Vehicle headlamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016102831-A1
Application number	US-201414891462-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	May 17, 2013
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In vehicle headlamps of the prior art, a low-beam light distribution pattern and a high-beam distribution pattern could not be obtained in a direct illumination lens-type lamp unit. The present invention is provided with a semiconductor light source, a lens, a light control member, and a drive member. The lens is composed of a main lens section and an auxiliary lens section. The drive member positions the light control member in a first position and a second position in a moveable and switchable manner. Consequently, the present invention enables a low-beam light distribution pattern and a high-beam light distribution pattern to be obtained in a direct illumination lens-type lamp unit.

First claim

1 . A vehicle headlamp comprising:
a semiconductor light source; a lens to emit light from the semiconductor light source toward a forward direction of a vehicle, as a respective one of a first light distribution pattern and a second light distribution pattern; a light control member; and a drive member to position the light control member to be switchable in movement between a first location and a second location, wherein the lens is composed of a main lens section and an auxiliary lens section, and wherein, when the light control member is positioned in the first location that is a location between the semiconductor light source and the auxiliary lens section, the lens emits the first light distribution pattern toward the forward direction of the vehicle, and when the light control member is positioned between the second location that is a location between the semiconductor light source and the main lens section, the lens emits the second light distribution pattern toward the forward direction of the vehicle, respectively.

2 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 , wherein
the light control member comprises a variable focal point lens section to displace, to an upper side, a focal point of the auxiliary lens section when positioned in the first location, with respect to a focal point of the auxiliary lens section when positioned in the second location.

3 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 , wherein
the light control member rotates between the first location and the second location by way of the drive member, and a rotation center of the light control member is positioned at a rear side more significantly than a light emission surface of the semiconductor light source.

4 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 1 , wherein
the auxiliary lens section is disposed at a lower side with respect to the main lens section.

5 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 4 , wherein
the light control member and the auxiliary lens section that are positioned in the first location partially overlap each other on top and bottom.

6 . A vehicle headlamp comprising:
a semiconductor light source; a lens to emit light from the semiconductor light source toward a forward direction of a vehicle, as a respective one of a first light distribution pattern and a second light distribution pattern; a light control member; and a drive member to position the light control member to be switchable in movement between a first location and a second location, wherein the lens is composed of a main lens section and an auxiliary lens section, wherein, when the light control member is positioned in the first location that is a location between the semiconductor light source and the auxiliary lens section, the lens emits the first light distribution pattern toward the forward direction of the vehicle, and when the light control member is positioned between the second location that is a location between the semiconductor light source and the main lens section, the lens emits the second light distribution pattern toward the forward direction of the vehicle, respectively, and wherein, when the light control member is positioned in the first location, a portion which is positioned at the main lens section's side, of the light control member, displaces a focal point of the main lens section to a lower side.

7 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 6 , wherein
the light control member rotates between the first location and the second location by way of the drive member, and a rotation center of the light control member is positioned at a rear side more significantly than a light emission surface of the semiconductor light source.

8 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 6 , wherein
the auxiliary lens section is disposed at a lower side with respect to the main lens section.

9 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 6 , wherein
the light control member and the auxiliary lens section that are positioned in the first location partially overlap each other on top and bottom.

10 . A vehicle headlamp comprising:
a semiconductor light source; a lens to emit light from the semiconductor light source toward a forward direction of a vehicle, as a respective one of a first light distribution pattern and a second light distribution pattern; a light control member; and a drive member to position the light control member to be switchable in movement between a first location and a second location, wherein, when the light control member is positioned in the first location that is a location between the semiconductor light source and the auxiliary lens section, the lens emits the first light distribution pattern toward the forward direction of the vehicle, and when the light control member is positioned in the second location that is a location between the semiconductor light source and the main lens section, the lens emits the second light distribution pattern to the forward direction of the vehicle, respectively, wherein a focal point of an upper portion of the light control member is displaced to an upper side or a lower side with respect to a focal point of another portion, and wherein a focal point of a lower portion of the light control member is displaced to a lower side or an upper side with respect to the focal point of another portion.

11 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 10 , wherein
a focal point of an intermediate portion between upper and lower sides of the light control member is neither displaced to the upper side nor the lower side.

12 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 10 , wherein
of the light control member, when positioned in the first location, a focal point of a portion which is at an optical axis's side of the main lens section is displaced to a lower side with respect to a focal point of another portion, and of the light control member, when positioned in the first location, a focal point of a portion opposite to the optical axis's side of the main lens section is displaced to an upper side with respect to the focal point, of said another portion.

13 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 10 , wherein
the light control member rotates between the first location and the second location by way of the drive member, and a rotation center of the light control member is positioned at a rear side more significantly than a light emission surface of the semiconductor light source.

14 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 10 , wherein
the auxiliary lens section is disposed at a lower side with respect to the main lens section.

15 . The vehicle headlamp according to claim 14 , wherein
the light control member and the auxiliary lens section that are positioned in the first location partially overlap each other on top and bottom.

16 . A vehicle headlamp comprising:
a semiconductor light source; a lens to emit light from the semiconductor light source toward a forward direction of a vehicle, as a respective one of a first light distribution pattern and a second light distribution pattern; a light control member; and a drive member to position the light control member to be switchable in movement between a first location and a second location, wherein, when the light control member is positioned in the first location that is a location between the semiconductor light source and the auxiliary lens section, the lens emits the first light distribution pattern toward the forward direction of the vehicle, and when the light control member is positioned in the second location that is a location between the semiconductor light

Assignees

• Ichikoh Industries Ltd

Inventors

• Okubo Yasuhiro
• Abe Toshiya
• Inoue Kotoka

Classifications

• F21S48/1154

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F21S48/1275

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F21S48/1721 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F21S41/295

  specially adapted to projection lenses · CPC title

• F21S45/49

  Attachment of the cooling means · CPC title