Vehicle headlamp

• US 4,506,315 A
• Filed: 12/08/1982
• Issued: 03/19/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Ichikoh Industries Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Maekawa, Masashi, Hasegawa, Tatsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Application Number:
  US06/447,885
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 362/267, 362/299, 362/308, 362/309, 362/61, 362/80, 362/83, 362/346, 362/297, 313/479, 313/239, 313/240
• US Class Current: 362/308
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/164 having two or more filaments
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/337 the reflector having a structured surface, e.g. with facets or corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/37 characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/10 Protection of lighting devices cooling of lighting devices F21S45/40; waterproofing of lighting devices F21S45/50
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/40 Cooling of lighting devices

Abstract

A vehicle headlamp comprises a reflector having a reflecting parabolic face, and a lens made of synthetic resin and attached to the front end of said reflector. The vehicle headlamp further includes a lamp held by said reflector, at least one filament in said lamp positioned ahead the focussing point of said reflector, and a zone formed on the reflecting face where a means is arranged to reduce the amount of light coming from the filament onto the lens at an upper area thereof, said zone being positioned above the lamp and along an axis vertically passing through an optical axis. Said light reducing means is intended to reflect light either irregularly or diffusedly. The irregularly reflecting means comprises using no undercoat which serves to make the reflecting coat flat and smooth, or making the reflector body rough and uneven and then applying reflecting coat onto this rough and uneven portion with the undercoat interposed therebetween. The diffusedly reflecting means comprises forming slanted faces on the inner face of said reflector body and applying the reflecting coat onto these slanted faces with the undercoat interposed therebetween.

Claims

1. A vehicle headlamp comprising:

a reflector body having an open end and defining a substantially parabolic surface having a focal point;

a lens made of synthetic resin and attached to said open end of said reflector body and,

a lamp comprising at least one filament in a glass envelope, said lamp being attached to said reflector body such that said filament is positioned ahead of said focal point;

said parabolic surface comprising a smooth reflecting surface for reflecting light from said lamp through said lens and an uneven light reducing zone positioned to reduce the amount of light reflected from said lamp to an upper area of said lens;

said smooth reflecting surface comprising a smooth undercoat applied over a desired portion of said parabolic surface of said reflector body and a reflecting coating applied over said undercoat, and

said uneven light reducing zone comprising said reflecting coating applied directly onto said reflector body.

2. A vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 wherein said undercoat is about 10-15μ

thick.

3. A vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 wherein said reflecting coat is about 0.05μ

thick.

4. A vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 wherein said reflector body is made of a material selected from the group consisting of metal and synthetic resin.

5. A vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 wherein said zone is positioned above the lamp and along an axis vertically passing through an optical axis.

6. A vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 wherein the light reducing means arranged at the zone reflects light irregularly.

7. A vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 wherein said light reducing means arranged at the zone reflects light diffusedly.