Patent Publication Number: US-8113700-B2

Title: Headlamp with high and low beam control device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a control device of a headlamp&#39;s high and low beam, particularly to one employing a driver to enable two light shields to swing up or down to control the projecting scope of light emitted by a headlamp, so as to obtain a high or a low beam of the automobile&#39;s headlamp. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Commonly, an automobile&#39;s headlamps can be switched to have a high or a low beam by swinging it to different angles. However, power lines of the headlamp are apt to be damaged by friction caused between them and the bases of the headlamps while rotating the headlamp. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of this invention is to offer a control device of a headlamp&#39;s high and low beam, which can control the light projecting scope without rotating a lamp base of a headlamp to alter the projecting angle. 
     The main characteristics of the invention are a lamp base, a driver, two light shields and a spring. 
     The lamp base is provided with a supporting surface formed on an outside, a projecting edge formed around the circumference of the lamp base, a recess cut at one side of the projecting edge, two projecting bars correspondingly planted on the projecting edge, an arc-like reflecting surface formed inside the lamp base, and a lamp installed inside the lamp base. 
     The driver is deposited on the supporting surface of said lamp base, provided with a driving shaft, a pushing block located at a free end of the driving shaft to correspond to the recess of the lamp base, and a conical surface formed around the pushing block and gradually tapered toward its free end. 
     The light shields are correspondingly installed on the lamp base, respectively provided with a through hole bored correspondingly in an outer edge. Furthermore, the light shields are overlapped with their inner portions, respectively provided with a sliding groove bored obliquely and tapered downwards in their overlapping portions for the pushing block of the driver to penetrate through. 
     The spring is installed on the light shields. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       This invention is better understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a control device of a headlamp&#39;s high and low beam in the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a control device of a headlamp&#39;s high and low beam in the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of a control device of a headlamp&#39;s high and low beam in the present invention, showing it being switched to reflect a low beam; 
         FIG. 4  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of a control device of a headlamp&#39;s high and low beam in the present invention, showing it being switched to reflect a low beam; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of a control device of a headlamp&#39;s high and low beam in the present invention, showing it being switched to reflect a high beam; and 
         FIG. 6  is a front view of the preferred embodiment of a control device of a headlamp&#39;s high and low beam in the present invention, showing it being switched to reflect a high beam. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1˜3 , a preferred embodiment of a control device of a headlamp&#39;s high/low beam in the present invention includes a lamp base  1 , a driver  2 , two light shields  3  and  3 ′, and a spring  4 . 
     The lamp base  1  is provided with a supporting surface  10  formed on the outside, a projecting edge  11  formed around the circumference, a recess  12  cut at one side of the projecting edge  11  to correspond to the supporting surface  10 , two projecting bars  13  respectively planted on two corresponding sides of the projecting edge  11 , a threaded hole  14  formed in each of the projecting bars  13 , an arc-like reflecting surface  15  formed inside, and a lamp  16  installed inside. 
     The driver  2  is deposited on the supporting surface  10 , provided with a driving shaft  20 , a pushing block  21  located at a free end of the driving shaft  20 , and a conical surface  22  formed around the pushing block  21  and gradually tapered toward its free end. 
     The light shields  3  and  3 ′ are correspondingly installed on the lamp base  1 , respectively provided with a through hole  30  or  30 ′ correspondingly bored in an outer edge, and a fastening element  31  and  31 ′ respectively inserted through the through holes  30  and  30 ′ to be threadably coupled with the threaded holes  14  and  14 ′. Furthermore, the light shields  3  and  3 ′ are overlapped with their inner portions, respectively having a sliding groove  32  or  32 ′ bored obliquely and tapered downwards for the pushing block  21  of the driver  2  to penetrate through, and a locking hole  33  or  33 ′. 
     The spring  4  is installed on the two light shields  3  and  3 ′. 
     In assembling, as shown in  FIGS. 1˜4 , the driver  2  is first fixed on the supporting surface  10  of the lamp base  1 , with the pushing block  21  positioned within the recess  12  of the lamp base  1 . Next, the light shields  3  and  3 ′ are overlapped, with the bottoms of the sliding grooves  32  and  32 ′ coinciding with each other and inserted by the pushing block  21  of the driver  2 , and the through holes  30  and  30 ′ respectively corresponding to one of the threaded holes  14  in the projecting bars  13  of the lamp base  1 . Then, the fastening elements  31  and  31 ′ are respectively inserted through the through holes  30  and  30 ′ to be threadably engaged with the threaded holes  14 , so as to keep the light shields  3  and  3 ′ positioned on the lamp base  1 . Finally, two ends of the spring  4  are hooked in the locking holes  33  and  33 ′. Thus, the assembly of the control device of the invention is finished. 
     In operating, as shown in  FIGS. 3˜6 , when the headlamp is expected to work with a high beam, the driver  2  can be electrically started to drive the driving shaft  20  to move forward. By the time, the pushing block  21  is to be vertically moved forward in the sliding grooves  32  and  32 ′ of the light shields  3  and  3 ′. With the fastening elements  31  and  31 ′ functioning as swinging axes of the light shields  3  and  3 ′, the conical surface  22  of the pushing block  21  is to force the top of the sliding grooves  32  and  32 ′ (the portion with a widest diameter) to move toward it, thus enabling the light shields  3  and  3 ′ to swing downward, as shown in  FIG. 6 . The spring  4  is simultaneously stretched out elastically. So, the light emitted by the lamp  16  can project with a wider angle after being reflected by the reflecting surface  15  as it is not sheltered by the light shields  3  and  3 ′. A high beam is therefore obtained. 
     On the contrary, if the headlamp is expected to work with a low beam, the driver  2  can be reversely started to drive the driving shaft  20  to move backward. By the time, the pushing block  21  is to be moved backward to its original position, keeping the wider portion of the conical surface  22  from staying in the sliding grooves  32  and  32 ′ of the light shields  3  and  3 ′, so that the light shields  3  and  3 ′ are to be swung upward owing to elastic contraction of the spring  4 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . With corresponding inner portions of the light shields  3  and  3 ′ moved up to their original positions, light emitted by the lamp  16  and reflected by the reflecting surface  15  can only project out partially as some of it is sheltered by the light shields  3  and  3 ′, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Thus, a low beam is gained. By means of the driver  2  to draw the light shields  3  and  3 ′, the headlamp can be controlled to switch between a high and a low beam without necessity of rotating the lamp base  1 , able to lengthen service life of a lamp. 
     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.