阅读说明：本技术 中央摆动区域 (Central wobble area ) 是由 C·杰克尔 M·洪根多夫 M·梅耶 于 2018-11-12 设计创作，主要内容包括：为了调节在探照灯、尤其机动车探照灯中的光模块或其它光学结构元件,设定调节设备(3)用于通过绕相应至少一个轴线(a1,a2)相对于探照灯的壳体的摆动共同调整支承框架(11,21),在其中保持有光模块或光学结构元件。调节设备(3)包括通过伺服驱动部(31)操纵的传动机构,其与支承框架(11,21)经由相应的铰接联结部相连接。在多壳同心的球窝铰接部(30)中,伺服驱动部(31)的连结元件(34)以及支承框架(11,21)的连结元件(14,24)同心地联结。第一支承框架(11)的连结元件(14)与第一支承框架(11)刚性连接,而对于其余的一个或多个支承框架(21)而言,关联的连结元件(24)直接地或以传动方式与相应的支承框架的铰接联结部(29)相连接。(For adjusting a light module or other optical component in a floodlight, in particular in a motor vehicle floodlight, an adjusting device (3) is provided for jointly adjusting a support frame (11,21), in which the light module or the optical component is held, by pivoting about a respective at least one axis (a1, a2) relative to a housing of the floodlight. The adjusting device (3) comprises a transmission mechanism operated by a servo drive (31) and connected with the supporting frames (11,21) via respective articulated joints. In a multi-shell concentric ball joint (30), a coupling element (34) of a servo drive unit (31) and coupling elements (14,24) of support frames (11,21) are coupled concentrically. The connecting element (14) of the first supporting frame (11) is rigidly connected to the first supporting frame (11), while for the remaining one or more supporting frames (21), the associated connecting element (24) is directly or in a driving manner connected to the articulated connection (29) of the respective supporting frame.)

1. Searchlight, especially motor vehicle searchlight, with

-a housing (2),

-a plurality of support frames (11,21) adjustably supported in the housing in which the optical structural elements (10,20) are respectively held, a first support frame (11) and at least one further support frame (21), and

-an adjustment device (3) set for jointly adjusting the supporting frames (11,21) by oscillation about a respective at least one axis (a1, a2) with respect to the casing (2),

wherein the adjusting device (3) comprises a transmission mechanism (32) operated by a servo drive (31) and connected with the supporting frames (11,21) via an articulated joint, respectively,

the transmission mechanism (32) has a multi-shell, concentric ball-and-socket joint (30), in which the coupling element (34) of the servo drive (31) and the coupling element (14,24) associated with one of the support frames (11,21) are concentrically coupled, wherein the coupling element (14) of the first support frame (11) is rigidly connected to the first support frame (11), wherein for the further support frame or each of a plurality of the further support frames (21), the coupling element (24) associated therewith is directly or drivingly connected to the respective articulated coupling (29) of the support frame.

2. Searchlight according to claim 1, characterized in that the ball-and-socket joint (30) is accommodated in a recess (19) of the first support frame (11).

3. Searchlight according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the further support frame or each of the further support frames (21) is connected with the respective linking element (24) associated therewith via a lower transmission (28).

4. Searchlight according to claim 3, characterized in that the lower transmission (28) has an adjustment device (35) which sets the position (23) for adjusting the support of the coupling member (26) of the lower transmission.

5. Searchlight according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the lower transmission (28) is implemented as a linkage transmission.

6. Searchlight according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the linking element (34) of the servo drive (31) is configured as a joint arranged in the center of the ball-and-socket joint (30).

7. Searchlight according to claim 6, characterized in that in the assembled state of the ball-and-socket joint (30) the joint element (14) of the first support frame (11) together with the further joint element (24) encloses the joint (34), wherein the joint (34) is prevented from being pulled out of the ball-and-socket joint by a form fit.

8. Searchlight according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical construction element (10,20) is a light module with at least one light source.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a floodlight, in particular a motor vehicle floodlight, having a housing, a plurality of support frames (which are adjustably supported in the housing and in each case hold (at least) one optical component therein), namely a first support frame and at least one further support frame, and having an adjustment device which is provided for jointly adjusting the support frames by pivoting about in each case at least one axis relative to the housing, and which comprises a transmission which is actuated by a servo drive and is connected to the support frames in each case via an articulated joint.

Background

Motor vehicle headlights with adjustable optical components, in particular for adjusting the direction of the light emitted from the headlight, are known from the prior art. The ability of the light module to pivot can be used, for example, for adjusting the illumination width of the floodlight (horizontal pivoting) or for tracking in the case of a turn light (vertical pivoting). The optical construction element of the floodlight of the invention is preferably a light module; however, the optical design element can generally be configured (respectively) as a light-providing component, such as a lighting unit, a laser source or a complete light module, or also as a light-shaping component, such as a reflector, a prism or a combination of a prism and/or a reflector. Furthermore, sensors (radar, lidar, infrared transmitter/receiver, etc.) and cameras can thus be aligned for detecting traffic participants, lane conditions, persons.

For example, EP 2796320 a1 describes a motor vehicle headlight with two light modules which can be pivoted about two axes and which are movably connected to one another via a coupling mechanism, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a lever on both sides and two coupling rods which form a kinematic coupling chain in order to facilitate a joint adjustment of the two light modules. Additionally, the support point of the lever may be adjusted, which allows to align the second light module without counteracting the first light module.

Disclosure of Invention

The known adjustment systems however provide a large number of components in the coupling mechanism, which may compromise the reliability and accuracy of the coupling mechanism. Furthermore, the problem often arises today that the light modules or the support frames are not adjusted to the same extent by the servo drives, causing so-called angular errors between the adjustment angles of the (two or more) light modules or the support frames.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a floodlight with an improved adjusting device in order to eliminate the mentioned disadvantages. In particular, the adjusting device should enable simultaneous alignment of two or more optical construction elements (in particular light modules), wherein the possibility of compensating or avoiding angular errors should be obtained.

This object is achieved by a floodlight or an adjusting device of the type mentioned at the outset, in which the transmission mechanism has a multi-shell, concentric ball-and-socket joint, in which the coupling element of the actuating drive and the coupling element associated with one of the respective support frames are coupled concentrically, wherein the coupling element of the first support frame is rigidly connected to the first support frame, and for the further support frame or for each of a plurality of further support frames the coupling element associated therewith is connected directly or in a driving manner to the articulated coupling of the respective support frame.

According to this solution according to the invention, the servo drive is coupled at a node (knottenputting) of the transmission of the adjusting device, i.e. at a concentric multi-shell ball socket joint support. The servomechanism of two or more light modules or support frames is coupled simultaneously at a node via concentric linking elements. This creates an onion-shell like structure of the hinged part at the node point.

Furthermore, this technical solution reduces the number of movable parts in the gear train of the adjusting device, which improves the reliability and improves the achievable accuracy of the adjustment of the light module (generally the optical structural element). The adjustment movement of the servo drive acts in the same manner on the adjustment of the supporting frame (optical module) adjusted in this way, also because of the design according to the invention of the concentric ball-and-socket joint. A large degree of cancellation of the angle error is thus obtained by the invention.

In a preferred development, it is additionally advantageous to accommodate the ball-and-socket joint in a recess of the first support frame in order to avoid angular errors. The recess is preferably provided at the outer side of the support frame in order to avoid that the optical structure element held in the support frame is partially or completely covered.

Each of the second or, in general, further supporting frames can be connected with the respective connecting element associated therewith via a lower gear. Simultaneous adjustment of the support frames can thereby be achieved by the adjusting device, wherein the deflection of the actuating drive can be adapted to the type (travel amount, direction) of the respective support frame. In particular, this can additionally simplify the elimination of angular errors.

In this case, a lower transmission of this type has an adjusting device which sets the position of the support of the coupling member for adjusting the lower transmission, as a result of which an additional adjustment of the relevant support frame is obtained, without this acting on the other support frame or frames via the mechanical means of the adjusting device according to the invention. The lower gear used here is preferably embodied as a coupling gear, in particular as an open kinematic chain.

In an advantageous embodiment of the multi-shell ball socket joint according to the invention, it can be provided that the coupling element of the actuating drive is designed as a joint arranged in the center of the ball socket joint. The joint can be configured in particular as an end piece of an adjusting lever of the actuator; the joint may for example be fixedly mounted on the adjustment lever or be integral therewith. A further embodiment is particularly advantageous for a structurally reliable operation of the ball and socket joint, in which the coupling element of the first support frame together with (at least) the further coupling element surrounds the joint in the assembled state of the ball and socket joint, wherein the joint is prevented from being pulled out of the ball and socket joint by a form fit.

The optical component held in the carrier frame can be a light module with at least one light source.

Drawings

The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, together with further embodiments and preferred embodiments. Wherein:

fig. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a floodlight with an adjusting device according to an embodiment of the invention;

fig. 2 shows a side view of an adjusting device of an embodiment comprising a light module held therein;

fig. 3 shows the adjusting device of fig. 2 in a perspective exploded view; and

fig. 4 shows the adjusting device of fig. 2 in a side view.

It is to be understood that the embodiments described herein are for purposes of illustration only and are not to be construed as limiting the invention; but that all the designs that can be found by the expert in the field of the invention fall within the scope of protection of the invention, which is defined by the claims.

For purposes of simplicity of explanation and illustration, the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to refer to the same or like elements. Furthermore, the reference signs used in the claims shall only simplify the readability of the claims and the comprehension of the invention, and shall in no way have characteristics limiting the scope of protection of the invention. In this publication-in particular in the claims-where concepts of spatial position such as "above", "below", "front", "horizontal", "vertical" and reference numerals corresponding thereto are used, this merely relates to the orientation of the floodlight, as is repeated in the figures present here, and it is readily understood that the orientation in the actual installation position of the floodlight or parts thereof may be other, and this is not to be construed as deviating from the scope of protection.

Detailed Description

The floodlight 1 of the illustrated embodiment is designed as a motor vehicle floodlight, the material (e.g. plastic) and the shape of which can be designed as a function of the application and are not essential for the invention the floodlight 1 furthermore comprises a plurality of, in the illustrated embodiment two, light modules 10,20, which in the illustrated embodiment each represent an (adjustable) optical structural element and which are held in a respective associated support frame 11,21, for example the first light module is embodied as an L ED low beam module and the second light module 20 is embodied as a laser high beam module, although the light modules can be of other types in other embodiments of the invention and in particular also comprise other light functions or further light source types (e.g. xenon).

Each of the supporting frames 11,21 is supported within the housing 2 about at least one oscillation axis a1, a2 (fig. 3). For example, the inclination of the light module can be adjusted by a tilting movement about a horizontal axis in order to thus modify the illumination width of the light pattern generated by means of the light module in front of the floodlight, a so-called illumination width control. The adjusting device 3 is used for simultaneously adjusting the support frame 11,21 and the light module 10,20 held therein for lighting width control. The adjusting device 3 comprises a servo drive 31, for example in the form of an electric drive motor, which operates a transmission 32, which in turn acts on the supporting frames 11, 21.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, the first optical module 10 is held in the first support frame 11 and fixed therein. The first supporting frame 11 is supported in the housing 2 via, for example, two supporting points 12,13 and can be pivoted about a preferably horizontal axis a1 defined by the supporting points 12,13, as a result of which tilting, in particular tilting, of the light module 10 can be caused. The position (inclination) with respect to the axis a1 is adjustable via the bearing frame 11, i.e. the third support point of the coupling point 19, which is located outside this axis, as explained in further detail below. In a similar manner, the second light module 20 is held in the second support frame 21 and fixed therein, for example underneath the first light module 10. Which is supported in the housing 2 by means of, for example, two support points (of which only the support point 22 is visible in the figure); these support points define a preferably horizontal axis a2 about which the second bearing frame 21 can oscillate. The second light module 20 can thus also be tilted (tipped) about the axis a2, wherein the position (inclination) about the axis a2 can be adjusted via a coupling point 29 in the form of a hinged coupling 29 of the support frame 21 located outside this axis, as explained in further detail below.

The second support frame 21 also serves as a cooling body for the second optical module 20 and is preferably composed of a metallic material such as aluminum. The first support frame 11 may be made of aluminum or a plastic material. In a further (not shown) embodiment variant, the first support frame can also be used as a cooling body in each case as the second support frame, or both support frames can be provided without a cooling effect. The material of the support frame is selected according to the desired application, for example plastic, aluminum or other metallic material or light metal.

In order to adjust the tilt position of the two supporting frames 11,21, the adjusting device 3 is provided according to the invention with a servo drive and a transmission 32 which is connected to the supporting frames 11,21 at the mentioned coupling points 19,29 via respective articulated couplings.

The servo drive unit 31 is, for example, an electrically operated linear motor. The actuating drive 31 drives, for example, a horizontally extending actuating rod 33, at the end of which a joint 34 is formed. The joint 34 is engaged in the ball joint 30, via which the movement of the actuating drive 31 or the position of the adjusting lever 33 is transmitted to the transmission 32, including the first support frame 11, as will be explained below. Instead of an electric drive, other solutions may also be suitable, for example of the hydraulic type or by a piezo motor, or a manual drive, for example via an adjustment wheel.

The ball joint 30 forms the node of the transmission mechanism 32 according to the invention, via which the adjusting movement or more precisely the adjusting deflection exerted by the servo drive 31 is transmitted in a driving manner to the respective kinematics of the coupling points 19,29 of the support frames, the ball joint 30, in addition to the joint 34, comprises the coupling elements 14,24 in a concentric arrangement, which are associated with the support frames 11,21, in the embodiment shown, the ("second") coupling element 24, which is associated with the second support frame 21, is designed as an inner joint shell and forms part of the L-shaped coupling member 26, the inner joint shell 24 has a cup-like shape, the inner side of which forms a spherical shell-like joint surface which forms a spherical seat for accommodating the joint 34, to establish an inner joint connection, the inner joint shell 24 furthermore has at its outer side a spherical head-like joint surface which is concentric with the inwardly facing spherical shell-like joint surface, the inner joint shell 24 is accommodated in the joint element 14 constructed as the outer joint shell of the first support frame 11, and thus forms the outer joint shell joint in a common joint position according to the invention, so that the joint shell 24 is clearly shown in a ball joint section.

The first connecting element 14 is inserted into the connecting point 19 of the first support frame and is rigidly fixed there. The rigid fastening results in a direct bracing in the joint of the ball joint 30, which effectively suppresses angular errors. The coupling point 19 is preferably designed as a recess at the outer side of the first support frame 11, for example at its lower side and preferably in the middle of the support frame.

The outer hinge housing 14 can expediently have a cup-shaped design with lateral slits 15 in order to provide lateral access to the interior space for the adjustment lever 33. Similarly, a lateral slit 25 may be provided in the cup-like shape of the inner hinge shell 24, through which the adjustment rod 33 extends. The two cup-like shapes of the hinge shells 14,24 preferably run coaxially along an axis a3, which runs, for example, vertically. During the assembly process, the two articulated shells 14,24 are inserted into one another by a movement along this axis a3, wherein of course the two slots 15,25 are first oriented one above the other and the ball head 34 is inserted, and then the two articulated shells enclose the ball head in the center of the ball-and-socket joint 30, wherein the two slots 15,25 overlap in the assembled state of the joint and form a window 44 through which the adjusting lever 33 extends. The window 44 is smaller than the diameter of the ball head 34. Ball head 34 is thus secured against pulling out of ball-and-socket joint 30 formed by members 14,24,34 by a positive fit. Conversely, the servo drive acts in a direction transverse to the axis a 3. The movement of the servo drive therefore causes a kinematically forced movement of the ball joint and the components connected thereto, i.e. the connecting elements 14, 24.

As already mentioned, the second coupling element 24 (here as the inner hinge shell) is part of the coupling member 26. Which converts the horizontal movement of the inner hinge shell 24 into a vertical movement and is connected with the hinge joint 29 of the second support frame 21 via the coupling element 27. A lower transmission in the form of a coupling mechanism 28 is thus formed, which transmits the deflection of the ball joint 30, more precisely of the joint housing 24, to the joint connection 29 and thus converts it into a pivoting movement of the second support frame 21. The coupling element 27 achieves a gap in the horizontal direction between the coupling member 26 and the hinge connection 29 in the case of a vertical movement at this hinge connection.

In a simplified embodiment variant, the coupling element 27 can be eliminated or be integral with the coupling member; this additionally reduces the number of transmission components. In this variant, the second linking element 24 is therefore directly connected as a linking member 26 with the articulated link 29 of the second supporting frame. The necessary play at the hinge connection 29 can be achieved by other measures, for example a slot guide.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the parts 26,27 of the coupling mechanism 28 are made of steel (e.g., stainless steel), for example, as are an adjusting lever 33, including a ball head 34, while the outer joint housing 14 is made of aluminum, for example.

Furthermore, the gear 32 can have an adjusting device 35 for the coupling mechanism 28, as shown in fig. 2 to 4. The adjustment device 35 forms, for example, an adjustable support (rotation point) 23 of the coupling member 26. The adjustment of the optical modules 11,21 relative to each other is obtained by the movement of the position of the support 23. The adjusting device 35 of the illustrated embodiment is adjusted manually, for example by means of an adjusting wheel 36 during the assembly process of the floodlight 1; of course, in a variant, the adjusting device can also be driven in other ways, for example by an actuator. The adjusting device 35 is made of aluminum, for example, and can be constructed in any manner known to the expert, as described, for example, in DE 102010022847 of the applicant.

If desired, additional devices can also be provided in other embodiments of the invention, so that additional pivoting of the support frame about other axes can be carried out, for example about a vertical axis (not shown), in order to achieve lateral adjustment of the position of the light pattern.

It will be readily understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated herein. It is particularly conceivable for the components 14,24,34 to be in other relative sequences in the multi-shell socket joint according to the invention in view of their "onion-shell" arrangement. For example, the two hinge shells 14,24 may be interchanged, so that the hinge shell of the first coupling element is located in the hinge shell of the second coupling element; furthermore, the inner articulated shell is rigidly connected to the coupling point of the associated supporting frame. In a further variant, the coupling element of the drive part can be configured as a hinge housing, while the coupling element of one of the support frames is a central hinge joint. Furthermore, the roles of the two light modules or support frames may be interchanged.