Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-04
2002-11-12
Cariaso, Alan (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S283000, C362S284000, C362S465000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06478460
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a headlamp of an automobile where a luminous intensity distribution pattern is changed on the basis of a curving angle of an automobile by varying an illumination direction and an illumination range of light, and in particular to a headlamp of an automobile where a diffusing luminous intensity distribution pattern and a converging luminous intensity distribution pattern are respectively changed relative to a fixed reference luminous intensity distribution pattern independently or simultaneously so that visibility is improved when an automobile is running on a curved road.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the present specification and drawings, reference symbol “L” denotes “left side” in a case that a driver faces front, reference symbol “R” denotes “right side” in a case that a driver faces front, reference symbol “U” denotes “upper side” in a case that a driver faces front, and reference symbol “D” denotes “lower side” in a case that a driver faces front.
Also, reference symbol “Z—Z” denotes “optical axis”, reference “HL-HR” and “HR-HL” denote “horizontal axis” which is horizontal to the optical axis Z—Z or “horizontal axis” of a luminous intensity distribution pattern, and reference symbol “VU-VD” denotes “vertical axis” which is vertical to the optical axis Z—Z or “vertical axis” of a luminous intensity distribution pattern.
A headlamp of an automobile of this type is generally provided with a light source bulb, a movable reflector and driving means for rotating the movable reflector, where the movable reflector is rotated by the driving means so that an illumination direction and an illumination range of light from the light source bulb are changed so that a luminance intensity distribution pattern is changed. As such a headlamp of an automobile, there are disclosures listed hereinbelow, for example, a Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-23216, a Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-183385 and a Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-78675.
However, each of the above mentioned conventional headlamps for an automobile is structured such that only a portion of a luminous intensity distribution pattern is merely changed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been achieved with such points in mind.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a headlamp of an automobile where a diffusing luminous intensity distribution pattern and a reference luminous intensity distribution pattern can be changed independently from each other or simultaneously so that visibility is improved when an automobile is running on a curved road.
In order to achieve the above object, in a headlamp of an automobile according to an aspect of the present invention, a reflector is divided to an upper reflector member positioned above an optical axis of the headlamp and a lower reflector member including the optical axis; the upper reflector member is rotatable and is provided with a reflection face for forming a diffusing luminous intensity distribution pattern; and the lower reflector member is provided with a light source bulb, is rotatable and is provided with a reflection face for forming a reference luminous intensity distribution pattern.
As a result, in the headlamp of an automobile of this aspect, the upper reflector member and the lower reflector member are independently or simultaneously rotated so that the diffusing luminous intensity distribution pattern and the reference luminous intensity distribution pattern can independently or simultaneously be changed. Accordingly, visibility is improved when an automobile is running on a curved road.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1148942 (1915-08-01), Wilson
patent: 1205224 (1916-11-01), Koechlein
patent: 4007365 (1977-02-01), Stempfle et al.
patent: 4663696 (1987-05-01), Miyazawa et al.
patent: 5711590 (1998-01-01), Gotoh et al.
patent: 6059435 (2000-05-01), Hamm et al.
patent: 5-23216 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 8-183385 (1996-07-01), None
patent: 11-78675 (1999-03-01), None
Furuya Takayuki
Iwamoto Kinya
Ozaki Kiyotaka
Umezaki Kenjo
Cariaso Alan
Foley & Lardner
Ichikoh Industries Ltd.
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