JP2000247178A - Device and method for regulating inclination of headlamp of motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inclination regulating device for motor vehicle headlamp having only a small number of components with a structure as simple as possible and, particularly, capable of omitting the microprocessor in a control electronic circuit. SOLUTION: A device 1 has two position detectors 2, 3 arranged with a space each other on the position detecting component member of a motor vehicle, and the position detectors transmit output voltage signals 4, 6 depending on the position change of the position detecting components, respectively. A control electronic circuit 6 has a means for forming a differential voltage signal 10 from the difference between the output voltage signals 4, 5 of the two position detectors 2, 3, and the differential voltage signal is directly supplied to a correction device 7 as a control signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting the inclination of an irradiation cone of a headlight of an automobile depending on the inclination of the automobile body with respect to a traveling road surface in the longitudinal axis direction. At least two position detectors for detecting the inclination, at least one correction device for adjusting the inclination of the illumination cone of the headlight, and a control signal for the correction device from the output signal of the position detector Control electronics for calculating.

The invention further relates to a method for adjusting the inclination of the headlight of a motor vehicle as a function of the inclination of the vehicle body.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Such a device corrects the inclination of the illumination cone of a vehicle headlight in a vertical direction as a function of the inclination of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle body. The inclination angle of the vehicle body corresponds to the adjustment angle of the headlight. The inclination of the illumination cone of the headlight is adjusted independently of the inclination of the roadway surface. Due to the regular load, the vehicle body leans in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the vehicle is braked or accelerated. The inclination of the illumination cone of the headlight may be the entire headlight or only certain headlight components (e.g. reflectors, light sources,
Lens, cut glass, etc.).

A device of the type mentioned at the outset is known, for example, from German Utility Model No. 9418662. There is disclosed an apparatus for adjusting the inclination of a headlight of an automobile depending on the inclination of a vehicle body. The disclosed device has two position detectors, whereby the inclination of the vehicle body is detected on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The first position detector is located on the chassis of the vehicle, for example, an axle, and the second position detector is located on the body of the vehicle. To measure the longitudinal axis inclination of the car body, the first
The position detector detects the angle between the road surface and the earth vertical line in the vertical axis direction, and the second position detector detects the angle between the vehicle body and the earth vertical line in the vertical axis direction as well. I do. By forming the difference between the angle of the first position detector and the angle of the second position detector, the angle between the vehicle body of the vehicle and the traveling road surface can be obtained in the vertical axis direction. This angle is supplied to control electronics for the calculation of a control signal, which signal is also supplied to a correction device for adjusting the headlight tilt. In order to adjust the inclination of another headlight of the motor vehicle, a control signal can be supplied to this other headlight correction device.

[0005] Two separate position sensors are located on the undercarriage of the car and on the car body to measure the inclination of the car body on the horizontal axis, for example to detect the collapse of a load. These position sensors detect the angle between the road surface and the earth vertical in the lateral direction, and also the angle between the vehicle body and the earth vertical in the lateral direction. By forming the difference between the angles of the two position detectors, the angle between the vehicle body and the road surface in the lateral direction is obtained.

[0006] According to the prior art, the position detector is configured as a rotation angle sensor, for example a Hall sensor. The output signal of such a rotational angle sensor must be correctly and appropriately evaluated by control electronics, from which the control signal must be derived. In order to evaluate the output signal of the position detector, the control electronics of the tilting device for motor vehicle headlights known from the prior art have a microprocessor. Due to the microprocessor and the additional circuit elements and components connected thereto, the known control electronics have a complicated structure,
Costly to manufacture.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to improve a device of the type mentioned at the beginning, to have as few components as possible and to be able to eliminate the microprocessor in the control electronics. It is configured as follows.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, an apparatus comprises two position detectors spaced apart from each other on a position-detecting component of a motor vehicle, the position detectors being respectively located. Sending out an output voltage signal dependent on the position change of the position detecting component, the control electronics having means for forming a difference voltage signal from the difference between the output voltage signals of the two position detectors; The difference voltage signal is solved by being configured to be directly supplied to the correction device as a control signal.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the device according to the invention, two position detectors are arranged on the position detecting component of the motor vehicle. As the position detecting component, a component whose position changes depending on the inclination of the vehicle body can be considered. Such a position detecting component is, for example, a horizontal link bar, a vertical link bar, a diagonal link bar or a rotating rod of a wheel suspension device. One of the position detectors is disposed, for example, on the front wheel suspension device, and the other position detector is disposed at the same position on the halo suspension device. The position detecting component of the wheel suspension device changes its position when the vehicle body is largely elastically supported, that is, when the relative position of the vehicle body to the road surface or the wheels changes. The degree of position change of the position detecting component is detected by the position detector. In the case of a lateral link bar or a rotating rod, the change in position usually manifests itself as exceeding a certain angle.

The two position detectors of the device according to the invention each emit an output voltage signal, which signal is dependent on a change in the position of the position-detecting component of the motor vehicle. The difference between these two output voltage signals is then formed in the control electronics. This difference is proportional to the relative inclination of the vehicle body relative to the road surface. Due to the difference formation, the disturbance components contained in the individual output voltage signals are compensated. Similarly, the effect of the inclination of the roadway surface, which acts equally on the two output signals, is compensated by the difference formation.

According to a special configuration of the device according to the invention, the difference voltage signal is further supplied directly to the correction device as a control signal. The device according to the invention is particularly simple and consists of a small number of simple components, since here the complicated processing of the difference voltage signal by the microprocessor in the control electronics can be omitted. The device according to the invention is therefore particularly compact and inexpensive to manufacture.

Each headlight of a motor vehicle usually has its own correction device. The device according to the invention therefore has two position detectors, control electronics and two correction devices for a motor vehicle with two headlights.

In an advantageous refinement of the invention, the correction device is designed as a stepper motor. The stepping motor preferably has its own control electronics, whereby the target position of the stepping motor is controlled as a function of a difference voltage signal used as a target value. The control electronics comprise a potentiometer, which forms an actual voltage signal which is used as an actual value depending on the actual position of the stepper motor. By comparing the target value with the actual value, a control voltage signal for the stepper motor is formed.

In a further refinement, the position detector is designed as an acceleration sensor. The acceleration sensor can detect the inclination of the position detecting component with respect to the vertical line of the earth. The acceleration sensor produces an output voltage signal as the position sensing component changes tilt, which signal is proportional to the angle that occurs when the tilt changes.

Advantageously, the control electronics have means for amplifying the output voltage signal and / or the difference voltage signal. The control electronics detects the control signal, for example, from the following equation:

[0016] _{S / r = {(S va} · k 1 -S HA · k 2) · k 3} / R where, s: Output voltage signals HA position detector: rear axle R: vehicle wheelbase S : Adjustment distance of headlight r: Radius of headlight k _i : Amplification coefficient; i = 1. . . 3 Amplifying the output voltage signal and / or the difference voltage signal ensures that the control signal for controlling the correction device has a sufficiently large voltage in any case. The use of an operational amplifier makes it possible to amplify the difference voltage signal particularly easily. The output voltage of the operational amplifier (here, the difference voltage signal) is divided into a voltage applied to the non-inverting input side (here, the output voltage signal of the first position detector) and a voltage applied to the inverting input side (here, the 2 (output voltage signal of the position detector 2).

In a preferred embodiment, the control electronics are at least partially integrated components of the correction device. Since the control electronics of the invention are particularly simple and consist of a small number of components, the control electronics can be easily integrated into the correction device.

Alternatively or additionally, the control electronics is at least partially an integrated component of at least one position detector. By integrating the control electronics in the correction device or position detector, the number of components of the device according to the invention can be further reduced. Furthermore, this greatly simplifies the wiring of the individual components of the device according to the invention.

According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the device according to the invention operates in a stationary state. That is, it operates when the vehicle stops. In the dynamic state, the inclination of the headlight is not adjusted, and the headlight is fixed to the last adjusted inclination in the stationary state.

Advantageously, the device operates until the vehicle has reached a predetermined inactive speed. The advantages of this embodiment are:
An erroneous headlight adjustment performed in a stationary state of the vehicle can be corrected after the cause of the error has disappeared in the dynamic state of the vehicle. If the vehicle is disadvantageous when stationary, for example if some are riding on a curb, the headlights are adjusted to the wrong inclination. As soon as the vehicle starts off the curb and becomes dynamic, misalignment of the headlights is corrected until inactive speed is reached. Beyond the inactive speed, the headlight is fixed at the corrected tilt.

Alternatively, the device operates after the vehicle starts, until a predetermined inactive time has elapsed. Also in this embodiment, the erroneous adjustment of the inclination of the headlight in the stationary state is corrected before the inactive time elapses in the dynamic state.

The start of the vehicle and the reaching of the inactive time are detected in a preferred embodiment of the invention on the basis of the signal of the speedometer of the vehicle. Alternatively, it is proposed to detect the starting of the motor vehicle and the reaching of the inactive time on the basis of the characteristic course of the output voltage signal of the position detector. The position detector forms an output voltage signal having a characteristic course when the vehicle starts or in certain driving situations (in particular, frequency and amplitude). This output voltage signal can be evaluated with a suitable filter and used for detecting the start of the vehicle or the arrival of the inactive time.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of the type described at the outset which is as simple as possible, in particular to make it possible to omit a microprocessor for implementing the method in the control electronics. .

In the method of the present invention for solving this problem, the following steps are performed. That is, the inclination of the vehicle body on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle depends on a first position detector disposed on a first position detecting component of the vehicle and a first distance dependent on an adjustment distance of the first position detecting component. An output of the output voltage signal to detect the inclination of the vehicle body on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, a second position detector disposed on the second position detecting component of the vehicle, and a second position detecting component of the second position detecting component. Detecting by an output of a second output voltage signal dependent on the adjustment distance, wherein the second position detector is spaced from the first position detector; A difference voltage signal is formed by the control electronics from the difference between the voltage signal and the second output voltage signal, and the difference voltage signal is further supplied to a correction device, and the headlight is controlled by the correction device depending on the difference voltage signal. adjust.

[0025]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4, the apparatus according to the invention is designated by the general reference 1. The device 1 is used for adjusting the inclination of the right headlight RA and the left headlight LA of the vehicle depending on the inclination of the vehicle body on the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Apparatus 1
Has two position detectors 2, 3 which are configured as acceleration sensors. The position detectors 2, 3 are arranged on a position detection component of the motor vehicle. As the position detecting component, a component whose position changes depending on the inclination of the vehicle body can be considered. Such a position detecting component is, for example, a horizontal link bar, a vertical link bar, an oblique link bar or a rotating rod of a wheel suspension device. One position detector 2 is disposed, for example, on the front wheel lateral link bar, and the other position detector 3 is disposed at the same position on the halo lateral link bar. The transverse link bar exceeds a predetermined angle when the vehicle body is largely elastically supported, that is, when the position of the vehicle body relative to the road surface or wheels changes. The magnitude of this angle is detected by the position detectors 2 and 3.

The position detectors 2, 3 of the device 1 according to the invention send out output voltage signals 4, 5 respectively, which signal is the degree of elastic bearing or the magnitude of the angle which occurs when the transverse link bar is elastically supported. Proportional to The output voltage signals 4, 5 are further provided to the control electronics 6. In the control electronics 6, a difference voltage signal 10 is formed from the difference between the two output voltage signals 4,5. This difference voltage signal is proportional to the inclination of the vehicle body relative to the road surface. Due to the difference formation, noise factors included in the individual output voltage signals 4 and 5 are compensated.
In the same way, the effect of the inclination of the road surface, which acts equally on the two output voltage signals 4, 5, is also compensated by the difference formation.

The difference voltage signal 10 is further supplied as a control signal to the correction device 7 for adjusting the inclination of the headlights RA and LA. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the control electronics 6 is an integrated component of the correction device 7. The control signal is further supplied directly from the control electronics 6 to the correction device 7 and is therefore not shown in FIG.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the operating voltage is supplied to the control electronics 6 and the correction device 7 via the terminals 31, 56b.

Each of the control electronics 6 comprises a position detector 2
The power supply voltage is supplied to one of the power supply circuits 3 through 3 via the energy supply line 8. The device 1 according to the invention preferably operates when the vehicle is stationary. That is, it operates when the vehicle is stopped. If the car is not stationary, the headlight R
A and LA are adjusted to the last adjusted inclination. By adjusting the inclination of the headlights RA and LA, the headlights RA and LA are adjusted.
The inclination of the LA compensates, for example, the inclination of the vehicle body when a vehicle is loaded.

The device 1 according to the invention also operates in a limited range in the dynamic state of the vehicle, other than at rest. The advantage of this is that erroneous adjustments of the inclination of the headlights RA, LA performed while the vehicle is stationary can be corrected after the cause of the error has disappeared in the dynamic state of the vehicle. If the car is stationary and disadvantageous, for example partially riding on a curb, the headlights RA, LA are adjusted to the wrong inclination. As soon as the vehicle starts off the curb and enters the dynamic state, the misadjustment of the headlights RA, LA is corrected until the inactive speed is reached.

Via the terminal 15 the control electronics 6 receives the ignition signal. Control electronics 6 via terminal Tacho
Is notified of the instantaneous vehicle speed. Above the inactive speed, the stationary adjustment process ends and the headlights RA, LA
Is adjusted last and fixed at the corrected adjustment. It is also conceivable to replace the speed signal by a time generator. As a result, the device 1 operates until the predetermined inactive time elapses after the vehicle starts, after which the stationary adjustment process is terminated.

The starting of the motor vehicle and the reaching of the inactive speed can also be detected on the basis of the characteristic course of the output voltage signals 4, 5 of the position detectors 2, 3. Position detector 2,
3 forms output voltage signals 4, 5 (particularly frequency and amplitude) having a characteristic course when the motor vehicle starts or in a predetermined driving situation. The output voltage signals 4, 5 are suitably evaluated by a filter and can be used to detect the start of the vehicle or the reaching of an inactive speed.

The device according to the invention according to the embodiment of FIG.
It has a bus, which connects the position detectors 2, 3 to the control electronics 6 and the control electronics 6 to the correction device 7. CA
Ignition signal, speed signal, position detectors 2 and 3 via N bus
The output voltage signals 4 and 5 and the differential voltage signal 10 are transmitted. The control electronics 6 is configured as a separate component. The control electronics 6 is connected to the central electronics 9 of the motor vehicle.

In the embodiment of the invention according to FIG. 3, the control electronics 6 is integrated in the correction device 7 for the left headlight LA.
The control electronics 6 supplies an operating voltage to the energy feed line 8 to the two position detectors 2, 3. The control electronics 6 is supplied with the current speed of the vehicle via the terminal Tach. The control electronics 6 further processes the output voltage signals 4, 5 of the two position detectors 2, 3 and further supplies a difference voltage signal 10 to the other correction device 7.

In the embodiment of the device according to the invention according to FIG. 4, the control electronics 6 is an integrated component of the position detector 2. The output voltage signal 4 of the position detector 2 is supplied internally to the control electronics 6. Output voltage signal 5 of the other position detector 3
Are supplied to the control electronics 6 of the position detector 2. The control electronic circuit 6 supplies an energy feed line 8 to the other position detector 3.
The operating voltage is supplied via the. The control electronics 6 processes the output voltage signals 4, 5 and forms a difference voltage signal 10. The difference voltage signal 10 is controlled by two headlights L as control signals.
A and RA are further supplied to the correction device 7. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the wiring costs for the components of the device 1 according to the invention are particularly low.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an apparatus of the present invention for adjusting the inclination of a headlight according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an apparatus of the present invention according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an apparatus of the present invention according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an apparatus of the present invention according to a fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Device of this invention 2, 3 Position detector 4, 5 Output voltage signal 6 Control electronic circuit 7 Correction device 8 Energy feed line

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Matthias Klampe Germany Reutlingen Werfenwäck 14

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A device (1) for adjusting the inclination of an irradiation cone of a headlight (RA; LA) of an automobile as a function of the inclination of the vehicle body relative to the road surface in the longitudinal direction, At least two position detectors (2, 3) for detecting the inclination of the vehicle body and at least one correction device (7) for adjusting the inclination of the illumination cone of the headlight (RA; LA)
And a control electronic circuit (6) for calculating a control signal for the correction device (7) from the output signals of the position detectors (2, 3), wherein the device (1) comprises: And two position detectors (2, 3) spaced apart from each other on a position detecting component of the motor vehicle, each of said position detectors having an output dependent on a position change of said position detecting component. The control electronics (6) send out voltage signals (4,5) and the two position detectors (2,2)
From the difference between the output voltage signals (4, 5) in 3), the difference voltage signal (1
0), the difference voltage signal (10) being used as a control signal as a correction device (7).
A device for adjusting the inclination of a headlight of a moving vehicle, which is supplied directly to a vehicle. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the correction device is configured as a stepper motor. 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the position detector is configured as an acceleration sensor. 4. The control electronics according to claim 1, wherein the control electronics comprises means for amplifying the output voltage signal and / or the difference voltage signal. The described device. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control electronics is at least partially an integrated component of the correction device. 6. The control electronics (6) comprises a position detector (2, 2).
3. The at least one integrated component of 3).
The device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device operates when the vehicle is stopped. 8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the device operates until the vehicle reaches a predetermined inactive speed. 9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the device (1) operates after the vehicle has been started until a predetermined inactive time has elapsed. 10. The device according to claim 7, wherein the starting of the motor vehicle and the reaching of the inactive speed are detected on the basis of a signal of a speedometer of the motor vehicle. 11. The start of the motor vehicle and the reaching of the inactive speed are detected on the basis of the characteristic course of the output voltage signal (4, 5) of the position detector (2, 3). The device according to any one of the preceding claims. 12. A method for adjusting the inclination of a vehicle headlight (RA; LA) as a function of the inclination of a vehicle body, the method comprising adjusting the inclination of a vehicle headlight. Method.