Motorcycle Head Lamp Sub-Lamp Bank Angle Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing head lamp systems for straddled vehicles, such as motorcycles, face challenges in maintaining effective light distribution during low and high beam modes without increasing the system's size, especially when the vehicle banks during cornering.

Innovation Solution

A head lamp system with a head lamp unit and sub-lamp unit, controlled by a controller, that defines specific illumination ranges and activates sub-lamps based on bank angles to supplement light distribution, ensuring optimal illumination without excessive size increase.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If sub-lamps are added to supplement light distribution during cornering, then illumination quality is improved, but device size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight distributionVSAvoidhead lamp system size
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The head lamp system is segmented into a head lamp unit and a separate sub-lamp unit. The sub-lamp unit includes multiple individual sub-lamps (first sub-lamp, second sub-lamp, third sub-lamp, fourth sub-lamp) that can be selectively activated based on banking conditions. This segmentation allows the system to provide supplemental illumination only when needed during cornering, rather than having all lamps continuously active, thereby improving illumination quality without requiring the entire system to be permanently enlarged.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sub-lamp unit is configured to dynamically adjust its operation based on the banking angle of the vehicle. The controller activates specific sub-lamps according to predetermined banking angle thresholds: the first and second sub-lamps activate when banking reaches a first threshold angle, while the third and fourth sub-lamps activate at a second threshold angle. This dynamic control allows the system to adapt illumination to actual cornering conditions, providing improved illumination quality only when banking occurs, while maintaining a compact size by not requiring all lamps to operate simultaneously or be permanently installed in large quantities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Area of stationary object

If multiple sub-lamps are activated simultaneously, then illumination coverage is expanded, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveillumination coverageVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements partial action by selectively activating only the necessary subset of sub-lamps based on the actual banking angle. Rather than activating all sub-lamps simultaneously regardless of conditions, the controller activates specific combinations: first and second sub-lamps at a first banking threshold, and third and fourth sub-lamps at a second banking threshold. This ensures illumination coverage is expanded only to the extent needed for the current cornering situation, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption from activating excess lamps when banking angles are small or when the vehicle is traveling straight.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters of the sub-lamp unit based on banking angle thresholds. At a first predetermined banking angle threshold, the controller activates the first and second sub-lamps. At a second predetermined banking angle threshold (which may be higher), the controller activates the third and fourth sub-lamps. This parameter-based control allows the system to expand illumination coverage appropriately matched to the severity of the cornering maneuver, while minimizing energy consumption by not activating all lamps at all times or at low banking angles.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3000700B1Head lamp system and straddled vehicle
Publication Date: 2017.02.01 YAMAHA MOTOR CO LTD
  • EP3000700B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3000700B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3000700B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

During an operation in a low beam mode, a main illumination range (M1) is irradiated with light by a first head lamp (11). During the operation in the low beam mode, when a leftward bank angle of a vehicle is equal to a first threshold value or larger than the first threshold value, a first auxiliary illumination range (A1) is irradiated with light by a first sub-lamp (21). During the operation in the low beam mode, when a rightward bank angle of the vehicle is equal to a second threshold value or larger than the second threshold value, a second auxiliary illumination range (A2) is irradiated with light by a second sub-lamp (22). During an operation in a high beam mode, at least a second main illumination range (M2) is irradiated with light by a second head lamp (12), and the first and second auxiliary illumination ranges (A1, A2) are irradiated with light at all times by the first and second sub-lamps (21, 22).