阅读说明：本技术 车辆前照灯中的光源承载框架和调平马达之间的铰接元件 (Hinge element between a light source carrier frame and a levelling motor in a vehicle headlamp ) 是由 E·斯特戈韦克 于 2020-03-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种在机动车辆的前照灯中在光源承载框架和调平马达之间的铰接元件,该铰接元件用于将调平马达的驱动轴的线性运动转换成承载框架的一定角度的转动。具有一个或多个光源的光源承载框架可枢转地安装到前照灯壳体,该前照灯壳体随后固定在汽车结构上。带有驱动轴的调平马达固定在前照灯壳体上,并且可以沿基本线性方向将其驱动轴推入或推出。作用在驱动轴上的不期望的径向力通过使用根据本发明的铰接元件被最小化或消除最小化。铰接元件包括中空柱体和铰链,在中空柱体中适于插入固定附接到调平马达的驱动轴的头部,铰链包括固定地附接在中空柱体上的第一铰链元件和固定在卡口基座上或形成为承载框架的一体部分的第二铰链元件。(The invention relates to a joint element between a light source carrier frame and a levelling motor in a headlight of a motor vehicle for converting a linear movement of a drive shaft of the levelling motor into an angular rotation of the carrier frame. A light source carrying frame having one or more light sources is pivotally mounted to a headlamp housing, which is then secured to the vehicle structure. The leveling motor with its drive shaft is fixed to the headlight housing and can be pushed in or out in a substantially linear direction. Undesirable radial forces acting on the drive shaft are minimized or eliminated by using the hinge element according to the invention. The hinge element comprises a hollow cylinder in which a head fixedly attached to a drive shaft of the leveling motor is adapted to be inserted, and a hinge comprising a first hinge element fixedly attached to the hollow cylinder and a second hinge element fixed on the bayonet base or formed as an integral part of the carrying frame.)

1. Hinge element between a load-bearing frame (7) of a light source and a leveling motor (4) in a headlamp of a motor vehicle, wherein the hinge element is connected to a drive shaft (3) of the leveling motor (4) by a head (2) and the hinge element is connected to the load-bearing frame (7) to convert a linear movement of the drive shaft (3) of the leveling motor (4) into a rotational movement of the load-bearing frame (7) about a load-bearing frame axis (W), the hinge element comprising:

a hollow cylinder (1) having a cylinder axis (X), wherein the hollow cylinder (1) is adapted for insertion of a head (2) fixedly attached to a drive shaft (3) of the leveling motor (4), and

a hinge (5) having a hinge axis (Y), wherein the hinge (5) comprises: a first hinge element (5a) fixedly attached to the hollow cylinder (1); and a second hinge element (5b) fixedly attached to a bayonet base (6) or formed as an integral part of the carrying frame (7) to enable the hollow cylinder (1) to rotate about the hinge axis (Y) relative to the head (2) of the drive shaft (3).

2. Hinge element according to claim 1, wherein the cylinder axis (X) is substantially parallel to the hinge axis (Y).

3. Hinge element according to the previous claim, wherein the hollow cylinder (1) is designed with a C-shaped receiving geometry and is shaped in its cross section with the letter C of a side opening (1a) having a height (H) along the cylinder axis (X).

4. Hinge element according to the previous claim, wherein the dimensions of the head (2) in its cross section perpendicular to the cylinder axis (X) and the height (H) of the side opening (1a) are such that the head (2) cannot fall out of the hollow cylinder (1), but the hollow cylinder (1) is still free to slide along its cylinder axis (X).

5. Hinge element according to the previous claim, wherein the hollow cylinder (1) is made of open design and is open at its two base ends (1b) or is made of closed design and is closed at one end by a wall (1 c).

6. Hinge element according to the preceding claim, wherein the first hinge element (5a) is fixedly connected to the hollow cylinder (1) by a rigid connecting element (8), wherein the connecting element (8) is connected to the hollow cylinder (1) and to the first hinge element (5a) so that the cylinder axis (X) is substantially parallel to the hinge axis (Y).

7. Hinge element according to the preceding claim, wherein the first hinge element (5a) is in the form of a cylinder with a circular cross section.

8. Hinge element according to the preceding claim, wherein the second hinge element (5b) is designed as a C-shaped receiving geometry and has the form of the letter C in cross section and an opening (5C) in the direction of the connecting element (8).

9. Hinge element according to the preceding claim, wherein said opening (5c) is positioned so that said first hinge element (5a), and therefore said hollow cylinder (1), can turn similarly about said hinge axis (Y), i.e. up or down with respect to said head (2).

10. Hinge element according to the preceding claim, wherein the height (H1) of the opening (5c) is such that, at maximum rotation of the first hinge element (5a), and therefore of the hollow cylinder (1), about the hinge axis (Y), the edge (1f) of the side opening (1a) of the hollow cylinder (1) does not contact the drive shaft (3) and therefore the hollow cylinder (1) is still free to slide along the cylinder axis (X) with respect to the drive shaft axis (Z).

11. Hinge element according to the preceding claim, wherein an adjustment range (9) is in the form of a rectangular portion on a cylindrical surface and represents a movement of the center of the head (2) with respect to the hinge axis (Y), and wherein, in the adjustment range (9), the radial forces acting on the head (2) and therefore on the drive shaft (3) are minimized.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a hinge element for transmitting forces between a light source carrier frame and a leveling motor for adjusting the beam angle of a headlight in a motor vehicle. A light source carrying frame having one or more light sources is pivotally mounted to a headlamp housing, which is then secured to the vehicle structure. The leveling motor with the drive shaft is fixed to the headlight housing and can be pushed in or pushed out in a substantially linear direction. The leveling motor is used to drive the carrying frame, i.e. to pivot the carrying frame through an angle about a carrying frame axis, thereby changing the angle of the light beam through the angle. For example, the direction of the light source beam is downward due to the rotation of the carrying frame, so that the light does not disturb the approaching driver.

The connection point of the drive shaft to the carrying frame is above or below the carrying frame axis, so that a linear movement of the drive shaft is converted into a rotation of the carrying frame through a certain angle. Given that the carrying frame is pivotally mounted to the headlamp housing and the leveling motor is fixedly mounted on the same housing, when such a linear movement of the drive shaft is converted into a rotational movement of the carrying frame, there are undesirable radial forces acting on the drive shaft due to the differences in the paths of the movements. In order to minimize or eliminate said radial forces, a hinge element according to the invention is used.

Background

If the drive shaft is directly connected to the carrying frame without any hinging elements and the drive shaft of the levelling motor is linearly displaced from its nominal position, the drive shaft and the carrying frame will be subjected to undesired radial tension due to said difference between the linear movement of the drive shaft and the rotational movement of the carrying frame. In this case, if the carrier axis is horizontal and the drive shaft axis is horizontal and perpendicular to a vertical plane passing through the carrier axis, the radial forces acting on the drive shaft will only be in the vertical direction. If the carrier frame axis is vertical and the drive shaft axis is horizontal, the radial forces acting on the drive shaft will only be in the horizontal direction. In this context, horizontal means a direction substantially parallel to the road surface, and vertical means a direction substantially perpendicular to the road surface.

In fact, the relationship between the drive shaft axis and the carrier frame axis is not as regular (regular) as in the two hypothetical examples described above. Thus, in each such case we will have essentially two components of the radial force acting on the drive shaft, for example in the horizontal and vertical directions.

Thus, when the linear movement of the drive shaft is converted into a rotational movement of the carrying frame about the carrying frame axis, the drive shaft is subjected to radial forces, which negatively affects the function and the service life of the levelling motors, since the manufacturers of levelling motors ensure that they can only function properly below a certain amount of radial force.

In order to minimize said radial forces, a hinge element is introduced, which connects the load-bearing frame and the leveling motor.

Currently available leveling motors that drive the load-bearing frame have a drive shaft with a head that is substantially spherical in shape fixedly attached to the drive shaft. Thus, in the context of the present application, when in the following a radial force acting on the drive shaft is mentioned, this also applies to the head, whereas when a radial force acting on the head is mentioned, this also applies to the drive shaft.

In view of the fact that the drive shaft with the head can only be moved in a linear direction along its axis (the drive shaft does not move in a radial direction), in order to reduce the radial forces as much as possible, preferably to eliminate the radial forces acting on the drive shaft, it is necessary to insert a hinge element between the drive shaft and the carrying frame when the carrying frame is pivoted about the carrying frame axis. This means that the construction of the articulation element enables the previous one connection point between the drive shaft and the carrying frame to be split into two connection points, namely a first connection point between one side of the articulation element and the drive shaft and a second connection point between the other side of the articulation element and the carrying frame. The hinge element allows a displacement movement of the first connection point relative to the second connection point in all radial directions relative to the drive shaft axis, thereby eliminating or minimizing any radial forces on the drive shaft.

In the prior art, there are known solutions in which the radial forces on the drive shaft are minimized by applying an articulation element comprising a hollow cylinder adapted to receive the head, a bayonet base fixedly attached to the carrying frame and a flexible connection element between the hollow cylinder and the bayonet base. The head is located inside the hollow cylinder, wherein the hollow cylinder and the head are dimensioned such that the head does not fall out of the hollow cylinder and the hollow cylinder is still free to slide along the cylinder axis relative to the drive shaft axis.

Due to its flexibility, the connecting element allows a pivoting movement of the hollow cylinder with respect to the bayonet base. The plane in which the hollow cylinder moves relative to the bayonet mount is substantially perpendicular to the hollow cylinder axis.

By this configuration of the articulation element, a displacement movement between the first connection point and the second connection point relative to each other in all directions is made possible and two components of the radial force acting on the drive shaft, i.e. in the direction of the axis of the hollow cylinder and in a direction substantially perpendicular to this axis, are reduced. However, due to the sliding of the hollow cylinder along its axis, the component of the radial force in the direction of the axis of the hollow cylinder is practically eliminated, while the component of the radial force perpendicular to the axis of the hollow cylinder is not sufficiently eliminated. This component develops from its neutral position in the direction of movement of the connecting element and depends on the angle of departure of the connecting element from its neutral position and the material properties of the connecting element. As a result, there is still an undesirable radial force in this direction, and therefore the performance of the leveling motor is degraded and its lifetime is shortened.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved solution for a hinge element that overcomes the above-mentioned problems.

Drawings

The hinge element according to the invention is further described below and shown in the attached drawings:

fig. 1 shows the neutral position of the hinge element connected to the leveling motor.

Fig. 2 shows a hinge element.

Fig. 3a and 3b show the position of the hinge element (top and side views) when the drive shaft of the levelling motor is moved backwards in a linear direction.

Fig. 4 shows the adjustment range defined by the movement of the hollow cylinder relative to the drive shaft head.

Detailed Description

The hinge element between the light source carrying frame and the leveling motor in the headlamp of a motor vehicle according to the present invention shown in fig. 1 to 4 comprises:

a hollow cylinder 1 having a cylinder axis X, wherein a head 2 fixedly attached to a drive shaft 3 of a levelling motor 4 is adapted to be inserted in said hollow cylinder 1, and

a hinge 5 having a hinge axis Y, wherein the hinge 5 comprises a first hinge element 5a fixedly attached to the hollow cylinder 1 and a second hinge element 5b fixedly attached to the bayonet mount 6 or formed as an integral part of the carrying frame 7, to enable the hollow cylinder to rotate about said hinge axis Y relative to the head 2 of the drive shaft 3.

In a preferred embodiment, the cylinder axis X is substantially parallel to the hinge axis Y.

The levelling motor 4 moves the drive shaft 3 only in a linear direction, i.e. pushes the drive shaft 3 with the attached head 2, which is substantially spherical, back and forth along the drive shaft axis Z. The head 2 is centrally fixedly connected to a drive shaft 3.

The hollow cylinder is designed as a C-shaped receiving geometry, i.e. the cross-sectional shape of said hollow cylinder 1 is the letter C with a side opening 1a along the hollow cylinder axis X. The head 2 is located inside the hollow cylinder 1, wherein the dimensions of the hollow cylinder 1 (i.e. its cavity), the dimensions of the head 2 and the height H of the side opening 1a are such that the head 2 cannot fall out of the hollow cylinder 1, but the hollow cylinder 1 can still slide freely in the direction of the hollow cylinder axis X relative to the drive shaft axis Z. The dimensions of the hollow cylinder 1 in a cross section perpendicular to the cylinder axis X are therefore slightly greater than the dimensions of the head 2 in a cross section perpendicular to the cylinder axis X, and the height H of the side opening 1a is smaller than the diameter of the head 2.

The side opening 1a is necessary to enable the hollow cylinder 1 to slide along its axis X with respect to the drive shaft axis Z. Furthermore, the height H of the side opening 1a also defines the angle of rotation allowed by the hollow cylinder 1 with respect to the head 2 and is related to the angle of rotation allowed by the configuration of the hinge 5, i.e. to the angle of rotation of the hollow cylinder 1 about the hinge axis Y, as will be explained in detail below. The larger the opening 1a is in this direction, the larger the allowable rotation angle.

The hollow cylinder 1 can be made of an "open design", i.e. the hollow cylinder 1 is open at both base ends 1b thereof, or of a "closed design", i.e. the hollow cylinder 1 is closed at one end with a wall 1c, so that the head 2 is inserted into the hollow cylinder 1 through the open end.

Alternatively, the outer surface 1d of the hollow cylinder 1 may comprise a reinforcement 1e, the reinforcement 1e preferably being in the form of a rib. The ribs 1e and the wall 1c of the hollow cylinder 1 at one base end serve to reinforce the structure of the hollow cylinder 1.

In a preferred embodiment, the first hinge member 5a is fixedly connected to the hollow cylinder 1 by a rigid connection member 8, whereby said connection member 8 is connected to the hollow cylinder 1 and the first hinge member 5a such that the cylinder axis X is parallel to the hinge axis Y.

Said connecting element 8 keeps the hollow cylinder 1 at a distance from the hinge 5, i.e. between the cylinder axis X and the hinge axis Y, by which the limit of the displacement movement of the hollow cylinder 1 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cylinder axis X is limited. I.e. at a constant offset angle of the hinge 5, the longer the connecting element 8, the greater the displacement movement of the hollow cylinder 1 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the cylinder axis X.

Preferably, said connecting element 8 is made as an elongated member and extends along the entire length of the hollow cylinder 1 and the first hinge element 5 a. Preferably, the first hinge element 5a is in the form of a cylinder with a circular cross-section.

Preferably, the first hinge element 5a, the connecting element 8 and the hollow cylinder 1 are made in one piece.

The second hinge element 5b is fixedly attached to the bayonet base 6 or formed as an integral part of the carrying frame 7. Preferably, the second hinge element 5b is designed as a C-shaped receiving geometry, i.e. the second hinge element 5b has a cross section in the form of the letter C, which has an opening 5C in the direction of the connecting element 8. The height H1 of the opening 5c of the second hinge element 5b and its position are related to the height H of the side opening 1a of the hollow cylinder 1 and its position. The opening 5c is positioned such that a similar rotation of the first hinge element 5a, and thus of the hollow cylinder 1, about the hinge axis Y, i.e. upward or downward with respect to the head 2, is enabled. The height H1 of the opening 5c is such that, at the maximum rotation of the first hinge element 5a, and therefore of the hollow cylinder 1, about the hinge axis Y, the edge 1f of the side opening 1a of the hollow cylinder 1 does not contact the drive shaft 3, so that the hollow cylinder 1 can still slide freely along its axis X with respect to the drive shaft axis Z.

The first hinge element 5a is inserted into the second hinge element 5b to form a hinge 5 and to enable the first hinge element 5a to rotate about a hinge axis Y within the second hinge element 5 b.

Since the two hinge elements 5a, 5b are also, preferably also, made of plastic, the friction can be adjusted by selecting the plastic.

The adjustment range 9 shown in fig. 4 represents the movement (range) of the center of the head 2 with respect to the axis Y. Thanks to the invention, the adjustment range 9 is in the form of a rectangular portion on the surface of the cylinder. By this range 9 the hinge element of the invention minimizes the radial forces acting on the head 2 and thus on the drive shaft 3. Said adjustment range 9 is greater than in the currently known and used hinge elements.

In one possible embodiment, the carrier frame axis W, the hollow cylinder axis X and the drive shaft axis Z are substantially horizontal. In the neutral position, no radial forces act on the drive shaft 3 of the levelling motor 4, even if there are no hinge elements. When the direction of the light source beam is to be changed, e.g. downwards, the levelling motor 4 pushes the drive shaft 3 with the mounted head 2 forward in a linear direction. The linear movement of the drive shaft 3 is transferred to a rotation of the carrying frame 7, thereby changing the angle of the light source beam downwards. In this embodiment, the vertical plane through the carrying frame axis W and the vertical plane through the drive shaft axis Z are not perpendicular to each other, but are positioned at an angle to each other, so that both the vertical and horizontal components of the radial force act on the drive shaft 3. When the levelling motor 4 pushes the drive shaft 3 with the attached head 2 forward and thereby pivots the carrying frame 7 forward, the hinge element of the invention eliminates possible radial forces on the drive shaft 3 without exerting any force on the drive shaft 3 by allowing a movement of a first connection point between one side of the hinge element and the drive shaft in the radial direction of the drive shaft 3 relative to a second connection point between the other side of the hinge element and the carrying frame. By allowing the hollow cylinder 1 to slide along its axis X relative to the drive shaft axis Z, the horizontal component of the radial force acting on the drive shaft 3 is eliminated. At the same time, the pivoting of the hinge 5 with the hollow cylinder 1 about the head 2 allows the second connection point to move up or down without exerting any radial force on the drive shaft 3 in the vertical direction.