WO2004067319A1

WO2004067319A1 - Regulation element of a lamp, especially of a fog lamp for motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2004067319A1
Application number: PCT/SI2003/000016
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mihael Trcek; Ales Logar; Joze Lovsin; Franc Lubi
Original assignee: Saturnus Avtooprema D.D.; Zidar, Alojz
Priority date: 2003-01-29
Filing date: 2003-05-08
Publication date: 2004-08-12
Also published as: AU2003223155A8; SI21418A; AU2003223155A1

Abstract

The purpose of the invention is to create a unified regulation element (4), which should be unified and used in various vehicles. The regulation element (4) is intended for adjusting the position of the light module (2) with respect to position of the casing (1), and consists of a regulating screw (5), which is connected to the casing (1) as well as of a nut (6), which may be set on the light module (2) rim (21) by means of bearing shoulders (60).

Description

REGULATION ELEMENT OF A LAMP, ESPECIALLY OF A FOG LAMP

FOR MOTOR VEHICLES

The invention belongs to the area of traffic, mainly vehicles, and and especially to lighting equipment for vehicles, namely among various solutions related to attaching fog lamps and similar lamps to vehicles. By this, the invention especially concerns a unified fog lamp that could be installed in various types and styles of motor vehicles and mostly on the concept and performance of the regulation element that should enable regulation or adjustment of the light module position in any casing of a fog lamp or similar lamp in various types and styles of vehicles.

The invention is based on the problem how to design a unified regulation element for the unified fog lamp or similar lamp for motor vehicles, by means of which appropriate regulation or adjustment of a light module should be enabled with respect to the position of the corresponding casing in all possible arrangements of fog lamp in vehicles of various types and styles.

When designing various kinds of vehicles, required openings are foreseen on adequate locations of a car body, which serve for installation of lamps, among others also fog lamps. In common, car bodies of various types of vehicles significantly differ among each other and therefore methods, ways and positions of fog lamp installation in any car may also vary considerably. In general a fog lamp consists of a casing, which is adapted to a desired installation of a fog lamp in each desired car body, as well as of a light module, which includes a light source and appropriate optical elements, which are required in order to assure a suitable light beam. Accordingly, any desired position of the said light module with respect to the position of the casing may be achieved by means of appropriate regulation assembly.

Under the consideration of the versatility of locations that are available for the installation of fog lamps in various vehicles great progress has been made in the area of fog lamp unification because of the solution described in SI P-200100167. In this Slovenian patent application a fog lamp or similar lamp was described, by which a casing is furnished with fixing eyes for the installation and fixing of this casing on any location available in any vehicle. Further on, the casing is furnished with eyes, which are arranged diametrally opposite to each other and between which a light module is placed onto the casing. The said light module is adapted for inserting into the said casing and is moreover furnished with a central part, which serves for connection of a bulb together with the required elements serving for supplying electricity. A tubular rim is arranged arround the said central part and extends in the circumferential direction adjacent to the casing. In addition, the light module includes two bearing shoulders, which are adapted for inserting within the eyes of the said casing. A seal is placed between the casing and the light module. Owing to such a concept of the lamp, the light module can be swiveled around a transversal axis by a certain angle with respect to the casing. Such light module can be completely unified and installed even into various casings of quite different appearance, however by taking into account the condition, that the possibility of their adjustment or positioning is also assured. In order to enable adjustment or positioning, the above-mentioned tube-like circumferential rim of the light module is toothed on its inner surface in the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, in the sense of this previous invention, two toothed or slotted peripheral areas have been foreseen on the inner surfaces of the said circumferential rim of the light module. These areas were arranged diametrically i.e. opposite to. each other and symmetrically with respect to the axis, arround which the light module is pivotable with respect to the casing. On the other hand, appropriate regulation element can be fixed on the casing, consisting thereby of a turnable screw prevented from any movement in its axial direction, as well as of a regulation nut, which is furnished with at least one locking means, which extends along the belonging recess between two adjacent teeth on the circumferential rim of the light module and held in position by means of appropriate locking edge, which is available on the inner surface of the light module.

However, when taking into account the problems resulting from the said versatility of locations available in various vehicles for the installation of a fog lamp, in the said patent application several possible types or performances of the regulation element were foreseen, since the possibility of access to the regulation element and thereby the possibility of the regulation of the light module position regarding depends on each available position of the casing. Accordingly, one of the embodiments of the regulation element enabled regulation of the position of the light module only in the case, when the axis of the regulation screw extends essentially parallel with respect to the longitudinal or optical axis of the light module. Another embodiment of the regulation element has enabled regulation of the position of the light module in the case, when the axis of the regulation screw extends inclined, i.e. under a certain angle with respect to the longitudinal or optical axis of the light module. In order to illustrate the discussed problems as efficient as possible, the said embodiments according to prior art are also shown in the attached Figs 2 and 3. Unfortunately, none of these embodiments enables positioning and adjusting the light module with respect the position of the casing of a fog lamp or similar lamp in several directions that would significantly deviate from each other (e.g. by at least 15 to 20 degrees). On the other hand this means that various regulation elements should be used for the installation of the unified fog lamp in various vehicles. When bearing in mind a mass production, such approach is no doubt connected to udesired troubles, unnecessary expenses and also to essential risk of occuring defects. Accordingly, the purpose of the present invention is to eliminate these troubles.

The present invention concerns a regulation element of a lamp, especially a fog lamp for vehicles, which is intended to be used in a fog lamp, which consists of a casing and a light module, where the casing may be fixed on a desired location of a particular vehicle by means of appropriate eyes, and where by means of further diametrically opposite arranged eyes available on the said casing, the light module may be attached to the casing and is pivotable arround its the diametrical axis, where at the same time appropriate seal (3) is inserted between the said casing and the said module. Such regulation element consists of a regulation screw, which is connected to the casing of the fog lamp, as well as of a regulation nut, which is placeable on the circumferential rim of the light module by means of bearing shoulders and is herewith connected thereto.

Accordingthe invention, a regulation nut of such regulation element consists of a casing as well as of a threaded tubular insert, which is inserted therein and adapted for receipt a regulation screw and moreover is turnable in all directions, except in its own circumferential direction. The said insert is furnished with a threaded area intended for receipt the regulation screw, as well as with a spherical external surface and also with two bearing pins, which protrude apart in diametral direction, so that it may be held in its locked state within the flexible casing of the regulation element in the fog lamp. The said flexible casing includes dilatation areas, at least two of them are arranged opposite one with respect to another and form herewith appropriate bearings, into which the diametrically apart extending bearing pins of the tubular insert are placed. In such a way, the insert is fixed to the casing and is simultaneously turnable arround the axis of its diametrically apart protruding bearing shoulders, by which the said bearing shoulders are moveable within their bearings, but without any possibility of turning in the circumferential direction of the insert, which enables tightening and loosening the regulation screw in the threaded area of the tubular insert, where the direction of extending the said regulation screw may either at least essentially correspond to the longitudinal direction of the casing or the light module or may also essentially differ from this last mentioned direction..

Now the invention will be described in more detail on the basis of an embodiment disclosed in the attached drawings, showing thereby:

Fig. 1 a regulation element according to the prior art, which is surmounted on the belonging fog lamp; Fig. 2 the first embodiment of the regulation element according to Fig. 1, more precisely a cross-section thereof along the line A - A according to Fig. 1 , by which the regulation screw extends approximately in the direction of the longitudinal axis ofthe casing; Fig. 3 another embodiment of the regulation element according to Fig. 1, more precisely a cross-section thereof along the line A - A according to Fig. 1 , by which the direction of extending the regulation screw essentially differs from the longitudinal axis of the casing; Fig. 4 a perspective view of a regulation element according to the invention, and Fig. 5 cross-section of a regulation element with removed regulation screw along the line B - B according to Fig. 4. A regulation element 4 is used in a fog lamp as shown in Fig. 1 ; The fog lamp consists of a casing 1 and light module 2, whereby the casing 1 may be attached by means of appropriate eyes 11 onto a suitable location on each corresponding vehicle, e.g. in the area of the car body, bumper, spoiler or similar. The said light module 2 is attached onto the said casing 1 by means of still further eyes 12, which are arranged diametrally opposite, and is pivotable with respect to the axis extending in the diametral direction. A seal 3 is inserted between the light module 2 and the casing 1 , which is also shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 and which may be available in form of an O-ring.

The purpose of the regulation element 4 is to enable adjusting a desired position of light module 2 with respect to the position of the casing 1. The regulation element 4 essantially consists of a regulation screw 5 as well as of a regulation nut 6 having at least one shoulder 60 adapted for being placed onto a desired location on the circumferential rim 21 of the light module 2. A guide 50 of the regulation screw 5 is connected to the casing 1. Tightening or loosening of the regulation screw 5 in the area of the regulation nut 6 results in turning of the light module 2 in the area of the mentioned eyes 12 and thereby pivoting of the light module 2 with respect to the casing 1. An embodiment of the regulation element 4 is shown in Fig. 2, by which the longitudinal direction of the regulation screw 5 extends at least approximatelly in the longitudinal direction of the casing 1 and the light module 2, whilst by a further embodiment as shown in Fig. 3, a significant deviation of the longitudinal direction of the screw 5 from this direction can be observed. It is therefore obvious that by manufacturing of each of these embodient of the regulation element 4 according to Figs. 2 and Fig. 3 a plurality of components has to be produced; i.e. the nut 6, a bearing shoulder 60 of the nut 6 and the guide 50 of the regulation screw 5, which are adapted to each embodiment and are in most cases useless by any other embodiment, through which the initially presented problem arises. The regulation element 4 according to the invention is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, which consists of the regulation screw 5, which is not shown in Fig. 5 and that can be basically the same as the one presented in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 as well as of a regulation nut 6. The mentioned regulation screw 5 is connected to the casing 1, but the regulation nut 6 is connected to the light module 2 prefererably in the same way as in the embodiments according to prior art as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, so that it is placed thereon by means of the bearing shoulders 60, and may especially be pressed onto the circumferential rim 21 ofthe light module 2 of the fog lamp.

According to the invention, the regulation nut 6 consists of a casing 61 as well as of a threaded tubular insert 62, which is inserted therein in such a way, that it can be moved in all directions except in the circumferential direction. The said threaded tubular insert 62 of the regulation nut 6 of the regulation element 4 of the fog lamp is equipped with diametrically apart protruding bearing pins 621, 622, and furthermore with spherical external surface 623 and an inner thread 624. The said casing 61 of the regulation nut 6 of the regulation element 4 of the fog lamp is designed as a hoop, which includes dilatation areas 611, 612, 613 and by which the said tubular insert 621 is at least partially surrounded. The casing 61 is characterized by its flexibility, which is a consequence at the one hand of appropriate selection of the material, of which it consists, and on the other hand also of appropriate arrangement of the said dilatation areas 611, 612, 613.

In the shown embodiment, the dilatation areas 611, 612, 613 are symmetrically arranged and two dilatation areas 612, 613 are located diametrially opposite to each other and the remaining dilatation area 611 is located between them. In this way the position of dilatation areas 612, 613 coincides with the position of the bearing pins 621, 622 ofthe threaded tubular insert 62. Owing to its spherical external surface 623 the mentioned coil 62 is held in the interior of the casing 61, and the bearing pins 621, 622 diametrally protruding apart are inserted with sufficient backlash into suitable bearings 6120, 6130 formed by means of of the dilatation areas 612, 613 of the casing 61. In this way the tubular insert 2 is pivotable arround the axis of the said pins 621, 622 to a certain degree. Simultaneously, the bearing pins 621, 622 are moveable in their bearings 6210, 6130 to a certain degree at least in the dilatation areas 612, 613 of the casing 61. On the other hand, the bearing of the mentioned shoulders 621, 622 in the corresponding bearings 6120, 6130 ofthe casing 61 prevents any turning ofthe tubular insert 62 in its circumferential direction, which enables unproblematic tightening of the regulation screw 5 in the mentioned insert 62 or loosening of this screw 5 from the insert 62.

When the regulation element 4 is placed on the fog lamp, the casing 61 of the regulation nut 6 is placed in a certain position that is generally unchangeable and remains the same regardles to various embodiments of a fog lamp. Any particular direction of the regulation screw 5 is selected with respect to the needs in each embodiment of the fog lamp and may generally be changed. Changing the direction of the regulation screw 5 with respect to the unchangeable position of the casing 61 of the regulation nut 6 is possible due to freely moving the threaded tubular insert 62 in all directions, except in its circumferential direction. In this case it is possible to consider that the direction of the regulation screw '5 mostly corresponds to the longitudinal direction ofthe casing 1 and/or of the light module 2 of the fog lamp or it deviates from the last mentioned direction by approximately 15 to 20 degrees which is approximately sufficient for satisfactory meeting of requirement that derive from various performances of fog lamps in various motor vehicles.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Regulation element of a lamp, especially a fog lamp for motor vehicles, which is intended to be used in fog lamps, and consists of a casing (1) and a light module (2), where the said casing (1) is fixed on the adequate location of a vehicle and equipped with diametrally opposite arranged eyes (12), by means of which the light module is attached onto the casing (1) and may be pivoted arround its diametral axis, and appropriate seal (3) is inserted between the light module (2) and the casing (1), by which the regulation element (4) consists of a regulation screw (5), which is connected to the casing (1) ofthe fog lamp as well as of a regulation nut (6), which is placed onto a circumferential rim (21) of the light module (2) and connected herewith by means of adequate bearing shoulders (60), characterized in that the regulation nut (6) consists of a casing (61) as well as of a pivotable threaded tubular insert (62), which is inserted therein and is moveable in all directions except of circumferential direction of the said insert (62), which is moreover adapted for receipt of the regulation screw (5).

2. Regulation element according to Claim 1, characterized in that the threaded insert (62) is locked and held within a flexible casing (61) of the nut (6) in the regulation element (4) of the fog lamp, and is moreover equipped with spherical external surface (623) and two bearing pins (621, 622), which protrude apart in diametral direction, and also with the interior threaded area (624), which is adapted for the receipt ofthe regulation screw (5).

3. Regulation element according to Claim 1 and/or 2, characterized in mat the flexibly designed casing (61) includes dilatation areas (611, 612, 623) of which at least two areas (612, 613) are arranged diametrally opposite to each other and designed as bearings (6120, 6130) adapted for receipt of diametrically apart protruding bearing shoulders (621, 622) ofthe threaded tubular insert (62).

4. Regulation element according to one of the previous Claims, characterized in that the threaded tubular insert (62) is attached to the casing (61) and is simultaneously pivotable arround the axis of the bearing pins (621, 622), which are placed in bearings (6120, 6130) and protrude diametrally apart, and that at the same time the said bearing pins (621, 622) are freely moveable in the mentioned bearings (6120, 6130), however without any possibility of turning in the circumferential direction of the said insert (62).

5. Regulation element according to one of the previous Claims, characterized in that the threaded tubular insert (62) is attached to the casing (61) and is simultaneously pivotable arround the axis of the bearing pins (621, 622), which are placed in bearings (6120, 6130) and protrude diametrally apart, and that at the same time the said bearing pins (621, 622) are freely moveable in the mentioned bearings (6120, 6130), however without any possibility of turning in the circumferential direction of the said insert (62), on the basis of which appropriate tightening or loosening of the regulation screw (5) in the thread area (624) of the insert (62) is enabled.

6. Regulation element according to one of the previous Claims, characterized in that the threaded tubular insert (62) is attached to the casing (61) and is simultaneously pivotable arround the axis of the bearing pins (621, 622), which are placed in bearings (6120, 6130) and protrude diametrally apart, and that at the same time the said bearing pins (621, 622) are freely moveable in the mentioned bearings (6120, 6130), however without any possibility of turning in the circumferential direction, of the said insert (62), on the basis of which appropriate tightening or loosening of the regulation screw (5) in the thread area (624) of the insert (62) is enabled, where the axial direction of the said screw (5) corresponds at least essentially to the longitudinal direction of the casing (1) or the light module (2) in the threaded area (624) ofthe insert (62).

7. Regulation element according to one of the previous Claims, characterized in that the threaded tubular insert (62) is attached to the casing (61) and is simultaneously pivotable arround the axis of the bearing pins (621, 622), which are placed in bearings (6120, 6130) and protrude diametrally apart, and that at the same time the said bearing pins (621, 622) are freely moveable in the mentioned bearings (6120, 6130), however without any possibility of turning in the circumferential direction of the said insert (62), on the basis of which appropriate tightening or loosening of the regulation screw (5) in the thread area (624) of the insert (62) is enabled, where the axial direction of the said screw (5) essentially differs from the longitudinal direction of the casing (1) or the light module (2) in the threaded area (624) of the insert (62).

8. Regulation element according to one of the previous Claims, characterized in that the threaded tubular insert (62) is attached to the casing (61) and is simultaneously pivotable arround the axis of the bearing pins (621, 622), which are placed in bearings (6120, 6130) and protrude diametrally apart, and that at the same time the said bearing pins (621, 622) are freely moveable in the mentioned bearings (6120, 6130), however without any possibility of turning in the circumferential direction of the said insert (62), on the basis of which appropriate tightening or loosening ofthe regulation screw (5) in the thread area (624) of the insert (62) is enabled, where the axial direction of the said screw (5) either at least essentially corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the casing (1) or the light module (2) in the threaded area (624) of the insert (62), or also essentially differs from the said direction.