Secondary vehicle headlight system

• US 20030184233A1
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roger K. Gourdine
• Original Assignee: Roger K. Gourdine
• Inventors: Gourdine, Roger K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,936,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 11/005 for lighting devices, e.g. indicating if lamps are burning or not

Abstract

A secondary headlight system for detecting and compensating for failure of an automotive vehicle'"'"'s low beam headlight, includes:

(a) at least one photoresistor;

(b) fiberoptics connected to the photoresistor;

(c) at least one potentiometer;

(d) at least one NPN transistor operably connected to the photoresistor and the potentiometer;

(e) at least one switching relay operably connected to the potentiometer and the NPN transistor;

(f) at least one power resistor operably connected to the switching relay; and

(g) an automatic reset subsystem comprising at least one capacitor and at least one light emitting diode, the light emitting diode being operably connected to the capacitor and the transistor;

wherein the secondary headlight system is connected to a power supply of the vehicle, and a low beam headlight of the vehicle, the failure of which is to be detected and compensated for; and wherein when the low beam headlight of the vehicle fails, the secondary headlight system is automatically activated, resulting in illumination of a high beam headlight of the vehicle. A method is also included herein.

Claims

1. A secondary headlight system for detecting and compensating for failure of an automotive vehicle'"'"'s low beam headlight, the system comprising:

(a) at least one photoresistor;

(b) fiberoptics connected to the photoresistor;

(c) at least one potentiometer;

(d) at least one NPN transistor operably connected to the photoresistor and the potentiometer;

(e) at least one switching relay operably connected to the potentiometer and the NPN transistor;

(f) at least one power resistor operably connected to the switching relay; and

(g) an automatic reset subsystem comprising at least one capacitor and at least one light emitting diode, the light emitting diode being operably connected to the capacitor and the transistor;

wherein the secondary headlight system is connected to a power supply of the vehicle, and a low beam headlight of the vehicle, the failure of which is to be detected and compensated for; and

wherein when the low beam headlight of the vehicle fails, the secondary headlight system is automatically activated, resulting in illumination of a high beam headlight of the vehicle.

2. A secondary headlight system according to claim 1, wherein the fiberoptics are bundled in at least one fiberoptic cable.

3. A secondary headlight system according to claim 2, comprising two mirror image halves;

each half being operably connected to one of the vehicle'"'"'s two headlights;

each half comprising one each of the following components;

photoresistor, fiberoptic cable, potentiometer, NPN transistor, switching relay, and resistor.

4. A secondary headlight system according to claim 2, wherein the photoresistor and the transistor are combined in a phototransistor.

5. A secondary headlight system according to claim 2, wherein the secondary headlight system is connected between two of the vehicle'"'"'s low beam bulbs, two of the vehicle'"'"'s high beam bulbs, and the vehicle'"'"'s headlight switch.

6. A secondary headlight system according to claim 3, wherein the automatic reset subsystem further comprises at least one series resistor.

7. A secondary headlight system according to claim 4, further comprising a light beam redirection subsystem, the redirection subsystem comprising a motor assembly, at least two complementary gears, a main shaft, a worm gear assembly, a curved travel track extending adjacent to one of the headlight bulbs, and at least one mirror movably affixed to the curved track;

the motor assembly driving the complementary gears, an end one of the gears being operably connected to one end of the main shaft;

an opposite end of the main shaft being operably connected to the worm gear assembly; and

an opposite end of the worm gear assembly operably connecting to the curved track.

8. A secondary headlight system according to claim 7, wherein three of the mirrors are square in shape and are movably affixed side by side along an end portion of the upwardly curved track.

9. A secondary headlight system according to claim 8, wherein the motor assembly comprises a motor-driven drive shaft, one end of the motor shaft being operably connected to a motor of the motor assembly, an opposite end of the motor shaft being operably connected to a first one of the gears;

the first gear being movably connected to a second one of the gears;

the second gear being operably connected to one end of the main shaft.

10. A secondary headlight system according to claim 9, wherein the curved track and mirrors are internal to a high beam headlight, while the motor assembly, first and second complementary gears, main shaft, and worm gear assembly are adjacent to the high beam headlight.

11. A secondary headlight system according to claim 1, further comprising a light beam redirection subsystem, the redirection subsystem comprising a motor assembly, a curved track extending adjacent to one of the headlight bulbs, at least one mirror movably affixed to the curved track, and a means of driving the mirror along the curved track.

12. A secondary headlight system for detecting and compensating for failure of a vehicle'"'"'s low beam headlight, the system comprising:

(a) a microprocessor;

(b) a current detector operably connected to the microprocessor;

(c) a power resistor operably connected to the microprocessor, and a high beam headlight of the vehicle; and

(d) a reset subsystem between the microprocessor and the current detector, the reset subsystem comprising at least one capacitor and at least one light emitting diode, the light emitting diode being operably connected to the capacitor and the microprocessor;

wherein failure of a primary headlight system of the vehicle activates the secondary headlight system, the microprocessor causing a bulb of the high beam headlight to be illuminated.

13. A secondary headlight system according to claim 12, wherein the microprocessor comprises a built-in memory and is controlled by a computer of the vehicle.

14. A secondary headlight system according to claim 12, further comprising a light beam redirection subsystem, the redirection subsystem comprising a motor assembly, at least two complementary gears, a main shaft, a worm gear assembly, a curved travel track extending adjacent to one of the headlight bulbs, and at least one mirror movably affixed to the curved track;

the motor assembly driving the complementary gears, an end one of the gears being operably connected to one end of the main shaft;

an opposite end of the main shaft being operably connected to the worm gear assembly; and

an opposite end of the worm gear assembly operably connecting to the curved track.

15. A method for automatically detecting and compensating for the failure of a vehicle'"'"'s low beam headlight, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) when the vehicle'"'"'s low beam bulb malfunctions, measuring the resulting change in resistance using a photoresistor via a fiberoptic cable;

(b) energizing an NPN transistor connected to the photoresistor, which is connected to a switching relay;

(c) energizing the switching relay, which is connected to the photoresistor;

(d) energizing at least one indicator light in the vehicle interior, the indicator light being connected to the switching relay;

(e) illuminating a high beam of the vehicle at the intensity of the low beam by at least one power resistor.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising a step after step (e) of resetting the low beam headlight bulb after replacing it.