Headlight Patents (Class 362/507)
  • Patent number: 6179455
    Abstract: An automobile headlight comprising a light source, a reflector having a by-passing reflecting portion, which reflects light emitted from the light source downward to form a light distribution pattern for by-passing, and a traveling reflecting portion, which reflects light emitted from the light source to a horizontal front of the automobile headlight when the movable shade is in a position for traveling straight ahead, a fixed shade which directs light emitted from the light source towards the reflector, a movable shade capable of taking a position P or Q depending on whether the automobile is traveling straight ahead or by-passing another vehicle, and a driving unit connected to the movable shade for changing a position of the movable shade, wherein when the movable shade is in the by-passing position Q, the movable shade suppresses light emitted from the light source towards the traveling reflecting portion and passes light emitted from the light source toward the by-passing reflecting portion, and when the
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hitoshi Taniuchi
  • Patent number: 6170972
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp comprising: a light source; a lamp body having a front opening portion thereof; and a front lens disposed in a front opening portion of a lamp body having a light source therein, wherein said front lens is a compound lens made from a plurality of lens bodies which are integrally formed by making joint between sectionally hook-shaped side edge portions which are bent toward the back surface sides of said respective lens bodies so that said compound lens has a continuous surface, a joint surface between said side edge portions being configured so as to be inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to a lens surface line crossing a joint portion, said joint portion being constituted by an obtuse hook-shaped side edge portion in which said joint surface and said lens surface line form an obtuse angle therebetween, and an acute hook-shaped side edge portion in which said joint surface and said lens surface line form an acute angle therebetween, wherein an acute front edge portion of said acute h
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kiyoshi Fukuhara
  • Patent number: 6161953
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp in which a sealing groove is formed circumferentially in the inclined front opening of a lamp body for containing a light source 14 and the sealing leg of a front lens engages integrally with the sealing groove via a sealing material is such that the base of the sealing groove in cross section is sloped with respect to a plane perpendicularly intersecting the direction of inserting the sealing leg and that on the inclined base, there are provided cross projections and extending in the direction of intersecting the sealing groove in order to prevent the sealing leg from sliding in the width direction of the sealing groove. When the sealing leg is forced in, it is brought into contact with the cross projections and prevented from being inserted to a degree exceeding a predetermined quantity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Chouji, Takashi Sone
  • Patent number: 6138388
    Abstract: An external electrical connector for connecting one or more components of a snowplow blade unit. The electrical connector includes two housing components that are securable together. Each housing component includes an interface end and a coupling end. The coupling ends of the two housing components are designed to be connect together to form an electrical connection. Each of the interface ends includes at least one electrical connection interface that is designed to form an electrical connection with at least one external snowplow blade component. The number of electrical connection interfaces on the interface side of the two housing components is greater than the number of electrical connection interfaces on the coupling end of the two housing components. One of the housings components is secured to a component of said snowplow blade unit. Protection caps and housing holders are used to protect the parts of the housings when the housings are disconnected from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: The Louis Berkman Company
    Inventors: James A. Kost, Tim K. Howell
  • Patent number: 6129448
    Abstract: A reflector (3) for a lamp LL having a discharge bulb (5) and a reflector (4) for a lamp HL having an incandescent bulb (6) are arranged so that the depth dimension of the rotary parabolic portion of the former reflector is set greater than that of the rotary parabolic portion of the latter reflector and that the opening dimension of the former reflector is widthwise greater than that of the opening dimension of the latter reflector. The effective reflection area of the reflector (3) is then increased and reflection efficiency is also increased when light from the discharge bulb (5) is reflected from the reflector (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshinobu Takasaki, Tomonori Aoyama
  • Patent number: 6126304
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp capable of ensuring adequate adhesiveness between the lamp body and the lens and airtightness in a lamp space as well as attractive appearance when a lamp is turned on, and reducing the non-radiating portion of the lens as much as possible. The vehicular lamp comprises a mounting means 17 provided on the extended section 15 of the lens 3 formed along the peripheral edge of the lens such that the projection 18 extending toward the center of the lens and an insert 19 contiguous to the projection are substantially L-shaped in cross section, and the mounting means 10 of the lamp body 2 corresponding to the extended section of the lens comprises the mounting groove 11, which is substantially C-shaped in cross section and into which the insert on the lens is adapted to be inserted, and a portion 12 contiguous to an open edge of the mounting groove and facing the projection on the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayoshi Gotoh, Tamaaki Sugiura
  • Patent number: 6123439
    Abstract: A vehicle head lamp which includes: a lamp body having a front side being opened; a lens mounted on the front side of the lamp body; a discharging lamp; a reflector being disposed within a space defined by the lamp body and the lens while supporting the discharging lamp, the reflector being tiltable with respect to the lamp body; a discharging lamp unit supplying a discharging voltage to the discharging lamp; and a connecting member. The connecting member includes, a plural number of connection cords connecting the discharging lamp and the discharging lamp unit, wherein one of the connection cords is a high voltage cord to which a high voltage is applied, a protecting tube covering the high voltage cord, and a cylindrical member being conductive and flexible wherein the cylindrical member covers the protecting tube as well as covers connection cords which are not covered with the protecting tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinobu Hiranaka, Akiyoshi Ozaki
  • Patent number: 6120168
    Abstract: A vehicle beam lamp, particularly an additional automobile headlight, comprising a housing, a reflector, a cover plate connected to the reflector, and a frame for fastening the cover plate and reflector to the housing, has the reflector, cover plate, and frame firmly connected to each other to form an insert that closes off the housing. A procedure for mounting a vehicle beam lamp comprising a housing, a reflector, a cover plate, and a frame connecting the reflector and cover plate to the housing involves gluing the reflector, the cover plate, and the frame together into an insert that is separably connected to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Hella KG Hueck & Co.
    Inventors: Reinhold Brummel, Thomas Hilsenbeck, Pietro Antonio Mazziotti, Klaus Mohsakowski
  • Patent number: 6120170
    Abstract: An auto rear lamp has at least one mounting lug (1) formed on a back thereof that can be inserted into a mounting hole (3) for locking the rear lamp to an edge area (5) defining the mounting hole via a spring mounted locking element (2) on the mounting lug. The spring mounted locking element is pivotal about an elastically flexible area in a pivot line extending in a insertion direction (6). The mounting lug can be inserted into the mounting hole until a first edge (17) of the spring mounted locking element, which extends at least to the pivot line engages behind the edge area defining the mounting hole and a bearing surface (7, 8) of the lamp fits closely to the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignee: Hella KG Hueck & Co.
    Inventor: Antonius Hamelbeck
  • Patent number: 6116755
    Abstract: A lighting fixture for a vehicle where a fit part of a waterproof cover and the mounting part of a reflector are covered with a removal preventing piece in the waterproof construction of the reflector so mounted as to be tilt freely in the lamp housing. The removal preventing piece is provided around the peripheral part of a socket cover for a lamp socket of the used lamp and the number of parts is all the smaller or the use of the flange part on the lamp socket as a removal preventing piece makes it possible to provide a simpler and smaller lighting fixture for a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Company
    Inventors: Motoyuki Ichihara, Satoshi Nagasawa
  • Patent number: 6107916
    Abstract: A signal lamp for vehicles, specifically motor vehicles, has a housing in which at least one light source is positioned, and a light guide from which light is directed in a predetermined light exit direction, whereby the light guide is structured as a long stretched-out light-release element that extends at least in areas along an edge of a housing and/or of a reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2000
    Assignee: Hella Kg Hueck & Co.
    Inventors: Christian Beck, Andre Blanke, Herbert Cramer, Elmar Duenschede, Karsten Eichhorn, Guenther Fischer, Klaus Henneboehle, Franz-Gerhard Jost, Christian Plattfaut, Bernhard Scholl
  • Patent number: 6102557
    Abstract: A headlamp wherein an auxiliary reflector is arranged at at least one of portions close to above, left or right ends of a main reflector providing an effective section of a reflecting mirror and outside a range that forms a light distribution characteristic. The auxiliary reflector reflects a light in a direction adjacent to a side opposite to a side at which the auxiliary reflector is arranged relative to the light distribution characteristic defined by the main reflector. The novel constitution allows a headlamp of this type, in which a light having a relatively large tilt angle from the optical axis has been conventionally prevented by the housing of the headlamp from being radiated, to effectively radiate such a light in a desired direction and in a necessary range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Makoto Kaneda
  • Patent number: 6089735
    Abstract: A removable bulb assembly is provided for head lamp structures for automobiles. An upper surface of the housing of the structure has an opening through which the bulb assembly can be inserted or removed. A similar opening is provided in an upper surface of a reflector within the housing. The bulb assembly is removably mounted within the reflector. When necessary, the bulb assembly is removed from the housing to replace a bulb of the assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Heon Lee
  • Patent number: 6089731
    Abstract: A fusion-welding leg in a vehicle lamp such that the fusion-welding leg of a front lens as one of the plastic members constituting the vehicle lamp is vibration-fusion-welded to the joint portion of a lamp body as the other plastic member. The inside of the front end of the fusion-welding leg is made substantially perpendicular to the joint surface on the lamp body side, and the outside thereof is tapered off to the leading end thereof so as to form a tapered surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fujihiko Sugiyama, Shigeyuki Soga
  • Patent number: 6086231
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a reflector, a light source mounted on the reflector and including a light bulb positioned near a first focus of the reflector, a lens holder having a rear end side opening portion secured to a front opening portion of the reflector and a front end side opening portion, a convex lens secured to the front end side opening portion of the lens holder and positioned in front of the reflector, and a ring-like lens support surface for supporting a bottom surface of a circumferential edge portion of the convex lens formed in the front end side opening portion of the lens holder and constructed of a metal material capable of being plastically deformed, wherein a circumferential edge of the front end side opening portion of the lens holder surrounding the outer circumferential edge of the convex lens is bent radially inward to hold the circumferential edge portion of the convex lens by the lens holder, and wherein the reflector is substantially ellipsoidal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tamotu Kenjo, Hidehiko Nagasawa, Shigeaki Kawaguti
  • Patent number: 6076945
    Abstract: A headlamp for a vehicle incorporating a composite reflector in which the composite reflector includes a pair of right and left reflectors. The right and left reflectors can be disposed close together or overlapped with each other as seen from a front view of the headlamp. An extension can be placed in a hollow portion between the right and left reflectors and connected to the right and left reflectors by a connecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Matsubara, Kazuhito Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 6071000
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp with ram air vent having lamp housing, light source, ram air tube, and a second vent tube is disclosed. The vehicle lamp with ram air vent yields an air cooled lamp interior without acquiring excess water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: Valeo Sylvania, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Robert A. Rapp
  • Patent number: 6059433
    Abstract: A bulb inserting hole is bored in a position deviating from the center of a reflector which is held tightly to the interior of a lamp body, and the reflector is held tightly in its central portion by a screw to the lamp body. The reflector can be held tightly in a well-balanced fashion by one screw with the effect of not only improving the light reflective efficiency of a lamp by decreasing the area required for the provision of the screw but also simplifying the work of fixing the reflector. Moreover, the screw is hidden by a bulb mounted in the reflector through the bulb inserting hole and set free from exposure to the front side of the lamp, so that the neatness of the external appearance of the lamp is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuo Otaka, Kaneki Hirano
  • Patent number: 6060788
    Abstract: A vehicle driver module 10 with circuit 12 for receiving a first signal from a vehicle's controller and providing a second signal responsive thereto. The circuit 12 being placed on a substrate 14 constructed as a heat sink and preferably formed into a U-shaped configuration. A plurality of terminals 16 are attached to the substrate 14 with collars 18 made of an insulative material and having posts 20 constructed to fit within openings 50 of the substrate 14 be fastened thereto and retain the terminals 16 therein. Each of the terminals 16 include a prong 24 projecting out one side of the collar 18 and a clasp 26 out the opposite side of the collar 18. Each clasp 26 is constructed to provide a snap electrical contact at a predetermined location on the circuit on the substrate. The prongs 24 are selectively spaced so as to be received in and mesh with the standard vehicle relay junction block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventors: David K. Carlson, Thomas S. Schaffer, Timothy J. Green
  • Patent number: 6059432
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes an injection-molded lamp body having a wall surface portion of substantially uniform thickness, and a gate mark and a rib extending along the wall surface portion from the gate mark, each formed in the wall surface portion of the lamp body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Nagayama
  • Patent number: 6030107
    Abstract: A headlight unit for a motor vehicle has a light source, a reflector for bundling a radiation of the light source, a first lens device on which the radiation of the light source is bundled by the reflector, the first lens device deviating a light beam bundle in an illumination direction from the headlight unit, a light conductor system having light outlet surfaces, and means for coupling arranged in a region between the reflector and the first lens device and coupling those light beams which are not bundled on the first lens device, in the light guiding system with the light outlet surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Hamm
  • Patent number: 6012830
    Abstract: The vehicle headlamp uses a light shield with a interior surface with a rough, black ceramic coating. The ceramic surface absorbs almost all the visible light shone on it. The surface is highly resistant to the heat generated by the light absorption, and the roughness breaks up visible light images in any small amount of reflected light. The ceramic material does not outgas or deteriorate so as to leave a film on the other lamp elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Valeo Sylvania L.L.C.
    Inventor: Robert L. Fraizer
  • Patent number: 6000816
    Abstract: A head lamp in which the sub-lamp luminous intensity distribution pattern is designed to control light from a discharge bulb by a plurality of reflective surface elements constituting the reflective surface of a reflector even in such a state that the reflector has been subjected to aiming adjustment. A reflective surface element (22As1) which is positioned in the outermost side portion out of a plurality of reflective surface elements (22As) constituting the horizontal cut-line forming area (22A) of a reflector reflective surface (22) has a concave horizontal sectional shape and rays of the light reflected from the reflective surface element (22As1) are made to horizontally cross each other so as to form a luminous intensity distribution pattern (PA1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Serizawa, Naoki Uchida
  • Patent number: 5975729
    Abstract: An illumination device arrangeable on a front part of a vehicle has a tubular receptacle formed on the front part, a light-permeable cover member covering a light outlet opening, a cup-shaped housing, at least one reflector provided with at least one light source and supported on the housing, the housing being mountable on the receptacle, the cover member being mountable on the front part, the housing having a front edge region facing a light outlet direction and being mountable with the front edge region on a rear-side edge region of the receptacle--facing opposite to the light outlet direction, the cover member, the receptacle and the housing together limiting a closed inner chamber in which the at least one reflector with the at least one light source is arranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Karl-Otto Dobler, Jan Fischer
  • Patent number: 5975731
    Abstract: A motor vehicle headlight comprises a reflector, a bulb, a glass, and a direct light mask provided in front of the bulb and mounted on the reflector by at least one generally vertical bracket. The reflector has a reflective surface capable of generating by itself a beam whose light is distributed widthwise in a homogeneous manner, between a zero inclination and a maximum inclination. The reflector has two lateral zones delimited by axial vertical limit-planes passing in the vicinity of the edges of the bracket or brackets, the reflective surfaces of which are such that the radiation changes progressively, from these limit-planes, between an essentially zero horizontal deviation and a divergent horizontal deviation, and a central zone situated between the said limit-planes and capable of directing a substantial part of the radiation away from the transition zones constituted by the edges of the bracket or brackets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Denis Saladin, Eric Blusseau
  • Patent number: 5934799
    Abstract: In a lamp body and lens bonding structure and a lamp body and lens bonding method to form a vehicular lamp, a dielectric bonding agent (6) is applied to the joint part of a lamp body (1) made of polypropylene resin. The joint part of a lens (2) is engaged with the joint part of the lamp body (1) through the layer of dielectric bonding agent (6). Thereafter, the dielectric bonding agent (6) is solidified by high frequency dielectric heating treatment to fixedly bond the joint part of the lamp body and the joint part of the lens to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 10, 1999
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michihiko Suzuki, Kazuhiro Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 5860735
    Abstract: A light glare reducing device being all or partially constructed of light transmitting materials with light reflecting surfaces in different designs. When the light glare reducing devices or lenses are placed over lighting sources they reduce the high glare and blinding effects of the light sources. Increasing the light output of lighting sources when used with lenses can maintain the lighting level while reducing glare. When used for automotive usage alternative automotive headlights are used. The combined usage of the alternative headlights and the lenses provides roadway and side of the roadway lighting without high glare to oncoming vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians and animals. The existing automotive headlight system can be maintained so that the high beam headlights can be used if necessary or desirable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1999
    Inventor: Charles A. Keech