sealing lip, which also presses against the annular surface 14 with slight bias. The use of the annular element 15 essentially forms a metal-plastic friction pairing by means of which lower frictional forces are generated, and in particular, old lubricant does not lead to resistance in the friction pairing when the sealing member 13 corotates with the rotary motion of the rotary member 11.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows the design of the sealing member 13 according to the invention with an annular element 15 which has an L-shape. As a result, the annular element 15 forms a first leg 17 which is in contact with the annular surface 14, and the annular element 15 forms a second leg 18 which forms a sleeve about a shaft 19 of the rotary member 11. As a result, the annular element 15 is centered on the rotary member 11 and is held in the position shown. In the same way, with this illustrated embodiment of the annular element 15, the sealing member 13 may also have a sealing portion 16 in contact with the annular surface 14.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows the adjustment device 1 with a sealing member 13 for sealing the passage of the rotary member 11 through the opening 12 in the housing 10, and the sealing member 13 comprises an annular element 15 in contact with the annular surface 14 which is formed as a metal film or fiber sheet 20 and thus has a very thin cross-section. As a result, the annular element 15 can adapt to the unevenness of the annular surface 14 and slide over it. The fiber sheet 20 for forming the annular element 15 may, for example, be affixed to the end face of the sealing member 13, or, the rubber material of the sealing member 13 is vulcanized to the fiber sheet 20.

[0025] Lastly, FIG. 5 shows an adjustment device 1 with a rotary member 11 guided through the opening 12 in the housing 10, and the sealing member 13 is designed in the form of a metallic spring plate 21. The spring plate 21 in this case has a spring portion which forms the elastic sealing member 13, and the spring plate 21 has an annular portion which forms the annular element 15. In addition, an O-ring 22 is inserted in the opening 12 to achieve a further sealing effect. The spring portion for forming the elastic sealing member 13 is supported against a shoulder 25, which is formed on the rotary member 11. The spring plate 21 may comprise a spring steel, and the inner portion for forming the annular element 15 may be designed such that it holds the O-ring 22 in the position shown.

[0026] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims