Headlight having variable light distribution

• US 5,711,590 A
• Filed: 12/22/1995
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company), Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Futami, Takashi, Aoki, Toshiaki, Okamoto, Masahito, Gotoh, Shinichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US08/577,300
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 362/40, 362/41, 362/43, 362/61, 362/282, 362/284, 362/322, 362/324, 362/297, 362/346, 362/37, 362/39, 362/283
• US Class Current: 362/43
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/122 with electrical actuating means details of the electric drive components, e.g. motors, shafts, ball joints B60Q1/076
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/122 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/142 Turn signal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/336 Crossings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/675 by moving reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/02 with provision for adjustment F21V17/04 - F21V17/08 take precedence

Abstract

An improved headlight having variable light distribution is provided, where said headlight comprises a reflector divided into an upper movable light distribution reflector and a lower fixed light distribution reflector by a horizontal line located 10 to 30 mm above the optical axis of the light source and the reflector, of which said movable light distribution reflector is rotatable around a vertical rotary axis practically crossing the optical axis of the light source and said fixed light distribution reflector is designed to reflect 50 to 60% of the total quantity of light applied to the reflector. With such an arrangement, the swerving side of the automobile is satisfactorily illuminated by the movable light distribution reflector while a desired frontal light distribution pattern of the headlight is ensured by the fixed light distribution reflector because the two reflectors provide a substantially equal quantity of light.

Claims

1. A headlight having variable light distribution, said headlight comprising:

a reflector;

a light source having an optical axis; and

means for detecting data indicative of

a swerving motion of an automobile from a steering angle defined by the angle of rotation of a steering wheel;

an indicator drive signal representing an intended change in direction; and

the velocity of the automobile and for regulating an illumination pattern reflected from said reflector as a function of said detected data, wherein said reflector is divided into upper and lower sections along a horizontal line located above the optical axis of the light source, of which the lower section operates as a fixed light distribution reflector and of which the upper section operates as a movable light distribution reflector rotatable around a vertical rotary axis substantially intersecting the optical axis of said light source.

2. A headlight having variable light distribution according to claim 1, characterized in that said fixed light distribution reflector has a paraboloidal profile and said movable light distribution reflector has a profile of a parabolic cylinder or a freely designed curved profile.

3. A headlight having variable light distribution according to claim 1 characterized in that said headlight is one of a pair of headlights of an automobile, said automobile having a swerving side closest to an intended path of travel, and having an opposite following side, each side having a respective headlight wherein the movable light distribution reflector of the swerving side headlight is rotated outward with respect to said automobile by an angle determined as a function of the steering angle of the automobile wherein the movable light distribution reflector of the following side headlight is rotated inward with respect to said automobile by an angle smaller than the angle of rotation of the swerving side movable light distribution reflector.

4. A headlight having variable light distribution according to claim 1, said headlight further comprising a control device in communication with said means for detecting and responsive to said indicator drive signal for rotating the movable light distribution reflector to a side of the automobile corresponding to said indicator drive signal whenever said indicator drive signal is detected by said control device.

5. A headlight having variable light distribution according to claim 2 characterized in that said headlight is one of a pair of headlights of an automobile, said automobile having a swerving side closest to an intended path of travel, and having an opposite following side, each side having a respective headlight wherein the movable light distribution reflector of the swerving side headlight is rotated outward with respect to said automobile by an angle determined as a function of the steering angle of the automobile wherein the movable light distribution reflector of the following side headlight is rotated inward with respect to said automobile by an angle smaller than the angle of rotation of the swerving side movable light distribution reflector.

6. A headlight having variable light distribution according to claim 2, said headlight further comprising a control device in communication with said means for detecting and responsive to said indicator drive signal for rotating the movable light distribution reflector to a side of the automobile corresponding to said indicator drive signal whenever said indicator drive signal is detected by said control device.

7. A headlight having variable light distribution according to claim 3, said headlight further comprising a control device in communication with said means for detecting and responsive to said indicator drive signal for rotating the movable light distribution reflector to a side of the automobile corresponding to said indicator drive signal whenever said indicator drive signal is detected by said control device.