Safety Improvements to Headlamps
First Claim
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1. A headlamp system for a vehicle comprising:
- at least one headlamp which is switchable between at least a high beam mode and a low beam mode, in which the headlamp emits a high beam and a low beam respectively, and wherein said high beam is of higher intensity than said low beam;
a biased actuator which is movable by a driver of the vehicle between a temporary-on position and an off position, and which is biased from said temporary-on position to said off position; and
a headlamp which is arranged to emit a safety flash when said biased actuator is moved to said temporary-on position;
wherein the overall duration of the safety flash is automatically limited to a value which is less than 2 seconds; and
wherein a first force applied by said driver to said biased actuator is sufficient to initiate said safety flash, and wherein a second force of greater magnitude than said first force applied by a driver in the same direction as said first force is sufficient to initiate a high beam flash, being a flash which is not automatically limited to a duration of less than 2 seconds.
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Abstract
A headlamp system for a vehicle comprises:
- at least one headlamp which is switchable between at least a high beam mode and a low beam mode, in which the headlamp emits a high beam and a low beam respectively, and wherein said high beam is of higher intensity than said low beam;
- a biased actuator which is movable by a driver of the vehicle between a temporary-on position and an off position, and which is biased from said temporary-on position to said off position; and
- a headlamp which is arranged to emit a safety flash when said biased actuator is moved to said temporary-on position;
- wherein the overall duration of the safety flash is automatically limited to a value which is less than 2 seconds.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A headlamp system for a vehicle comprising:
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at least one headlamp which is switchable between at least a high beam mode and a low beam mode, in which the headlamp emits a high beam and a low beam respectively, and wherein said high beam is of higher intensity than said low beam; a biased actuator which is movable by a driver of the vehicle between a temporary-on position and an off position, and which is biased from said temporary-on position to said off position; and a headlamp which is arranged to emit a safety flash when said biased actuator is moved to said temporary-on position; wherein the overall duration of the safety flash is automatically limited to a value which is less than 2 seconds; and wherein a first force applied by said driver to said biased actuator is sufficient to initiate said safety flash, and wherein a second force of greater magnitude than said first force applied by a driver in the same direction as said first force is sufficient to initiate a high beam flash, being a flash which is not automatically limited to a duration of less than 2 seconds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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10. (canceled)
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11. (canceled)
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17. A method of producing a safety flash of at least one headlamp of a vehicle having a driver, said method including:
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providing a biased actuator having a temporary-on position and an off position, and which is biased from said temporary-on position towards said off position; in response to a first force applied by said driver to said biased actuator, initiating a safety flash of said at least one headlamp; and automatically ending said safety flash at the end of a limited duration, if the safety flash has not ended earlier, so that the overall duration of said safety flash is limited to said limited duration; wherein said limited duration is a value which is less than 2 seconds; and in response to a second force of greater magnitude than said first force applied by a driver in the same direction as said first force initiating a high beam flash, being a flash which is not automatically limited to said limited duration. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification