Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-05
2003-08-19
Sember, Thomas M. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S513000, C362S518000, C362S297000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06607294
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lamp for a vehicle and more particularly constitution of the lamp for the vehicle such as a headlamp and a fog lamp used for (the purpose of) illuminating, and the object of the invention is to provide the constitution capable of improving an utilization factor of luminous flux for a light source and allowing a light-distribution characteristic to be variable. Moreover, this invention relates to a headlamp which is installed on the vehicle and more particularly to constitution of the headlamp in which a light distribution for a low beam is made it possible to switch from and/or to a light distribution for an upper beam using a light source such as a metal halide discharge lamp which does not have both of a filament for a low beam and the filament for the upper beam, for example.
2. Detailed Description of the Prior Art
A prior constitution of a headlamp
90
of this type represented as an example in the case where a light source
91
is a metal halide discharge lamp or the like and the headlamp
90
is a exclusive-light distribution for a low beam is shown in
FIG. 22
, and
FIG. 23
, and a parabolic-reflecting surface
92
formed into a paraboloid of revolution or the like having a focus “f” in a rearward position is provided with respect to an arc
91
a
of said light source
91
.
According to this constitution, since an downward light beam would be generated from a upper half portion of the parabolic-reflecting surface
92
, and an upward light beam from a lower half portion, said light source
91
(the arc
91
a
) is provided with a shield plate
93
on the lower, thereby light to be shielded so as to not reach the lower half portion of the parabolic-reflecting surface
92
. Moreover, said light source
91
also is provided with a stripe
91
b
by black opaque paint or the like and the stripe
91
b
serves a part of functions of said shield plate
93
. In addition, said shield plate
93
is provided with a shade shielding a direct light.
According to this constitution, the light comes to reach only the upper half portion of said parabolic-reflecting surface
92
, that is, most of the light becomes the downward light beam, and the light distribution for the low beam can be obtained as shown in FIG.
23
. Moreover, the portion which the light of a part of the lower half portion of the parabolic-reflecting surface
92
reaches is a portion for forming a light distribution referred to as an elbow, which illuminates the side of the roadside zone with an appropriate upper light beam in order to facilitate to recognize visually a road sign or the like installed on a roadside zone in FIG.
23
.
Moreover, the prior headlamp
90
having the constitution of the headlamp in which the light distribution for the low beam is made possible to switch from and/or to the light distribution for the upper beam using the light source which does not have both of a filament for a low beam and the filament for the upper beam is shown in
FIG. 24
to
FIG. 25
, and the light source
91
are provided with the shade
92
for preventing for the direct light from this light source
91
from irradiating the portion other than the headlamp
90
and to become a glare light, as well as a movable shield plate
93
which can be set at two positions by a driving device
96
such as a solenoid, for example.
Moreover, the central portion of a reflecting mirror
94
provided in the rearward position of said light source
91
is formed into a main reflecting portion
94
a
, the upper thereof is formed into an auxiliary reflecting portion
94
b
, and the side surfaces of the right and left thereof is formed into an auxiliary reflecting portion
94
c
as shown in the drawings. Moreover, the lower is provided with a shield plate
95
since the light colored with yellow or the like would be irradiated when said light source
91
is the metal halide discharge lamp, and the reflecting mirror
94
can not be provided on the lower of the light source
91
with exception of a part required for forming the light distribution.
Moreover, said main reflecting portion
94
a
is formed into the paraboloid of revolution or the like having a focus in appropriate front of the light source
91
, whereby the downward reflected-light is generated, and said auxiliary reflecting portion
94
b
and the auxiliary reflecting portion
94
c
are formed into the paraboloid of revolution or the like which has a focus at the light source
91
, whereby the reflected light traveling in the horizontal direction is generated.
Moreover, said movable shield plate
93
shields the portion which would reach said auxiliary reflecting portion
94
b
and auxiliary reflecting portion
94
c
, of the light from the light source when the driving device
96
is not operated, whereas the movable shield plate
93
allows the light to launch into the entire surface of the reflecting mirror
94
, that is, both of the main reflecting portion
94
a
and the auxiliary reflecting portion
94
b
,
94
c
when the driving device
96
is operated.
According to this constitution, the light distribution of the headlamp
90
is constituted by only the downward light from the main reflecting portion
94
a
as shown by a light distribution “S” in
FIG. 26
when the driving device
96
is not operated, that is, becomes the light distribution for the low beam. A light distribution H
1
to the horizontal direction from the auxiliary reflecting portion
94
b
and a light distribution H
2
from the auxiliary reflecting portion
94
c
are added to the light distribution “S” when the driving device
96
is operated, and the light distribution for the upper beam can be obtained by synthesizing the light distribution “S”, the light distribution H
1
and the light distribution H
2
.
Moreover, at this point of time, said light distribution H
1
is formed so as to illuminate the front of the vehicle like as a spot by the auxiliary reflecting portion
94
b
provided on the upper of the main reflecting portion
94
a
that a reflection image of the light source
91
is elongated in the vertical direction, on the other hand, the light distribution H
2
is formed so as to illuminate the right and left of the traveling direction of the vehicle widely by the auxiliary reflecting portion
94
c
provided on the sides of the right and left of the main reflecting portion
94
a
that the reflection image of the light source
91
is elongated in the horizontal direction.
However, the utilization factor of luminous flux with respect to the light source
91
has been essentially low in the headlamp
90
according to the prior constitution described above, since only a substantial half of the parabolic-reflecting surface
92
is utilized in order to obtain the light distribution for the low beam. In addition thereto, there has been a problem in recent years that requirements or the like reducing a dimension of the up-and-down direction is increased for example, and it leads to reduction in square measure of said parabolic-reflecting surface
92
, so that lack of illuminance of the headlamp
90
becomes noticeable increasingly due to the recognition that the headlamp
90
also supports a part of design of the vehicle. Moreover, there has been a problem in the headlamp
90
according to the prior constitution described above that the reflecting mirror
94
is compartmentalized into the main reflecting portion
94
a
and the auxiliary reflecting portion
94
b
, and the light distribution for the low beam used in most situation of the case of usual driving becomes dark since the auxiliary reflecting portion
94
b
is covered from the light source
91
in the case of the light distribution for the low beam.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention solves the problems by providing:
a headlamp constituted by providing on a substantial upper half portion a main reflecting surface formed into a parabolic surface providing a light-emitting source of a bulb as a substantial focus, wherein a right elliptic reflecting surface and a lef
Amarantides John
Sember Thomas M.
Stanley Electric Co. Ltd.
Weingarten Schurgin, Gagnebin & Lebovici LLP
LandOfFree
Headlamp does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Headlamp, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Headlamp will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3129042