Patent ID: 7674022
Filing Date: 2010-03-09
Classification: B60Q,B62J

Abstract:
1. A headlight device for a motorcycle which comprises: a headlamp module for illuminating an area of a road surface forwardly of the motorcycle; a light-distribution adjusting mechanism for changing a region of illumination cast by the headlamp module; a bank angle detecting unit for detecting a bank angle of the motorcycle in reference to an angular velocity about a vertical axis of the motorcycle, an angular velocity about a longitudinal axis of the motorcycle and a traveling velocity of the motorcycle; and a light-distribution controller for controlling the light-distribution adjusting mechanism based on the motorcycle bank angle detected by the bank angle detecting unit, to change or expand the region of illumination, during a cornering of the motorcycle, to thereby enable an area of the road surface further away from and at least inwardly of a direction of turn of the motorcycle to be illuminated, wherein the bank angle detecting unit comprises a uniaxial angular velocity sensor, which has a sensor axis positioned on a plane generally intermediate of a width of the motorcycle and inclined relative to the vertical axis of the motorcycle and also to the longitudinal axis of the motorcycle.