EP0096785A1 - Abgestutzter Fahrzeugscheinwerfer - Google Patents

Abgestutzter Fahrzeugscheinwerfer Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0096785A1
EP0096785A1 EP83105307A EP83105307A EP0096785A1 EP 0096785 A1 EP0096785 A1 EP 0096785A1 EP 83105307 A EP83105307 A EP 83105307A EP 83105307 A EP83105307 A EP 83105307A EP 0096785 A1 EP0096785 A1 EP 0096785A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
reflector
truncated
light source
light
optical axis
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP83105307A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Walter John Kosmatka
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
General Electric Co
Original Assignee
General Electric Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by General Electric Co filed Critical General Electric Co
Publication of EP0096785A1 publication Critical patent/EP0096785A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
    • F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
    • F21S41/30—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by reflectors
    • F21S41/32—Optical layout thereof
    • F21S41/321—Optical layout thereof the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated

Definitions

  • the invention is in the field of lamps for automobiles and other vehicles, such as headlamps and fog lamps, having truncated reflectors, i.e., reflectors having a concave surface which is truncated at the top and/or bottom.
  • Certain headlamp reflectors are truncated at their top and/or bottom to reduce their vertical height for better fitting and styling in automobiles.
  • a shield or other means is used to achieve sharp beam cutoff to reduce glare above the horizontal, specifically in low-beam lamps used for city driving.
  • U.S. Patents 1,359,789 to Brown and 4,276,583 to Fratty disclose truncated headlamps, in which Brown employs an auxiliary reflector and Pratty employs a shield to reduce glare. Attempts to design truncated headlamps having reduced glare, without the use of internal shields, have not been completely successful, especially where the filament is enclosed in a glass inner bulb.
  • Objects of the invention are to provide an improved and economical truncated vehicle lamp of compact size, without shielding the filament from the reflector, and which projects a light beam, when installed on a vehicle, that is substantially entirely below the horizontal thereby significantly reducing glare.
  • the invention comprises, briefly and in a preferred embodiment, a vehicle lamp having a generally parabolic or concave reflector which is truncated at its top, bottom or sides, thus providing one or more flat sections substantially parallel to the reflector's optical axis.
  • the optical axis does not coincide with the center of the reflector.
  • the flat surfaces are non-reflective, such as by being transparent or light-absorbing. This construction achieves the desired improvement in glare reduction and eliminates the need for prior art filament shield.
  • the headlamp comprises a reflector 11 having a generally parabolic or other concave reflecting surface 12 which may be a true parabola or a modified parabola configuration having an optical axis 13.
  • a light bulb 14, preferably a halogen type, is held in the reflector 11 by conventional or other suitable means, and contains a filament 16 or other suitable light source at or near the optical axis 13 and also at or near the focal point of the reflector 12 so that the raflector 12 will reflect light from the light source 16 in a desired forward pattern as exemplified by the reflected light ray 17.
  • the front top half of the bulb 14 may be rendered opaque, such as with a coating 18 of dark material, to block light rays that would emanate directly through the lens at an upward angle above the horizontal optical axis 13.
  • top and bottom parts of the reflector 11 are truncated to form substantially flat top and bottom sections 21, 22 which may both be parallel to the optical axis 13.
  • a transparent cover plate or lens can be attached over the front opening of the reflector in conventional manner.
  • One of the flat sections, such as the top section 21, is considerably closer to the optical axis 13 than is the other flat section 22, whereby the reflecting surface 12 is approximately a half-section, or slightly wider, of the more conventional symmetrical parabolic reflector. This provides more accurate beam design control of the reflected beam pattern and achieves substantial reduction of undesirable glare light above horizontal by eliminating the conventional parabolic upper half reflecting surface which, if present, would cause some glare light having an upward directional component.
  • the light source 16 should be frontwardly of the junction lines 21' and 22' of the flat sections 21, 22 and the parabolic section 12, at least in the vicinity 22" of the vertical plane in which the light source lies, to prevent glare rays caused by light reflected from inner surface areas of the bulb, frontwardly of the light source, and re-reflected by the parabolic reflector surface.
  • one or both of the top and bottom reflector sections 21, 22 are made so as to be substantially non-reflective of light. This can be accomplished by making them transparent, or of a light-absorbing material, or coating them, preferably at their inner surfaces 23, 24, with a dark non-reflective material such as paint.
  • non-reflective' and substantially non-reflective' as used herein mean that a surface has a low reflectivity so as to reduce glare in accordance with the invention, it being recognized that it is difficult or impossible to achieve absolutely zero reflectivity at a surface.
  • the parabolic reflecting surface 12 reflects light rays from the light source 16 in a desired frontwardly direction, and, if desired, can be contoured to reflect some light downwardly and frontwardly to illuminate the road near the vehicle, none of this reflected light having a deliberate upward component which can cause glare for oncoming motorists. Also, some light from the light source 16 will project directly frontwardly and downwardly through the front of the headlamp adding to the nearby road illumination but not causing glare. As has been stated, the opaque coating 18 on the front of the bulb blocks and prevents direct glare light rays.
  • Some light rays 26 from the source 16 are at an upward and rearward angle, and are not reflected by the non-reflective surface 23 because it is absorbed by its dark color or because it passes through a transparent truncated section 21 and becomes trapped or absorbed by the vehicle hood or other structural members. If, however, the rays 26 were reflected at surface 23, they would follow a path 27, be re-reflected by surface 12 into a path 28, and again be re-reflected by surface 24 (if reflective) into a path 29 frontwardly and upwardly from the headlamp thus causing undesired glare to oncoming motorists.
  • Numeral 31 indicates a light ray reflected by the inner surface of the bulb 14 in an upward and rearward direction similar to the just-described ray 26, and which is not reflected by the truncated areas 21 and 22; if these areas were reflective, the ray 31 and others generally in the same direction would be multiply reflected and emerge as glare rays similar to-ray 29.
  • the sides 32, 33 of the reflector can be truncated, if desired, to reduce the horizontal width, and may be either reflective or non-reflective because sideways (but not upward) reflected rays are relatively unimportant
  • the light bulb 14, although shown horizontal can be vertical or at another angle.
  • the headlamg can be turned over so that area 22 is the top and area 21 is the bottom, the opaque coating area 18, if provided, being relocated on the bulb to block direct frontward light rays that would have an upward component through the front of the headlamp.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)
EP83105307A 1982-06-09 1983-05-28 Abgestutzter Fahrzeugscheinwerfer Withdrawn EP0096785A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US38649882A 1982-06-09 1982-06-09
US386498 1982-06-09

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0096785A1 true EP0096785A1 (de) 1983-12-28

Family

ID=23525838

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP83105307A Withdrawn EP0096785A1 (de) 1982-06-09 1983-05-28 Abgestutzter Fahrzeugscheinwerfer

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0096785A1 (de)
JP (1) JPS595557A (de)
DE (1) DE3319190A1 (de)
GB (1) GB2123133B (de)
IT (1) IT1168263B (de)
SE (1) SE8303245L (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2560354A1 (fr) * 1984-02-27 1985-08-30 Philips Nv Systeme de projecteurs

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4880792A (en) * 1986-11-06 1989-11-14 Mazda Motor Corporation Molding installation using die
DE3737598C2 (de) * 1986-11-06 1989-11-16 Mazda Motor Anlage zur formteilherstellung mit einem formwerkzeug

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1337858A (fr) * 1962-08-07 1963-09-20 Machal Projecteurs Perfectionnement aux projecteurs de véhicules fournissant un éclairage dissymétrique
GB1160986A (en) * 1966-08-24 1969-08-13 Raydyot Ltd Improvements relating to Lamps for Motor Vehicles

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1511607A (fr) * 1966-12-19 1968-02-02 Cibie Projecteurs Projecteur perfectionné pour véhicule automobile
DE1772352A1 (de) * 1968-05-02 1970-12-10 Ford Werke Ag Doppelscheinwerfer fuer Abblend- und Fernlicht,insbesondere fuer Kraftfahrzeuge
FR2392323A1 (fr) * 1977-05-23 1978-12-22 Cibie Projecteurs Nouveau projecteur d'automobile a ouverture rectangulaire
JPS5851503U (ja) * 1981-10-05 1983-04-07 トヨタ自動車株式会社 車両用前照燈

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1337858A (fr) * 1962-08-07 1963-09-20 Machal Projecteurs Perfectionnement aux projecteurs de véhicules fournissant un éclairage dissymétrique
GB1160986A (en) * 1966-08-24 1969-08-13 Raydyot Ltd Improvements relating to Lamps for Motor Vehicles

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2560354A1 (fr) * 1984-02-27 1985-08-30 Philips Nv Systeme de projecteurs
NL8400592A (nl) * 1984-02-27 1985-09-16 Philips Nv Koplampsysteem.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
SE8303245D0 (sv) 1983-06-08
IT8321467A0 (it) 1983-06-03
GB2123133B (en) 1985-08-29
GB2123133A (en) 1984-01-25
SE8303245L (sv) 1983-12-10
GB8309549D0 (en) 1983-05-11
JPS595557A (ja) 1984-01-12
IT1168263B (it) 1987-05-20
DE3319190A1 (de) 1983-12-29

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): NL

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19840618

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 19860212

RIN1 Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected)

Inventor name: KOSMATKA, WALTER JOHN