EP0340735A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Headlight apparatus for automotive vehicle
Assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 1989-05-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-05-02
Abstract
Abstract The present invention relates to headlight apparatus for an automotive vehicle, and more specifically to a headlight apparatus which can control headlight beam from high beam to low beam or vice versa by adjusting the angle of optical axis of the headlamp. A headlight apparatus for an automotive vehicle comprises: headlamp means (H) for emitting light in such a way that an optical axis of the light can be pivoted; first sensor means (13), attached to said pivotal headlamp means, for detecting presence of a leading vehicle and generating sensor signals corresponding thereto; pivoting means (8, 9, 10), associated with said pivotal headlamp means, for pivoting said pivotal headlamp means; control means (18), coupled to said first sensor means and said pivoting means, for actuating said pivoting means in response to sensor signals generated by said first sensor means to pivot said pivotal headlamp means to such a position that a leading vehicle can be detected by a predetermined position on said first sensor means and therefore angle of an optical axis of said pivotal headlamp means can be adjusted according to distance to a leading vehicle; and first fixed shading means (20), fixedly disposed independently from pivotal motion of said pivotal headlamp means, for shading part of light emitted by said pivotal headlamp means for an opposed vehicle.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasutoshi Seko
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 16:59
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60Q; B60Q1/00; B60Q1/0017; B60Q1/0023; B60Q1/02; B60Q1/04; B60Q1/06; B60Q1/076; B60Q1/08; B60Q1/085; F; F21; F21S; F21S41/00; F21S41/40; F21S41/43; F21S41/60; F21S41/68; F21S41/683; F21S41/686; B60Q2300/00; B60Q2300/40; B60Q2300/41; B60Q2300/42
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
182 words
A headlight apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising: (a) headlamp means (H) for emitting light in such a way that an optical axis of the light can be pivoted; (b) first sensor means (13), attached to said pivotal headlamp means, for detecting presence of a leading vehicle and generating sensor signals corresponding thereto; (c) pivoting means (8, 9, 10) associated with said pivotal headlamp means, for pivoting said pivotal headlamp means; (d) control means (18), coupled to said first sensor means and said pivoting means, for actuating said pivoting means in response to sensor signals generated by said first sensor means to pivot said pivotal headlamp means to such a position that a leading vehicle can be detected by a predetermined position on said first sensor means and therefore angle of an optical axis of said pivotal headlamp means can be adjusted according to distance to a leading vehicle; and (e) first fixed shading means (20), fixedly disposed independently from pivotal motion of said pivotal headlamp means, for shading part of light emitted by said pivotal headlamp means for an opposed vehicle.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
182 words
A headlight apparatus for an automotive vehicle, comprising: (a) headlamp means (H) for emitting light in such a way that an optical axis of the light can be pivoted; (b) first sensor means (13), attached to said pivotal headlamp means, for detecting presence of a leading vehicle and generating sensor signals corresponding thereto; (c) pivoting means (8, 9, 10) associated with said pivotal headlamp means, for pivoting said pivotal headlamp means; (d) control means (18), coupled to said first sensor means and said pivoting means, for actuating said pivoting means in response to sensor signals generated by said first sensor means to pivot said pivotal headlamp means to such a position that a leading vehicle can be detected by a predetermined position on said first sensor means and therefore angle of an optical axis of said pivotal headlamp means can be adjusted according to distance to a leading vehicle; and (e) first fixed shading means (20), fixedly disposed independently from pivotal motion of said pivotal headlamp means, for shading part of light emitted by said pivotal headlamp means for an opposed vehicle.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
95 words
The headlamp apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first sensor means comprises a plurality of vertically arranged light sensing elements (E1 to E5), and said control means actuates said pivotal headlamp means via said pivoting means in response to plural sensor signals generated by said first sensor means to such a position that tail lamps of a leading vehicle can be detected by a middle light sensing element (E3) of said first sensor means when the brightest headlight zone of said pivotal headlamp means reaches lower end portions of rear wheels of a leading vehicle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
The headlamp apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first fixed shading means is a rectangular plate (20) whose lower inner corner is cut out into a triangular shape and is arranged with the triangular cutout portion thereof located near the optical axis of said pivotal headlamp means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The headlamp apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first fixed shading means is a rectangular plate (20A) whose lower inner corner is cut out into a trapezoidal shape and is arranged with the trapezoidal cutout portion thereof located near the optical axis of said pivotal headlamp means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
The headlamp apparatus of claim 1, which further comprises a second fixed shading means (20B), disposed on said pivotal headlamp means, for clearly defining an upper shade line of headlight for a leading vehicle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
168 words
The headlight apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first fixed shading means (20A) is a first movable shading means (20C) disposed independently from the pivotal motion of said pivotal headlamp means, and which further comprises: (a) second sensor means (13B) fixedly disposed independently from said pivotal motion of said pivotal headlamp means and coupled to said control means, for detecting presence of an opposed vehicle and generating sensor signals corresponding thereto: (b) first actuating means (30, 31, 32), associated with said first movable shading means and coupled to said control means, for moving said first movable shading means; said control means actuating said first movable shading means via said first actuating means in response to sensor signals generated by said second sensor means to move said first movable shading means to such a position that headlight of an opposed vehicle can be detected by a predetermined position on said second sensor means and therefore an upper shade line of headlight can be defined for a detected opposed vehicle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
106 words
The headlamp apparatus of claim 5, wherein said second fixed shading means (20B) is second movable shading means (20D) movably disposed on said pivotal headlamp means, and which further comprises second actuating means (34, 35, 36), associated with said second movable shading means and coupled to said control means, for moving said second movable shading means; said control means actuating said second movable shading means via said second actuating means according to the pivotal motion of said pivotal headlamp means so that light distribution angle between the brightest headlight zone and the upper headlight shade line can be adjusted according to distance to a leading vehicle.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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