Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-27
2001-09-04
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C512S014000, C512S014000, C512S014000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283623
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to a method and an apparatus for remote lighting and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for remote lighting having a source and an optical guide or cable which cooperatively provide multiple lighting functions, patterns, and/or intensities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Remote lighting systems are typically used to generate light and to communicatively “guide” the generated light to one or more locations which are remotely located from the light source. These systems are typically used in a wide variety of applications and devices, such as within vehicles, and include a light generating source, a “collector” which receives and/or collects the generated light, and one or more optical guides or fibers which communicatively guide or transmit the generated light to one or more locations remote from the source through the principal of “total internal reflection”. The transmitted and/or guided light is emitted and/or projected onto a lens assembly which refracts the emitted light in a desired manner, thereby producing a desired intensity, pattern and/or lighting function (e.g., a “high beam” or “low beam” function).
For example and without limitation, in remote vehicular lighting systems, optical guides or fibers are adapted to selectively transmit light which is generated by a source within a vehicle to a vehicle's headlamps or “headlights”. While these types of remote lighting systems provide advantages over non-remote type systems (e.g., they require less power consumption, provide greater light intensity, and are less susceptible to damage), they suffer from some drawbacks.
Particularly, these types of remote vehicular lighting systems generally require separate light generating sources to respectively produce a “low beam” and “high beam” headlamp function, intensity, and/or pattern. For example and without limitation, many of these vehicular lighting systems use separate or “stand-alone” lamps having conventional incandescent bulbs, to generate and/or provide a “high beam” type of light having a relatively high intensity and a distinct pattern. These separate lamps draw a relatively high amount of power which undesirably discharges and/or “drains” a significant amount of power or charge from the vehicle's battery. Other prior vehicular lighting systems use a single light emitting/generating source and separate guides or cables which cooperatively and selectively produce both high beam and low beam types of light or functions. The use of these separate and/or additional optical guides or cables undesirably increases overall system cost and increases the complexity and the likelihood of component failure in these systems.
There is therefore a need for a method and an apparatus for remote lighting which overcomes at least some of the various previously delineated drawbacks of these prior remote lighting systems; which employs a single source to provide multiple types of lighting functions and/or lighting patterns; which obviates the need for multiple fiber optic cables or guides; which performs different or multiple lighting functions; and which substantially minimizes the amount of power required to perform these multiple lighting functions and/or to selectively provide these multiple types of light.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for remote lighting which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated disadvantages of prior remote lighting systems and assemblies.
It is second object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for remote lighting which uses reduced amounts or levels of power.
It is a third object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for remote lighting which includes a source and an optical guide or cable which cooperatively provide multiple lighting functions, patterns, and/or intensities.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for use with a remote lighting system of the type having a light generating source is provided. The apparatus includes a first optical guide which receives the generated light and which transmits the received light to a first location which is remote from the source. The optical guide is movable from a first position to a second position. The apparatus further includes a first lens which receives the light when the guide resides in the first position; and a second lens which receives the light when the guide resides in the second position.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for use with a remote lighting system of the type having a light generating source is provided. The apparatus includes a first optical guide which receives a portion of the generated light and transmits the received light to a location remote from the source; and a lens assembly having a first lens and a second lens. The first and second lenses are selectively movable from a first position in which a portion of the transmitted light passes through the first lens to a second position in which a portion of the transmitted light passes through the second lens.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for remote lighting is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a source for generating light; providing a conduit which receives the generated light and which emits the generated light from a first end; providing a first lens; providing a second lens; and selectively moving the first end between a first position in which a portion of the emitted light is coupled to the first lens and a second position in which a portion of the emitted light is coupled to the second lens.
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Chinniah Jeyachandrabose
Fallahi Amir M
Patel Balvantrai
Neils Peggy
O'Shea Sandra
Visteon Global Tech.
Visteon Global Tech. Inc.
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