Single-mode vehicular headlamp system
First Claim
1. A roadway lighting system for a motor vehicle comprising, in combination;
- a single pair of headlamps mounted on the front of the vehicle and on opposite sides of its centerline so that one of said headlamps constitutes a left headlamp and the remaining headlamp a right headlamp, relative to the position of the operator of the vehicle,a single light source within each of said headlamps, andmeans for energizing said headlamps including a switch for operating and de-activating the light sources in unison and thereby providing a single mode of roadway illumination that is used for all driving conditions,each of said headlamps having a reflector component and a lens component that define a housing and direct the light rays generated by the associated light sources into a light beam of controlled intensity and configuration,said lens components having different light-modifying characteristics that are adapted to provide different beam patterns which complement one another,(a) the left headlamp having a lens component such that the left headlamp produces a beam pattern which has a sharp horizontal cut-off, a concentrated region of maximum light intensity that is located substantially below the horizontal axis and to the right of the vertical axis, and additional regions of light that surround the maximum light intensity region and together therewith provides long range illumination of the roadway in front of the vehicle,(b) the right headlamp having a lens component such that the right headlamp produces a beam pattern which includes a concentrated region of maximum light intensity that is also located substantially below the horizontal axis and to the right of the vertical axis and merges with additional surrounding regions of light that extend laterally and thereby provide short range illumination of the roadway as well as fill-in illumination for the center of the driving lane between the two maximum-intensity light regions, the beam intensity of the right headlamp being less than that of the left headlamp.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A single pair of headlamps that each contain a single on-focus light source and produce different but complementary beam patterns are mounted on a motor vehicle to provide a composite beam of intense non-glare light that is used for city, rural and turnpike driving and thus remains "fixed" and constant for all driving conditions. The use of a single light source in each headlamp improves the optical efficiency of the lighting system and provides both long range and short range illumination of the roadway with a minimum amount of energy and drain on the electrical system of the vehicle. The headlamps are not interchangeable and must be mounted in proper relationship on the vehicle to provide the single-mode illumination. However, they can be of circular or rectangular shape and have reflector and lens components that are preferably hermetically sealed to one another to provide sealed-beam type lamps, or which can be separated and thus form housings that can be opened to permit the light sources to be removed and replaced. When the headlamps are of sealed-beam construction, a coiled wire filament or a compact halogen-cycle type incandescent lamp can be used as the light source. Standard compact incandescent lamps or halogen-cycle incandescent lamps are employed in headlamps that are not hermetically sealed. Reflector components of dual-segment construction can also be used to obtain beam patterns having the proper characteristics.
15 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A roadway lighting system for a motor vehicle comprising, in combination;
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a single pair of headlamps mounted on the front of the vehicle and on opposite sides of its centerline so that one of said headlamps constitutes a left headlamp and the remaining headlamp a right headlamp, relative to the position of the operator of the vehicle, a single light source within each of said headlamps, and means for energizing said headlamps including a switch for operating and de-activating the light sources in unison and thereby providing a single mode of roadway illumination that is used for all driving conditions, each of said headlamps having a reflector component and a lens component that define a housing and direct the light rays generated by the associated light sources into a light beam of controlled intensity and configuration, said lens components having different light-modifying characteristics that are adapted to provide different beam patterns which complement one another, (a) the left headlamp having a lens component such that the left headlamp produces a beam pattern which has a sharp horizontal cut-off, a concentrated region of maximum light intensity that is located substantially below the horizontal axis and to the right of the vertical axis, and additional regions of light that surround the maximum light intensity region and together therewith provides long range illumination of the roadway in front of the vehicle, (b) the right headlamp having a lens component such that the right headlamp produces a beam pattern which includes a concentrated region of maximum light intensity that is also located substantially below the horizontal axis and to the right of the vertical axis and merges with additional surrounding regions of light that extend laterally and thereby provide short range illumination of the roadway as well as fill-in illumination for the center of the driving lane between the two maximum-intensity light regions, the beam intensity of the right headlamp being less than that of the left headlamp. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification