Vehicle Headlamp Aiming Adjustment Using Light-Dark Boundary Intersection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Manufacturing errors and low aiming adjustment accuracy lead to deviations in the irradiation position of vehicle headlamp light distribution patterns, resulting in excessive light-off ranges and reduced illumination, especially when integrating high-beam and low-beam lamp units, which can cause glare and narrow the illumination range.

Innovation Solution

An aiming adjustment method and mechanism that sets the intersection between the vertical light-dark boundary of multi-divided light distribution patterns and the horizontal light-dark boundary of the low-beam pattern as a reference point for aiming adjustment, ensuring accurate alignment and reducing excessive light-off ranges by synchronizing the irradiation positions of both high-beam and low-beam patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the high-beam lamp unit is integrated with the low-beam lamp unit, then the headlamp structure is compact and multi-functional, but the irradiation position of the high-beam pattern deviates due to manufacturing errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintegration of high-beam and low-beam lamp unitsVSAvoidirradiation position accuracy of high-beam pattern

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a reference mark as an intermediary element that mediates between the high-beam and low-beam lamp units. This reference mark serves as a common reference for aiming adjustment of both patterns, eliminating the need for separate adjustment procedures and ensuring consistent irradiation positions despite manufacturing variations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the aiming adjustment of the low-beam pattern provides information that is used to adjust the high-beam pattern. By using the low-beam adjustment result as feedback, the system ensures that both patterns achieve accurate irradiation positions without requiring independent high-precision manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If aiming adjustment is performed using the elbow point of the low-beam pattern, then the low-beam irradiation position is accurate, but the high-beam irradiation position remains unadjusted and deviates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaiming adjustment accuracy of low-beam patternVSAvoidirradiation position accuracy of high-beam pattern

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the aiming adjustment process universal by designing it to simultaneously adjust both low-beam and high-beam patterns. The single aiming adjustment operation performs multiple functions: adjusting the low-beam pattern to the correct position and automatically positioning the high-beam pattern correctly through the reference mark mechanism.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-establishing the reference mark relationship between the high-beam and low-beam lamp units during manufacturing. This preliminary setup ensures that when aiming adjustment is performed, both patterns are already geometrically linked and will be correctly positioned simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If an excessively wide light-off range is adopted to prevent glare, then target objects are protected from glare, but the illumination range of the vehicle is narrowed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveglare prevention to target objectsVSAvoidillumination range of the vehicle

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical approach of using fixed wide beam cutoffs with a precise optical positioning system. By accurately controlling the irradiation position through reference mark-based aiming adjustment, the system can use narrower, more precise light-off ranges that prevent glare without unnecessarily reducing illumination area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11370351B2Aiming adjustment method for vehicle headlamp, aiming adjustment mechanism for vehicle headlamp and vehicle headlamp

Publication Date: 2022.06.28 KOITO MFG CO LTD

AI summary

There is provided an aiming adjustment method for a vehicle headlamp which performs aiming adjustment based on a reference point on a light-dark boundary of a light distribution pattern, the method includes setting, as the reference point, an intersection between a vertical light-dark boundary of a part of multi-divided light distribution patterns which are to be synthesized to form a high-beam light distribution pattern and a horizontal light-dark boundary of a low-beam light distribution pattern.