Multi-focal lens for bi-functional headlamp

• US 7,357,545 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2005
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varroc Lighting Systems S.R.O. (Varroc Engineering Limited)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Stefka, Jan, Kreml, Tomas, Olivik, Marek, Hynar, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Payne; Sharon E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANSKAR, KRISTEN
• Application Number:
  US11/200,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20070035961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 362/539
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/00 Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps reversing lights F21S43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/162 Incandescent light sources, e.g. filament or halogen lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/172 High-intensity discharge light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/255 Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/265 Composite lenses; Lenses with a patch-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/32 Optical layout thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/689 Flaps, i.e. screens pivoting around one of their edges
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2102/13 for high-beam region or low-beam region

Abstract

The headlamp assembly having low beam and high beam operation modes includes a light source, a reflector surface adapted to reflect light from the light source outward to a condenser lens positioned at a distance from the light source. An opaque shield is positioned between the light source and the condenser lens and is moveable between a first position, where a portion of the reflected light is blocked from reaching the condenser lens, and a second position, where substantially all of the reflected light is allowed to reach the condenser lens. The condenser lens has a first segment and a second segment wherein, when the opaque shield is in the first position, light is reflected almost entirely to the first segment of the condenser lens, and when the opaque shield is in the second position, light is reflected to the first and second segments of the condenser lens.

Claims

1. A headlamp assembly having low beam and high beam operation modes comprising:

a light source;

a reflector surface adapted to reflect light from the light source outward;

a condenser lens positioned at a distance from the light source such that light from the light source hits the reflector surface and is reflected outward to the condenser lens, the condenser lens adapted to collimate the light passing therethrough; and

an opaque shield positioned between the light source and the condenser lens, the opaque shield being moveable between a first position, where a portion of the light reflected from the reflector surface is blocked from reaching the condenser lens, and a second position, where substantially all of the light reflected by the reflector surface is allowed to reach the condenser lens;

the condenser lens having a first segment and a second segment wherein when the opaque shield is in the first position, substantially all of the light from the light source is reflected only to the first segment of the condenser lens, and when the opaque shield is in the second position, light from the light source is reflected to the first and second segments of the condenser lens,

wherein the first segment of the condenser lens is a lower hemi-spherical portion and the second segment of the condenser lens is an upper hemi-spherical portion, and

wherein the first segment of the condenser lens has a first focal point and the second segment of the condenser lens has a second focal point, the first and second focal points being located proximal to a central axis of the headlamp assembly, between the light source and the condenser lens, the second focal point being located closer to the lens than the first focal point.

2. The headlamp assembly of claim 1, wherein the shield, when in the first position, and the first focal point are located at the same distance from the light source, such that when in the first position, the opaque shield only allows light above the first focal point to pass through to the condenser lens, thereby creating a low beam cut off.

3. The headlamp assembly of claim 2, wherein when the opaque shield is in the first position, light passing through the first segment of the condenser lens does not pass through the first focal point, and therefore is not collimated.

4. The headlamp assembly of claim 3, wherein when the opaque shield Is in the second position, light reflected from the reflector shield passes through the second focal point to the second segment of the condenser lens and is collimated, thereby creating a high intensity high beam.

5. The headlamp assembly of claim 4, wherein the light source is one of a high-intensity discharge bulb and a halogen bulb.

6. A headlamp assembly having low beam and high beam operation modes comprising:

a light source;

a reflector surface adapted to reflect light from the light source outward;

a condenser lens positioned at a distance from the light source such that light from the light source hits the reflector surface and is reflected outward to the condenser lens, the condenser lens adapted to collimate the light passing therethrough; and

an opaque shield positioned between the light source and the condenser lens, the opaque shield being moveable between a first position, where a portion of the light reflected from the reflector surface is blocked from reaching the condenser lens, and a second position, where substantially all of the light reflected by the reflector surface is allowed to reach the condenser lens;

the condenser lens having a first segment and a second segment wherein when the opaque shield is in the first position, substantially all of the light from the light source is reflected only to the first segment of the condenser lens, and when the opaque shield is in the second position, light from the light source is reflected to the first and second segments of the condenser lens;

the first segment having a first focal point and the second segment having a second focal point, the first and second focal points being located proximal to a central axis of the headlamp assembly, between the light source and the condenser lens, the second focal point being located closer to the lens than the first focal point.

7. The headlamp assembly of claim 6, wherein the shield, when in the first position, and the first focal point are located at the same distance from the light source, such that when in the first position, the opaque shield only allows light above the first focal point to pass through to the condenser lens, thereby creating a low beam cut off.

8. The headlamp assembly of claim 7, wherein when the opaque shield is in the first position, light passing through the first segment of the condenser lens does not pass through the first focal point, and therefore is not collimated.

9. The headlamp assembly of claim 8, wherein when the opaque shield is in the second position, light reflected from the reflector shield passes through the second focal point to the second segment of the condenser lens and is collimated, thereby creating a high intensity high beam.

10. The headlamp assembly of claim 9, wherein the light source is one of a high-intensity discharge bulb and a halogen bulb.

11. A headlamp assembly having low beam and high beam operation modes comprising:

a light source;

a reflector surface adapted to reflect light from the light source outward;

a condenser lens positioned at a distance from the light source such that light from the light source hits the reflector surface and is reflected outward to the condenser lens, the condenser lens adapted to collimate the light passing therethrough; and

an opaque shield positioned between the light source and the condenser lens, the opaque shield being moveable between a first position, where a portion of the light reflected from the reflector surface is blocked from reaching the condenser lens, and a second position, where substantially all of the light reflected by the reflector surface is allowed to reach the condenser lens;

the condenser lens having a first segment and a second segment wherein when the opaque shield is in the first position, substantially all of the light from the light source is reflected only to the first segment of the condenser lens, and when the opaque shield is in the second position, light from the light source is reflected to the first and second segments of the condenser lens,

wherein the first segment of the condenser lens is a lower hemi-spherical portion and the second segment of the condenser lens is an upper hemi-spherical portion, and

wherein the first segment of the condenser lens has a first shape and the second segment of the condenser lens has a second shape, the first and second shapes being different from each other.

12. The headlamp assembly of claim 11, wherein the light source is one of a high-intensity discharge bulb and a halogen bulb.