Vehicle headlamp

• US 9,358,918 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Mochizuki, Kiyotaka, Tatara, Naohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US13/949,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20140029289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/06 adjustable, e.g. remotely-controlled from inside vehicle B60Q1/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1423 Automatic dimming circuits, i.e. switching between high beam and low beam due to change of ambient light or light level in road traffic
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/45 Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/153 arranged in a matrix
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/663 by switching light sources by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/698 Shaft-shaped screens rotating along its longitudinal axis

Abstract

A vehicle headlamp includes a first lamp unit having a first irradiation range, the first lamp unit being configured such that the first irradiation range is adjustable in a horizontal direction, and a second lamp unit having a second irradiation range, the second lamp unit being configured such that the second irradiation range is adjustable in a vertical direction. A resolution of the second lamp unit with respect to the second irradiation range is higher than a resolution of the first lamp unit with respect to the first irradiation range.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlamp comprising:

a first lamp unit having a first irradiation range, the first lamp unit being configured such that the first irradiation range is adjustable in a horizontal direction above a horizontal cutoff line of a low beam light distribution pattern; and

a second lamp unit having a second irradiation range, the second lamp unit being configured such that the second irradiation range is adjustable in a vertical direction,

wherein a resolution of the second lamp unit with respect to the second irradiation range in the vertical direction is higher than a resolution of the first lamp unit with respect to the first irradiation range in the horizontal direction above the horizontal cutoff line.

2. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1,

wherein the first lamp unit comprises a plurality of light emitting devices configured such that each of the light emitting devices is individually turned on, the light emitting devices have individual irradiation regions into which a region above a horizontal cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern is divided along the horizontal direction.

3. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 2, further comprising

a controller configured to individually turn the respective light emitting devices of the first lamp unit on and off.

4. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 3,

wherein the second lamp unit comprises an actuator configured to change the height of the horizontal cutoff line, and

wherein the controller is configured to drive of the actuator of the second lamp unit.

5. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 4,

wherein the first lamp unit is configured to be disposed on one of a left side and a right side of a front portion of a vehicle body, and

wherein the second lamp unit is configured to be disposed on the other of the left side and the right side of the front portion of the vehicle body, and

wherein the second lamp unit further comprises a shade configured to form a plurality of light distribution patterns providing the horizontal cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern, a position of the horizontal cutoff line being adjustable in the vertical direction by a movement of the shade.

6. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 5,

wherein, in accordance with a position of a forward vehicle, a position of a forward pedestrian, or a curvature of a road, the controller determines one or more of the light emitting devices of the first lamp unit to be turned on, and the position of the horizontal cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern to be formed by the second lamp unit.

7. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 3,

wherein the first lamp unit and the second lamp unit are configured to be disposed on each of a left side and a right side of a front portion of the vehicle body,

wherein the first irradiation range provided by the light emitting devices of the first lamp unit configured to be disposed on the right side of the vehicle body and the first irradiation range provided by the light emitting devices of the first lamp unit configured to be disposed on the left side of the vehicle body are located on respective sides of a vertical line on a virtual vertical screen, and

wherein the second lamp unit is configured to form the low beam light distribution pattern and a high beam light distribution pattern.

8. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 7,

wherein the first lamp unit is configured such that the individual irradiation regions of the light emitting devices includes a first individual irradiation region and a second individual irradiation region located further outward from the vertical line on the virtual vertical screen than the first individual irradiation region,

wherein the second individual irradiation region is larger than the first individual irradiation region.

9. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 8,

wherein, in accordance with a position of a forward vehicle, a position of a forward pedestrian, or a curvature of a road, the controller determines one or more of the light emitting devices to be turned on, or one or more of the light emitting devices with which an illuminance of one or more of the individual irradiation regions is to be increased.

10. A vehicle headlamp comprising:

a first lamp unit having a first irradiation range, the first lamp unit being configured such that the first irradiation range is adjustable in a horizontal direction; and

a second lamp unit having a second irradiation range, the second lamp unit being configured such that the second irradiation range is adjustable in a vertical direction,

wherein a resolution of the second lamp unit with respect to the second irradiation range is higher than a resolution of the first lamp unit with respect to the first irradiation range,

wherein the first lamp unit comprises a plurality of light emitting devices configured such that each of the light emitting devices is individually turned on, the light emitting devices have individual irradiation regions into which a region above a horizontal cutoff line of a low beam light distribution pattern is divided along the horizontal direction,

wherein the vehicle headlamp further comprises a controller configured to individually turn the respective light emitting devices of the first lamp unit on and off,

wherein the second lamp unit comprises an actuator configured to change the height of the horizontal cutoff line, and

wherein the controller is configured to drive of the actuator of the second lamp unit.

11. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 10,

wherein the first lamp unit is configured to be disposed on one of a left side and a right side of a front portion of a vehicle body, and

wherein the second lamp unit is configured to be disposed on the other of the left side and the right side of the front portion of the vehicle body, and

wherein the second lamp unit further comprises a shade configured to form a plurality of light distribution patterns providing the horizontal cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern, a position of the horizontal cutoff line being adjustable in the vertical direction by a movement of the shade.

12. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 11,

wherein, in accordance with a position of a forward vehicle, a position of a forward pedestrian, or a curvature of a road, the controller determines one or more of the light emitting devices of the first lamp unit to be turned on, and the position of the horizontal cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern to be formed by the second lamp unit.

13. A vehicle headlamp comprising:

a first lamp unit having a first irradiation range, the first lamp unit being configured such that the first irradiation range is adjustable in a horizontal direction above a horizontal cutoff line of a low beam light distribution pattern; and

a second lamp unit having a second irradiation range, the second lamp unit being configured such that the second irradiation range is adjustable in a vertical direction,

wherein a minimum adjustable amount of the second irradiation range of the second lamp unit in the vertical direction is smaller than a minimum adjustable amount of the first irradiation range of the first lamp unit in the horizontal direction above the horizontal cutoff line.

14. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 13,

wherein the first lamp unit comprises a plurality of light emitting devices configured such that each of the light emitting devices is individually turned on, the light emitting devices have individual irradiation regions into which a region above a horizontal cutoff line of the low beam light distribution pattern is divided along the horizontal direction.

15. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 14, further comprising

a controller configured to individually turn the respective light emitting devices of the first lamp unit on and off.

16. The vehicle headlamp according to claim 15,

wherein the second lamp unit comprises an actuator configured to change the height of the horizontal cutoff line, and

wherein the controller is configured to drive of the actuator of the second lamp unit.