The invention relates to spotlights for automobile vehicles.
A spotlight comprises a light source arranged in front of an optical reflector, the whole unit producing a light beam that a great number of rules impose today to be able, from the cabin, to orient at will, to be able to fold it down or to fold it up, in short a beam the range of which should be able to be corrected. By the way, it is a so-called range correction.
For a long time, as actuators, electrical correctors have been used, comprising a motor, with an electronic card, arranged for, through a gearing train, driving in translation a rod for tipping the reflector, the motor being controlled by a control member within range of the vehicle driver, generally on the dashboard. Due to the cost of such correction motor associated with the card thereof, a corrector with cable and sheath has been proposed, of the brake cable type of bicycles.
A cable corrector comprises a carriage so called a driver, with which a push rod is integral, often with a spherical end locked in the optical reflector, allowing for the actuation and tipping of the reflector and on which the cable is anchored, through which the vehicle driver can draw more or less by means of a control and adjustment member - generally a rotating knob - so as, against the action of a return spring, to drive the carriage in translation, and thus, with it, the tipping rod, being understood that it is under the action of the spring that the reflector tips over.
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A cable and sheath unit provides the mechanical connection between the actuator and the control. Each cable is protected by a sheath specific to it (length) and the path (curvature) of which in the motor compartment is ensured by mechanical hooks. The sheath ends are fastened respectively on the fixed parts of the control and the actuator. The cable is only operated in traction and ensures the transmission of the movement between the control and the actuator.
The problem of the cable correctors comes from the clearance introduced by the cable, i.e. from the "dead course", namely from the cable length it is necessary to draw before the carriage is moved, due specifically to elongations resulting from the temperature, the material creep, the dispersal of tolerances, the different components, the residual clearances between the mobile components.
The manufacturers of actuators have then been asked to propose direct action correctors, with which, as soon as one starts acting on the control knob, the carriage starts moving. Moreover, it has been searched to make the carriage movement directly dependent on the control and independent of the cable length between the carriage and the control.
Thus, correctors with a double adjustment have been proposed, namely an initial adjustment on the assembling line for the vehicles, a so-called manual adjustment, by a direct action on the carriage, and one or more subsequent operational adjustments through the cable.
The initial manual adjustment thus aims at providing the position adjustment of the spherical end of the tipping rod and getting rid of the tolerances
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and it is implemented by pressing more or less a spring that must incidentally be able to completely fold down the reflector in case of a cable being broken. Such a compression spring thus provides both the play of a safety mechanical member and a pre-tensioner for the cable-sheath system.
Consequently, the adjustment aims at determining the compression of the spring, the function of which is to push the carriage and the tipping push rod.
But, still due the tolerances, to each manual adjustment of a corrector a determined compression of the spring corresponds, being different from one corrector to the other. It results that, to a given corrector and a given driver displacement under the action of a given driving of the control member (knob) , a given stress (couple) to be exerted on the control member corresponds.
Thus, the Applicant has tried to get rid of such stress dispersal from one cable corrector to the other, and more generally to propose a cable corrector, the initial manual adjustment of which is of no incidence on the subsequent adjustments per cable.
So, the invention of the present application relates to a cable range corrector for a spotlight of an automobile vehicle, comprising a beam reflector mounted so as to tip over under the action of the corrector, the corrector comprising, within a casing, an equipment of a driver and a tipping rod of the reflector, an adjustment cable in a sheath, being anchored on the equipment, and driving in translation the rod against the action of a return spring in
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abutment against the driver, characterized in that it further comprises manual adjustment means for the rod position so as to drive it in translation, said manual adjustment means comprising a connection between an adjustment sleeve (14; 114; 214) and one of the two elements of the equipment (9; 109; 209) arranged so that a rotation of the adjustment sleeve (14; 114; 214) drives a translation of said one of the two elements of the equipment (9; 109; 209), the casing, the driver and the rod being arranged so that the manual adjustment means drive the rod without modifying the condition of the return spring.
Thanks to the invention, the initial manual adjustment, which does not affect the return spring, and the subsequent adjustments by cable are perfectly dissociated. It results therefrom that the range corrector insures a using couple upon the rotation of the control knob on the dashboard, being independent from the initial manual adjustment. Still thanks to that, it is avoided to have to oversize the spring and the useful range of the control couple is tightened.
Advantageously, the manual adjustment sleeve comprises a ring gear arranged so as to cooperate with a driving sprocket.
According to a first implementation concept, the driver is subjected to a rotation movement thanks to the sleeve, the rod is slidingly mounted in the driver, the return spring is in abutment against the rod and against the driver and the adjustment cable is anchored within the rod.
In a first embodiment of the first concept, the sleeve is screwed on the driver and the cable sheath is mounted on the casing, the rotation of the
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sleeve causing the rotation and the translation of the driver and, with it, the translation of the rod, of the spring, of the cable and of the sheath.
In a second embodiment of the first concept, the driver is screwed in the casing and the sheath is mounted on the driver, the sleeve is arranged to drive the driver in rotation, which is driven in translation and thus in an helical movement by the casing in which it is screwed, the rod being formed to be driven in translation by the driver.
In such second embodiment, during the manual adjustment, the rod and the driver being subjected to the same translation movement, since the sheath of the adjustment cable is mounted in the driver and the cable is fastened to the rod, the cable and the sheath thereof hold their relative position, even if they move with respect to the casing, the spring thus maintaining its original compression.
According to a second implementation concept, the tipping rod is subjected to a helical movement thanks to the sleeve and the driver on which it is screwed, the return spring is in abutment against the driver and the casing, the driver is blocked in rotation and the adjustment cable is anchored in the driver.
The invention will be better understood with the help of the following description of several embodiments of the range corrector, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:
- Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a spotlight with the reflector thereof being connected to the tipping rod of the corrector according to the invention;
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- Fig. 2 is a section view of a first embodiment of the corrector, with a helical movement of the driver directly by the adjustment sleeve and translation of the rod;
- Fig. 3 is a section view of a second embodiment of the corrector, with a helical movement of the driver by the adjustment sleeve and the casing of the corrector; and
- Fig. 4 is a section view of a third embodiment of the corrector, with a helical movement of the tipping rod by the adjustment sleeve.
Several embodiments of the range corrector of the invention will now be described, said corrector being a device 1 for correcting the range of the beam of a spotlight 2. It is the beam produced by a light source 3 arranged in front of an optical reflector 4. Range correcting involves being able to fold down or to fold up the beam. With this end in view, the corrector 1 comprises a tipping rod 13 with is driven in translation so as to tip over the reflector 4 pivotally mounted on a ball joint 6 arranged in the spotlight. The tipping rod 13 of the corrector comprises a spherical operating end 10 locked, but not in rotation, in a rear plot 5 of the reflector 4. First embodiment
Referring to Fig. 2, the range corrector comprises, in a casing 11, an equipment 9 with two members - a driver 12 and a tipping rod 13 for the reflector of the spotlight -, the corrector further comprising a manual adjustment sleeve 14 for the position of the rod.
The casing 11 is a tubular element with an axis 15 and an end flange 16 being opposite the
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operating end 10 of the rod 13. The sheath 17 of an adjustment cable 18 is mounted in the central part of the flange 16. On the central part of the tubular skirt 19 of the casing, a rotating sprocket 20 is mounted, which sprocket can be driven in rotation by an operator with a screw driving machine.
The adjustment sleeve 14 with an axis 15 comprises, on the side of its end opposite the operating end 10 of the rod, a ring gear 24 intended to be driven in rotation by the sprocket 20. The internal wall 25 of the ring gear 24 is tapped.
The driver 12 is also formed as a long sleeve with an axis 15. On the side opposite the operating end 10 of the rod, the driver comprises an external ring-shaped rim 26 adapted to be used as an abutment for the adjustment sleeve 14. Still on the same side, the tubular driver 12 presents an internal rim 27 adapted to be used as an abutment to a return spring 28.
The operating rod 13 has a general cylindrical shape with, on one hand, the spherical operating end 10 and, on the other hand, a recessed end 29 providing a housing 30 for the reception of a tip 31 of the cable 18 which is thus anchored in the rod 13.
The rod 13 comprises, from an annular shoulder 32, a tapered part 33 which extends up to the recessed end 29 and around which the return spring 28 extends, which spring is thus in abutment against the shoulder 32 and the internal rim 27. Such tapered part 33, on quite a portion of its axial length 35, is externally threaded so as to cooperate by screwing with the tapping 25 of the ring gear 24.
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The cable 18 extends from the anchoring tip 31, through the sheath 17, up to a control knob located on the dashboard of the vehicle on which the spotlight is mounted, the reflector of which is to be actuated.
The section of the enlarged part 34 of the rod 13 is substantially the same as the internal section of the driver 12, being very slightly lower, so that the rod 13 can easily slide inside the driver 12.
After the description of such corrector, the operation thereof will be now initiated. Initial manual adjustment
With the help of a screw driving machine, the adjustment sprocket 20 is rotated, thereby driving in rotation the ring gear 24 and thus the sleeve 14.
Due to the sleeve driver helical connection, the rotation of the sleeve 14, immobilized in translation, causes, by screwing or unscrewing (25, 35) the translation of the driver 12 and thus of the whole equipment 9, with the rod 13 in the driver 12. Taking the force of the return spring 28 into account, upon the manual adjustment, the set of the components, namely rod, driver, spring, cable and sheath is subjected to the same translation movement. The condition of the spring 2 8 is thus not modified.
Subsequently, for the adjustment, upon the vehicle driving, the cable 18, against the action of the spring 28, is only operated in traction and ensures the transmission of the movement between the control and the corrector. Second embodiment
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Referring to Fig. 3, the range corrector comprises, in a casing 111, an equipment 109 with two members - a driver 112 and a tipping rod 113 for the spotlight reflector -, the corrector further comprising a manual adjustment sleeve 114 for the position of the rod.
The casing 111 is a tubular element with an axis 115, comprising, on the side of the operating end 110 of the rod 113, an end flange 116 being perforated with a tapped orifice 150. On this side of the flange, the casing comprises a transversal annular partition 151 of an opening corresponding to the external diameter of the sleeve 114. The adjustment sleeve 114 with an axis 115 comprises, on the side of its end opposite the operating end 110 of the rod, a ring gear 124 adapted to be driven in rotation by a rotating sprocket 120 that an operator can drive in rotation with the help of a screw driving machine. The sprocket 12 0 is mounted on the tubular skirt of the casing, on the other side of the flange 116 with respect to the partition 151.
After mounting, the transversal annular partition 151 of the casing 111 is arranged between an end annular rim 152 and an external transversal annular rib 153 of the sleeve 114 so as to immobilize it in translation.
The sleeve 114 comprises internal axial grooves 154 for driving the driver in rotation.
The driver 112 has a general tubular shape. On the side of the operating end 110 of the rod, it comprises an annular recess 155, the function of which will appear farther. Between its end edge 156, being close of the operating end 110 of the rod, and an
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external radial rib 157 adapted to cooperate with the grooves 154 of the sleeve 114, the driver 112 comprises an external thread 158 for cooperating with the tapping 150 of the casing 111.
On the side opposite the edge 156 of the casing, the skirt thereof extends with a tongue 159 supporting a sheath 117 of a traction and adjustment cable 118.
The operating rod has a general cylindrical shape with, on the one side, an adjustment portion 159 and, on the other side, a tapered tubular portion 160, beyond a median annular shoulder 161. Such tapered portion is mounted for sliding in an internal radial annular rib 162 of the driver 112 serving as a slide.
A return spring 128 is mounted around such tapered rod portion 160, in abutment against the annular shoulder 161 of the rod and the internal rib 162 of the driver.
The free end 129 of the tapered portion 160 is recessed and provides a housing 130 for receiving a tip 131 of the cable 118 which is thus anchored in the rod 113.
The adjustment portion 159 of the operating rod 113 ends with the spherical end 110 for cooperation with the spotlight reflector. On this side of this spherical end, the rod comprises an end shoulder 163, here being truncated, to be used as an abutment with the end edge 156 of the driver 112 upon the sliding thereof towards the reflector.
Between the shoulder 163 and the shoulder 161, the adjustment portion 159 presents a small driving skirt 164, the free edge 165 of which
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projects into the annular recess 155 of the driver 112.
The operating rod 113 is thus engaged into the driver 112, the free edge 156 of the driver 112 being located between the shoulder 163 and the skirt 154 of the rod, which is itself engaged into the recess 155 of the driver, the internal rib 162 of the driver being used as a slide for the tapered portion 160 of the rod. The passage section of the orifice of the free edge 156 of the driver, through which the adjustment portion 159 of the rod passes, is only slightly larger than the section of this adjustment portion.
The cable 118 extends from the anchoring tip 131, through the sheath 117, up to a control knob located on the dashboard of the vehicle.
After the description of such corrector, the operation thereof will now be initiated. Initial manual adjustment
With the help of a screw driving machine, the adjustment sprocket 120 is rotated, thereby driving in rotation the ring gear 124 and thus the sleeve 114. Due to the internal grooves 154 of the sleeve and of the radial rib 157 of the driver, it is driven in rotation. The driver being screwed into the casing, it is subjected to a helical movement. Upon its movement in translation, the driver 112 drives with it the sheath 117 and the rod 113 thanks to either its shoulder 163 or its skirt 164, the condition of the spring 128, taking its force into account, being not modified either in one direction or in the other.
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Subsequently, for the adjustment upon the vehicle driving, when the cable 118 is operated, against the action of the spring 128, it draws the rod 113, in which it is anchored, the skirt 164, 165 being able, under some circumstances, to be moved aside under the action of the traction so as to leave the recess 155 of the driver and to be folded down in the internal space 170 provided inside the skirt. Such space 170 helps to the mounting of the skirt with no breakage. Third embodiment
Referring to Fig. 4, the range corrector comprises, in a casing 211, an equipment 209 with two members - a driver 212 and a tipping rod 213 for the spotlight reflector - the corrector further comprising a manual adjustment sleeve 214 for the positioning of the rod. The casing 211 is a tubular element with an axis 215 with an end flange 216, opposite the operating end 210 of the rod 213.
The sheath 217 of an adjustment cable 218 is fastened on a central cover 250 projecting out of the flange 216 of the casing.
In the proximity of the end flange 216, on the tubular skirt 219 of the casing, a rotating sprocket 220 is mounted, that an operator can drive in rotation with the help of a screw driving machine.
The adjustment sleeve 214 with an axis 215 comprises, on the side of its end opposite the operating end 210 of the rod, a ring gear 224 serving to be driven in rotation by the sprocket 220. The other one 251 of the ends thereof comprises, on its internal wall, internal axial grooves for driving in rotation the end of the rod opposite its tipping
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end 210. These grooves will allow the axial sliding of the rod upon driving adjustment.
The driver 212 is present under the form of a long cylinder with an axis 215.
On the side of the operating end 210 of the rod 213, it presents a thread 252 intended to cooperate with a corresponding tapping of the rod 213. On the opposite side, the driver is recessed and comprises a housing 230 to receive a tip 231 of the cable 218 which is thus anchored in the driver 212. In the central part thereof, the driver comprises an annular rim 22 6 serving to be in abutment for a return spring 228 extending around the driver, between the ring 226 and the recessed end 230, the spring 228 being in abutment, on its other end, against an element 253 of the casing.
It is to be noticed that the casing is also shaped to present a flat 254, thereby preventing the rotation of the driver.
The operating rod 213 has a general shape of an axis sleeve 215, screwed on the threaded part 252 of the driver, by a corresponding tapping 255. The end 256 of the rod 213, being opposite its operating end 210, comprises external axial grooves arranged to cooperate with the internal grooves of the end 251 of the sleeve 214 and thus to be driven in rotation by the sleeve 214, while enabling its axial sliding in such sleeve under the action of the driver.
The cable 218 extends from the anchoring tip 231 through the sheath 217, up to a control knob located on the dashboard of the vehicle, on which the spotlight is mounted, the reflector of which is to be operated.
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After the description of this corrector, the operation thereof will now be initiated. Initial manual adjustment
With the help of a screw driving machine, the adjustment sprocket 220 is rotated, thereby driving in rotation the ring gear 224 and thus the sleeve 214. Due to the internal grooves of the end portion 251 of the sleeve 214 and of the external grooves of the end portion 256 of the rod 213, the sleeve 214 drives the rod 213 in rotation. Consequently, as the driver 212 cannot be rotated, the rod is screwed or unscrewed on the driver and is thus translated in one direction or in the other along with the driver.
Upon this manual adjustment, the driver stays stationary in translation and the condition of the spring 228 is not modified.
Subsequently, for the adjustment upon the vehicle driving, when the cable 28 is operated, against the action of the spring 218, it draws the driver 212, in which it is anchored, and the driver drives with it the rod which is screwed thereto and which can slide in the sleeve 214.
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I/We Claim;
1. A cable range corrector for a spotlight (2) of an automobile vehicle, comprising a beam reflector (4) mounted so as to tip over under the action of the corrector (1), the corrector (1) comprising, within a casing (11; 111; 211), an equipment (9; 109; 209) of a driver (12; 112; 212) and a tipping rod (13; 113; 213) for the reflector, an adjustment cable (18; 118; 218) in a sheath (17; 117; 217), being anchored on the equipment, and driving in translation the rod against the action of a return spring (28; 128; 228) in abutment against the driver, characterized in that it further comprises manual adjustment means (20; 14; 120; 114; 220; 214) for the rod position so as to drive it in translation, said manual adjustment means comprising a connection between an adjustment sleeve (14; 114; 214) and one of the two elements of the equipment (9; 109; 209) arranged so that a rotation of the adjustment sleeve (14; 114; 214) drives a translation of said one of the two elements of the equipment (9; 109; 209) , the casing, the driver and the rod being arranged so that the manual adjustment means drive the rod without modifying the condition of the return spring (28; 12 8; 228) .
2. The corrector according to claim 1, wherein the manual adjustment sleeve (14; 114; 210) comprises a ring gear (24; 124; 224) arranged so as to cooperate with a driving sprocket (20; 120; 220) .
3. The corrector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the driver (12; 112) is subjected to a rotation
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movement thanks to the sleeve (14; 114), the rod (13; 133) is slidingly mounted within the driver, the return spring (28; 128) is in abutment against the rod and against the driver and the adjustment cable (18; 118) is anchored in the rod (13; 113).
4. The corrector according to claim 3, wherein the sleeve (14) is screwed on the driver (12) and the cable sheath (18) is mounted on the casing (11), the rotation of the sleeve (14) causing the rotation and the translation of the driver (12) and, with it, the translation of the rod, of the spring, of the cable and of the sheath.
5. The corrector according to claim 4, wherein the return spring (28) is in abutment against an annular shoulder (32) of the rod (13) and an internal rim (27) of the driver (12).
6. The corrector according to claim 3, wherein the driver (112) is screwed in the casing (111, 116) and the sheath (117) is mounted on the driver (112, 159), the sleeve (114) is arranged to drive the driver (112) in rotation, which is driven in translation and thus in a helical movement by the casing (111, 116) in which it is screwed (150, 158), the rod (113) being formed to be driven in translation by the driver (112) .
7. The corrector according to claim 6, wherein the sleeve (114) comprises internal axial grooves (154) for driving in rotation an external radial rib (157) of the driver (112) .
8. The corrector according claim 7, wherein the return spring (128) is in abutment against a median annular shoulder (161) of the rod and an internal radial rib (162) of the driver.
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9. The corrector according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the operating rod (113) comprises an annular end shoulder (163) and a driving skirt (164) surrounding an end edge (156) of the driver (112) .
10. The corrector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tipping rod (213) is subjected to a helical movement thanks to the sleeve (214) and the driver (212) on which it is screwed, the return spring (228) is in abutment against the driver (212) and the casing (211), the driver (212) is blocked in rotation and the adjustment cable (218) is anchored in the driver (212) .
11. The corrector according to claim 10, wherein the sleeve (214) comprises internal axial grooves (251) and the rod, external axial grooves (256) , for driving in rotation the rod by the sleeve.
Date 9 May 2012 f -^
KONPAL RAE IN/PA-1228
Agent for the Applicant To,
The Controller of Patents The Patent Office at New Delhi
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