Automobile headlamp

Claim 2

In an automobile headlamp of the type including a reflector and a transparent plate secured at their respective peripheries to define a rear compartment, a lens secured to an opposite peripheral surface of the plate to define a forward compartment, an incandescent filament disposed in the rear compartment to project a light beam through the plate and the lens, and a plurality of rotatable louvers mounted within the forward compartment on a frame, the improvement in combination therewith comprising a motor for rotating the louvers through drive means at a speed such that the light beam appears uninterrupted, the motor being supported on a frame integral with the louvers support frame and being disposed centrally with respect to the lens and within the forward compartment.

Claim 3

An automobile headlamp according to claim 1 wherein the motor extends through an opening in the central portion of the lens but out of physical contact with the lens and the plate.

Claim 4

An automobile headlamp according to claim 2 wherein the motor is further supported by an annular resilient element disposed in the opening in the central portion of the lens.

Claim 5

The combination of claim 1, wherein said frame means has parallel side elements, and said louvers are parallel and each has center and end segments; respective journals between each end segment and the ends of the associated center segment, said journals extending through said side elements and rotatable therein; a horizontal louver drive shaft on the axis of said lens; a gear on each end of said shaft; gears on the journals of the louvers above said shaft being rotatable from one of the shaft gears; and gears on the journals of the louvers below said shaft being rotatable from the other shaft gear.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 4, wherein said shaft is the shaft of said motor.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 4, wherein said motor has a shaft on the axis of said lens; and gear means coupling said motor shaft and said louver drive shaft.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 5, including a housing for said motor having diametrically opposed slot; and tie-in braces with tongues extending into said slot, said braces being held in said side elements.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 7, including resilient pads attached to the ends of the side elements of said frame, said pads being compressed between said lends and transparent plate.

Claim 10

The combination, for an automobile headlamp or the like, of a louver and motor assembly comprising: a pair of spaced vertical plates each having an equal number of spaced openings therein, each opening one plate being coaxial with an opening in the other plate; a journal in each opening; a louver center segment extending between and welded to the inner ends of each pair of coaxial journals; a respective louver end segment welded to and extending from the outer end of each journal; a respective gear on one journal of each coaxial pair, the gears on the journals above the center of said plates being adjacent one plate and meshed for simultaneous rotation, the remaining journal gear being adjacent the other plate and meshed for simultaneous rotation; a shaft rotatably supported at its ends in said plates with its axis parallel to a line through the centers of said plates; respective gears on said shaft meshing with the innermost journal gears; motor means for driving said shaft; and braces between said plates and supporting said motor means in fixed relation to said plates.

Claim 11

The combination, for an automobile headlamp or the like, of a louver and motor assembly comprising: a pair of spaced vertical plates each having an equal number of spaced openings therein, each opening one plate being coaxial with an opening in the other plate; a journal in each opening; a louver center segment extending between and welded to the inner ends of each pair of coaxial journals; a respective louver end segment welded to and extending from the outer end of each journal; a respective gear on one journal of each coaxial pair, the gears on the journals above the center of said plates being adjacent one plate and meshed for simultaneous rotation, the remaining journal gear being adjacent the other plate and meshed for simultaneous rotation; a shaft rotatably supported at its ends in said plates with its axis parallel to a line through the centers of said plates; respective gears on said shaft meshing with the innermost journal gears; motor means for driving said shaft; and braces between said plates and supporting said motor means in fixed relation to said plates.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 9, wherein said shaft is the shaft of said motor means, said motor means having a housing with pairs of diametrically spaced openings; and tongues in said braces extending into said housing openings.