Vehicle Lighting Apparatus Fahrzeugbeleuchtungsvorrichtung Appareil D’Éclairage De Vehicule
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(19) & (11) EP 1 612 472 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: F21S 8/10 (2006.01) F21V 9/04 (2006.01) 28.05.2008 Bulletin 2008/22 (21) Application number: 05013959.1 (22) Date of filing: 28.06.2005 (54) Vehicle lighting apparatus Fahrzeugbeleuchtungsvorrichtung Appareil d’éclairage de vehicule (84) Designated Contracting States: • Ohkubo, Yasuhiro DE FR GB c/o Ichikoh Industries, Ltd. Isehara-shi (30) Priority: 30.06.2004 JP 2004193058 Kanagawa-ken 259-1192 (JP) (43) Date of publication of application: (74) Representative: Grünecker, Kinkeldey, 04.01.2006 Bulletin 2006/01 Stockmair & Schwanhäusser Anwaltssozietät (73) Proprietor: ICHIKOH INDUSTRIES, LTD. Leopoldstrasse 4 Tokyo 144-0022 (JP) 80802 München (DE) (72) Inventors: (56) References cited: • Suzuki, Eiji EP-A1- 0 984 222 DE-C- 511 572 c/o Ichikoh Industries, Ltd. DE-U1- 8 523 724 US-A1- 2003 202 358 Isehara-shi US-A1- 2004 070 322 Kanagawa-ken 259-1192 (JP) Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 1 612 472 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 1 612 472 B1 2 Description tically. Furthermore, the conventional vehicle lighting ap- paratus is more compact compared to the vehicle lighting [0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle light- apparatus with a longitudinal-inserting bulb. ing apparatus of a side-inserting bulb type, in which a [0007] However, there are limitations to efficiently us- bulb is fitted in a direction intersecting with an optical 5 ing the conventional vehicle lighting apparatus by having axis, and, more particularly, to a vehicle lighting appara- the light from the lamp reflected off the base member. tus by which an ideal light distribution pattern can be ob- [0008] It is an object of the present invention to at least tained from a near-infrared projector and a lamp for a solve the problems in the conventional technology. low-beam distribution pattern, and the like. [0009] A vehicle lighting apparatus according to one [0002] Document DE 511572C refers to a vehicle light- 10 aspect of the present invention includes a bulb having a ing apparatus which comprises a bulb, a reflector, an front end and a rear end; a reflector including an insertion insertion hole and a reflective surface. The reflector has hole for inserting the front end and a mounting portion to an elliptical shape and the ellipsoid comprises two focal which the rear end is detachably mounted; and a reflec- points. The lamp is arranged at the focal point at a rear tive surface that is provided on the reflector, and reflects end of the reflector. 15 light from the bulb in a predetermined direction. The bulb [0003] Another document EP 0984222 A1 refers to a is inserted in a direction intersecting with an optical axis motor vehicle headlight with a transverse lamp having so that a bulb axis intersects with the optical axis on a an improved lamp mount. substantially horizontal cross section. The bulb axis is [0004] Conventionally, vehicle lighting apparatuses inclined in such a manner that the front end is declined are of a longitudinal- inserting bulb type, in which the bulb 20 towards a direction of reflection of the light by the reflec- is fitted in parallel to an optical axis, making a bulb axis tive surface with respect to the rear end, and the reflective parallel to the optical axis. However, in the conventional surface includes a main reflective surface that is formed vehicle lighting apparatus, the insertion hole for the bulb with a paraboloid of revolution or a non-uniform rational is provided in a part of the reflective surface, which is B-splines curved surface with a first focal distance; and closest to the bulb filament and which is a spot that can 25 a sub-reflective surface that is disposed around the potentially reflect the light from the bulb most efficiently, mounting portion, and is formed with a paraboloid of rev- thereby compromising the efficiency with which the light olution or a non- uniform rational B- splines curved surface is reflected. with a second focal distance that is shorter than the first [0005] In view of this drawback, vehicle lighting appa- focal distance. ratuses were developed that allowed the bulb to be fitted 30 [0010] Preferred embodiments of the invention are de- facing sideways. One such vehicle lighting apparatus is scribed in the dependent claims. disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid- Open Publication No. [0011] The above and other objects, features, advan- 2000-82305. The vehicle lighting apparatus disclosed in tages and technical and industrial significance of this in- Japanese Patent Laid- Open Publication No. 2000-82305 vention will be better understood by reading the following (hereinafter, "conventional vehicle lighting apparatus") is 35 detailed description of presently preferred embodiments described next. The conventional vehicle lighting appa- of the invention, when considered in connection with the ratus includes a reflector plate and a reflective surface accompanying drawings. provided on the base. The reflector plate is provided with a bulb, a slot into which the bulb is inserted, and a lamp FIG. 1 is a vertical cross- section of a vehicle lighting holder to which a mounting collar is detachably fitted. 40 apparatus according to a first embodiment of the The reflective surface or a base member is attached to present invention; the reflector plate and directs the light from the lamp sub- FIG. 2 is a cross- section cut along the line II- II shown stantially parallel to as well in a predetermined direction in Fig. 1; with respectto the optical axis.In the conventional vehicle FIG. 3 is a view as seen from the line III- III shown in lighting apparatus, the direction of bulb insertion is at45 Fig. 1; right angles with respect to the optical axis, disposing the FIG. 4 is a schematic for illustrating a reference lu- lamp axis at right angles with respect to the optical axis. minous intensity distribution pattern, a near-infrared [0006] The functioning of the conventional vehicle light distribution pattern, and a low-beam distribution lighting apparatus is explained next. When the lamp is pattern; turned on, the base member directs the light from the 50 FIG. 5 is a horizontal cross- section illustrating an ef- lamp substantially parallel to as well as in a predeter- fective part of reflective surfaces that reflect light mined direction with respect to the optical axis. The spot emitted from a bulb; on the base member which is closest to the lamp filament FIG. 6 is a horizontal cross-section illustrating the and which can potentially reflect the light most efficiently effective part of the reflective surfaces that reflect is used for producing reflected light. Therefore, the re- 55 light emitted from the bulb in a conventional vehicle flective surface or the base member in the conventional lighting apparatus; vehicle lighting apparatus is more efficient than in the Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section of a vehicle lighting vehicle lighting apparatus in which the bulb is fitted ver- apparatus according to a second embodiment of the 2 3 EP 1 612 472 B1 4 present invention; pared to the amount of light emitted from the sides of the Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-section of a vehicle lighting filament 13. apparatus according to a third embodiment of the [0016] The reflector 6 is mounted within the lamp hous- present invention; ing 3 by means of a not shown optical axis adjusting Fig. 9 is a vertical cross-section of a vehicle lighting 5 mechanism. The reflector 6 has an insertion hole 15 into apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the which the glass bulb 9 of the bulb 5 is inserted. The edge present invention; and of the insertion hole 15 of the reflector has a bulb mount- Fig. 10 is a vertical cross- section of a vehicle lighting ing portion 16 and a not shown mount mechanism on apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the which the attaching flange 10 at the base of the bulb 5 present invention; 10 detachably engages. [0017] The reflective surfaces 7 and 8 include a main [0012] Exemplary embodiments of a vehicle lighting reflective surface 7 and a sub-reflective surface 8. The apparatus according to the present invention are ex- main reflective surface 7 is a paraboloid of revolution plained below with reference to the accompanying draw- non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS) curved surface ings. It should be noted that the present invention is not 15 or a NURBS curved surface based on the paraboloid of limited to the present embodiments. In the present spec- revolution (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid- ification and drawings, the reference symbol "F" denotes Open Publication No. 2001-35215) F1, and a sub- reflec- "front" of a vehicle, the reference symbol "B" denotes tive surface 8, again, is a paraboloid of revolution NURBS "rear" of the vehicle, the reference symbol "U" denotes curved surface or a NURBS curved surface based on the "upper side" in a case where the driver faces the front, 20 paraboloid of revolution F2. The optical axis Z-Z of the the reference symbol "D" denotes "lower side" in a case main reflective surface 7 and the optical axis Z-Z of the where the driver faces the front, the reference symbol sub-reflective surface coincide.