Pneumatically operating control system for automatic alignment of motor vehicle headlights

Claim 2

In a control installation for the automatic and continuous alignment of motor vehicle headlights, said control installation being of the type having at least one adjusting motor means and control shifting means for aligning the motor vehicle headlights in response to control means for detecting a change of distance between at least one axle in a motor vehicle and the body of the motor vehicle, said adjusting motor means and said control shifing means being connected by a connecting line, the improvement comprising means for eliminating throttling effects in said connecting line during braking and acceleration operations of the motor vehicle, said means for eliminating being connectEd in said connecting line between said adjusting motor means and said control shifting means.

Claim 3

A control installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means are coordinated to both axles.

Claim 4

A control installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the control installation is pneumatically operated.

Claim 5

A control installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the control installation is fed with a vacuum.

Claim 6

A control installation according to claim 4, characterized in that the vacuum is obtained from the suction pipe of an internal combustion engine.

Claim 7

A control installation according to claim 1, wherein said means for eliminating throttling effects include valve means.

Claim 8

A control installation according to claim 6, wherein the control installation is pneumatically operated.

Claim 9

A control installation according to claim 7, wherein the control installation is fed with a vacuum.

Claim 10

A control installation according to claim 8, characterized in that the valve means is a displacement valve which is electrically actuated.

Claim 11

A control installation according to claim 9, further characterized by at least one switch means for initiating the operation of the valve means.

Claim 12

A control installation according to claim 10, characterized in that a pendulum means damped by springs and operatively connected with vehicle ground serves as said switch means, said pendulum means being suspended in its normal position at a distance between two parallelly connected contacts, from which an electric line leads to a connection of the electrically actuated displacement valve means which is connected by way of a further line with the positive terminal of a vehicle battery.

Claim 13

A control installation according to claim 10, characterized in that two parallelly disposed switch means are provided for the actuation of the displacement valve means, of which the switch means responding to accelerating operations is constructed as a mercury switch and of which the switch means responding to braking operations serves simultaneously as a brake light switch.

Claim 14

A control installation according to claim 6, further characterized by at least one switch means for initiating the operation of the valve means, said valve means being electrically actuated by said switch means.

Claim 15

A control installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the control means are coordinated to both axles.

Claim 16

A control installation according to claim 13, characterized in that the valve means is a displacement valve which is electrically actuated.

Claim 17

A control installation for the automatic alignment of motor vehicle headlights, which includes control means coordinated to at least one axle of the motor vehicle which align the motor vehicle headlights to a constant light distance in dependence on the change of the distance of the respective axle to the body of a motor vehicle by way of adjusting motor means and control shifting means, characterized in that a valve means is arranged in a connecting line between a control shifting means and an adjusting motor means, said valve means being operable during braking and acceleration operations to eliminate the throttling effect in the connecting line and to lead to a rapid equalization of the change of angular value between the optical axis of the headlights and the road surface, further characterized by at least one switch means for initiating the operation of the valve means, and characterized in that a pendulum means damped by springs and operatively connected with vehicle ground serves as switch means, said pendulum means being suspended in its normal position at a distance between two parallelly connected contacts, from which an electric line leads to a connection of the valve means which is connected by way of a further line with the positive terminal of a vehicle battery.

Claim 18

A control installation for the automatic alignment of motor vehicle headlights, which includes control means coordinated to at least one axle of the motor vehicle which align the motor vehicle headlights to a constant light distance in dependence on the change of the distance of the respective axle to the body of a motor vehicle by way of adjusting motor means and control shifting means, characterized in that a valve means is arranged in a connecting line between a control shifting means and an adjusting motor means, said valve means being operable during braking and acceleration operations to eliminate the throttling effect in the connecting line and to lead to a rapid equalization of the change of angular value between the optical axis of the headlights and the road surface, further characterized by at least one switch means for initiating the operation of the valve means, and characterized in that a pendulum means damped by springs and operatively connected with vehicle ground serves as switch means, said pendulum means being suspended in its normal position at a distance between two parallelly connected contacts, from which an electric line leads to a connection of the valve means which is connected by way of a further line with the positive terminal of a vehicle battery.

Claim 19

A control installation for the automatic alignment of motor vehicle headlights, which includes control means coorDinated to at least one axle of the motor vehicle which align the motor vehicle headlights to a constant light distance in dependence on the change of the distance of the respective axle to the body of a motor vehicle by way of adjusting motor means and control shifting means, characterized in that a valve means is arranged in a connecting line between a control shifting means and an adjusting motor means, said valve means being operable during braking and acceleration operations to eliminate the throttling effect in the connecting line and to lead to a rapid equalization of the change of angular value between the optical axis of the headlights and the road surface, further characterized by at least one switch means for actuating the operation of the valve means, and characterized in that two parallelly disposed switch means are provided for the actuation of the valve means, of which the switch means responding to accelerating operations is constructed as mercury switch and of which the switch means responding to braking operations serves simultaneously as brake light switch.

Claim 20

A control installation for the automatic alignment of motor vehicle headlights, which includes control means coorDinated to at least one axle of the motor vehicle which align the motor vehicle headlights to a constant light distance in dependence on the change of the distance of the respective axle to the body of a motor vehicle by way of adjusting motor means and control shifting means, characterized in that a valve means is arranged in a connecting line between a control shifting means and an adjusting motor means, said valve means being operable during braking and acceleration operations to eliminate the throttling effect in the connecting line and to lead to a rapid equalization of the change of angular value between the optical axis of the headlights and the road surface, further characterized by at least one switch means for actuating the operation of the valve means, and characterized in that two parallelly disposed switch means are provided for the actuation of the valve means, of which the switch means responding to accelerating operations is constructed as mercury switch and of which the switch means responding to braking operations serves simultaneously as brake light switch.

Claim 21

A control installation for automatically aligning motor vehicle headlights on motor vehicles of the type having axles and a superstructure which is relatively movable with respect to at least one of said axles; said installation comprising: first adjusting motor means actuable in response to supply of a pressure medium to said first motor means, first interconnecting means for interconnecting said first motor means to said headlights such that actuation of said first motor means effects changes in the inclination of said headlights with respect to the superstructure, first circuit means for substantially continuously supplying a pressure medium during operation of said vehicle, control valve means movable between a first control valve position for communicating said first motor means with said pressure medium in said first circuit means to actuate said first motor means and a second control valve position for communicating said first motor means with other than said pressure medium, said control valve means including second circuit means for supplying said pressure medium to said first motor means, control installation means for automatically and continuously controlling the movement of said control valve means in response to relative changes in position of at least one of said axles with respect to said superstructure, and second valve means for eliminating throttling effects in said second circuit means during braking and acceleration operations of the motor vehicle, said second valve means being connected in said second circuit between said first motor means and said control valve means.

Claim 22

A control installation for automatically aligning motor vehicle headlights on motor vehicles of the type having axles and a superstructure which is relatively movable with respect to at least one of said axles; said installation comprising: first adjusting motor means actuable in response to supply of a pressure medium to said first motor means, first interconnecting means for interconnecting said first motor means to said headlights such that actuation of said first motor means effects changes in the inclination of said headlights with respect to the superstructure, first circuit means for substantially continuously supplying a pressure medium during operation of said vehicle, control valve means movable between a first control valve position for communicating said first motor means with said pressure medium in said first circuit means to actuate said first motor means and a second control valve position for communicating said first motor means with other than said pressure medium, said control valve means including second circuit means for supplying said pressure medium to said first motor means, control installation means for automatically and continuously controlling the movement of said control valve means in response to relative changes in position of at least one of said axles with respect to said superstructure, and second valve means for eliminating throttling effects in said second circuit means during braking and acceleration operations of the motor vehicle, said second valve means being connected in said second circuit between said first motor means and said control valve means.