Headlamps are an essential component of motor vehicles, not only for safe nighttime driving, but also as a prominent feature in vehicle styling. Innovations in headlamp technologies have been achieved in search of better lighting performance and greater styling freedom. Conventional headlamps characterized by lens ribbings and a parabolic reflector are being replaced by projector headlamps and ribbing-less headlamps such as multi-reflector and free-form reflector headlamps. In turn, these lamps are stimulating the demand for even more stylish headlamps. Aiming at an imaginary "compound eye" headlamp, a series of headlamps have been developed that are composed of one light source, one reflector and an arrangement of several small component lenses. These headlamps offer both a novel appearance and outstanding lighting performance, as their component lenses can be arranged in diverse patterns, from circular and rectangular to even diagonal. One version has already been installed on mass-produced vehicles, attracting the attention of car manufacturers across the world. In this paper, the technologies used in the development of the "Gatling beam" headlamp named after the Gatling gun are reported. For the covering abstract see ITRD E123380.
Abstract