Vehicle headlight

Abstract: A headlight (1) having a housing (2) enclosing a reflector (6), the angular position of which, in relation to the housing (2) and about at least one axis (8), is adjustable by means of a step type adjusting device (10) operated externally and which provides for setting the reflector (6) to a number of discrete angular positions; the device (10) presenting a control member (11) secured in rotary manner to the housing (2) and connected in fluidtight manner to the housing (2) solely by means of a ring (24) of elastomeric material fitted inside the housing (2).

Description: The present invention relates to a vehicle headlight, as defined in the preamble of claim 1. In particular, the present invention relates to a headlight of the type comprising a substantially cup-shaped housing with a lateral opening; an adjustable reflector fitted inside the housing so as to rotate in relation to the same about at least a first axis; and an externally operated adjusting device for adjusting the angular position of the reflector in relation to the housing and about said first axis. The adjusting device comprises a control member extending partly inside the housing through said opening and connected to the reflector; retaining means for securing said control member in relation to said housing and in rotary manner about a respective axis; fluidtight means interposed between the housing and the control member; and step type retaining means interposed between the housing and the control member, for discrete angular positioning of the control member in relation to the housing. Though widely used, a major drawback of known devices of the aforementioned type is the relatively large number of components and, consequently, the relatively high production and assembly cost involved. Moreover, sealing between the housing and control member is effected by means of an elastomeric seal, which, in most applications, has very little protection against external pollutants by which the efficiency of the seal is impaired fairly rapidly. FR-A-2 379 402 shows a vehicle headlight having the features of the preamble of claim 1. In the vehicle headlight the externally operated adjusting device presents a screw nut screw assembly, the screw of which is coupled to the housing by said retaining means. The retaining means comprise two annular bodies of which first one is an annular fluidtight body, which is housed inside the housing, and surrounds the screw, and a second one is a nut screwed on the cited screw to force the fluidtight body against a inner surface of the housing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a headlight featuring an adjusting device which, as compared with known devices, presents a small number of components for reducing production and assembly cost while at the same time providing for a high degree of reliability. According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle headlight as claimed in claim 1. According to a preferred embodiment, said control member presents a circumferential groove extending inside said housing, and said annular body engages said groove and is positioned contacting a shoulder on the housing. A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.1 shows a section of a preferred embodiment of the headlight according to the present invention; Fig.2 shows a larger-scale section of a detail in Fig.1; Fig.3 shows a section along line III-III in Fig.2; Fig.4 shows a section along line IV-IV in Fig.2. Number 1 in Fig.1 indicates a vehicle headlight comprising a cup-shaped housing 2 in turn comprising an end wall 3, and a lateral wall 4 with a through hole 5. Headlight 1 also comprises an adjustable reflector 6 having an optical axis 7, fitted inside housing 2, and connected in known manner (not shown) to lateral wall 4 of housing 2, so as to rotate about two axes 8 and 9 substantially perpendicular to each other and to optical axis 7. Finally, headlight 1 comprises an adjusting device 10 associated with lateral wall 4 of housing 2, and operated externally for adjusting the angular position of reflector 6 in relation to housing 2 and about axes 8 and 9. With reference to Fig.1 and, particularly, Fig.2, device 10 comprises a first and second control member 11 and 12, of which the first member 11, conveniently made of plastic material and designed to adjust the angular position of reflector 6 about axis 8, extends partly inside housing 2 through hole 5, and is connected to housing 2 so as to rotate about a respective axis 13 perpendicular to optical axis 7. The second member 12 is defined by a threaded rod extending through first member 11 inside an eccentric and at least partially threaded hole 14, and having one end facing reflector 6 and connected to the rear portion of the same by means of a known spherical joint 15, and the opposite end connected integral with a nut 16 for enabling rotation of the rod in relation to first member 11 and so adjusting the angular position of reflector 6 about axis 9. With reference to Fig.2 in particular, first member 11 comprises an end portion 17 extending partly inside housing 2 through hole 5, and engaging in rotary manner a cylindrical collar 18 surrounding hole 5 and extending outwards coaxially with the axis of hole 5. The end of portion 17 opposite that facing reflector 6 is connected stably to the inner surface of the bottom wall 19 of a cup-shaped body 20, which also comprises a lateral wall 21 coaxial with and surrounding collar 18. Bottom wall 19 extends perpendicular to axis 13, with its inner surface contacting the front surface 21a of collar 18, and is fitted integral with an operating knob 22 located on the opposite side of bottom wall 19 in relation to portion 17, for rotating first member 11 in relation to housing 2 and about axis 13. Portion 17 presents a circumferential groove 23 formed in the portion of portion 17 extending inside housing 2, located adjacent to inner surface 23a of housing 2, and defining a seat for an elastic ring 24 of elastomeric material. More specifically, groove 23 is formed at such a distance from wall 19 that ring 24 contacts a shoulder defined by inner surface 23a of housing 2, and so provides simultaneously for sealing between first member 11 and housing 2, as well as for acting as a retaining element for securing first member 11 axially in relation to housing 2. With reference to Fig.s 2 and 3, adjusting device 10 also comprises a step type angular retaining device 25 enabling first member 11 to rotate in steps in relation to housing 2 and between a number of discrete angular positions, each corresponding to a given angular position of reflector 6 in relation to housing 2. Device 25 comprises a number of equally-spaced outer axial grooves 26 formed on the outer surface 27 of collar 18, and each of which is substantially V-shaped with its concavity facing lateral wall 21 of cup-shaped body 20. Device 25 also comprises a pair of projections 28 facing surface 27 of collar 18, diametrically opposed in relation to collar 18, and each engaging a respective groove 26 as first member 11 is rotated about respective axis 13. More specifically, each projection 28 presents a cross section substantially in the form of an isosceles triangle with a rounded apex facing the bottom of grooves 26, and is connected integral with a free end portion of a respective elastic appendix 29, 30 forming part of lateral wall 21 and formed from the same by means of two longitudinal openings 31 (Fig.4). In actual use, knob 22 provides for rotating first control member 11 about axis 13 and so moving projections 28 from one groove 26 to the next by elastically deforming appendixes 29. When first member 11 is rotated, second member 12 is moved transversely in relation to its axis and along an eccentric path in relation to rotation axis 13 of first member 11, so as to rotate reflector 6 about axis 8 and into a different angular position in relation to housing 2. At this point, adjustment of nut 16 provides for axially displacing the rod in relation to first member 11 and so adjusting the angular position of reflector 6 about axis 9. According to a variation not shown, control device 10 only comprises first control member 11 for adjusting the angular position of reflector 6 about axis 8, second member 12 being replaced by an appendix having one end connected integral with first member 11, and the opposite end connected to reflector 6 via spherical joint 15.

Claims: A vehicle headlight (1) comprising a housing (2) with a lateral opening (5); an adjustable reflector (6) fitted inside the housing (2) so as to rotate in relation to the same about at least a first axis (8); and externally operated adjusting means (10) for adjusting the angular position of the reflector (6) in relation to the housing (2) and at least about said first axis (8); the adjusting means (10) comprising a control member (11) extending partly inside the housing (2) through said opening (5) and connected to said reflector (6); securing means (24) for securing said control member (11) in relation to said housing (2) and in rotary manner about a respective axis (13) and comprising an annular body (24) of elastomeric material interposed between said control member (11) and said housing (2); characterized by the fact that said adjusting means (10) further comprise a step type retaining means (25) interposed between the housing (2) and the control member (11), for discrete angular positioning of the control member (11) in relation to the housing (2), and fluidtight means (24) interposed between the housing (2) and the control member (11); and by the fact that the securing means and the fluidtight means constitute a single common element which is said annular body (24). A headlight as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by the fact that said control member (11) presents a circumferential groove (23) extending inside said housing (2); and said annular body (24) engages said groove (23) and contacts a shoulder (23a) on the housing (2). A headlight as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that said step type retaining means (25) comprise a number of cavities (26) on one (2) of either said housing (2) or said control member (11), and at least one projection (28) on the other (11) of either said housing (2) or said control member (11), which projection (28) provides for selectively engaging each said cavity (26) as said control member (11) is rotated about said respective axis (13), for maintaining said control member (11) in a given angular position and said reflector (6) in a corresponding angular position in relation to said housing (2). A headlight as claimed in Claim 3, characterized by the fact that said control member (11) comprises elastic means (29) associated with said projection (28), for clicking said projection (28) inside said cavity (26). A headlight as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, characterized by the fact that said housing (2) comprises a tubular appendix (18) coaxial with said opening (5) and extending outwards; said cavities (26) being distributed over the outer lateral surface (27) of said tubular appendix (18); and said elastic means comprising two elastic appendixes (29,30) integral with said control member (11), extending from diametrically-opposed sides of said tubular appendix (18), and facing said cavities (26); each said appendix (29,30) supporting a respective said projection (28). A headlight as claimed in any one of the foregoing Claims, characterized by the fact that it comprises connecting means (12) for connecting said control member (11) to said reflector (6); said connecting means comprising a threaded rod (12) extending through said control member (11) and engaging an eccentric threaded hole (14); said rod (12) presenting one end connected to said reflector (6), and the opposite end projecting outwards of said control member (11), and being rotatable in relation to the control member (11) for adjusting the angular position of the reflector (6) about a second axis (9) substantially perpendicular to said first axis (8).

Inventors: RIVOIRA LUIGI, RIVOIRA, LUIGI
Applicants: MAGNETI MARELLI SPA, MAGNETI MARELLI S.p.A.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B60Q1
IPC codes: B60Q1