Abstract: A fog lamp or the like which provides a desired light distribution pattern by means of horizontally diffusing lens steps formed in a lens in the case either where a downward curve is provided in the outer end portion of the lens disposed in front of a reflector and inclined in right and left directions, and where reflected light enters the outer end portion of the lens diagonally from the rear. Horizontally diffusing lens steps situated in the outer end portion of the lens are formed in such a manner that, when the lens is viewed from ahead of the lamp, they are not seen extending in the perpendicular direction like the horizontally diffusing lens steps situated in the other portions of the lens, but appear curved and shifted from top toward bottom inwardly in the vehicle width direction while their right and left widths are narrowed. This allows the horizontally diffusing lens steps to be seen extending in the perpendicular direction when they are viewed from the entering direction of the reflected light.

Abstract: A display groove is formed along a display pattern provided on a display panel, and a display element unit is arranged along the display groove as a light source to constitute a display device. The display element unit 2 has one or more LED's inserted into a unit case 21 having an elongated opening so that light is emitted over the width area and the length area of this lens 25 for providing an emitted state of a wide display pattern along a display groove in a small number of LED's 231 along the display pattern.

Abstract: A vehicular headlamp which includes a vessel-like lamp body, a front lens coupled to a front opening of the lamp body to define a lamp chamber, a discharge bulb serving as a light source and a reflector for reflecting light beam emitting from the discharge bulb, wherein the lamp body is provided at a back wall thereof an opening part for exchanging the bulb, a starter unit installing therein a starter circuit constituting a part of a discharge bulb lighting device is secured to the opening part of the lamp body, and a stabilizer constituting a part of the discharge bulb lighting device is secured to a bottom part of the lamp body outside the lamp chamber.

Abstract: A reflector with an electric lighting bulb mounted thereto is coupled to a lamp body via a ball-and-socket connection and a vertical and a horizontal aiming screw. Each aiming screw comprises a threaded shank engaged with a nut on the back of the reflector, a journal joined to the threaded shank and rotatably received in a bearing sleeve formed on the lamp body, and a head portion joined to the journal and projecting rearwardly from the bearing sleeve. The aiming screw is formed to include two collars for engaging the bearing sleeve therebetween and so the aiming screw is restrained from axial displacement relative to the sleeve. The diameters of the various parts of the aiming screw and of the bearing sleeve are so determined in relation to one another that, in the assemblage of the headlamp, the aiming screw can be inserted, with its head portion foremost, into and through the bearing sleeve from inside the lamp body, either before or after coupling the aiming screw to the reflector via the nut.

Abstract: A paraboloidal effective reflecting surface of a reflector is divided into an upper effective reflecting surface for forming a preset pattern of the low beam and a lower effective reflecting surface for forming a preset pattern for supplementing the pattern. First shades for forming clear cutting lines of the low beams is disposed close to an arc tube as a light source. The glare caused by the reflection of light on the upper effective reflecting surface is reduced. The resultant clear cutting lines are sharp. The second shades, which are provided outside the first shades, cut the light beams that pass above the first shades and direct to the partition lines (stepped parts). As a result, no glare is caused by the reflection of light at the partition lines.

Abstract: A vanity mirror including: a mirror body arranged with a mirror; a cover turnably received by the mirror body so that it may be opened/closed relative to the mirror; and spring means for urging the cover in at least the closing direction. A shaft is fixedly received by one of the mirror body and the cover for receiving the other and is formed with a friction surface part having an enlarged coefficient of friction on the surface to be brought into sliding contact with the other.

Abstract: A vehicular lamp having a structure of electrical connection between a lamp bulb serving as a light source installed in a lamp body and an external power source for supplying electric power to the lamp bulb which includes a back cover detachably attached to a bulb insertion hole formed in a back surface of the lamp body and a relay connector connecting with both the lamp bulb and an external power source, and the relay connector is constituted by an internal electrical connection section disposed at an inside of the back cover for electrically connecting with the lamp bulb and an external electrical connection section disposed at an outside of the back cover for connecting with a harness for the external power source. The internal electrical connection section and the external electrical connection section are formed integrally with each other by a conductive terminal which penetrates the back cover.

Abstract: A lighting circuit supplies an input voltage from a battery to a discharge lamp after the input voltage has been sent via a DC power supply section to a DC-AC converter. This lighting circuit comprises a lighting detector for detecting if the discharge lamp is lighted, an input-voltage monitor circuit for detecting the input voltage to the DC power supply section and checking if the input voltage lies within an allowable range, and a stable power supply circuit and a switch section for supplying power to the discharge lamp or inhibiting the power supply thereto in accordance with a signal from the input-voltage monitor circuit. The input-voltage monitor circuit performs variable control on a reference value to be compared with the input voltage, in accordance with a signal from the lighting detector.

Abstract: An automotive headlamp having a tilt measuring device for measuring an amount of horizontal tilt of a reflector is mounted between an aiming screw and a guide member extending parallel to the aiming screw. The aiming screw is supported by a lamp body. By turning (or moving back and forth) the aiming screw, the reflector is tilted in the horizontal direction. The tilt measuring device includes a slide member loosely coupled to the aiming screw and slidable along a guide member, a screw holding member functioning such that when the screw holding member grasps the aiming screw in proximity to the slide member, the sliding motion of the slide member is associated with the rotation (or the back and forth movement) of the aiming screw, and when the screw holding member is retracted to the side of the aiming screw, the coupling of the slide member with the aiming screw is released, a cursor provided on the slide member, and a scale provided on the guide member.

Abstract: A pin device including a plurality of rib members formed radially on a lamp body, at least a part of each rib member integrated to one another, and a pin member so formed as to integrally project from the integrated parts of these rib members beyond upper edges of the rib members, and since the pin member is supported on the lamp body through the plurality of rib members, the required mechanical strength can be maintained while avoiding the undesirable shrinkage phenomena because no resin thicker portion formed on the back surface of the lamp body and, further, since the area of each rib member is not necessary to enlarge, a compact pin device can be accomplished and, furthermore, there is no need of a slide core because every parts of the pin device extends in the same direction as the retracting direction of the mold core for molding the lamp body.

Abstract: The front opening of a lamp body with a bulb disposed therein is covered with a lens. The lens is segmented into a plural number of segmental areas. A first fisheye step group composed of convex fisheye steps and a second fisheye step groups composed of concave fisheye steps are alternatingly formed in the segmental areas. In the first fisheye step group, real images of the light source are formed on the front side of the lens by the convex fisheye steps. In the second fisheye step groups, virtual images are formed on the rear side of the lens by the concave fisheye steps. The distance between the real and virtual images of the light source creates an appearance of depth for the lamp.

Abstract: A reference parabola is drawn in a vertical plane containing a principal optical axis of a reflector. A reference point of a curve demarcating the right side of a peripheral region of the reflector is set in the horizontal plane containing the principal optical axis. A boundary line of the peripheral region, which is extended along a design line of an outer lens when viewed from the side of a vehicle lamp, is drawn. The end points of the boundary line, and the end points of the reference parabola are determined by an external frame defining outer lines of the reflector viewed from the front side thereof. Of those points, the associated ones are connected by circular arcs, to thereby form a curved surface. The peripheral region forms a part of the curved surface. A region of the reflector intersecting the principal optical axis and continuous to the peripheral region is shaped to have a paraboloid of revolution.

Abstract: A vehicular headlamp including a lamp body, a reflector accommodated in the lamp body and tiltably supported with respect to the lamp body by an aiming mechanism, and an aiming screw which constitutes a part of the aiming mechanism and extends in a front-rear direction of the lamp body. The rear end part of the aiming screw penetrates the rear wall of the lamp body and protrudes rearward from the lamp body. An orthogonal conversion gear mechanism engaging a rear end part of the aiming screw and has a rotational operating shaft linked with the aiming screw for causing the same to rotate. The rotational operating shaft is provided on an upper end thereof with a concave engaging part engageable with the tip of a driver tool. An expanding member protruding from the rear wall of the lamp body covers the orthogonal conversion gear mechanism like a visor. The expanding member also serves as a driver guide for guiding the tip end of the driver to a concave engaging part of the rotational operating shaft.

Abstract: A light distribution control device includes a projection type headlamp for a motor vehicle in which a clear cut line in a light distribution pattern is varied by rotating a shade for forming a clear cut line about a horizontal support shaft. A vehicle-to-vehicle distance measuring sensor for measures a distance between a vehicle carrying the light distribution control device and another vehicle running in front of the former, and a shade rotation control unit controls the rotational position of the shade. The angular position of the shade at which the amount of glare at an eye point specified by a vehicle-to-vehicle distance and a rotation angle of the steering wheel is smaller than a tolerable quantity of glare is stored in the form of table data in the control unit. The control unit sets the rotational angle of the shade on the basis of distance information measured by the vehicle-to-vehicle distance measuring sensor, and the steering angle of the steering wheel.

Abstract: A resin-molded automotive lens, and a method for producing same, in which sink marks are prevented from being formed in a thin lens surface portion of the lens. In a resin-molded lens having a thin lens surface portion and a thick portion such as a seal leg portion or boss portions formed integrally with at least a part of this lens surface portion, the lens surface portion and the thick portion are formed in separate injections. That is, the thick portion is molded with resin integrally with another lens surface portion in advance, and thereafter the thin lens surface portion is molded with resin integrally with this thick portion, so that in this portion it is possible to reduce the influence of cooling of the resin when the lens surface portion is molded to thereby prevent sink marks from being formed in the lens surface portion.

Abstract: A socket cover integrally formed of elastic material for covering a bulb mounting hole formed in a lamp body of a car lamp including a lens for covering a front opening of the lamp body and a light source bulb mounted on the lamp body comprises a body fitting portion of the socket cover enclosing the bulb mounting hole, to be fitted to the bulb mounting hole formed in the lamp body, to be connected to s bulb fitting portion, and to receive fitted the light source bulb; a back surface wall defining ventilating holes disposed in upper and lower portions of the back surface wall; ventilating pipes connected to the ventilating holes and including outward openings facing downward; and an air introduction member connected with the outward opening of the ventilating pipe provided in a lower portion of the back surface wall for introducing open sir into an interior of the lamp body.

Abstract: A lighting fixture for automobile use that includes a cylindrical surrounding wall arranged around an electric bulb at the rear of the lamp body, the cylindrical surrounding wall being engaged with the socket cover and having a plurality of slits arranged along an inner ledge or outer edge of the surrounding wall. The lighting fixture further including a plurality of engaging edges protruding from a body engaging portion formed on the socket cover, and a plurality of engaging claws formed in the body engaging portion.

Abstract: A number of LEDs 6 are vertically and horizontally arrayed on a printed circuit board 5, thereby forming a display surface. Switches 7 for turning on or off the LEDs 6 and keeping them in an on or off state are provided at locations corresponding to or close to the LEDs 6. With this construction, the LEDs 6 can be turned on or off directly from the display surface.

Abstract: A bulb mounting structure for a vehicular lamp having a reflector in which a bulb insertion hole is formed, the structure including a mounting piece for holding a bulb inserted into the bulb insertion hole, the mounting piece comprising a body having a disk-shaped engagement portion engageable with the bulb insertion hole, the disk-shaped engagement portion comprising a concave groove formed in an outer peripheral surface thereof; an elastic seal member received in the concave groove and being depressed against an inner peripheral surface of the bulb insertion hole; wherein a width of the concave groove is larger than a diameter of a cross-section of the elastic seal member.

Abstract: A lighting circuit converts the output voltage of a DC booster circuit to an AC voltage which is in turn supplied to a discharge lamp connected between AC output terminals. The lighting circuit comprises a short-circuit detector for detecting a change of a DC voltage from the DC booster circuit to a square-wave voltage when short-circuiting between one of the AC output terminals and ground occurs, and sends a detection signal via a hold circuit to a power cutoff relay circuit. As a result, a relay contact in the power cutoff relay circuit is opened to inhibit the operation of the lighting circuit.