Patent ID: 8182126

Claim:
An automotive headlamp apparatus comprising: a left lamp unit and a right lamp unit that are installed apart from each other, located right and left in the automotive width direction, each of which is capable of forming an individual light distribution pattern; and a pattern control unit that controls each shape of the individual light distribution patterns of high and low beams with cut-off lines of a horizontally extending light distribution pattern by controlling the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit, so as to form a synthesized light distribution pattern in which the individual light distribution patterns are superimposed, wherein the left lamp unit includes: a first light source that is capable of emitting a light in the automotive front direction through a first projection lens; a first movable shade that is capable of advancing and receding with respect to the light axis of the first light source, that forms a first cut-off line by shielding part of the light from the first light source at an advanced position, the first cut-off line being to the left of a horizontally extending cut-off line of a light distribution pattern for a low-beam, and the first movable shade forms a portion of a light distribution pattern for a high-beam above the first cut-off line at a receded position; a first shade moving mechanism that moves the first movable shade to an advanced or a receded position; and a first fixed shade that forms a second cut-off line to the right of the horizontally extending cut-off line of the light distribution pattern for the low-beam when the first movable shade is at the receded position, wherein the right lamp unit includes: a second light source that is capable of emitting a light in the automotive front direction through a second projection lens; a second movable shade that is capable of advancing and receding with respect to the light axis of the second light source, that forms the second cut-off line by shielding part of the light from the second light source at an advanced position, and wherein the second movable shade forms a portion of a light distribution pattern for a high-beam above the second cut-off line at a receded position; a second shade moving mechanism that moves the second movable shade to an advanced or a receded position; and a second fixed shade that forms the first cut-off line when the second movable shade is at the receded position the first movable shade and the second movable shade are provided such that the light distribution pattern for a high-beam is formed when both of the movable shades are at the receded positions and wherein the pattern control unit causes one or both of the first moveable shade and the second movable shade to advance or recede by controlling the first shade moving mechanism and second shade moving mechanism to form one of four synthesized light distribution patterns, and wherein the distribution pattern is determined by the pattern control unit.