Full beam discharge headlight with two power levels

Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Special application – Vehicle

Patent

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Details

307 108, B60Q 114

Patent

active

059006986

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and to an arrangement for controlling the headlights of automotive vehicles, and in particular car headlights.
2. Description of the Related Art
The design of modern cars in which the front part of the car dips makes it difficult to fit extra lights effectively. Extra lights impair the appearance of the car, constitute a greater accident risk to unprotected road users and make the car more difficult to wash. Extra lights also impair the aerodynamics of the car and have a negative effect on engine cooling, since they are normally fitted in front of the engine radiator.
There is a significant need to improve full-beam lighting for certain categories of drivers who drive in certain regions, and particularly with respect to certain markets, even though conventional headlights will satisfy many users.
It has become progressively more usual for car owners to replace standard bulbs in existing headlamps with bulbs of greater power, in order to obtain more powerful full beam lighting. However, bulbs of greater power damage the reflectors, by changing the reflectance of the reflectors as a result of higher temperature in the headlamp. The higher temperature can even deform the reflectors, resulting in a distorted light image.
Furthermore, a more powerful bulb has the drawback of necessitating that the driver dip the lights earlier when driving in the dark on a typical road with repeated encounters with oncoming traffic interspersed with a clear road ahead, so as not to dazzle the drivers of oncoming traffic, as opposed to the case when using a standard bulb. This means that the driver's eyes must constantly become accustomed to strong light, i.e. when the lights are on full beam, and a much weaker, dipped light, where dipped lighting is used over a longer distance to prevent dazzling of oncoming traffic. This drawback is the reason why drivers do not normally have extra lights, such as long-distance lighting, switched-on when driving along roads on which oncoming vehicles are frequently encountered, therewith requiring the lights to be dipped repeatedly.
This problem is solved in accordance with the present invention by providing weak headlights for certain situations while eliminating the aforesaid drawback and, at the same time, eliminating the need of extra lighting.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention thus relates to a method of controlling the full-beam lighting of automotive vehicles, particularly for cars, wherein the headlights are provided with light sources of a dischargeable type. The light source is chosen so that when supplied with its nominal or rated power, it will produce a luminous flux which greatly exceeds the normal luminous flux of full-beam lighting. In order to obtain a luminous flux which is normal for full-beam lighting, the light source is supplied with lower power; and means are provided for selectively supplying the light source with said lower power or with its nominal power.
The invention also relates to a control arrangement for carrying out the method.


BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 illustrates schematically a headlamp and associated power means; and
FIG. 2 illustrates a light switch.


DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates an arrangement for controlling the full beam headlights of automotive vehicles, particularly cars, wherein headlight 1 is provided with light sources 2 of a dischargeable kind. The reference numeral 3 in FIG. 1 identifies the headlight reflector. Such light sources are available commercially and marketed, among others, by PHILIPS under the trade name MICRO POWER-LIGHT.
Such light sources 2 are powered by a power means 4 which applies an alternating voltage across the light source. The voltage applied is normally a square-wave voltage. Such power means are also

REFERENCES:
patent: 1954806 (1934-04-01), Falge et al.
patent: 1971341 (1934-08-01), Getty
patent: 3617795 (1971-11-01), Peek
patent: 3621331 (1971-11-01), Barron
patent: 5191266 (1993-03-01), Futami et al.
patent: 5382877 (1995-01-01), Katsumata et al.
patent: 5463287 (1995-10-01), Kurihara et al.

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