Photosensitive vane actuated circuitry for dimming headlamps

• US 3,393,344 A
• Filed: 10/07/1966
• Issued: 07/16/1968
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1966
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard H. Engelmann
• Original Assignee: Richard H. Engelmann
• Inventors: Engelmann, Richard H.
• Application Number:
  US04/589,775
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• US Class Current: 315/82
• 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 2300/056 Special anti-blinding beams, e.g. a standard beam is chopped or moved in order not to blind
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/42 oncoming vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/695 Screens rotating around a vertical axis rotating flaps F21S41/689

Claims

6. IN A HEADLIGHTING SYSTEM FOR INSTALLATION IN A VEHICLE OF THE TYPE WHICH INCLUDES A LIGHT-BEAM PROJECTOR AND A SHADOW-CASTING ELEMENT WHICH IS POSITIONED IN A MANNER DEPENDENT ON THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF AN OPPOSING VEHICLE HEADLAMP, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES THE COMBINATION OF:

A BIDIRECTIONAL ELECTRICAL DRIVE INCLUDING MOTOR MEANS FOR POSITIONING SAID SHADOW-CASTING ELEMENT, SAID DRIVE HAVING A FIRST INPUT TO WHICH ENERGY IS APPLIED TO DRIVE THE SHADOW-CASTING ELEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION AND A SECOND INPUT TO WHICH ENERGY IS APPLIED TO DRIVE THE SHADOW-CASTING ELEMENT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, A SOURCE OF ENERGY, A FIRST MEANS FOR ROUTING ENERGY FROM SAID SOURCE TO THE FIRST INPUT, A SECOND MEANS FOR ROUTING ENERGY FROM SAID SOURCE TO THE SECOND INPUT, A SENSING MEANS FOR PRODUCING ELECTRICAL SIGNALS INDICATIVE OF THE PRESENCE OF SAID HEADLAMP, A BINARY ELEMENT RESPONSIVE TO THE ACTION OF THE SENSING MEANS FOR SELECTING ONE OR THE OTHER OF SAID ROUTING MEANS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID ELECTRICAL SIGNALS, THE BINARY ELEMENT BEING CHARACTERIZED BY A FIRST STATE, IN WHICH IT SELECTS THE FIRST ROUTING MEANS TO CAUSE THE SHADOW-CASTING ELEMENT TO BE DRIVEN ANGULARLY IN A SHADOW-CASTING DIRECTION, AND A SECOND STATE IN WHICH IT SELECTS THE SECOND ROUTING MEANS TO CAUSE THE SHADOW-CASTING THE SECOND ROUTING MEANS TO CAUSE POSITION DIRECTION, THE SENSING MEANS HAVING A SIGNAL CHANNEL, A LIGHT CHOPPER DRIVE OUTSIDE OF THE CHANNEL, A FIRST RECTIFIER BETWEEN THE SENSING MEANS AND THE BINARY ELEMENT FOR APPLYING SAID ELECTRICAL SIGNALS TO THE BINARY ELEMENT WITH ONE POLARITY WHEN THE SENSING MEANS IS IN NORMAL OPERATION, A SECOND RECITIFER BETWEEN THE CHOPPER DRIVE AND THE BINARY ELEMENT FOR APPLYING TO THE BINARY ELEMENT A VOLTAGE OF THE OPPOSITE POLARITY WHEN THE LIGHT CHOPPER IS IN OPERATION, WHEREBY THE BINARY ELEMENT REMAINS IN THE FIRST STATE UNLESS SAID VOLTAGE IS SUFFICIENT IS MAGNITUDE TO EXCEED THE THRESHOLD OF THE BINARY ELEMENT AND TO CAUSE THE BINARY ELEMENT TO CHANGE STATE, AND WHEREBY SAID ELECTRICAL SIGNALS TEND TO BIAS THE BINARY ELEMENT INTO THE FIRST STATE.