LIGHTING SYSTEMS FOR ROAD VEHICLES

• US 3,673,421 A
• Filed: 02/12/1969
• Issued: 06/27/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harris Vernon Hicks, Kenneth James Jones
• Original Assignee: Harris Vernon Hicks, Kenneth James Jones
• Inventors: Hicks, Harris Vernon, Jones, Kenneth James
• Primary Examiner(s): Lawrence, James W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nelms, D. C.
• Application Number:
  US04/798,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 250/217,205,229 315/82,83 240/46.05,46.29
• US Class Current: 250/229
• 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: F21S 41/686 Blades, i.e. screens moving in a vertical plane

Abstract

1. A lighting system for a road vehicle, comprising in combination a light source and associated lens for producing a beam of light illuminating the road in front of the vehicle, a mask having therein an aperture, focusing means associated with the light source and arranged so that an image of the light source appears in the aperture, and a well defined image of the aperture is projected forwardly to constitute said beam, a shutter movable from a rest position across the aperture, and means sensitive to light received from an oncoming vehicle for progressively moving the shutter across the aperture so as to cut off sufficient of the beam to avoid dazzling the driver of the oncoming vehicle.

Claims

1. A lighting system for a road vehicle, comprising in combination a light source and associated lens for producing a beam of light illuminating the road in front of the vehicle, a mask having therein an aperture, focusing means associated with the light source and arranged so that an image of the light source appears in the aperture, and a well defined image of the aperture is projected forwardly to constitute said beam, a shutter movable from a rest position across the aperture, and means sensitive to light received from an oncoming vehicle for progressively moving the shutter across the aperture so as to cut off sufficient of the beam to avoid dazzling the driver of the oncoming vehicle.

2. A lighting system as claimed in claim 1 including a winding secured to said shutter, means for producing a magnetic field passing through said winding so that said winding and consequently the shutter are caused to move linearly in a direction to move the shutter across the aperture, when the winding is energized, resilient means urging the shutter in a direction to uncover the aperture, said means sensitive to light received from an oncoming vehicle serving to energize said winding so that said shutter is moved progressively across the aperture to cut off sufficient of said beam of light to avoid dazzling the driver of the oncoming vehicle.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which said means sensitive to light from an incoming vehicle includes a light receiver comprising a lens for projecting an image of light from an oncoming vehicle into a second aperture in a second mask, and thence onto a photocell which energizes a means for moving said first shutter, said means also moving a second shutter across the second aperture, said first and second shutters being moved by equal mounts simultaneously, said first and second shutters and associated apertures thereby defining means correlating the field of illumination of the beam of projected light with the field of view of the light receiver.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 in which the shutters and apertures are so dimensioned reLative to one another that even when the first aperture is completely covered, light falls on the photocell.

5. A lighting system as claimed in claim 3 in which said shutters are carried by and movable by a rod which extends substantially parallel with the plane of the mask, the rod being operated under the control of said means.

6. A system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the elements thereof are disposed on a common mounting.