Vehicle headlamps with flash duration limiting

• US 8,353,610 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sandra Mcniell Asquith
• Original Assignee: Sandra Mcniell Asquith
• Inventors: Asquith, Julian Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US12/816,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20110210665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 362/464, 362/465, 362/466, 362/508, 362/523, 315/82, 315/83
• US Class Current: 362/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1415 Dimming circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/46 for giving flashing caution signals during drive, other than signalling change of direction, e.g. flashing the headlights or hazard lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/054 Variable non-standard intensity, i.e. emission of various beam intensities different from standard intensities, e.g. continuous or stepped transitions of intensity

Abstract

A vehicle headlamp system including at least one headlamp switchable between at least a high beam mode and a low beam mode by a biased actuator movable by a driver of the vehicle, a headlamp arranged to emit a flash when the biased actuator is moved to a temporary-on position, and means for limiting the maximum duration of the flash to less than 2 seconds.

Claims

1. A headlamp system for a vehicle comprising:

at least one first headlamp which is switchable between at least a high-intensity beam mode and a low-intensity beam mode;

a biased actuator movable by a driver of the vehicle between a temporary-ON position and an OFF position, and which is biased from said temporary-ON position to said OFF position; and

a second headlamp;

means for energizing the second headlamp to produce at least one flash for a period of time when said biased actuator is moved to said temporary-ON position, said period of time being less than 2 seconds; and

wherein successive activation of said biased actuator by said driver results, in the absence of any adjustments to said headlamp system between said movements of the biased actuator, in the second headlamp being correspondingly energized with substantially the same intensity.

2. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one flash comprises only a single flash.

3. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a light sensitive device configured to respond to ambient light level, and

a control device for controlling, in response to a signal from said light sensitive device, the duration of the flash to be shorter, or the intensity of said flash to be lower, for lower ambient light levels than for higher ambient light levels.

4. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the duration of the safety flash is shorter, or the intensity of said flash is lower, if said at least one first headlamp is in said low-intensity beam mode at the time said biased actuator is moved to said temporary-ON position, than if said at least one first headlamp is OFF at the time said biased actuator is moved to said temporary-ON position.

5. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biased actuator is a headlamp stalk having an OFF position in which said high-intensity beam is OFF, and a temporary-ON position, and wherein said headlamp stalk is provided with a stalk biasing device which biases said stalk from said temporary-ON position to said OFF position, so that when in said temporary-ON position and released by a driver the stalk automatically returns to said OFF position.

6. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1, wherein movement of said biased actuator to said temporary-ON position causes said second headlamp to produce at least one flash regardless of whether said at least one first headlamp is already switched ON or OFF.

7. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second headlamps are the same headlamp.

8. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said system further comprises means for adjusting the period of time by a driver.

9. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the period of time is less than any one of:

1.5 seconds, 1 second, 0.5 seconds, 0.25 seconds or 0.1 seconds.

10. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one flash is of lower intensity than said high-intensity beam.

11. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said at least one flash is of higher intensity than said low-intensity beam.

12. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biased actuator is a headlamp stalk, and wherein said headlamp stalk has first and second temporary-ON positions arranged so that movement of the headlamp stalk to said first temporary-ON position produces said flash, and movement of said headlamp stalk to said second temporary-ON position produces a flash of said high-intensity beam.

13. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 12, wherein a first force applied by a driver to said headlamp stalk is sufficient to move said headlamp stalk to its first temporary-ON position, thus initiating said safety flash, but not sufficient to move said headlamp stalk to its second temporary-ON position, and wherein a second force of greater magnitude than said first force applied by a driver in the same direction as said first force is sufficient to move said headlamp stalk to its second temporary-ON position, thus initiating a high beam flash.

14. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a headlamp stalk for switching said at least one first headlamp between said high-intensity and low-intensity beam modes;

wherein said biased actuator is a biased actuator button mounted on said headlamp stalk.

15. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said headlamp stalk has a temporary-ON position in which said at least one first headlamp emits said high-intensity beam for as long as the headlamp stalk remains in its temporary-ON position, and wherein a first force applied by a driver to said biased actuator button is sufficient to move said biased actuator button from its OFF position to its temporary-ON position, thus initiating said safety flash, but not sufficient to move said headlamp stalk to its temporary-ON position, and wherein a second force of greater magnitude than said first force applied by a driver in the same direction as said first force is sufficient to move said headlamp stalk to its temporary-ON position, thus initiating a high-intensity beam flash.

16. A headlamp system as claimed in claim 14, wherein movement of said headlamp stalk to its temporary-ON position immediately initiates a high-intensity beam flash, regardless of the position of said biased actuator button.