US3591797A - Vehicle lamps - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle lamp including a lens, a reflector, and a light source. The reflector includes areas from which it is undesirable that light is reflected, and in order to prevent reflection from these undesirable areas there is provided a shield which is associated with the light source. The shield is nonreflective, and is such that it prevents light from the light source impinging on the undesirable areas of the reflector. Moreover, the shield prevents any light emanating from the lamp which has not first been reflected from the reflector. In addition, the light source has electrical connections made thereto by way of an insulated lead and a conductive braid, the electrical return path of the light source being through the braid. The braid and the supply lead have female connectors at their ends, the female connectors being of different sizes so that external connections to the lamps cannot be made in such a manner that the braid becomes the supply lead.

Description

United States Patent [72] inventor Harris Vernon Hicks Lichiield, England [2]] Appl. No. 702,461

[22] Filed Feb. 1, 1968 (45] Patented July 6, 1971 [73] Assignee Joseph Lucas (Industries) Limited Birmingham, England [32] Priority Feb. 6, 1967 [3 3] Great Britain [54] VEHICLE LAMPS Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews Assistant Examiner-Richard M. Sheer Attorneys-John C. Holman and Marvin R. Stern ABSTRACT: A vehicle lamp including a lens, a reflector, and a light source. The reflector includes areas from which it is undesirable that light is reflected, and in order to prevent reflection from these undesirable areas there is provided a shield which is associated with the light source". The shield is nonreflective, and is such that it prevents light from the light source impinging on the undesirable areas of the reflector. Moreover, the shield prevents any light emanating from the lamp which has not first been reflected from the reflector. In addition, the light source has electrical connections made thereto by way of an insulated lead and a conductive braid, the electrical return path of the light source being through the braid. The braid and the supply lead have female connectors at their ends, the female connectors being of different sizes so that external connections to the lamps cannot be made in such a manner that the braid becomes the supply lead.

PATENTED JUL 6197i SHEET 1 [IF 3 Ll wvfiggon BYDLJMM-M ATTORNEYS PATENTEU JUL 8 I97! SHEEI 2 [1!" 3 M JMEL ATTORNEYS PATENTEU JUL 6 I9?! SHiIET 3 BF 3 WWW? ATTORNEYS VEHICLE LAMPS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to vehicle lamps of the kink wherein the reflector of the lamp includes areas from which it is undesirable that light should be reflected. Reflection from such areas is undesirable since it results in an ill defined beam of a light ahead of the vehicle which can cause glare and dazzle to the driver of an oncoming vehicle. It has been proposed to minimize this problem by coating these areas of the reflector with a nonreflecting substance, and it is an object of the present invention to minimize the unwanted reflection in a more convenient manner.

SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION According to the invention in a lamp of the kind specified, the light source has associated therewith a shield which is so shaped as to prevent light emanating from tne source impinging on said areas of the reflector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS One example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, the lamp includes a hollow casing 11 which is closed by a lens 12. Supported within the casing 11 is a reflector 13 having flat, parallel upper and lower surfaces 14, 15 which are interconnected by a substantially part paraboloidal portion 16. The apex of the portion 16 has secured thereto a bulb support 17 which is so shaped that a tungsten-halogen bulb 18 carried thereby will be positioned at the focus of the portion 16. The lamp is intended to project a parallel beam of light. However, any light which is reflected from the surfaces 14, 15 will not conform to the parallel beam and will be scattered above and below the parallel beam and moreover light will be scattered from the intersection between the portion 16 and the surfaces 14, 15 of the reflector In order to eliminate the light reflection from the surfaces l4, l and the intersection of the surfaces 14, 15, 16, there is provided a light shield !19 which is carried by a bracket 19a attached to surface 14 of the reflector 13 and which partially encloses the bulb 18 in use. The shield 19 is of open boxlike construction, the upper and lower faces 21, 22 thereof being extended back towards the portion 16 of the reflector and being generally parabolic at their ends. The shield is so positioned that the faces 21, 22 thereof prevent light from the bulb 18 striking the portions 14, of the reflector 1 3 and the intersection between the portions 14, 15 and the portion 16 but do not mask any of the light which will fall on the portion 16 of the reflector. Vertical sides 19b and closed end 19c of the shield ensure that no light is emitted from the bulb either forwardly or sidewardly so that the beam produced by the lamp is the beam reflected from the portion 16 of the reflector. The shield 19 is coated with a matt black substance so that the surfaces on the shield are rendered n'onreflective.-

The electrical connections to the bulb l8 are made by way of a fly lead 23 which is welded to the filament of the bulb and which is coated with a heat resistant insulating material and an insulated copper braid 24 which is secured to the bulb support 17, the bulb support being conductive the copper braid 24 serving to conduct heat away from the bulb support. I

It is desirable that return lead for the lamp should be the copper braid 24, and in order to ensure that the leads 23, 24 cannot be wrongly connected to external supply leads, the

leads 23, 24 carry at their free ends respective female connectors of diflerent sizes. The two female connectors are clamped in an insulating housing 25 which is secured to the casing 11 of the lamp. The external leads are provided with male connectors which match the female connectors respectively and the connections to the lamp are made by engaging the male connectors with their respective female connectors within the housing 25.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle lamp, a light source a lens, a reflector, means interconnecting the lens and reflector to provide an enclosure, said reflector having upper and lower flat generally parallel portions, a part paraboloidal portion interconnecting the upper and lower portion, a light source support mounted on the part paraboloidal portion and extending into the enclosure, a bracket secured to one of said flat generally parallel portions, a light shield carried by the bracket and located between the light source support and the lens, said light shield including generally parallel vertical sides, upper and lower generally parallel faces, an open end facing the light source support to enable said light source mounted in said support to project at least partially into the shield and a closed end facing the lens, said upper and lower faces projecting beyond the vertical sides in the direction of the part paraboloidal portion and being substantially parallel with the generally flat parallel portion of said reflector whereby light emanating from said light source in the support is prevented by said projecting upper and lower faces from impinging on the upper and lower flat parallel portions of the reflector, with the vertical sides and closed end of the shieldpreventing light being emitted'sidewardly and forwardly so that the light is reflected from the part paraboloidal portion of the reflector.

2. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surfaces of the vertical sides, upper and lower faces and closed end of the shield are non reflective.

3. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light source support is conductive, and through which electrical connection to the light source is made.

4. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light source is a tungsten-halogen bulb.

Claims (4)

1. In a vehicle lamp, a light source a lens, a reflector, means interconnecting the lens and reflector to provide an enclosure, said reflector having upper and lower flat generally parallel portions, a part paraboloidal portion interconnecting the upper and lower portion, a light source support mounted on the part paraboloidal portion and extending into the enclosure, a bracket secured to one of said flat generally parallel portions, a light shield carried by the bracket and located between the light source support and the lens, said light shield including generally parallel vertical sides, upper and lower generally parallel faces, an open end facing the light source support to enable said light source mounted in said support to project at least partially into the shield and a closed end facing the lens, said upper and lower faces projecting beyond the vertical sides in the direction of the part paraboloidal portion and being substantially parallel with the generally flat parallel portion of said reflector whereby light emanating from said light source in the support is prevented by said projecting upper and lower faces from impinging on the upper and lower flat parallel portions of the reflector, with the vertical sides and closed end of the shield preventing light being emitted sidewardly and forwardly so that the light is reflected from the part paraboloidal portion of the reflector.

2. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surfaces of the vertical sides, upper and lower faces and closed end of the shield are non reflective.

3. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light source support is conductive, and through which electrical connection to the light source is made.

4. The lamp as claimed in claim 1 wherein the light source is a tungsten-halogen bulb.

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