Vehicle headlight system with variable beam shape

• US 20060039158A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Woltermann, Bernd, Kurz, Gerhard, Schoeb, Reinhold, Oltmann, Volker
• Granted Patent: US 7,364,333 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/539
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/085 due to special conditions, e.g. adverse weather, type of road, badly illuminated road signs or potential dangers B60Q1/10, B60Q1/12, B60Q1/1423 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/112 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/142 Turn signal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/144 Rearward ratio actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/146 Abnormalities, e.g. fail-safe
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/314 Ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/322 Road curvature
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/324 Road inclination, e.g. uphill or downhill
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/332 on city roads
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/338 Overtaking
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/41 preceding vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/43 characterised by the shape thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/62 for adaptation between right-hand and left-hand traffic
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/686 Blades, i.e. screens moving in a vertical plane

Abstract

In a vehicle headlight system with a light source (2) and at least one reflector (1) for shaping the light emitted by the light source into a high beam and a low beam, and with a shield (7) adjustable via an actuating element (9) between a position in which the light from the light source (2) is blocked across a maximum cross section and an essentially transmissive position in which this light is substantially allowed to pass through, the actuating element (9) adapted for adjusting the shield (7) in a plurality of intermediate positions between the maximal blocking and the essentially transmissive position in which intermediate position the blocked cross section is less than the maximal cross section.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlight system comprising:

a light source (2),

at least one reflector (1) for shaping the light emitted by the light source into a high beam and a low beam (4, 5),

a first shield (7) adjustable via an actuating element (9, 16) between a position in which the light from the light source (2) is blocked across a maximum cross section and an essentially transmissive position in which this light is substantially allowed to pass, wherein

the actuating element (9, 16) is adapted for adjusting the first shield (7) in a plurality of intermediate positions between the maximal blocking and the essentially transmissive position in which the blocked cross section is less than the maximum cross section.

2. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, further comprising a second shield (12), which is adjustable for blocking a part of the low beam or high beam on one side.

3. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, wherein the first shield (7) is displaceable parallel (to the shield) or pivotable about a beam parallel axis.

4. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling the actuating element (9, 16) in a manner correlated with the pitch of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for controlling the actuating element (9, 16) in a manner correlated with the speed of the vehicle and/or with a gear selected in the transmission of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, further comprising an input from a navigation system and a control unit for controlling the actuating element (9, 16) on the basis of information supplied by the navigation system regarding the environment of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, further comprising an image providing system for detecting images of the environment of the vehicle and a control unit for controlling the actuating element (9, 16) on the basis of information supplied by the image providing system.

8. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 7, wherein the control unit is adapted to detect, in the image provided by the image providing system, a horizon and/or a road curve and/or the light intensity information from the environment and/or the range of visibility and/or a vehicle located in the environment, and to control the first shield (7) on the basis of this information.

9. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, wherein the light source (2) provides a contiguous light emission zone for supplying light for the high beam and the low beam.

10. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, wherein the light source (2) is a gas discharge lamp.

11. The vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, wherein in the case of a malfunction of the vehicle headlight system the shields (7, 12) respectively are brought into a position for preventing blinding of oncoming traffic participants.

12. The vehicle with a vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, wherein a position of the shield (7) in a resting, unloaded vehicle produces a shielded light emission which corresponds to an intermediate position.

13. The vehicle with a vehicle headlight system according to claim 1, wherein the reflector (1) is pitch-immobilized or fixed relative to vehicle chassis.

14. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the reflector (1) is freely movable relative to the vehicle chassis.