Vehicular lamp system

• US 7,901,121 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohshio, Hirohiko, Mochizuki, Kiyotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward; John A
• Application Number:
  US12/257,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20090116259A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 362/464, 362/465, 362/469, 362/467, 362/507, 362/512
• US Class Current: 362/512
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/698 Shaft-shaped screens rotating along its longitudinal axis

Abstract

The light distribution of a vehicle headlamp can be changed between various modes, including a basic mode and a motorway mode. In the basic mode, shaded region changeover means block a high light intensity region, and deflection control means controls a lamp optical axis Lx to a straight travel direction. In the motorway mode, the shaded region changeover means does not block the high light intensity region, and the deflection control means controls deflection of the lamp optical axis to a host vehicle lane side. A light distribution in which the high light intensity region faces a far distance ahead of the host vehicle lane can be obtained, and the host vehicle lane is brightly illuminated without dazzling a driver of a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle. Accordingly, illumination suited to the motorway mode during high speed and medium speed travel can be achieved.

Claims

1. A vehicular lamp system comprising:

shading means for partially shading light emitted from a lamp to vary a light distribution pattern;

shaded region changeover means for changing a shaded region using the shading means; and

deflection control means for controlling deflection of a lamp optical axis in a lateral direction, wherein

the shaded region changeover means is operable to change between a shaded state where a high light intensity region of an illumination region of the lamp is shaded and an unshaded state where a high light intensity region is not shaded, and the deflection control means is operable to laterally deflect the lamp optical axis in accordance with the shaded or unshaded state of the high light intensity region due to the shaded region changeover means.

2. The vehicular lamp system according to claim 1, wherein the lamp system is operable to switch between a basic mode and a motorway mode, where:

in the basic mode, the shaded region changeover means blocks light in substantially the entire high light intensity region and the deflection control means controls the lamp optical axis to a straight travel direction; and

in the motorway mode, the shaded region changeover means does not block light in the high light intensity region, and the deflection control means controls deflection of the lamp optical axis to a host vehicle lane side.

3. The vehicular lamp system according to claim 1 further comprising leveling means for controlling deflection of an illumination optical axis of the lamp in a vertical direction.

4. The vehicular lamp system according to claim 3, wherein the lamp system is operable to switch between a basic mode and a wet road mode, where:

in the basic mode, the shaded region changeover means blocks light in the high light intensity region and the deflection control means controls the lamp optical axis to a straight travel direction; and

in the wet road mode, the shaded region changeover means does not block light in the high light intensity region, the deflection control means controls deflection of the lamp optical axis to a host vehicle lane side, and the leveling means controls deflection of the lamp optical axis upward.

5. The vehicle lamp system according to claim 1 further comprising leveling means for controlling deflection of an illumination optical axis of the lamp in a vertical direction, wherein the lamp system is operable to switch among a basic mode, a motorway mode, and a wet road mode, where:

in the basic mode, the shaded region changeover means blocks light in the high light intensity region and the deflection control means controls the lamp optical axis to a straight travel direction;

in the motorway mode, the shaded region changeover means does not block light in the high light intensity region, and the deflection control means controls deflection of the lamp optical axis to a host vehicle lane side; and

in the wet road mode, the shaded region changeover means does not block light in the high light intensity region, the deflection control means controls deflection of the lamp optical axis to the host vehicle lane side, and the leveling means controls deflection of the lamp optical axis upward,

wherein the vehicle lamp system is arranged so that when changing from the basic mode to the motorway mode or the wet road mode, at least one of the deflecting means or the leveling means performs a deflecting control or a leveling control, respectively, before a shaded region changeover control of the shaded region changeover means, and

when changing from the motorway mode or the wet road mode to the basic mode, the shaded region changeover control of the shaded region changeover means is performed before the deflecting control or the leveling control.

6. The vehicular lamp system according to claim 5 wherein the shading means has right and left horizontal cut-off lines of different heights, as well as an oblique cut-off line that connects the right and left horizontal cut-off lines, and

the shaded region changeover means is operable to change a horizontal position of the oblique cut-off line in the motorway mode and the wet road mode, and the deflection control means is operable to set the oblique cut-off line substantially to identical horizontal positions in the motorway mode and the wet road mode.

7. A vehicular lamp system comprising:

a shade operable to partially shade light emitted from a lamp to vary a light distribution pattern;

a rotational shade device operable to change a shaded region using the shade; and

a deflection control device operable to control deflection of a lamp optical axis in a lateral direction,

wherein the shade is further operable to change between a shaded state where a high light intensity region of an illumination region of the lamp is shaded and an unshaded state where a high light intensity region of an illumination region is not shaded, and the deflection control device is further operable to laterally deflect the lamp optical axis in accordance with the shaded or unshaded state of the high light intensity region.

8. The vehicle lamp system according to claim 7 further comprising a leveling device operable to control deflection of an illumination optical axis of the lamp in a vertical direction, wherein the lamp system is operable to switch among a basic mode, a motorway mode, and a wet road mode, where:

in the basic mode, the rotational shade device blocks light in the high light intensity region and the deflection control device sets the lamp optical axis in a straight travel direction;

in the motorway mode, the rotational shade device does not block light in the high light intensity region, and the deflection control device deflects the lamp optical axis to a host vehicle lane side; and

in the wet road mode, the rotational shade device does not block light in the high light intensity region, the deflection control device deflects the lamp optical axis to the host vehicle lane side, and the leveling device deflects the lamp optical axis upward,

wherein the vehicle lamp system is arranged so that when changing from the basic mode to the motorway mode or the wet road mode, at least one of the deflection control device or the leveling device performs a deflecting control or a leveling control, respectively, prior to changing a shaded region with the rotational shade device, and

when changing from the motorway mode or the wet road mode to the basic mode, the rotational shade device changes a shaded region prior to operation of the deflection control device or the leveling device.