Apparatus for driving headlight cover

An apparatus for driving a headlight cover includes a rotary shaft rotated by a motor and covered with shields. A rotary member extends from the rotary shaft, rotates with the rotary shaft, and has at least one protrusion on a surface. A plurality of guides are fitted around the rotary member and have grooves on inner sides, respectively, to receive the protrusion of the rotary member. An elastic member is fitted on the guides.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of priority to Korean Patent Application Number 10-2014-0136443 filed on Oct. 10, 2014, the entire contents of which application are incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for driving a headlight cover using a direct current (DC) motor.

BACKGROUND

A headlamp is a device that illuminates the forward area from a vehicle and supplies sufficient brightness to illuminate an obstacle at a certain distance, for example 100 m, ahead on a road at night. The standards for specifications of headlamps depend on countries.

Automotive headlamps are required to provide an optimal driving environment in accordance with driving conditions of a vehicle, conditions of a road, and surrounding brightness. To this end, an adaptive front lighting system that changes a light distribution pattern in accordance with the driving conditions of a vehicle has recently been used.

Such an adaptive front lighting system adaptively changes a light distribution pattern in accordance with the driving conditions of a vehicle, using a plurality of light shields that determine light distribution patterns by blocking a portion of light from a light source. When the plurality of light shields are used, shields having different patterns are disposed along a cylindrical cover, and light distribution patterns are adjusted by turning the cylindrical cover. In the related art, a stepper motor was used to turn headlight covers, so it was possible to accurately control the positions of the shields.

However, a specific exclusive logic with complicated power supply to supply pulse signals in order to activate the stepper motor and a specific sensor to store an initial operation position are necessary. Accordingly, a structure of the system is complicated, and manufacturing cost is high.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art. An aspect of the present inventive concept provides an apparatus for driving a headlight cover with a DC motor using a rotary member extending from a cover rotary shaft and a plurality of guides and elastic members.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept, an apparatus for driving a headlight cover includes a rotary shaft rotated by a motor and covered with shields. A rotary member extends from the rotary shaft, rotates with the rotary shaft, and has at least one protrusion on a surface. A plurality of guides are fitted around the rotary member and have grooves on inner sides, respectively, to receive the at least one protrusion of the rotary member. An elastic member is fitted on the guides.

The motor may be a direct-current (DC) motor.

Each of the guides may further have a support that extends the elastic member when the guides rotate with the rotary shaft.

A support of a first guide of the plurality of guides may be coupled to a first end of the elastic member to extend the elastic member in a first direction, and a support of a second guide is coupled to a second end of the elastic member to extend the elastic member in a second direction.

The grooves may allow the protrusion to turn at predetermined angles.

A groove of the first guide may allow the protrusion to turn in a second direction, and a groove of the second guide may allow the protrusion to turn in a first direction.

The apparatus may further include a stopper for preventing the guides from rotating in predetermined directions.

The stopper may prevent the first guide from rotating in a second direction and the second guide from rotating in a first direction.

The apparatus may further include a first stopper preventing a first guide of the plurality of guides from rotating in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of the rotary shaft when the first guide returns after rotating with the rotary shaft and preventing the first guide from rotating in the rotational direction of the rotary shaft when a second guide rotates with the rotary shaft. A second stopper prevents the second guide of the plurality of guides from rotating in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of the rotary shaft when the second guide returns after rotating with the rotary shaft and prevents the second guide from rotating in the rotational direction of the rotary shaft when the first guide rotates with the rotary shaft.

The apparatus may further include a controller configured to control the motor in accordance with a speed of a vehicle.

When the vehicle breaks down, the controller may stop the control.

According to an apparatus for driving a headlight cover, since shields are operated by a DC motor, manufacturing cost can be reduced in comparison to using a stepper motor.

Since an elastic member and a plurality of guides are used in the present disclosure, specific sensors for storing the positions of shields are not necessary, thus simplifying the structure and reducing the manufacturing cost.

Further, a stopper is used for preventing shields from rotating over a predetermined angle and enabling them to move/return to the exact initial positions, thus preventing from maloperation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinbelow, an apparatus for driving a headlight cover according to exemplary embodiments of the present inventive concept will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1is a view showing an apparatus for driving a headlight cover according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept,FIG. 2is a perspective view showing shields and a rotary shaft according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept,FIG. 3is a front view showing the shields and the rotary shaft according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept,FIG. 4Ais a view showing a first guide according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept,FIG. 4Bis a view showing a second guide according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept,FIG. 5Ais a view showing the apparatus for driving a headlight cover in a mode C according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept,FIG. 5Bis a view showing the apparatus for driving a headlight cover in a mode V according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept, andFIG. 5Cis a view showing the apparatus for driving a headlight cover in a mode E according to an embodiment of the present inventive concept.

Referring toFIGS. 1 to 5C, an apparatus100for driving a headlight cover may include a rotary shaft125that rotates by a motor110and is covered with shields120. A rotary member130extends from the rotary shaft125, rotates with the rotary shaft125, and has at least one protrusion135on its surface. A plurality of guides140are fitted around the rotary member130and have grooves142and146on their inner sides, respectively, to receive the protrusion135of the rotary member130. An elastic member150is fitted on the guides140. The motor110may be a DC motor.

The guides140are arranged in parallel on the rotary member130and rotate selectively in accordance with the rotational directions of the rotary shaft125rotating by the motor110. For example, when the rotary shaft125rotates in a first direction by the motor110, only a first guide141of the guides140rotates in the first direction by the protrusion135of the rotary member130. On the other hand, when the rotary shaft125rotates in a second direction by the motor110, only a second guide145of the guides140rotates in the second direction by the protrusion135of the rotary member130. The detailed configuration and operation will be described below.

One protrusion135may be formed on the rotary member130to be inserted into the grooves142and146of the guides, or a plurality of protrusions135may be formed to be inserted into the grooves142and146of the guides, respectively.

In the present disclosure, the first and second guides141and145further have supports143and147, respectively, which extend the elastic member150when the guides140rotate with the rotary shaft125. The support147of the second guide145is coupled to a second end of the elastic member150to extend the elastic member150in the second direction, and the support143of the first guide141is coupled to a first end of the elastic member150to extend the elastic member150in the first direction.

In detail, the elastic member150is fitted around the guides140and coupled to the supports143and147of the guides140. For example, when the second guide145rotates in the second direction by the motor110, the first end of the elastic member150rotates accordingly. In this process, the first guide141coupled to the first end of the elastic member150does not rotate, such that the elastic member150extends by the rotation of the second guide145and a returning force is generated in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of the motor110. On the other hand, when the first guide141rotates in the first direction by the motor110, the first end of the elastic member150rotates accordingly, and the second guide145coupled to the second end of the elastic member150does not rotate, such that the elastic member150is extended by the rotation of the first guide141and a returning force is generated in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of the motor110.

Accordingly, when torque of the motor110is removed, the shields120return to initial positions by the returning force of the elastic member150. That is, it is possible to return the shields120to the initial positions, even without sensors for storing rotational positions of the shields120, as in the related art.

The grooves142and146of the guides140allow the protrusion135to turn at predetermined angles, so that the groove142of the first guide141allows the protrusion135to turn in the second direction, and the groove146of the second guide145allows the protrusion135to turn in the first direction.

For example, referring toFIG. 4A, the groove142of the first guide141defines a space in which the protrusion135of the rotary member130is inserted and turns in the second direction (counterclockwise in the figure). At an early stage of operation, the protrusion135is positioned at the left end of the groove142. When the protrusion135turns in the second direction by the motor110, it just turns along the groove142of the first guide141, but does not rotate the first guide141. When the protrusion135turns in the first direction by the motor110, it rotates the first guide141in the first direction.

On the other hand, referring toFIG. 4B, the groove146of the second guide145defines a space in which the protrusion135of the rotary member130is inserted and turns in the first direction (clockwise in the figure). The operation way is opposite to that of the first guide141. According to this configuration, a plurality of guides can rotate selectively in accordance with the rotational directions of the motor110.

The present disclosure further includes a stopper160for stopping rotation of the guides140in predetermined directions. The stopper160prevents the first guide141of the guides from rotating in the second direction and the second guide145from rotating in the first direction.

Another embodiment may further include a first stopper that prevents the first guide141of the guides from rotating in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of the rotary shaft125when it returns after rotating with the rotary shaft125and prevents the first guide141from rotating in the rotational direction of the rotary shaft125when the second guide145rotates with the rotary shaft125. A second stopper prevents the second guide145of the guides from rotating in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of the rotary shaft125when it returns after rotating with the rotary shaft125and prevents the second guide145from rotating in the rotational direction of the rotary shaft125when the first guide141rotates with the rotary shaft125.

The stopper160is coupled to a housing (not shown) and may be disposed at a side of the supports143and147of the first guide141and the second guide145to prevent their rotation. Alternatively, a plurality of stopper160may be disposed at sides of the supports143and147of the first guide141and the second guide145.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the guides140from being rotated over a predetermined angle by the driving force of the motor or from being rotated in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of the rotary shaft125by the returning force of the elastic member.

The present disclosure further includes a controller that controls the motor110on the basis of a speed of a vehicle, and when a vehicle breaks down, the controller can stop the control.

For example, when headlights are turned off or an engine stops in a vehicle or when a speed of the vehicle is within a range for a normal mode, the controller may not operate the shields120, thus a beam pattern in a mode C can be used as shown inFIG. 5A. Further, when the speed of the vehicle is within a range for a downtown mode, the controller operates the shields120so that a mode V with a length of a beam pattern smaller than that in the mode C is performed as shown inFIG. 5B. In contrast, when the speed of the vehicle is within a range for a high-speed mode, the controller operates the shields120so that a mode E with the length of a beam pattern larger than that in the mode C is performed as shown inFIG. 5C.

The range for the normal mode is higher than the range for the downtown mode and lower than the range for the high-speed mode. The mode V or the mode E may be converted into a high-beam mode and the high-beam mode may have a beam pattern longer than the mode V.

According to an apparatus for driving a headlight cover which has the structure described above, since shields are operated by a DC motor, manufacturing cost can be reduced in comparison to using a stepper motor.

Since an elastic member and a plurality of guides are used, the present disclosure can be achieved even without sensors for storing positions of shields, so the structure can be simplified and manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, a stopper is provided for preventing shields from rotating over a predetermined angle and enabling them to move/return to the exact initial positions, thus preventing maloperation.