Control circuit for automobile headlamps emitting light in variable color

• US 5,528,475 A
• Filed: 12/20/1994
• Issued: 06/18/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Unno, Takayuki, Takahashi, Kazuki, Uchida, Hideki, Izawa, Makoto, Hayami, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Gromada, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/360,091
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/276, 362/293, 362/80, 362/802, 362/280, 362/307, 362/319, 359/40, 359/892
• US Class Current: 362/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/076 by electrical means including means to transmit the movements, e.g. shafts or joints
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A control circuit for automobile headlamps which emit light in variable color. The control circuit prevents left and right headlamps from emitting beams of light in different colors. Each headlamp includes a white light bulb, and a yellow globe is moved from a first position to a second position to cover the bulb when yellow light is selected, and the yellow globe is moved back to the first position when white light is selected. If the movement of the globe stops between the first and second positions, the control circuit generates a fault signal for turning off the headlamp associated with the fault, thus preventing the headlamps from emitting light of different colors. Alternatively, the control circuit can adjust the position of the globe for the headlamp without the fault to be in agreement with the position with the headlamp having the fault, such that both headlamps emit light of the same color.

Claims

1. A control circuit for headlamps emitting light in variable color, and which are capable of changing a color of beams of light emitted from a pair of left and right headlamps, comprising:

light color changing means for changing the color of the beams of light emitted from the pair of headlamps; and

fault detecting means for detecting the occurrence of a fault in either of the headlamps when said light color changing means is changing the color of light to be emitted from said pair of headlamps, including means for providing a fault signal to said light color changing means.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1, wherein said light color changing means turns OFF one of the right and left headlamps in response to the provision of the fault signal.

3. The combination claimed in claim 1, including:

a fault lamp, including means for turning on said fault lamp in response to the provision of the fault signal.

4. The combination claimed in claim 2, including:

a fault lamp, including means for turning on said fault lamp in response to the provision of the fault signal.

5. A control circuit for left and right headlamps of an automobile, which emit light in either of two colors, comprising:

light color changing means for changing the color of light emitted from the headlamps from one color to another color;

fault detecting means for detecting a fault in either of the headlamps when said light changing means is in a process of changing the color of light, and for providing a fault signal to said light color changing means for turning OFF the one of the first and second headlamps associated with the detected fault.

6. A control circuit for left and right headlamps of an automobile which emit light in either of two colors, comprising:

a color selecting switch for selecting one of the two colors;

color changing means for changing the color of the light to be emitted from the headlamps in accordance with the selection made by said color selecting switch;

fault detecting means for detecting a fault in either of the headlamps when said color changing means is changing the color of the light to be emitted, and for generating a fault signal; and

a switch means responsive to the fault signal for turning OFF the one of the right and left headlamps associated with the detected fault.

7. A control circuit for left and right headlamps of an automobile which emit light in either of two colors, comprising:

a light bulb, in each headlamp, which emits white light;

a motor, associated with each headlamp, having a gear mechanism including a rack on which a colored globe is mounted in axial alignment with said light bulb, the rack being constrained to move between first and second positions, with the globe covering the bulb when the rack is in the first position such that the headlamp emits colored light, with the globe not covering the bulb when in the second position such that the headlamp emits white light;

a motor control circuit, associated with each headlamp, for controlling said motor for moving the rack;

color selection means for providing a first control signal to instruct said motor control circuit to move the rack to the first position when selecting colored light, and for providing a second control signal to instruct said motor control circuit to move the rack to the second position when selecting white light; and

fault detecting means for detecting the rack associated with either of the headlamps stopping at a position different than instructed by the first or second control signal, and for generating a fault signal.

8. The combination claimed in claim 7, including:

switch means for turning said light bulb OFF in response to the provision of the fault signal.

9. The combination claimed in claim 7, wherein said motor control for a headlamp without a fault controls said motor to move the rack to a position corresponding to the position of the rack of the headlamp with a fault, in response to the provision of the fault signal.

10. A control circuit for left and right headlamps of an automobile, which emit light in either of first and second colors, comprising:

light color changing means for changing the color of the beams of light emitted from the pair of headlamps to a changed color from the first color to the second color, and vice versa; and

fault detecting means for detecting a fault when either of the headlamps emits a beam of light of a different color than the changed color, and for generating a fault signal,

wherein said light color changing means changes the color of the light emitted from a headlamp, without a fault, to the light of a different color in response to the generation of the fault signal.

11. A control circuit for left and right headlamps of an automobile, which emit light in either of two colors, comprising:

a light bulb, in each headlamp, which emits white light;

a position control mechanism on which is mounted a colored globe in axial alignment with said light bulb, the position control mechanism being constrained to move between first and second positions in response to a control signal, with the globe covering the bulb when the position control mechanism is in the first position such that the headlamp emits colored light, with the globe not covering the bulb when in the second position such that the headlamp emits white light;

color selection means for providing the control signal to instruct said position control mechanism to move to the first position when selecting colored light, and to move to the second position when selecting white light;

fault detecting means for detecting a fault when said position control mechanism stops at a position different than instructed by the control signal, and for generating a fault signal; and

means responsive to the fault signal for controlling said position control mechanism of a headlamp without a fault to move to a position corresponding to the position where the headlamp with a fault stopped.