Actuator for manually adjusting headlamp elevation angle

• US 5,957,563 A
• Filed: 06/16/1997
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Chrysler Corporation (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Moore, Thomas S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CLARKE, SARA SACHIE
• Application Number:
  US08/876,373
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 362/40, 362/233, 362/287, 362/422, 362/424, 362/427, 362/428, 362/525, 362/532
• US Class Current: 362/40
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/06 adjustable, e.g. remotely-controlled from inside vehicle B60Q1/05 takes precedence

Abstract

A headlamp mounting system for an automobile includes respective headlamp housings for holding monofilament headlamps. Also, respective bases are attached to the automobile and each base is pivotably engaged with a respective one of the headlamp housings. An activating shaft extends between the headlamp housings and is connected to each, and an activating rod is connected to a radially protruding ear of the activating shaft. The activating rod is coupled to an operating knob in the passenger compartment, and the knob can be pushed and pulled as desired by an occupant to cause the activating rod to reciprocate and, thus, to rotate the activating shaft and hence pivot the headlamp housings. Thereby, the elevation angle of the headlamp beams is selectively established, with a high angle establishing a high beam orientation and a low angle establishing a low beam orientation. A spool having front and rear ends is pivotably engaged with the activating rod in the passenger compartment to provide a mechanical memory of the relative difference between the high and low beam orientation angles. The high beam, orientation is established when the front end abuts the automobile and the low beam orientation is established when the rear end abuts the automobile, thereby establishing the limit of travel of the activating rod. The spool can be rotated on the rod as desired to vary the high beam and low beam orientations.

Claims

1. An actuator for selectively establishing the elevation angle of at least one headlamp of an automobile, the headlamp having a high beam orientation and a low beam orientation, the actuator maintaining a mechanical memory of a difference between the orientations and comprising:

an activating rod having a front segment coupled to the at least one headlamp such that translational motion of the activating rod causes pivotal motion of the headlamp relative to the automobile, the activating rod having a threaded rear end segment;

a manipulable operator connected to the rear end segment of the activating rod such that the operator can be grasped by an occupant of the automobile and manipulated to move the activating rod to thereby cause pivotal motion of the headlamp relative to the automobile; and

a spool threadably engaged with the rear end segment of the activating rod between the operator and the headlamp, the spool having a body portion with a front radially protruding flange and a longitudinally space ear radially protruding flange each extending from said body portion for establishing the mechanical memory, the spool with activating rod being reciprocatingly movable in a longitudinal direction without rotating the spool relative to the activating rod to thereby move the headlamp between the high beam orientation and low beam orientation.

5. The actuator of claim 1, further comprising a dashboard attached to the automobile, the dashboard defining an aperture through which the activating rod extends, the dashboard further defining a front surface and a rear surface.

6. The actuator of claim 5, wherein the operator is an operating knob and the spool is positioned on the activating rod with the aperture of the dashboard intermediate the flanges of the spool, such that the operating knob can be pulled to cause the front flange of the spool to abut the front surface of the dashboard to thereby establish a first position of the actuator, the first position corresponding to a first orientation of the headlamp, and the operating knob can be pushed to cause the rear flange of the spool to abut the rear surface of the dashboard to thereby establish a second position of the actuator, the second position corresponding to a second orientation of the headlamp.

7. The actuator of claim 6, wherein the first orientation is a low beam orientation, and the second orientation is a high beam orientation.

8. The actuator of claim 7, wherein the spool can be rotated by an occupant of the automobile to cause the spool to travel translationally relative to the activating rod and thereby selectively establish the first and second positions.

2. In an automobile having two front headlamps mounted in respective holders for pivotable motion of the headlamps relative to the automobile, an actuator coupled to the holders for transforming translational movement of the actuator to pivotable movement of the headlamps, the actuator comprising:

an activating rod coupled to the holders;

a manipulable operator connected to the activating rod such that the operator can be grasped by an occupant of the automobile and manipulated to translate the activating rod to thereby pivot the headlamps relative to the automobile;

a spool threadably engaged with the activating rod, the spool having a body portion with a front radially protruding flange and longitudinally spaced rear radially protruding flange each extending from said body portion; and

a dashboard attached to the automobile, the dashboard defining an overture through which the activating rod extends, the dashboard further defining a front surface and a rear surface, wherein;

the spool is positioned on the activating rod with the aperture of the dashboard intermediate the flanges of the spool, such that the operator can be manipulated to cause the front flange of the spool to abut the front surface of the dashboard to thereby establish a first position of the actuator, the first position corresponding to a first orientation of the headlamp, and the operator can be manipulated to cause the rear flange of the spool to abut the rear surface of the dashboard to thereby establish a second position of the actuator, the second position corresponding to a second orientation of the headlamp.

3. A method for selectively establishing a high beam orientation for a single filament headlamp relative to an automobile having a passenger compartment and a low beam orientation of the headlamp, comprising the steps of:

pivotally coupling the headlamp to the automobile;

coupling a manipulable actuator with the headlamp such that translational motion of the actuator causes pivotable motion of the headlamp;

attaching a manipulable operator to the actuator inside the passenger compartment;

surroundingly engaging a spool with the actuator between the operator and the headlamp, the spool being longitudinally movable along with the actuator when the operator is pushed and pulled to thereby move the headlamp between the orientations, the spool having a body portion with a front radially protruding flange and a longitudinally spaced rear radially protruding flange each extending from said body portion and configured for engaging the automobile to establish limits of translational motion of the actuator.

4. An actuator for selectively establishing the elevation angle of at least one headlamp of an automobile, the headlamp having a high beam orientation and a low beam orientation, the actuator maintaining a mechanical memory of a difference between the orientations and comprising:

an activating rod having a front segment coupled to the at least one headlamp such that translational motion of the activating rod causes pivotal motion of the headlamp relative to the automobile, the activating rod having a threaded rear end segment;

a hollow plastic sheath surrounding at least a bent segment of the activating rod to support the bent segment;

a manipulable operator connected to the rear end segment of the activating rod such that the operator can be grasped by an occupant of the automobile and manipulated to move the activating rod to thereby cause pivotal motion of the headlamp relative to the automobile; and

a spool threadably engaged with the rear end segment of the activating rod between the operator and the headlamp, the spool having a front radially protruding flange and a rear radially protruding flange for establishing the mechanical memory, the spool with activating rod being reciprocatingly movable in a longitudinal direction without rotating the spool relative to the activating rod to thereby move the headlamp between the high beam orientation and low beam orientation.

9. In an automobile having two front headlamps mounted in respective holders for pivotable motion of the headlamps relative to the automobile, an actuator coupled to the holders for transforming translational movement of the actuator to pivotable movement of the headlamps, the actuator comprising:

an activating rod coupled to the holders;

a hollow plastic sheath surrounding at least a bent segment of the activating rod to support the bent segment;

a manipulable operator connected to the activating rod such that the operator can be grasped by an occupant of the automobile and manipulated to translate the activating rod to thereby pivot the headlamps relative to the automobile;

spool threadably engaged with the activating rod, the spool having a front radially protruding flange and a rear radially protruding flange; and

a dashboard attached to the automobile, the dashboard defining an aperture through which the activating rod extends, the dashboard further defining a front surface and a rear surface, wherein

the spool is positioned on the activating rod with the aperture of the dashboard intermediate the flanges of the spool, such that the operator can be manipulated to cause the front flange of the spool to abut the front surface of the dashboard to thereby establish a first position of the actuator, the first position corresponding to a first orientation of the headlamp, and the operator can be manipulated to cause the rear flange of the spool to abut the rear surface of the dashboard to thereby establish a second position of the actuator, the second position corresponding to a second orientation of the headlamp.

10. The actuator of claim 9, wherein the first orientation is a low beam orientation, the second orientation is a high beam orientation, and wherein the spool can be rotated by an occupant of the automobile to cause the spool to travel translationally relative to the activating rod and thereby selectively establish the first and second positions.

11. A method for selectively establishing a high beam orientation for a single filament headlamp relative to an automobile having a passenger compartment and a low beam orientation of the headlamp, comprising the steps of:

(a) pivotably coupling the headlamp to the automobile;

(b) coupling a manipulable actuator with the headlamp such that translational motion of the actuator causes pivotable motion of the headlamp;

(b1) surrounding at least a bent segment of the actuator with a plastic sheath to support the bent segment;

(c) attaching a manipulable operator to the actuator inside the passenger compartment;

(d) surroundingly engaging a spool with the actuator between the operator and the headlamp, the spool being longitudinally movable along with the actuator when the operator is pushed and pulled to thereby move the headlamp between the orientations, the spool being configured for engaging the automobile to establish limits of translational motion of the actuator.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising rotatably engaging a manipulable spool with the actuator, the spool having front and rear flanges which can abut the automobile to respectively establish the first and second limits.