Abstract: A frontal surface of a light transmitting member disposed in such a manner as to cover a light emitting element from a front side thereof is made up of an ellipsoid of revolution which adopts an optical axis as a center axis thereof and a point on the optical axis which is near the light emitting element as a rear primary focal point thereof. A central region of the light transmitting member positioned near the optical axis is made as a light emitting surface which causes light from the light emitting element to be emitted forward. A circumferential edge region of the light transmitting member positioned outer circumferentially of the central region is made as a light reflecting surface which internally reflects light from the light emitting element so as to be directed towards a secondary focal point of the ellipsoid of revolution.

Abstract: As the annular translucent member, an annular lens formed from a peripheral edge portion of a convex-meniscus lens is disposed between a projection lens and a reflector along an outer peripheral edge of the projection lens. Direct light from a light source toward a space beyond the outer periphery of the projection lens is caused to illuminate forward of the lamp by the annular lens, thereby effectively utilizing light source luminous flux. In relation to the above, a shape of a back surface of the annular lens is formed into a spherical surface having its center at a luminescence center of the light source. Accordingly, direct light from the light source can travel straight without being deflected by a back surface of the annular lens, whereby a light deflection angle on a front surface of the annular lens can be calculated easily and with good accuracy.

Abstract: Light emitted from a light source 12a is sequentially reflected on a first, second, and third additional reflectors in this order. By emitting light in the order of the reflectors, this allows the light to be parallel to an optical axis by an additional lens. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the light-emitting area of the entire headlamp, thereby improving the appearance of the headlamp with respect to the driver of the oncoming vehicle. The additional lens is formed to have a substantially wedge-shaped cross-section, and is provided along the surface shape of a projection lens. Furthermore, since the light emitted from the light source is sequentially reflected by the first, second, and third additional reflectors in this order, the light emitted from the light source can be focused and the quantity of the light passing through the additional lens is not excessively increased.

Abstract: A projection-type vehicular headlamp structure that is capable of forming at least two types of light distribution in at least two modes, and is also capable of controlling the radiated light thereof with high precision in addition to keeping to a minimum any noticeable difference when switching between modes. A portion of a reflector is structured as a mobile reflection portion which may separate from a remaining reflective portion. An additional reflector is disposed generally behind the mobile reflective portion. The additional reflector is incident to light from a light source when the mobile reflective portion is separated from the remaining reflective portion. Light incident from the mobile reflective portion, the remaining reflective portion, and the additional reflector is reflected forward to a projection lens of the vehicular headlamp, providing illumination in the area preceding a vehicle's traveling path.

Abstract: A vehicle headlamp is provided with: a projection lens; a light source; a reflector for reflecting light, which has been directly emitted by the light source, to a front side along an optical axis; and a shade arranged between the projection lens and the reflector, for shading a part of light reflected by the reflector 24. A bright and dark boundary forming portion capable of forming a cutoff line of a light distribution pattern is formed at an upper edge portion of the shade. In a neighborhood of the bright and dark boundary forming portion on a front face of the shade, a low reflecting region is provided. A reflectance of the low reflecting region is lower than a reflectance of a high reflecting region. A reflectance of the high reflecting region is higher than a reflectance of a rear face of the shade.

Abstract: A distance from a center position of the light source to a rear focal point of a projection lens is smaller than a focal length of the projection lens. The light source is constituted by a line segment light source extended in a vehicle width direction. An opening portion is formed at a rear portion of a first reflector. A second reflector reflects light directed to a rear side from the light source to a front side to be proximate to an optical axis.

Abstract: A vehicle light emitting device including a light emitting element, a primary reflector, and a secondary reflector. A reflecting surface of the primary reflector has a shape of a substantially dome-shaped body of revolution formed by rotating about the optical axis Ax an ellipse E which has a primary focal point F1 which is a point near the light emitting element and a secondary focal point F2 which is a point near the reflecting surface. The primary reflector includes a belt-shaped region, which straddles a ring-shaped locus of the secondary focal point F2 and is configured as a light translucent portion, whereby reflected light from the primary reflector is caused to temporarily converge on the secondary focal point F2 in each cross-section of the body of revolution including the optical axis Ax and is thereafter caused to be incident on the secondary reflector as a diffused light.

Abstract: A light source bulb 22 is inserted and fixed into a reflector 24 from a side in a position placed downward apart from an optical axis Ax. Thus; it is possible to effectively utilize an optical-axis side region in a reflecting plane 24a for a light distribution control. Moreover, an almost prism-shaped light transmitting member 30 is provided in the vicinity of the upper end of the outer peripheral edge portion of a projection lens 28 between the projection lens 28 and the reflector 24, and a direct light from a light source 22a toward the upper space of the projection lens 28 is emitted forward to be deflected downward. Consequently, it is possible to increase the amount of a light to be irradiated on the forward part of a vehicle, and furthermore, to carry out a deflection control for the direct light emitted from the light source 22a with high precision.

Abstract: A light emitting unit is provided forward in the vicinity of the upper part of an optical axis extended in the longitudinal direction of a lighting unit. Furthermore, a light transmitting member is provided on the forward side of the light emitting unit. A front surface of the light transmitting member is constituted by a rotating elliptical surface with the optical axis to be a central axis, and a rear end face is formed to pass through a first focal point on the rear side of the rotating elliptical surface. Moreover, a reflector having a reflecting plane formed to surround a light emitting chip almost cylindrically is provided between the light emitting unit and the light transmitting member in such a manner that a front end opening portion is caused to abut on the rear end face 14b of the light transmitting member.

Abstract: A frontal surface of a light transmitting member disposed in such a manner as to cover a light emitting element from a front side thereof is made up of an ellipsoid of revolution which adopts an optical axis as a center axis thereof and a point on the optical axis which is near the light emitting element as a rear primary focal point thereof. A central region of the light transmitting member positioned near the optical axis is made as a light emitting surface which causes light from the light emitting element to be emitted forward. A circumferential edge region of the light transmitting member positioned outer circumferentially of the central region is made as a light reflecting surface which internally reflects light from the light emitting element so as to be directed towards a secondary focal point of the ellipsoid of revolution.

Abstract: As the annular translucent member, an annular lens formed from a peripheral edge portion of a convex-meniscus lens is disposed between a projection lens and a reflector along an outer peripheral edge of the projection lens. Direct light from a light source toward a space beyond the outer periphery of the projection lens is caused to illuminate forward of the lamp by the annular lens, thereby effectively utilizing light source luminous flux. In relation to the above, a shape of a back surface of the annular lens is formed into a spherical surface having its center at a luminescence center of the light source. Accordingly, direct light from the light source can travel straight without being deflected by a back surface of the annular lens, whereby a light deflection angle on a front surface of the annular lens can be calculated easily and with good accuracy.

Abstract: A pair of upper and lower incidence surfaces are formed on a rear face of a translucent member disposed to cover three light-emitting elements. On upper and lower sides of the incidence surfaces are formed a pair of reflection surfaces for causing light emitted by the light-emitting elements and having entered the translucent member to internally reflect forward. Each of the incidence surfaces is formed from a cylindrical convex-curved surface extending horizontally. Each of the reflection surfaces is formed from a parabolic cylindrical curved surface whose focal line passes through a virtual image point of each of the light-emitting elements formed by the corresponding incidence surfaces. By the above configuration, light emitted by the light-emitting elements is caused to internally reflect in such a manner as to diffuse in the horizontal direction, and not to diffuse in the vertical direction, thereby exiting forward from a pair of exit surfaces.

Abstract: A projection-type vehicular headlamp structure that is capable of forming at least two types of light distribution in at least two modes, and is also capable of controlling the radiated light thereof with high precision in addition to keeping to a minimum any noticeable difference when switching between modes. A portion of a reflector is structured as a mobile reflection portion which may separate from a remaining reflective portion. An additional reflector is disposed generally behind the mobile reflective portion. The additional reflector is incident to light from a light source when the mobile reflective portion is separated from the remaining reflective portion. Light incident from the mobile reflective portion, the remaining reflective portion, and the additional reflector is reflected forward to a projection lens of the vehicular headlamp, providing illumination in the area preceding a vehicle's traveling path.

Abstract: In a vehicle headlamp apparatus 1, there are provided a map information acquiring means 2 for acquiring positional information on one's own vehicle on a map and the environmental information, and an environmental condition detection means 3 for detecting an environmental condition relating to a traveling road on which one's own vehicle is driven according image information or the information acquired from a radar. The light distribution control means 4 of a lighting device 5 performs light distribution control over the headlamp according to more reliable one of both kinds of information adopted with the priority given thereto out of the information derived from the map information acquiring means 2 and the information detected by the environmental condition detection means 3 or according to the information complemented with both kinds of information described above.

Abstract: A vehicle headlamp including a headlamp unit and an auxiliary lamp in which the brightness of an end portion of the low beam light distribution pattern formed by the beam irradiation from the headlamp unit is reinforced by the auxiliary light distribution pattern formed by the beam irradiation from the auxiliary lamp unit. The high luminous intensity area of the auxiliary light distribution pattern partly overlaps the high luminous intensity area of the low beam light distribution pattern, thus allowing the low beam light distribution pattern and the auxiliary light distribution pattern to be combined. Further, by way of controlling the beam irradiation intensity of the auxiliary lamp unit by a light control unit, the brightness of the low beam light distribution pattern is reinforced by the auxiliary light distribution pattern that has brightness in response to the vehicle running condition.

Abstract: A lane mark irradiation lamp forming a pair of light distribution patterns on left and right sides of the road surface ahead of a vehicle. The light distribution patterns are formed so as to extend along the lane marks provided on the road, and the luminous intensity distribution of the light distribution patterns in lateral direction in a first angle position that is in a downward direction at a predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the lamp is set so as to have peaks on both sides of such a longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A vehicle headlamp including a headlamp unit and an auxiliary lamp in which the brightness of an end portion of the low beam light distribution pattern formed by the beam irradiation from the headlamp unit is reinforced by the auxiliary light distribution pattern formed by the beam irradiation from the auxiliary lamp unit. The high luminous intensity area of the auxiliary light distribution pattern partly overlaps the high luminous intensity area of the low beam light distribution pattern, thus allowing the low beam light distribution pattern and the auxiliary light distribution pattern to be combined. Further, by way of controlling the beam irradiation intensity of the auxiliary lamp unit by a light control unit, the brightness of the low beam light distribution pattern is reinforced by the auxiliary light distribution pattern that has brightness in response to the vehicle running condition.

Abstract: In a vehicle headlamp apparatus 1, there are provided a map information acquiring means 2 for acquiring positional information on one's own vehicle on a map and the environmental information, and an environmental condition detection means 3 for detecting an environmental condition relating to a traveling road on which one's own vehicle is driven according image information or the information acquired from a radar. The light distribution control means 4 of a lighting device 5 performs light distribution control over the headlamp according to more reliable one of both kinds of information adopted with the priority given thereto out of the information derived from the map information acquiring means 2 and the information detected by the environmental condition detection means 3 or according to the information complemented with both kinds of information described above.

Abstract: A lane mark irradiation lamp forming a pair of light distribution patterns on left and right sides of the road surface ahead of a vehicle. The light distribution patterns are formed so as to extend along the lane marks provided on the road, and the luminous intensity distribution of the light distribution patterns in lateral direction in a first angle position that is in a downward direction at a predetermined angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the lamp is set so as to have peaks on both sides of such a longitudinal axis.