US1445306A - Nonglare headlamp reflector - Google Patents

Description

M. E. EPSTE'IN v NONGLARE HEADLAMP REFLCTOR Feb. 13, 1923.

Filed May l2,

Parenteel ret. ia, i923.

Laica;

NoNeLann H-EADLAM REFLEGTOR. A

Application iejd may '.12,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it `lrnowiithat LMoNnoE E. EPS'TE1N, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the. County of- Saint Louis yCity and State of Missouri, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in N onglare Headlamp Reflectcrs, of which the following is a specification. j -My invention relates to headlights for automobilesor other vehicles. y

The'object of the invention -is -to furnishv a headlamp reflector for vehicles which will4 illuminate the area in front of the vehicle in a satisfactory manner and yet will b'e free from the offensive, glare of the head blamps now in common use.

-This objectl accomplish by the construction shown in the which: A

Fig. 1 is a lcentral vertical longitudinal section through my improvedhead lamp.

. Fig. 2 isa perspective of the 'same from the rear.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation.

Fig. lLis a view similar to F ig.l 1 of] a modification. y

Fig; 5 is a rear perspective of the saine.v

The head lamp reflector shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises four main parts vas fol-- lows: a lower front semi-ellipsoidal or paraboloidal reflecting surface of revolution 1,' with a focus at f; a hemispherical reflecting surface 2 in rear 'of the reflecting surface 1, and the vcenterof which is confocal with that of thesaid surface lat f; a plane re-v flectingsurface 3' extending upwardly and forwardly from the upperforward edge ofy the'reflecting surface 2 over `the reflecting surface 1 and connected at its rear lower edge tothe upper forward edge of the surface 2 by vertically disposed plane surface 6,

' which may or may not be a reflecting sur-l face, as `it merely formsa connectingwall between reflecting surfaces 2 and 3; a plane reflecting visor or hood 4 which extends-for# wardly v and downwardly from' the upper forward edge of the reflecting member 3 and. is providedlwith depending side reflectors 5,'5 which extend back to the rear end' of the reflector 3.] In viewing, therefore, the lamp from the "front, only thetop of 4 and lower partof the part 1 will be visible,as

-shown in Fig. 3. Thereflecting surface and source ofli lit are, in otherwords, all com pletely hid en in looking towards the front ofthe lampr The -source of light, shown as Fig'. 1, striking accompanying drawing, in"

1922. serial' No. 560,314."

shown, in the bottom of the reflector within the parts 1 and 2, where, it is wholly, colt.. cealed. I.

The principle or theory of operationA is as follows: Rays of light lfrom the bulb 10,-

the ellipsoidal or paraboloidal' surface 1, as indicated by thearrow a,

will be reflected upward'in a pathapproXi 66.

mately parallel to the aXis of 'rvolution and to the plane surface 3, and thence 4out along a'path approximately at 90 to the y axis-of revolution, as indicated .by the path of arrow a.- Rays such as indicated by arrows b which strike the spherical surface 2 are `ref lectedfbaclz through the focus f,'onto the surface 1, axially upward to plane sur face 3 and thence in a path approximately f axis 'of revolution' as indicated 75 90 from the by arrows b.

In Fig. 4' the"general/construction and ari rangementare substantially-similar to that in Figs. 1,- 2' and 3, with these' differences,

viz: lnstead V of the paraboloid or Aellipsoid forming the frontihalf and the semispheri-v cal reflecting member forming the rear half, their positionsare reversed and "the semi- 4spherical reflecting surface 2 with its Wall 6 is at the front of the light-inclosing portion, while the paraboloidal or ellipsoidal portion 1 forms -the rear half.` The plane 'reflector 3' intersects the reflecting surface 1,

making a suitable angle with the aXis of revolution, as in Fig. 1.A The visor 4, 5 is, '90

as before described, an extension of the plane reflecting surface 3 .at such an angle that it conceals all reflecting surfaces, while thefreflecting surfaces 1 and 2 inclose the source of light. The arrows clearly indicate 95 the paths of the light rays.V

With regard to asemi-ellipsoidal reflectingsurface in lieirof 'a paraboloidal surface, would state that they are of the-same kind. "The parabola .and ellipse are both Mtl conics; the ellipse having an eccentricity less than one, and the parabola being a spe-4 cial form of ellipse with .an eccentricity gustequalto'one. There 1s such a.sl1ght difference between the two that, `in fact, they cannot be distinguished by sight. The' ellipse ha'sthe .property l-of reflecting allzra s v emanating from one focus tothe other. i the focal length is increased to an infinite length, the reflector is then parabolic as the 1.10

rays .will then'be reflected to a point at in` nity or will be parallel. ln my reector,

mately-90'froni the axis'ofrevolution.

however, the difference hetweer l n merely that the ellipical sur will have a slightly greater cu' @ture than the parabolic so that in 'fact it will be Sub- Stantially.parabolic. ln practice l have used both parabolic and ellipsoidal surfaces.

yangle approximately 90 from front half of' the parabcloidal revolution.

focus and-onto the rear half of the paraboloid la, axially `upward tothe planesurface 3, andthenceout at an angle of apprc'u'nl It' will be seen that in the several-forms of thelamp the source 'oflight is concealed -within a hollow .reflecting chamber. opening upwardly,A an4 overlying` plane'rcflector 1nclined` upwardly and forwardly'. from the provided vwith side flangesl and extending forwardly and downwardly from the forwardedge of the said inclined plane reflector until 'it completely conceals the said; plane reflector so that the `-beams axsuitable distance for driving and n source of `light and all reflector surfaces are concealed. to those approaching the vehicle onwlrichA the lanip is mounted; rlfhe above lamp; will-be provided with a suitable protecting casing, not shown.

In use my'reilector w1 plane reflecting surface. l

2. A '.vehiclehead lamp comprising a cuplike reflector -open at its top with its-rear. ,half in the form of a semisphcie and its llv project the light yet neither the sourceolj light'nor any of the reflecting siii"faeesw illbe visible, as

was shown by'aiiv actual test and-Aso there is none of'the glareso. 'objectionable in the usual lamp; 1 g l l/Vhat l claim is:

.1. A. vehicle head lampli'reflector' coin-"- prising a hollow cup-.like reflector open at its top and concealing a source Aof* light; one. A

part of. thecupl being4 semispherical and the other substantiallysemiparaboloidah a plane ,reflecting surface inclined upwardly and forwardly from ythe rear member of reflecting surface lto a point whichconceals 'all olf the reflecting surfaces from the front; said visor or hood .having side flanges extending back to the rear edge of the inclined front half substantiallyv selniparaboloid'ail,` a

source of, light concealed within said cup rear edge of the hollow chamber and a flat Y reflecting visor or hood the said lcup-like reflectorfand a'refle'ctingY visor 'or hood having depending sideflanges extending' back to therear edge offthe said plane reflector; the visor or hood being inclined forwardly and downwardly 'from theforward edge of' the plane' .reflector to a point, which conceals all .of the`v reflecting .surfaces 4from'the front.

In testimony 'whereof v'affix signature. lMONROE E. EPSTEINT

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