Abstract: A recessed lighting fixture comprises a generally annular body having a central cavity in the form of a partially spherical socket. There is a lighting support member having a partially spherical exterior portion which is closely fitted within the partially spherical socket of the annular body. The lighting support member is pivotable relative to the annular body, but air flow between the partially spherical socket of the annular body and the partially spherical exterior portion of the lighting support member is substantially restricted. There may be a light source mounted to the lighting support member adjacent a bottom thereof. The light source may be a light-emitting diode.

Abstract: A retaining device for retaining a fiber-optic cable. The retaining device includes an elongated hollow part configured to receive the fiber-optic cable and a retaining element extending away from the hollow part, when viewed in a cross-section. The retaining element is configured to be inserted into a groove.

Abstract: A vehicle auxiliary lighting system (VALS 10) having attached to the side of a vehicle a set of side lights that automatically illuminate in synchrony with a corresponding set of vehicle lights are activated by a vehicle driver. The side lights are attached to four moisture-resistant enclosures namely: a left front light enclosure (12), a right front light enclosure (28), a left rear light enclosure (38) and a right rear light enclosure (54). The enclosures, which are attached to a structure adjacent a set of disk brakes and a set of drum brakes, are viewed through openings on a set of spoked vehicle wheels. The side lights, which correspond to the vehicle's front facing lights, produce an amber light; the side lights that correspond to the vehicle's rear facing lights produce a red light; and the side light that corresponds to a vehicle's reverse light produces a white light. By utilizing the VALS (10) the margin of safety for both pedestrians and other motorists is increased.

Abstract: A lighting apparatus is provided that, while suppressing an increase in size, can change the illuminating direction. The lighting apparatus has: a laser generator which emits laser light; a light emitting member which is irradiated with the laser light emitted from the laser generator to emit light; an irradiated position changer which moves and thereafter stops an irradiated position at which the light emitting member is irradiated with the laser light; and a light projecting member which projects the light emitted from the light emitting member.

Abstract: A vehicle headlamp system having a headlamp module and a processor. The headlamp module may include a light source and a reflector. The light source may include a plurality of light emitters which are individually controllable by the processor. The reflector may include a plurality of facets for reflecting the light received from the light source. The headlamp module is capable of switching between high and low beam light without mechanically movable components.

Abstract: A vehicle headlight apparatus receives road data from a navigation system. The apparatus has a first and a second swivel devices for adjusting an optical axis directions of a main light and a sub-light corresponding to one and the other headlights of a right and a left headlights, respectively. The apparatus also has a control unit, which separately controls the first and the second swivel devices, so that a one-eye navigation-cooperated control operation can be carried out which adjusts only the optical axis direction of the main light to be coincident with a road direction calculated based upon the road data.

Abstract: The apparatus for automatically adjusting a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight of the invention has a configuration in which the swivel control unit determines that the vehicle is making a left or right turn and halts the swivel control on the light axis of a vehicle headlight, if the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold speed and at least one of the conditions that the turn indication signal is in the on state, and that the steering angle is outside a predetermined angular range is satisfied. The swivel control unit resumes the swivel control when the turn indication signal is changed into the off state.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a bending lamp apparatus and method of use. A first filament is energized as a vehicle begins to turn so as to provide illumination in the direction of the turn. As the turn becomes more severe, a second filament is energized such that an additional area is illuminated in the direction of the turn.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a bending lamp apparatus and method of use. A first filament is energized as a vehicle begins to turn so as to provide illumination in the direction of the turn. As the turn becomes more severe, a second filament is energized such that an additional area is illuminated in the direction of the turn.

Abstract: A lamp body control system includes a steering angle sensor, a light emitting unit which can change a illuminating direction laterally, a driving unit changing the illuminating direction, a control unit controlling the driving unit based on an output from the steering angle sensor, and a straight driving condition determining unit determining the straight ahead driving condition of a vehicle. The control unit directs the illuminating direction to a direction according to a steering direction and a variation in the steering angle in the event that the variation is larger than a predetermined value, whereas in the event that the variation is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value, the control unit returns the illuminating direction toward a forward direction of the vehicle at a predetermined returning speed until the determining unit determines that the vehicle is in a straight driving condition after an ignition switch is turned on.

Abstract: A filter is changed to change a response in swivel adjustment of a direction of an optical axis of each swivel light based on a steering angle variation of a steering angle of a steering wheel measured with a steering angle sensor. The direction of the optical axis of each swivel light is adjusted based on a swivel control angle obtained upon application of the filter. A weaker filter is selected if the steering wheel is quickly steered, and a stronger filter is selected if the steering wheel is slowly steered. By this filtering operation, the direction of the optical axis of each swivel light is adjusted in response to the steering operation of the steering wheel without causing an uncomfortable feeling to a driver.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes: an illumination section having a light source and an optical guide member, and a reflection type LCD having a display region including a plurality of pixels for performing a display function, the optical guide member having first and second principal faces opposite to each other and first and second end faces opposite to each other. The reflection type LCD is disposed on or above the first principal face of the optical guide member. Light from the light source enters the optical guide member at the first end face, exits the optical guide member at the first principal face so as to be incident on the reflection type LCD and reflected therefrom, reenters the optical guide member at the first principal face, and exits the optical guide member at the second principal face toward a viewer.

Abstract: The lighting device for a vehicle includes running direction detect means 3 for detecting the vehicle running direction or the vehicle steering angle and vehicle speed detect means 4 for detecting the vehicle speed. An illumination control means 5 specifies the turn-on and turn-off of a plurality of lamps in accordance with detect signals output from the means 3 and 4, thereby changing the combinations of the illumination ranges of the lamps.

Abstract: A vehicle turn signal system (10), and an associated method, utilizes turn selectors (14, 16) located on a steering wheel (12). The system has right and left turn signal indicator circuits (34, 38) that are each energizable to indicate an intended movement of the vehicle toward the right or left, respectively. A micro-controller 20 controls the energization of the right and left turn indicator circuits (34, 38). Each of the right and left selectors (14, 16) is actuatable in a first manner for causing the micro-controller (20) to energize the respective indicator circuit (34 or 38) to perform a first indication operation and actuatable in a second manner for causing the micro-controller to energize the respective indicator circuit (34 or 38) to perform a second indication operation. In one embodiment, the first manner of selector actuation is a relatively short duration actuation, and the second manner of selector is a relatively long duration actuation.

Abstract: A lamp holder 11 is made of white synthetic resin by molding such as injection molding. A reflection sheet 12 made of high-reflectance material such as silver or aluminum has a central portion 12a cut out and is affixed to an inner surface 11a of the lamp holder 11. The light reached the inner surface of the lamp holder 11 of light emitted from a lamp 1 is regularly reflected by the reflection sheet 12 and is diffusively reflected by the cutout portion of the reflection sheet 12. A considerable part of the light reflected on the white surface reaches the vicinity of electrode portions 1a of a discharge tube 1 to enter from an incidence end surface of a light guide in the vicinity of electrode portions 1a. Thus, the difference of light-supplying power between the central portion and the end portions (in the vicinity of the electrode portions 1a) of the lamp is compensated.

Abstract: A signal translator that translates a device detectable signal into an electrical signal directed to an output that an operator with impaired hearing can perceive. Preferably, a detected signal is translated into a generated electrical signal directed to a loudspeaker. The loudspeaker then sounds a tone of a volume and a frequency selectable by an operator. Alternatively, the device detectable signal is a detected audio signal. The detected signal can also be a turn signal flasher of a vehicle. The detected signal is translated to a generated electrical signal transmitted to a loudspeaker. A strobe light from an emergency vehicle can also perform as the detected signal, when the invention includes an emergency vehicle signal decoder for discerning the strobe light from an emergency vehicle. The signal translator includes a trigger for translating a detected signal into a generated signal for transmission to an operator perceivable signal.

Abstract: The fiber optic cable assembly mounts to a perimeter surface of a swimming pool or a spa to provide lighting around the perimeter of the swimming pool or spa. The fiber optic cable assembly includes a bundle of fiber optic fibers, a tube, a track, and a plurality of fasteners. The front surface of the track and the rear surface of the tube cooperatively define a chamber between the track and the tube to eliminate interference between the fasteners and the tube such that the tube is uniformly received in the track. Another embodiment of the invention provides a track with a rear surface that defines a reservoir. The reservoir advantageously collects excess adhesive used in the mounting process of the track to prevent unsightly and difficult to remove excess adhesive from building up around the track.

Abstract: A vehicle cornering headlamp system which can be applied to any type of vehicle without changing the correspondence to a radiation angle, and which enables the radiation angle to follow the return of driver's eyes when the vehicle exits a curved road. The angular velocity .omega..sub.new is calculated at the time of travelling on a curved road on the basis of the output from an angular velocity sensor and the vehicle speed v is measured on the basis of distance pulses from a distance sensor. The current angular velocity, .omega..sub.new, is divided by the vehicle speed v to calculate the reciprocal number of a revolution radius r, which is multiplied by a constant K, so as to obtain a target value .theta.s of the radiation angle. Then, on the basis of the difference between .omega..sub.old, the angular velocity detected at a previous time, and .omega..sub.new, it is determined that the vehicle is approaching an end of the curved road when the gradient of the angular velocity .omega.

Abstract: A disk player has a magazine for storing disks on carriages and a disk transport mechanism transporting a selected disk between four positions including an eject position, a load position, a playback position, and a store position which lie in a single plane. The selected disk is carried upon a carriage from the magazine to the load position where the selected disk is partially removed from the magazine to the playback position above a disk reader. An alignment mechanism provides relative movement between the magazine and a plane of transport of the disk transport mechanism permitting a selected disk to be inserted or removed from the magazine at the store position. The disk reader is positioned to read the selected disk while overlapping disks stored in the magazine resulting in a smaller disk player size. The magazine pivotally holds the carriages in a stacked arrangement with prongs engaging recesses in the carriages. The magazine also holds a carriage for accepting disks of two sizes.

Abstract: An improved sidelighting arrangement, device and method of controlling sidelight illumination of a motor vehicle during cornering employing two sets of side lamps, one for each side of the vehicle. The sidelighting arrangement apparatus includes a steering wheel angle sensor mounted on the column of the steering wheel for detecting a change in steering angle, a turn indicator sensor for detecting actuation of the turn indicator, a microprocessor for outputting an electrical signal to selectively illuminate a set of side lamps mounted on the side of the vehicle for controlling illumination of the sidelights during cornering of the motor vehicle responsive to the steering wheel in actuation of the turn signal for improved visibility for the operator of the vehicle and for improved safety of operation thereof by providing notice to other drivers of the cornering condition of the vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicular cornering lamp system in which the amount of electric power consumed by the lamp is minimized. Until the angle of rightward (leftward) steering with respect to the position of straight-ahead steering reaches a predetermined angle .theta..sub.R (.theta..sub.L), the right (left) SI lamp remains turned off and the illuminating angle thereof is fixed to 30.degree. in the right (left) direction. After the point of time when the steering angle reaches .theta..sub.R R (.theta..sub.L), the right (left) SI lamp is turned on and the illuminating angle is changed in accordance with steering direction.

Abstract: A two-quadrant converter having a connected superconducting magnetic memory used as a chopper circuit or an actuator for stabilizing networks and for short-term bridging of power failures (e.g., uninterrupted power supply). For example, a two-quadrant converter is connected on the input side to an intermediate d.c. circuit of a converter whose intermediate circuit voltage is stabilized by an indirect capacitor. A magnetic memory is charged and discharged, respectively with energy in cyclic intervals, i.e. in conjunction with interposed free-wheeling intervals. Charging takes place via triggered thyristors, discharging via conducting diodes, with blocked thyristors. When the magnetic memory is in a charged state and is to be neither charged nor discharged over lengthy intervals, its current can be conducted in the free wheel via a closed mechanical switch connected in parallel.