Vehicular headlamp having uniform appearance

• US 5,394,310 A
• Filed: 03/25/1994
• Issued: 02/28/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Masahito
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan B.
• Application Number:
  US08/217,702
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/242, 362/243, 362/244-248, 362/308, 362/309, 362/328, 362/329, 362/331, 362/332, 362/344, 362/346, 362/297
• US Class Current: 362/538
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0041 of several lamps in relation to each other
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/50 characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers

Abstract

A vehicular headlamp which has a good uniformity of design and a good appearance when viewed from the front. A first lamp of the reflection type having a light source and a parabolic reflector circular when viewed from the front, and second and third lamps of the projection type having light sources, substantially elliptic reflectors, and projection lenses circular when viewed from the front, are horizontally arrayed. Profile lines, circular when seen from the front, are formed on a transparent front cover assembled over the front opening portion of the lamp body at positions corresponding to the three lamps and matching the circumferential profiles of the reflector or the projection lenses, whereby a horizontal array of the three profile lines appears in the front cover, providing the headlamp with a good uniformity of design.

Claims

1. A vehicular headlamp comprising:

a lamp body, a first lamp of a reflection type comprising a light source and a parabolic reflector and circular in shape when seen from the front of the headlamp, and second and third lamps of projection type, each of said second and third lamps comprising a light source, a substantially elliptic reflector, and a projection lens circular in shape when viewed from the front of the headlamp, said first, second and third lamps being horizontally arrayed within said lamp body, a transparent front cover disposed over a front opening in said lamp body, first, second and third profile lines, circular when viewed from the front, being formed on said front cover at positions corresponding respectively to said first, second and third lamps and respectively matching in configuration circumferential profiles of said reflector said projection lenses of said second and third lamps, whereby a horizontal array of said three profile lines appears on said front cover.

2. The headlamp according to claim 1, wherein said first, second and third profile lines are of respective large, medium and small sizes, and are horizontally arrayed in the stated order from an inner side of a vehicle on which said headlamp is to be mounted to an outer side thereof.

3. The headlamp according to claim 2, wherein a light distribution step area is formed on a portion of said front cover corresponding to said reflection lamp, and a second step area, having a configuration similar to a configuration of said light distribution step area, is formed around said profile lines on said front cover.

4. The headlamp according to claim 3, wherein said profile lines are formed by stepped lines formed along boundaries between respective portions of said front lens corresponding to said reflector and said projection lenses.

5. The headlamp according to claim 1, further comprising an internal cover provided between said lamp body and said front cover, said internal cover extending around at least said projection lamps and having a mirrored surface so that the inside of said lamp has a uniform mirrored appearance.

6. The headlamp according to claim 5, wherein said internal cover has ridge portions surrounding said projection lamp, portions of said inner cover except said ridge portions having a smoke colored coating formed thereon.