HEADLAMP CONTROL MEANS WITH TIME DELAY

• US 3,628,085 A
• Filed: 06/26/1970
• Issued: 12/14/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unison Industries Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Eugene W. Brock
• Inventors: Brock, Eugene W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lake, Roy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dahl, Lawrence J.
• Application Number:
  US05/050,250
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 315/77,82,134,159
• US Class Current: 315/62
• 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 2300/314 Ambient light

Abstract

A vehicle lamp control system which, with the ignition switch closed, automatically energizes the lamps after a first time delay in darkness and deenergizes the lamps after a second time delay in light and, in darkness, automatically deenergizes the lamps after a third time delay when the ignition switch is opened and energizes the lamps after a fourth time delay when the ignition switch is closed. The time delay circuit consists of a capacitor and a plural number of resistors. The lamp switching circuit also controls the time delay circuit by connecting a different resistor with the capacitor in an RC timing circuit to produce each time delay.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp control system comprising, in combination, vehicle lamps, an electric power source, a vehicle ignition switch, lamp switch means effective to control the supply of power from the power source to the vehicle lamps, light-sensitive switch means responsive to ambient light while the ignition switch is closed to control the lamp switch means to cause the vehicle lamps to be energized in darkness and deenergized in light, a capacitor and a plurality of resistors;

the lamp switch means being effective to connect the capacitor and a first resistor in a first RC timing circuit to delay energization of the vehicle lamps and to connect the capacitor and a second resistor in a second RC timing circuit to delay deenergization of the vehicle lamps;

the lamp switch means also being responsive to the opening of the ignition switch to cause the vehicle lamps to be deenergized and effective to connect the capacitor and a third resistor in a third RC timing circuit to delay deenergization of the vehicle lamps.

2. A vehicle lamp control system comprising, in combination, vehicle lamps, an electric power source, a vehicle ignition switch, lamp switch means effective to control the supply of power from the power source to the vehicle lamps, light-sensitive switch means responsive to ambient light while the ignition switch is closed to control the lamp switch means to cause the vehicle lamps to be energized in darkness and deenergized in light, a capacitor and a plurality of resistors;

the lamp switch means being effective to connect the capacitor and a first resistor in a first RC timing circuit to delay energization of the vehicle lamps and to connect the capacitor and a second resistor in a second RC timing circuit to delay deenergization of the vehicle lamps;

the lamp switch means also being responsive to ignition switch voltage while the light-sensitive switch means senses darkness to control the lamp switch means to cause the vehicle lamps to be energized when the ignition switch is closed and deenergized when the ignition switch is opened;

the lamp switch means being effective to connect the capacitor and a third resistor in a third RC timing circuit to delay energization of the vehicle lamps and to connect the capacitor and a fourth resistor in a fourth RC timing circuit to delay deenergization of the vehicle lamps.

3. A vehicle lamp control system comprising, in combination, vehicle lamps, an electric power source, a vehicle ignition system, lamp switch means effective to control the supply of power from the power source to the vehicle lamps and light-sensitive switch means responsive to ambient light when the ignition switch is closed to control the lamp switch means to cause the vehicle lamps to be energized in darkness and deenergized in light, the lamp switch means including time delay means, said time delay means including a capacitor and first, second and third resistances, the lamp switch means also controlling the time delay means to connect a first circuit to discharge the capacitor through the first resistance to produce a time delay in vehicle lamp energization and a second circuit to charge the capacitor from the power source through the second resistance to produce a time delay in vehicle lamp deenergization;

the lamp switch means also being sensitive to the opening of the ignition switch to cause the vehicle lamps to be deenergized and to connect a third circuit to charge the capacitor from the power source through a third resistance to produce a time delay in vehicle lamp deenergization.

4. A vehicle lamp control system comprising, in combination, vehicle lamps, and electric power source, a vehicle ignition system, lamp switch means effective to control the supply of power from the power source to the vehicle lamps and light-sensitive switch means responsive to ambient light when the ignition switch is closed to control the lamp switch means to cause the vehicle lamps to be energized in darkness and deenergized in light, the lamp switch means including time delay means, said time delay means including a capacitor and first, second, third and fourth resistances, the lamp switch means also controlling the time delay means to connect a first circuit to discharge the capacitor through the first resistance to produce a time delay in vehicle lamp energization and a second circuit to charge the capacitor from the power source through the second resistance to produce a time delay in vehicle lamp deenergization;

the lamp switch means also being sensitive to ignition switch voltage while the light-sensitive switch means senses darkness to control the lamp switch means to cause the vehicle lamps to be energized when the ignition switch is closed and deenergized when the ignition switch is open, the lamp switch means being effective to control the time delay means to connect a third circuit to discharge the capacitor through the third resistance to produce a time delay in vehicle lamp energization and a fourth circuit to charge the capacitor from the power source through the fourth resistance to produce a time delay in vehicle lamp deenergization.