Auto-leveling system for vehicle headlamp

• US 7,014,345 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Toda, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ton, Anabel
• Application Number:
  US10/411,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20030193812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 362/276, 362/464, 362/465, 362/467, 362/460, 362/466, 315/82
• US Class Current: 362/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/10 due to vehicle inclination, e.g. due to load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/116 Vehicle at a stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch

Abstract

A auto-leveling system for vehicle headlamp comprises a headlamp an optical axis L of which is tilted vertically by a drive of a motor, a control unit 16 for controlling the drive of the motor 10, a vehicle pitch angle sensing means 14, and a headlamp lighting switch 11, whereby the control unit 16 controls the drive of the motor 10 based on a sensed pitch angle such that the optical axis of the headlamp is always set to a predetermined tilted state with respect to a road surface when the headlamp lighting switch is in an ON state, wherein the system has a daytime running light lighting deciding function, and the control unit 16 controls the drive of the motor 10 so as to fix the optical axis L of the headlamp at a frontal lower limit position when the headlamp lighting switch 11 is in an OFF state and a daytime running light is turned on. Thus, the drive of the motor 10 in a daytime running is eliminated and a load applied to the motor 10 is reduced.

Claims

1. An auto-leveling system for vehicle headlamp comprising:

a headlamp an optical axis of which is tilted vertically to a vehicle body by driving an actuator;

a control unit for controlling a drive of the actuator;

a speed sensing means for sensing a speed of a vehicle;

a pitch angle sensing means for sensing a pitch angle of the vehicle; and

a headlamp lighting switch, whereby the control unit controls a drive of the actuator based on the pitch angle being sensed by the pitch angle sensing means independently of whether or not a posture of the vehicle is stabilized statically such that the optical axis of the headlamp is always set to a predetermined tilted state with respect to a road surface when the headlamp lighting switch is in an ON state;

wherein the system has a daytime running light lighting deciding function and is constructed to alternatively select a dynamic auto-leveling process, which executes a drive control of the actuator independently of whether or not the posture of the vehicle is stabilized statically, and a static auto-leveling process, which executes the drive control of the actuator as far as the posture of the vehicle is stabilized statically, wherein the vehicle is statically stabilized when it moves at a substantially constant speed or is in a stopped state, and wherein the speed and acceleration are not substantially changed during a predetermined time period and

the control unit is constructed to select the dynamic auto-leveling process when the headlamp light switch is in an ON state, and select the static auto-leveling process when the headlamp light switch is in an OFF state and a daytime running light is turned on.

2. An auto-leveling system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a daytime running light lighting switch connected with the control unit to realize the daytime running light lighting deciding function.

3. An auto-leveling system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said daytime running light lighting switch is functioned by an ignition switch to start an engine of the vehicle.