Headlight Optical-Axis Adjustment Apparatus with Biasing Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing headlight adjustment devices face complications due to different installation paths of control cables, leading to uneven operation loads and increased abrasion resistance, resulting in inconsistent headlight angle adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A device with a biasing member for the drive member to prevent backlash and maintain constant operation loads, using a guide portion and slide contact to facilitate smooth movement, and a rotating shaft with a spiral convex portion for easy axial movement, along with separate biasing members for each headlight to maintain tension and adjust optical axes effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If both right and left headlights are operated by a single operation knob using two control cables, then the operation is simplified, but the installation paths of the control cables become different causing uneven operation loads and increased abrasion resistance
Solution Approach 1:
A drive member is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the operation knob and the two control cables. The drive member converts rotational operation into linear movement that simultaneously operates both control cables, ensuring equal operation loads despite different cable installation paths. This mediator eliminates the backlash and load inconsistency problems that would otherwise occur with direct cable connection.
2Ease of manufacture
If control cables are installed in curved forms to avoid interfering with other parts, then the installation is simplified, but the contact area between inner cable and outer casing varies causing different abrasion resistances
Solution Approach 1:
Biasing members are pre-installed on the control cables to maintain constant tension before operation. This preliminary action ensures that the cables remain taut and resist abrasion during installation and operation, compensating for the harmful effects of curved installation paths. The biasing force prevents excessive contact between inner and outer cables, reducing abrasion resistance variations.
3Volume of moving object
If the radius of the curve or length of the control cable installation path is small, then the installation is more compact, but the pressure per unit area increases and abrasion resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing member acts as a counterbalancing force that opposes the compressive pressure generated by small-radius curved cable paths. By applying this counteracting force, the system maintains cable tension and reduces the effective pressure between inner and outer cable surfaces, thereby mitigating abrasion resistance even in compact installations.
4Device complexity
If biasing forces of right and left biasing members are the same, then the configuration is simplified, but the operation loads become different due to different installation paths
Solution Approach 1:
The drive member merges the operation of two control cables into a single mechanical action. By connecting both cables to the same drive member that moves linearly in response to rotary operation, the system ensures that both cables experience equal operation loads despite having different installation paths. This combining approach maintains configuration simplicity while achieving operation load equality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures easy and consistent headlight angle adjustments over time, reduces the need for widening the device, and allows for easy replacement of parts, maintaining constant operation forces and preventing backlash, while maintaining a compact design.
Implementation Method 1
a biasing member for a drive member is provided, the biasing member for a drive member serving to bias the drive member in a direction toward front end of an inner cable
Implementation Method 2
the case is provided with a guide portion for guiding movement of the drive member by the pulling and returning operations and the drive member is provided with a slide contact portion slidably contacting with the guide portion
Implementation Method 3
the operating member comprises a rotating shaft having a spiral convex portion on an outer periphery thereof, and the connecting portion comprises an engagement portion being engaged with the spiral convex portion to allow the drive member to move in an axial direction of the rotating shaft by the rotating the rotating shaft
Implementation Method 4
separate biasing members for each headlight to maintain tension and adjust optical axes effectively
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(a)~2(b)
Figure 3
AI summary
There is provided a headlight angle operating device, in which when conducting pulling and returning operations of two control cables arranged in different installation paths, the relationship of operation loads of the two cables are not changed and the amounts of change in the angles of the headlights are equal to each other. The present invention uses a device for adjusting optical axes of headlights, wherein a front end of a first inner cable of a first control cable installed to one headlight and a front end of a second inner cable of a second control cable having a longer distance of installation path than the first control cable installed to another headlight are connected to the respective headlights, and the device further comprises a biasing member for drive member connected to the second coupling portion of the drive member and biasing the drive member in the direction toward front end of the inner cable.