Automatic headlight control

• US 3,146,374 A
• Filed: 07/07/1960
• Issued: 08/25/1964
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1959
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokuji Kikuyama
• Original Assignee: Tokuji Kikuyama
• Inventors: TOKUJI KIKUYAMA
• Application Number:
  US04/041,355
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• US Class Current: 315/83
• 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 2300/052 Switching delay, i.e. the beam is not switched or changed instantaneously upon occurrence of a condition change
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle

Claims

1. A MOTOR-VEHICLE HEADLIGHT-CONTROL SYSTEM RESPONSIVE TO AN ONCOMING LIGHT BEAM FROM AN APPROACHING VEHICLE, COMPRISING A MAIN HEADLIGHT, AN AUXILIARY HEADLIGHT, A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY NORMALLY ENERGIZING SAID MAIN HEADLIGHT, FIRST PHOTOSENSITIVE DETECTOR MEANS IN THE PATH OF SAID ONCOMING LIGHT BEAM AND ACTUABLE THEREBY, FIRST CIRCUIT MEANS ENERGIZABLE BY SAID FIRST DETECTOR MEANS AT A RELATIVELY LOW INTENSITY OF SAID BEAM FOR DISCONNECTING SAID MAIN HEADLIGHT FROM SAID SOURCE AND CONNECTING SAID AUXILIARY HEADLIGHT THERETO, SAID FIRST CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING TIME-DELAY MEANS FOR DISCONNECTING SAID AUXILIARY HEADLIGHT FROM SAID SOURCE AND CONNECTING SAID MAIN HEADLIGHT THERETO AFTER A PREDETERMINED INTERVAL UPON REMOVAL OF SAID DETECTOR MEANS FROM SAID PATH OF SAID BEAM AND A HOLDING RELAY ENERGIZABLE BY SAID FIRST DETECTOR MEANS WHILE HAVING SWITCH-OVER CONTACT MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID HEADLIGHTS AND TO SAID SOURCE, SAID HOLDING RELAY HAVING HOLDING CONTACT MEANS IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID TIMEDELAY MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID HOLDING RELAY ENERGIZED FOR THE DURATION OF SAID INTERVAL, AND SECOND PHOTOSENSITIVE MEANS ACTUABLE BY SAID BEAM UPON PASSAGE OF SAID VEHICLE, AND SECOND CIRCUIT MEANS ENERGIZABLE BY SAID DETECTOR MEANS AT A RELATIVELY HIGH INTENSITY OF SAID BEAM FOR DE-ENERGIZING SAID HOLDING RELAY, THEREBY DISCONNECTING SAID SOURCE FROM SAID AUXILIARY HEADLIGHT AND RECONNECTING IT TO SAID MAIN HEADLIGHT WHILE RENDERING SAID TIME-DELAY MEANS INOPERATIVE.