Wide-angle headlighting and sidelighting assembly

• US 6,447,152 B1
• Filed: 05/24/2000
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Goebert, Barry Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRUONG, BAO Q
• Application Number:
  US09/577,098
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 362/485, 362/543, 362/516, 362/517, 362/518, 362/496, 362/241, 362/247, 362/538, 362/487
• US Class Current: 362/485
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0035 relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2800/20 Utility vehicles, e.g. for agriculture, construction work

Abstract

A headlight and sidelight assembly is provided for an off-road vehicle having a front enclosure. The front enclosure has a front end face lying substantially in a plane disposed substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and first and second side faces. First and second light housings are disposed at the intersection of the end face and opposite side faces and are each open toward a side and front of the vehicle. First and second reflectors are provided in the housings and form divergent inner walls of the housings. Light emitting elements are disposed in the housings in front of the reflectors, each projecting a beam pattern of light intersecting the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and extending outward and rearward therefrom past a line transverse to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and extending through a rearward end of the light housing, so that the first and second light-emitting elements together effectively illuminate an area greater than 180° about the front of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A headlight assembly for projecting illumination to the front and sides of an off-road vehicle having a front enclosure, the front enclosure having a front end face lying substantially in a plane disposed substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and having first and second side faces, each of said first and second side faces lying substantially in a plane disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, said headlight assembly comprising:

a first light housing disposed at the intersection of the end face and one of the first and second side faces and at least partially open toward a first side and front of the vehicle;

a second light housing disposed at the intersection of the end face and the other of the first and second side faces and at least partially open toward a second side and front of the vehicle;

a first reflector disposed within the first light housing and forming first and second divergent inner walls of the first light housing, each of the inner walls being substantially free of openings therein so as to form an unbroken surface from which light may be directed, the first wall extending towards the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and the second wall extending away from the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, each of the inner walls including a curved portion, the curved portion transitioning to a substantially non-curved portion;

a second reflector disposed within the second light housing and forming first and second divergent inner walls of the second light housing, each of the inner walls being substantially free of openings therein so as to form an unbroken surface from which light may be directed, the first wall extending towards the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and the second wall extending away from the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, each of the inner walls including a curved portion adjacent the light-emitting element, the curved portion transitioning to a substantially non-curved portion;

a first light-emitting element disposed in the housing in front of the first reflector, the curved portion of the first reflector being disposed adjacent the first light-emitting element; and

a second light-emitting element disposed in the housing in front of the second reflector, the curved portion of the second reflector being disposed adjacent the second light-emitting element;

each of said first and second light-emitting elements and a respective one of the first and second reflectors cooperating to establish a beam pattern of light to be projected therefrom, said beam pattern intersecting the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and extending outward and rearward therefrom past a line transverse to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and extending through a rearward end of the light housing, the first and second light-emitting elements together effectively illuminating an area greater than 180°

about the front of the vehicle.

2. The headlight assembly of claim 1 additionally comprising first and second translucent lenses covering at least in part the first and second light housings, said first and second light-emitting elements each disposed between one of the first and second reflectors and one of the first and second translucent lenses.

3. The headlight assembly of claim 1 wherein the light-emitting element is directed at an angle of 45°

from the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle.

4. The headlight assembly of claim 1 wherein the light-emitting element is configured as a bulb having a filament oriented generally vertically.

5. The headlight assembly of claim 1 wherein the front enclosure includes a grille portion at the front end face thereof and the first and second light housings are integrally molded in the grille portion of the front enclosure.

6. The headlight assembly of claim 5 wherein the reflector is comprised of a reflective mylar film affixed to an inner surface of the light housing.

7. The headlight assembly of claim 1 wherein the vehicle includes a vegetation cutting deck mounted between front and rear sets of wheels and the beam pattern extends about the front of the vehicle rearward to the deck.

8. The headlight assembly of claim 1 or 7 wherein the first and second light emitting elements illuminate an area approximately 270°

about the front of the tractor.

9. A headlight and sidelight assembly for an off-road vehicle which is capable of a spin turn about its rear axle and carries a vegetation cutting deck between front and rear sets of wheels, the vehicle having a front enclosure, the front enclosure having a front end face lying substantially in a plane disposed substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and having first and second side faces, each of said first and second side faces lying substantially in a plane disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, said headlight assembly comprising:

a first light housing disposed at the intersection of the end face and one of the first and second side faces and at least partially open toward a side and front of the vehicle;

a second light housing disposed at the intersection of the end face and the other of the first and second side faces and at least partially open toward a side and front of the vehicle;

a first translucent lens covering at least in part the first light housing;

a second translucent lens covering at least in part the second light housing;

a first reflector disposed within the first light housing in alignment with the first translucent lens and forming first and second divergent inner walls of the first light housing, each of the inner walls being substantially free of openings therein so as to form an unbroken surface from which light may be directed, the first wall extending towards the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and the second wall extending away from the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, each of the inner walls including a curved portion, the curved portion transitioning to a substantially non-curved portion;

a second reflector disposed within the second light housing in alignment with the second translucent lens and forming first and second divergent inner walls of the second light housing, each of the inner walls being substantially free of openings therein so as to form an unbroken surface from which light may be directed, the first wall extending towards the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and the second wall extending away from the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, each of the inner walls including a curved portion, the curved portion transitioning to a substantially non-curved portion;

a first light-emitting element disposed between the first reflector and the first translucent lens, the curved portion of the first reflector being disposed adjacent the first light-emitting element; and

a second light-emitting element disposed between the second reflector and the second translucent lens, the curved portion of the second reflector being disposed adjacent the second light-emitting element;

each of said first and second light-emitting elements and associated ones of the first and second reflectors and first and second translucent lenses cooperating to establish a beam pattern of light to be projected therefrom, said beam pattern intersecting the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and extending outward and rearward therefrom to the vegetation cutting deck.

10. The headlight assembly of claim 9 wherein the light-emitting element is directed at an angle of 45°

from the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle.

11. The headlight assembly of claim 9 wherein the light-emitting element is configured as a bulb having a filament oriented generally vertically.

12. The headlight assembly of claim 9 wherein the front enclosure includes a grille portion and the first and second light housings are integrally molded in the grille portion of the front enclosure.

13. The headlight assembly of claim 12 wherein the reflector is comprised of a reflective mylar film affixed to an inner surface of the light housing.

14. The headlight assembly of claim 9 wherein at least one of the inner walls of the first and second light housings include curved portions for directing a greater amount of light toward a desired target area.

15. The headlight assembly of claim 9 wherein the first and second light emitting elements illuminate an area approximately 270°

about the front of the vehicle.

16. A vehicle including a headlight assembly, the assembly comprising:

a light housing;

a light-emitting element disposed within the light housing;

a reflector disposed within the light housing and behind the light-emitting element, the reflector forming first and second divergent inner walls of the light housing, each of the inner walls being substantially free of openings therein so as to form an unbroken surface from which light may be directed, the first wall extending towards the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and the second wall extending away from the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle, each of the inner walls including a curved portion adjacent the light-emitting element, the curved portion transitioning to a substantially non-curved portion; and

each of the light-emitting element and the reflector cooperating to establish a beam pattern of light to be projected therefrom, said beam pattern intersecting the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and extending outward and rearward therefrom past a line transverse to the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle and extending through a rearward end of the light housing, the light-emitting element effectively illuminating an area around the periphery of the vehicle.