Patent · US Expired

Vehicle headlamp

US4985816A · kind A · utility

59Cited by
2References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 27, 1989
Grant dateJan 15, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 27, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF21W2102/16
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a vehicle headlamp which comprises an ellipsoidal light reflector having first and second focuses; a light source positioned at the first focus, so that light rays produced by the light source are reflected forward by the light reflector and converged at the second focus; a converging lens positioned in front of the second focus; a shading device positioned near the second focus for partially shading the light rays which have been reflected by the light reflector; and control means for controlling the shading characteristic of the shading device in accordance with an operation mode of the vehicle, wherein said shading device comprises a liquid crystal matrix which has a plurality of small light transmitting elements independently and electrically controlled by said control means.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.