Vehicle lighting fixture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10180228-B2
Application number	US-201615077201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2016
Priority date	Mar 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle headlight for forming a high-beam additional light distribution pattern overlaid on a high-beam light distribution pattern. The vehicle headlight is capable of making a driver feel the sense of turning-on of the headlight when the high-beam additional light distribution pattern is additionally formed. The vehicle lighting fixture can be configured to further form a turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern for causing a driver to feel a sense of turning-on together with the high-beam additional light distribution pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle lighting fixture configured to form a high-beam light distribution pattern and a high-beam additional light distribution pattern to be overlaid on the high-beam light distribution pattern, the vehicle lighting fixture being configured to further form a turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern having a higher intensity near a vehicle body, on which the vehicle lighting fixture is installed, together with the high-beam additional light distribution pattern, comprising:
a lighting unit configured to simultaneously form the high-beam additional light distribution pattern and the turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern, wherein:
the lighting unit includes
a projector lens having a rear-side focal point,
a light source disposed behind the rear-side focal point of the projector lens and configured to emit light downward,
a front-side reflecting surface and a rear-side reflecting surface both disposed below the light source,
a rear-side shade configured to extend from a position at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens toward the light source, and a front-side shade configured to extend from a front end edge of the rear-side shade to the projector lens forward and obliquely upward;

the rear-side reflecting surface is configured to reflect and converge the light from the light source to the rear-side shade at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens so that the reflected and converged light is projected forward through the projector lens to form the high-beam additional light distribution pattern; and
the front-side reflecting surface is configured to reflect and converge the light from the light source to the front-side shade at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens so that the reflected and converged light is projected forward through the projector lens to form the turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern.

2. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1 , wherein:
the rear-side reflecting surface is configured to be an ellipsoidal reflecting surface having a first focal point set at or near the light source and a second focal point set at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens; and
the front-side reflecting surface is configured to be an ellipsoidal reflecting surface having a first focal point set at or near the light source and a second focal point set above and forward of the rear-side focal point of the projector lens.

3. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 2 , wherein the projector lens includes a vertically diffusing portion configured to vertically diffuse light that is directed to or near a lower end edge of the high-beam additional light distribution pattern.

4. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1 , wherein the projector lens includes a vertically diffusing portion configured to vertically diffuse light that is directed to or near a lower end edge of the high-beam additional light distribution pattern.

5. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 1 , wherein the high-beam additional light distribution pattern and the turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern are controlled to be formed when a vehicle speed of the vehicle body on which the vehicle lighting fixture is installed reaches a predetermined vehicle speed or higher.

6. A vehicle lighting fixture configured to form a high-beam light distribution pattern and a high-beam additional light distribution pattern to be overlaid on the high-beam light distribution pattern, the vehicle lighting fixture being configured to further form a turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern having a higher intensity near a vehicle body, on which the vehicle lighting fixture is installed, together with the high-beam additional light distribution pattern, comprising:
a lighting unit configured to simultaneously form the high-beam additional light distribution pattern and the turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern, wherein:
the turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern has a width narrower than that of the high-beam additional light distribution pattern,
the lighting unit includes
a projector lens having a rear-side focal point,
a light source disposed behind the rear-side focal point of the projector lens and configured to emit light downward,
a front-side reflecting surface and a rear-side reflecting surface both disposed below the light source,
a rear-side shade configured to extend from a position at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens toward the light source, and a front-side shade configured to extend from a front end edge of the rear-side shade to the projector lens forward and obliquely upward;

the rear-side reflecting surface is configured to reflect and converge the light from the light source to the rear-side shade at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens so that the reflected and converged light is projected forward through the projector lens to form the high-beam additional light distribution pattern; and
the front-side reflecting surface is configured to reflect and converge the light from the light source to the front-side shade at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens so that the reflected and converged light is projected forward through the projector lens to form the turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern.

7. A vehicle lighting fixture configured to form a high-beam light distribution pattern and a high-beam additional light distribution pattern to be overlaid on the high-beam light distribution pattern, the vehicle lighting fixture being configured to further form a turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern having a higher intensity near a vehicle body, on which the vehicle lighting fixture is installed, together with the high-beam additional light distribution pattern, comprising:
a lighting unit configured to simultaneously form the high-beam additional light distribution pattern and the turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern, and
a swivel mechanism configured to swivel the lighting unit in a left-right direction to move formation positions of the high-beam additional light distribution pattern and the turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern in the left-right direction, wherein:
the lighting unit includes
a projector lens having a rear-side focal point,
a light source disposed behind the rear-side focal point of the projector lens and configured to emit light downward,
a front-side reflecting surface and a rear-side reflecting surface both disposed below the light source,
a rear-side shade configured to extend from a position at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens toward the light source, and a front-side shade configured to extend from a front end edge of the rear-side shade to the projector lens forward and obliquely upward;

the rear-side reflecting surface is configured to reflect and converge the light from the light source to the rear-side shade at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens so that the reflected and converged light is projected forward through the projector lens to form the high-beam additional light distribution pattern; and
the front-side reflecting surface is configured to reflect and converge the light from the light source to the front-side shade at or near the rear-side focal point of the projector lens so that the reflected and converged light is projected forward through the projector lens to form the turning-on perceptible light distribution pattern.

8. The vehicle lighting fixture according to claim 7 , wherein:
the rear-side reflecting surface is configured to be an ellipsoidal reflecting surface having a first focal po

Assignees

• Stanley Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakazato Yoshiaki
• Uchida Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• B60Q1/143

  combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers · CPC title

• F21S41/255

  Lenses with a front view of circular or truncated circular outline · CPC title

• F21S41/336

  with discontinuity at the junction between adjacent areas · CPC title

• B60Q2300/41

  preceding vehicle · CPC title

• B60Q2300/45

  Special conditions, e.g. pedestrians, road signs or potential dangers · CPC title