Headlight Patents (Class 362/507)
  • Patent number: 8007155
    Abstract: A composite lamp assembly for use on a camouflaged military vehicle comprises a lamp housing colored to match the camouflaged scheme of the vehicle. The lamp housing defines an interior space, a first opening and a plurality of second openings in communication with the interior space. The lamp assembly includes a clear lens attached to the housing to occupy the first opening and a plurality of diffusers attached to the housing to occupy the plurality of second openings, the diffusers being colored to match the camouflaged scheme of the vehicle. The lamp assembly further includes a circuit board arranged within the interior space of the lamp housing having first and second pluralities of LEDs mounted thereto. The first plurality of LEDs is positioned to provide light through the clear lens and the second is positioned to provide light through the diffusers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Grote Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert J. Bolander, Jr., Matthew E. Drake
  • Patent number: 8007149
    Abstract: A vehicle lighting assembly is provided which uses a light guiding lens without a dedicated light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoshi Nagasawa, Hidetaka Okada
  • Patent number: 7985013
    Abstract: A vehicle lighting device is provided with: a lamp chamber defined by a lamp body and a cover; a light source unit including a semiconductor light emitting element as a light source and provided within the lamp chamber; a metallic heat transfer member attached to the lamp body and penetrating between an outside and an inside of the lamp chamber; and an air blower disposed between the light source unit and the heat transfer member so that an air blowing direction of the air blower directs toward the heat transfer member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuji Yasuda
  • Patent number: 7985014
    Abstract: A light source module is provided. The light source module includes a light emitting element; a module substrate on which the light emitting element is mounted; a support member comprising a position reference section; and a fixing member which fixes the module substrate to the support member. The module substrate includes a positioning section which determines a position of the module substrate; and a displacement force generation section which imparts a displacement force onto the module substrate so as to bring the positioning section into contact with the position reference section of the support member when the fixing member is fastened to the support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hironori Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 7982403
    Abstract: A motor vehicle headlight module having at least two lighting units (1) is specified. Here, each lighting unit (1) comprises at least one light-emitting diode chip (2). Different lighting units (1) are provided here for different lighting functions. Furthermore, the motor vehicle headlight module has a common heat sink (6) for the lighting units, to which heat sink the lighting units are thermally connected, and a common current-stabilizing electronic system (8) for supplying voltage to the lighting units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: OSRAM Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventors: Angela Hohl-AbiChedid, Thomas Reiners, Ralf Vollmer
  • Patent number: 7980732
    Abstract: An projector type lamp includes a casing formed with a front open end and configured by connecting an upper casing member and a lower casing member to each other; a concave mirror formed on an inside face of the casing; a light source provided at the first focal point of the concave mirror; a convex lens configured to be held between the upper casing member and the lower casing member at the front open end of the casing and adapted to refract a reflected light that is emitted from the light source and reflected on the concave mirror so as to project a substantially parallel pencil beam forward from the project type lamp; provisional fixers provided on the upper casing member and the lower casing member respectively and configured to latch one another so as to provisionally fix the casing members to one another in place; and a fastener configured to fasten the provisionally-fixed casing members together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Ichikoh Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Takayuki Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7967485
    Abstract: The apparatus for automatically adjusting horizontally a direction of a light axis of a vehicle headlight of the invention includes a steering angle sensor detecting a steering angle of a steering wheel of a vehicle, a swivel control unit performing a swivel control by which the direction of the light axis of the headlight is adjusted horizontally depending on the steering angle of the steering wheel, and an abnormality detecting unit detecting an abnormality associated with the apparatus. Even after detection of abnormality associated with the apparatus by the abnormality detecting unit, the swivel control unit continues performing the swivel control until the light axis is returned to a predetermined initial direction in order to avoid abrupt change of the direction of the light axis of the headlight. The swivel control unit halts the swivel control after the light axis is returned to the predetermined initial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kenichi Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7963682
    Abstract: A temporary headlight reflector device for application to a vehicle of a sandwich construction having a temporary elastic or flexible reflective panel with protruding tabs including protective layers releasably bonded by adhesive material to the tab substrate which may be folded over for attachment to the front of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Inventor: William David McAnally
  • Patent number: 7963684
    Abstract: A projection module for an automobile headlamp includes at least one semiconductor emission source which emits electromagnetic radiation, a reflector reflecting the emitted irradiation, a baffle arrangement shading at least a portion of the reflected irradiation, and a projection lens for projecting the reflected irradiation. The irradiation passes by the baffle arrangement to create a desired emission distribution from the projection module in front of the automobile. At least one emission source is mounted on, or near, the rear side of the baffle arrangement, and a main irradiation direction of the minimum of one emission source is directed into the semi-open space opposite the irradiation-output direction from the projection module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Automotive Lighting Reutlingen GmbH
    Inventors: Benjamin Staub, Matthias Brendle
  • Patent number: 7959337
    Abstract: A vehicle cornering light can improve the visibility in a diagonally front area of the vehicle without increasing the luminous intensity of the cornering light (or light source thereof). The cornering light that is provided at or near a front corner of a vehicle and is configured to emit light for illuminating a diagonally front area of the vehicle can include a light source that can emit light with a color temperature of from 3700K to 7000K. The cornering light can emit light for illuminating a lateral area ranging from 60° to 75° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The light source can be composed of a first light source configured to emit light for illuminating an area partly overlapping, or adjacent to, an illumination area of the headlight of the vehicle, and a second light source configured to emit light for illuminating an area partly overlapping, or adjacent to, the illumination area of the first light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Susumu Nakamura, Takako Minoda, Yasushi Kita, Norikatsu Myojin
  • Patent number: 7946745
    Abstract: A system for mounting a headlight on a motor vehicle comprising a rigid housing closed by a protective glass. The system comprising: a first connecting element fixed to the headlight, a second connecting element fixed to the motor vehicle, the first and second connecting elements being assembled so as to slide one in the other. The first and second connecting elements are curved and mounted at least partially about a center of rotation of the headlight providing rotational movement of the headlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Christophe Baert, Malik Bakacha
  • Patent number: 7934861
    Abstract: A motor vehicle headlight module giving a beam with cutoff, comprising a concave reflector, a light source disposed in the concavity of the reflector, and a lens situated in front of the reflector and light source. The source is formed by at least one light emitting diode for illuminating at least upwards. The reflector is associated with a bender the top face of which is reflective in order to bend the beam coming from the reflector, the bender comprising a front end edge able to form the cutoff in the lighting beam. The exit surface of the lenses chosen so as to be able to be connected on a continuous surface with the exit surfaces of the lenses of adjacent modules. In addition, the mid-line of the lens is formed by a skew curve arc, and a correcting optical system is provided between the reflector and the lens for obtaining a satisfactory cutoff line, according in particular to the geometry of the entry face and exit face of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventor: Pierre Albou
  • Patent number: 7932528
    Abstract: An optical light guide (30) comprises a base (32); a body (34) extending from the base along a longitudinal axis (36); and N light-emitting segments (38) extending laterally from the body (34), at least some of the N segments (38) being spaced a different distance from the base (32). The light guide (30) is constructed of a light-transmitting material, such as glass or acrylic, and can be clear or colored. In a preferred embodiment of the invention each of the segments (38) would extend a different distance from the base; however, the exact degree of separation would be dependent upon the curvature of surface with which the optic is to be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: OSRAM SYLVANIA Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Tessnow
  • Patent number: 7926993
    Abstract: A projector unit is provided with a mechanism for changing the spatial distribution of a light beam. The projector unit includes a housing, an action element having a revolving shaft, a first diaphragm for cropping the light beam, wherein the first diaphragm is fixedly coupled to the shaft of the action element, a second diaphragm for cropping the light beam, wherein the second diaphragm is rotatingly coupled to the shaft of the action element, a first biasing element disposed between the second diaphragm and the housing, wherein the first biasing element regulates a positioning of the second diaphragm relative to the housing, and a second biasing element disposed between the first diaphragm and the second diaphragm, wherein the second biasing element regulates a spacing between the first biasing element and the second biasing element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Petr Smajser, Libor Losak, Jiri Harabis, Tomas Jurasek
  • Patent number: 7922376
    Abstract: A headlamp for a vehicle has a projection lens, a light source disposed behind a rear focal point of the projection lens and having an optical axis extending in a longitudinal direction, a reflector which reflects light from the light source toward the projection lens, and a rotary shade which is rotatable and shields a part of the light which is projected from the light source and reflected by the reflector. The rotary shade has a plurality of pattern forming sections, each of which respectively forms a corresponding light distribution pattern including an upper part irradiation pattern and a lower part irradiation pattern. A center of the lower part irradiating patterns is located lower than a horizontal line. A center of the upper part irradiating patterns is located above the horizontal line. The pattern forming sections form at least four different upper part irradiating patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Naohisa Tatara, Masahito Naganawa
  • Patent number: 7922377
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a light emitting diode (LED) unit supported by a metal-made support member. The LED unit is constituted by an integrally formed aluminum diecast product including an LED support portion for supporting an LED, a reflector including a reflecting face constituted by a face thereof opposed to the LED, a rib projected from a back face of the reflector, and a connecting portion connected to the metal-made support member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiko Yamamichi, Shigeyuki Watanabe, Tetsuaki Inaba, Takashi Inoue
  • Patent number: 7918594
    Abstract: An automotive headlamp apparatus is provided with a light source for producing a high beam and a controller for controlling illumination from the light source. Given that at least a portion of a high beam illumination area illuminated by the light source is vertically divided into a plurality of blocks, the controller controls illumination from the light source such that a plurality of first regions having a predetermined horizontal width are formed at least in some of the blocks toward the bottom, and that a second region having a greater horizontal width than the first regions is formed in the block toward the top.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Takao Watanabe, Satoshi Yamamura
  • Patent number: 7901121
    Abstract: The light distribution of a vehicle headlamp can be changed between various modes, including a basic mode and a motorway mode. In the basic mode, shaded region changeover means block a high light intensity region, and deflection control means controls a lamp optical axis Lx to a straight travel direction. In the motorway mode, the shaded region changeover means does not block the high light intensity region, and the deflection control means controls deflection of the lamp optical axis to a host vehicle lane side. A light distribution in which the high light intensity region faces a far distance ahead of the host vehicle lane can be obtained, and the host vehicle lane is brightly illuminated without dazzling a driver of a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle. Accordingly, illumination suited to the motorway mode during high speed and medium speed travel can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hirohiko Ohshio, Kiyotaka Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 7901122
    Abstract: A lamp unit used in a vehicular lamp includes a reflector provided with a parabolic cylindrical reflective surface with a focal line in the horizontal direction; a planar light source having a light-emitting surface with a generally oblong shaped region; and a drive portion that rotatably supports the semiconductor light-emitting element portion. The generally oblong shaped region of the planar light source includes a long side in a direction parallel to the focal line and a short side of a predetermined width. The planar light source is disposed such that the light-emitting surface faces the parabolic cylindrical reflective surface of the reflector and such that a long side, on a lamp front side, generally coincides with the focal line and acts as a rotational axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Motohiro Komatsu
  • Patent number: 7896532
    Abstract: An LED luminescent device includes an LED light source, a reflector, a light shade and a projecting lens. The LED light source includes at least one LED element having a light-emitting surface emitting light. The reflector faces the light-emitting surface of the at least one LED element and has multiple reflection surfaces of different curvatures reflecting the light from the light-emitting surface of the at least one LED element. The light shade adjusts the light reflected by the reflector to provide a required light distribution pattern. The projecting lens project the required light distribution pattern. Thus, the device and a vehicle lamp including the device can prevent losing light energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Automotive Research & Testing Center
    Inventors: Jih-Tao Hsu, Chun-Ching Lai, Yu-Jen Chuang
  • Patent number: 7891850
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a bumper module 1 having an integrated support structure for headlight 6, by means of which the installation of headlight 6 with a visually satisfactory profile in the front region of the motor vehicle is facilitated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Peguform GmbH
    Inventor: Michael Breisacher
  • Patent number: 7891851
    Abstract: A headlamp, developed especially for motor vehicle illumination, wherein the light source and reflector surfaces are fully concealed from the oncoming traffic users, having a light plane with fully adjusted height, operating according to the half-lens illumination principle, providing a long-distance illumination without glaring effect by preventing the all of the light rays generated at the light source from reaching to the eye level (EE) of oncoming traffic users. The preferred embodiment of the system (40, 50) consists of three independent reflector units (2, 3), (12, 13), (22, 23) with triple light pathway, designed similar to clover leaf, having a standard light source (1) located at their common first focal point (f1) mounted in a headlamp enclosure (20). The system consists of a lighting assembly that can be used not only in motor vehicle headlamp system but also in general lighting systems and in all optical devices. The system may be applied as an in-bulb structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Inventor: Turhan Alcelik
  • Patent number: 7893865
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp includes a lamp chamber formed by a lamp body opening forward and a transparent front cover attached to a forward opening portion thereof; a lamp unit disposed within the lamp chamber; a millimeter wave radar for sending a millimeter wave to reflect off of an object in order to detect a distance and a relative speed of the object; and a millimeter wave direction-changing mechanism for sending forward the millimeter wave sent by the millimeter wave radar from a back surface side of the lamp unit, without reflecting the millimeter wave on a rearward side of the lamp unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Natsume, Hironori Tsukamoto, Yoshiaki Aiso
  • Patent number: 7883251
    Abstract: An automotive headlamp assembly having a closed-loop cooling circuit. The headlamp assembly includes a housing cooperating with a transparent lens cover to define a chamber. At least one light source is located within the chamber. The cooling circuit has at least one cold plate thermally coupled to the light source. A radiator is fluidly coupled to the cold plate by a plurality of tubes. The tubes are oriented at least partially upwardly and configured to circulate a fluid through the cooling circuit as a result of heating and cooling of the fluid therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ajmal Imran Ansari, Edwin Mitchell Sayers, III
  • Patent number: 7866862
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp forms a low-beam distribution pattern by combining light radiated from a first unit and a second unit. A brightness decreasing element is provided on a reflective surface of a first main reflector in a sub-unit of the first unit. Thus, for the low-beam distribution pattern formed by the first unit and the second unit, among a peripheral end portion of a cut-off line forming pattern formed by the sub unit, a low luminance portion with a partially reduced brightness is formed at the border of both right and left end sides that upwardly overlap with a portion of a diffusion area forming pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Nakata, Michio Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 7862216
    Abstract: A lighting device is disclosed, which is provided for the front region of a motor vehicle, for example in a motor vehicle headlight, and which emits electromagnetic radiation during operation. The lighting device comprises at least one first primary radiation source which emits infrared radiation, and at least one second primary radiation source which emits visible light, wherein the first primary radiation source and the second primary radiation source are arranged in such a way that the second primary radiation source outshines the first primary radiation source and thus generates a color impression of the lighting device which deviates from the color impression stemming from the infrared radiation source alone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignees: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Osram Gesellschaft mit bechrankter Haftung
    Inventors: Rainer Friedrichs, Martin Haushalter, Joachim Reill, Thomas Reiners
  • Publication number: 20100284197
    Abstract: There is presented a vehicle headlamp (1) with an imaging optics that is designed to project, as light/dark boundary, into the area in front of the vehicle headlamp (1), an edge that delimits a light flux of a light source (18) of the vehicle headlamp (1), a boundary surface (32) of a component (26) of the imaging optics, through which the light flux penetrates, having an overhead element (34) in the form of a local deformation of the boundary surface (32) having a prismatic effect by means of which the light is deflected into an overhead area lying over the light/dark boundary. The vehicle headlamp (1) is distinguished by the fact that the boundary surface (32) has more than one hundred overhead elements (34) distributed discretely over the boundary surface (32).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventor: Markus Kiesel
  • Patent number: 7815354
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a vehicle lamp includes providing a housing having a front opening and a transparent cover having a curved front face and a rear face having a welding face portion. The welding face portion of the transparent cover is placed in a closely contacting state with respect to the housing and the transparent cover is joined with the housing so as to close the front opening of the housing by irradiating a welding light ray toward the welding face portion through the transparent cover. The placing includes applying a pressing force against the housing to the transparent cover in a predetermined direction such that an angle of the welding face portion of the transparent cover with respect to the predetermined direction is closer to a right angle than an angle of the front face of the transparent cover corresponding to the welding surface with respect to the predetermined direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Yamazaki, Michihiko Suzuki, Ryosuke Yasuda, Haruo Otani
  • Patent number: 7815350
    Abstract: Headlamp systems are provided that form desired beam patterns from light supplied by semiconductor light sources. The present invention is headlamp system for a vehicle including at least one first light source, at least one second light source, and a first lens system having at least one lens operably associated with the at least one first light source to provide a spread portion of a desired beam pattern. The present invention also includes second lens system having at least one lens operably associated with the at least one second light source to provide a hot spot portion of the desired beam pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: Magna International Inc.
    Inventors: David J. Valcamp, Ronald O. Woodward
  • Publication number: 20100259946
    Abstract: This invention relates to a vehicle headlamp (1) with a base body (2) containing at least one light module (3) for emitting low beam light, whereby the low beam light is emitted at a specified angle or within an angle range. The invention envisages that the fixture of the light module (3) in the headlamp (1) must have at least one expansion joint (5), whereby temperature-related deviations in the emission of the low beam light from the specified angle or the specified angle range can be compensated by the temperature-related expansion of the expansion joint (5).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: HELLA KGAA HUECK & CO.
    Inventor: Ralf Seiger
  • Patent number: 7806573
    Abstract: A headlamp for a vehicle includes a lighting unit and an extension for covering a clearance between a lamp body and the lighting unit in a lighting chamber formed by the lamp body and a cover. The lighting unit includes a light source bulb and a reflector for reflecting a direct light emitted from the light source bulb in a forward direction. The extension includes a first extension having a bottom side front end taking a substantially dogleg-shaped section in which a bent portion is turned in a forward direction of the vehicle, and a second extension positioned behind the first extension and having a front edge on an internal surface of a bottom side lighting unit positioned below a rear edge of the internal surface of the lighting unit in a bottom side front end of the first extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Terada, Tomoharu Mochizuki
  • Patent number: 7798686
    Abstract: A light assembly for a vehicle includes a light unit having a housing and a lens attached to the housing. A cradle is disposed on the housing, and the cradle includes a first guide surface. A body panel includes a cantilevered portion, and the cantilevered portion includes a tab projecting from an interior side of the cantilevered portion. The tab is configured to be slidably disposed adjacent the first guide surface to locate the cantilevered portion relative to the light unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan Mesko, Carlos Gerardo Navarro Zavala, Thomas W. Schumacher, Kent J. Agne
  • Patent number: 7794128
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a plurality of semiconductor light emitting devices and a reflector for reflecting light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting devices toward a front side of the vehicle lamp. The reflector is formed into a shape whose front area is open. A plate-like partition member is disposed inside the reflector to partition the reflector into a plurality of reflecting areas. The semiconductor light emitting devices are mounted on the plate-like partition member in respective reflecting areas such that optical axes of the semiconductor light emitting devices are directed in a direction substantially perpendicular to a lamp optical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shohei Fujiwara, Hiroyuki Ishida, Michio Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 7784982
    Abstract: A wraparound light assembly for a vehicle. A lens is attached to a housing. A body panel defines an interior vehicle space, and the body panel includes a recessed portion defining an aperture. The housing overlays at least part of the recess. A grommet is disposed in the aperture and extends through the body panel into the interior vehicle space. The grommet defines a receptacle having an opening facing the housing. A projection extends from the housing. The projection is configured to be slidably engaged in the receptacle along an installation axis and to extend into a portion of the receptacle in the interior vehicle space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlos Gerardo Navarro Zavala, Jeffrey Alan Mesko, Thomas W. Schumacher, Kent J. Agne
  • Patent number: 7784955
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an LED (light emitting diode) headlamp aiming apparatus, which aims a mounting module that is provided with LEDs and is installed in a headlamp housing. The LED headlamp aiming apparatus includes a vertical aiming unit, which is provided on the rear side of the mounting module and is coupled to the headlamp housing, a horizontal aiming unit, which is provided on the rear side of the mounting module and is coupled to the headlamp housing, and a pivot unit which is coupled to the headlamp housing and is provided under the lower portion of the mounting module to support the mounting module and provide the center of the aiming operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Sung Uk Choi, Se Wook Oh, Joung Hyun Joo
  • Patent number: 7784984
    Abstract: A lamp unit as a vehicle lamp is structured by a compact constitution including a lens arranged on an optical axis extending in a front and rear direction of the lamp, and a light emitting element arranged rearward from the lens. The light emitting element is arranged at a vicinity of the rear side focal point in a state of inclining a light emitting chip in a skewed upper direction relative to a direction of a front face of the lamp. A vicinity of the light emitting element is arranged with a reflector for reflecting light from the light emitting chip to the lens. Light directed in a direction proximate to the optical axis emitted from the light emitting chip is incident on the lens, and also most of other light is made to be incident on the lens by being reflected by the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ishida
  • Patent number: 7775696
    Abstract: A reflector reflects a light from a light source. A projector lens projects a reflected light from the reflector ahead of a vehicle. A shade is used to switch the reflected light into a plurality of beams in a plurality of light distribution patterns. A spring member and a drive unit switch a position of the shade between an obliquely upward and backward position and an obliquely downward and forward position to obtain the light distribution patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Ichikoh Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Eiji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7775699
    Abstract: A bifunctional vehicle headlamp is described. In one embodiment, a headlamp comprises a light source and a reflector, which cooperate to form a light pattern, a lens positioned forward of the reflector and configured to project a desired beam pattern, and a light shield disposed between the lens and the reflector. The light shield has a first shade that selectively blocks a first portion of the light pattern to form a first beam pattern, and a second shade that selectively blocks a second portion of the light pattern to form a second beam pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Amir P. Fallahi, William C. Ince
  • Patent number: 7775698
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp including a projector headlight for a low beam can include a light source, an ellipsoidal reflector, a projector and shade. Light emitted from the light source can form a fundamental light distribution pattern from the projector lens via the ellipsoidal reflector by shielding an upwards portion of the light with the shade. The shade can form respective thin blurred parts on and/or underneath a horizontal cut-off line for both a driving lane portion and an oncoming lane portion using a top edge line and a top surface of the shade. Therefore, a contrasting difference between the upper and lower sides of the horizontal cut-off line can be reduced so as to be able to conform to a light distribution standard for a headlight. Adjustment of the light distribution pattern can be facilitated due to tonal difference between the horizontal cut-off line of the driving lane and the oncoming lane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hideyasu Shoji, Ichiro Yoshio
  • Publication number: 20100202152
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp includes a first lamp unit and a second lamp unit. Light irradiated from the first lamp unit and light irradiated from the second lamp unit are superimposed to form a low light distribution pattern. The first lamp unit provides more than twice as much illuminance as the second lamp unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: KOITO MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yusuke Nakada
  • Patent number: 7766523
    Abstract: A lamp unit 18 is provided with a reflecting face 25b for an overhead sign and a light receiving face 28 for the overhead sign. The reflecting face 25b for an overhead sign reflects light from a light source 23a and is provided on an upper side of the light source 23a and rearward from a rear side focal point F of a projector lens 11. The light receiving face 28 for the overhead sign is provided on a front side of a movable shade 30 arranged between the projector lens 11 and the light source 23a. The light receiving face 28 forms overhead sign irradiating light P2 by reflecting light from the reflecting face 25b for the overhead sign to the projector lens 11. Illuminance reducer for reducing a portion of irradiating light is provided at a position of a vicinity of an upper end of the movable shade 30 of the light receiving face 28a for the overhead sign.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masao Kinoshita, Akinori Matsumoto, Takehiko Tajima
  • Patent number: 7766524
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp 10 is provided with an upper stage light source unit 20, a middle stage light source unit 40, a lower stage light source unit 60. The upper stage light source unit 20, the middle stage light source unit 40, the lower stage light source unit 60 are provided at a lamp body 14 constituting a lamp member by way of a support member 15, and a light distribution pattern for low beam is formed on a front side of a vehicle by overlapping light from the respective light source units 20, 40, 60. The middle stage light source unit 40 is supported to be able to change the optical axis independently from the other light source units 20, 60.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Naganawa, Michio Tsukamoto
  • Patent number: 7766522
    Abstract: A headlight device for a vehicle that improves external appearance by varying irradiation light reflected by a reflector. The reflector is in a shape of a bowl opening to a front side of the vehicle. An outer housing supports the reflector so that the reflector can swing back and forth. A ring member formed separately from the outer housing covers an opening edge of the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshikazu Suita
  • Patent number: 7758221
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a headlight (10) for a vehicle. The headlight comprises a light emitting diode (LED) (12) including at least one LED chip (18) adapted to emit blue light and at least one overlying converter layer (20) for converting part of the blue light into yellow light, wherein part of the blue and yellow light forms bluish white light emitted in the direction of the LED normal and part of the blue and yellow light forms yellowish white light emitted at larger angles of departure, and means (14, 16) for directing at least part of the yellowish white light in a central direction of the headlight and at least part of the bluish white light in a peripheral direction of the headlight. The present invention also relates to a vehicle comprising such a headlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Aldegonda Lucia Weijers
  • Patent number: 7748879
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp can include a plurality of light sources and reflective surfaces in various combinations. Each light source can include at least one LED array that includes or consists of LED chips arranged in a row. Each reflective surface can be arranged in combination with a light source to generate a certain light distribution pattern. Two to twelve or more such combinations of light sources and reflective surfaces can be employed. The lights having light distribution patterns generated from the combinations can be combined to form an overall light distribution pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teruo Koike, Yasushi Yatsuda
  • Patent number: 7748880
    Abstract: A vehicle lamp with a projection lens; a light source; a shade, which forms a cutoff line; a reflector, which reflects a light from the light source toward the projection lens such that the light passes near an upper end portion of the shade so as to irradiate a forward direction along an optical axis with the light emitted from the projection lens; an overhead sign reflecting surface, which is provided near an upper end edge of the reflector and reflects the light from the light source; and an overhead sign light receiving surface, which is provided near the upper end portion of the shade and reflects the light from the reflecting surface toward the projection lens so as to irradiate upward irradiation light from the projection lens. The overhead sign reflecting surface includes a plurality of reflecting surfaces, which emit reflected light of different patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masao Kinoshita
  • Publication number: 20100165652
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp has semiconductor-type light sources and lenses. Emission surfaces of the lenses are made of free curved faces controlled to be curved so that: projection images of light emitting chips of the semiconductor-type light sources, which is emitted from the emission surfaces, are not convexly curved in an upward direction from cutoff lines on a screen light distribution of a light distribution pattern for low beam. As a result, the vehicle headlamp can achieve downsizing, weight reduction, and cost reduction. In addition, the precision of assembling an optical element can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventor: Yasuhiro OOKUBO
  • Patent number: 7744261
    Abstract: A vehicle lighting system includes a plurality of lamps having their own inherent respective light distribution characteristics. The plurality of lamps includes a first lamp to irradiate an area excluding a nearest field area just in front of a vehicle, and a second lamp which irradiates only the nearest field area. The plurality of lamps are operable to be simultaneously or selectively lit, and are operable so that irradiation lights of the lamps are combined so as to obtain a particular light distribution characteristic in accordance with various driving conditions of a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Fukawa, Naohisa Tatara
  • Publication number: 20100149827
    Abstract: A headlamp in an automobile, which is rotatable about a yaw axis when negotiating a bend, has a controller for controlling the rotary movement. In order to improve the illumination of a roadway lying in front of an automobile, the controller may take into account unstable driving situations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Horst Kettern-Kohler
  • Patent number: 7736035
    Abstract: An LED headlamp is disclosed, wherein the headlamp is a replacement for a seven inch headlamp. The headlamp includes a housing adapted to replace any conventional seven inch round headlamp, a first light source adapted to be coupled to a source of electrical energy, a second light source adapted to be coupled to a source of electrical energy, a first optical system disposed adjacent the first light source, wherein the first optical system is adapted to provide a low beam lighting pattern, a second optical system disposed adjacent the second light source, wherein the second optical system is adapted to provide a high beam lighting pattern, and a cover lens coupled to the housing for enclosing the first light source, the second light source, the first optical system, and the second optical system within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeyachandrabose Chinniah, Edwin Mitchell Sayers, Kyle Lucas, Todd Patterson