GB2161068A

GB2161068A - Device for cleaning a motor vehicle headlamp lens

Info

Publication number: GB2161068A
Application number: GB08516115A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Leonardo Dimora
Original assignee: Alfa Romeo Auto SpA
Current assignee: Alfa Romeo Auto SpA
Priority date: 1984-07-03
Filing date: 1985-06-26
Publication date: 1986-01-08
Also published as: IT8422468V0; FR2567087B3; FR2567087A3; GB2161068B; GB8516115D0; DE8519194U1

Abstract

A device for cleaning a headlamp lens 12 comprises a tank 14 for detergent liquid an electric pump 16 for pumping liquid from the tank to spray nozzles 35, 36 on arm 34, and a hydraulic actuator 23 linked to the arm so as to move it in use from a rest position outside the frontal area of the headlamp to an operative position in which the nozzles are located in front of it. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Device for cleaning a motor vehicle headlamp lens by means of a pressurised detergent liquid This invention relates to a device for cleaning a motor vehicle headlamp lens by means of a pressurised detergent liquid.

Motor vehicle headlamps are notably subject to soiling when the vehicle is used in bad weather, on tamped earth roads or when running in a column, with a consequent considerable reduction in the headlamp illuminating power and thus a visibility reduction for the vehicle driver.

To obviate this drawback, devices have already been proposed for cleaning headlamp lenses by means of pressurised liquid jets sprayed on to the lenses. In some cases the nozzles which form the jets are disposed on the bumper in the zone below the respective headlamp to be cleaned and facing it, whereas in other cases said nozzles are located above the headlamp and are fixed to the lower part of the automobile front hood.

In both said cases, the liquid jets directed on to the headlamp lens are fixed and are unable to completely cover the frontal area of the lens to be cleaned, unless a large number of nozzles are used.

The main object of the present invention is therefore to create a device for cleaning a motor vehicle headlamp lens by means of pressurised detergent liquid which, in contrast to known devices of this type, is able with a limited number of nozzles to completely clean the headlamp lens surface and to obtain improved cleaning although using a smaller quantity of detergent liquid. A further object is to increase the ease and facility of assembly of the cleaning device on the automobile.

These objects are attained according to the present invention by a device for cleaning a motor vehicle headlamp lens by means of a pressurised detergent liquid, comprising a tank for the detergent liquid and an electric pump connected hydraulically to said tank and to at least one outlet nozzle for said liquid, said device being characterised by comprising a mobile arm which incorporates said at least one nozzle and is hydraulically connected to said tank, and an actuator means linked to said arm in order to move it from a rest position outside the frontal area of the headlamp to an operative position in which said at least one nozzle incorporated in the arm is located in front of the headlamp.

According to a preferred embodiment, said mobile arm is supported directly by the headlamp.

Advantageously, said actuator means linked to said arm is constituted by a hydraulic actuator operated by the same pressurised liquid which feeds said at least one nozzle.

The nozzle-carrying arm is preferably mounted rotatable so as to be caused by said actuator means to rotate from the rest position to the operative position.

According to the present invention, nozzles carried by a mobile arm are provided instead of fixed nozzles, and this results in the advantage of being able to move the nozzles during the operation of the device so that they directly skim the headlamp lens, thus increasing their efficiency and allowing perfect and optimum cleaning of the headlamp lens even with a reduced number of nozzles and thus with a reduced consumption of detergent liquid.

Mounting the mobile nozzle-carrying arm directly on the headlamp facilitates the assembly of the cleaning device and makes any further nozzle directing and/or adjustment operations superfluous. In this respct, when the headlamp is fitted to the automobile the nozzles are already exactly positioned.

The advantages and characteristics of the present invention will be more apparent from the description of one embodiment thereof given by way of non-limiting example hereinafter with reference to the diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the headlamp cleaning device with the nozzle-carrying arm in its lowered rest position: Figure 2 shows the headlamp cleaning device with the nozzle-carrying arm in its operative position in which the liquid jets leaving the nozzles are directed on to the headlamp lens.

In Figs. 1 and 2, the reference numeral 11 indicates overall a motor vehicle headlamp and 12 indicates the headlamp lens. A tank 13 containing the detergent liquid 14 is connected by a tube 15 to the inlet 17 of an electric pump 16, the outlet 18 of which is connected to a tube 19 fitted to a three-way connector 20 from which a tube 21 and a tube 22 extend. The tube 22 is connected to a hydraulic actuator 23 comprising an outer casing 24 and a mobile piston 25 provided with a rod 26. The reference numeral 27 indicates a lug for fixing the hydraulic actuator 23 to a support 28 provided on the headlamp 11.By means of a pin 31, one end of the rod 26 is connected to one end of a lever 29 rotatably pivoted on a pivot 30 provided on the support 28, the other end of the lever 29 being provided with a sized bore 32 into which there is inserted the connector 33 of an arm 34, which in this case is of L-shape and on which the nozzles 35 and 36 are disposed.

A spiral spring 37 has its ends connected respectively to the lug 27 and to the end of the rod 26. A non-return valve 38 is connected between the tube 21 and a tube 39 connected to the connector 33 of the arm 34.

The device shown in the figures operates in the following manner. On supplying electricity, the pump 16 draws the detergent liquid 14 from the tank 13 and expels it with a certain pressure from its outlet 18, which is connected by way of the tube 19, connector 20 and tube 22 to the hydraulic actuator 23.

The pressurised liquid entering the casing 24 thrusts the piston 25 and rod 26 against the action of the spring 37. By moving, the rod 26 causes the lever 29 to rotate through a certain angle about the pivot 30, to thus also rotate the arm 34 which is rigid with it. As the arm 34 moves into its operative position, the pressurised detergent liquid simultaneously also reaches the nozzles 35 and 36 through the tubes 21 and 39, and strikes the lens 12 of the headlamp 11 with jets of considerable intensity and predetermined inclination. The non-return valve 38 connected between the tubes 21 and 39 opens above a predetermined pressure to prevent the liquid 14 in the tank 13 from continuously escaping from the nozzles 35 and 36.

Claims

1. A device for cleaning a motor vehicle headlamp lens by means of a pressurised detergent liquid, comprising a tank for the detergent liquid and an electric pump connected hydraulically to said tank and to at least one outlet nozzle for said liquid, characterised by comprising a mobile arm which incorporates said at least one nozzle and is hydraulically connected to said tank, and an actuator means linked to said arm in order to move it from a rest position outside the frontal area of the headlamp to an operative position in which said at least one nozzle incorporated in the arm is located in front of the headlamp.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the actuator means is of hydraulic type operated by the said detergent liquid against the action of elastic means.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterised by comprising a three-way connector fitted into the hydraulic circuit and connected at its inlet to the delivery of said pump and at its outlet to the hydraulic actuator and to the nozzle-carrying arm respectively.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, characterised by comprising a non-return valve fitted between said three-way connector and said nozzle-carrying arm.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the nozzle-carrying arm is supported by said headlamp.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that a support for the nozzle-carrying arm and for the actuator is provided on the headlamp.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the nozzle-carrying arm is mounted rotatable on said support and the actuator is constituted by a hydraulic cylinder, the rod of which is connected to said arm by way of a lever.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the mobile arm, when in its rest position, is disposed in proximity to the lower edge of the headlamp lens.