Auto-leveling system for vehicle headlamp

• US 20030193812A1
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Published: 10/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Toda, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,014,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/10 due to vehicle inclination, e.g. due to load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/116 Vehicle at a stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch

Abstract

A auto-leveling system for vehicle headlamp comprises a headlamp an optical axis L of which is tilted vertically by a drive of a motor, a control unit 16 for controlling the drive of the motor 10, a vehicle pitch angle sensing means 14, and a headlamp lighting switch 11, whereby the control unit 16 controls the drive of the motor 10 based on a sensed pitch angle such that the optical axis of the headlamp is always set to a predetermined tilted state with respect to a road surface when the headlamp lighting switch is in an ON state, wherein the system has a daytime running light lighting deciding function, and the control unit 16 controls the drive of the motor 10 so as to fix the optical axis L of the headlamp at a frontal lower limit position when the headlamp lighting switch 11 is in an OFF state and a daytime running light is turned on. Thus, the drive of the motor 10 in a daytime running is eliminated and a load applied to the motor 10 is reduced.

Claims

1. An auto-leveling system for vehicle headlamp comprising:

a headlamp an optical axis of which is tilted vertically to a vehicle body by driving an actuator;

a control unit for controlling a drive of the actuator;

a pitch angle sensing means for sensing a pitch angle of a vehicle; and

a headlamp lighting switch, whereby the control unit controls a drive of the actuator based on the pitch angle being sensed by the pitch angle sensing means such that the optical axis of the headlamp is always set to a predetermined tilted state with respect to a road surface when the headlamp lighting switch is in an ON state;

wherein the system has a daytime running light lighting deciding function, and the control unit controls the drive of the actuator so as to fix the optical axis of the headlamp at a frontal lower limit position when the headlamp lighting switch is in an OFF state and a daytime running light is turned on.

2. An auto-leveling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a daytime running light lighting switch connected with the control unit.

3. An auto-leveling system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said a daytime running light lighting switch is functioned by an ignition switch to start an engine of the vehicle.

4. An auto-leveling system for vehicle headlamp comprising:

a headlamp an optical axis of which is tilted vertically to a vehicle body by driving an actuator;

a control unit for controlling a drive of the actuator;

a speed sensing means for sensing a speed of a vehicle;

a pitch angle sensing means for sensing a pitch angle of the vehicle; and

a headlamp lighting switch, whereby the control unit controls a drive of the actuator based on the pitch angle being sensed by the pitch angle sensing means independently of whether or not a posture of the vehicle is stabilized statically such that the optical axis of the headlamp is always set to a predetermined tilted state with respect to a road surface when the headlamp lighting switch is in an ON state;

wherein the system has a daytime running light lighting deciding function and is constructed to alternatively select a dynamic auto-leveling process, which executes a drive control of the actuator independently of whether or not the posture of the vehicle is stabilized statically, and a static auto-leveling process, which executes the drive control of the actuator as far as the posture of the vehicle is stabilized statically, or the like, as an auto-leveling process, and

the control unit is constructed to select the dynamic auto-leveling process when the headlamp light switch is in an ON state, and select the static auto-leveling process when the headlamp light switch is in an OFF state and a daytime running light is turned on.

5. An auto-leveling system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a daytime running light lighting switch connected with the control unit whereby realizing the daytime running light lighting deciding function.

6. An auto-leveling system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said a daytime running light lighting switch is functioned by an ignition switch to start an engine of the vehicle.