Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-25
2001-02-20
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S539000, C362S303000, C362S302000, C362S280000, C362S513000, C362S277000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06190029
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a headlamp for a car or other vehicles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a headlamp using a metal halide discharge lamp such as an iodine lamp for a light source, in which is difficult to include two light sources for the high beam and the low beam.
2. Background Art
An example of a headlamp in the prior art that uses a discharge lamp as a light source and has a switch mechanism for selecting the high beam distribution or the low beam distribution is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 8-111101. As shown in
FIG. 10
, the principal part of the headlamp
90
includes a discharge lamp
91
, a reflecting mirror
93
and a lever
92
that is placed vertically with a rocking pin
92
a
disposed above the discharge lamp
91
. The discharge lamp
91
is attached to the lever
92
, and the light source
91
a
that is a burner of the discharge lamp
91
is positioned substantially on the optical axis Z when the discharge lamp
91
is in the low beam position. When switching to the high beam position, the lever
92
is rotated in the backward direction for a predetermined angle &agr; around the rocking pin
92
a
by the actuator
94
such as a motor or a solenoid. Then, the position of the discharge lamp
91
is moved backward and downward from the low beam position with respect to the reflecting mirror
93
, so that the discharge lamp
91
moves into the high beam position.
However, in the above-mentioned switching mechanism for selecting the high beam distribution or the low beam distribution in the prior art, it is essential to maintain very high accuracy of the relative position of the light source
91
a
to the reflecting mirror
93
in order to obtain a predetermined characteristic of the light distribution. Therefore, the light source
91
a
should be moved between the low beam position and the high beam position with high accuracy. However, the accuracy can be deteriorated by vibration, an impact, an abrasion due to a repeated movement of the light source or other factors when the car is moving. In order to solve this problem, the known mechanism is complicated and large, resulting in a high cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a headlamp that does not need to move a moving member with high accuracy when switching the low beam distribution to the high beam distribution or vice versa by moving the member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a headlamp that has a simple mechanism for switching the low beam distribution and the high beam distribution with an ensured accuracy and without being subject to a variation due to vibration, an impact, an abrasion due to a repeated movement or other factors when the car is moving.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a headlamp that satisfies the above mentioned characteristics and can be compact in size.
According to an aspect of the present invention, in a headlamp having a beam distribution switch mechanism for selecting the low beam distribution or the high beam distribution, the beam distribution switch mechanism comprises a hood including a fixed member having a cut portion on the upper or the lower side and a moving member for opening and closing the cut portion of the fixed member, a reflecting mirror including a first reflecting surface for reflecting the light beam from the light source when the cut portion of the hood is closed so as to generate the low beam, and a second reflecting surface for reflecting the light beam passing through the cut portion from the light source when the cut portion is opened so as to generate an auxiliary beam distribution that is added to the low beam distribution to generate the high beam distribution.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the fixed member of the above-mentioned headlamp is formed in a box shape having an opening on the rear side, the moving member is a platy member disposed in parallel to and pivoted to the side that has the cut portion by a pivot shaft, and the cut portion is opened or closed by rotating the moving member.
Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, the fixed member of the above-mentioned headlamp is formed in a box shape having an opening on the rear side, the moving member is a saddle-like member disposed inside the fixed member and is pivoted to each side face of the fixed member that is perpendicular to the side that has the cut portion by a pair of pivot shafts, and the cut portion is opened or closed by swinging the moving member.
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patent: 4987521 (1991-01-01), Fratty et al.
patent: 5213406 (1993-05-01), Neumann et al.
patent: 5264993 (1993-11-01), Neumann et al.
patent: 5718505 (1998-02-01), Daumeuller et al.
patent: 5769525 (1998-06-01), Daumeuller et al.
patent: 5899559 (1999-05-01), Lachmayer et al.
patent: 5938319 (1999-08-01), Hege
patent: 6059435 (2000-05-01), Hamm et al.
patent: 19756437 (1999-06-01), None
patent: 1376728 (1963-09-01), None
patent: 8111101 (1996-04-01), None
Iwasaki Hiroshi
Sato Takashi
Taniuchi Hitoshi
O'Shea Sandra
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen, LLP
Stanley Electric Co. Ltd.
Ton Anabel
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