Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-08
2003-01-21
Husar, Stephen (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S518000, C362S512000, C362S464000, C362S465000, C362S322000, C362S324000, C362S284000, C362S282000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508575
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp for an automobile for illuminating left side and right side with respect to a direction of travel of the automobile, and more particularly, to a lamp for an automobile in which special space for mounting the lamp to a vehicle body is unnecessary, synthesis of desired light distribution pattern can easily be obtained, and excellent bend light distribution pattern can be obtained at the time of medium speed or high speed running.
In the present specification and drawings, a symbol “L” means “left side” as viewed from a driver's side, a symbol “R” means “right side” as viewed from the driver's side, a symbol “U” means “up side” as viewed from the driver's side, a symbol “D” means “down side” as viewed from the driver's side, a symbol “F” means “front side” as viewed from the driver's side, and a symbol “B” means “back side” as viewed from the driver's side. Symbols “HL-HR” and “HR-HL” mean “horizontal axis” which is horizontal with respect to an optical axis of a head lamp for the automobile or “horizontal axis” of light distribution pattern. A symbol “VU-VD” means “vertical axis” which is vertical with respect to an optical axis of the head lamp for the automobile or “vertical axis” of light distribution pattern. A symbol “ZF-ZB” means a direction of travel of the automobile which is in parallel to the optical axis of the head lamp for the automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the research of the present inventors, as shown in
FIG. 1
, automobile head lamps
100
are generally mounted to left and right sides of front portions of an automobile
300
, e.g., on front bumper sides separately from automobile head lamps
200
.
The automobile head lamps
100
light up when a blinker switch is ON and a steering wheel is being operated, a light distribution pattern BP for bend beam shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
is obtained, and left and right sides of the automobile with respect to a direction of straight traveling of the automobile are illuminated.
That is, as shown in
FIG. 2
, a light distribution pattern BP for bend beam is synthesized with right side of a light distribution pattern LP for low beam (dipped-beam) obtained by the automobile head lamp
200
, and the right side of the automobile is illuminated. Further, as shown in
FIG. 3
, the light distribution pattern BP for bend beam is synthesized with right side of a light distribution pattern HP for high beam (traveling beam) obtained by the automobile head lamp
200
, and the right side of the automobile is illuminated.
Although it is not illustrated in the drawings, when the blinker switch is ON leftward and the steering wheel is operated leftward, the bend beam light distribution pattern BP is synthesized with the left side of the low beam light distribution pattern LP and the high beam light distribution pattern HP, and the left side of the automobile is illuminated.
The light distribution patterns LP and HP shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
are those under the keep to the left traffic, and under the keep to the right traffic, the light distribution patterns LP and HP are reversed left to right.
However, since the above-described conventional automobile bend lamps
100
are mounted to the automobile
300
separately from the automobile head lamps
200
, there are following problems:
That is, special space for mounting the automobile bend lamp to the vehicle body is required, and this limits the design of the automobile.
If the vehicle type differs, positions for mounting the automobile bend lamp
100
to the vehicle body differs. The bend beam light distribution pattern BP and the low beam light distribution pattern LP are not easily synthesized due to variation in mounting precision. For example, the bend beam should basically be located on the right side (or left side) of the low beam light distribution pattern LP as shown with dotted line in
FIG. 2
, but the bend beam light distribution pattern BP may be located at a position lower to the basic position in some cases. In such a case, the mounting position of the automobile bend lamp
100
is adjusted to obtain desired light distribution patterns LP and BP.
Further, at the time of the automobile
300
's medium speed or high speed running, it is necessary to visually check far sight. Therefore, it is preferable to synthesize an auxiliary hot zone HZ′ (shown with broken line) with left and right sides of a hot zone HZ (shown with solid line) of the high beam light distribution pattern HP as shown in FIG.
3
. However, since the bend beam light distribution pattern BP is located on the right side (or left wide) of the high beam light distribution pattern HP, the bend beam light distribution pattern BP for illuminating left or right side with respect to the direction of travel of the automobile
300
is visually obtrusive on the contrary at the time of medium speed or high speed running.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thereupon, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lamp for an automobile in which special space for mounting the lamp to a vehicle body is unnecessary, synthesis of desired light distribution pattern can easily be obtained, and excellent bend light distribution pattern can be obtained at the time of medium speed or high speed running.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an automobile lamp comprising a reflector for forming a light distribution pattern by reflecting light from a light source, an effective reflecting surface provided on the reflector for forming at least one of a low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam light distribution pattern, a non-effective reflecting surface provided on the reflector for forming at least one of a low bend beam light distribution pattern and a high bend beam light distribution pattern, a light source valve disposed on the reflector on the side of the non-effective reflecting surface, a movable shade disposed around the light source valve such that the movable shade can move between a first position and a second position, driving means for moving the movable shade between the first position and the second position, a first reflecting surface provided on the non-effective reflecting surface of the reflector for forming the low bend beam light distribution pattern with light from the light source valve when the movable shade moves to the first position, and a second reflecting surface provided on the non-effective reflecting surface of the reflector for forming the high bend beam light distribution pattern with light from the light source valve when the movable shade moves to the second position.
Since the automobile bend lamp of the present invention is mounted to the reflector of the automobile head lamp, special space for mounting the bend lamp to the vehicle body is unnecessary, and the problem of limitation of the design of the automobile is solved.
In the case of the automobile bend lamp in the automobile lamp of the invention, even if the type of vehicle differs, a desired light distribution pattern can easily be obtained with out variation in mounting precision by mounting the automobile bend lamp to the reflector of the automobile head lamp.
The automobile lamp of the invention can obtain the excellent spot-like high bend beam light distribution pattern HBP at the time of medium speed running by the second reflecting surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5264993 (1993-11-01), Neumann et al.
patent: 6328463 (2001-12-01), Okubo
Fukushima Shouichi
Okubo Yasuhiro
Foley & Lardner
Husar Stephen
Ichikoh Industries Ltd.
Zeade Bertrand
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