Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-22
2003-09-16
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S520000, C362S523000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06619826
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a headlight device for vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle.
More particularly it relates to a headlight device which has a light source for emitting light beams and reflector for reflecting at least a part of light beams emitted by the light source in a light outlet direction onto a region in front of the vehicle.
Such headlight devices are known in different embodiments from the prior art. When the headlight device is turned on, the light source emits the light beams. At least a part of the light beams falls on the reflector and is deviated by it in the light outlet direction onto a region in front of the vehicle. The light distribution in the region in front of the vehicle can be varied approximately arbitrarily by different features. These features include for example a different shape of the reflector (for example ellipsoidal), paraboloidal or polyllipsoidal shape) and the introduction of a screen in the path of the light beams, including a different design of the screen shape, in particular the screen upper edge, for producing any bright-dark transition in the region in front of the vehicle. As a further feature it is known to arrange a lens in the path of the light beams for bundling of the light beams and deviating to the region in front of the vehicle. This feature is used in the prior art for influencing the light distribution of the low beam or high beam. For influencing the light distribution of a fog light, it is known to arrange in the path of the light beams a dispersing element, as a rule a dispersing-disk.
By selection of a predetermined light source, moreover the light stream of the headlight device and thereby the brightness in the region in front of the vehicle can be influenced. With the use of a gas discharge lamp, in particular xenon lamp as a light source, the light stream with regard to conventional halogen lamps can be increased approximately two or three times.
The known headlight devices can, depending on the concrete design, for example the used features of variation of the light distribution, perform predetermined lighting functions, in particular low beam, high beam or fog beam. Each of these light functions has a predetermined characteristics, which partially is prescribed in accordance with the regulations. So, for example for low beam it is characteristic that the light outlet direction is inclined downwardly by approximately 1%, or in other words the greater intensity is offset on a screen arranged at a distance of 10 meters by 10 centimeters from the optical zero position. The relative inclination of 1% corresponds to an absolute inclination of approximately 0.55 angular degrees. Moreover, the low beam has an asymmetrical distribution, or in other words, during right traffic the region of the bright-dark limit is at the right from the optical zero position by 15 angular degrees, so that the right roadway edge is illuminated better without blinding the countertraffic. For high beam it is for example characteristic that the light outlet direction extends substantially horizontally, or in other words the high beam has its greatest intensity around the optical zero position. Furthermore, the high beam has a symmetrical light distribution, or in other words no 15% increase and no sharp bright-dark limit, or in other words no screen device or a screen device spaced from the path of rays. For fog beam, it is finally a characteristic that the light outlet direction is inclined by approximately 2% downwardly, or in other words the greatest intensity on a screen arranged at a distance of 10 meters is offset by 20 centimeters from the optical zero position downwardly. A relative inclination of 2% corresponds to an absolute inclination of approximately 1.14 angular degrees. Moreover, the low beam has a symmetric light distribution, or in other words no 15% increase. Furthermore, the fog beam typically has a lower light current than the low beam or the high beam and is arranged as deep as possible on a roadway, to reduce blinding of the driver. Finally, the fog beam illuminates the region in front of the vehicle substantially wider than the low beam or the high beam.
Because of the different characteristics of different light functions, in the prior art, in particular in headlight devices of the modern construction with gas discharge lamps, it is conventional to provide for each light function a special headlight device, which is oriented to the corresponding light functions. From the prior art (for example German patent document DE 44 07 108 A1) two headlight devices are known, which can perform the functions of the low beam and high beam. Because of a great difference in the characteristics for the low beam or high beam and fog beam, in the prior art no headlight devices known which can perform the functions of both a low beam or a high beam and also a fog beam.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a headlight device of the above mentioned general type which is improved and designed so that in addition to a low beam function and/or a high beam function, it can also perform a fog beam function.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated, in a headlight device which has a dispersing element bringable in a path of the light beams reflected by the reflector.
For obtaining the light distribution characteristic for the fog light in the region in front of the vehicle, the inventive headlight device has a dispersing element which is bringable in the path of the light beams reflected by the reflector. The dispersing element must not necessarily be movable itself in order to be brought in the inventive manner into the path of the reflected light beams. It is also possible that the beam path is deviated so wide that the light beams strike on the dispersing element. It is decisive that in accordance with the present invention the headlight arrangement has the dispersing element which in the low beam operation or high beam operation of the headlight device is located outside of the post beam path, and is bringable into the beam path for the fog beam operation in any manner.
The inventive headlight device can, in addition to a low beam, and/or high beam function, perform a fog light function. Thereby an additional reflector and a complete light source-parts set (for gas discharge lamps for example a preswitching device, an ignition device, a lamp plug, a lamp, a cable, etc.) for a separate fog headlight device are dispensed with. A special advantage of the inventive headlight device is that the low beam or the high beam is turned off positively with activated fog beam function, since the light beams of the light source are used for the fog functions. Thereby the blinding of the driver is significantly reduced.
In accordance with a preferable embodiment of the invention, it is proposed the light source and the reflector of the headlight device are turnable about a first turning axis so that the light beams reflected by the reflector impinge on a prism and a dispersing element arranged after the prism. In this embodiment the light source together with the reflector are turned so far out of the position for the low beam and high beam, that the reflected light beams impinge on the prism and then on the dispersing element. The dispersing element is therefore brought in the beam path of the light beams reflected by the reflector so that the beam path is deviated to the dispersing element.
The prism serves for compensating an optical offset of the light beams due to the deviation of the light beams on the prism and the dispersing disk and for deviating the light beams on the dispersing disks so that they leave the dispersing disk as fog light with the known characteristics.The prism can be assembled of a plurality of individual prism segments. Instead of the prism, also another optical component can be utilized which is formed so as to compensate the optic
Grimm Heinz
Redzinsky Kirsten
Wittmeier Erwin
Lee Guiyoung
O'Shea Sandra
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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