Patent ID: 6945681

Claim:
A headlamp optical system comprising: an optical body made of a light transmissive material, the optical body being disposed about an axis and extending both laterally with respect to the axis and in the direction of the axis, the body having a rear surface and a front surface; a cavity extending in the optical body from the rear surface toward the front surface for receiving a light source therein, the cavity being defined by a light transmissive wall for admitting light from the light source into the optical body; a reflective surface on the rear surface of the optical body for reflecting substantially collimated light toward and through the front surface; and a plastic lens to provide a headlamp assembly, wherein the light source is a filament bulb, wherein the light transmissive material of the optical body is glass, wherein the reflective surface is a dichroic coating and has a component that reflects visible light and a component transmits infrared radiation therethrough for emission out of the back surface of the optical body, and wherein the cavity extends completely through the optical body and the filament bulb emits light laterally, axial emission being blocked by an opaque end portion of the filament bulb.