RU2149308C1 - Method of illumination of road without blinding of oncoming drivers - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport engineering; vehicle lights. SUBSTANCE: according to method asymmetric illumination of space before vehicle is provided by means of lights which have no light radiating open surfaces directed forwards. Required result is obtained owing to redistribution of directed and diffused components of light flux in favour of directed component by means of headlights providing contrast light flux of high intensity. Orientation of light beams provides their distribution below sight level of oncoming drivers or sidewise. EFFECT: enhanced safety on road. 5 cl, 24 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to the field of lighting, in particular to a lighting system for the road space in front of a moving vehicle at night.

 A known method of lighting using a double reflection headlight, see.with. SU N 1721389 A, F 21 M 3/00, 03/21/92.

 The disadvantage of the prototype is the impossibility of creating a lighting method, which eliminates the dazzle of drivers of oncoming vehicles with diffused light.

 The technical result consists in creating a method of asymmetric illumination of the space in front of the vehicle using lighting devices that do not have open light-emitting surfaces facing forward.

 The technical result is achieved due to the fact that in the method of lighting the space in front of the vehicle by lighting devices mounted on the front of the vehicle body, asymmetric lighting is formed by at least two headlights with different functional purpose of the light fluxes created by them, one of the headlights is designed to lighting only the right side in the direction of travel, and the other phase - to illuminate the entire width of the road, including oncoming traffic, and the sides I, the boundary of the ellipse of the cone of the light beam illuminating only the right side of the road, extends along the axial dividing line without passing beyond it, and the upper boundary of this light cone extends obliquely, in the ascending direction, to the right in the direction of travel, capturing the edge of the road and the shell with traffic signs, while the upper boundary of the rays of the light cone created by the second headlight and intended to illuminate the entire width of the road is oriented parallel to the roadbed below the level of vision of oncoming drivers.

 As a headlight, a lighting device can be used in which there are no open light-emitting surfaces facing the oncoming transport, and the light flux of which has the shape of a cone of elliptical cross-section, devoid of the scattered component, that is, a halo of scattered light.

 As a headlight, a light source with a linear or point light emitting body located at the focus of a parabolic or elliptical reflector can be used.

 Headlights of various functional purposes can be grouped into light blocks in various combinations, which are located symmetrically or asymmetrically on the frontal plane of the double-track or single-track vehicle body.

 The headlight housings can be kinetically coupled to the steering to allow the light beam created by the headlights to be tilted away.

In FIG. 1 is a diagram of asymmetric lighting from the side of the illuminating vehicle, showing that the light spots are located below the level of vision of the oncoming driver or away from him;
in FIG. 2 is a plan of asymmetric road lighting in plan;
in FIG. 3 is a diagram of asymmetric illumination of the space in front of the vehicle, including the oncoming traffic lane, showing the boundaries of the luminous flux of the floor lighting (side view);
in FIG. 4 - a generally accepted scheme of lighting the space in front of the vehicle with an indication of the level of the illuminated light spot according to the norms and approximate values of the levels of scattered light in the halo of the illuminated space - a view from the side of the driver of the vehicle, the headlights of which create a luminous flux;
in FIG. 5 is a side view of the illuminated space;
in FIG. 6 is a diagram of a headlight according to GOST 3544-75 of the USSR as a source of stray light;
in FIG. 7 is a graph of the distribution of the scattered light of a headlight, i.e. light loss, and useful light emission in its total luminous flux;
in FIG. 8 is a graph of the effect of light on a driver by headlights of oncoming vehicles in the process of approaching and traveling;
in FIG. 9-11 - a diagram of headlights based on the "Lighting Device" according to SU 1721389;
in FIG. 9 - headlamp with a linear light source;
in FIG. 10 - headlight with a point source of light in the focus of a parabolic reflector;
in FIG. 11 - headlamp with a point source of light in the focus of an elliptical reflector.

Layout of the headlight under the hood of the front of the a / car
in FIG. 12 - headlights with a linear light source;
in FIG. 13 - headlights with a point source of illumination;
in FIG. 14 - option of extending the headlamp over the hood;
in FIG. 15 - depicts the formation of a torch of clean air that performs a dual function:
- pushing back the aerosol (drops of fog, rain, snowflakes and drops of dirt),
- completely eliminating the penetration of moisture, dust and dirt into the headlamp with a deterioration in the reflectivity of optical elements (deterioration in light efficiency).

 in FIG. 16-24 - placement options for lighting devices on a vehicle of various types.

The method of asymmetric illumination of the space in front of the vehicle with lighting devices, for example, headlights that create a high-intensity contrast light stream due to the redistribution of the directional and diffused component of the light stream in favor of the first, consists in the fact that the orientation of the light rays implies their distribution below the level of vision of the oncoming transport driver or away from him (Fig. 1-3). This approach to the issue of safe lighting boils down to solving a triune task:
a) the use of an unconventional lighting device that creates a hard light stream devoid of the diffused component - a halo, which would form a diffused light cone around the main light cone, and the absence of open light-emitting surfaces facing the oncoming traffic eliminates stray diffused light,
b) the formation of an asymmetrically illuminated space in front of the vehicle with at least two lighting devices, with a high level of illumination along the entire width of the road, but excluding the glare, and thereby blinding, of the eyes of oncoming traffic drivers, both direct and mostly scattered, unorganized by the light.

 c) the formation of a new design of the front part of the vehicle, based on the design features of the headlights and their placement inside the body during the formation of safe lighting.

 The asymmetric lighting system by which the method shown in FIG. 1-24, contains the 1st parabolic reflector 1, the 2nd parabolic reflector - 2, the centerline of the 2nd parabolic reflector 3, the centerline of the 2nd parabolic reflector 4, elliptical reflector 5, flat reflector 6, the major axis of the elliptical reflector 7, the axial line of the light beam from the 1st reflector 8, the axial line of the light beam from the 2nd reflector 9, the field or aperture diaphragm 10, the hole for the passage of the light beam in the housing - 11, the hole for the passage of light horizontal 12, the hole for the pass inclined light 13, light block 14, vehicle body 15, hood 16, additional air nozzle 17, clean air torch 18, aerosol 19, light cone of organized light emission 20, light cone of a halo (directional diffused light emission) 21, border of an organized light cone 22, border of a halo cone - scattered (diffuse) and disorganized directional light 23, the central light spot created by standard headlights according to GOST 3544-75 when controlling the lighting settings 24, the border of the central light spot created by the standard headlights 25, the conditional boundaries of the halos of diffuse light emission created by standard headlights at light levels 26, the driver of oncoming traffic - 27, the border of the light spot created by the left headlight and the light cone 28, the border of the light spot and the cone created by the right headlight 29, a standard reflector headlights 30, standard phase lens 31, incoming air flow 32, light cone for street lighting from the right headlight 33, light cone for illumination of the right side of the road from the left headlight 34, headlight nozzle - 35, nozzle cut additionally o boosting secondary air 36, air supply for secondary boosting 37, secondary torch of clean air 38, “Light wall” of diffuse light reflected from aerosol 39 generated by drops of fog, rain and snowflakes, headlight 40 according to SU 1721389, focus 4 of the second reflector of the headlight according to SU 1721389 in the plane of its field diaphragm.

 The terms given in the text "Descriptions" - "right", "left", etc., are oriented relative to the driver sitting on the left in the direction of travel, i.e. oriented towards right-hand traffic when the port side of the vehicle is facing the center line of the road.

 The method of asymmetric lighting of the space in front of the vehicle is carried out by at least two lighting devices (headlights), made, for example, according to N 1721389, located inside the front of the vehicle body 15, under the hood 16.

 The main version of the headlight, according to copyright, is focused on a linear light source (Fig. 9), for example, a halogen lamp. Variants are possible for point light sources with parabolic (Fig. 10) or elliptical (Fig. 11) reflectors.

 In the front surface of the housing 15, holes 11 are made commensurate and aligned with the holes of the field diaphragms 10 of the headlights (Figs. 12, 13). Alternatively, the headlights can be pulled out through the hood (FIG. 14). The light holes 11, 11, 13 are in the form of elongated ellipses or ovals. The dimensions of these holes do not exceed 4x20 - 8x45 millimeters. The large axes of these holes or slots 11 (Figs. 12, 13) are horizontally 12 or inclined 13 relative to the road plane (Figs. 16-24), corresponding to their functions in the lighting system.

 The headlights can either be located traditionally symmetrically, along the edges of the frontal plane (Fig. 13), or asymmetrically - shifted to the left (Fig. 17) towards the center line of the road (Cyclone system), or in other combinations (Figs. 18, 19, 20, 21). The most closely converged headlights performing, in the aggregate, the complex task of lighting are formed by the light unit 14 and 14a with their horizontal placement (Fig. 17, 18, 19, 20) or vertical (Fig. 21-23). To increase the power of light emission, combinations of 3 headlights are possible in the light unit 14a (Figs. 20, 24) and more.

 The above, in terms of headlights combined into light blocks 14, 14a (Figs. 16-24), is applicable for single-track vehicles: motorcycles, scooters, etc.

 Considering that single-track drivers are the most unprotected category of drivers in case of accidents, lighting units, for example, motorcycles, must be especially powerful in order to ensure reliable driver orientation within the road surface, even when blinding oncoming factors. Therefore, the number of headlights in the light blocks can be brought up to 5 units.

 The method is as follows.

 The left headlamp 13 creates a light cone 34 with the inclination of the major axis of the ellipse ascending to the right so that the border 28 of the light spot on the left rests on the roadbed near the center line of the road, i.e. somewhat to the left of the transport building, when it is in the far left lane, and the right border 28 of the light spot 34 captures the roadside zone, including road signs and signs located there (Fig. 1, 8). This ensures reliable illumination of the edge of the roadway, roadway, as the main reference point for the driver when driving in adverse conditions. In the plan (Fig. 3), the main axis of the light cone of the left headlamp 13 is deployed to the right. Thus, the light cone 28 of the left headlamp 13 is limited to lighting only its lane and the right shoulder, without illuminating the oncoming lanes and without blinding the oncoming traffic drivers with the organized light beam of the headlamp in straight sections of the road. A combination of slots of the "left" headlights 13, i.e. headlights for lighting only one half of the road with different angles (Fig. 26) to increase the illumination of certain sectors of space in front of the vehicle.

 The light cone of the right headlight 33 illuminates the entire width of the road (Fig. 3), including the oncoming traffic lane (Fig. 1) so that the main axis of the light cone created by the right headlight 12 (Fig. 1) deviates to the left relative to the longitudinal axis of the road (Fig. 2). The border of the upper light rays 28 extends parallel to the plane of the roadway and below the level of view of the driver 27 of oncoming vehicles (Fig. 1, 3). The axis of the light cone is inclined, in a vertical plane, down to the roadbed.

 In conditions of movement on curved sections of the road, when the left light cone 34 can dazzle with direct rays of oncoming drivers, you should use the possibility of kinematic connection of the headlamp housing with the steering. At the tops of passes, bumpy sections of the road, hand-held devices can be used to lower the luminous cone of floor lighting 33 down.

 When driving in adverse atmospheric conditions, namely: fog, snow, rain, the proposed lighting method provides the driver with greater comfort in comparison with any other lighting systems.

 The clean air torch 18 created by the headlight in front of the opening of its field diaphragm 10 (Fig. 15) pushes the aerosol (droplets of fog, rain, snow), reducing light loss from light scattering in the apex, most light-saturated (light-saturated) part of the light cone. The pressurization of air 37 through the nozzle 17 creates a secondary, more powerful torch of clean air 38, which significantly increases the area devoid of aerosol for light distribution without loss, helping to maintain a high light efficiency of the system.

 Visually, the driver will perceive the vehicle heading towards its lane as two dimly matted cones, one of which creeps low along the road, and the second aside, spreads along its lane, illuminating the roadway no more than from the center line and rising towards your curb. There will be no familiar impending bright blurry light spots of headlights surrounded by large halos that creep into the eyes, making you unsuccessfully hide from this light and peer intently into the luminous dullness in front of you to see at least the edge of the roadway for orientation.

Claims (5)

 1. The method of lighting the space in front of the vehicle, carried out by lighting devices installed on the front of the vehicle body, characterized in that the asymmetric lighting is formed by at least two headlights with different functional purpose of the light fluxes created by them, one of the headlights is designed to illuminate only the right the sides of the road in the direction of travel, and the other headlight to illuminate the entire width of the road, including the oncoming traffic lane, with the lateral boundary of the ellipse being a cone a light beam illuminating only the right side of the road extends along the axial dividing line without passing beyond it, and the upper boundary of this light cone propagates obliquely, in ascending direction, to the right in the direction of travel, capturing the edge of the road and curb with road signs, while the upper border rays of the light cone created by the second headlight and intended to illuminate the entire width of the road, oriented parallel to the roadbed below the level of vision of oncoming vehicles.  2. The lighting method according to claim 1, characterized in that a lighting device is used as a headlight, in which there are no open light-emitting surfaces facing the oncoming traffic and the light flux of which has the shape of a cone of elliptical section devoid of a scattered component, i.e. halo of diffused light.  3. The lighting method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the headlight uses a light source with a linear or point light emitting body located at the focus of a parabolic or elliptical reflector.  4. The lighting method according to claim 1, characterized in that the headlights of various functional purposes are grouped into light blocks in various combinations that are located symmetrically or asymmetrically on the front plane of the double-track or single-track vehicle body.  5. The lighting method according to claim 1, characterized in that the headlight housings are kinematically connected with the steering for the ability to divert the light beam created by the headlights in the direction of rotation.

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