Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Special application – Vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-26
2001-10-09
Philogene, Haissa (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Special application
Vehicle
C315S083000, C307S010800
Reexamination Certificate
active
06300718
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for control of a lamp. Specifically, the invention is directed to a method and apparatus for controlling a vehicle headlight that uses a single light source (such as a metal halide discharge lamp, etc.) and that is equipped with a beam-type switching device for switching between high beam and low beam.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
FIG. 7
shows an example of the construction of a related art type headlamp
90
. This headlamp
90
is equipped with a light source base
91
, which has a fulcrum
91
a
. A single light source
92
attached to light source base
91
has a lumination source
92
a
. A solenoid
93
is provided at the tip of the opposite side of fulcrum
91
a
of light source base
91
. Beam-type switching is carried out by activating solenoid
93
and shifting the lumination source
92
a
relative to reflector
94
from a low beam position to a high beam position.
The solenoid
93
must maintain lumination source
92
a
in the high beam position during the time period in which the vehicle is driven in the high beam position. It is anticipated that the application of operational electrical power to the solenoid
93
will occur continuously for a rather long time period, for example, during lengthy travel on a high-speed highway. Lumination source
92
a
returns from the high beam position to the low beam position upon deactivation of the solenoid
93
.
However, the solenoid
93
utilized by the related art headlight
90
requires comparatively high electrical power at the start of movement from the low beam position to the high beam position since plunger
93
b
is distant from solenoid body
93
a
at the start of movement.
Although sufficient electrical power is supplied to begin movement of solenoid
93
, as explained previously, this same electrical power is then continuously applied during the time that the vehicle is driven while using the high beam. Therefore excessive heating due to the continuous application of a great deal of electrical power to solenoid
93
occurs and a large-scale size solenoid
93
is necessary to avoid overheating. The related art headlight results in problems to be solved such as higher cost, increased weight, overheating, malfunctioning, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above mentioned problems, the invention relates to a method for controlling a switching device for switching between high beam and low beam in a vehicle lamp which includes providing an initial application of operational electrical power to the switching device, and lowering said operational electrical power after a specific time period has passed after initial application of operational electrical power. The invention also relates to an apparatus such as a headlight capable of switching between a high beam mode and a low beam mode including a switching device activatable by an initial application of operationally electrical power, and electrical power reducing means for lowering said operational electrical power after a specific time period has passed after initial application of operational electrical power.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4208615 (1980-06-01), Jones et al.
patent: 4857794 (1989-08-01), Watanabe
patent: 5536975 (1996-07-01), Jennings
patent: 5997162 (1999-12-01), English et al.
patent: 4435507A1 (1996-04-01), None
patent: 10-092208 (1998-04-01), None
Iwasaki Hiroshi
Okamoto Masahito
Taniuchi Hitoshi
Philogene Haissa
Stanley Electric Co. Ltd.
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