LIGHTING SYSTEMS FOR ROAD VEHICLES

• US 3,818,265 A
• Filed: 05/10/1971
• Issued: 06/18/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1964
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harris Vernon Hicks, Kenneth James Jones
• Original Assignee: Harris Vernon Hicks, Kenneth James Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Kenneth James, Hicks, Harris Vernon
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US05/141,818
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 315/82,83,83.1 250/214C,234C
• 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 41/125 Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/162 Incandescent light sources, e.g. filament or halogen lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/285 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24-F21S41/28
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/321 the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/365 successively reflecting the light
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/43 characterised by the shape thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/47 Attachment thereof achieving variable light distribution by movable screens F21S41/683
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/686 Blades, i.e. screens moving in a vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/692 Shields, i.e. screens not creating an image meant to be projected

Abstract

A lighting system for a road vehicle wherein a projector produces a beam of light illuminating the road in front of the vehicle and a receiver senses light from sources in front of the vehicle. Certain wave-lengths are removed from the projected beam and the receiver is principally sensitive to these wave-lengths, so that the risk of the system being operated by its own reflected light is minimised.

Claims

1. A lighting system for a road vehicle, said system including a light projector means for producing a beam of light having a given frequency spectrum, said light projector means incorporating means to remove predetermined frequencies from said beam of light within said given spectrum, said light projector means being directed so that the light beam illuminates the road in front of the vehicle, a light receiver means for receiving light from an on-coming vehicle, the receiver means being sensitive principally to received light of said predetermined frequencies so that the receiver means is insensitive to light emanating from the projector means and reflected back to said receiver means, and means coupled between said light receiving means and said light projector means for controlling the field of illumination of the projected beam in response to light received from the on-coming vehicle so that the projected beam does not illuminate in the direction of the on-coming vehicle and the driver of the on-coming vehicle is thereby not dazzled by the projected beam.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for removing said predetermined frequencies includes a filter through which light constituting said beam must pass, the filter preventing passage of the predetermined wave-lengths.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for removing said predetermined frequencies includes a dichroic mirror from which light constituting said beam is reflected in use, the dichroic mirror transmitting said predetermined wave-lengths so that they are not present in said beam.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the predetermined frequencies are red and infra-red.