FR2776593A1 - CORRECTIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE ORIENTATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE PROJECTOR BEAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH DISCRETE SETTINGS, AND ASSOCIATED SELECTOR - Google Patents

Abstract

An assembly for adjusting the orientation of the beam of a motor vehicle headlight as a function of control signals comprises a selector (S) generating electrical control signals, a corrector (C) and electrical conductors (20, 21 ) transmitting said signals from the selector to the corrector, said corrector comprising conductive tracks (30, 40), a cursor (60) movable on the tracks, an electric motor (M) driving a part of the projector and said cursor. According to the invention, the selector comprises at least one semiconductor component (10) comprising a trigger for receiving an ignition signal and a temporary switch (11) applying a transient potential to said trigger, the conductive tracks comprise a continuous track (40 ) in permanent contact with the cursor and at least one track (30) comprising segments (301-304) separated by insulating zones (311-314) and connected to each other and the semiconductor component is connected between a power supply and a conductive track .

Description

The present invention relates generally to sets of

  control of the orientation of the spotlight beams of the

motor vehicles.

  Such control assemblies are already known, the primary purpose of which is to give the light beams of the vehicle headlamps a correct elevation orientation for different load conditions of the

  vehicle, which give it different attitude positions.

  In these known assemblies, there is provided on the dashboard of the vehicle a manual selector connected by a set of electric cables to each of the headlights. In each headlamp, an electrical corrector is provided, provided with a switching system involving sliders moving on a pattern of conductive tracks so as to ensure, as a function of the distribution of the electrical signals over the electrical bundle of cables. motorized movement of the reflector to the setpoint position designated by this particular distribution and forming part of a set of N discrete positions. These known solutions have the advantage of avoiding the use of electronic position control circuits in the projectors, and

  therefore to reduce the cost price of the whole.

  However, a disadvantage of these known assemblies is that each position of the headlight must generally correspond to a particular physical position of the selector control member, which leads to an expensive design and manufacture of the selector, as well as a

complex maneuver of it.

  Another drawback of these known assemblies is that they require the presence of at least three electric cables between the selector and each projector in order to route the control signals between these two members, the reduction in cost resulting from the absence of electronic components in the selector then being limited by costs

related to wiring.

  The present invention aims to propose a new orientation control assembly which remains devoid of electronic servo circuit and which offers the user the possibility of controlling different positions of the vehicle headlamps by actuating a single control, the number of positions of which is not related to the number of adjustment positions. Another object of the present invention is to provide an orientation control assembly which can behave in two different modes,

  depending on how the user operates the associated selector.

  A third object of the present invention is to make it possible to produce an orientation control assembly which requires only the presence of two electric cables between the selector and the corrector, thus making it possible to

  reduce the cost price compared to existing solutions.

  Thus, the present invention provides a set for adjusting the orientation of the light beam of a motor vehicle headlamp as a function of control signals, said set comprising selection means capable of generating electrical control signals, means of correction, a series of electrical conductors capable of transmitting said control signals from the selection means to the correction means, said correction means comprising conductive tracks, a cursor movable on the tracks and comprising means of electrical contact with them, an electric motor driving an optical part of the headlamp and said slider, the adjustment assembly being characterized in that the selection means comprise at least one self-starting and self-switching switching component comprising a control terminal capable of receiving a signal d priming and a fugitive switch means capable of applying a fugitive potential said terminal, in that the conductive tracks comprise a continuous track in permanent contact with the cursor and at least one track comprising a series of segments electrically connected to each other and separated by insulating zones and in that the semiconductor component with priming and self-maintenance is plugged in

  between a power source and one of the conductive tracks.

  Preferred, but non-limiting aspects of the assembly according to the invention are the following: - the widths of said insulating zones are adapted so that the cursor, leaving a segment to pass over an insulating zone, stops on the next segment, - the selection means are capable of selectively transmitting to the motor, via the electrical conductors and the conductive tracks, two voltages that are opposite to each other, - the conductive tracks also include a third track comprising a series of segments electrically interconnected and separated by insulating zones, the segments of the two segmented tracks being offset so that each insulating zone of a segmented track is opposite a segment of the other segmented track, the widths of the insulating zones of the two segmented tracks are adapted so that the cursor stop positions are substantially independent of the direction of travel acement of the cursor, the ends of the two segmented tracks are offset so as to define two additional stop positions of the cursor, the cursor being in contact only with the continuous track and one of the segmented tracks in its first additional stop position and only with the continuous track and the other segmented track in its second additional stop position, respectively, - the segmented tracks are connected to the same electrical conductor by unidirectional conduction components, - the cursor is mounted on a rotary output shaft of the motor and the conductive tracks are arranged essentially concentrically around the axis of said output shaft, - the self-priming and self-maintenance switching component is a triac, - said electrical conductors are two in number, - the assembly comprises second correction means controlled by said selection means and said selection means ection comprise a single ignition and self-maintenance switching component connected between the power source and the two correction means, the assembly comprises second correction means controlled by said selection means and said selection means comprise a first component ignition and self-maintenance switching connected between a power source and the first correction means and a second ignition and self-maintenance switching component connected between a power source and the second

means of correction.

  According to a second aspect, the invention provides a selector device intended to cooperate with a correction device with segmented tracks for controlling the orientation of a light beam from a motor vehicle headlight, characterized in that it comprises at least a self-priming switching component comprising a control terminal capable of receiving a priming signal, and a fugitive switch means capable of applying a fugitive potential to said control terminal, said switching component being connected between a source of food and

  a conductor capable of connecting the selector device to the correction device.

  Preferred, but non-limiting aspects of the invention according to this second aspect are the following: the selector device is capable of selectively transmitting to the correcting device two voltages which are opposite to each other,

  - the self-priming switching component is a triac.

  Other aspects, aims and advantages of the present invention will become apparent

  better on reading the following detailed description of a form of

  preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of the assembly according to the invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second embodiment of

the assembly according to the invention.

  Referring firstly to Figure 1, there is shown schematically a first embodiment of an assembly for controlling the orientation of the light beam emitted by a headlight of a motor vehicle, which comprises a selector S located at the level of the dashboard of the vehicle and comprising an operating member, a corrector C located in the headlight, and a bundle of two electrical conductors 20 and

  21 connecting the selector to the corrector.

  The corrector comprises an electric motor M, the starting and the direction of rotation of which are controlled by switching means

  provided in the selector and in the corrector.

  The output shaft of the corrector motor is integral with the reflector of the headlight, not shown in the figure, for carrying out the changes in elevation of the electric beam in elevation, between four predetermined discrete positions denoted 0 to 3 and corresponding to four angular positions

  of said output shaft.

  The selector side switching means are illustrated here by a triac and a fugitive switch 11 mounted between a source of constant potential + V and the conductor 21. The triac can operate in two modes: in passing mode it is equivalent to a resistance conductor negligible and in blocked mode it is equivalent to a conductor of infinite resistance. The transition from passing mode to blocked mode is triggered by a disturbance in the current passing through the triac, typically a drop in current below a certain threshold; conversely we go from blocked mode to passing mode by delivering an impulse to the triac trigger by

  through the fugitive switch connected to said trigger.

  The conductor 20 is connected to ground. The mass potentials and + V

  may for example be supplied from the vehicle battery terminals.

  The corrector comprises on a fixed part, such as a plate of electrically insulating material, two conductive tracks 30 and 40, the

  configuration will be described later.

  There is provided, in cooperation with these conductive tracks, a slider 60 which is rotated by the output shaft of the motor M, around the axis of said shaft, said slider extending radially, being able to rotate on 360 and having two aligned sliding contact pads 600 and 601 intended for

  cooperate with the various conductive tracks.

  We will now describe the configuration of the conductive tracks 30 and

  40 according to this first embodiment.

  From the inside to the outside, there is provided: a first annular and continuous conductive track 40, centered on the axis of rotation of the cursor 60; a second conductive track 30, concentric with the conductive track 40 and comprising four conductive segments 301 to 304 corresponding to the four stop positions 0 to 3 of the cursor, separated by insulating zones 311 to 314, and electrically connected to each other by connecting parts 321 to 324 located inwardly inward, and with which no

  contact pads 600 or 601 cannot come into contact.

  Inside the corrector, any one of the segments, 301 in this case, is connected to the conductor 21. The track 40 is connected to a terminal of the

  motor M, the other motor terminal being connected to conductor 20.

  The assembly according to this first embodiment operates as follows: when the cursor is in contact with one of the segments of track 30 and the triac is on, the motor M is powered and moves the cursor on the conductive tracks until 'that said cursor is located opposite an insulating zone, which causes an opening of the series circuit constituted by the selector, the two conductors 20 and 21 and the corrector and consequently the tilting of the triac towards the blocked mode. The motor is then no longer supplied with power, the cursor only moves thanks to its inertia. The width of the insulating zones is adapted so that the cursor inertially joins the next segment of track 30 and stops there, thus defining an adjustment position of the headlight. When the fugitive switch 11 is actuated, the triac again switches to on mode and the cursor restarts until it

next stop position.

  It should be noted here that the cursor continues to move on the consecutive segments of track 30 as long as the fugitive switch is held in the closed position; when the fugitive switch is again placed in the open position, the cursor stops on the segment following the

  first insulating zone it meets.

  Referring now to Figure 2, there is shown a second embodiment of the assembly according to the invention, involving a single selector S controlling via two pairs of electrical conductors 20, 21 and 22, 23 two correctors C and C 'each located in one of the headlights of the vehicle. For the sake of simplification and clarification, this figure shows that the detail of the corrector C, in diagrammatic developed view. The two correctors being similar and

  operating in the same way, the following description also applies to

the corrector C '.

  The selector comprises, in addition to the fugitive switch 11 and the triac 10, a second triac 12 associated with the corrector C 'and polarity reversal means represented in the form of a bipolar switch 15. This bipolar switch makes it possible to reverse the sign of the voltage delivered to the terminals of the motor M via the conductive tracks 30, 40 and 50, and determines

  therefore the direction of movement of the cursor.

  The cursor moves on the conductive tracks with which it is in electrical contact thanks to aligned sliding pads 600 to 602, the conductive tracks being defined as follows: a first conductive track 40 continues with which the cursor is in permanent contact; - A second conductive track 30 comprising four conductive segments 301 to 304 separated by insulating zones 311 to 313, and electrically connected to the electrical conductor 21 by means with which none of the contact pads 600, 601 or 602 can come into contact; a third conductive track 50 comprising four conductive segments 501 to 504 separated by insulating zones 511 to 513, and electrically connected to each other by means with which none of the pads

  contact 600, 601 or 602 cannot come into contact.

  The principle of displacement of the cursor is the same as that exposed figure 1, except that this displacement can here be done in the two directions, the track 50 feeding the motor only to advance the cursor from left to right thanks to the diode D1 directly connected between track 50 and conductor 21 and similarly track 30 supplying the motor only to advance the cursor from right to left thanks to the diode

  D2 connected in reverse between track 30 and conductor 21.

  The segments of tracks 30 and 50 define the five stop positions of the assembly as follows: - three intermediate stop positions noted 1, 2 and 3 on which the cursor can arrive in one direction or the other depending on the position of the bipolar switch and in which said cursor is in contact with both the segments 303 and 504, 302 and 503, 301 and 502 respectively, - two end stop positions denoted 0 and 4, in which the cursor is in contact only with the continuous track 40 and with the

segments 304 and 501 respectively.

  It should be noted that the stop positions 1 to 3 corresponding to positions of the cursor 60 located between the insulating zones 313 and 513, 312 and 512, 311 and 2 5 511, respectively of tracks 30 and 50, the width of the zones insulators 311 to 313 and 511 to 513 is adapted so that, regardless of its direction of movement, the cursor inertially reaches the same positions

stop 1 to 3.

  It is therefore possible for the user to switch from one orientation of the projector to any other by a simple pressure on a mechanical member integrated in the dashboard such as a button actuating a fugitive switch and a bipolar switch. In addition, by prolonging the pressure on said mechanical member, the user can cause the projector to pass through any number of intermediate stop positions to bring said projector directly to the desired position, the cursor and the projector remaining mobile as long as the circuit is powered by the fugitive switch. The device according to the present invention thus presents

  significant flexibility of use and ergonomics.

  In addition, the cost price of the assembly according to the invention is lowered by the fact that only two electric control cables are required between the selector integrated in the dashboard of the vehicle and the headlight corrector.

Claims (15)

  1. Set for adjusting the orientation of the light beam of a motor vehicle headlamp as a function of control signals, said set comprising selection means (S) capable of generating electrical control signals, correction means (C, C '), a series of electrical conductors (20-23) capable of transmitting said control signals from the selection means to the correction means, said correction means comprising conductive tracks (30, 40, 50), a cursor (60) movable on the tracks and comprising means of electrical contact (600-602) therewith, an electric motor (M) driving an optical part of the headlight and said cursor, the adjustment assembly being characterized in that the selection means comprise at least one self-priming and self-maintenance switching component (10) comprising a control terminal capable of receiving a priming signal and a fugitive switch means (11) capable of applying er a fugitive potential at said terminal, in that the conductive tracks comprise a continuous track (40) in permanent contact with the cursor and at least one track (30) comprising a series of segments (301-304) electrically connected to each other and separated by insulating zones (311-314) and in that the self-priming semiconductor component is connected between a power source and one of the conductive tracks.   2. Assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the widths of said insulating zones are adapted so that the cursor, leaving a segment to pass over an insulating zone, stops on the next segment.   3. Assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the selection means are capable of transmitting selectively to the motor, via the electrical conductors and the conductive tracks, two reverse voltages one from the other.   4. An assembly according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the conductive tracks also comprise a third track (50) comprising a series of segments (501-503) electrically connected to each other and separated by insulating zones (511-513) , the segments of the two segmented tracks being offset so that each insulating zone of a   segmented track is next to a segment of the other segmented track.   5. An assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that the widths of the insulating zones (311-314, 511-513) of the two segmented tracks are adapted so that the cursor stop positions are   substantially independent of the direction of movement of the cursor.   6. The assembly of claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the ends of the two segmented tracks are offset so as to define two additional stop positions of the cursor, the cursor being in contact only with the continuous track (40) and a segmented tracks (30) in its first additional stop position and only with the continuous track and the other segmented track (50) in its second stop position additional, respectively.   7. An assembly according to any one of claims 4 to 6,   characterized in that the segmented tracks are connected to the same conductor   Electrical (21) by unidirectional conduction components (D1, D2).   8. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7,   characterized in that the slider (60) is mounted on a rotary output shaft of the motor and in that the conductive tracks (30, 40, 50) are arranged   essentially concentrically around the axis of said output shaft.   9. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8,   characterized in that the ignition switching component and self-maintenance is a triac.   10. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9,   characterized in that said electrical conductors are two in number.   11. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10,   characterized in that it comprises second correction means (C ') controlled by said selection means (S) and in that said selection means comprise a single ignition and self-maintenance switching component (10) connected between the source power and both correction means (C, C ').   12. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 10,   characterized in that it comprises second correction means (C ') controlled by said selection means (S) and in that said selection means comprise a first self-priming switching component (10) connected between a source power supply and the first correction means (C) and a second self-priming switching component (12) connected between a power source and the   second correction means (C ').   13. Selector device (S) intended to cooperate with a correction device (C) with segmented tracks for controlling the orientation of a light beam from a motor vehicle headlamp, characterized in that it comprises at least one component ignition and self-maintenance switching mechanism (10, 12) comprising a control terminal capable of receiving a priming signal, and a fugitive switch means capable of applying a fugitive potential to said control terminal, said switching component being connected between a power source and a conductor capable of connecting the   selector device (S) to the correction device (C).   14. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that it is able to selectively transmit two voltages to the correction device (C) inverses of each other.   15. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the   self-priming switch component is a triac.