Motor vehicle headlamp with a light module and an adjustment device for adjusting the main beam direction of the light module

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle headlamp that has a housing and a light module that is connected to the housing by an adjustment device for adjusting the main beam direction thereof. The adjustment device has a threaded adjustment assembly and a pivot lever, which is supported in the housing such that it can pivot about a stationary pivot point in relation to the housing. The pivot lever has a movement input coupling section at a distance to the pivot point, with which it is coupled in a flexible manner to the adjustment assembly. The pivot lever is connected to the light module at a movement output coupling section that is at a distance to the pivot point and the movement input coupling section.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle headlamp comprising: a housing; at least one light module in the housing, wherein the at least one light module is connected to the housing by at least one adjustment device supported on the housing, and wherein the light module is pivotable about at least one pivot axis; and the at least one adjustment device, wherein the at least one adjustment device is designed for adjusting the main beam direction of the at least one light module by pivoting the light module about the at least one pivot axis, wherein the at least one adjustment device comprises: a set screw, wherein one end of said set screw is supported in a wall of the housing such that said set screw can be turned in place in relation to the housing; a threaded shell that can be moved axially by the set screw to form a threaded adjustment assembly; a pivot lever that is supported such that said pivot lever can pivot in relation to the housing about a stationary pivot point in the housing, wherein the stationary pivot point is spaced apart from the at least one pivot axis; a movement input coupling section of the pivot lever located at a distance to the pivot point, wherein the movement input coupling section is directly coupled in a flexible manner to the threaded shell; and a movement output coupling section of the pivot lever located at a distance to the pivot point and to the movement input coupling section, wherein the pivot lever is connected to the light module at the movement output coupling section, wherein the movement output coupling section is directly coupled to the light module or to a bracket of the light module, and wherein the movement output coupling section lies between the movement input coupling section and the pivot point.

2. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein the threaded shell is an integral, materially bonded part, of the pivot lever.

3. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein the set screw fits into the threaded shell in the assembled state of the adjustment device such that the threaded shell is coupled to the set screw to form a threaded adjustment assembly that can move axially and that is held together by a metal clamp.

4. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein an interior of the housing is sealed against the housing with an axial seal that includes a hole through which the set screw protrudes such that the set screw can be turned from the outside.

5. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 4, wherein the axial seal for the set screw is compressed in the axial direction when the adjustment device is assembled.

6. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 5, wherein compression is generated by a first bevel gear that is pressed against axially by the end of the set screw that protrudes outward, thus compressing the axial seal in the axial direction.

7. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 6, wherein the housing has an annular bearing surface for the axial seal and receivers for the first bevel gear and a second bevel gear, wherein the rotational axis of the second bevel gear is at an angle to the rotational axis of the first bevel gear, and the second bevel gear meshes with the first bevel gear.

8. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein the adjustment device has an actuator motor coupled to the movement output coupling section such that the adjustment movements of the movement output coupling section and the actuator motor are combined in an accumulative manner.

9. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 8, wherein the coupling is obtained with an intermediate part that also serves as an adapter for different types of actuator motors.

10. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 9, wherein the adapter, with the actuator motor, is attached to the movement output coupling section on the pivot lever by a bayonet mount.

11. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 9, wherein the adapter is designed to secure an actuator motor plug-in connection.

12. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 9, wherein the adapter and actuator motor have symmetrical structures.

13. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 1, wherein the set screw and the pivot lever have symmetrical structures.

14. The motor vehicle headlamp as set forth in claim 8, wherein the set screw is placed such that there is the smallest possible offset between the set screw and a central axis of the actuator motor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings, and shall be explained in greater detail in the following description. The same reference symbols are used throughout for the same elements in the different drawings. Therein, schematically:

(2) FIG. 1A shows an exemplary embodiment of a motor vehicle headlamp according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 1B shows a detailed illustration of a design of the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1A;

(4) FIG. 1C shows an embodiment of the adjustment device shown in FIG. 1B, in an exploded view;

(5) FIG. 2 shows how the adjustment device is placed in a headlamp;

(6) FIG. 3A shows an illustration of a housing interface for a motor vehicle headlamp according to the invention from the inside;

(7) FIG. 3B shows a view of this housing interface from the outside;

(8) FIG. 4AL shows a side view of the adjustment device shown in FIG. 1B, with a pivot lever in a first pivotal position;

(9) FIG. 4BL shows a side view of the adjustment device shown in FIG. 1B, with the pivot lever in a second pivotal position;

(10) FIG. 4AR shows the shape of a flexible part when the pivot lever is in the first pivotal position;

(11) FIG. 4BR shows the shape of the flexible part when the pivot lever is in the second pivotal position;

(12) FIG. 5A shows a set screw in a first assembly state, when the axial seal is not compressed;

(13) FIG. 5B shows the set screw in a second assembly state, when the axial seal is compressed;

(14) FIG. 6A shows a first assembly state, when attaching an actuator motor with an adapter to a movement output coupling section of the pivot lever;

(15) FIG. 6B shows a second assembly state, when attaching the actuator motor with the adapter to the movement output coupling section;

(16) FIG. 6C shows a third assembly state, when attaching the actuator motor with the adapter to the movement output coupling section;

(17) FIG. 7A shows a first angle a between the pivot lever and the adapter;

(18) FIG. 7B shows a second angle b between the pivot lever and the adapter;

(19) FIG. 8 shows the movement that occurs when joining an actuator motor to the adapter and the movement output coupling section of the pivot lever;

(20) FIG. 9A shows an assembly comprising a first type of actuator motor and an adapter, prior to assembly;

(21) FIG. 9B shows the assembly shown in FIG. 9A in the assembled state;

(22) FIG. 9C shows the assembly shown in FIG. 9A from above, looking at the assembled state, with the plug secured in place by the adapter;

(23) FIG. 9D shows an assembly comprising a second type of actuator motor and an adapter, prior to assembly;

(24) FIG. 9E shows the assembly shown in FIG. 9D in the assembled state;

(25) FIG. 9F shows the assembly shown in FIG. 9D from above, looking at the assembled state and with the plug secured in place by the adapter;

(26) FIGS. 10A-10D show different installation positions that can be obtained with the adjustment device; and

(27) FIG. 11 shows a use of the set screw with the axial seal in conjunction with a conventional sliding carriage, not according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(28) FIG. 1A shows a motor vehicle headlamp 10 that has a housing 12 and a light module 14 inside the housing 12. The hole where light is projected out of the housing 12 is covered by a transparent cover plate 13. One or more light modules 14 can be placed in the housing 12. The light module 14 is connected to the housing 12 by an adjustment device 16 supported on the housing 12. The connection between the adjustment device 26 and the light module 14, or a bracket for the light module, is obtained by a form-fitting ball and socket connection 15 without any play.

(29) The adjustment device 16 is designed for adjusting the main beam direction 18 of the light module 14, and contains a set screw 20, one end 22 of which is rotatably supported in a wall of the housing 12 such that it can be turned in place in relation thereto.

(30) The motor vehicle headlamp 10 has a threaded shell 24, which is coupled to the set screw 20 and a metal clamp to form a threaded adjustment assembly that can move axially. A turning of the set screw 20 about it longitudinal axis is converted to a translatory movement of the threaded shell 24 by the threading. The adjustment device 16 contains a pivot lever 26, which is supported in the housing 12 such that it can pivot about a stationary pivot point 28 in relation to the housing 12, and which has a movement input coupling section 30 at a distance to the pivot point 28. The pivot lever 26 is connected to the threaded shell 24 at the movement input coupling section 20 with a flexible connecting element. The pivot lever 26 is also connected at a movement output coupling section 32 to the light module 14, which is at a distance to the pivot point 28 and the movement input coupling section 30 of the pivot lever 26. The connection between the adjustment device 16 and the light module 14 is obtained by the form-fitting ball and socket connection 15 without any play. With a translatory movement of the ball and socket connection 15, the light module 14 is pivoted about the pivot axis 52, thus altering the main beam direction 18.

(31) FIG. 1B shows a detailed illustration of an exemplary embodiment of the adjustment device 16 shown in FIG. 1A, which has a housing interface 34 in the form of a hole cut in the housing 12, on which the adjustment device 16 is supported, and in the form of parts 36 for supporting and securing the pivot lever 26 in the housing 12.

(32) The parts 36 for supporting and securing the pivot lever 26 in the housing include a ball joint 38, which is attached to the housing 12 such that the pivot lever 26 can pivot in the housing 12 about a stationary pivot point 28 in the housing 12 via the ball joint 38.

(33) FIG. 1C shows the adjustment device 16 shown in FIG. 1B in an exploded view. The pivot lever 26 is supported in the housing 12 such that it can pivot about a stationary pivot point 28 in the ball joint 38 in relation to the housing 12, and has a movement input coupling section 30 and a movement output coupling section 32.

(34) The pivot lever 26 is flexibly coupled at the movement input coupling section 30 to the threaded shell 24, which is a part, and may be an integral, materially bonded part, of the pivot lever 26. One end of the set screw 20 is supported in a wall of the housing 12 such that it can be turned in place in relation to the housing 12. The set screw 20 rests on the threaded shell 24 in the assembled state, such that the threaded shell 24 is coupled to the set screw 20 in an adjustment assembly that can move axially, which is held together by a metal clamp 40. By using a threaded shell 24 that is open toward the top, and the flexible metal clamp 40, the threaded shell 24 and the set screw 20, which meshes therewith, can move radially in relation to one another, such that the if an excessive load is applied thereto, the threads can slip. The set screw 20 can continue to turn, without stripping the threads. This protects the adjustment assembly against damage.

(35) The interior of the housing 12 is sealed with an elastic axial seal 42 at the hole where the set screw 20 protrudes such that it can be turned. The axial seal 42 forms a tight seal around the set screw 20. The tension is generated by a first bevel gear 44, which bears axially against the end 22 of the set screw protruding from the hole, thus compressing the axial seal 42. The tension is such that it is greater than the axial forces applied to the set screw 20 when the motor vehicle headlamp 10 is in operation.

(36) The movement output coupling section 32 is at a distance to the pivot point 28 and the movement input coupling section 30, and in this case is between the movement input coupling section 30 and the pivot point 28. This assembly results in a single-arm lever. The movement output coupling section 32 is coupled to an actuator motor 46 such that the movements of actuator motor 46 and the movement output coupling section 32 on the pivot lever 26 are combined in an accumulative manner to form the overall adjustment movements.

(37) The coupling is obtained with an intermediate piece, which also forms an adapter for different actuator motors. The adjustment device can therefore be combined with actuator motors of different strengths, for example, which are designed for different light modules (e.g. of different weights), the adjustment of which require different amounts of power.

(38) FIG. 2 shows an assembly of the adjustment device 16 in a motor vehicle headlamp, in which the orientation of the motor vehicle headlamp is defined by its main beam direction 18. The main beam direction 18 normally corresponds to the direction of travel in an intended use of the motor vehicle headlamp 10 in a motor vehicle. In FIG. 2, the pivotal axis 52 of the light module is not at a right angle to the direction of travel.

(39) With the invention, the longitudinal axis of the set screw 20 in the motor vehicle headlamp can be perpendicular to the relevant pivotal axis 52 of the light model in the motor vehicle headlamp even when it deviates as much as 20? from the direction of travel/main beam direction 18. This advantageously results in only minimal transverse forces, such that lateral guides are unnecessary.

(40) FIG. 3A shows the housing interface 34 from the inside, with the hole through which the set screw 20 protrudes, and FIG. 3B shows this housing interface 34 from the outside. The housing interface 34 contains the part of the wall of the housing 12 in which one end 22 of the set screw 20 is supported in a wall of the housing 12 such that it can be turned in place in relation to the housing 12. Another housing interface contains receivers for attaching the parts 36 for supporting and attaching the pivot lever in the housing.

(41) Because of the simple and robust housing interface 34, there is no need for an inner pusher on the housing tool when molding the housing 12.

(42) FIG. 3A shows an annular bearing surface 54 for the axial seal 42, and FIG. 3B shows the receiver for the first bevel gear 44 and second bevel gear 45, the rotational axis of which is at a right angle to the rotational axis of the first bevel gear 44, and which meshes with the first bevel gear 44. The set screw 20 can be turned from the outside by rotating the first bevel gear 44 or the second bevel gear 45, depending on which bevel gear can be more easily accessed for the fundamental adjustment when installing the motor vehicle headlamp 10.

(43) FIG. 4AL shows a side view of the adjustment device in FIGS. 3A-3B with the pivot lever 26 at a position where it is moved as far as possible in a first direction (toward the right in FIG. 4AL).

(44) FIG. 4BL shows a side view of the adjustment device in FIGS. 3A-3B in which the pivot lever is moved as far as possible in a second direction (toward the left in FIG. 4BL), which is opposite to the first direction.

(45) The adjustment movements between these two maximum positions are obtained by pivoting the pivot lever 26 about the pivot point 28 of the ball and socket joint 38, such that the pivotal movement is then applied to a light module via the movement output coupling section on the pivot lever 26, as shown by way of example in FIGS. 1A-1C.

(46) The translatory movement of the pivot lever 26 in the range relevant for adjusting the light module 14 is obtained with the set screw 20, resulting in the pivot lever pivoting about the middle of the ball in the ball and socket joint. The angular compensation between the pivot lever 26 and the set screw 20 necessary for this is obtained through the flexible part 56 of the pivot lever 26. The shapes of the flexible part 56 at the maximum adjustment positions of the pivot lever 26 are shown in FIGS. 4AR and 4BR. The flexible part 56 can be regarded as part of the movement input coupling section 30.

(47) FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate how the set screw, which is connected by the threaded assembly to the pivot lever 26 is sealed against the headlamp housing with the axial seal 42 inside the housing. FIG. 5A shows the set screw 20 with the axial seal 42 and the hole in the housing in a preassembled state, and FIG. 5B shows the objects in FIG. 5A in the fully assembled state. The axial seal 42 is held in place on the inside by a collar 58 encompassing the set screw. The axial seal 42 is compressed from the outside in two steps by the set screw 20 and a plastic piece, e.g. a first bevel gear 44.

(48) In a first step, the set screw 20 is placed on the plastic part in the pre-assembly position shown in FIG. 5A. This can be done manually, with a minimum of force. The set screw 20 has an outer collar 60, and the plastic part has a soft gripping element 62 which can fit over the external collar 60 when the set screw 20 is pulled or pushed outward in a second step, which can be done using a toggle press, for example, resulting in the axial seal 42 being compressed to a certain extent against the bearing surface 54 on the housing interface. The compression eliminates the play in the system, or at least reduces it substantially.

(49) A potential minimal radial play between the set screw 20 and the first bevel gear 44, which would result in undesired play in the overall adjustment system (hysteresis) is eliminated by small compression fins formed on the first bevel gear 44.

(50) The first bevel gear 44 can be rotated directly from behind, or by a second bevel gear 45 at an arbitrary angle thereto. The housing interface 34 can contain the second bevel gear 45 for this, which has already been described in the context of FIGS. 3A-3B. If the adjustment device 16 is used as an adjustment device combined with an actuator motor, an adapter 48 may be used to attach the actuator motor 46 to the movement output coupling section 32 on the pivot lever 26 using a bayonet mount. FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C show a sequence of three assembly steps for attaching the actuator motor 46 with the adapter 48 to the movement output coupling section on the pivot lever 26.

(51) The bayonet mount is designed such that it satisfies the following three conditions:

(52) An angular compensation can be obtained for the angles a and b between the pivot lever 26 and the adapter 48 that is necessary when the pivot lever is pivoted 26. FIG. 7A shows angle a, and FIG. 7B shows angle b, between the pivot lever 26 and the adapter 48. The adapter 48 with the actuator motor attached thereto is always precisely aligned with the adjustment element to which the light module 14 is attached. The (rotational) interaction of the bayonet mount with the flexible part 56 of the pivot lever 26 (as shown in FIG. 8), can compensate for any tolerances or angular discrepancies (resulting from the pivoting).

(53) The connection between the pivot lever 26 and the adapter 48 is absolutely devoid of play. This is obtained by a defined tensioning obtained with the bayonet mount.

(54) The pivot lever 26 and adapter 48 are always in the same alignment to one another during the installation of the headlamp. This is obtained in that when the pivot lever 26 is pivoted in relation to the adapter 48, as shown in FIG. 8, a return torque is generated, which returns the adapter 48 to the installation position (where it is not subjected to forces). The return torque is generated in that the pivoting of the pivot lever 26 in relation to the adapter 48 takes place over two pivotal axes, which are offset to one another.

(55) The adapter 48 also functions to secure the plug-in connection for the actuator motor. FIG. 9A shows an assembly composed of the actuator motor 46 and the adapter 48, prior to assembly, FIG. 9B shows the assembly in the assembled state, and FIG. 9C shows the assembly from above, looking at the assembled state, with the plug 61 for a first type of actuator motor secured in place by the adapter 48.

(56) FIG. 9D shows an assembly composed of the actuator motor 46 and the adapter prior to assembly, FIG. 9E shows the assembly in the assembled state, and FIG. 9F shows the assembly from above, looking at the assembled state with the plug 61 for a second type of actuator motor secured in place by the adapter 48.

(57) The adjustment device 16 can be used in a number of ways. Depending on the available space in a motor vehicle headlamp 10, the installation position of the adjustment device 16 in the housing 12 may differ.

(58) FIGS. 10A to 10D show different installation positions in which the adjustment device 16 can be installed without modifying the structure of the adjustment device 16. The adjustment device 16 thus forms a standard module, which can be installed in a wide variety of different headlamps. This reduces the necessity of using new components for headlamps of new designs. This makes it possible to reduce the variety of components used in producing headlamps, resulting in a more sustainable design and lower costs through the multiple uses of identical adjustment devices in different positions in different headlamps.

(59) In each of these positions (see the examples in FIGS. 10A-10D), compensation for tolerances is ensured. Depending on which position is used, either the seal or the pivot axis between the adapter 48 and the pivot lever 26 assumes a majority of the compensation. In any case, compensation without any play is always ensured.

(60) The adjustment device 16 can be combined with conventional components. If a headlamp does not easily accommodate it (due to lack of space, or the shape thereof, . . . ), individual components of the invention can be used advantageously. By way of example, the set screw 20 and axial seal 42 can be used with a conventional sliding carriage, as shown in FIG. 11.

(61) The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.