Headlight for vehicle

• US 4,833,573 A
• Filed: 12/22/1987
• Issued: 05/23/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Seisakusho Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Seisakusho Company Limited
• Inventors: Miyauchi, Shizuya, Wada, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ostrager, Allen M.
• Application Number:
  US07/137,021
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 362/71, 362/72
• US Class Current: 362/466
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/115 by electric means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/136 Roll

Abstract

A headlight for use in a vehicle and of the type including a light source and a lens which are rotatable around the optical axis of the light source and the lens to define the inclination of the distribution of the light beam in the transverse directions. The light source and the lens are formed unitally and are supported in a lamp body rotatably around the optical axis, and the lamp body is provided with a driving device for rotating the integrally formed light source and the lens.

Claims

1. A headlight for use in a vehicle comprising:

a lamp body;

a reflector fixedly mounted in said lamp body;

a light source and a lens;

a connecting member for integrally connecting said light source and said lens;

means for rotatably mounting said light source, lens and connecting member within said lamp body around the optical axis thereof; and

driving means for rotating the integrally connected light source, lens and connecting member relative to said lamp body and said reflector for defining the inclination of the distribution of a light beam produced by said headlight.

2. A headlight according to claim 1, further comprising means for detecting the inclination of the vehicle body, means for detecting the rotation of said integrally connected light source, lens and connecting member, and means for controlling the rotation of said light source, lens, and connecting member in response to the inclination of the vehicle body.

3. A headlight according to claim 1 further comprising means for mounting the lamp body on the vehicle rotatably so as to incline the lamp body in the longitudinal directions of the vehicle, driving means for rotating the lamp body, means for detecting the inclination of the vehicle body in the longitudinal directions of the vehicle, means for detecting the rotation of the lamp body, and means for controlling the rotation of the lamp body in the longitudinal directions of the vehicle in response to the inclination of the vehicle body in the longitudinal directions.

4. A headlight according to claim 2, wherein said means for detecting the inclination of the vehicle body comprises a rotor driven by an electric motor and supported on a gimbal device for maintaining the rotor at a predetermined attitude irrespective to the inclination of the vehicle body and a potentiometer generating an electric signal corresponding to the relative inclination between the rotor and the vehicle body, and means for controlling the rotation of the lamp body and the lens comprises an electric circuit for actuating and deactuating the operation of said driving means in response to said electric signal.

5. A headlight according to claim 2, further comprising means for mounting the lamp body on the vehicle rotatably so as to incline the lamp body in the longitudinal directions of the vehicle, driving means for rotating the lamp body, means for detecting the inclination of the vehicle body in the longitudinal directions of the vehicle, means for detecting the rotation of the lamp body, and means for controlling the rotation of the lamp body in the longitudinal directions of the vehicle in response to the inclination of the vehicle body in the longitudinal directions.

6. A headlight according to claim 1, wherein said connecting member comprises a circular plate portion having an opening in a central portion thereof, means for mounting said light source in said opening, a plurality of curved arms connected at one end to said circular plate portion, and a radial flange portion connected to other ends of said arms, said lens being carried by said radial flange portion.

7. A headlight according to claim 6, wherein said means for mounting said light source in said opening comprises a tubular portion fixed to said circular plate portion around said opening and a bulb mounting tube fitted in and secured to said tubular portion.

8. A headlight according to claim 7, wherein said driving means comprises a gear plate fixed to said tubular portion.

9. A headlight according to claim 6, wherein said arms are positioned inside said reflector and are curved to conform with a shape of said reflector.