Motor vehicle headlight
AssigneeValeo Vision
InventorsSebastien Casenave, Etienne Pauty
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor vehicle headlight of comprising a reflector, at least partly substantially in the form of an ellipsoid with a symmetry axis determined by the intersection of a first vertical plane and a first horizontal plane. The refractor is a useful portion of a spherical plano-convex lens having its optical axis merged with the symmetry axis, has a focus substantially merged with a second focus of the reflector, has a contour which has a barycentre offset by a predetermined distance with respect to the optical centre of the lens, and in that the second light flux passing through the useful portion is equal to a predetermined proportion of the first flux.
Claims31
Motor vehicle headlight of the type comprising a reflector, at least partly substantially in the form of an ellipsoid with a symmetry axis determined by the intersection of a first vertical plane and a first horizontal plane, a light source placed in the vicinity of a first focus of the reflector, a circular exit pupil in said reflector through which a first light flux issuing from said light source passes, a refractor placed in the pupil plane of the reflector, the refractor
- being a useful portion of a convergent lens,
- possessing a focus substantially merged with a second focus of said reflector,
- possessing a contour which has a barycentre offset by a predetermined distance with respect to the optical center of said convergent lens,
- wherein the optical axis of the refractor is merged with the symmetry axis, and in that the second light flux passing through said useful portion is equal a predetermined fraction of the first flux.
A headlight lens system for use on a vehicle, said system comprising:
- a first lens for receiving a first light flux from a light source and a reflector, said first lens having a first optical center;
- and
- a refractor having a useful portion and a center which is offset from said first optical center;
- said refractor receiving a second light flux from said first lens, said second light flux passing through said useful portion being a predetermined portion of said first light flux.
A method for designing a lens system for use with a headlight of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- selecting a refractor lens having a desired contour or shape;
- selecting a first lens through which a first light flux passes toward said refractor lens;
- identifying a useful part of a said first lens;
- and
- offsetting a barycentre of said contour or shape of said refractor lens from an optical center of said first lens such that said refractor uses a predetermined portion of a second light flux received from said first lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.