Light assembly with bending light

• US 7,018,078 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Guide Corporation (Vehicle Lighting Incorporated)
• Inventors: Van Duyn, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cariaso, Alan
• Application Number:
  US10/652,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20050047151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 362282-284, 362322-324, 362/512, 362/513, 362464-466
• US Class Current: 362/464
• 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: F21S 41/683 by moving screens

Abstract

The present invention comprises a light assembly which provides additional light adjacent the main beam of a light. A shield within the light assembly is moved in response to a sensed condition so as to provide a first area of additional illumination at the edge of the light'"'"'s main beam. In response to a second sensed condition, the shield is moved such that a second area of additional illumination is illuminated in addition to the first area.

Claims

1. A light assembly comprising,

a light source,

a first shield and a second shield pivotally joined to one another and positioned opposite each other around the light source, the first shield having a first shield pin extending therefrom and a second shield having a second shield pin extending therefrom,

a rotatable disk with a first slot and a second slot, the disk being connected to the first and second shield so that the first shield pin passes through the first slot and the second shield pin passes through the second slot;

so that when the disk remains stationary the first and second shield occupies a first position that causes the light assembly to emit a first beam and so that when the disk is rotated, the disk changes the first and second shields between at least a second position that causes the light assembly to emit a first additional beam, and at least a third position that causes the light assembly to emit a second additional beam.

2. The light assembly of claim 1 wherein the disk is responsive to a first sensed condition such that the disk changes the first and second shields to the second position when the first condition is sensed.

3. The light assembly of claim 2 wherein the disk is further responsive to a second sensed condition such that the disk changes the first and second shields to the third position when the second condition is sensed.

4. The light assembly of claim 3, wherein the first sensed condition is a turn condition, and the second sensed condition is a turn condition more severe than the first sensed condition, such that as the turn condition becomes more severe, progressively more illumination is provided.

5. The lamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the the first and second shields are capable of being placed in a plurality of positions intermediate the first and the third positions and intermediate the first and the second positions.

6. The lamp assembly of claim 1, further comprising,

an actuator operatively connected to the disk, the actuator responsive to a sensed condition and capable of causing the disk to change the first and second shields from the first position to the second and third positions.

7. The light assembly of claim 1, further comprising a reflector having at least two different reflecting zones capable of being illuminated when the first and second shields occupy the first, second and third positions.

8. The lamp assembly of claim 7, wherein the at least two reflecting zones of the reflector comprise,

a first zone associated with the first position, such that when the first and second shields are in the first position, the first zone is in optical communication with the light source,

a second zone associated with the second position, such that when the first and second shields are in the second position, the second zone is in optical communication with the light source, and

a third zone associated with the third position, such that when the first and second shields are in the third position, the third zone is in optical communication with the light source.

9. The lamp assembly of claim 8, wherein the second zone and the third zone of the reflector have prescriptions, and the prescription of the second zone is different from the prescription of the third zone.

10. A light assembly comprising:

(a) a light source;

(b) a shield moveable between a first position wherein the light assembly is capable of emitting a first beam, a second position wherein the light assembly is capable of emitting a first additional beam, and a third position wherein the light assembly is capable of emitting a second additional beam; and

(c) a reflector having a first area, a second area, and a third area, the first area associated with the first position of the shield, the second area associated with the second position of the shield, and the third area associated with the third position of the shield, such that when the shield is in the first position, the first area is optically exposed to the light source, but the second and third areas are not and such that when the shield is in the second position, the first and second areas are optically exposed to the light source, but the third area is not, and when the shield is in the third position, the first, second and third areas are optically exposed to the light source.

11. The light assembly of claim 10, further comprising,

a lens, and wherein the distance between the first position and the second position, the distance between the second position and the third position, the lens and the reflector are designed such that when the light source is energized and the second area is optically exposed to the light source, a first additional area is illuminated, and when the light source is energized and the third area is optically exposed to the light source, a second additional area is illuminated, the second additional area larger than the first additional area.

12. The light assembly of claim 11 wherein the distance between the first position and the second position is the same as the distance between the second position and the third position.

13. The lamp assembly of claim 10, further comprising,

a spring operatively connected to the shield for biasing the shield toward the first position.

14. The light assembly of claim 10 wherein the shield comprises:

a first movable shield adjacent the light source and capable of being placed in a first, a second and a third position, and

a second movable shield adjacent the light source and generally opposite the first movable shield, capable of being placed in a first, a second and a third position.

15. The light assembly of claim 14, wherein the first movable shield and the second movable shield are movable about the same pivot axis.

16. The light assembly of claim 15, wherein the first movable shield is rotationally connected to the second movable shield.

17. The light assembly of claim 10, wherein the first and second movable shields are capable of being placed in a plurality of positions intermediate the first and the third positions.

18. The light assembly of claim 10, further comprising,

at least one actuator, the actuator responsive to a sensed condition and capable of moving the shield from the first position to the second and third position.

19. The light assembly of claim 18, further comprising,

a spring operatively connected to the shield for biasing the shield toward the first position.

20. A method of providing bending light comprising the steps of,

providing a light fixture with a light source, a first shield and second shield pivotally joined to one another and positioned around the light source and a rotatable disk joined to each of the first shield and second shield so that the first and second shields occupy a first position and can change from the first position to a second position and a third position,

sensing a first condition,

moving the disk so that the first shield and second shield change either from the first position to the second position or from the third position to the second position in response to the sensed first condition,

sensing a second condition, and

moving the disk so that the first and second shields change from either the second position to a third position or the first position to the third position in response to the sensed second condition.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first sensed condition is a turn condition and wherein the second sensed condition is a turn condition.