Patent Publication Number: US-2010124072-A1

Title: Automobile and head light system thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates generally to a head light system of an automobile, and more particularly to a head light system having a normal head light and an auxiliary head light for improving a security of the automobile. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Following the development of industrial technology, automobiles have become an inseparable part of our daily life. The automobile is an important tool by which people go to work, shopping, travel, etc., and renders many conveniences to people&#39;s modern life. However, traffic accidents always happen accompanying the use of automobiles. In recent years, the number of the traffic accidents has been growing. 
     The automobile moves on road, and a complicated road condition is generally a critical factor inducing the happening of traffic accidents. Referring to  FIG. 4 , an automobile  11  moves on a wavy road  10 . The road  10  includes a valley  10   a , a peak  10   b , and an upwardly sloping road section  10   c  between the valley  10   a  and the peak  10   b . The automobile  11  includes a head light  12  for illuminating ahead. The head light  12  is fixedly mounted at a front end of the automobile  11 , and light beams  13  from the head light  12  illuminate ahead along a longitudinal axis of the automobile  11 . When the automobile  11  moves from the sloping road section  10   c  and approaches the peak  10   b  of the road  10 , the light beams  13  of the head light  12  illuminate towards the sky above the peak  10   b , rather than towards the road surface  10   d  of the peak  10   b . A lighting dead area exists on the road surface  10   d  of the peak  10   b  when the automobile  11  approaches the peak  10   b . It is very dangerous for the driver of the automobile  11  at this particular moment since the driver cannot see clearly what happens in the lighting dead area. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to provide an automobile having an improved head light system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  shows schematically an automobile moving on a wavy road according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2(   a ) shows an auxiliary head light of the automobile of  FIG. 1  located at a non-horizontal direction at a particularly instant moment. 
         FIG. 2(   b ) shows the auxiliary head light of  FIG. 2(   a ) located at a horizontal direction after an automatic adjustment under the gravitational force. 
         FIG. 3  shows an auxiliary head light according to an alternative embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  shows schematically an automobile moving on a wavy road according to related art. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an automobile  21  according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a normal head light  22  and an auxiliary head light  24 . The normal head light  22  and the auxiliary head light  24  are mounted at a front end of the automobile  21 . The normal head light  22  is the same as the conventional head light, and description of the normal head light  22  is therefore omitted hereinafter. 
     The auxiliary head light  24  is provided for reducing a lighting dead area of the ordinary head light  22  when the automobile  21  moves on a wavy road  10 . The road  10  includes a valley  20   a , a peak  20   b , and an upwardly sloping road section  20   c  between the valley  20   a  and the peak  20   b . The normal head light  22  is fixedly mounted in the automobile  21  for illuminating ahead, and light beams  23  from the normal head light  22  illuminate ahead along a longitudinal axis of the automobile  21 . The auxiliary head light  24  is pivotally mounted in the automobile  21  and light beams  25  of the auxiliary head light  24  are always maintained in a horizontal direction. When the automobile  21  moves from the sloping road section  20   c  and approaches the peak  20   b  of the road  20 , the light beams  23  of the normal head light  22  illuminate towards the sky above the peak  20   b . However, the light beams  25  of the auxiliary head light  24  are maintained to illuminate towards the road surface  20   d  of the peak  20   b , whereby a lighting dead area existed on the road surface  20   d  of the peak  20   b  in conventional arts is eliminated. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2(   a ) and  FIG. 2(   b ), the auxiliary head light  24  includes a lamp body  240  and a supporting member  27 . In the embodiment, the supporting member  27  is a post. A bottom end of the supporting member  27  is fixedly mounted to a mounting base  26  of the automobile  21 . The lamp body  240  of the auxiliary head light  24  is pivotally mounted to a top end of the supporting member  27 . The lamp body  240  has a longitudinal axis  244  along a longitudinal direction thereof. The lamp body  240  has a center of gravity  242 . The lamp body  240  is pivotally connected with the top end of the supporting member  27  via a pivot  272 . The pivot  272  is located just above the center of gravity  242 . The lamp body  240  and the supporting member  27  have a pivotal connection point  248  at the pivot  272 . The center of gravity  242  is preferred to be located at or below the longitudinal axis  244  of the lamp body  240 , and the pivotal connection point  248  between the lamp body  240  and the supporting member  27  is preferred to be located above or at the longitudinal axis  244  of the lamp body  240 . In the illustrated embodiment, the center of gravity  242  is located below the longitudinal axis  244  of the lamp body  240 , and the pivotal connection point  248  is located above the longitudinal axis  244  of the lamp body  240 . 
     Since the pivotal connection point  248  between the lamp body  240  and the supporting member  27  is located just above the center of gravity  242  of the lamp body  240  and the lamp body  240  of the auxiliary head light  24  is pivotally connected with the supporting member  27 , the auxiliary head light  24  has the ability of always maintaining the light beams  25  in a horizontal direction as shown in  FIG. 2(   b ). If, at a particular instant moment, the auxiliary head light  24  is displaced to a non-horizontal direction as shown in  FIG. 2(   a ), the auxiliary head light  24  will immediately pivot around the pivot  272  to the horizontal direction under the gravitational force. 
     A swing prevention mechanism is further provided to prevent the auxiliary head light  24  from swing when the auxiliary head light  24  moves from the non-horizontal direction to the horizontal direction. The swing prevention mechanism includes a crank  28 . A bottom end of the crank  28  is pivotally connected with the mounting base  26 . A top end of the crank  28  is connected with a plurality of rollers  282 . A bottom side of the lamp body  240  of the auxiliary head light  24  is defined with a sliding slot  246 . The rollers  282  are received in the sliding slot  246  and can slide freely in the sliding slot  246 . A distance that the rollers  282  can slide in the sliding slot  246  limits a swing angle of the auxiliary head light  24 . When the rollers  282  slide to one terminal end of the sliding slot  246 , the auxiliary head light  24  will be stopped at that position, as shown in  FIG. 2(   b ). 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the supporting member  27  is located below the auxiliary head light  24  and the auxiliary head light  24  is supported by the supporting member  27 . Alternatively, the auxiliary head light  24  can also be hung in the automobile  21 . For example, a top end of the supporting member  27  is connected with the automobile  21 , and a bottom end of the supporting member  27  is pivotally connected with the lamp body  240  of the auxiliary head light  24 . 
       FIG. 3  shows an alternative embodiment of the auxiliary head light. The difference lies in the swing prevention mechanism. In this alternative embodiment, the swing prevention mechanism includes a rod  30  fixedly mounted on the supporting member  27  at a position near the top end of the supporting member  27 . The rod  30  has a top free end  31  facing the auxiliary head light  24 . When the auxiliary head light  24  rotates from the non-horizontal direction to the horizontal direction under the gravitational force, a bottom of the auxiliary head light  24  contacts with the top free end  31  of the rod  30 , whereby the auxiliary head light  24  is stably stopped at the horizontal direction. 
     It is believed that the present embodiments and their advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the examples hereinbefore described merely being preferred or exemplary embodiments of the invention.