LIGHTING SYSTEMS FOR ROAD VEHICLES

• US 3,736,416 A
• Filed: 11/11/1971
• Issued: 05/29/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alan Goodwin
• Original Assignee: Alan Goodwin
• Inventors: Goodwin, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Horan, John M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Braun, Fred L.
• Application Number:
  US05/197,864
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 240/7.1R,8.1R,46.05,46.17,46.21,46.25,46.29,DIG.6 250/227
• US Class Current: 362/276
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• 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 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/686 Blades, i.e. screens moving in a vertical plane

Abstract

A lighting system for a road vehicle includes a projector for producing a well defined beam of light illuminating the road in front of the vehicle and a receiver including a light sensitive device for receiving light from a remote light source in front of the vehicle in use. The system includes a shutter movable in response to light received by the receiver, to cut off a sufficient amount of the projected beam to ensure that the projected beam does not fall on the remote light source, and the system includes a light directing arrangement for directing light from the projector into the receiver in the operative condition of the system where there is no remote light source in the field of view of the receiver.

Claims

1. A lighting system for a road vehicle, including a projector having a light source for producing a well defined beam of light illuminating the road in front of the vehicle in use, a receiver including a light sensitive device for receiving light from a remote light source in front of the vehicle in use, means operable in response to light received by said receiver for cutting off a sufficient amount of said projected beam to ensure that the projected beam does not fall on said remote light source, and, means for directing a portion of the light emitted by the projector onto said light sensitive means in the operative condition of the system where there is no remote light source in the field of view of the receiver.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the light directed onto the light sensitive device is derived from the projector light source.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the projector includes a lens for producing a well defined beam of light, a mask having therein a first aperture, and focusing means associated with the light source so that an image of said light source appears in said aperture and a well defined image of said aperture is projected forwardly to constitute said beam, said receiver including a lens for projecting an image of a remote light source into a second aperture in a second mask and thence onto the light sensitive device, and said means operable in response to light received by said receiver including a pair of interconnected shutters movable across said first and second apertures respectively, the shutters being moved to progressively close their respective apertures when light falls on the light sensitive device until a position is reached where the leading edge of the receiver shutter corresponds to the position of the image of the remote light source in the second aperture and wherein the projector shutter cuts off a sufficient amount of the projected beam to prevent the projected beam falling on the remote light source.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said means for directing a portion of the light onto the light sensitive device from the projector light source is a light conductive device so arranged that the light path between the projector light source and the light sensitive device is only complete in a position of the shutters corresponding to a predetermined maximum opening of the first and second apertUres.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 in which the light conductive device is carried by the assembly of said shutters and can only receive light from said light source in said position of the shutters.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4 in which the light conductive device is stationary relative to said shutters and is masked from said light sensitive device by the receiver shutter except in said position of the shutters.