Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-30
2002-07-16
Sember, Thomas M. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S297000, C362S346000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06419380
ABSTRACT:
This invention claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. HEI 2000-097018, filed on Mar. 31, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle lamp for use in the illumination of a headlamp, fog lamp etc., and more particularly relates to a vehicle lamp that forms a light distribution characteristic in a multi-reflex manner using an ellipse group reflector and a parabolic group reflector.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8
shows a conventional vehicle headlight
90
that includes a parabolic group reflecting surface
91
, such as a rotated parabolic surface.
FIG. 9
shows another conventional vehicle headlight
80
that includes an elliptic group reflecting surface
81
, such as a rotated elliptic surface.
The conventional vehicle headlight
90
includes a parabolic group reflecting surface
91
, such as a rotated parabolic surface, having a focus f and rotation axis of an optical axis X, i.e., an illumination direction of the conventional headlight
90
. The headlight
90
also includes a light source
92
, such as a filament, located in a front vicinity of and at a predetermined distance from the focus f of the parabolic group reflecting surface
91
. A shade
92
a
is included for forming low-beam light distribution patterns. Due to the positioning of the light source
92
, light reflected by an upper half of the reflecting surface
91
is directed downward. The shade
92
a
covers a lower half of the light source
92
to prohibit certain light rays from being directed towards a lower half of the parabolic group reflecting surface
91
. The certain light rays would be upwardly directed light rays after being reflected by the lower half of the parabolic group reflecting surface
91
.
The conventional vehicle headlight
80
includes an elliptic group reflecting surface
81
, such as a rotated elliptic surface, having a first focus f
1
and a second focus f
2
, a light source
82
located on the first focus f
1
, a shading plate
83
located in the vicinity of the second focus f
2
, and a projection lens
84
having its focus in the vicinity of the second focus f
2
. Light reflected by the elliptic group reflecting surface
81
converges to the second focus f
2
. An image of luminous flux at the second focus f
2
is projected upside-down in the illumination direction X by the projection lens
84
. When the headlight
80
is placed into low-beam mode, the shading plate
83
prohibits a portion of luminous flux from converging at the second focus f
2
such that a predetermined shape of a low-beam light distribution pattern for the vehicle headlight
80
is provided.
Conventional vehicle headlights
90
and
80
have the following problems. First, the conventional vehicle headlights
90
and
80
have little design flexibility. In the conventional vehicle headlights
90
and
80
, light emitted at all directions from the light source
92
or
82
is reflected into illumination direction X of the headlight
90
or
80
by the parabolic group reflecting surface
91
or the elliptic group reflecting surface
81
to determine the light distribution patterns of the headlights
90
or
80
. Accordingly, either the length or width (as viewed from the front of headlights
80
or
90
) must be larger than 70 mm to provide a sufficient amount of light. If either of the length or width dimensions is equal to or smaller than 70 mm, the utilization efficiency of luminous flux emitted from light source by the reflecting surfaces
91
or
81
greatly decreases, and it is substantially impossible to function as a headlight. In addition, the conventional vehicle headlights
90
and
80
include a shade
92
a
and a shading plate
83
, respectively. The shade
92
a
and the shading plate
83
prohibit substantially half of the total light amount from the light sources
92
and
82
. Therefore, it has been a goal with conventional lights to improve utilization efficiency of lumen output in the low-beam light distribution pattern. The low-beam light distribution is usually employed at night-time while the traveling light distribution (high-beam mode) is usually employed during the day, during a drive on the highway, or in desolate areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to resolve the aforementioned and other problems in the related art, the present invention provides a vehicle light that can include a light source, and at least one first elliptic group reflecting surface that is shaped as a substantial half of an elliptic surface, i.e., the portion that remains after either an upper or lower substantial half of the ellipse is removed. The reflector can have a longitudinal axis on an optical axis of the vehicle light and a first focus in vicinity of the light source. Two second elliptic group reflecting surfaces can be provided and shaped as substantial halves of elliptic surfaces, i.e., the portions that remain after either upper or lower substantial halves of the ellipses are cut-off (both of which substantially correspond to the shape of the first elliptic group reflecting surface). The second elliptic group reflecting surfaces can have longitudinal axes that are substantially horizontally perpendicular to the optical axis of the vehicle light and first foci located in the vicinity of the light source. The vehicle light can also include two third parabolic group reflecting surfaces, each having its optical axis in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the vehicle lamp and its focus in the vicinity of a second focus of each second elliptic group reflecting surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4858090 (1989-08-01), Downs
patent: 4953063 (1990-08-01), Nino
patent: 5636917 (1997-06-01), Furami et al.
patent: 2001/0026457 (2001-10-01), Oyama et al.
patent: 2000-76907 (2000-03-01), None
patent: 2000-182411 (2000-06-01), None
patent: 02001229715 (2001-08-01), None
patent: 02001236808 (2001-08-01), None
Adachi Go
Akutagawa Takashi
Kawaguchi Yoshifumi
Oyama Hiroo
Hobden David V.
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Sember Thomas M.
Stanley Electric Co. Ltd.
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