Vehicular headlamp

• US 7,114,828 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Yagi, Seiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi, Jacob Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/786,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20040174712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 362/231, 362/227, 362/507, 362/543, 362/544, 362/545
• US Class Current: 362/231
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/13 Ultraviolet light; Infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/148 the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/18 Combination of light sources of different types or shapes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A vehicular headlamp used for a vehicle, includes an infrared light source for generating red light and infrared light, a visible light source for generating visible light whose wavelength is different from that of the red light, an optical system for emitting the red light and visible light towards a substantially same emission area in front of the vehicle and a lighting circuit for turning on the infrared light and visible light sources with the strength in order that the chromaticity in the emission area based on the red light and visible light can correspond to white light within a predetermined range in chromaticity coordinates.

Claims

1. A vehicular headlamp used for a vehicle, comprising:

an infrared light source for generating red light and infrared light, wherein the infrared light source comprises a semiconductor infrared light emitting element for generating red light and infrared light;

a visible light source for generating visible light, wherein the visible light source comprises a semiconductor light emitting element which emits light having wavelengths different from that of said red light;

an optical system for directing said red light and visible light towards a substantially same emission area in front of said vehicle; and

a lighting circuit for turning on said infrared light and visible light sources with strength in order that chromaticity in said emission area based on said red light and visible light can correspond to white light within a predetermined range in chromaticity coordinates,

wherein the optical system comprises a reflector for reflecting the light emitted from the infrared light source and the light emitted from the visible light emitting element towards the substantially same emitting area in front of the vehicle, and wherein the infrared light source and the visible light source are located in the vicinity of a common focal point of the reflector.

2. A vehicular headlamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lighting circuit turns on said infrared light and visible light sources with strength in order that an X-coordinate of said chromaticity in said emission area can be within a range of 0.450 to 0.500 and a Y-coordinate thereof can be within a range of 0.380 to 0.440.

3. A vehicular headlamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lighting circuit turns off said infrared light source, if speed of said vehicle is lower than a predetermined level.

4. A vehicular headlamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor infrared light emitting element and the semiconductor visible light emitting element are arranged adjacent to each other.