Vehicular marker lamp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9593818-B2
Application number	US-24821208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2008
Priority date	Oct 12, 2007
Publication date	Mar 14, 2017
Grant date	Mar 14, 2017

Abstract

An automobile headlamp includes a plurality of projection light source units disposed in a lamp chamber. Each of the plurality of projection light source units includes a projection lens; a cut-off line forming shade extending approximately horizontally and forward such that an extending tip section thereof is located in a vicinity of a rearward focal point of the projection lens; a light-emitting element as a light source provided on both upper and lower sides of the shade; and a reflector, which reflects light emitted from the light-emitting element to be guided to the projection lens, provided on both upper and lower sides of the shade. A low-beam distribution pattern having a predetermined cut-off line is formed by a light source unit section on an upper side formed of the projection lens, the shade, the light-emitting element on the upper side, and the reflector on the upper side. An additional high-beam distribution pattern having a lower end cut-off line which approximately coincides with the predetermined cut-off line is formed by the light source unit section on a lower side formed of the projection lens, the shade, the light-emitting element on the lower side, and the reflector on the lower side. At least one of the plurality of projection light source units has an optical axis set to be parallel to an optical axis of the headlamp and at least one of the plurality of projection light source units has an optical axis set to be slightly tilted forward and downward with respect to the optical axis of the headlamp.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automobile headlamp comprising:
a plurality of projection light source units disposed on a single bracket in a lamp chamber,
wherein the plurality of projection light source units comprises a first projection light source unit and a second projection light source unit,
wherein each of the plurality of projection light source units comprises:
a projection lens,
a cut-off line forming shade,
a first light-emitting element disposed above the shade and a second light-emitting element disposed below the shade as a light source, and
a first reflector disposed above the shade which reflects light emitted from the first light-emitting element to be guided to the projection lens, and a second reflector disposed below the shade which reflects light emitted from the second light-emitting element to be guided to the projection lens,

wherein light distribution patterns formed by the plurality of projection light source units respectively are synthesized to form a light distribution pattern of the headlamp,
wherein, in each of the projection light source units, the shade extends approximately horizontally and forward such that an extending tip section thereof is located in a vicinity of a rearward focal point of the projection lens,
wherein a low-beam distribution pattern having a predetermined cut-off line is formed by a light source unit section on an upper side comprising the projection lens, the shade, the first light-emitting element, and the first reflector,
wherein an additional high-beam distribution pattern having a lower end cut-off line which approximately coincides with the predetermined cut-off line is formed by a light source unit section on a lower side comprising the projection lens, the shade, the second light-emitting element, and the second reflector,
wherein each of the first projection light source unit and the second projection light source unit forms a dark zone between the predetermined cut-off line and the lower end cut-off line, and
wherein an optical axis of the first projection light source unit is set to be parallel to an optical axis of the headlamp, and an optical axis of the second projection light source unit is slightly tilted forward and downward with respect to the optical axis of the headlamp, such that the low-beam distribution pattern of the first projection light source unit illuminates the dark zone formed by the second projection light source unit, and the additional high-beam distribution pattern of the second projection light source unit illuminates the dark zone formed by the first projection light source unit.

2. The automobile headlamp according to claim 1 , wherein the optical axis of the second projection light source unit is tilted forward and downward with respect to the optical axis of the one projection light source unit at least by a degree corresponding to a width in an up-down direction (displacement between the predetermined cut-off line of the low-beam distribution pattern and the lower end cut-off line of the additional high-beam distribution pattern) of a dark zone in the high-beam distribution pattern of the first projection light source unit.

3. The automobile headlamp according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first projection light source unit is formed as a first projection light source unit which forms a small diffusion light distribution pattern illuminating mainly a region in a vicinity of the optical axis of the headlamp,
wherein the second projection light source unit is formed as a second projection light source unit which has an optical axis slightly tilted forward and downward with respect to an optical axis of the first projection light source unit and which forms a medium diffusion light distribution pattern larger than the small diffusion light distribution pattern, and
wherein the plurality of projection light source units further comprises a third projection light source unit which has an optical axis slightly tilted forward and downward with respect to the optical axis of the second projection light source unit and which forms a large diffusion light distribution pattern larger than the medium diffusion light distribution pattern.

4. The automobile headlamp according to claim 1 , wherein
the bracket is a metal bracket,
the plurality of projection light source units are integrated with the metal bracket as a light source unit assembly, and
an aiming mechanism mounted between a lamp body that segments the lamp chamber and the metal bracket allows an aiming adjustment of the light source unit assembly.

5. An automobile headlamp comprising:
a plurality of projection light source units disposed on a single bracket in a lamp chamber,
wherein the plurality of projection light source units comprises a first projection light source unit and a second projection light source unit,
wherein each of the plurality of projection light source units comprises:
a projection lens;
a cut-off line forming shade extending approximately horizontally and forward such that an extending tip section thereof is located in a vicinity of a rearward focal point of the projection lens;
a first light-emitting element disposed above the shade and a second light-emitting element disposed below the shade as a light source; and
a first reflector disposed above the shade which reflects light emitted from the first light-emitting element to be guided to the projection lens, and a second reflector disposed below the shade which reflects light emitted from the second light-emitting element to be guided to the projection lens,

wherein a low-beam distribution pattern having a predetermined cut-off line is formed by a light source unit section on an upper side comprising the projection lens, the shade, the first light-emitting element, and the first reflector,
wherein an additional high-beam distribution pattern having a lower end cut-off line which approximately coincides with the predetermined cut-off line is formed by the light source unit section on a lower side comprising the projection lens, the shade, the second light-emitting element, and the second reflector,
wherein each of the first projection light source unit and the second projection light source unit forms a dark zone between the predetermined cut-off line and the lower end cut-off line,
wherein first projection light source unit has an optical axis set to be parallel to an optical axis of the headlamp, and
wherein the second projection light source unit has an optical axis set to be slightly tilted forward and downward with respect to the optical axis of the headlamp, such that the low-beam distribution pattern of the first projection light source unit illuminates the dark zone formed by the second projection light source unit, and the additional high-beam distribution pattern of the second projection light source unit illuminates the dark zone formed by the first projection light source unit.

6. The automobile headlamp according to claim 5 , wherein the optical axis of the second projection light source unit is set to be tilted forward and downward at least by a degree corresponding to a width in an up-down direction (displacement between the predetermined cut-off line of the low-beam distribution pattern and the lower end cut-off line of the additional high-beam distribution pattern) of a dark zone in the high-beam distribution pattern of the first projection light source unit.

7. The automobile headlamp according to claim 5 , wherein
the first projection light source unit forms a small diffusion light distribution pattern illuminating mainly a region in a vicinity of the optical axis of the headlamp,
the second projection light source unit forms a medium diffusion light distribution pattern larger than the small diffusion light distribu

Assignees

• Mochizuki Kazuhisa
• Koito Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mochizuki Kazuhisa

Classifications

• F21S41/663

  by switching light sources (by switching incandescent light sources F21S41/162) · CPC title

• F21S41/43

  characterised by the shape thereof · CPC title

• F21S41/255

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

• F21S41/147 Primary

  the main emission direction of the LED being angled to the optical axis of the illuminating device · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title