Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Plural light sources
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-26
2002-12-24
Patel, Nimeshkumard D. (Department: 2879)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Plural light sources
C362S475000, C362S476000, C362S464000, C313S113000, C313S115000, C313S118000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06497506
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a head lamp apparatus for a vehicle having a position bulb in addition to a head lamp bulb for illuminating an area ahead of the vehicle.
FIG. 10
is a cross-sectional view of a head lamp apparatus for a motorcycle. The head lamp apparatus
101
is of the type disposed at a front head portion of a streamlined cowling
102
of the motorcycle and a head lamp bulb
104
and a reflector
105
are disposed inside a lamp housing
103
. The lamp housing
103
is formed by covering a front surface of a housing body
106
molded by using synthetic resin with a transparent housing lens
107
.
A bulb socket
108
disposed on a rear surface of the housing body
106
extends forward through a socket hole
109
defined in the reflector
105
and is defined at its tip end with a position bulb
110
. The housing lens.
107
is not effected with a lens cutting operation and passes light as it is, but a lens cut portion
111
is formed only at a portion of the housing lens
107
in front of the position bulb
110
.
In the head lamp apparatus
101
, a forward irradiation light a from the position bulb
110
is amplified and diffused by the lens cut portion
111
and is radiated forward. An irradiation light b from the position bulb
110
radiated diagonally forward or sideways is reflected by a flange portion
105
a
formed at an edge portion of the reflector
105
and is radiated diagonally forward. As a result, the light from the position bulb
110
is then radiated forward with a wide angle.
In a head lamp apparatus
121
shown in
FIG. 11
, on the other hand, a bulb socket
108
is extended such that a position bulb
110
is close to a housing lens
107
and a lens cut portion
111
is formed only at a portion of the housing lens
107
in front of the position bulb
110
. In a case of the head lamp apparatus
121
, a forward irradiation light c from the position bulb
110
is amplified and diffused by the lens cut portion
111
and is radiated forward. An irradiation light d radiated diagonally forward or sideways is radiated forward with a wide angle without being reflected by the reflector
105
because the position bulb
110
is disposed close to the housing lens
107
.
Visibility of the irradiation light from the position bulb
110
of the head lamp apparatus
101
shown in
FIG. 10
is not good because the radiating light b reflected by the flange portion
105
a
of the reflector
105
is radiated diagonally forward and sideways and quantity of light of the irradiation light b is less than that of the radiating light a while the irradiation light a amplified by the lens cut portion
111
is radiated forward and quantity of light of the radiating light a is satisfactory. Moreover, visibility of the irradiation light from of the position bulb
110
is strongly influenced by a shape of the reflector
105
(flange portion
105
a
).
In this respect, in the head lamp apparatus
121
shown in
FIG. 11
, because the irradiation light d from the position bulb
110
radiated diagonally forward and sideways is radiated directly with the wide angle without being reflected by the reflector
105
, satisfactory quantity of light can be obtained and an visibility of the radiating light from a diagonally front direction and from a side is favorable. However, because the bulb socket
108
projects from a reflecting surface of the reflector
105
by a very large length, the bulb socket
108
is conspicuous from outside through the housing lens
107
which passes light as it is, which becomes a cause of impairment of an outer appearance of the head lamp apparatus
121
.
Moreover, because the bulb socket
108
is long, vibration of the body is greatly amplified to be transmitted to the position bulb
110
provided to the tip end of the bulb socket
108
, which may cause early breaking of a wire of the position bulb
110
. Furthermore, it is necessary to draw the bulb socket
108
rearward out of the lamp housing
103
to change the position bulb
110
, but drawing out of the long bulb socket
108
requires a large space behind the lamp housing
103
, which adversely affects a layout of other parts.
Furthermore, in any of the head lamp apparatus
101
and
121
, the lens cut portion
111
for the position bulb, which is formed on the housing lens
107
which passes light as it is, is positioned at a position largely displaced from a center of the head lamp apparatus
101
or
121
, which becomes a cause of impairment of an outer appearance of the head lamp apparatuses
101
and
121
.
On the other hand, as another problem, an aiming plate or the like for adjusting an optical axis of a projector lamp can be seen from outside through the housing lens
107
if the projector lamp is disposed inside the head lamp apparatus
101
or
121
having the housing lens
107
which passes light as it is, thus significantly impairing the outer appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the present invention is to substantially eliminate defects or drawbacks encountered in the prior art mentioned above and to provide a head lamp apparatus for a vehicle capable of ensuring satisfactory quantity of light of a position bulb, improving a visibility of the head lamp apparatus by allowing an irradiation light from the position bulb to be radiated with a wide angle, and arranging the position bulb at a portion not close to one side to improve an outer appearance of the head lamp apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a head lamp apparatus for the vehicle capable of facilitating change of the position valve and preventing early breaking of a wire of the position bulb.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a head lamp apparatus capable of efficiently diffusing the irradiation light from the position bulb and improving an anti-glare (glare-shielding) property of the head lamp apparatus when the head lamp bulb illuminates.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a head lamp apparatus for the vehicle capable of improving an outer appearance of the head lamp apparatus by hiding an aiming plate or the like of a projector lamp provided additionally in a lamp housing.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a head lamp apparatus for the vehicle for improving an anti-glare property of the head lamp apparatus by cutting a diffused light beam or the like radiated from the projector lamp provided additionally in the lamp housing.
These and other objects can be achieved according to the present invention by providing, in one aspect, a head lamp apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a lamp housing mounted to a front portion of a vehicle body;
a head lamp bulb disposed inside the lamp housing and adapted to radiate a light;
a reflector for reflecting an irradiation light from the head lamp bulb in a direction forward of the vehicle body; and
a position bulb disposed in front of the head lamp bulb inside the lamp housing.
In a preferred embodiment of this aspect, the lamp housing is provided with a housing body and a transparent housing lens covering a front surface of the housing body and the head lamp bulb, the reflector and the position bulb are housed in the lamp housing, and the position bulb is disposed on an upper front side in the lamp housing.
The housing lens is provided with a lens cut portion at a position in front of the position bulb.
In another aspect, there is provided a head lamp apparatus for a vehicle comprising:
a lamp housing mounted to a front portion of a vehicle body;
a head lamp bulb disposed inside the lamp housing and adapted to radiate a light;
a reflector for reflecting an irradiation light from the head lamp bulb in a direction forward of the vehicle body; and
a projector lamp mounted to the lamp housing in adjacent to the reflector and having a projector lamp body and a projector lamp lens mounted to a front portion of the projector lamp body in the forward direction of the vehicle body,
the reflector being formed with an extension extendin
Patel Nimeshkumard D.
Roy Sikha
Suzuki Kabushiki Kaisha
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