Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses a headlamp for use on a motor vehicle, which includes a body, a lens, a support element, at least one device, and a control unit. The body is fixed to a frame of the motor vehicle and contains at least one light source which emits light in a longitudinal direction. The lens is adapted to concentrate the light emitted by at least one light source according to a direction suitable for the projection of a dipped beam. The support element is integrated with the lens and equipped with at least one element for coupling to a rotation drive unit. The at least one device is configured for detecting the angle and the direction of inclination of the motor vehicle with respect to a plane on which the vehicle moves. The control unit emits group control signals as a function of at least one signal received by the at least one device.

The headlight (headlamp), referred to by some as the "eyes" of a vehicle such as a motorcycle or a car, is very important to traffic safety. In the early days, an illumination pattern provided by each of low and high beams in the headlight has a fixed orientation and cannot be adjusted to adapt to a tilt angle of a vehicle body. This may cause many inadequacies in actual use. For example, when the vehicle is running on a curved road, the illumination pattern in front of the vehicle would be tilted to the right or left. As a result, there is a blind area of vision present in front of the vehicle, so that the driver is unable to clearly see road conditions at an inside of the curved road and this may cause a traffic accident.

With the continuous advancement of lighting technology for vehicles, more and more headlights with an adjustable lighting pattern appear on the market. Such headlights can adjust characteristics of the lighting pattern according to a tilt angle of a vehicle body, such as a lighting range and a lighting distance, so as to provide the driver with the best vision and ensure traffic safety. Among them, a headlight that uses a plurality of fill lights to provide auxiliary lighting for corners. However, the arrangement of the fill lights may lead to the inability in the headlight to reduce volume.

In response to the above-referenced technical inadequacies, the present invention provides an adaptive vehicle headlight that is more reliable and durable according to independent claim <NUM>. The dependent claims show further embodiments of claim <NUM>.

In one aspect, the present invention provides an adaptive vehicle headlight for use in a vehicle body. The adaptive vehicle headlight includes a light body, an optical lens, a driver, and a control unit. The light body includes a base, a rotating member, an optical lens and a light emitting unit. The base includes a carrying portion that has a first carrying surface. The rotating member is configured to rotate relative to the base and surrounds the carrying portion. The light emitting unit is disposed on the first carrying surface to emit an illumination light beam. The rotating member includes an outer frame portion, an inner frame portion, and a wall portion. The outer frame portion and the inner frame portion are spaced apart from each other. The wall portion is connected between the outer frame portion and the inner frame portion, and the carrying portion is exposed from the wall portion. The carrying portion has an accommodating groove. The optical lens is fixed to the outer frame portion to allow the illumination light beam to project outwardly so as to produce an illumination pattern. The optical lens has a light input surface and the first carrying surface is opposite to the light input surface, such that the illumination light beam is emitted towards the light input surface. The driver is arranged in the light body to drive the rotating member. The control unit is arranged in the light body to cause an operation of the driver according to a tilt angle of the vehicle body, such that the optical lens is driven by the rotating member to rotate a predetermined angle. The driver includes a coil structure and a magnetic body, and the coil structure and the magnetic body are disposed between the outer frame portion, the inner frame portion and the wall portion. The carrying portion has an accommodating groove, the inner frame portion and a bearing are jointly disposed in the accommodating groove, and the inner frame portion is supported by the bearing.

In one aspect, the present invention provides an adaptive vehicle headlight for being installed on a vehicle body for use. The adaptive vehicle headlight includes a light body, an optical lens, a driver, and a control unit. The light body includes a base, a light emitting unit, a light guiding member, a rotating member, and a light distributing member. The light emitting unit and the light guiding member are arranged on the base, and the light emitting unit is configured to emit an illumination light beam toward the light guiding member. The rotating member is configured to rotate relative to the base. The light distributing member is connected as a whole to the rotating member. The light distributing member is arranged between the optical lens and the light emitting unit. The driver is arranged in the light body to drive the rotating member. The control unit is arranged in the light body to cause an operation of the driver according to a low beam mode and a high beam mode, such that the light distributing member is driven by the rotating member to move to a first position or a second position.

In conclusion, the adaptive vehicle headlight provided by the present invention has the following beneficial effects:.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings and their captions, although variations and modifications therein may be affected without departing from the scope of the invention.

The present invention is more particularly described in the following examples that are intended as illustrative only since numerous modifications and variations therein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Titles or subtitles can be used herein for the convenience of a reader, which shall have no influence on the scope of the present invention.

The use of examples anywhere in this specification including examples of any terms is illustrative only, and in no way limits the scope and meaning of the present invention or of any exemplified term. Likewise, the present invention is not limited to various embodiments given herein. Numbering terms such as "first", "second" or "third" can be used to describe various components, signals or the like, which are for distinguishing one component/signal from a second only, and are not intended to, nor should be construed to impose any substantive limitations on the components, signals or the like.

All illumination patterns as described herein can meet the light distribution requirements of the ECE R113 regulation which regulates headlamps for producing a symmetrical light pattern.

Referring to <FIG>, a first embodiment of the present invention provides an adaptive vehicle headlight Z including a light body <NUM>, an optical lens <NUM>, a driver <NUM>, and a control unit <NUM>. The optical lens <NUM>, the driver <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> are integrated into the light body <NUM>, specific details of which will be described below. Accordingly, the optical lens <NUM>, the driver <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> can be isolated from an external environment, and are not easily affected by external environmental factors such as water and dust. The adaptive vehicle headlight Z of the present invention is suitable for two-wheeled vehicles such as fuel motorcycles, electric motorcycles, general bicycles, and electric assisted bicycles. The adaptive vehicle headlight Z of the present invention can be installed on a vehicle body V to provide sufficient front illumination during a turn of a vehicle, so as to reduce or even eliminate blind area of vision in front of the vehicle, thereby improving traffic safety.

More specifically, the light body <NUM> includes a base <NUM>, a rotating member <NUM>, and a light emitting unit <NUM>. The base <NUM> has a carrying portion 11a. The rotating member <NUM> is configured to rotate relative to the base <NUM>. The light emitting unit <NUM> is arranged on the carrying portion 11a to emit an illumination light beam. The optical lens <NUM> is connected as a whole to the rotating member <NUM> for light distribution of the illumination light beam. That is, the illumination light beam is projected outwardly through the optical lens <NUM> to produce an illumination pattern having a cut-off line. The driver <NUM> is configured to drive the rotating member <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> is configured to cause an operation of the driver <NUM> according to a tilt angle of the vehicle body V, such that the rotating member <NUM> synchronously rotates a predetermined angle with the optical lens <NUM>.

In one implementation of the present embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the base <NUM> is configured to divide an internal space of the light body <NUM> into a first space S1 and a second space S2. The carrying portion 11a, the rotating member <NUM>, the light emitting unit <NUM>, the optical lens <NUM>, and the driver <NUM> are all located in the first space S1. The control unit <NUM> is located in the second space S2. More specifically, the carrying portion 11a has a first carrying surface <NUM>. The first carrying surface <NUM> can be opposite to a light input surface <NUM> of the optical lens <NUM>, and preferably opposite to and parallel to the light input surface <NUM> of the optical lens <NUM>. The light emitting unit <NUM> is arranged on the first carrying surface <NUM> to emit the illumination light beam directly toward the light input surface <NUM> of the optical lens <NUM>. The rotating member <NUM> is arranged to surround the carrying portion 11a, in which a rotation axis <NUM> coincides with a central axis of the carrying portion 11a. The driver <NUM> is arranged between the rotating member <NUM> and the carrying portion 11a, and can drive the rotating member <NUM> in a non-contact manner (e.g., applying a non-contact force), so as to allow the rotating member <NUM> to synchronously rotate with the optical lens <NUM>. The above description is for exemplary purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

In practice, the base <NUM> can further has a spacing portion 11b, and the internal space of the light body <NUM> can be divided into the first space S1 and the second space S2 by the spacing portion 11b. The carrying portion 11a can be formed to extend from the spacing portion 11b. The rotating member <NUM> can include an outer frame portion 12a, an inner frame portion 12b, and a wall portion 12c. The outer frame portion 12a and the inner frame portion 12b can be spaced apart from each other in an up-down direction. The wall portion 12c can be connected between the outer frame portion 12a and the inner frame portion 12b, and the first carrying surface <NUM> of the carrying portion 11a is exposed from the wall portion 12c. The optical lens <NUM> can be fixed to the outer frame portion 12a. The optical lens <NUM> can be an asymmetric optical lens, in which curvatures in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction are different from each other. The driver <NUM> can be a brushless pan/tilt motor and includes a coil structure <NUM> and a magnetic body <NUM>. The coil structure <NUM> and the magnetic body <NUM> can be arranged between the outer frame portion 12a, the inner frame portion 12b, and the wall portion 12c and at a certain distance from each other. The coil structure <NUM> can be composed of iron cores with coils, and the magnetic body <NUM> can be formed from one or more magnets. The control unit <NUM> can include a control printed circuit board (PCB) and a tilt sensor (not shown), and at least has control functions of the light emitting unit <NUM> and the driver <NUM>.

Furthermore, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, an external structure <NUM> of the light body <NUM> includes a housing 14a, a light cover 14b, and a back lid 14c. The housing 14a has a first open end 141a and a second open end 142a opposite to the first open end <NUM>, the shape of which is not limited to a cylindrical shape. The base <NUM> can be integrally formed inside the housing 14a. The light cover 14b is assembled to the first open end 141a of the housing 14a, and the light cover 14b, one portion (e.g., a front portion) of the housing 14a, and the base <NUM> jointly define the first space S1. The back lid 14c is assembled to the second open end 142a of the housing 14a, and the back lid 14c and a second portion (e.g., a rear portion) of the housing 14a jointly define the second space S2.

In addition, as shown in <FIG>, the carrying portion 11a of the base <NUM> can have a first wire groove G2 for passing wire(s) outwardly from the light emitting unit <NUM>. The spacing portion 11b of the base <NUM> can have a second wire groove G3 for passing wire(s) outwardly from the coil structure <NUM>. Therefore, these wires cannot be interfered with mechanical parts, so that the headlight can work normally for a long period of time.

In certain embodiments, depending on cost considerations or different use requirements, the control unit <NUM> can be arranged at the outside of the light body <NUM> and electrically connected to the light emitting unit <NUM> and the driver <NUM> (e.g., the coil structure <NUM> of the driver <NUM>), as shown in <FIG>. In addition, the light cover 14b can be omitted for cost saving.

In order to neatly and compactly integrate the base <NUM> with the rotating member <NUM> and the driver <NUM>, the carrying portion 11a can have an accommodating groove G1, and a bearing B is disposed between the inner frame portion 12b and the carrying portion 11a. Preferably, the inner frame portion 12b of the rotating member <NUM> and the bearing B can be jointly disposed in the accommodating groove G1, in which the inner frame portion 12b is supported by the bearing B. Furthermore, the carrying portion 11a can further have a second carrying surface <NUM> located outside of the accommodating groove G1 and perpendicular to the first carrying surface <NUM>. The coil structure <NUM> can be fixed to the second carrying surface <NUM> of the carrying portion 11a, and the magnetic body <NUM> can be fixed to the outer frame portion 12a of the rotating member <NUM>. Accordingly, the coil structure <NUM> and the magnetic body <NUM> can work with each other to produce an electromagnetic torque, thereby allowing the rotating member <NUM> to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

Referring to <FIG>, depending on particular requirements, a portion of the rotating member <NUM> can be independently detached to become a portion of the driver <NUM>. More specifically, the driver <NUM> includes a stator portion 3a and a rotor portion 3b. The stator portion 3a includes a coil structure <NUM>. The rotor portion 3b includes a magnetic body <NUM> and is connected to the rotating member <NUM>. Accordingly, when coils in the coil structure <NUM> are energized, the rotor portion 3b can drive the rotating member <NUM> to synchronously rotate with the optical lens <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, in a second implementation of the present embodiment which does not fall within the present invention, the driver <NUM> can be a stepper motor that is arranged in the second space S2 of the light body <NUM> and has a driving structure <NUM> (e.g., a driving shaft) extending from the second space S2 to the first space S1 to be transmittingly connected to rotating member <NUM>. In practice, a front end of the driving structure <NUM> can be connected to the rotating member <NUM> via a gear set (not shown) that can be composed of a plurality of gears with different diameters. Accordingly, the driving structure <NUM> being rotated can drive the rotating member <NUM> to rotate on the carrying portion 11a by the gear set. That is, the rotational movement of the driving structure <NUM> can be converted into the rotational movement of the rotating member <NUM> by the gear set.

It should be noted that, when a stepper motor is used as the driver <NUM>, the driver <NUM> can be arranged outside of the light body <NUM> and connected to the rotating member <NUM> located in the light body <NUM> via the driving structure <NUM>, such that the rotating member <NUM> can be rotated to the left or right.

Reference is made to <FIG>. The adaptive vehicle headlight Z of the present invention can provide sufficient front illumination for a vehicle (e.g., a two-wheeled vehicle) when driving, so as to reduce or even eliminate blind areas BA of vision in front of the vehicle. The detailed descriptions are as follows. When the vehicle is running on a straight road, no rotation is required for the optical lens <NUM> since a vehicle body V is maintained perpendicular to a road surface. Thus, an illumination pattern P produced by the adaptive vehicle headlight Z will be in a horizontal state, as shown in <FIG>. Therefore, no blind areas of vision are present in front of the vehicle, as shown in <FIG>.

When the vehicle is running on a left curved road, the vehicle body V leans to the left at an angle relative to a road surface. At this time, if the optical lens <NUM> does not rotate, an illumination pattern P produced by the adaptive vehicle headlight Z would be tilted left, as shown in <FIG>, in which a dark area DA is present at the left side of the V-V line and below the H-H line. Therefore, a blind area BA of vision is present at the front left of the vehicle, as shown in <FIG>. In contrast, in the present invention, the optical lens <NUM> can be driven by the rotating member <NUM> to rotate left by a predetermined angle (i.e., rotate in a clockwise direction viewing from the driver), such that the illumination pattern P is still maintained in the horizontal state and there is a light distribution above the H-H line, as shown in <FIG>. Therefore, an auxiliary illumination zone IA can be produced to eliminate the blind area of vision at the front left of the vehicle, as shown in <FIG>.

When the vehicle is running on a right curved road, the vehicle body V leans to the right at an angle relative to a road surface. At this time, if the optical lens <NUM> does not rotate, an illumination pattern P produced by the adaptive vehicle headlight Z would be tilted right, as shown in <FIG>, in which a dark area DA is present at the right side of the V-V line and below the H-H line. Therefore, a blind area BA of vision is present at the front right of the vehicle, as shown in <FIG>. In contrast, in the present invention, the optical lens <NUM> can be driven by the rotating member <NUM> to rotate right by a predetermined angle (i.e., rotate in a counterclockwise direction viewing from the driver), such that the illumination pattern P is still maintained in the horizontal state and there is a light distribution above the H-H line, as shown in <FIG>. Therefore, an auxiliary illumination zone IA can be produced to eliminate the blind area of vision at the front left of the vehicle, as shown in <FIG>.

Reference is made to <FIG> and <FIG>. In the present embodiment, the light emitting unit <NUM> can include a first light emitting unit 13a and a second light emitting unit 13b, and can further include one or more wavelength converting layers (e.g., fluorescent layers, not shown in <FIG>) covering the first light emitting unit 13a and the second light emitting unit 13b if necessary, so as to produce optical characteristics required for practical implementations. The light emitting unit <NUM> can be mounted on a circuit substrate, and it can be an LED package structure, but is not limited thereto. The first light emitting unit 13a and the second light emitting unit 13b are arranged in proximity to a lens focus <NUM>, and the first light emitting unit 13a is arranged above the second light emitting unit 13b. The first light emitting unit 13a can include at least two first LED chips 131a. The second light emitting unit 13b can include at least one second LED chip 131b. An illumination light beam emitted from the first light emitting unit 13a that is lighted up can be projected outwardly through the optical lens <NUM> to produce a low beam illumination pattern. An illumination light beam emitted from the first light emitting unit 13a and the second light emitting unit 13b that are lighted up at the same time can be projected outwardly through the optical lens <NUM> to produce a high beam illumination pattern. The above description is for exemplary purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

More specifically, in a structure with two first LED chips 131a and a second light emitting unit 13b, the two first LED chips 131a can be arranged above the lens focus <NUM> and symmetrically distributed at left and right sides of a vertical symmetry plane <NUM> passing through the lens focus <NUM>. The second light emitting unit 13b can be arranged at the lens focus <NUM>. In use, in a situation where the optical lens <NUM> does not rotate, the two first LED chips 131a can be lighted up in a low beam mode, and the two first LED chips 131a and the second light emitting unit 13b can be lighted up in a high beam mode.

In a situation where the optical lens <NUM> rotates to the left, all or the left one of the two first LED chips 131a can be lighted up in a low beam mode. It should be noted that, when all of the two first LED chips 131a are lighted up, a resulting illumination pattern P would have an amount of light spilling beyond the H-H line, i.e., a cut-off line CF of the resulting illumination pattern P would be located above the H-H line, as shown in <FIG>. When only the left one of the two first LED chips 131a is lighted up, the amount of light spilling would be eliminated, i.e., the cut-off line CF of the resulting illumination pattern P would be located below and close to the H-H line. In addition, in a high beam mode, the two first LED chips 131a and the second light emitting unit 13b can be lighted up, or the left one of the two first LED chips 131a and the second light emitting unit 13b can be lighted up.

In a situation where the optical lens <NUM> rotates to the right, all or the right one of the two first LED chips 131a can be lighted up in a low beam mode. It should be noted that, when all of the two first LED chips 131a are lighted up, a resulting illumination pattern P would have an amount of light spilling beyond the H-H line, i.e., a cut-off line CF of the resulting illumination pattern P would be located above the H-H line, as shown in <FIG>. When only the right one of the two first LED chips 131a is lighted up, the amount of light spilling would be eliminated, i.e., the cut-off line CF of the resulting illumination pattern P would be located below and close to the H-H line. In addition, in a high beam mode, the two first LED chips 131a and the second light emitting unit 13b can be lighted up, or the right one of the two first LED chips 131a and the second light emitting unit 13b can be lighted up.

In some applications, in order to increase illumination brightness, the first light emitting unit 13a includes four first LED chips 131a and the second light emitting unit 13b includes two second LED chips 131b. The four first LED chips 131a can be arranged above the lens focus <NUM> and symmetrically distributed in pairs at left and right sides of a vertical symmetry plane <NUM>. The two second LED chips 131b correspond in position to the lens focus <NUM> and symmetrically distributed at left and right sides of the vertical symmetry plane <NUM>. Furthermore, the two second LED chips 131b are respectively aligned with the middle two of the four first LED chips 131a in the up-down direction. In use, in a situation where the optical lens <NUM> does not rotate, all or the middle two of the four first LED chips 131a can be lighted up in a low beam mode. In a high beam mode, the four first LED chips 131a and the two second LED chips 131b can be lighted up, or the middle two of the four first LED chips 131a and the two second LED chips 131b can be lighted up.

In a situation where the optical lens <NUM> rotates to the left, in a low beam mode, all of the four first LED chips 131a can be lighted up, or the first one or two of the four first LED chips 131a located at the left side of the vertical symmetry plane <NUM> can be lighted up. When all of the four first LED chips 131a are lighted up, a resulting illumination pattern P would have an amount of light spilling beyond the H-H line, i.e., a cut-off line CF of the resulting illumination pattern P would be located above the H-H line, as shown in <FIG>. When the first one or two of the four first LED chips 131a located at the left side of the vertical symmetry plane <NUM> are lighted up, the amount of light spilling would be eliminated, i.e., the cut-off line CF of the resulting illumination pattern P would be located below and close to the H-H line. In addition, in a high beam mode, the four first LED chips 131a and the two second LED chips 131b can be lighted up, or the first one or two of the four first LED chips 131a located at the left side of the vertical symmetry plane <NUM> and the two second LED chips 131b can be lighted up.

In a situation where the optical lens <NUM> rotates to the right, in a low beam mode, all of the four first LED chips 131a can be lighted up, or the first one or two of the four first LED chips 131a located at the right side of the vertical symmetry plane <NUM> can be lighted up. When all of the four first LED chips 131a are lighted up, a resulting illumination pattern P would have an amount of light spilling beyond the H-H line, i.e., a cut-off line CF of the resulting illumination pattern P would be located above the H-H line, as shown in <FIG>. When the first one or two of the four first LED chips 131a located at the right side of the vertical symmetry plane <NUM> are lighted up, the amount of light spilling would be eliminated, i.e., the cut-off line CF of the resulting illumination pattern P would be located below and close to the H-H line. In addition, in a high beam mode, the four first LED chips 131a and the two second LED chips 131b can be lighted up, or the first one or two of the four first LED chips 131a located at the right side of the vertical symmetry plane <NUM> and the two second LED chips 131b can be lighted up.

Preferably, two of the four first LED chips 131a located at the left or right side of the vertical symmetry plane <NUM> has a first spacing D1 therebetween. The middle two of the four first LED chips 131a has a second spacing D2 therebetween. The two second LED chips 131b has a third spacing D3 therebetween, and a fourth spacing D4 is present between each of the two second LED chips 131b and the corresponding one of the two second LED chips 131b. The first spacing D1, the second spacing D2, the third spacing D3, and the fourth spacing D4 satisfy the equations (<NUM>) to (<NUM>): <MAT> <MAT> <MAT> <MAT>.

In some applications, only the first light emitting unit 13a is included in the adaptive vehicle headlight Z, which can include one or more first LED chips 131a. For example, the first light emitting unit 13a can include four first LED chips 131a arranged to satisfy the equations (<NUM>) to (<NUM>). As a result, the adaptive vehicle headlight Z can only produce a low beam illumination pattern.

Referring to <FIG>, which are to be read in conjunction with <FIG>, a second embodiment of the present invention provides an adaptive vehicle headlight Z including a light body <NUM>, an optical lens <NUM>, a driver <NUM>, and a control unit <NUM>. The optical lens <NUM>, the driver <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> are integrated into the light body <NUM>. More specifically, the light body <NUM> includes a base <NUM>, a rotating member <NUM>, and a light emitting unit <NUM>. The base <NUM> has a carrying portion 11a. The rotating member <NUM> is configured to rotate relative to the base <NUM>. The light emitting unit <NUM> is arranged on the carrying portion 11a to emit an illumination light beam. The optical lens <NUM> is connected as a whole to the rotating member <NUM> for light distribution of the illumination light beam. That is, the illumination light beam is projected outwardly through the optical lens <NUM> to produce an illumination pattern having a cut-off line. The driver <NUM> is configured to drive the rotating member <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> is configured to cause an operation of the driver <NUM> according to a tilt angle of a vehicle body V, such that the optical lens <NUM> can be driven by the rotating member <NUM> to rotate a predetermined angle. The necessary details of the light body <NUM>, the optical lens <NUM>, the driver <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> are described in the first embodiment, and will not be reiterated herein.

The main difference of the present embodiment from the first embodiment is that the light body <NUM> further includes a light distributing member <NUM> arranged between the optical lens <NUM> and the light emitting unit <NUM>. It is worth mentioning that the light distributing member <NUM> can adjust the distribution of the illumination light beam, such that the illumination pattern can have a clearer cut-off line and contour. If the illumination pattern is a low beam illumination pattern, the cut-off line thereof is located below the H-H line (i.e., there is no light distribution above the H-H line). The light distributing member <NUM> can be a light shielding plate, a free end of which is not connected to other parts and has an optically effective edge (also called cut-off edge) to produce a different light distribution effect, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In the present embodiment, the light distributing member <NUM> is connected as a whole to the rotating member <NUM>, such that it can be driven by the rotating member <NUM> to reciprocally move between a first position as shown in <FIG> and a second position as shown in <FIG> to selectively cover the light emitting unit <NUM>. Accordingly, adaptive vehicle headlight Z can be switched between a low beam mode and a high beam mode. In the low beam mode, the light distributing member <NUM> is located at the first position. In the high beam mode, the light distributing member <NUM> is located at the second position.

In one implementation of the present embodiment, the rotating member <NUM> is driven in a non-contact manner. More specifically, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the driver <NUM> can be a brushless pan/tilt motor and includes a coil structure <NUM> and a magnetic body <NUM>. The coil structure <NUM> and the magnetic body <NUM> can be arranged between an outer frame portion 12a, an inner frame portion 12b, and a wall portion 12c and at a certain distance from each other. Accordingly, the coil structure <NUM> and the magnetic body <NUM> can work with each other to produce an electromagnetic torque, thereby allowing the rotating member <NUM> to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The coil structure <NUM> can be composed of iron cores with coils, and the magnetic body <NUM> can be formed from one or more magnets, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In a second implementation of the present embodiment which does not fall within the present invention, the rotating member <NUM> is driven in a direct contact manner. More specifically, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the driver <NUM> can be a stepper motor and has a driving structure <NUM> (e.g., a driving shaft) transmittingly connected to rotating member <NUM> to provide driving force for rotation, thereby allowing the rotating member <NUM> to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The driving structure <NUM> can be connected to the rotating member <NUM> via a gear set (not shown in <FIG> and <FIG>) that can be composed of a plurality of gears with different diameters, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

In order to realize an optical system having low beam and high beam modes, the light emitting unit <NUM> can include a first light emitting unit 13a and a second light emitting unit 13b. The first light emitting unit 13a and the second light emitting unit 13b are arranged in proximity to a lens focus <NUM>, and the first light emitting unit 13a is arranged above the second light emitting unit 13b. More details about the light-emitting unit <NUM> are provided in the first embodiment and <FIG> and <FIG>. The light distributing member <NUM> located at the first position covers the second light emitting unit 13b, as shown in <FIG>, such that a resulting illumination pattern is a low beam illumination pattern. The light distributing member <NUM> located at the second position allows the first light emitting unit 13a and the second light emitting unit 13b to be exposed therefrom, as shown in <FIG>, such that a resulting illumination pattern is a high beam illumination pattern.

It is worth mentioning that, in the optical system of the present embodiment, the arrangement of the light-emitting unit <NUM> is not limited to those shown in <FIG> and <FIG>. In the presence of the light distributing member <NUM>, the light-emitting unit <NUM> can include one or more LED chips.

More specifically, the light distributing member <NUM> is fixed to the wall portion 12c and connected to the outer frame portion 12a of the rotating member <NUM> via a balancing member <NUM>. The balancing member <NUM> can be a spring, but is not limited thereto. In use, in a low beam mode, the balancing member <NUM> is in an original state to lift up the light distributing member <NUM> to the first position. In a high beam mode, the balancing member <NUM> is in a compressed state to allow the light distributing member <NUM> to be guided to the second position.

In practice, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the carrying portion 11a of the base <NUM> can have a lifting structure <NUM> with a first guiding surface <NUM>. In addition, the light distributing member <NUM> can have a guiding structure <NUM> with a second guiding surface <NUM>. Each of the first guiding surface <NUM> and the second guiding surface <NUM> can be an arc surface. Accordingly, the light distributing member <NUM> can be guided by the guiding structure <NUM> and lifted up to the second position by the lifting structure <NUM>. That is, the light distributing member <NUM> is lifted up to the second position by the slidable cooperation of the second guiding surface <NUM> of the guiding structure <NUM> with the first guiding surface <NUM> of the lifting structure <NUM>. The above description is for exemplary purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

Although <FIG> shows that the light distributing member <NUM> is moved up by a contact force produced between the light distributing member <NUM> and the carrying portion 11a of the base <NUM>, in practice, the light distributing member <NUM> can be moved up by a non-contact force produced between the light distributing member <NUM> and the carrying portion 11a of the base <NUM>. In an embodiment not shown in the above figures, magnetic components can be arranged between the light distributing member <NUM> and the carrying portion 11a of the base <NUM>. The magnetic components can produce a magnetic force such as a magnetic attraction force to raise the light distributing member <NUM> to a predetermined height, or produce another magnetic force such as a magnetic repulsion force to lower the light distributing member <NUM> to an initial height.

In some applications, as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>, a limiting member <NUM> can be arranged between the light distributing member <NUM> and the outer frame portion 12a of the rotating member <NUM> to limit the balancing member <NUM> (e.g., a horizontal movement of the balancing member <NUM>). The limiting member <NUM> can be a limiting pin, but is not limited thereto. More specifically, the light distribution member <NUM> can have a pin hole <NUM> at the bottom thereof. The limiting member <NUM> can pass through the pin hole <NUM> and a distal end thereof can be inserted into and fixed in position to the outer frame portion 12a of the rotating member <NUM>.

Reference is made to <FIG>, in a preferable design of the optical system of the present embodiment, the light emitting unit <NUM> has a light emitting surface <NUM>, and the center point P of the light emitting surface <NUM> is flush with an optically effective edge <NUM> of the light distributing member <NUM>. Furthermore, the light distributing member <NUM> has an inner surface <NUM> opposite to the light emitting surface <NUM>, and a horizontal distance D5 between the inner surface <NUM> and the light emitting surface <NUM> satisfies: <NUM> < horizontal distance D5 ≤ <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, a third embodiment which does not fall within the present invention provides an adaptive vehicle headlight Z including a light body <NUM>, an optical lens <NUM>, a driver <NUM>, and a control unit <NUM>. The optical lens <NUM>, the driver <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> are integrated into the light body <NUM>. More specifically, the light body <NUM> includes a base <NUM>, a light emitting unit <NUM>, a light guiding member <NUM>, a rotating member <NUM>, and a light distributing member <NUM>. The light emitting unit <NUM> and the light guiding member <NUM> are arranged on the base <NUM>, and the light emitting unit <NUM> is configured to emit an illumination light beam toward the light guiding member <NUM>. The rotating member <NUM> is configured to rotate relative to the base <NUM>. The light distributing member <NUM> is connected as a whole to the rotating member <NUM>. The optical lens <NUM> is configured to project the illumination light beam outwardly so as to produce an illumination pattern having a cut-off line. The light distributing member <NUM> is arranged between the optical lens <NUM> and the light emitting unit <NUM>. The driver <NUM> is configured to drive the rotating member <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> is configured to cause an operation of the driver <NUM> according to a low beam mode and a high beam mode, such that the light distributing member <NUM> is driven by the rotating member <NUM> to move to a first position or a second position.

In the present embodiment, the base <NUM> has a carrying surface <NUM>' perpendicular to a light input surface <NUM> of the optical lens <NUM> and located below a lens optical axis <NUM>. The light emitting unit <NUM> and the light guiding member <NUM> are arranged on the carrying surface <NUM>', and the illumination light beam emitted from the light emitting unit <NUM> is guided by the light guiding member <NUM> and transmitted to the light input surface <NUM> of the optical lens <NUM> along a predetermined path. The rotating member <NUM> is connected to the driver <NUM>, and the rotating member <NUM> and the driver <NUM> are each at a position avoiding the predetermined path along which the illumination light beam is transmitted.

In the above-mentioned structure, as shown in <FIG>, the light distributing member <NUM> located at the first position can shield a portion of the illumination light beam transmitted along the predetermined path, so as to produce a low beam illumination pattern. As shown in <FIG>, the light distributing member <NUM> located at the second position can allow all the illumination light beam transmitted along the predetermined path to enter the optical lens <NUM> through the light input surface <NUM>, so as to produce a high beam illumination light pattern.

More specifically, the base <NUM> has a carrying portion 11a and a spacing portion 11b. The spacing portion 11b is configured to divide the internal space of the light body <NUM> into a first space S1 and a second space S2. The spacing portion 11b has an opening <NUM>, and the first space S1 is in spatial communication with the second space S2 via the opening <NUM>. The carrying portion 11a has the carrying surface <NUM>'. The rotating member <NUM>, the light distributing member <NUM>, and the optical lens <NUM> are located in the first space S1. The driver <NUM> can be located the first space S1 or the second space S2.

It should be noted that, the definition of the light body <NUM>, in which the internal space is divided into the first space S1 and the second space S2, is for ease of illustration of the positional relationship between the rotating member <NUM>, the light emitting unit <NUM>, and the light distributing member <NUM>, the present invention is not limited thereto. In certain embodiments, the rotating member <NUM> and the light distributing member <NUM> can be located in the second space S2 and between the light emitting unit <NUM> and the optical lens <NUM>. In such a structure, if the spacing portion 11b is closer to the light emitting unit <NUM>, the rotating member <NUM> and the light distributing member <NUM> would be farther away from the light emitting unit <NUM>. If the spacing portion 11b is farther away from the light emitting unit <NUM>, the rotating member <NUM> and the light distributing member <NUM> would be closer to the light emitting unit <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, an external structure of the light body <NUM> includes a housing 14a and a light cover 14b. The housing 14a has an open end 140a and a closed end (not numbered), the shape of which is not limited to a cylindrical shape. The light cover 14b is assembled to the open end 140a of the housing 14a. The base <NUM> can be integrally formed inside the housing 14a. One portion (e.g., a front portion) of the housing 14a and the spacing portion 11b of the base <NUM> jointly define the first space S1, and a second portion (e.g., a rear portion) of the housing 14a and the spacing portion 11b of the base <NUM> jointly define the second space S2.

Depending on particular requirements, another open end can be formed in place of the closed end of the housing 14a and is closed by a back lid. Other relevant details are provided in the first embodiment and <FIG>.

In one implementation of the present embodiment, the rotating member <NUM> is driven in a non-contact manner. More specifically, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the driver <NUM> is arranged in the first space S1 of the light body <NUM>. The driver <NUM> can be a brushless pan/tilt motor and includes a stator portion 3a and a rotor portion 3b. The stator portion 3a can be connected to the spacing portion 11b of the base <NUM>, and the rotor portion 3b can rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction about a rotation axis <NUM> by cooperating with the stator portion 3a. The rotation axis <NUM> can coincide with or be slightly offset from the lens optical axis <NUM>. In practice, the stator portion 3a can include a coil structure (not shown in <FIG> and <FIG>) that can be composed of iron cores with coils. The rotor portion 3b can include a magnetic body (not shown in <FIG> and <FIG>) that can be formed from one or more magnets. The rotating member <NUM> can be connected to the rotor portion 3b so as to synchronously rotate with the rotor portion 3b. The rotating member <NUM> is not limited to have a disc shape, and it is formed with a hollow area corresponding in position to the opening <NUM> of the spacing portion 11b.

In a second implementation of the present embodiment, the rotating member <NUM> is driven in a direct contact manner. More specifically, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the driver <NUM> is arranged in the second space S2 of the light body <NUM>. The driver <NUM> can be a stepper motor and has a driving structure <NUM> (e.g., a driving shaft) transmittingly connected to rotating member <NUM> to provide driving force for rotation, thereby allowing the rotating member <NUM> to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. The driving structure <NUM> can extend from the second space S2 to the first space S1 and be connected to the rotating member <NUM> via a gear set (not shown in <FIG> and <FIG>) that can be composed of a plurality of gears with different diameters, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The control unit <NUM> can include a control printed circuit board (PCB) and at least has control functions of the light emitting unit <NUM> and the driver <NUM>. Although <FIG> shows that the control unit <NUM> is arranged above the light guiding member <NUM>, the arrangement position of the control unit <NUM> can be adjusted depending on particular requirements. In certain embodiments, depending on cost considerations or different use requirements, the control unit <NUM> can be arranged at the outside of the light body <NUM> and electrically connected to the light emitting unit <NUM> and the driver <NUM> (e.g., the coil structure <NUM> of the driver <NUM>).

In an optical system of the present embodiment, the carrying surface <NUM>' is located below the lens optical axis <NUM>. The light guiding member <NUM> has a reflecting surface <NUM> that can define a first focus F1 and a second focus F2. The light guiding member <NUM> can be a light reflecting cup, but is not limited thereto. The first focus F1 is located in a cover region of the light guiding member <NUM>, and it is located on the lens optical axis <NUM> or below the lens optical axis <NUM>, and preferably below the lens optical axis <NUM>. The second focus F2 is located outside of the cover region of the light guiding member <NUM>, and it coincides with the lens focus <NUM> or is in proximity to the lens focus <NUM>, and preferably coincides with the lens focus <NUM>.

The light emitting unit <NUM> is arranged on the carrying surface <NUM>' in a manner that a light emitting surface <NUM> thereof faces upward (i.e., the light emitting surface <NUM> is parallel to the carrying surface <NUM>'). The light emitting unit <NUM> can be located at the first focus F1 or in proximity to the first focus F1. The light emitting unit <NUM> can be an LED package structure, which can include one or more LED chips, and can further include one or more wavelength converting layers (e.g., fluorescent layers) covering the LED chips, so as to produce optical characteristics required for practical implementations. In a structure with a light emitting unit <NUM> that includes a plurality of LED chips, the arrangement of the LED chips is not particularly limited and can be adjusted depending on particular requirements. In use, the illumination light beam emitted from the light emitting unit <NUM> can be reflected by the light guiding member <NUM> to transmit toward the light input surface <NUM> of the optical lens <NUM>. In consideration of the light output of the light emitting unit <NUM>, the carrying portion 11a can further has a stage differential surface <NUM>' connected to the carrying surface <NUM>'. The stage differential surface <NUM>' is extends downwardly and obliquely to the spacing portion 11b. Accordingly, the carrying portion 11a can be arranged without interfering with the transmission path of the illumination light beam so as to reduce light transmission loss.

The light distributing member <NUM> includes an upright portion 15a and an inclined portion 15b. The upright portion 15a is fixed to the rotating member <NUM>. The inclined portion 15b extends toward the spacing portion 11b of the base <NUM> from the upright portion 15a, and a free end thereof is not connected to other parts and has an optically effective edge <NUM>. In practice, the optical lens <NUM> can be an optical lens with circular symmetry, in which curvatures in the horizontal direction are the same as those in the vertical direction. When the light distributing member <NUM> is located at the first position, the lens focus <NUM> would be located on or in proximity to the optically effective edge <NUM>, and preferably on the optically effective edge <NUM>. Accordingly, the light distributing member <NUM> can shield a portion of light transmitted toward the light input surface <NUM> of the optical lens <NUM>, and a resulting illumination pattern is a low beam illumination patter. When the light distributing member <NUM> is located at the second position, the optically effective edge <NUM> would be located above the lens focus <NUM>. Accordingly, the light distributing member <NUM> can allow all the illumination light beam to enter the optical lens <NUM> through the light input surface <NUM>, and a resulting illumination pattern is a high beam illumination patter.

<FIG> show that the upright portion 15a and the inclined portion 15b are included in the light distributing member <NUM>. However, in certain embodiments, only the upright portion 15a or the inclined portion 15b is included in the light distributing member <NUM>.

In practice, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the spacing portion 11b of the base <NUM> can have a lifting structure <NUM> with a first guiding surface <NUM>. In addition, the upright portion 15a of the light distributing member <NUM> can have a guiding structure <NUM> with a second guiding surface <NUM>. Each of the first guiding surface <NUM> and the second guiding surface <NUM> can be an arc surface. Accordingly, the light distributing member <NUM> can be guided by the guiding structure <NUM> and lifted up to the second position by the lifting structure <NUM>. That is, the light distributing member <NUM> is lifted up to the second position by the slidable cooperation of the second guiding surface <NUM> of the guiding structure <NUM> with the first guiding surface <NUM> of the lifting structure <NUM>. The above description is for exemplary purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention which is defined by the appended claims.

The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented only for the purposes of illustration and description and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.

Claim 1:
An adaptive vehicle headlight (Z) for use in a vehicle body (V), comprising:
a light body (<NUM>) including a base (<NUM>), a rotating member (<NUM>) and a light emitting unit (<NUM>), the base (<NUM>) including a carrying portion (11a) that has a first carrying surface (<NUM>), the rotating member (<NUM>) being configured to rotate relative to the base (<NUM>) and surrounding the carrying portion (11a), the light emitting unit (<NUM>) being disposed on the first carrying surface (<NUM>) to emit an illumination light beam; wherein the rotating member (<NUM>) includes an outer frame portion (12a), an inner frame portion (12b), and a wall portion (12c), the outer frame portion (12a) and the inner frame portion (12b) are spaced apart from each other and the wall portion (12c) is connected between the outer frame portion (12a) and the inner frame portion (12b), and the carrying portion (11a) is exposed from the wall portion (12c);
an optical lens (<NUM>) fixed to the outer frame portion (12a) to allow the illumination light beam to project outwardly so as to produce an illumination pattern (P); wherein the optical lens (<NUM>) has a light input surface (<NUM>) and the first carrying surface (<NUM>) is opposite to the light input surface (<NUM>), such that the illumination light beam is emitted towards the light input surface (<NUM>),
a driver (<NUM>) arranged in the light body to drive the rotating member (<NUM>) and
a control unit (<NUM>) arranged in the light body (<NUM>) to cause an operation of the driver (<NUM>) according to a tilt angle of the vehicle body (V), such that the optical lens (<NUM>) is driven by the rotating member (<NUM>) to rotate a predetermined angle,
characterized in that the driver (<NUM>) includes a coil structure (<NUM>) and a magnetic body (<NUM>), and the coil structure (<NUM>) and the magnetic body (<NUM>) are disposed between the outer frame portion (12a), the inner frame portion (12b) and the wall portion (12c); wherein the carrying portion (11a) has an accommodating groove (G1), the inner frame portion (12b) and a bearing (B) are jointly disposed in the accommodating groove (G1), and the inner frame portion (12b) is supported by the bearing (B).