Apparatus for the automatic control of the headlights of a vehicle

• US 3,319,116 A
• Filed: 06/22/1964
• Issued: 05/09/1967
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Georges Schick
• Original Assignee: Georges Schick
• Inventors: GEORGES SCHICK
• Application Number:
  US04/376,897
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• US Class Current: 315/83
• 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 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/3321 Detection of streetlights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF THE HEADLIGHTS OF A VEHICLE HAVING MAIN HEADLIGHTS AND SECONDARY HEADLIGHTS COMPRISING A PHOTOSENSITIVE RESISTOR AND A BIAS RESISTOR CONNECTED IN SERIES BETWEEN THE POLES OF A DIRECT-CURRENT SOURCE, A NUMBER OF TRANSISTORS WHOSE BASES ARE CONNECTED TO THE POINT OF CONTACT BETWEEN THE SAID RESISTORS SO THAT THEIR VOLTAGE VARIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHTING TO WHICH THE PHOTOSENSITIVE RESISTOR IS EXPOSED, THE SAID TRANSISTORS BEING SO ADJUSTED THAT THEY ARE EACH TRIGGERED AT A DIFFERENT VALUE OF THE SAID VOLTAGE, A NUMBER OF RELAYS EACH CONTROLLED BY MEANS OF ONE OF THE SAID TRANSISTORS, ONE OF THE SAID RELAYS RENDERING THE SIDELIGHTS OF THE VEHICLE OPERATIVE WHEN THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT ON THE PHOTOSENSITIVE RESISTOR FALLS BELOW A FIRST THRESHOLD, THE SECOND RELAY RENDERING THE SECONDARY HEADLIGHTS OPERATIVE WHEN THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT ON THE PHOTOSENSITIVE RESISTOR DECREASES BELOW A SECOND THRESHOLD LOWER THAN THE FIRST, AND THE THIRD RELAY RENDERING THE MAIN DRIVING HEADLIGHTS OF THE VEHICLE OPERATIVE WHEN THE INTENSITY OF THE LIGHT ON THE PHOTOSENSITIVE RESISTOR FALLS BELOW A THIRD THRESHOLD LOWER THAN THE SECOND.