Vehicle headlight device

• US 7,556,410 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited), Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited), Stanley Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Yoshinobu, Nakano, Shinichi, Bamba, Shoichi, Nomura, Tadashi, Domoto, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Jong-Suk (James)
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shallenberger; Julie A
• Application Number:
  US11/546,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20070086203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 362/467, 362/473, 362475-476, 362465-466
• US Class Current: 362/469
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0683 Adjustable by rotation of a screw
• 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 2300/136 Roll
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/023 responsive to the lean angle of the cycle, e.g. changing intensity or switching sub-lights when cornering

Abstract

A headlight device (27) for motor vehicle includes a plurality of headlight units (29 and 30). At least one of those headlight units is a movable headlight unit (30) having a light distribution adjusting mechanism (83) for changing a range of illumination during a cornering of the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A headlight device for a motorcycle, which comprises:

a pair of headlight units disposed laterally on right and left sides with respect to the motorcycle, in which at least one of those headlight units is a movable headlight unit including a light distribution adjusting mechanism for changing a range of illumination during a cornering of the motorcycle; and

a bank angle detector for detecting a bank angle of the motorcycle, including a gyroscope to measure a rotational angular velocity of the motorcycle, a speedometer for measuring a traveling velocity of the motorcycle, and a bank angle calculator for calculating a bank angle of the motorcycle using the rotational angular velocity and the traveling velocity of the motorcycle,

wherein the light distribution adjusting mechanism adjusts the movable headlight unit based on the detected bank angle, and the light distribution adjusting mechanism includes a light distribution changing mechanism configured for shifting to change the range of illumination and a driving unit for shifting the light distribution changing mechanism,

wherein the light distribution adjusting mechanism also includes a position detector for detecting a position of the light distribution changing mechanism, and wherein the driving unit and the position detector are positioned on one side of a center of the movable headlight unit and adjacent a mid-center plane in the width direction of the motorcycle.

2. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the movable headlight unit is of a low beam type having a downward illuminating characteristic.

3. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a stopper for regulating a range of movement of the light distribution changing mechanism.

4. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light distribution adjusting mechanism further includes a driven gear provided in the light distribution changing mechanism and engageable with a drive gear of the driving unit, and a standard position detector for detecting a standard position of the light distribution changing mechanism and wherein the driving unit and the standard position detector are disposed on respective sides of a center of the movable headlight unit in opposition to each other.

5. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a forcible shift member for manually shifting the light distribution changing mechanism.

6. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a fixed headlight unit.

7. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the movable headlight unit further includes a light emitting element and a rotatable reflector for collecting rays of light emitted from the light emitting element.

8. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 7 further comprising a potentiometer for detecting a position of the rotatable reflector of the movable headlight unit.

9. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a drive controller to halt a rotation of the rotatable reflector based on the potentiometer.

10. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 4 wherein the standard position detector is an optical type.

11. A headlight device for a motorcycle including a pair of headlight units disposed laterally on right and left sides with respect to the motorcycle comprising:

a fixed headlight unit;

a movable headlight unit including

a light distribution adjusting mechanism for changing a range of illumination during a cornering of the motorcycle,

a light emitting element, and

a rotatable reflector for collecting rays of light emitted from the light emitting element;

a potentiometer for detecting a position of the rotatable reflector of the movable headlight unit;

a drive controller to halt a rotation of the rotatable reflector based on the potentiometer; and

a bank angle detector for detecting a bank angle of the motorcycle including

a gyroscope to measure a rotational angular velocity of the motorcycle,

wherein the light distribution adjusting mechanism adjusts the movable headlight unit based on the detected bank angle, and

wherein the potentiometer is positioned on one side of a center of the movable headlight unit and adjacent a mid-center plane in the width direction of the motorcycle.

12. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 11, wherein the movable headlight unit and the fixed headlight unit are disposed on right and left sides with respect to a mid-center plane in the width direction of the motorcycle.

13. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 12, wherein the potentiometer is disposed between the movable headlight unit and the fixed headlight unit.

14. A headlight device for a motorcycle including a pair of headlight units disposed laterally on right and left sides with respect to the motorcycle comprising:

a fixed headlight unit;

a movable headlight unit including

a driving unit,

a light distribution adjusting mechanism for changing a range of illumination during a cornering of the motorcycle,

a light emitting element, and

a rotatable reflector for collecting rays of light emitted from the light emitting element;

a potentiometer for detecting a position of the rotatable reflector of the movable headlight unit;

a drive controller to halt a rotation of the rotatable reflector based on the potentiometer; and

a bank angle detector for detecting a bank angle of the motorcycle including

a gyroscope to measure a rotational angular velocity of the motorcycle,

wherein the light distribution adjusting mechanism adjusts the movable headlight unit based on the detected bank angle, and

wherein the driving unit is positioned on one side of a center of the movable headlight unit and adjacent a mid-center plane in the width direction of the motorcycle.

15. The headlight device for the motorcycle as claimed in claim 14, wherein the movable headlight unit and the fixed headlight unit are disposed on right and left sides with respect to a mid-center plane in the width direction of the motorcycle.

16. A headlight device for a motorcycle which comprises:

a pair of headlight units disposed laterally on right and left sides with respect to the motorcycle, in which at least one of those headlight units is a movable headlight unit including a light distribution adjusting mechanism for changing a range of illumination during a cornering of the motorcycle; and

a bank angle detector for detecting a bank angle of the motorcycle,

wherein the light distribution adjusting mechanism adjusts the movable headlight unit based on the detected bank angle, and the light distribution adjusting mechanism includes a light distribution changing mechanism configured for shifting to change the range of illumination and a driving unit for shifting the light distribution changing mechanism,

wherein the light distribution adjusting mechanism also includes a position detector for detecting a position of the light distribution changing mechanism, and wherein at least one of the driving unit and the position detector is positioned on one side of a center of the movable headlight unit and adjacent a mid-center plane in the width direction of the motorcycle and wherein another of the pair of headlight units is fixed relative to the movable headlight unit and the bank angle detector calculates a bank angle from a rotational angular velocity and traveling velocity of the motorcycle.