Automobile headlamp

• US 6,328,463 B1
• Filed: 09/23/1999
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Okubo, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): HUSAR, STEPHEN F
• Application Number:
  US09/401,956
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 362/487, 362/543, 362/519, 362/518, 362/211, 362/215
• US Class Current: 362/518
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/164 having two or more filaments
• CPC Class Codes: H01K 9/08 to provide selectively different light effects, e.g. for automobile headlamp

Abstract

The low beam filament and the high beam filament are disposed in such a positional relationship as the virtual image of the irradiated portion of the high beam filament does not produce glaring light in the low beam light distribution pattern. As a result, it is made possible to effectively utilize near 100% of light incident on the reflecting surface of a reflector and to obtain good low beam light distribution pattern and high beam light distribution pattern.

Claims

1. An automobile headlamp comprising a light source bulb and a reflector, wherein:

said light source bulb has a low beam filament disposed on an optical axis of said reflector above and near a high beam filament;

said reflector has a reflecting surface formed from a complex reflecting surface so that, when said low beam filament is turned on, a predetermined low beam light distribution pattern is formed by control of all-surface reflection light distribution of said reflecting surface and, when said high beam filament is turned on, a predetermined high beam light distribution pattern is formed by the control of all-surface reflection light distribution of the reflecting surface, while said reflecting surface has a portion for forming a maximum luminous intensity zone in said predetermined low beam light distribution pattern and high beam light distribution pattern;

when said low beam filament is turned on, a part of light from said low beam filament illuminates a part of said high beam filament and is reflected on the surface thereof, so that the irradiated part of said high beam filament appears as a virtual image in said low beam light distribution pattern due to the maximum luminous intensity zone forming portion of said reflecting surface;

said automobile headlamp characterized in that said low beam filament and said high beam filament have such a positional relationship as the virtual image of the irradiated part of said high beam filament does not make glaring light in said low beam light distribution pattern.

2. An automobile headlamp according to claim 1, wherein the positional relationships between said low beam filament and said high beam filament are an angle between a line connecting a center of the low beam filament and a center of the high beam filament in the front view projection and a horizontal line;

a distance between the center of the low beam filament and the center of the high beam filament in the front view projection; and

a distance between the center of the low beam filament and the center of the high beam filament in a longitudinal direction in the side view projection.

3. An automobile headlamp according to claim 1, wherein under such conditions that said light source bulb has a glass bulb having a diameter in a range from 14 to 18 mm, said low beam filament and said high beam filament are from 4.0 to 6.0 mm in length and said low beam filament and said high beam filament are from 1.2 to 1.6 mm in diameter,

the angle between the line connecting the center of the low beam filament and the center of the high beam filament in the front view projection and the horizontal line is in a range from 10° to 30°

;

the distance between the center of the low beam filament and the center of the high beam filament in the front view projection is in a range from 2.0 to 3.5 mm; and

the distance between the center of the low beam filament and the center of the high beam filament in the longitudinal direction in the side view projection is in a range from 1.5 to 4.0 mm.

4. An automobile headlamp comprising:

a light source bulb; and

a reflector, wherein said light source bulb has a low beam filament disposed above and near a high beam filament;

said reflector has a reflecting surface formed from a complex reflecting surface so that, when said low beam filament is turned on, a predetermined low beam light distribution pattern is formed by control of all-surface reflection light distribution of said reflecting surface and, when said high beam filament is turned on, a predetermined high beam light distribution pattern is formed by the control of all-surface reflection light distribution of the reflecting surface, while said reflecting surface has a portion for forming a maximum luminous intensity zone in said predetermined low beam light distribution pattern and high beam light distribution pattern,

when said low beam filament is turned on, a part of light from said low beam filament illuminates a part of said high beam filament and is reflected on the surface thereof, so that the irradiated part of said high beam filament appears as a virtual image in said low beam light distribution pattern due to the maximum luminous intensity zone forming portion of said reflecting surface,

wherein said low beam filament and said high beam filament have a positional relationship such that the virtual image of the irradiated part of said high beam filament does not make glaring light in said low beam light distribution pattern,

wherein said light source bulb has a glass bulb having a diameter in a range from 14 to 18 mm, said low beam filament and said high beam filament are from 4.0 to 6.0 mm in length and said low beam filament and said high beam filament are from 1.2 to 1.6 mm in diameter, and

wherein the angle between the line connecting the center of the low beam filament and the center of the high beam filament in the front view projection and the horizontal line is in a range from 10°

to 30°

, the distance between the center of the low beam filament and the center of the high beam filament in the front view projection is in a range from 2.0 to 3.5 mm; and

the distance between the center of the low beam filament and the center of the high beam filament in the longitudinal direction in the side view projection is in a range from 1.5 to 4.0 mm.

5. A vehicle, comprising:

a body; and

an automobile headlamp, comprising a light source bulb and a reflector, coupled to the body, wherein;

said light source bulb has a low beam filament disposed on an optical axis of said reflector above and near a high beam filament;

said reflector has a reflecting surface formed from a complex reflecting surface so that, when said low beam filament is turned on, a predetermined low beam light distribution pattern is formed by control of all-surface reflection light distribution of said reflecting surface and, when said high beam filament is turned on, a predetermined high beam light distribution pattern is formed by the control of all-surface reflection light distribution of the reflecting surface, while said reflecting surface has a portion for forming a maximum luminous intensity zone in said predetermined low beam light distribution pattern and high beam light distribution pattern;

when said low beam filament is turned on, a part of light from said low beam filament illuminates a part of said high beam filament and is reflected on the surface thereof, so that the irradiated part of said high beam filament appears as a virtual image in said low beam light distribution pattern due to the maximum luminous intensity zone forming portion of said reflecting surface;

said automobile headlamp characterized in that said low beam filament and said high beam filament have such a positional relationship as the virtual image of the irradiated part of said high beam filament does not make glaring light in said low beam light distribution pattern.