Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Light modifier
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-04
2003-05-20
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Light modifier
C362S283000, C362S465000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06565246
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular headlamp for a vehicle which changes the pattern and range of illumination in response to the turning angle of the vehicle, and to a vehicle provided with a vehicular headlamp. More particularly, it relates to a headlamp capable of either independently or simultaneously changing a dispersed light pattern or collimated light pattern with respect to a fixed light pattern, resulting in an improvement in visibility in a curve, and to a vehicle incorporating such a headlamp.
2. Related Art
It is first noted that as used herein and in the accompanying drawings, the symbols L and R refer to the left side and right side, respectively, as seen by a front-facing driver, and the symbols U and D refer to the upward and downward directions, respectively, as seen from a front-facing driver.
The symbol Z-Z refers to a light axis, and so far as applicable, concurrently represents a reference plane that contains both the light axis and a vehicle-transversely level line crossing the light axis, the symbols HL-HR and HL-HR refer to a horizontal axis horizontal to the light axis Z-Z or a horizontal axis horizontal to a light-distribution axis, and the symbol VU-VD refers to a vertical axis vertical to the light axis Z-Z or a vertical axis vertical to a light-distribution axis.
This type of vehicular headlamp generally has a light-source bulb, a movable reflector, and a drive means for causing rotation of the movable reflector, the drive means causing rotation of the movable reflector so as to cause a change in the illumination direction from the light-source bulb and the range of illumination thereof. Such a vehicular headlamp is noted, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-23216, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publications No. 8-183385 and No. 11-78675.
In a vehicular headlamp of the past as noted above, all that is done is that part of the light-distribution pattern is changed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a headlamp for a vehicle capable of individually or simultaneously changing the dispersed light-distribution pattern and/or collimated light-distribution pattern with respect to a fixed reference pattern, resulting in an improvement in visibility in a curve.
The present invention provides a vehicular head lamp comprising a reflector comprising an effective reflective surface with an unchangeable outer shape, the effective reflective surface comprising a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface surrounded by the first reflective surface, wherein the second reflective surface is movable relative the first reflective surface, and a light-source bulb disposed on a light axis of the first reflective surface.
Accordingly, the above-noted object can be achieved.
The effective reflective surface may preferably further comprise a third reflective surface surrounded by the first reflective surface, the third reflective surface being movable relative to the first reflective surface.
An aspect of the present invention is a vehicle provided with a vehicular headlamp, wherein the reflector is divided into three parts to be an upper reflector positioned above a reference plane including the light axis and a vehicle-transversely level line, a lower reflector positioned below the reference plane, and an intermediate reflector intersecting the reference plane, the intermediate reflector is configured to have the first reflective surface, light from the light-source bulb reflected therefrom being provided to the vehicle as a reference light-distribution pattern, the upper reflector is configured to have the second reflective surface, light from the light-source bulb reflected therefrom being provided as a dispersed light-distribution pattern relative to the reference light-distribution pattern, and the lower reflector is configured to have the third reflective surface, light from the light-source bulb reflected therefrom being provided as a collimated light-distribution pattern relative to the reference light-distribution pattern.
As a result of this configuration, in a vehicle provided with a vehicular head lamp according to the present invention, the upper reflector is caused to rotate with respect to the intermediate reflector, so that the dispersed light-distribution pattern is changed with respect to the fixed reference light-distribution pattern, and the lower reflector is caused to rotate with respect to the intermediate reflector, so that the collimated light-distribution pattern is changed with respect to the fixed reference light-distribution pattern, these changes in light-distribution patterns improving the visibility in a curve.
Another aspect of the present invention is a vehicle provided with a vehicular head lamp, wherein the reflector is divided into two parts to be an upper reflector positioned above a reference plane including the light axis and a vehicle-transversely level line, and a lower reflector intersecting the reference plane, wherein the lower reflector is configured to have the first reflective surface, light from the light-source bulb reflected therefrom being provided to the vehicle as a reference light-distribution pattern, the upper reflector is configured to have the second reflective surface, light from the light-source bulb reflected therefrom being provided as a dispersed light-distribution pattern relative to the reference light-distribution pattern, and the upper reflector is pivotable about an axis inclined toward the rear relative to the vehicle.
As a result of this configuration, in a vehicle provided with a vehicular head lamp according to the present invention, the upper reflector is caused to rotate with respect to the intermediate reflector, so that the dispersed light-distribution pattern is changed with respect to the fixed reference light-distribution pattern, and the lower reflector is caused to rotate with respect to a vertical axis, so that the dispersed light-distribution pattern is lowered to in front of the vehicle. For this reason, there is an improvement in the visibility in a curve.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5060120 (1991-10-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5599085 (1997-02-01), Tabata et al.
patent: 5711590 (1998-01-01), Gotoh et al.
patent: 6059435 (2000-05-01), Hamm et al.
patent: 5-23216 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 7-195974 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 8-183385 (1996-07-01), None
patent: 11-78675 (1999-03-01), None
Kawamura Takayuki
Suzuki Yasufumi
Yoneyama Hirokazu
Foley & Lardner
Ichikoh Industries Ltd.
O'Shea Sandra
Truong Bao
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