VEHICULAR HEADLAMP

• US 20090046474A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Takuo, Komatsu, Motohiro, Uchida, Naoki, Sato, Noriko, Mochizuki, Mitsuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,575,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/466
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/076 by electrical means including means to transmit the movements, e.g. shafts or joints
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/147 the main emission direction of the LED being angled to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/176 Light sources where the light is generated by photoluminescent material spaced from a primary light generating element
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/19 Attachment of light sources or lamp holders achieving variable light distribution by movable light sources F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/657 by moving light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/00 Exterior vehicle lighting devices for illuminating purposes
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/155 having inclined and horizontal cutoff lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A vehicular headlamp includes at least one a light source irradiating visible light and a lens allowing the visible light from the light source to pass through to forward of a vehicle. The light source and the lens are mounted in a rotating element. Alternatively, the vehicular headlamp includes at least one a light source irradiating visible light, and a mirror mounted on a rotating element and arranged to reflect the visible light from the at least one light source to forward of a vehicle. The vehicular headlamp also includes a scanning actuator for reciprocatingly rotating the rotating element so as to form a light distribution pattern forward of the vehicle and a light distribution control portion for controlling the scanning actuator such that a portion of the light distribution pattern is relatively bright.

Claims

1. A vehicular headlamp comprising:

a light source irradiating visible light;

a lens allowing the visible light from the light source to pass through to forward of a vehicle,

wherein the light source and the lens are mounted in a rotating element;

a scanning actuator for reciprocatingly rotating the rotating element

so as to form a light distribution pattern forward of the vehicle; and

a light distribution control portion for controlling the scanning actuator such that a portion of the light distribution pattern is relatively bright.

3. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 1,

wherein the light distribution control portion relatively illuminates an area near a cut-off line of the light distribution pattern.

4. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 1,

wherein the light distribution control portion relatively illuminates an area near a horizontally-centered portion of the light distribution pattern.

5. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 1,

wherein the light distribution control portion comprises:

an actuator control portion for controlling the scanning actuator; and

a light source control portion for controlling a light output of the light source during a stroke of the rotating element.

10. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 3,

wherein the light distribution control portion comprises:

an actuator control portion for controlling the scanning actuator; and

a light source control portion for controlling a light output of the light source during a stroke of the rotating element.

11. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 4,

wherein the light distribution control portion comprises:

an actuator control portion for controlling the scanning actuator; and

a light source control portion for controlling a light output of the light source during a stroke of the rotating element.

14. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the scanning actuator is a two-axis actuator.

17. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

2. A vehicular headlamp comprising:

a light source irradiating a visible light;

a mirror mounted in a rotating element and arranged to reflect the visible light from the light source to forward of a vehicle;

a scanning actuator for reciprocatingly rotating the rotating element so as to form a light distribution pattern forward of the vehicle; and

a light distribution control portion for controlling the scanning actuator such that a portion of the light distribution pattern is relatively bright.

7. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 2,

wherein the light distribution control portion relatively illuminates an area near a cut-off line of the light distribution pattern.

8. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 2,

wherein the light distribution control portion relatively illuminates an area near a horizontally-centered portion of the light distribution pattern.

9. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 2,

wherein the light distribution control portion comprises:

an actuator control portion for controlling the scanning actuator; and

a light source control portion for controlling a light output of the light source during a stroke of the rotating element.

15. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 2, wherein the scanning actuator is a two-axis actuator.

18. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 2, wherein the light source is a light emitting diode.

6. A vehicular headlamp comprising:

a plurality of light sources irradiating visible light;

a mirror mounted in a rotating element and arranged to reflect the visible light from the plurality of light sources to forward of a vehicle;

a scanning actuator for reciprocatingly rotating the rotating element so as to form a light distribution pattern forward of the vehicle; and

a light distribution control portion for controlling the scanning actuator such that a portion of the light distribution pattern is relatively bright

wherein the light distribution control portion comprises;

an actuator control portion for controlling the scanning actuator; and

a light source control portion for controlling a light output of the plurality of the light sources.

12. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 6,

wherein the light distribution control portion relatively illuminates an area near a cut-off line of the light distribution patter.

13. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 6,

wherein the light distribution control portion relatively illuminates an area near a horizontally-centered portion of the light distribution pattern.

16. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 6, wherein the scanning actuator is a two-axis actuator.

19. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of light sources are a light emitting diode.

20. The vehicular headlamp according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of light sources is arranged to form a portion of light distribution pattern forward of the vehicle.