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US 4,052,609 AGranted
Motor vehicle with headlamp tilting mechanism
AssigneeThe Lucas Electrical Company Limited
InventorFrederick Raymond Patrick Martin
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AssigneeThe Lucas Electrical Company Limited
InventorFrederick Raymond Patrick Martin
Estimating the term…
The motor vehicle comprises a vehicle body suspended on wheels and carrying a pair of headlamps which are mounted on a common cross rod angularly movable relative to the body by means of a headlamp tilting mechanism. The headlamp tilting mechanism is of the hydromechanical type and includes a lever which is mounted on the vehicle body through the intermediary of a pivot. The lever has an arm which is urged by spring into engagement with a temperature sensitive element secured to a rear axle housing of the motor vehicle. An extension projecting from the lever is engaged by an output rod of a mechanism for rendering the tilting mechanism inoperative. The mechanism comprises a body within which is disposed a bellows element having the output rod secured thereto. Also disposed within the body is a temperature expansible material and a heating element which is arranged to be heated when a headlamp filament energizing switch is manually closed. Heating of the temperature expansible material by heating element effects movement of the output rod such that abutment thereon is moved out of engagement with the extension on the lever, thereby permitting the tilting mechanism to operate. When the headlamp energizing switch is de-energized, the temperature expansible material cools down and a spring within the bellows element moves the output rod into a position in which the abutment thereon engages the extension and moves the lever into a position in which the headlamp tilting mechanism is rendered inoperative.
A motor vehicle including a vehicle body, wheels upon which said vehicle body is mounted, headlamps mounted on said body for tilting movement, and means for tilting said headlamps in response to changes in the attitude of the vehicle body relative to the wheels, said tilting means including a sensor device having a lever pivotally mounted on a sprung part of the motor vehicle and engaging a member mounted on an unsprung part of the motor vehicle, said tilting means also including a transmission for transmitting movements of said lever to said headlamps, continuously so that changes in the attitude of the vehicle body relative to the wheels are transmitted continuously to said headlamps by said transmission, and means connected directly to said lever and disposed, when operated, to move said lever out of engagement with said member whereby said tilting means can be rendered inoperative when desired, said means being manually operable from a remote location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.