Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Projection-type headlamp
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-19
2001-01-09
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Projection-type headlamp
C362S509000, C362S547000, C362S305000, C362S345000, C362S361000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170970
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp and more particularly to a vehicle lamp that has a shade which covers a light source for preventing generation of dazzling light rays.
2. Prior Art
It is well known that a vehicle lamp includes an element that is called shade. The shade covers at least the front end portion of a light source so as to prevent light rays emitted from the light source from becoming dazzling light rays which is generally called a “glare light”.
In the above vehicle lamp, however, heat generated by the light source is likely to accumulate within the shade without escaping, which increases the temperature of the area around the light source.
When the temperature of the area around the light source increases, various problems occur. For example, exfoliation of the plating applied to the shade occurs, thus darkening the shade, and the life of the light source is shortened. The heat accumulated inside the shade also likely to damage a leg portion of the shade which supports the shade to a reflector or a lamp body. So as to avoid this, the leg portion may be provided on the side surface of the shade; however, with this structure, the light rays emitted from the light source and laterally directed will be blocked by the leg portion, resulting in that the quantity of light becomes insufficient.
If the shade is designed so as to cover only the front portion of the light source in order to avoid the heat generated by the light source from accumulating in the shade, the light rays emitted in the lateral and downward directions are reflected by the side surface and lower surface of the reflector, respectively. If this occurs, the pedestrian may be dazzled by the glare of the light laterally emitted from the lamp of the approaching vehicle. The driver of the vehicle may also be dazzled by the glare of the light emitted upward from the lamp of the approaching vehicle if the approaching vehicle has the shade described above. In case of driving in the rain, such a dazzling light may result in optical film phenomenon in the front of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle lamp that can prevent a generation of the glare light and decrease the temperature around the light source of the vehicle lamp that has a shade covering the light source.
In order to accomplish the object, in the vehicle lamp of the present invention, the shade is provided with a slit which extends in the axial direction of the shade from the open rear end of the shade.
Accordingly, the vehicle lamp of the present invention can keep the temperature around the light source low without allowing the heat generated by the light emitted from the light source to accumulate inside the shade and can prevent the light rays from radiating to the front of the light source, thus eliminating glare light.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5067054 (1991-11-01), Oshio et al.
patent: 5195815 (1993-03-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 5430623 (1995-07-01), Uchida
patent: 5567033 (1996-10-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5782550 (1998-07-01), Ohashi et al.
patent: 5971575 (1999-10-01), Matubara
Alavi Ali
Koda & Androlia
Koito Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
O'Shea Sandra
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