Spotlight in particular for a motor vehicle and a reflector and an intermediate assembly part for such a spotlight

Claim 2

A spotlight, in particular for a motor vehicle, said spotlight comprising a rigid reflector having a first optical axis together with means for mounting the reflector on a support, and in particular on a motor vehicle, wherein said means for mounting the spotlight comprise: two rigid mounting lugs disposed on the outside of said reflector symmetrically to each other about a first plane including said first optical axis, each of said lugs having a first end which is directly fixed to said reflector and a second end which defines a second plane perpendicular to said first plane and parallel to said optical axis, said second ends of said lugs having end surfaces perpendicular said second plane and facing each other and cooperatively forming a wedge shape on opposite sides of and symmetrical with respect to said first plane, a rigid intermediate assembly part having wedge shaped surfaces perpendicular said plane and on opposite sides of and symmetrical about said first plane and cooperatively complementary to said wedge shaped end surfaces on said lugs, means for applying mutual thrust between the wedge shaped end surfaces of said lugs and said wedge shaped surfaces on said intermediate part whereby to maintain a fixed relationship of said reflector with respect to said first and second planes regardless of thermal expansion to which said reflector and said intermediate assembly part may be subjected within limits corresponding to normal heating condition when the spotlight is used at ambient temperature; and means for fixing said intermediate mounting part to said support.

Claim 3

A spotlight according to claim 1, wherein said means for fixing said intermediate assembly part to said support include means for adjusting the direction in which said spotlight points.

Claim 4

A spotlight according to claim 1, wherein said intermediate assembly part is made of a thermally insulating material.

Claim 5

A spotlight, in particular for a motor vehicle, said spotlight comprising a rigid reflector having an optical axis together with means for mounting the reflector on a support, and in particular on a motor vehicle, wherein said means for mounting the spotlight comprise: two rigid mounting lugs disposed on the outside of said reflector symmetrically to each other about a first plane including said optical axis, each of said lugs having a first end which is directly fixed to said reflector and a second end in the form of a flat flange turned towards said first plane and disposed along a second plane perpendicular to said first plane and parallel to said optical axis, the flanges of said lugs being mutually disjoint and pointing plane end edges towards each other and said first plane, said plane end edges being perpendicular to said second plane and being at the same angle α relative to said first plane to define between said end edges a space which converges in a given direction parallel to said optical axis, each flange having first and second plane faces adjacent to said end edges, parallel to said second plane and respectively facing towards said reflector and away from said reflector, said first and second plane faces of each flange being separated from each other by a fixed distance d, and said first faces being coplanar with each other and said second faces being coplanar with each other; a rigid intermediate assembly part having two grooves disposed along a third plane coinciding with said second plane and being symmetrically disposed to each other on either side of a fourth plane perpendicular to said third plane and coinciding with said first plane, said grooves being open in an outward direction away from said fourth plane and being delimited towards said fourth plane by respective plane bottoms extending perpendicularly to said third plane and at said angle α to said fourth plane, said grooves being further delimited going away from said third plane by respective first and second plane faces parallel to said third plane and facing said third face, said first and second plane faces of each groove being separated from each other by substantially said distance d, said groove first plane faces being coplanar and said second plane faces being coplanar, each flange being engaged in a respective groove in a position such that said first and second plane faces of each flange come into flat contact with said first and second plane faces of the corresponding groove and with said flange end edges coming into contact with said groove bottoms; mutual bearing areas between said flanges and said intermediate assembly part, said bearing areas being situated respectively on said flanges perpendicularly to said first and second planes and along said second plane, between said first plane and theoretical plane extensions of said end edges, and on said intermediate part perpendicularly to said third and fourth planes and along said third plane, between said fourth plane and theoretical plane extensions of said groove bottoms, to urge said flanges upstream relative to said given direction and relative to said intermediate assembly part, thus applying said end edges of said flanges flat against said groove bottoms with a wedging effect, regardless of the thermal expansion to which said reflector and said intermediate assembly part may be subjected within limits corresponding to normal heating conditions when the spotlight is used at ambient temperature; and means for fixing said intermediate mounting part to said support.

Claim 6

A spotlight, in particular for a motor vehicle, said spotlight comprising a rigid reflector having an optical axis together with means for mounting the reflector on a support, and in particular on a motor vehicle, wherein said means for mounting the spotlight comprise: two rigid mounting lugs disposed on the outside of said reflector symmetrically to each other about a first plane including said optical axis, each of said lugs having a first end which is directly fixed to said reflector and a second end in the form of a flat flange turned towards said first plane and disposed along a second plane perpendicular to said first plane and parallel to said optical axis, the flanges of said lugs being mutually disjoint and pointing plane end edges towards each other and said first plane, said plane end edges being perpendicular to said second plane and being at the same angle α relative to said first plane to define between said end edges a space which converges in a given direction parallel to said optical axis, each flange having first and second plane faces adjacent to said end edges, parallel to said second plane and respectively facing towards said reflector and away from said reflector, said first and second plane faces of each flange being separated from each other by a fixed distance d, and said first faces being coplanar with each other and said second faces being coplanar with each other; a rigid intermediate assembly part having two grooves disposed along a third plane coinciding with said second plane and being symmetrically disposed to each other on either side of a fourth plane perpendicular to said third plane and coinciding with said first plane, said grooves being open in an outward direction away from said fourth plane and being delimited towards said fourth plane by respective plane bottoms extending perpendicularly to said third plane and at said angle α to said fourth plane, said grooves being further delimited going away from said third plane by respective first and second plane faces parallel to said third plane and facing said third face, said first and second plane faces of each groove being separated from each other by substantially said distance d, said groove first plane faces being coplanar and said second plane faces being coplanar, each flange being engaged in a respective groove in a position such that said first and second plane faces of each flange come into flat contact with said first and second plane faces of the corresponding groove and with said flange end edges coming into contact with said groove bottoms; mutual bearing areas between said flanges and said intermediate assembly part, said bearing areas being situated respectively on said flanges perpendicularly to said first and second planes and along said second plane, between said first plane and theoretical plane extensions of said end edges, and on said intermediate part perpendicularly to said third and fourth planes and along said third plane, between said fourth plane and theoretical plane extensions of said groove bottoms, to urge said flanges upstream relative to said given direction and relative to said intermediate assembly part, thus applying said end edges of said flanges flat against said groove bottoms with a wedging effect, regardless of the thermal expansion to which said reflector and said intermediate assembly part may be subjected within limits corresponding to normal heating conditions when the spotlight is used at ambient temperature; and means for fixing said intermediate mounting part to said support.

Claim 7

A spotlight according to claim 4, including means for mutually disengaging said mutual bearing areas, thereby releasing said lug flanges from said grooves.

Claim 8

A spotlight according to claim 5, wherein said reflector includes a hole for mounting a lamp in the reflector, said hole extending along an average direction which is approximately perpendicular to said optical axis, said hole being closable by means of a removable closure stopper, and releasable fastening means being provided between said stopper and said reflector requiring said stopper to move away from said optical axis along said average direction in order to move said stopper from a position in which it closes said hole to a position in which it is free therefrom; said average direction being situated substantially in said first plane and said hole being on the same side of said reflector as said lugs, said intermediate assembly part having a face facing said hole along said average direction and placed in the immediate proximity of said stopper when in its closure position and when said flange ends come into contact with said bottom grooves.

Claim 9

A spotlight according to claim 4, and including means for adjusting the positions of the mutual bearing areas in a direction parallel to said optical axis.

Claim 10

A spotlight according to claim 4, wherein said mutual bearing areas comprise: on each flange a fixed area located on the downstream edge of said flange and facing downstream in said direction; and on said intermediate assembly part the heads of two screws, with each flange being engaged by a corresponding one of said screw heads, placed upstream in said direction with respect to the said fixed area of the corresponding flange, said screws being screwable into said intermediate assembly part along respective axes included in said third plane, parallel to said fourth plane, and located between said groove bottoms.

Claim 11

A spotlight according to claim 4, wherein said direction in which said space between said flange ends converges corresponds to the direction in which a light beam is projected along said optical axis by said spotlight.

Claim 12

A spotlight according to claim 4, wherein said lugs include respective intermediate web portions which are flat, parallel to each other and to said first plane, and located between the first ends of said lugs and said flanges which are located at the second ends of said lugs.

Claim 13

A spotlight according to claim 4, wherein said means for fixing said intermediate assembly part to a support include means for adjusting the direction in which said optical axis points.

Claim 14

A spotlight according to claim 4, wherein said intermediate assembly part is made of thermally insulating material.

Claim 15

A spotlight according to claim 4 wherein the reflector includes: two rigid assembly lugs disposed outside said reflector and disposed symmetrically to each other about a first plane, which first plane includes said optical axis, each of said lugs having a first end which is directly fixed to said reflector and a second end in the form of a flat flange turned towards said first plane and disposed along a second plane perpendicular to said first plane and parallel to said optical axis, the flanges of said lugs being mutually disjoint and pointing plane end edges towards each other and said first plane, said plane end edges being perpendicular to said second plane and being at the same angle α relative to said first plane to define between said end edges a space which converges in said given direction parallel to said optical axis, each flange having first and second plane faces adjacent to said end edge, parallel to said second plane and respectively facing towards said reflector and away from said reflector, said first and second plane faces of each flange being separated from each other by a fixed distance d, and said first faces being coplanar with each other and said second faces being coplanar with each other.

Claim 16

A spotlight according to claim 13 wherein the reflector includes a hole for mounting a lamp in the reflector, said hole extending along an average direction which is approximately perpendicular to said optical axis, said hole being closable by means of a removable closure stopper, and releasable fastening means being provided between said stopper and said reflector requiring said stopper to move away from said optical axis along said average direction in order to move said stopper from a position in which it closes said hole to a position in which it is free therefrom; said average direction being situated substantially in said first plane and said hole being on the same side of said reflector as said lugs.

Claim 17

A spotlight according to claim 13 wherein said direction in which said space between said flange ends converges corresponds to the direction in which a light beam is projected along said optical axis by said reflector.

Claim 18

A spotlight according to claim 13, wherein said lugs include respective intermediate web portions which are flat, parallel to each other and to said first plane, and located between the first ends of said lugs and said flanges which are located at the second ends of said lugs.

Claim 19

A spotlight according to claim 4 wherein said intermediate assembly part is rigid and has two grooves lying in a third plane and disposed symmetrically to each other about a fourth plane which is perpendicular to said third plane, said grooves being open going away from said fourth plane and being delimited, towards said fourth plane by respective plane bottoms extending perpendicularly to said third plane being at a same angle α relative to said fourth plane, said grooves being further delimited going away from said third plane by respective first and second plane faces parallel to said third plane and facing said third plane, said first and second plane faces of each groove being separated from each other by a fixed distance d, said groove first plane faces being coplanar, said groove second plane faces being coplanar, and said intermediate assembly piece including means for fixing it to a support.

Claim 20

A spotlight according to claim 17 wherein said means for fixing said intermediate assembly part to a support include means for adjusting the orientation of said intermediate assembly part relative to said support.

Claim 21

A spotlight according to claim 17 wherein said intermediate assembly part is made of thermally insulating material.