Headlight assembly with multiple high aspect ratio lenses

Abstract

A headlight assembly including a plurality of low-beam modules and a plurality of high-beam modules are enclosed in a housing. The low-beam modules include a top reflector disposed above a low-beam LED light source that projects a height limited first beam of light through the low-beam lens. The high-beam modules include a bottom reflector disposed below a high-beam LED light source that projects a second beam of light through a high-beam lens above the first beam of light. Each module has an aspect ratio of 2:1 with the height of the lens being twice the width of the lens.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A headlight assembly comprising:
 a housing;   a plurality of low-beam modules attached to the housing including a top reflector disposed above a low-beam LED light source projecting a height limited first beam of light through a low-beam lens; and   a plurality of high-beam modules attached to the housing including a bottom reflector disposed below a high-beam LED light source projecting a second beam of light through a high-beam lens above the first beam of light.   
     
     
         2 . The headlight assembly of  claim 1  wherein three low-beam modules are assembled to the housing and two high-beam modules are assembled to the housing at an inboard location relative to the low-beam modules. 
     
     
         3 . The headlight assembly of  claim 1  wherein each low-beam module further comprises:
 an LED support extending in a horizontal plane and having an upper reflective surface that cooperates with the top reflector to project the height limited first beam of light. 
 
     
     
         4 . The headlight assembly of  claim 1  wherein each high-beam module further comprises:
 an LED support extending in a horizontal plane and having a lower reflective surface that cooperates with the bottom reflector to project the second beam of light. 
 
     
     
         5 . The headlight assembly of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of low-beam modules and the plurality of high-beam modules are assembled to the housing at an inboard location relative to the low-beam modules, wherein the low-beam modules further comprise an LED support extending in a horizontal plane and having an upper reflective surface that cooperates with the top reflector to project the height limited first beam of light; and the high-beam modules further comprise an LED support extending in a horizontal plane and having a lower reflective surface that cooperates with the bottom reflector to project the second beam of light. 
     
     
         6 . The headlight assembly of  claim 5  wherein the upper reflective surface of the plurality of low-beam modules relative to the top reflector is at a different height than the height of the upper reflective surface of an adjacent low-beam module, and wherein the lower reflective surface of the plurality of high-beam modules relative to the bottom reflector is at a different height than the height of the lower reflective surface of an adjacent high-beam module. 
     
     
         7 . The headlight assembly of  claim 1  wherein each low-beam modules further comprises:
 an LED support extending in a horizontal plane with a plurality of heat sink fins extending downwardly from the horizontal plane and having an upper reflective surface that cooperates with the top reflector to project the height limited first beam of light. 
 
     
     
         8 . The headlight assembly of  claim 7  further comprising a light blocker disposed between the upper reflective surface and the low-beam lens that limits the height of the first beam of light. 
     
     
         9 . The headlight assembly of  claim 1  wherein each high-beam module further comprises:
 an LED support extending in a horizontal plane with a plurality of heat sink fins extending upwardly from the horizontal plane and having a lower reflective surface that cooperates with the bottom reflector to project the second beam of light. 
 
     
     
         10 . The headlight assembly of  claim 1  wherein the low-beam lens and the high-beam lens have convex inner sides and convex outer sides that are generated about a central axis extending in a projection direction for each of the beams of light, and wherein two lateral portions of each lens are truncated to form a vertically extending lateral side surface of the lens. 
     
     
         11 . A headlight module comprising:
 a reflective platform;   a light source attached to the platform;   a partially parabolic reflector facing the platform; and   a lens having a convex inner side and convex outer side that are each generated about a central axis extending in a projection direction, and wherein two lateral portions of the lens are both truncated to form a vertically extending lateral side surface of the lens.   
     
     
         12 . The headlight module of  claim 11  wherein a height of the lens is greater than a width of the lens. 
     
     
         13 . The headlight module of  claim 11  wherein a height of the lens is more than two times a width of the lens. 
     
     
         14 . The headlight module of  claim 11  further comprising:
 a module housing that is attached to the two lateral portions of the lens, a lower end of the lens and an upper end of the lens, and wherein the module housing encloses the reflective platform, the partially parabolic reflector and the light source. 
 
     
     
         15 . The headlight module of  claim 14  further comprising:
 an attachment mechanism that connects the reflective platform, the partially parabolic reflector and the light source as a unit to the housing within a range of vertical locations relative to the central axis to adjust a light projection direction of the module. 
 
     
     
         16 . The headlight module of  claim 11  wherein the reflector is disposed above the platform and the light source to project a height limited beam of light through the lens. 
     
     
         17 . The headlight module of  claim 11  wherein the reflector is disposed below the platform and the light source to project a beam of light in an upwardly inclined direction through the lens. 
     
     
         18 . A headlight assembly comprising:
 a housing;   a plurality of low-beam modules attached to the housing including a top reflector disposed above a low-beam LED light source projecting a height limited first beam of light through a low-beam lens; and   a plurality of high-beam modules attached to the housing including a bottom reflector disposed below a high-beam LED light source projecting a second beam of light through a high-beam lens above the first beam of light, wherein each of the lenses have a convex inner side and convex outer side that are each generated about a central axis extending in a projection direction, and wherein two lateral portions of the lens are both truncated to form a vertically extending lateral side surface of the lens.   
     
     
         19 . The headlight assembly of  claim 18  further comprising an assembly housing wherein three low-beam modules are assembled to the assembly housing and two high-beam modules are assembled to the assembly housing at an inboard location relative to the low-beam modules. 
     
     
         20 . The headlight assembly of  claim 18  further comprising:
 an attachment mechanism that connects the top reflector and the low-beam LED light source as a unit to the housing within a range of vertical locations relative to the low-beam lens to adjust a light projection direction of the low-beam modules, wherein the attachment mechanism connects the bottom reflector and the high-beam LED light source as a unit to the housing within a range of vertical locations relative to the high-beam lens to adjust a light projection direction of the high-beam modules.