Capsule, in particular for mounting the head of an angle-adjustment on a reflector of a motor vehicle headlight

A capsule, in particular for mounting the head of an angle-adjustment screw on a reflector of a motor vehicle headlight, the capsule being of the type comprising, in the vicinity of a first end, means for receiving the head, and in the vicinity of a second end, fixing means for fixing the capsule to a mount fixed to the reflector. The capsule comprises a first portion including a housing for the head, and a second portion including the fixing means for fixing the capsule to the reflector. Said fixing means comprise flexible means suitable for entering into latching engagement with said mount. Said first portion of the capsule is capable of sliding relative to the second portion to a locking position in which it bears against the flexible means, preventing them from moving out from their latching engagement with the mount.

The present invention relates in general terms to mechanically assembling 
parts, and more particularly it relates to a new assembly means suitable 
for use between a reflector in a motor vehicle headlight and the head of a 
screw for adjusting the angle of the reflector. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In the prior art, an adjustment screw head is mounted on the headlight by 
means of a capsule including means for fixing it permanently to the body 
of the reflector and means for removably receiving the head of the screw. 
The fixing means conventionally used include gluing, welding, screwing, 
and the like. 
A major drawback of these prior capsules lies in the fact that the 
above-mentioned fixing means are totally unsuitable for robot assembly of 
motor vehicle headlights, or the like. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention seeks to mitigate this drawback of the prior art, and 
to this end, the present invention provides a capsule, in particular for 
mounting the head of an angle-adjustment screw on a reflector of a motor 
vehicle headlight, the capsule being of the type comprising, in the 
vicinity of a first end, means for receiving the head, and in the vicinity 
of a second end, fixing means for fixing the capsule to a mount fixed to 
the reflector, wherein the capsule comprises a first portion including a 
housing for the head, and a second portion including the fixing means for 
fixing the capsule to the reflector, wherein said fixing means comprise 
flexible means suitable for entering into latching engagement with said 
mount, and wherein said first portion of the capsule is capable of sliding 
relative to the second portion to a locking position in which it bears 
against the flexible means, preventing them from moving out from their 
latching engagement with the mount. 
In this way, the capsule can be fixed undismountably in simple manner 
merely by causing the first portion of the capsule to slide relative to 
the second. 
Preferred, but non-limiting, aspects of the capsule of the invention are 
mentioned below: 
both portions are essentially cylindrical and coaxial; 
the two portions are capable of sliding relative to each other from an 
initial state in which they are interconnected by a thin film of material, 
in which case they are preferably made simultaneously during a single 
molding operation; 
the flexible means comprise a plurality of flexible tabs each carrying at 
least one external catch in the vicinity of its free end, and the 
reflector mount is constituted by a socket including a rear wall against 
which the catches are capable of engaging; and 
stop means are provided for preventing one of the two portions of the 
capsule from moving relative to the other when in the locking position, 
which means may also constitute means for imprisoning the head in its 
housing. In which case, the stop means and the imprisoning means are 
constituted by a clip suitable for being clamped around the two portions 
of the capsule, penetrating into two windows which are provided in 
respective ones of said portions and which, in the locking position, 
overlie each other. 
The invention also provides a method of assembling a capsule comprising two 
portions initially interconnected by a thin film as mentioned above, 
wherein the method comprises the following steps: 
exerting a first thrust on the first position of the capsule to engage the 
flexible means in the mount and to establish the latching engagement, 
while the said mount acts as an abutment for the second portion of the 
capsule; and then 
exerting a second thrust on the first portion, said second thrust being 
greater than the first thrust, thereby breaking the thin film and causing 
said first portion to slide into said locking position. 
This method is preferably implemented by robot means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
With reference initially to FIGS. 1 to 4, there follows a description of a 
capsule constituting an intermediate fixing component between a headlight 
reflector and the head of an angle-adjustment screw for said reflector. 
Such a capsule is to be fixed in permanent and reliable manner onto the 
reflector and it must be capable of receiving the head in removable 
manner. 
The capsule is generally in the form of a body of revolution about an axis 
A, and comprises a first portion or body portion 100 in which the head is 
to be received, and a second portion or base 150 for fixing the capsule 
into the reflector. 
The body 100 is generally cylindrical in shape and comprises a flange 102 
at a first end, which flange surrounds an opening 104 whereby the head is 
inserted into a housing 106. The housing is cylindrical in shape and is 
terminated by a bottom 106a which is substantially hemispherical in the 
present example and against which the head is to bear. A window 107 formed 
through the wall of the body 100 about halfway along the housing 106 
serves, as described below, to implement the means which serve in 
particular to retain the head in its housing. 
The body 100 includes a cylindrical central portion 105 and at its end 
furthest from the housing 106 it is terminated by a tapering portion 108 
followed by a short cylindrical portion of smaller diameter. 
In addition, an essentially cylindrical passage 112 extends between the 
bottom of the housing 106 and the opposite end of the body 100, thereby 
saving material. 
It may also be observed in FIG. 2 that the body 100 includes a longitudinal 
external key 114 for purposes that are explained below. 
The base 150 is generally in the form of a tube having a generally 
cylindrical hollow portion 152 with a plurality of flexible tabs 154 (four 
in this case) extending therefrom away from the body 100, which tabs are 
constituted, in practice, by, extending the portion 152 while leaving four 
longitudinal notches 156 therein, which notches may be mutually spaced 
apart at 90.degree. intervals around the axis A, as can be seen in FIG. 3. 
The portion 152 includes an outer annular groove 158 at a well determined 
axial position therealong, and a window 160 passes through the wall of the 
portion 152 between the bottom of this groove and a central passage 162. 
A shoulder 164 is provided at the end of the portion 152 situated at the 
transition to the flexible tabs 154. Each tab 154 includes a catch 166 of 
essentially triangular cross-section on its outside face in the vicinity 
of its free end. 
The central passage 162 through the portion 152 has a diameter which is 
equal to or slightly greater than the outside diameter of the main central 
portion of the body 100, and while they are at rest, the four tabs 154 
circumscribe a cylinder whose diameter is essentially equal to or slightly 
greater than the outside diameter of the central portion of the body 100. 
Towards their ends, the inside faces of the tabs 154 are provided with 
inwardly projecting frustoconical portions 157 and portions 159 defining a 
smaller inside diameter, said portions being essentially complementary in 
shape to portions 108 and 110 of the body 100. 
In addition, the passage 162 defines a slot 168 for receiving the key 114, 
said slot extending in line with one of the notches 156 between two 
adjacent flexible tabs 154. 
Finally, a key 170 is defined by two ribs 170a and 170b formed in the 
adjacent edge regions of two adjacent flexible tabs 154 on either side of 
the notch 156 between said tabs. 
According to a preferred aspect of the invention, the portions 100 and 150 
of the capsule of the invention are initially interconnected as shown in 
FIGS. 1 and 2 by a continuous thin film of material referenced 180 
connecting the edge situated at the intersection of the wall of the inside 
passage 162 and the end face of the portion 150 furthest from the flexible 
tabs to the edge situated at the transition between the outside wall of 
the main cylindrical portion and of the tapering portion 108 of the body 
100. 
Thus, and most advantageously, the two portions of the capsule can be made 
simultaneously in a single molding operation using a plastic material. 
With reference now to FIGS. 6 and 7, there can be seen a clip 200 which is 
generally U-shaped, it has an end portion 202 bent through about 
180.degree. , a first branch 204 and a second branch 206 which are 
essentially parallel, and a locking branch 208 comprising a transverse 
portion 208a which extends from the branch 204 and which lies 
substantially in the same plane as the portions 202, 204, and 206, 
together with a latching portion 208b extending essentially 
perpendicularly from the portion 208a. The end region of the second branch 
206 can thus latch behind the portion 208b as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The 
clip is preferably made of a relatively resilient steel. 
FIG. 6 also shows a portion of an ajustment screw 300 for varying the angle 
of a reflector (not shown) in a motor vehicle headlight. The screw 
comprises a threaded rod 302 with a head 304 at one end thereof. In this 
case, the head 304 is generally spherical in shape, however it would also 
be possible to use some other shape, e.g. a conical head. By rotating the 
screw 300 in a complementary tapped portion (not shown) using drive means 
(not shown), it is possible to displace the head 304 in the longitudinal 
direction of the screw in conventional manner. If the head is fixed to a 
given point on a reflector (and the reflector is provided with means 
enabling it to pivot), then the angle of the reflector is varied. 
Finally, FIGS. 5 to 7 show a socket 400 which is fixed to the rear wall of 
a reflector (not shown), and integrally molded therewith, for example. 
This socket has a cylindrical inside passage 402 and, at its rear end (to 
the left in FIGS. 5 and 6), it has a catching surface 404 at right angles. 
A slot (not shown) is also formed in the cylindrical passage 402 for 
receiving the key constituted by the ribs 170a and 170b. 
The description below describes the steps performed when fixing the head 
304 to the rear of a reflector, and more precisely to the socket 400 by 
means of a capsule of the invention. 
To begin with, the capsule in its initial state as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 
is brought up to the passage 402 through the socket 400 with the flexible 
tabs 154 pointing to the opening. 
Then, by applying appropriate thrust, the tabs 154 are inserted in the 
passage 402, thereby deforming the tabs inwardly until their catches 166 
reach the rear wall 404 of the socket and catch onto it by the resilient 
return effect. 
Thereafter, by exerting greater thrust on the body 100, and preferably by 
imparting a shock thereto with the portion 150 bearing against the socket 
400, the thin film of material 180 interconnecting the portions 100 and 
150 of the capsule is broken. Under the effect of the shock, the film 
breaks and the body 100 is free to slide (from right to left in FIGS. 1 
and 2) into the fixing portion. (Naturally the thickness of the film 180 
is selected so that rupture takes place when a reasonable shock is 
applied, but does not take place during the initial stage described above 
while the base 150 is being inserted in the socket 400.) 
During this motion, the entire body 100 apart from its flange 102 
substantially occupies the space defined above by the inside passage 162 
in the portion 150, and in particular the portion of the body situated 
furthest from the flange 102 bears relatively closely against the inside 
faces of the tabs 154, with the portions 108 and 110 of the body also 
bearing against complementary shapes 157 and 159 provided on said inside 
faces. 
This final state of the capsule is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. It will readily 
be understood that in this state the body 100 prevents the flexible tabs 
154 from moving inwards, and as a result the catches 166 can no longer 
release the socket 400. The capsule is thus permanently installed with a 
very high degree of reliability. 
In addition, this non-dismountable fixing may be performed merely by 
exerting two successive thrusts on the body 100, the first thrust engaging 
the flexible tabs inside the socket and the other breaking the thin film, 
which operationsf are easily performed by a robot for robot assembly of 
headlights or the like. 
In addition, the windows 107 and 160 formed respectively through the 
portions 100 and 150 of the capsule are positioned in such a manner that, 
when the capsule is in this final state, these windows are individually 
superposed. This superposition is also ensured by the key 114 and the 
corresponding slot 168 which prevent the body 100 rotating relative to the 
base 150. 
Thus, as can be seen FIGS. 6 and 7, when the clip is installed in the 
groove 158 of the base, and the clip is locked so that its two branches 
204 and 206 exert pressure inwards, then the branch 204 (it could equally 
well be the branch 206) penetrates into the two windows 107 and 160 and 
engages, as can clearly be seen in FIG. 7, a small way into the inside 
space 106 in which the head is received. 
A first function of this engagement of the branch 204 in the two superposed 
windows is to lock the two portions 100 and 150 of the capsule together, 
thereby preventing the body 100 from sliding out from the base 150 which 
would then make it possible to disengage the tabs 154 from their locking 
engagement with the socket 400. 
The second function of the clip is to lock the head 304 in the associated 
housing 106 in the body 100, with the head bearing against the bottom 
106a. 
In a first procedure, the clip 200 may initially be put into place, after 
which the head 304 may be inserted into its housing by displacement along 
arrow F in FIG. 6. In this case, the branch 204 moves resiliently out of 
the way to allow the head 304 to pass, after which it returns resiliently 
to the position shown in FIG. 7, thereby locking the head in its housing. 
In a second procedure, the head 304 is initially installed, after which the 
clip acts simultaneously to lock the two portions of the capsule together 
and to imprison the head. 
Naturally, the invention is not limited in any way to the embodiment 
described above and shown in the drawings, and the person skilled in the 
art may add any variant or modification that comes within the scope of the 
invention. In particular, the means for holding the portions 100 and 150 
of the capsule in their initial state prior to being installed on the 
socket may be omitted, or else they may be different from the film of 
material 180 described above. In the first case, the two portions 100 and 
150 may initially be two separate parts, with the base 150 being installed 
initially in the socket and with the body subsequently being inserted into 
the base. In the second case, the continuous film of material 180 may be 
replaced by a plurality of discrete bridges, of suitable number and 
section. In a variant, it would also be possible to use a snap-fastening 
or force-fit engagement between the two portions, with such engagements 
being designed to allow the two portions to slide relative to each other 
only under the action of a force which is substantially greater than the 
force required for installing the base 150 in the socket 400. In this 
case, the engagement can be broken by permanent and/or resilient 
deformation of the material from which they are made. 
Furthermore, it is possible to envisage preventing the two portions from 
sliding relative to each other by means other than the two superposed 
windows and the clip engaged therein as described above. For example, at 
the end of the stroke of the body 100 into base 150, provision may be made 
for establishing a snap-fastening type connection or a force-fit type 
engagement between the two portions. 
Finally, the invention is advantageously applicable whenever permanent or 
semipermanent fixing is desired without using conventional fixing means 
such as those described in the introduction.