GB2277985A - Headlamp converters - Google Patents
Headlamp converters Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2277985A GB2277985A GB9308623A GB9308623A GB2277985A GB 2277985 A GB2277985 A GB 2277985A GB 9308623 A GB9308623 A GB 9308623A GB 9308623 A GB9308623 A GB 9308623A GB 2277985 A GB2277985 A GB 2277985A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- converter
- headlight
- headlamp
- road
- inclined portion
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
- 238000005286 illumination Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 239000011888 foil Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000001914 filtration Methods 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000002238 attenuated effect Effects 0.000 abstract description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 abstract description 3
- 239000012790 adhesive layer Substances 0.000 description 2
- 208000025814 Inflammatory myopathy with abundant macrophages Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 241000826860 Trapezium Species 0.000 description 1
- 229920002457 flexible plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
- F21S41/60—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by a variable light distribution
- F21S41/62—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by a variable light distribution for adaptation between right-hand and left-hand traffic
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
- F21S41/20—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters
- F21S41/28—Cover glass
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F21—LIGHTING
- F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21S41/00—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps
- F21S41/50—Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps characterised by aesthetic components not otherwise provided for, e.g. decorative trim, partition walls or covers
- F21S41/55—Attachment thereof
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Non-Portable Lighting Devices Or Systems Thereof (AREA)
Abstract
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for converting a vehicle headlamp being directed for driving on one side of the road such that it becomes suitable for driving on the opposite side of the road. The present invention provides a converter in which the upwardly inclined portion of the dipped headlight beam is only partially attenuated, the attenuation being sufficient to prevent oncoming drivers on the opposite side of the road being dazzled but without significantly reducing the total illumination of the dipped beam. In one embodiment of the invention the converter comprises a generally trapezium-shaped transparent or translucent flexible sheet with spaced apart strips or lines on one side, the strips or lines being either opaque, or reflective or partially reflective and having a spacing and width to provide the required attenuation.
Description
HEADLAMP CONVERTERS
This invention relates to a method of converting a vehicle headlamp beam directed for driving on one side of the road such that it becomes suitable for driving on the opposite side of the road.
A dipped headlight beam has a downwardly inclined portion which illuminates the road immediately in front of the moving vehicle and an upwardly inclined portion directed to the near side of the road. It is this upwardly inclined portion that can dazzle on-coming drivers if the vehicle is driven in countries where vehicles are driven on the opposite side of the road.
The invention is an improvement over existing converters which rely upon blanking out this upwardly inclined portion of the dipped beam using an essentially opaque patch applied to the headlamp lens. Such converters have the disadvantage that a substantial amount of useful light is also blocked, and the overall illumination of the dipped beam is therefore reduced. This problem is compounded when one considers the manner in which the converters are assembled, usually by an unskilled motorist without proper alignment aids.
The present invention provides a converter in which the upwardly inclined portion of the dipped headlight beam is only partially attenuated, the attenuation being sufficient to prevent on-coming drivers on the opposite side of the road being dazzled but without significantly reducing the total illumination of the dipped beam. The amount of attenuation of the upwardly inclined portion is preferably in the range of 30% to 60%, and most preferably in the range of 45% to 55%.
In one embodiment of the invention the converter comprises a generally trapezium shaped transparent or translucent flexible sheet with spaced apart strips or lines on one side, the strips or lines being either opaque, reflective or ;sar-tia:'; ec'.-ve and hazing a spacing and width to provide the required attenuation. The sheet preferably has an adhesive backing for bonding to that portion of the headlamp lens which produces the upwardly inclined portion of the dipped beam.
In another embodiment the converter comprises a generally trapeziumshaped transparent or translucent flexible sheet with a partially reflective coating on one side that acts as a partial mirror allowing a percentage of light through the coating and reflecting the remainder.
In another embodiment, the converter comprises a generally trapeziumshaped flexible sheet made from either a polarizing or a filtering material.
One example of the invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawing, in which:
Figure 1 is a plan view of a headlamp converter, and
Figure 2 is a side view of the converter.
The converter consists of a trapezium-shaped sheet 2 of transparent flexible plastic material. A succession of parallel reflective metal foil strips 3 are applied to one side of the sheet, the strips having an equal width and spacing in the range of 0.5 to 5mm and preferably about imam. The strips 3 are applied using an embossed hot foil stamping process, and may each have a silvered reflective face for reflecting incident light from the headlamp back into the lamp housing when the sheet 2 is applied to the headlamp lens. A double-sided adhesive layer 4 is applied over the strips 3 and a paper release backing 5 is provided over the exposed adhesive.
The thickness of the sheet 2 is selected to provide the required combination of flexibility and durability. In general, the thickness should not exceed about lmm, and flexibility is further enhanced by providing a fold ins in he form sf a r wed Z across the sheet, the weld forming a V-shaped depression in the sheet.
In use, the release backing 5 is peeled away from the adhesive layer 4 and the sheet 2 is bonded to that portion of the headlamp lens producing the upwardly inclined portion of the dipped headlight beam normally illuminating the near side of the road. The reflective strips 3 reflect a substantial proportion (approximately 50%) of this portion of the beam back into the headlamp so that the total amount of light in this portion of the beam is attenuated. The dipped beam will not then dazzle on-coming drivers when the vehicle is driven in countries in which vehicles drive on the opposite side of the road, but the overall illumination of the dipped beam. is not significantly reduced.
Claims (12)
1. A headlight converter for attachment to the headlamp lens of a motor vehicle, the dipped headlamp beam having an upwardly inclined portion normally directed to the near side of the road when the vehicle is driven on one side of the road and the converter when attached to the headlamp modifying the beam such that the vehicle may be legally driven on the opposite side of the road, characterised in that the converter only partially attenuates the said upwardly inclined portion of the beam by an amount sufficient to prevent oncoming drivers on the opposite side of the road being dazzled whereby the total illumination of the dipped beam is not significantly reduced.
2. A headlight converter as claimed in claim 1 wherein the amount of attenuation of the upwardly inclined portion of the beam is in the range of 30-60%.
3. A headlight converter as claimed in claim 2 wherein the amount of attenuation of the upwardly inclined portion of the beam is in the range of 45-50%.
4. A headlight converter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the partial attenuation is provided by spaced apart opaque, reflective, or partially reflective areas on a generally trapeziumshaped transparent or translucent flexible backing.
5. A headlight converter as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said areas consist of parallel strips or lines.
6. A headlight converter according to claim 5 in which the strips or lines comprise reflective metal foil strips embossed on the flexible backing.
7. A headlight converter according to claim 6 in which the metal foil strips have an equal width and spacing in the range of 0.5 to 5.Omm.
8. A headlight converter according to any one of the claims 1-3 wherein the partial attenuation is provided by a partially reflective coating on one side of a generally trapezium-shaped transparent or translucent flexible backing sheet.
9. A headlight converter according to any one of the claims 1-3 wherein the partial attenuation is provided by a generally trapeziumshaped flexible sheet of a polarising or filtering material.
10. A headlight converter as claimed in any one of the claims 4-9 wherein the flexible sheet or backing has an adhesive backing for bonding to that portion of the headlamp lens which produces the upwardly inclined portion of the dipped beam.
11. A headlamp when fitted with a converter as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said areas are totally reflective and the reflected portion of the dipped headlight beam is re-reflected within the headlamp to a different part of the headlamp lens.
12. A headlight converter substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9308623A GB2277985B (en) | 1993-04-26 | 1993-04-26 | Headlamp converters |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9308623A GB2277985B (en) | 1993-04-26 | 1993-04-26 | Headlamp converters |
Publications (3)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB9308623D0 GB9308623D0 (en) | 1993-06-09 |
| GB2277985A true GB2277985A (en) | 1994-11-16 |
| GB2277985B GB2277985B (en) | 1997-03-12 |
Family
ID=10734509
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB9308623A Expired - Lifetime GB2277985B (en) | 1993-04-26 | 1993-04-26 | Headlamp converters |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2277985B (en) |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2365108A (en) * | 2000-07-07 | 2002-02-13 | Designed Architectural Lightin | Indirect/direct luminaire |
| GB2392232A (en) * | 2002-07-19 | 2004-02-25 | Carruthers Elaine Valerie | Headlight converters |
| GB2457945A (en) * | 2008-02-29 | 2009-09-02 | Young H | Vehicle headlamp light deflecting patch |
| GB2488646A (en) * | 2012-02-27 | 2012-09-05 | Young Operations Ltd H | Light deflecting patch with alignment mark |
| AT518029A1 (en) * | 2015-12-10 | 2017-06-15 | Zkw Group Gmbh | Cover for a motor vehicle headlight and vehicle headlights |
| GB2550010A (en) * | 2016-05-03 | 2017-11-08 | Ivor Harper Paul | Headlamp adaptor |
Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE1622011A1 (en) * | 1967-01-20 | 1970-10-22 | Alfons Metzler | Headlights, especially for motor vehicles |
| GB1462044A (en) * | 1973-02-26 | 1977-01-19 | Schmidt N | Headlamp converters |
-
1993
- 1993-04-26 GB GB9308623A patent/GB2277985B/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Patent Citations (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE1622011A1 (en) * | 1967-01-20 | 1970-10-22 | Alfons Metzler | Headlights, especially for motor vehicles |
| GB1462044A (en) * | 1973-02-26 | 1977-01-19 | Schmidt N | Headlamp converters |
Cited By (11)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2365108A (en) * | 2000-07-07 | 2002-02-13 | Designed Architectural Lightin | Indirect/direct luminaire |
| GB2392232A (en) * | 2002-07-19 | 2004-02-25 | Carruthers Elaine Valerie | Headlight converters |
| GB2392232B (en) * | 2002-07-19 | 2005-09-07 | Carruthers Elaine Valerie | Headlamp converter |
| GB2457945A (en) * | 2008-02-29 | 2009-09-02 | Young H | Vehicle headlamp light deflecting patch |
| GB2457945B (en) * | 2008-02-29 | 2013-04-17 | Young Operations Ltd H | Light deflecting patch |
| GB2488646A (en) * | 2012-02-27 | 2012-09-05 | Young Operations Ltd H | Light deflecting patch with alignment mark |
| GB2488646B (en) * | 2012-02-27 | 2013-01-30 | Young Operations Ltd H | Light deflecting patch |
| AT518029A1 (en) * | 2015-12-10 | 2017-06-15 | Zkw Group Gmbh | Cover for a motor vehicle headlight and vehicle headlights |
| AT518029B1 (en) * | 2015-12-10 | 2017-09-15 | Zkw Group Gmbh | Cover for a motor vehicle headlight and vehicle headlights |
| GB2550010A (en) * | 2016-05-03 | 2017-11-08 | Ivor Harper Paul | Headlamp adaptor |
| GB2550010B (en) * | 2016-05-03 | 2018-10-24 | Ivor Harper Paul | Headlamp adaptor |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB2277985B (en) | 1997-03-12 |
| GB9308623D0 (en) | 1993-06-09 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) | ||
| 732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) |
Free format text: REGISTERED BETWEEN 20120119 AND 20120125 |
|
| PE20 | Patent expired after termination of 20 years |
Expiry date: 20130425 |
|
| 732E | Amendments to the register in respect of changes of name or changes affecting rights (sect. 32/1977) |
Free format text: REGISTERED BETWEEN 20131128 AND 20131204 |