Follow-up mechanism for driving automobile headlamp to turn

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of automobile accessories, in particular to a follow-up mechanism for driving an automobile headlamp to turn, which is characterized in that a worm gear transmission shaft is fixedly mounted in the center of a worm gear, a sun gear is mounted at the upper end of the worm gear transmission shaft and meshed with a plurality of planet gears, the peripheries of the planet gears are meshed with a gear ring, and the planet gears are rotatably mounted at the arm end of a planet carrier; an output shaft is installed in the center of the planet carrier, and a convex tooth structure is arranged at the upper end of the output shaft and fixedly connected with an automobile headlamp. The automobile headlamp follow-up mechanism is stable and reliable in structure, high in output torque, good in self-locking performance, high in maintainability, strong in mechanical vibration resistance and low in manufacturing cost, overcomes the defects that an existing automobile headlamp follow-up mechanism is lack of self-locking performance, low in output torque, low in maintainability, weak in mechanical vibration resistance and high in cost, and can be widely assembled on common household passenger cars. The method has important effect and practical significance for improving the safe driving performance of the automobile.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive parts technology, specifically to a follow-up mechanism for driving the steering of automotive headlights. Background Technology

[0002] Adaptive Front-Lighting System (AFS) is a system that automatically adjusts the headlights based on the steering wheel angle, vehicle yaw rate, and speed. It adapts to the current steering angle, maintaining the light direction consistent with the vehicle's current direction of travel. In poorly lit or winding road conditions, it expands the driver's field of vision to ensure optimal illumination of the road ahead.

[0003] Existing patent CN201711095287.0, "A Follow-up Steering Device for Automotive Headlights," uses a complex mechanical structure to convert different operating conditions of the automotive engine into different control modes for the automotive headlights, thereby completing the steering control of the automotive headlights; existing patent CN201310690734.2, "A Follow-up Steering Arc Drive System for Automotive Headlights," describes an arc motor to complete the steering control of the headlights; existing patent CN201610415087.8, "A Steering Wheel Controlled Follow-up Steering Mechanism for Automotive Headlights," describes a method of using a steel wire rope to pull the lamp post to slide in a groove to complete the steering control of the headlights. However, none of these patents solve the problems of lack of self-locking capability, lack of real-time response, low output torque, weak structural vibration resistance, and high cost of the drive motor.

[0004] Existing technologies primarily rely on direct motor control, where the motor directly drives the headlights to deflect. These technologies generally employ structures such as motors and brackets, which have largely solved the problem of steering angle range. However, they still fail to address issues such as self-locking of the steering mechanism, untimely response during frequent reversals, excessive headlight mass leading to steering lag, steering angle deviation, weak mechanical vibration resistance in poor road conditions, high cost of drive motors, and a lack of modular design. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this utility model is to address the shortcomings and deficiencies of existing technologies by providing a follow-up mechanism for driving automotive headlights to turn. This mechanism features a stable and reliable structure, high output torque, good self-locking, high maintainability, strong mechanical vibration resistance, and low manufacturing cost. It overcomes the shortcomings of existing automotive headlight follow-up mechanisms, such as lack of self-locking, low output torque, low maintainability, weak mechanical vibration resistance, and high cost. This mechanism can be widely used in ordinary passenger cars and plays an important role and has practical significance in improving the safe driving performance of automobiles.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model adopts the following technical solution: It comprises a main body; the main body includes a coupling, a worm gear installed at one end of the coupling, and a worm wheel meshing with the worm gear for transmission; a worm wheel drive shaft is fixedly installed at the center of the worm wheel, a sun gear is installed at the upper end of the worm wheel drive shaft, the sun gear meshes with several planet gears, the outer circumference of several planet gears meshes with a gear ring, and the planet gears are rotatably installed at the arm end of the planet carrier; an output shaft is installed at the center of the planet carrier, and the upper end of the output shaft is provided with a toothed structure, which is fixedly connected to an automotive headlight.

[0007] Furthermore, the other end of the coupling is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor.

[0008] Furthermore, a connecting rod is radially installed in the middle section of the worm gear drive shaft, and a roller drive shaft is provided at the end of the connecting rod. A roller is installed on the roller drive shaft, and the outer periphery of the roller is in contact with several micro switches. The several micro switches are all installed at equal angles on the inner ring of the micro switch ring located below the gear ring using switch fixing rods. The micro switch ring and the roller are set at the same horizontal plane.

[0009] Furthermore, there are three switch fixing rods, which are distributed at 150°, 135° and 75° on the inner ring of the micro switch coil, respectively.

[0010] Furthermore, there are three planetary gears with the same radius, and the three planetary gears are arranged radially at 120° around the sun gear.

[0011] Furthermore, a circular washer is sandwiched between the planetary carrier and the output shaft, and the convex tooth structure at the upper end of the output shaft is a missing tooth design, with the missing tooth arc accounting for about one-quarter of the circumference.

[0012] Furthermore, the main body is covered by an outer shell, and the gear ring and micro switch ring are fixed inside the outer shell; the worm gear has protruding limiting rings on both sides, which are rotatably connected to the outer shell by bearings; the upper and lower ends of the worm gear drive shaft are provided with cylindrical protrusions, which are installed in conjunction with bearings; the upper end of the output shaft moves through the top wall of the outer shell.

[0013] Furthermore, both the worm gear and the planetary gear have a hollow structure.

[0014] Furthermore, the coupling is keyed to the worm, the worm wheel to the worm wheel drive shaft, and the worm wheel drive shaft to the sun gear.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: This utility model provides a follow-up mechanism for driving the steering of automotive headlights, which has a stable and reliable structure, high output torque, good self-locking, high maintainability, strong mechanical vibration resistance, and low manufacturing cost. It overcomes the shortcomings of existing automotive headlight follow-up mechanisms, such as lack of self-locking, low output torque, low maintainability, weak mechanical vibration resistance, and high cost. It can be widely equipped in ordinary passenger cars and plays an important role and practical significance in improving the safe driving performance of automobiles. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this utility model after removing the toothed ring and the micro switch ring.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a top view of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a front view of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a side view of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a bottom view of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 7 This is an exploded view of the worm gear drive shaft, sun gear, planet gears, planet carrier, and gear ring in this utility model.

[0023] Figure 8 This is an exploded view of the sun gear, worm gear drive shaft, worm gear, micro switch ring, connecting rod, roller, and switch fixing rod in this utility model.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a structural diagram of the worm gear drive shaft, micro switch ring, connecting rod, roller, and switch fixing rod in this utility model.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a structural diagram of the worm gear drive shaft, sun gear, planet carrier, and output shaft in this utility model.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the worm gear and coupling structure in this utility model.

[0027] 1. Main body; 2. Coupling; 3. Worm gear; 4. Worm gear drive shaft; 5. Sun gear; 6. Planet gear; 7. Planet carrier; 8. Output shaft; 9. Gear ring; 10. Switch fixing rod; 11. Roller; 12. Roller drive shaft; 13. Connecting rod; 14. Micro switch ring; 15. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The preferred embodiments described are only examples. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0029] like Figures 1-11 As shown, this specific embodiment adopts the following technical solution: the coupling 2 and the worm 3 are connected and fixed by a key; the worm 3 and the worm wheel 4 are externally meshed; the sun gear 6 and the worm wheel 4 are respectively installed on the upper and lower ends of the worm wheel drive shaft 5 by keys, and the three rotate in the same direction; the sun gear 6 is externally meshed with the planet gears 7, the planet carrier 8 has three arms of equal length, the three planet carrier arms are set at 120-degree angles to each other, and the center holes of the planet gears 7 are respectively provided with bearings connected to the ends of the planet carrier arms; the output shaft 9 is located at the center of the planet carrier 8 and is an integral structure with the planet carrier 8. The toothed structure at the top of the output shaft 9 is used to fix the car headlight (not shown in the figure), and the sun gear... 6. The planetary gears 7, planetary carrier 8, and output shaft 9 rotate in the same direction. When coupling 2 and worm 3 rotate forward, worm gear 4 rotates to the left, ultimately driving the car headlight to rotate to the left. Conversely, when coupling 2 and worm 3 rotate backward, worm gear 4 rotates to the right, ultimately driving the car headlight to rotate to the right. Because the worm gear mechanism and planetary gear mechanism have different transmission ratios, their speeds differ. Therefore, the three installation positions of switch fixing rod 11, namely 150°, 135°, and 75°, correspond to the turning angles of the car headlights of 0°, 27°, and 42°, respectively. The output shaft 9 rotates in the horizontal direction within the range of 0-42°. Specifically:

[0030] like Figure 2 and Figure 11 As shown, coupling 2 is fixedly connected to worm 3. Worm 3 has protruding limiting rings on both sides. These protruding limiting rings are rotatably connected to the outer shell of the main body via bearings, ensuring stable operation of worm 3 under high-speed rotation. Since this worm gear mechanism can only transmit in one direction, i.e., worm 3 drives worm wheel 4, worm wheel 4 cannot drive worm 3. This mechanism has self-locking properties. When the drive motor stops running at high speed, the worm wheel 4, affected by the rotational inertia of the car headlight, generates torque, causing worm wheel 4 to be jammed by worm 3 and unable to rotate. The protruding limiting rings on worm 3 ensure that worm 3 will not be displaced, thus achieving real-time self-locking in conjunction with its own structure.

[0031] like Figures 8-9As shown, the upper part of the worm gear drive shaft 5 is connected to the sun gear 6 via a key, the lower part is connected to the worm gear 4 via a key, and the middle part is connected to the roller drive shaft 13 via a connecting rod 14. The roller 12 is rotatably mounted on the roller drive shaft 13. When the worm gear 4 rotates, the worm gear drive shaft 5 rotates together, driving the roller drive shaft 13 and the roller 12 to rotate. When the roller 12 contacts the micro switch (not shown in the figure), the roller 12 changes the direction of force transmission, transforming the tangential force at the point of contact between the roller 12 and the micro switch into a radial force parallel to the connecting rod 14. Therefore, as the roller 12 rotates along the circumference, the roller 12 gradually increases the pressure on the micro switch. When the pressure of the roller 12 on the micro switch reaches its maximum, the micro switch closes. The on-board computer receives the electrical signal from the micro switch and determines the control of the drive motor based on the vehicle's driving status, steering wheel angle parameters, etc. The switch fixing rod 11 is distributed at 150°, 135°, and 75° in the horizontal direction; when the roller 12 rotates to Figure 9 When in the middle position, the roller 12 corresponds to the 150° switch fixing rod 11, and the headlight turning angle is 0°. When the roller 12 rotates clockwise, it first passes the 135° switch fixing rod 11, and the headlight turning angle is 27°. When the roller 12 continues to rotate clockwise, it passes the 75° switch fixing rod 11, and the headlight turning angle is 42°.

[0032] like Figure 6 As shown, the main body 1 has an outer shell (not shown in the figure), and the shell has holes for installing the bearing at the lower end of the worm gear drive shaft 5 and the bearings at both ends of the worm 3. The rotation of the worm 3 will drive the worm wheel 4 to rotate, thereby driving the worm gear drive shaft 5 to rotate.

[0033] like Figure 10 As shown, the worm gear drive shaft 5 and the roller drive shaft 13 are an integral mechanism connected by a connecting rod 14. The roller 12 rotates around the roller drive shaft 13, and the roller drive shaft 5 is fixedly connected to the sun gear 3. There is a bearing in the circular groove at the bottom center of the planetary carrier 8, and the cylindrical protrusion at the head of the roller drive shaft 5 is inserted into the bearing.

[0034] The follow-up motion process in this specific embodiment is as follows:

[0035] The onboard computer drives the motor to rotate in one direction based on the steering wheel deflection angle, wheel speed sensor data, and gyroscope data. This motor drives coupling 2 and worm gear 3 to rotate in the same direction. Worm gear 4, driven by worm gear 3, rotates in the same direction. The worm gear drive shaft 5, driven by the rotation of worm gear 4, rotates roller drive shaft 13, roller 12, and sun gear 6 in the same direction. Planetary gear 7, meshing with sun gear 6, rotates in the opposite direction but makes a circular motion around the sun gear in the same direction. This circular motion drives planet carrier 8 and output shaft 9 to rotate in the same direction as sun gear 6. Output shaft 9 ultimately drives the headlights to rotate. When the drive motor reverses direction, the above mechanism reverses as well, and the rotation direction of the steering mechanism changes with the rotation direction of the drive motor, ensuring that the headlights maintain consistency with the vehicle's direction of travel under different driving conditions.

[0036] When the car is traveling along a straight road and the steering wheel does not turn, the computer drives the motor to move the follow-up mechanism according to the data of the switch fixing rod 11, so that the car headlights return to the middle position. This middle position is the 135° position of the switch fixing rod 11, which is the 27° turning angle of the car headlights. At the same time, the worm gear 3 and worm wheel 4 complete the self-locking to prevent the car headlights from swinging left and right. Therefore, the device achieves the effects of reset and self-locking through the control of the on-board computer and the mechanism structure.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:

[0038] 1. The worm gear mechanism and the planetary gear mechanism form a large transmission ratio and have excellent self-locking properties. The planetary gear mechanism operation scheme adopted is the most efficient transmission scheme. While ensuring the same precision control, the performance and cost of the drive motor can be significantly reduced.

[0039] 2. The worm gear drive shaft is located in the secondary transmission position of the transmission system, which has high precision. The mounting slot on the connecting rod can be used to install a micro switch, so that the roller mechanism next to the worm gear drive shaft can make precise contact with it, achieving a precise limiting effect. At the same time, the roller mechanism can change the direction of force transmission, without mechanically interfering with the micro switch, increasing its contact area with the micro switch, reducing mechanical wear, and extending service life.

[0040] 3. This utility model adopts a modular design, which is reliable in structure and easy to process. It overcomes the shortcomings of common methods that directly drive the headlights with a motor for deflection, resulting in high cost of the drive motor. It also solves the problems of untimely response when the headlights frequently change direction, steering lag and steering angle deviation due to excessive headlight mass, and high cost of the drive motor. The follow-up mechanism has a compact internal structure, high stability, and strong mechanical vibration resistance, achieving modular design.

[0041] For those skilled in the art, modifications can be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, and equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A follower mechanism for driving the steering of automotive headlights, characterized in that: It comprises a main body (1); the main body (1) comprises a coupling (2), a worm (3) installed at one end of the coupling (2), and a worm wheel (4) meshing with the worm (3); a worm wheel drive shaft (5) is fixedly installed at the center of the worm wheel (4), a sun gear (6) is installed at the upper end of the worm wheel drive shaft (5), the sun gear (6) meshes with several planet gears (7), the outer circumference of several planet gears (7) meshes with a gear ring (10), and the planet gears (7) are rotatably installed at the arm end of the planet carrier (8); an output shaft (9) is installed at the center of the planet carrier (8), and the upper end of the output shaft (9) is provided with a tooth structure, which is fixedly connected to the car headlight.

2. The follower mechanism for driving automotive headlights to turn according to claim 1, characterized in that: The other end of the coupling (2) is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor.

3. The follower mechanism for driving automotive headlights to turn according to claim 1, characterized in that: A connecting rod (14) is radially installed in the middle section of the worm gear drive shaft (5). A roller drive shaft (13) is provided at the end of the connecting rod (14). A roller (12) is installed on the roller drive shaft (13). The outer periphery of the roller (12) is in contact with several micro switches. Several micro switches are installed at equal angles on the inner ring of the micro switch ring (15) located below the gear ring (10) using switch fixing rods (11). The micro switch ring (15) and the roller (12) are set at the same horizontal plane.

4. The follower mechanism for driving automotive headlights to turn according to claim 3, characterized in that: The switch fixing rods (11) are three in number, and are distributed at 150°, 135° and 75° on the inner ring of the micro switch ring (15).

5. The follower mechanism for driving automotive headlights to turn according to claim 4, characterized in that: The planetary gears (7) are three in number and have the same radius. The three planetary gears (7) are radiating outwards at 120° from the sun gear (6).

6. The follower mechanism for driving automotive headlights to turn according to claim 1, characterized in that: A circular washer is sandwiched between the planetary carrier (8) and the output shaft (9). The tooth structure at the upper end of the output shaft (9) is a missing tooth design, with the missing tooth arc accounting for about one-quarter of the circumference.

7. The follower mechanism for driving automotive headlights to turn according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main body (1) is covered with an outer shell, and the gear ring (10) and the micro switch ring (15) are fixed inside the outer shell; the worm (3) has protruding limiting rings on both sides, which are connected to the outer shell by bearings; the upper and lower ends of the worm gear drive shaft (5) are provided with cylindrical protrusions, which are installed in conjunction with bearings; the upper end of the output shaft (9) moves through the top wall of the outer shell.

8. The follower mechanism for driving automotive headlights to turn according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the worm gear (4) and the planetary gear (7) are hollow structures.

9. A follower mechanism for driving automotive headlights to turn according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coupling (2) is keyed to the worm (3), the worm wheel (4) is keyed to the worm wheel drive shaft (5), and the worm wheel drive shaft (5) is keyed to the sun gear (6).

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