Bi-functional optical systems and methods
AssigneeJ.W. Speaker Corporation
InventorBradley William Kay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lamp for a vehicle is provided that can include a housing, an axial symmetric lens coupled to the housing and defining an optical axis and a focal point, an image shifting lens positioned within the housing behind the axial symmetric lens relative to the optical axis, and a light source positioned within the housing. The light source can be positioned behind the image shifting lens. The light source can be configured to emit light along an optical path that extends, from the light source, through the image shifting lens, towards the axial symmetric lens above the optical axis, and through the axial symmetric lens to define a high beam illumination pattern.
Claims20
A lamp for a vehicle comprising:
- a housing;
- an axial symmetric lens coupled to the housing and defining an optical axis and a focal point;
- a first light source positioned within the housing, the first light source being positioned behind the focal point of the axial symmetric lens relative to the optical axis;
- a second light source positioned within the housing, the second light source being positioned in front of the focal point of the axial symmetric lens relative to the optical axis,
- the first light source is configured to emit first light along a first optical path that extends from the first light source, toward the axial symmetric lens below the optical axis, and through the axial symmetric lens to define a low beam illumination pattern, and
- the second light source is configured to emit second light along a second optical path that extends, from the second light source, towards the axial symmetric lens above the optical axis, and through the axial symmetric lens to define a high beam illumination pattern.
A lamp for a vehicle comprising:
- a housing;
- an axial symmetric lens coupled to the housing and defining an optical axis and a focal point;
- an image shifting lens positioned within the housing behind the axial symmetric lens relative to the optical axis;
- a light source positioned within the housing, the light source being positioned behind the image shifting lens, the light source being configured to emit light along an optical path that extends, from the light source, through the image shifting lens, towards the axial symmetric lens above the optical axis, and through the axial symmetric lens to define a high beam illumination pattern, and
- wherein the light source is configured to emit light that defines an image through the image shifting lens, the image shifting lens being configured to shift the image back to the focal point of the axial symmetric projection lens, and wherein the image when projected through the axial symmetric lens defines a high beam illumination pattern
A bi-functional lamp for a vehicle, the lamp comprising:
- a housing having a first end and a second end;
- an axial symmetric lens coupled to the housing and defining an optical axis and a focal point;
- a reflector arranged within the housing and positioned adjacent to the second end of the housing;
- a physical shield arranged within the housing;
- an image shifting lens arranged within the housing between the axial symmetric lens and the physical shield along the optical axis, the image shifting lens being configured to shift an image emitted onto a rear surface of the image shifting lens back to substantially the focal point of the axial symmetric lens to define a shifted image, which is projected out of the front surface of the image shifting lens;
- a first light source arranged to emit first light toward the reflector, which is reflected by the reflector and transmitted through the axial symmetric lens, wherein a portion of the first light reflected from the reflector is blocked and prevented from being transmitted to the axial symmetric lens by the physical shield, and wherein the first light transmitted through the axial symmetric lens defines a low beam illumination pattern;
- and
- a second light source arranged axially between the physical shield and the image shifting lens and arranged to emit light through the image shifting lens, the second light source being configured to emit light through the image shifting lens, which defines a high beam illumination pattern, and
- a portion of the high beam illumination pattern is overlaid on the low beam illumination pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.