Automotive headlight system

Claim 2

A vehicle headlight system comprising a first lamp, a second lamp closely adjacent the first, optical means for projecting light from respective lamps on substantially parallel optical axes, said optical means including a first mask in front of the first lamp having a horizontally elongate aperture with greater transmission to the right of the axis of the first lamp, and a second mask in front of the second lamp having a generally vertically symmetrical aperture transmitting substantially higher above its optical axis than the first aperture, and said lamps being adapted To be switched so as to operate in at least two different modes including operation of the first lamp alone and operation of the first and second lamps simultaneously, thereby to produce a low light distribution pattern substantially below a horizontal plane through said axes, or a second light distribution pattern which is a composite of light from both lamps.

Claim 3

A system according to claim 1 characterized by switch means connected to supply power to the first lamp alone and to the first and second lamps together.

Claim 4

A system according to claim 1 characterized by switch means connected to supply high or low power to the first lamp alternatively, or simultaneously to supply low and normal power to the first and second lamps respectively.

Claim 5

A vehicle headlight system comprising a headlight housing, first and second filamented lamps closely adjacent each other in the housing, first and second optical means for projecting light from respective lamps on substantially parallel axes each defined by horizontal and vertical planes through the optical means, each optical means including an ellipsoidal reflector behind a lamp and having one focus at the lamp, and a mask in front of the lamp having an aperture at the second focus of the reflector, the mask of the first optical means having a horizontally elongate, translucent portion vertically narrower on one side of said vertical plane than on the other and narrowest at said one side, and having a generally rectangular transparent portion inside the translucent portion primarily to said other side of the vertical plane, the mask of the second optical system having a generally vertically symmetrical transparent portion primarily disposed above the aforesaid horizontal axis, and a translucent portion below the horizontal plane, the lamp of the first optical means having filament means switchable between high and low intensities, and means for switching the lamps in three modes: a first mode with the first lamp only burning at low intensity to produce a wide projected light beam pattern below the horizontal plane with a dip in intensity at a point just to the left of the horizontal plane and with increased intensity further to the left of the horizontal plane; a second mode with the first lamp burning at high intensity to produce a horizontally wider projected light beam pattern of substantially the same vertical distribution; and a third mode with the first lamp burning at low-intensity and the second lamp also burning to produce a composite beam with highest intensity primarily below the horizontal plane and to the right of the vertical plane and lowest intensity above the horizontal plane and to the left of the vertical plane, thereby to minimize glare toward oncoming drivers and increase illumination in the foveal region of the driver of the vehicle.

Claim 6

A vehicle headlight system comprising a headlight housing, first and second filamented lamps closely adjacent each other in the housing, first and second optical means for projecting light from respective lamps on substantially parallel axes each defined by horizontal and vertical planes through the optical means, each optical means including an ellipsoidal reflector behind a lamp and having one focus at the lamp, and a mask in front of the lamp having an aperture at the second focus of the reflector, the mask of the first optical means having a horizontally elongate, translucent portion vertically narrower on one side of said vertical plane than on the other and narrowest at said one side, and having a generally rectangular transparent portion inside the translucent portion primarily to said other side of the vertical plane, the mask of the second optical system having a generally vertically symmetrical transparent portion primarily disposed above the aforesaid horizontal axis, and a translucent portion below the horizontal plane, the lamp of the first optical means having filament means switchable between high and low intensities, and means for switching the lamps in three modes: a first mode with the first lamp only burning at low intensity to produce a wide projected light beam pattern below the horizontal plane with a dip in intensity at a point just to the left of the horizontal plane and with increased intensity further to the left of the horizontal plane; a second mode with the first lamp burning at high intensity to produce a horizontally wider projected light beam pattern of substantially the same vertical distribution; and a third mode with the first lamp burning at low-intensity and the second lamp also burning to produce a composite beam with highest intensity primarily below the horizontal plane and to the right of the vertical plane and lowest intensity above the horizontal plane and to the left of the vertical plane, thereby to minimize glare toward oncoming drivers and increase illumination in the foveal region of the driver of the vehicle.