Polarized headlamps and rear view mirrors

(19)

(11)

EP 0 930 457 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	14.03.2001 Bulletin 2001/11

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	21.07.1999 Bulletin 1999/29

(21)	Application number: 99100711.3

(22)	Date of filing: 15.01.1999

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: F21M 3/26

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30)

Priority:

15.01.1998 US 7725

(71)	Applicant: TRW Inc.
	Redondo Beach, California 90278 (US)

(72)	Inventors:
	Huang, Marshall Y. Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275 (US) Lo, John E. Glendale, CA 91207 (US)

(74)	Representative: Schmidt, Steffen J., Dipl.-Ing.
	Wuesthoff & Wuesthoff, Patent- und Rechtsanwälte, Schweigerstrasse 2 81541 München 81541 München (DE)

(54)	Polarized headlamps and rear view mirrors

(57) The present invention provides an apparatus including polarized headlamps (14) for a trailing vehicle (12) and polarized rear view mirrors (18) for a leading vehicle (16). Preferably, each headlamp (14) includes a body (22) having an illuminating element (24) disposed therein and a lens (36) secured to the body (22) such that the illuminating element (24) is enclosed therein. Similarly, each rear view mirror (18) includes a frame (32) and a lens (38) secured to the frame (32). The headlamp lens (38) is polarized in a first direction (25) to reduce the intensity of radiation (20) emitted therefrom. Further, the mirror lens (18) is polarized in a second direction (40), orthogonal to the first direction (25), to reduce the intensity of the reflected headlamp radiation (20') a second time. As such, the intensity of the observable reflected headlamp radiation (20') is greatly reduced while the intensity of reflected ambient light remains observably unaffected.

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