Vehicular headlamp having reflector for controlling luminous intensity

Abstract

A vehicular headlamp having a reflector with the capability for controlling the luminous intensity distribution so as to attain a balance between the spread of light in luminous intensity distribution in the horizontal direction and the brightness required in the central part of the distribution. The reflecting surface of the reflector is divided into a plurality of regions in accordance with the necessary action of controlling the luminous intensity distribution. Some of these regions are each formed as an assembly of hyperbolic paraboloidal reflecting elements that form a luminous intensity distribution pattern that is broadly diffused in the horizontal direction, others of the reflecting regions are each formed as an assembly of elliptic paraboloidal reflecting elements that chiefly contribute to the formation of the central area of the luminous intensity distribution pattern, while still another reflecting region is formed as an assembly of bilobate hyperboloidal reflecting elements and, depending on the position of the selected light source (high or low beam) the latter region contributes to the formation of the central area of the luminous intensity distribution pattern of the high beam while contributing to the formation of a cut line that is characteristic of the low beam and that is inclined to the horizontal line of the luminous intensity distribution pattern of the low beam.