GB2511066A

GB2511066A - Method for fitting vehicle headlamp converter

Info

Publication number: GB2511066A
Application number: GB1303082.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Ivor Harper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2013-02-21
Filing date: 2013-02-21
Publication date: 2014-08-27
Anticipated expiration: 2033-02-21
Also published as: GB201303082D0; GB2511066B

Abstract

A method for positioning a beam converter over a headlamp of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of switching on said headlamp so that it emits a beam, locating a template in the path of said beam, holding a barrier with a slot between said headlamp and said template, observing a beam pattern incident on said template, moving said barrier until said beam pattern is consistent with a hotspot of said beam being incident on said slot, applying a marker on said headlamp to indicate a position of said hotspot; and using said marker to position said beam converter.

Description

I

METHOD FOR FITTING VEHICLE HEADLAMP CONVERTER

The present invention relates to a method of correctly aligning and fitting a headlamp converter to a vehicle headlamp.

Background

Vehicle headlamps generally include means to direct the dipped beam towards the nearside of the vehicle, in order to avoid dazzling the drivers of oncoming vehicles.

This means can be by use of a lens moulded into the plastic covering of the lamp or by use of the alignment of thc reflective internal surfaces of the headlamp.

The direction of the dipped beam towards the nearside of the vehicle can cause a problem when driving in a country where driving is on the opposite side of the road to that for which the vehicle is designed. There are very few vehicles which have the 1 5 facility to change the direction of the dipped beam to allow them to drive on the opposite side of the road and changing the direction of the beam especially for this purpose can be very costly.

The usual solution that drivers adopt is to use commercial kits to change the direction of the beam, for example to cut a difflising material and position it over a defined portion of the headlamp transparent cover.

However, modem headlamps are provided with multi-focal reflectors and not only differ from one manufacturer to another, but very frequently from one model of vehicle to another. Consequently, in order to achieve the desired diffusion (redirection) effect, converters need to be positioned very precisely. If this is not performed completely correctly then the converter will not cover the portion through which the dipped beam emerges. However, modern cars generally have curved headlamp covers which means that correct positioning can be very difficult to achieve. The cutting and positioning can be vcry time consuming for the user, especially as there may be a large number of unsatisfactory results due to errors in cither of these steps.

One solution, disclosed in 0B2471704, is to mark the position of the "hotspot" of the beam using a piece of translucent material provided with a small aperture. The procedure comprises six steps: (I) Switching on the headlamps; (ii) Positioning the sheet of translucent material over the headlamp to be fitted with the cover; (iii) Positioning the aperture in the sheet over the "llotspot" of the lamp; (iv) Applying a locating marking through the aperture to indicate the position of the beam; (v) Removing the translucent sheet; and (vi) Positioning the light deflector over the headlamp guided by the marker.

Although the method works to provide for correct positioning of the converter, it has a major disadvantage in that the person fitting the device has to look directly at the headlamp beam. This is potentially dangerous, especially with a halogen bulb, as it has the potential to seriously damage the fitter's eyesight.

It would be advantageous to have a method, which is effective in correctly aligning the convertor, but which does not require the fitter to look directly at the headlamp beam.

Summary of the invention

Accordingly, in its broadest aspect, the present invention provides a method for aligning a headlamp convertor for attachment to a headlamp, comprising the steps of: locating a template in the path of said beam; switching on said headlamp so that it emits a beam; holding a barrier with a slot between said headlamp and said template; observing a beam pattern incident on said template; moving said barrier until said beam pattern is consistent with a hotspot of said beam being incident on said slot; applying a marker on said headlamp to indicate a position of said hotspot; and using said marker to position said beam converter, Preferably the barrier has an elongate slot.

Preferably the barrier is held such that said slot is horizontal.

Preferably the template is positioned substantially 60 centimeters from said headlamp.

Preferably observing the beam pattern comprises the step of identifying a kick-up on a side of said beam.

Preferably the barrier is first moved vertically to locate a vertical height of said hotspot and then horizontally to locate a horizontal position.

Preferably horizontal position is located by moving said barrier horizontally until a change in said beam pattern consistent with a covering of said hotspot is observed.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a kit for positioning a beam converter over a headlamp comprising a beam profile template and a barrier with a slot.

Preferably template is marked to indicate a hotspot position.

Preferably the template is marked to indicate a kick-up beam position pattern.

Brief description of the drawings

The above and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in further detail by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the process of alignment of the dipped beam of a vehicle headlamp.

Figure 2 is a view of a template for beam aligmnent; Figure 3 is a view of a prior art headlamp converter; Figure 4 is a view of a barrier according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a view of a template according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 6 is a perspective view of the positioning of the headlamp, barrier and template according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 7 is a view of the pattern of light incident on the template when the hotspot is coincident with the slot in the barrier.

Detailed description

In order to avoid dazzling drivers driving in the opposite direction, headlamps in their dipped position are normally aligned such that they are directed towards the side of the road. The beam is arranged so that, in the UK and other left-side drive countries, the beam is higher to the left of the lamp than to the right, thus illuminating obstacles and road signs an adequate distance ahead on the drivers own side of the road while limiting glare to oncoming traffic on the other side of the road. This asymmetric beam distribution is suitable for usc on only one side of the road, In countries where driving is on the right hand side of the road, vehicles have headlamps with a corresponding mirror image distribution of light suitable for driving on the right.

A beam profile can be seen by shining the headlamps 101 of a vehicle 102 against a wall or an aiming board 103, located at a distance 104 of typically 10 metres, as illustrated in Figure 1. Such an aiming board is typically used during "MOT" testing for headlamp alignment.

A standard beam distribution from such a test is shown in Figure 2. A template 201 has vertical 202 and horizontal 203 aligning markings in the form of a dashed line.

The cross over point 204 between the lines is the so-called "hotspot" of the headlamp beam. The circle segment 205 illustrates the beam profile, A particular feature is the pattern is the beam sector 206 above the horizontal alignment marking. This is caused by the raising of the beam on the left hand side and is referred to as the "kick-up". A cm' designed for driving on the right-hand side of the road would have a headlamp beam pattern which is the mirror image of that illustrated in Figure 2.

Within Europe, headlamps designed and approved for use on one side of the road must be adaptable to produce adequate illumination with controlled glare for temporarily driving on the other side of the road, as for example on holiday or in transit. At least 70% and preferably 90% of the kick-up portion should be redirected or removed. This may be achieved by means of a headlamp converter. Such converters may act by blocking or attenuating part of the beam, redirecting the beam by means of a lens or by diffusing the beam. A front view of a typical converter is shown in Figure 3. The present invention provides a safe and simple method of correctly positioning such a converter, According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a kit comprising a barrier with an aperture, a template and at least one maker, preferably in the form of a sticker. A barrier according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 4. The barrier 401 is typically a card, with an aperture 402 to allow passage of the headlamp beam. The preferred embodiment is an elongate slit, but the person skilled in the art will appreciate that alternative shapes of aperture are possible, such as a circle or oval, and are within the scope of the invention. In the preferred embodiment, the template has a similar pattern to that illustrated in Figure 2. However, for the convenience of use, the pattern is a scaled version to enable it to be positioned closer to the headlamp than the ones used for standard MOT testing.

The person skilled in the art will understand that alternative template arrangements are possible and within the scope of the invention, so long as they enable the identification of the position of the hotspot of the beam and its kick-up. An alternative template, showing a simple triangle 501 to mark the kick-up and a central locating mark 502, is illustrated in Figure 5, According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of correctly positioning a headlamp converter using a kit according to the invention. The method comprises a first step of positioning a template approximately 60 cm from the car headlamp. This is illustrated in Figure 6. It may be attached to a board, on a wall or on a suitable stand. It is positioned such that the beam is centered on the central marking point 204 of template 201. The barrier 401 is held in front of the headlamp 101, in a position 601 between the headlamp and the template, but preferably close enough to the headlamp to enable easy application of a marker through the slot at a later step of the process. The positioning of the barrier is such that the plane of the barrier is substantially transverse to the direction of the headlamp beam. In the preferred embodiment wherein thc barrier has an elongate slot, the barrier is held so that slot 402 is substantially horizontal.

Once this initial set-up has been completed, the user can find the hotspot of the beam by movement of the barrier relative to the headlamp, The beam of the headlamp passes through the slot and causes a beam pattern on template 201, As the barrier is moved, different sections of the beam pass through slot 402. It is by observing the pattern cast onto the template that the correct position of the hotspot can be determined.

In the preferred embodiment, the first step in the determination of the hotspot position comprises the correct vertical positioning of the barrier. The barrier is moved vertically whilst substantially maintaining the orientation of its plane with respect to the headlamp beam. The barrier is moved vertically until a pattern of beam intensity consistent with the alignment of the hotspot and the slot is achieved. This pattern is illustrated in Figure 7 and comprises of the bulk of the light intensity falling within region encompassed by line 701. This region falls within the circle sectors 205 and 206. In particular, the distinctive kick-up of the dipped headlamp beam is incident on circle sector 206.

Once the vertical position of the hotspot has been determined, the barrier is moved horizontally in order to determine the horizontal positioning of the hotspot. As long as a direct path from the hotspot through the slot to the template exists, the beam pattern incident on the template will remain substantially constant and consistent with the pattern illustrated in Figure 7, which will henceforth be referred to as the "hotspot pattern". This pattern will change when the hotspot no longer coincides with the slot, such pattems being henceforth referred to as "alternative patterns". A small movement causing the change between the hotspot pattern and an alternative pattern will be indicative that the hotspot is coincident with one of the ends of the elongate slot. The user may then apply a marker through the elongate slot onto the headlamp.

This maker will indicate the hotspot of the beam, The headlamp converter can then be applied to the headlamp, using the marker as an indicator as to the correct position for the converter.

In a final optional phase, the steps of the alignment process may be repeated with the headlamp converter in place to check that the kick-up has been successfully removed.

In an alternative embodiment of the method, the slot in the barrier may be aligned vertically to the ground and the horizontal positioning is determined first followed by the vertical positioning. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that any orientation may be used and will fall within the scope of the invention, although orientations other than horizontal and vertical may be less convenient than the above described methods. Similarly, slots that are other than elongate, such as oval or circular, may be used in the barrier which will achieve the same result. The person skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many different slot shapes which will fulfill the requirements of the above method and fall within the scope of the invention.

The invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing embodiments.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A method for positioning a beam converter over a headlamp of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps of: switching on said headlamp so that it emits a beam; locating a template in the path of said beam; holding a barrier with a slot between said headlamp and said template; observing a beam pattern incident on said template; moving said bather until said beam pattern is consistent with a hotspot of said beam being incident on said slot; applying a marker on said headlamp to indicate a position of said hotspot; and using said marker to position said beam converter.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a barrier with an elongate slot is used.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said barrier is held such that said slot is horizontal.
4. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said template is positioned substantially 60 centimeters from said headlamp.
5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein observing said beam pattern comprises the step of identifying a kick-up on a side of said beam.
6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said barrier is first moved vertically to locate a vertical height of said hotspot and then horizontally to locate a horizontal position.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said horizontal position is located by moving said barrier horizontally until a change in said beam pattern consistent with a covering of said hotspot is observed.
8. A kit for positioning a beam converter over a headlamp comprising a beam profile template and a barrier with a slot.
9. A kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein said slot in said barrier is elongate.
10. A icit as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein said template is marked to indicate a hotspot position.
11. A kit as claimed in any of claims 8 to 10, wherein said template is marked to indicate a kick-up beam position pattern.
12. A kit for positioning a beam converter substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13. A method substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings
14. A kit substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.