[0001] The present invention relates to a headlamp for automobile vehicles.
[0002] The present invention relates in particular to a dipped headlight comprising a reflector
provided with a support member, a dimmer screen and a polyellipsoidal cover secured
to the support member and/or to a spacer rigid with the reflector.
[0003] In Fig. 4, a headlamp for automobile vehicles, comprising a reflector 31 having an
optical axis 32, a lamp 33, a support body 34 for the lamp 33, a support member 35
and a cover 36, for instance of polyellipsoidal type, is shown overall by 30.
[0004] The support member 35 comprises an axial portion 36 secured at its end to the reflector
31, an annular support portion 37 and a dimmer body 38 adapted to intercept, when
the headlamp 30 is on, the portion of light reflected from the lower half of the reflector
31, allowing the generation of a beam of light cut off above a cut-off line.
[0005] In headlamps of the above type that are commercially available at present, the cover
is locked on the support member by relatively complex mechanical operations or by
the use of supplementary components.
[0006] Obviously, this type of assembly is expensive and time-consuming and may lead, if
supplementary components are added, to a non-negligible increase in bulk and assembly
tolerances. Moreover, the need to secure the two parts in a substantially overlapping
manner may require the application of forces of a strength likely to cause, during
assembly or thereafter, problems as regards the integrity of the cover.
[0007] The object of the present invention to provide a headlamp for automobile vehicles
which is free from the above-mentioned drawbacks and which, in particular, has a structure
allowing the cover to be rapidly and reliably secured to the support member.
[0008] The present invention therefore relates to a headlamp for automobile vehicles comprising
a reflector having an optical axis and defining a concavity, a lamp housed in this
concavity, a support member rigid with the reflector and having a dimmer body adapted
to intercept part of the light transmitted by the lamp, and a cover rigid with the
support member and adapted to direct the light reflected by the reflector in a direction
generally parallel to the optical axis, characterised in that the support member comprises
an annular member and in that the cover can be coupled to this annular member.
[0009] A preferred embodiment of the present invention, given purely by way of non-limiting
example, is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a view in longitudinal section of a headlamp of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a part of the headlamp of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a front view of a detail of a component of the headlamp of the invention;
Fig. 4 is a view in longitudinal section of a headlamp of known type.
[0010] In Fig. 1, a headlamp for automobile vehicles, comprising a reflector 2, a lamp 3,
a support body 4 for the lamp 3, a support member 5 and a cover 6 which is of polyellipsoidal
type in the non-limiting embodiment shown, is shown overall by 1. The headlamp 1 further
comprises a retaining structure 7 adapted to house the reflector 2.
[0011] The reflector 2 is substantially of ellipsoidal shape, has an optical axis 10 and
a reflecting inner surface 2a adapted to reflect the light transmitted by the lamp
3 to the exterior of the headlamp 1. The support body 4 is secured to the rear portion
of the reflector 2 (the rear and front portions of a member being understood, in this
case and below, as the portion facing in the direction opposite to or in the same
direction respectively as the direction of light projection) and supports the lamp
3 within the concavity formed by the reflector 2 in a position aligned with the axis
10.
[0012] In an indicative and non-limiting embodiment, the support member 5, details of which
can be seen more clearly in Fig. 2, is obtained from drawn and bent metal sheet and
comprises a support ring 12 and a dimmer body 11 having the shape of a quarter of
a sphere. The ring 12 supports the dimmer body 11 along one of the two plane edges
of the latter. Moreover, the ring 12 is substantially cup-shaped and is formed by
a radial portion 12a and by an axial portion 12b; the latter extends from the outer
edge of the radial portion 12a and on the opposite side with respect to the dimmer
body 11. The radial portion 12a is disposed in abutment against a front peripheral
edge 13 of the reflector 2.
[0013] The ring 12 is provided with three tongues 14a, 14b and 14c (Fig. 2) which also extend
from the outer edge of the radial portion 12a, but in an opposite direction with respect
to the axial portion 12b and are adapted to allow the ready application and immediate
centring of the support member 5 on the reflector 2. The three tongues, shown by 14a,
14b and 14c, are disposed in a peripheral position on the ring 12 and have a profile
complementary with the profile of corresponding projections 15 provided rigidly on
the outer surface of the reflector 2. During assembly, the support member 5 is positioned
such that the tongues 14a-14c are disposed in contact with the projections 15: the
tongues 14a-14c are successively folded about the projections 15 as shown in Fig.
1 for the tongue 14a. With the support member 5 mounted in this way on the reflector
2, the dimmer body 11 is disposed below a plane passing through the axis 10 and at
right angles to the plane of Fig. 1. In this position, the dimmer body 11 is adapted
to intercept, when the headlamp 1 is on, the portion of light reflected by that half
of the reflecting surface 2a disposed below this plane, enabling the generation of
a beam of light cut off below a cut-off line.
[0014] The ring 12 is further provided with a pair of substantially L-shaped brackets 16
(Fig. 2) which are disposed on opposite sides of the tongue 14a, extend in parallel
to one another and to the tongue 14a and enable, in a manner which is not shown, the
support member 5 to be secured to the structure 7 of the headlamp 1.
[0015] The ring 12 is lastly provided with three flexible flanges 17 disposed at 120o from
one another, extending axially from a front peripheral edge of the axial portion 12b
and folded radially inwards. The flanges 17 are adapted, as will be explained below,
to couple the support member 5 to the cover 6.
[0016] The cover 6 is centred along the optical axis 10 and is adapted to direct the light
reflected by the reflector 2 in a direction substantially parallel to this optical
axis 10. The cover 6 rigidly comprises a collar 20 having an outer diameter slightly
smaller than the inner diameter of the axial portion 12b of the ring 12. The collar
20 is provided with six equally spaced notches 21 which bound the same number of teeth
22 between one another. This configuration of the cover 6 is designed to enable, as
a result also of the presence of the flexible flanges 17 on the ring 12, the bayonet
connection of the cover 6 to the support member 5. During assembly, the cover 6 is
disposed facing the support member 5 with its convexity facing away from this support
member 5 and angularly oriented to cause the angular position of the flanges 17 to
coincide with that of the respective notches 21. The collar 20 is then disposed within
the radial portion 12b by passing the flanges 17 through the respective notches 21,
after which the cover 6 is rotated, in one or other direction, until the flanges 17
are "hooked" on respective teeth 22. Any rotation, arising from vibration stresses
on the cover 6, with respect to the support member 5, is prevented by known systems
not used on bayonet couplings.
[0017] As is evident from the above description, the cover 6 can be mounted on the screening
body 5 in a particularly simple and rapid way.
[0018] In order to ensure that the collar 20 is correctly supported on the radial portion
12a and in particular that the cover 6 is correctly spaced with respect to the reflector
2, the radial portion 12a has three projections 23 (only one of which is shown in
Fig. 1) projecting from the front surface of this radial portion 12a, angularly spaced
from one another and defining the same number of support points for the collar 20.
Moreover, in order to ensure that the cover 6 is correctly centred with respect to
the ring 12, the axial portion 12b of the ring 12 is provided with three inwardly
projecting ribs 24 (Fig. 2), angularly spaced from one another and defining the same
number of radial support points for the collar 20.
[0019] The headlamp 1 of the present invention has the following advantages.
[0020] In the first place, the provision of a bayonet connection between the cover and the
support member allows for particularly simple and rapid assembly of these two components
which can also be readily carried out manually.
[0021] Moreover, the coupling formed in this way, while particularly secure, does not exert
structural stresses on the cover, thereby ensuring its integrity.
[0022] The simplicity of the solution and the absence of additional components for the achievement
of the couplings obviously brings about savings in terms of cost.
[0023] Lastly, the solution proposed is very versatile and can also be used for those applications
in which space is particularly small.
[0024] It is evident that the headlamp described and illustrated above can be further modified
or varied without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the present invention.
1. A headlamp for automobile vehicles comprising a reflector (2) having an optical axis
(10) and defining a concavity, a lamp (3) housed in this concavity, a support member
(5) rigid with the reflector (2) and having a dimmer body (11) adapted to intercept
part of the light transmitted by the lamp (3), and a cover (6) rigid with the support
member (5) and adapted to direct the light reflected by the reflector (2) in a direction
generally parallel to the optical axis (10), characterised in that the support member
(5) comprises an annular member (12) and in that the cover (6) can be coupled to this
annular member (12).
2. A headlamp as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the annular member (12) comprises
flexible male bayonet means (17) and in that the cover (6) comprises female bayonet
means (20).
3. A headlamp as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the cover (6) has a collar
(20) defining the female bayonet means (20) and having notches (21) bounding the same
number of teeth (22) between one another.
4. A headlamp as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the annular member (12)
comprises flexible flanges (17) forming the male bayonet means (17).
5. A headlamp as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the
annular member (12) is substantially cup-shaped and has a radial axial abutment portion
(12a) for the cover (6) and an axial portion (12b) adapted to house the collar (20).
6. A headlamp as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the radial portion (12a) has
first projections (23) for the axial abutment of the cover (6).
7. A headlamp as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the axial portion (12b)
has second inwardly oriented projections (24) for the centring of the collar (20).
8. A headlamp as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7, characterised in that the annular
member (12) has tongues (14a, 14b, 14c) oriented in a direction substantially opposite
to the flanges (17) for coupling with the reflector (2).
9. A headlamp as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the reflector (2) has projections
(15) on its outer surface and in that the tongues (14a) have profiles substantially
complementary with the profiles of the projections (15) and are adapted to be coupled
to these projections (15).
10. A headlamp as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the
annular member (12) is provided with securing brackets (16).
11. A headlamp as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the
dimmer body (11) is borne by the annular member (12) and is shaped substantially as
a quarter of a sphere.