GB2550009A

GB2550009A - Headlamp adaptor

Info

Publication number: GB2550009A
Application number: GB1700619.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ivor Harper Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2016-05-03
Filing date: 2017-01-13
Publication date: 2017-11-08
Anticipated expiration: 2037-01-13
Also published as: GB2550010B; GB201607674D0; GB201700634D0; GB2550009B; GB201700619D0; GB2550010A

Abstract

A headlamp adaptor for attachment to the headlamp of a motor vehicle, the dipped beam of which headlamp provides a far field illumination pattern including an upper portion, the adaptor position-able on a cover of the headlamp to intercept that portion of the beam providing said upper portion, the adaptor further configured to modify selected wavelengths of said intercepted portion to modify the composition of the far field illumination pattern. The modification may be for the purposes of reducing glare. The adaptor may be fabricated from a sheet of plastics material including a dye selected to modify the light passing through. Also disclosed is a method of applying a headlamp adaptor to a headlamp cover to modify the far field illumination patter generated by the headlamp.

Description

HEADLAMP ADAPTOR

This invention relates to a headlamp adaptor for changing the effect of a vehicle headlamp beam, for example to reduce glare for other road users.

Headlights are an essential component of motorised vehicles, providing the means for other road users to recognise that a motorised vehicle is on the road, for example to track its progress and modify their behaviour to ensure the safety of all concerned, and also providing means for the motorised vehicle driver to see the road, and any hazards, ahead.

Generally such headlamps provide three categories of illumination: sidelights to indicate the presence of the vehicle, dipped beam to illuminate the road in front of, and to the side of, the vehicle to assist the driver, for example so that the driver can see the way ahead and also attributes of the side of the road, such as road signs positioned thereon, cyclists or pedestrians, and main beam to provide additional illumination for the driver.

Regulations set out the particular requirements for headlamps. In addition, in February 2011 the EU added to present regulations mandating that vehicles should have Daytime Running Lights (DRL) in an effort to improve road safety so that vehicles could always be clearly seen: consequently vehicles may potentially emit headlamp light at all times when on the road.

Headlamp light, while being helpful in the ways described, does have wide ranging impacts in other ways. For example, in modern headlamps the dipped beam brightness, even when aligned in accordance with regulations, can be sufficiently bright to dazzle other road users, and this can be a particular problem in cities or suburban areas. In addition, those who drive for a living such as taxi drivers, bus or HGV drivers, ambulance or police drivers, as well as other drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians, can be adversely affected by the brightness of even the dipped beam settings of many modern headlamps.

Historically vehicle headlamps have been fit for purpose, providing headlamp light sufficient to alert other road users without creating a hazard themselves. A study carried out in Japan in 2003 recommended that vehicle headlamp light, for example DRL headlamp lights, should provide 200 candelas of illumination. The EU initially proposed an intensity of 400 candelas for DRL but following negotiation with vehicle manufacturers increased this to 1200 candelas. However recently vehicle manufacturers have been seeking to ‘add value’ to their vehicles by providing them with Bi-Xenon High intensity Discharge (HID) headlights, Light Emitting Diode (LED) headlights, Laser or other headlights which often provide light of the order of 2500 candelas or more.

Historically headlamps illuminated the road ahead and to the side of the vehicle with an illumination pattern including a ‘kick-up’ portion to provide drivers with maximum information about the road conditions affecting the immediate part of their journey. Partly in an effort to manage the additional light intensity provided by modern headlamps, many vehicle manufacturers provide headlamps which illuminate a specific area in front of the vehicle so that no light shines above a horizon position as seen in figure 1 (a), where the margin between illuminated and non-illuminated is narrow. Such an arrangement is directed to avoid glare from the vehicle headlamp light dazzling drivers in front of the vehicle. To provide capability for vehicles to be driven in countries where vehicles drive on the opposite side of the road, so that the vehicle headlamp light does not dazzle oncoming drivers, and to comply with regulations in those countries, adaptors are available for all headlamp types to modify the beam as required.

However headlamp arrangements are predicated on a vehicle travelling on a flat surface whereas roads include bumps, hills and bends, all of which may cause the headlamp beam to rise and shine into the eyes of drivers in oncoming traffic or vehicles in front. Thus all types of headlamps in use on the roads have the capacity to dazzle the drivers of vehicles in front, oncoming vehicles, and also pedestrians or other road users. As well as affecting the manner in which the dazzled behave, impacting for example the standard of driving of drivers, and the ability to negotiate the roads for other road users, such dazzle also impacts their eye health.

For those whose work involves significant amounts of driving, such as lorry, bus or taxi drivers, or ambulance, police, fire workers or others, it is impossible to avoid the problems, in particular eye health problems, that encountering such dazzle presents.

In addition other road users, such as pedestrians, including children and the elderly or pedal cyclists, will also suffer from the impact of dazzle, for example they may be unable to safely navigate roads when confronted with vehicles that emit dazzling headlamp light, and their eye health is also likely to be affected. This impacts on large numbers of people, in particular in cities and suburban areas.

The present invention is directed to overcoming at least some of the problems set out above.

The invention relates generally to a headlamp adaptor which will reduce the amount of dazzling light transmitted by the headlamp to which it is applied, while providing sufficient illumination of the road ahead. It is accepted that light which causes ‘dazzle’ occurs in the ‘blue’ part of the visible spectrum and so such an adaptor is directed to reducing the amount of blue light in that part of the far field illumination pattern generated by the headlamp that provides the upper portion of the far field illumination pattern, i.e. that portion of the far field illumination pattern that is most likely to shine into the eyes of oncoming drivers or drivers in front of the vehicle. Such an adaptor may reduce the amount of blue light by filtering the blue light, blocking the blue light, or by other means.

In a first embodiment the invention relates to a headlamp adaptor, attachable to a headlamp cover of a motor vehicle, the dipped beam of which headlamp provides a far field illumination pattern including an upper portion, the adaptor position-able on a cover of the headlamp to intercept that portion of the headlamp beam providing said upper portion, the adaptor further configured to modify selected wavelengths of said intercepted portion to modify the composition of the far field illumination pattern.

Preferably the modification is directed to reducing the component of the headlamp light causing ‘glare’.

Preferably the modification includes reducing the transmission of light of wavelength between 280 - 500 nm

Preferably the modification includes reducing the transmission of light of wavelength between 300 - 480 nm

Preferably the modification includes reducing the transmission of light of wavelength between 320 - 450 nm

Preferably the adaptor includes a central portion with side portions extending away from said central portion.

Preferably said adaptor includes an axis of symmetry passing through said central portion, between said side portions.

Preferably said adaptor is fabricated from a sheet of plastics material including a dye.

Preferably said dye is selected to modify light passing therethrough.

Preferably said dye has the effect of a long pass filter on spectral components of the beam as the beam passes therethrough.

Preferably the adaptor further comprises a surface, and still further comprises a filter coating on at least part or parts of said surface, said filter coating adapted to provide for said modification.

Preferably said coating has the effect of a long pass filter on spectral components of the beam as the beam passes therethrough.

Preferably the selected wavelengths are in the range of 280 - 500 nm.

Preferably the selected wavelengths are in the range of 300 - 480 nm.

Preferably the selected wavelengths are in the range of 320 - 450 nm.

Preferably the filter coating is adapted to accommodate the orientation of the headlamp cover.

Preferably the coating is adapted to accommodate the angle between the adaptor surface and the main axis of a headlamp beam.

Preferably the coating is adapted by controlling the thickness of the coating surface over the adaptor.

Preferably the coating is adapted by controlling a uniformity of the coating over the adaptor.

Preferably the coating is adapted by controlling a composition of the coating over the adaptor.

Preferably the coating is adapted by controlling the positioning of the coating over the adaptor.

In a second embodiment the invention relates to a method of applying a headlamp adaptor to a headlamp cover to modify the far field illumination pattern generated by the headlamp, the adaptor including a central portion at a first side with wings extending outwardly and away from said central portion, and including an axis of symmetry passing through said central portion between said side portions.

Preferably the method includes the steps of switching on dipped beam and monitoring the far field illumination pattern generated by the beam, placing said adaptor towards the base of the headlamp cover with said first side pointing upwards, and moving said adaptor towards the hot spot of the headlamp beam until a top portion of the far field illumination pattern changes

Preferably the change is a yellowing of the top portion of the far field illumination pattern.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 (a) shows a the view ahead for a driver relying on a conventional configuration of dipped beam headlamp light when driving in the dark,

Figure 1 (b) shows a standard modern asymmetric dipped beam pattern produced by a UK type headlamp beam,

Figure 1 (c) shows a standard modem asymmetric dipped beam pattern produced by a European type headlamp beam,

Figure 2 shows a drivers view of a dipped beam pattern produced through an adaptor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 3 shows a graph of simple filter performance of an adaptor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,

Figures 4 (a) - (d) show exemplary headlamp adaptors in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention,

Figures 5 (a) - (c) show a method of fitting a headlamp adaptor in accordance with Figures 1 - 4 on a headlamp cover.

Headlamp light is generally directed forwards of the vehicle to light the road ahead for the driver, and is also directed slightly to the nearside to also light up at least part of the nearside portion of the road or the pavement. The light provided by a headlamp must balance the need for the driver to see the road ahead and the need for any other road user not to be dazzled by the headlamp beam. This balance is achieved by providing a dipped headlamp beam adapted to illuminate a portion of the road ahead without shining directly ahead and into the eyes of a driver in front, and also by directing the headlamp beam towards the nearside so that the driver can see the pavement, road signs and so on.

Figure 1 (a) shows the view, for a driver, of the road ahead when driving at night with the headlamp on dipped beam. Fig 1 (a) shows how the beam illuminates the road directly ahead 20 and slightly to the nearside 30, but not the road further ahead to avoid shining light into the eyes of any driver in a vehicle in front.

Figure 1 (b) shows the acceptable profile 100 of a motor vehicle dipped beam in accordance with UK vehicle regulations - specifically UK MOT requirements, with the beam directed ahead and to the left hand side of the vehicle. In particular Fig 1 (b) indicates where the maximum intensity, or hot spot, of the light occurs, for example at position 120, and also at position 130, position 130 indicating the portion of light which extends above and parallel with a horizontal upper limit of emitted light, illuminating the nearside of the vehicle when the vehicle is driven on the side of the road for which it is designed.

Figure 1 (c) shows the acceptable profile 150 of a dipped beam in accordance with European vehicle regulations, showing the asymmetric dipped beam pattern with a ‘kick-up’ portion 160 directed to, in this case, the nearside of the vehicle as defined for vehicles suitable for driving in the UK.

As discussed above, light emitted by vehicle headlamps generally covers the entire visible electromagnetic spectrum, and this light may well satisfy regulations, however certain components of the light, such as light from the high energy end of the spectrum, for example ultra violet light, may have an adverse effect on other road users or pedestrians and the like. Increasingly, manufacturers are seeking to achieve greater illumination of the road ahead by fitting vehicles with headlamp units that direct light from, for example, a thermal or halogen bulb, such as for example HID, LED or laser bulbs, through a projector lens, and this has a consequence of producing a fairly pronounced chromatic split of the beam. As a result the hotspot and the part immediately above the horizon line generally take on a blue hue due to this chromatic split, as significant portions of the higher energy electromagnetic radiation is directed to this portion of the far field illumination pattern. Such high energy radiation contributes significantly to the ‘dazzle’ effect of headlamp light on other traffic and on pedestrians, and can have a particularly adverse effect on the health of those subject to it, particularly on eye health, causing the eyes to become at least tired and irritated, even though overall the light emitted is generally within allowed parameters. A major contribution to reducing the amount of dazzle suffered by other traffic or by pedestrians would therefore be to reduce the amount of high energy, or blue, light, for example light of wavelength 280 - 500 nm, 300 - 480, or more particularly wavelength 320 - 450 nm, comprising the upper portion of the beam.

Dazzle reduction can be accomplished by providing an adaptor on the headlamp cover which intercepts that part of the headlamp beam that provides the upper part of the far field illumination pattern and filtering out or blocking the blue light therefrom, leaving the remainder of the light unaffected. Thus a desired lighting effect of the headlamp beam - that of alerting oncoming traffic and sundry pedestrians to the presence of the vehicle - will be retained, but the high energy part of the beam which, when present in the upper portion of the beam dazzles and irritates the eye, is filtered out or blocked.

In accordance with one embodiment, an adaptor in accordance with this invention may be made from a plastics material which has had a dye added during manufacture, so that the plastics from which the adaptor is made can modify light passing therethrough.

In accordance with a further embodiment, an adaptor in accordance with this invention includes a carefully designed filter coating applied to certain parts of the headlamp adaptor. The role of this filter coating is to selectively block or reduce certain wavelengths, or ranges of wavelengths, from passing through the headlamp adaptor, thus directing only part of the spectrum of light from the bulb or LED towards the upper region of the far field illumination pattern.

It is contemplated that the coating has the effect of a long pass filter on spectral components of the beam as the beam passes through the coated adaptor. For example, at least some of the blue light from that part of the beam directed mostly at or above the horizon may be removed by the filter coating, as required, to avoid blue glare, without affecting the spectral makeup of the light incident mainly on the road surface. As an example, Figure 2 shows the far field illumination pattern 200 produced by a headlamp, and further shows the beam portion 210 from which the blue, high energy, light has been filtered out or blocked and also shows the rest of the beam 220 which has not been subject to such filtering or blocking.

Relying on a coating applied to particular portions of the headlamp adaptor to selectively block certain wavelengths or ranges of wavelengths presents some problems. In particular, the amount of light filtered or blocked on passing through such coated portions of the adaptor varies dependant on the angle between the plane of the coated adaptor surface and the main axis of the headlamp beam. This main axis is usually horizontal, for example parallel to the road surface, but modern headlamp covers include a wide variety of shapes and orientations in relation to the headlamp beam so that an adaptor applied to the headlamp cover may be at any one of a variety of angles to the main axis of the headlamp beam, depending on the vehicle. Variation of the angle between the adaptor surface and the main axis of the headlamp beam results in variation of the wavelength of light filtered or blocked. Consequently it is not straightforward to position an adaptor to intercept the correct portion of the beam, and further to filter or block the required wavelengths from that correct portion.

For example when the coated adaptor surface is at approximately 30 degrees to the beam the peak blocking wavelength may shift more than 50 nm, and such a shift could lead to undesired effects such as, for example, the removal of the entire blue light component, depending on the transmission properties of the filter. Other angles shift the wavelength different amounts, meaning that the peak blocking wavelength may shift different amounts also.

Figure 3 shows a filter transmission curve of an adaptor in accordance with the present invention, showing how the filter performance varies with wavelength at a standard adaptor to beam axis angle. In particular Fig 3 shows that 50% of light of wavelength in the region of approximately 340 - 480 nm is filtered, whereas almost none of the light of wavelength 570 -700 nm is filtered. Changing the angle of the adaptor to the main beam might shift this performance to achieve a completely different effect.

The design of the filter coating to be applied to the adaptor as well as the design of the adaptor itself must therefore take into account the range of angles of the headlamp cover to the main axis of the headlamp beam found in the most common vehicle headlamp models available to drivers to provide a product that is suitable for use with a wide range of orientations.

Such a filter coating design would provide for a headlamp adaptor which is adapted to filter out the high energy, blue portion of light transmitted by a headlamp, and would potentially be usable anywhere, providing an effective reduction in eye strain and irritation for other road users and pedestrians, particularly in cities where vehicles and their lights are difficult to avoid.

Figures 4 (a) - (d) provide examples of headlamp adaptors which provide the functionality discussed, when a filter coating is applied thereto.

Figure 4 (a) shows a headlamp adaptor 400 with opposing curved long 410 and short 420 sides joined together by opposed straight sides 430, the portion of the adaptor at the short side 420 including an occluded section 440. The occluded section may be generated by means independent of any filter coating. The adaptor has an axis of symmetry about the occluded section 440 and between the sides 430. The long portion 410 is suitable to intercept a portion of the headlamp beam of the headlamp to which the adaptor in affixed, as it exits the headlamp cover, to modify the resulting far field illumination pattern. In particular the adaptor adjacent the long side 410 may comprise the plastics material with dye, or may comprise a plastics material to which a suitable coating has been applied.

With the headlamp adaptor of Figure 4(a) positioned on the headlamp cover such that edge 410 overlaps a lower portion of the emitted beam, headlamp light passing through the adaptor is modified to reduce or block transmission of the high energy part of the spectrum, reducing glare.

Light emerging from the lower part of the headlamp cover provides the top portion of the far field illumination pattern and so intercepting light at the lower part of the headlamp beam affects the top portion of the far field illumination pattern.

The remaining far field illumination pattern generated by the headlamp is not further altered by the adaptor so that the driver retains the benefit of a well-lit road ahead, ensuring optimum lighting conditions for safe driving.

Figures 4 (b) to (c) show further suitable exemplary adaptors. While the filter coating has been discussed as providing a significant component of the functionality of the headlamp adaptor in respect of filtering the headlamp light to remove or reduce the ‘blue’ component of light, thereby reducing dazzle, as stated the arrangement of the headlamp adaptor on the headlamp is also significant in providing this functionality.

In particular, the shape of the headlamp adaptor (400, 410, 420, 430, 440) provides a versatility as the adaptor can be selectively oriented on a headlamp to intercept the headlamp light, in particular the ‘blue’ portion of the headlamp light. Beneficially, the effect of orientating the headlamp adaptor can be independent of the angle between the adaptor surface and the main axis of the headlamp beam, for example through the combined effect of blocking part of the light falling on the occluded section and the selective filtering out of the blue light through the coated section.

When driving a vehicle with headlamps on the present invention provides a driver with the opportunity to avoid excessively dazzling other road users by positioning a headlamp adaptor on the headlamp cover and intercepting the portion of the headlamp beam that provides the upper portion of the far field illumination pattern, i.e. the horizon line, and modifying the portion to reduce or remove the high energy portion. The final, optimum position of the adaptor - i.e. the position at which the relevant ‘blue’ light is intercepted - will depend on the shape and orientation of the headlamp cover, and this will depend on the vehicle, however as stated, the adaptor shape is such that the adaptor can be translated upwardly along the headlamp cover until the optimum position for any particular vehicle is reached. The particular shape of the adaptors of Figures 4 (a) - (f) may provide for adjustment of the amount of ‘blue’ light arriving at the top and side of the far field illumination pattern to reduce dazzle to oncoming traffic, vehicles in front and other road users by the simple expedient of translating the adaptor on the headlamp cover.

It is contemplated that a set of instructions will be sufficient to indicate where the adaptor may be positioned and how the position may be adjusted for example via translation to filter out or block the high energy portion of the beam.

As stated, an advantage of the adaptors of Figures 4 (a) - 4 (d) is that they provide a significant tolerance of the angle between the beam and the headlamp cover surface, such that the reduction in the high energy component of headlamp light is not significantly dependent on the orientation of the headlamp cover compared to the axis of the headlamp beam, in particular the reduction in the high energy component of the headlamp light does not vary significantly with the angle of the headlamp cover, and hence the significance of the angle of the headlamp adaptor to the beam is reduced or can be disregarded completely.

This provides for a headlamp adaptor which is suitable for use for the majority of vehicles on the road, and means that a simple guide may be provided with the adaptor to indicate, for the user, where the adaptor should be positioned on the headlamp to achieve optimum functionality.

Thus the adaptor of the present invention provides for the modification of a headlamp beam by filtering out high energy ‘blue’ light which may dazzle other road users.

Such an adaptor would be suitable for use in particular when driving in cities or suburban areas, assisting in avoiding dazzling and irritating the eyes of other road users.

The present invention is directed to a headlamp adaptor which is suitable to limit the capacity of the headlamp to dazzle, thereby preventing other road users from being dazzled, the other road users including oncoming traffic, the traffic in front of the vehicle, pedal cyclists, and pedestrians. Reducing such dazzle enhances the safety of the roads as the driving of dazzled drivers is compromised, sometimes severely, and pedestrians and other road users are better able to tailor their behaviour to the circumstances if they are not dazzled.

Figures 5 (a) to (c) show how the adaptor may be applied. Figure 5 (a) shows a headlamp cover 501 with the position of the headlamp beam on the cover marked out 510, and a headlamp adaptor in accordance with the invention 505 also shown. Figure 5 (b) shows the portion 515 of the beam impinging on the headlamp cover that needs to be intercepted to influence the top portion of the far field illumination pattern. Figure 5 (c) shows the headlamp cover of Figures 5 (a) and (b) with the headlamp adaptor 505 shown in Figure 5 (a) positioned such that long side 410 overlaps with the lower portion of the beam.

In use, the dipped beam setting of the headlamp should be switched on and a piece of paper held in front so that the headlamp beam illuminates the sheet. This sheet will provide the user with the opportunity to observe the far field illumination pattern, significantly the top portion thereof, and how it changes as the adaptor moves along the headlamp cover. A specific sheet may be provided to assist users with markings to indicate relevant portions of the far field illumination pattern.

An adaptor in accordance with the present invention may be placed on a lower part of the headlamp cover and then subjected to a translational movement upwards on the cover until portion 410 begins to overlap with the lower part of the beam as shown in Figure 5 (c). A user may observe the change in the top portion of the far field illumination pattern as the adaptor moves across the beam on the headlamp cover. A user will observe that the top portion of the far field illumination pattern may for example change colour following interception of the lower portion of the beam by the adaptor, in particular the colour may become yellow or more yellow. A change in colour of the top portion of the far field illumination pattern is an indication that the high energy portion, the ‘blue’ portion of the headlamp beam, has been modified and will no longer dazzle other road users.

The adaptor is symmetric about a midpoint passing through a centre of the adaptor, dividing the two ends, which has the consequence that the upper portion of the far field illumination pattern is affected uniformly and other drivers can benefit from the effects of the adaptor on the beam. In particular the symmetric nature of the adaptor is helpful in positioning the adaptor on the headlamp as the slopes in the long side 410 provide for a user to identify the centre position of the headlamp beam and simplify positioning of the adaptor on the headlamp. The user can also benefit as oncoming traffic, and drivers in front of the users vehicle can drive more safely and securely as they are no longer subject to the high energy dazzling light of the users vehicle. In particular with the adaptor intercepting the part of the beam that provides the top portion of the far field illumination pattern, the intercepted portion of the beam has the high energy ‘blue’ light modified, principally reduced, so that the dipped beam of the vehicle no longer dazzles oncoming drivers or drivers in front of the vehicle and so on. The remainder of the headlamp light is not affected and so the benefit of a well lit road ahead is still available to the user.

It is contemplated that a user may wish to make use of the headlamp adaptor only occasionally, for example when driving in the city or in urban areas, or may wish to preserve the utility of the adaptor rather than expose it to the elements continuously and so the adaptor may be configured to attach to lugs affixed to a headlamp cover.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments. For example regions of the adaptor are provided to selectively filter out or block the high energy portion of the beam; however the regions may modify the beam in other ways. The wavelength of light identified as being impacted is stated to be in the range 280 -500 nm, or 300 - 480 nm, or more particularly 320 - 450 nm. Specifically the wavelength of light impacted is light in the ‘blue’, high energy part of the visible spectrum.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A headlamp adaptor for attachment to the headlamp of a motor vehicle, the dipped beam of which headlamp provides a far field illumination pattern including an upper portion, the adaptor position-able on a cover of the headlamp to intercept that portion of the beam providing said upper portion, the adaptor further configured to modify selected wavelengths of said intercepted portion to modify the composition of the far field illumination pattern.

2. The headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the modification is directed to reducing the component of headlamp light causing ‘glare’.

3. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the modification includes reducing the transmission of light of wavelength between 280 - 500 nm.

4. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the modification includes reducing the transmission of light of wavelength between 300 - 480 nm.

5. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the modification includes reducing the transmission of light of wavelength between 320 - 450 nm.

6. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said adaptor has a central portion, with side portions extending away from said central portion.

7. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 1 or claim 6, wherein said adaptor includes an axis of symmetry passing through said central portion, between said side portions.

8. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said adaptor is fabricated from a sheet of plastics material including a dye.

9. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 8, wherein said dye is selected to modify light passing therethrough.

10. A headlamp adaptor as claimed in claim 9, wherein said dye has the effect of a long pass filter on spectral components of the beam as the beam passes therethrough.

11. A headlamp adaptor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a surface, and further comprising a filter coating on a part or parts of said surface, said filter coating adapted to provide for said modification.

12. A headlamp adaptor as claimed in claim 11, wherein said coating has the effect of a long pass filter on spectral components of the beam as the beam passes therethrough.

13. A headlamp adaptor as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the selected wavelengths are in the range of 280 -500 nm.

14. A headlamp adaptor as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the selected wavelengths are in the range of 300 - 480 nm

15. A headlamp adaptor as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the selected wavelengths are in the range of 320 - 450 nm.

16. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein said filter coating is adapted to accommodate the orientation of the headlamp cover.

17. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with any one of claims 16, wherein said coating is adapted to accommodate the angle between the adaptor surface and the main axis of a headlamp beam.

18. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 16, wherein said coating is adapted by controlling the thickness of the coating surface over the adaptor.

19. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 16, wherein said coating is adapted by controlling a uniformity of the coating over the adaptor.

20. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 16, wherein the coating is adapted by controlling a composition of the coating over the adaptor.

21. A headlamp adaptor in accordance with claim 13 to 15, wherein said coating is adapted by controlling the positioning of the coating over the adaptor.

22. A method of applying a headlamp adaptor to a headlamp cover to modify the far field illumination pattern generated by the headlamp; the adaptor including a central portion at a first side with wings extending outwardly and away from said central portion, and including an axis of symmetry passing through said central portion between said side portions.

23. A method in accordance with claim 22, wherein the method includes the steps of: switching on dipped beam and monitoring the far field illumination pattern generated by the beam; placing said adaptor towards the base of the headlamp cover with said first side pointing upwards, and moving said adaptor towards the hot spot of the headlamp beam until a top portion of the far field illumination pattern changes.

24. A method in accordance with claim 23, wherein the change in the far field illumination pattern is a colour change to yellow.

25. A headlamp adaptor as herein described with reference to the accompanying description.

26. A headlamp adaptor as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.