LIGHTING CONTROL FOR MOTOR VEHICLE LAMPS

• US 3,634,677 A
• Filed: 10/23/1969
• Issued: 01/11/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gerhard Conzelmann, Gerhard Wolffing-Seelig, Gunter Schirmer, Helmut Domann
• Original Assignee: Gerhard Conzelmann, Gerhard Wolffing-Seelig, Gunter Schirmer, Helmut Domann
• Inventors: Conzelmann, Gerhard, Schirmer, Gunter, Domann, Helmut, Wolffing-Seelig, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Queisser, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Koch, Ellen J.
• Application Number:
  US04/868,857
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 240/62.4,62.3,62.1,62,7.1LJ
• US Class Current: 362/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/10 due to vehicle inclination, e.g. due to load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/115 by electric means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch

Abstract

A regulating arrangement for inclining lamps on a motor vehicle as a function of the inclination of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle with respect to the road surface. A potentiometer mounted between the chassis and the axle of the vehicle provides a signal representing the inclination of the axis of the vehicle with respect to the road surface. This signal serves as an input to a comparator which develops a difference signal by comparing the potentiometer output with a signal derived from the actual position of the lamp. The difference signal is amplified and applied to a positioning element in the form of a bimetallic member through which the lamps are positioned. A second potentiometer is used to provide the feedback signal for the comparator as a function of the actual displacement of the lamp.

Claims

1. A regulating arrangement with a closed control loop for maintaining constant the range of at least one lamp on a motor vehicle, comprising, in combination, first transducer means for providing a signal representing the inclination of the longitudinal axis of said motor vehicle with respect to the path of motion of said vehicle;

second transducer means coupled to said lamp for providing a signal representing the inclination of said lamp;

comparator means connected to said first and second transducer means, said comparator means comparing said signals from said transducer means and providing a difference signal for positioning said lamp;

And positioning means connected to receive as input said difference signal for inclining said lamp so as to maintain constant the range of the latter despite inclination of the longitudinal axis of said motor vehicle, the first and second transducer means, said comparator means, and said positioning means constituting a closed control loop.

2. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 1, including a plurality of lamps, a separate said positioning means for each lamp, each said positioning means receiving as input said difference signal.

3. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 1 including amplifier means connected to the difference signal output from said comparator means said amplifier means having feedback means for producing a predetermined response time.

4. The regulating arrangement as defined in clam 3, wherein said amplifier means is an integrating amplifier.

5. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 3, wherein said amplifier means includes means for setting the output of said amplifier means to a constant value when said positioning means for inclining said lamp is substantially at zero position.

6. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 5, further including means for conducting a signal of constant magnitude to the input of said amplifier means for setting said positioning means to zero.

7. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 3, wherein said amplifier means is an astable trigger switching between two stable output voltages at a rate in dependence on said difference signal.

8. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 1, including a plurality of lamps, a separate said positioning means for each lamp, each positioning means receiving as input said difference signal.

9. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said first transducer means comprises at least one transducer arranged between each axle and the chassis of said motor vehicle, said transducer converting the variation in distance between said axle and said chassis into corresponding electrical signals.

10. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein a separate transducer is coupled operatively to each wheel of said motor vehicle.

11. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 9, wherein said first transducer means comprises two voltage dividers with displaceable contacts connected together;

a source of voltage;

a resistor connected between said source of voltage and one terminal of a first one of said voltage dividers the other terminal of said first one voltage divider being in floating state, the second one of said two voltage dividers having one terminal floating and having one terminal connected to ground potential.

12. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 11, including further voltage-dividing means with displaceable contact, said further voltage-dividing means being connected between said source of voltage and ground potential, said difference signal appearing between the sliding contact of said further voltage-dividing means and the junction between said first one of said voltage dividers and said resistor connected thereto.

13. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 9, further including a voltage source, and wherein said first transducer means comprises first and second voltage dividers of which corresponding fixed terminals are connected to opposite poles of said voltage source, and further including respective resistor means connecting the taps of said first and second voltage dividers to a common circuit point, the resulting voltage at said common circuit point being said signal of said first transducer means.

14. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 13, further including a third voltage divider connected in parallel with said first and second voltage dividers, the voltage at the tap of said third voltage divider being said difference signal.

15. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 14, further including transistor Amplifier means, said transistor amplifier means having an input and an output, said input being connected to said common circuit point, said output being connected to the input of said positioning means.

16. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 15, wherein said transistor amplifier means includes an input transistor of which the emitter is connected to said common circuit point and the collector is connected to said source of voltage, and further including diode means connected between the base of said input transistor and the tap of said third voltage divider, said diode being reverse connected so as to oppose the flow of the base emitter current of said input transistor.

17. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 1, wherein said first transducer means comprises first and second potentiometers of which the adjustable tap of said first potentiometer is moved in dependence on the position of a front axle of the motor vehicle and the adjustable tap of said second potentiometer is moved in dependence on the position of a rear axle of the motor vehicle.

18. The regulating arrangement of as defined in claim 1, wherein said first transducer means comprises for a front axle and a rear axle respective inductive voltage-dividing means with two coils connected in series and a ferromagnetic core displaceable with the interior of the two coils and connected to a respective said axle, and means for supplying an alternating current voltage to said two coils.

19. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 18 wherein said means for supplying an alternating current voltage is an oscillator, said oscillator being common to the two pairs of coils of said first transducer means, the inductance of said oscillator comprising said two pairs of coils.

20. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 19, wherein said second transducer comprises voltage-dividing means with two coils connected in series and a ferromagnetic core movable within said two coils in response to the inclination of said lamp, said oscillator energizing said two coils, the inductance of said oscillator comprising said two coils.

21. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 19, further including a first diode connected to the junction between said two coils of one inductive voltage-dividing means for rectifying the positive half waves;

a second diode connected to the junction between said two coils of the other inductive voltage-dividing means for rectifying the negative half wave;

summing resistor means connected to the first and second diodes for summing the outputs thereof, the resulting summed voltage being said signal of said first transducer means; and

amplifier means having an input and an output, said input being connected to said summing resistor means, said output being connected to the input of said positioning means.

22. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 21, further including means for connecting the output voltage of said oscillator to said summing resistor means for providing a variable compensation voltage for determining the inclination of the lamp when the longitudinal axis of he motor vehicle is not inclined.

23. The regulating arrangement as defined in claim 1 wherein said positioning means is a bimetallic element.