Regulation system of the headlights in a tilting vehicle with roll mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701238-B2
Application number	US-201214235092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2012
Priority date	Aug 1, 2011
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A regulation system of one or more supports of the domes of the headlights in a vehicle having a chassis, a rear wheel, at least one front steering wheel and a roll and steering mechanism operatively connected with the chassis is described. The regulation system comprises articulated connection means between the roll and steering mechanism and the supports for controlling the domes of such headlights so that they rotate such to compensate the roll rotation of the vehicle while driving.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A regulation system of one or more supports of a plurality of domes of headlights in a vehicle having a chassis, a rear wheel, at least one front steering wheel, and a roll and steering mechanism operatively connected with the chassis,
wherein the system comprises articulated connection means between the roll and steering mechanism and the supports for controlling the domes of said headlights so that the headlights rotate such to compensate the roll rotation of the vehicle while driving,
wherein said articulated connection means comprise an arm articulated through two spherical hinges with respect to the roll and steering mechanism and with respect to an upper lever integral with the dome connected with a first support, said dome of the first support being detached with respect to the chassis in the rotation of the dome with respect to an axis substantially oriented in the driving direction of the vehicle,
wherein the system comprises a connection mechanism between said dome connected with a first support and the dome of a second support, so that the movement impressed by said articulated connection means to said dome of the first support is also transmitted on said dome of the second support,
wherein said connection mechanism comprises a tie-push rod connected, through spherical hinges, with two levers respectively integral with said dome of the first support and with said dome of the second support, and
wherein said first and second support are provided with rear cylindrical ends pivotally supported to the internal surfaces of a pair of bushes, in turn housed inside supports symmetrically mounted on the right and left side of the vehicle and bound to the chassis of said vehicle.

2. System according to claim 1 , wherein said two levers are mutually parallel and have the same length, so permitting rotations of the same angle of both domes.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein between the arm and the roll and steering mechanism, a further lower lever is provided, which is parallel and has the same length of the upper lever, so that said dome of the first support rotates exactly by the same angle of said roll and steering mechanism.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said articulated connection means comprise a first pulley integral with a first support, the first ends of two Bowden cables being connected to said first pulley, and a second pulley connected with the roll and steering mechanism, the remaining ends of said two Bowden cables being connected to said second pulley.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the system comprises a pair of plates, respectively integral with the roll and steering mechanism and with the chassis, said pair of plates acting as a stop for the four terminals of said two Bowden cables.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said articulated connection means comprise a first pulley integral with a first support, the first ends of two Bowden cables being connected with said first pulley, and an electrical gearmotor having an electronic rotation control, on the outlet axis of which a pulley being mounted, the remaining ends of said two Bowden cables being connected with said pulley.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the rotation of the electrical gearmotor is controlled by a control system able to detect the roll angle in a cornering behaviour of the vehicle through one or more sensors.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein said one or more sensors comprise at least one gyroscope the axis of which is integral with the vertical axis of the vehicle, in order to measure the angular velocity of the chassis, and at least one sensor of the speed of the wheel.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said two levers are symmetrically mounted on said rear cylindrical ends of the supports.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein said tie-push rod is suitably threaded at respective ends, on which two fork-shaped terminals are connected, which permit the connection with said two levers through respective screws acting as an axis for the relative rotation.

11. System according to claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a transversal reinforcement plate connected with the supports to prevent possible deformations of the regulation system.

12. System according to claim 1 , also comprising one or more additional headlights placed on both right and left sides of the vehicle and suitably angled, which can be alternately actuated in case of great bending or steering angles of said vehicle.

13. System according to claim 12 , wherein the system comprises one or more sensors able to estimate the bending angle of the vehicle, the information coming from said sensors being acquired through an electronic unit able to actuate the additional headlights placed on the right or the left side of the vehicle.

14. System according to claim 12 , wherein the system comprises two or more sensors which react to the proximity of metal elements, and one or more metal sectors, bound to the roll and steering mechanism, the shape of which is such that the metal sectors are perceived by said two sensors, said two sensors being able to control the actuation of the additional headlights placed on the right or the left side of the vehicle.

15. System according to claim 14 , wherein said two or more sensors are fixed to the chassis through support brackets and are able to control the actuation of the additional headlights just for bending angles of the vehicle greater than a predefined threshold.

16. System according to claim 14 , wherein said two or more sensors are integral with the steering tube of the chassis through a clamp and corresponding brackets and are able to control the actuation of the additional headlights just for steering angles of the vehicle greater than a predefined angle.

Assignees

• Di Tanna Onorino
• Bartolozzi Stefano
• Santucci Mario
• Nardo Lorenzo
• Piaggio & C Spa

Inventors

• Di Tanna Onorino
• Bartolozzi Stefano
• Santucci Mario
• Nardo Lorenzo

Classifications

• B60Q2200/36

  Conjoint adjustments, i.e. a mechanical link allows conjoint adjustment of several units · CPC title

• B60Q1/12

  due to steering position · CPC title

• B60Q1/18

  being additional front lights {(bracket mounted headlights B60Q1/0483)} · CPC title

• B60Q1/11 Primary

  by mechanical means · CPC title

• B62J6/02

  Headlights · CPC title