Usage: headlight projection type, intended for self-propelled vehicles, in which between the screen 3 and the lens 4 at the lower side of the latter there is a reflective segment 5, the reflective surface of which is located at the side of the lens 4 and is inclined at an angle in the vertical section (i 5). The objective 4 is followed by a refractor equipped with strip lenses 62 of diameter (R) and width (H), the lenses covering the reflective surface 51 of the segment 5. The reflective surface 51 is either circularly symmetrical or planar. 5 salary f-ly, 4 ill.

The invention relates to a projection-type headlight intended for self-propelled vehicles, wherein the headlight has an increased intensity of illumination by a passing light beam above the boundary of light and darkness and increased penetration of light into fog. In the case of well-known elliptical diopter headlights comprising an elliptical reflector, a screen and a lens, the lens is designed to direct the light beam away from the reflector so that it is directed almost entirely below a horizontal plane, so that the intensity of illumination above said plane is minimal. This makes it possible to reduce the glare of drivers of passing vehicles, but, on the other hand, due to poor lighting, the perception of vertical road signs or signals is limited, since the brightness of the transmitting surfaces of such signs when illuminated by such headlights is relatively low. This reduced light intensity above the light-dark boundary does not allow the driver to sufficiently control his activities in the upper part of the operating space. This can have a negative impact on any movement on untreated and unlit roads, in particular in the absence of the so-called silhouette visibility created by the light of passing cars. A headlight for self-propelled vehicles is known, containing a concave reflector for integrating light, a light source located in the inner part of the reflector, a lens, a refractor, and a screen located between the reflector and the lens. It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art as mentioned above and to provide an improved headlamp comprising a concave reflector which is designed to integrate light generated by a light source. In front of the reflector there is a screen for establishing and forming the upper part of the beam of transmitted light or light in fog and a lens for displaying the brightness contrast of the dark surface of the background screen of the light reflector on the road. On the underside of the lens according to the present invention, a reflective segment is provided, the reflective surface of which faces the lens. In a vertical section, the reflective surface has an inclination of the radius of the focal hole of the lens and forms a circularly symmetrical, flat or randomly shaped surface. Light from the reflector face strikes the reflective surface of the reflective segment, and the lens creates an image of said surface on the upper half of the space. In the case where the headlamp is equipped with a refractor located behind the lens, the light beam coming from the reflective segment is spread laterally through a stripe lens area that is created on the refractor and which covers the lower part of the lens. At the same time, it is possible to provide optimal level illumination intensity is higher than the border of light and darkness, both in terms of illumination and glare, and improving the visibility of vertical road signs and road markings, as well as any possible obstacles and pedestrians and, in addition, improving the driver's orientation when driving on unlit roads and controlling the position and movement of the vehicle in the forward direction. A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a vertical section through A-A headlights; Figure 2 shows a view of the P phase in the direction of the light beam; Figure 3 shows a horizontal section B-B refractor headlights; Figure 4 shows the projection of the light rays of the headlight on roadway. As can be seen from the drawings and, in particular, from Fig. 1, the light source 2 of the headlight is located on the axis 12 and close to the top 11 of the concave (parabolic) reflector 1. The light source 2 is formed by a transversely or axially oriented body of approximately cylindrical shape, for example spiral filament of an incandescent lamp or other discharge tube. Reflector 1 is followed by screen 3, the edge 31 of which is on the same horizontal plane as fog lamp and at the same time diverges from the low beam headlight. Further from the screen 3 at a distance X F from it there is a lens 4 with a diameter D (Fig. 2), which is designed to collimate the rays 13, 14 coming from the reflector 1. Closer to the lens 4 at its lower side there is a reflective segment 5 having a reflective surface 51 located close to said lens 4, and its angle of inclination i 5 corresponds to the equation: i 5 (2 -1/2 -2 1/2) agc tg (D/X F, (1) where D is the diameter of the lens 4; X F the distance between the screen 3 and the lens 4. The angle i 5 is either constant in the longitudinal direction or varies in a given range along the length, while the vertical size of the light beam formed by it can be adjusted. The reflective surface 51 of the reflective segment 5 is either symmetrical in the circular direction relative to it. axis 52 of this segment 5, or planar. Further from the lens 4 there is a refractor 6 equipped with strip lenses 62. Fig. 2 shows the lens 4, the reflective segment 5 and the refractor 6 with a zone 61 of strip lenses 62, with the said zone 61 completely or partially overlaps the reflective surface 51 of the reflective segment 5. The strip lenses 62 of the refractor 6 are located in an approximately vertical position. As can be seen in Fig. 3, the B-B section of the refractor 6 in zone 61 shows the reflective profile of the lenses 62, the width H of which corresponds to the equation H (0.2 2 1/2)R, (2) where R is the diameter of the strip lenses 62. On a roadway comprising a center line 81, a left shoulder 82, and a right shoulder 83, Figure 4 shows a beam of light 7 having a horizontal left-hand portion 71 of the light-dark boundary and a right-hand portion 72 breaking at this boundary as the light passes, as well as a horizontal portion 73 s fog light. The rays 15, 16 coming from the edge of the reflector 1 are directed by the reflective segment 5 and the lens 4 into the upper half of the space, where they form a beam of light 91. The strip lenses 62 of the refractor 6 develop the said beam 91 into a beam 92. By changing the lateral size of the said beam 92 The light intensity can be adjusted from an optimal value both in terms of illumination and glare. The headlight according to the invention is designed for any self-propelled vehicles operating on land.

Claim

1. A projection-type headlight intended for self-propelled vehicles, containing a concave reflector for integrating light, a light source located in the inner part of the reflector, a lens, a refractor and a screen located between the reflector and the lens, characterized in that it is equipped with a reflective segment with a reflective surface on the lens side, located between the screen and the lens, and the angle of inclination of the reflective surface i 5 in the vertical section corresponds to the following relationship i 5 = (2 -1/2 2 1/2)arctgD/x F, where D is the diameter of the lens; x F is the distance between the screen and the lens. 2. The headlight according to claim 1, characterized in that the refractor is equipped with a zone of strip lenses that covers the lower part of the lens, and the width H of the strip lenses corresponds to the ratio
H = (0.2-2 1/2)R,
where R is the diameter of the strip lenses. 3. Headlight according to paragraphs. 1 and 2, characterized in that the reflective surface of the reflective segment is made of a symmetrical shape in the circular direction. 4. Headlight according to paragraphs. 1 and 2, characterized in that the reflective surface of the reflective segment is made planar. 5. Headlight according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the angle of inclination i 5 of the reflective surface of the reflective segment is made to vary in the longitudinal direction. 6. Headlight according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the axis of rotation of the reflective surface of the reflective segment is made identical to the axis of the lens.

• The most popular devices in the field of auto lighting.
• Headlights emit the highest quality and brightest light using .
• The lamps operate due to the presence in the bulb of a mixture of inert gases, including xenon.
• This type of headlights comes complete with premium and business class cars. Can be optionally installed in budget cars.
• Compared to halogen headlights, this type headlights have a more complex design.
• The system includes not only a headlight, xenon lamps, but also ignition units. light lamps that require the proper voltage level. The voltage is 10-20 kV. Ballasts also maintain a glowing charge as long as the lamps are on.
• There are two types of xenon headlights. The first type of headlights is reflector. The second type is floodlight. These headlights are most popular among market consumers.
• The headlights can be divided into low and high beam modes. But in most cases, bi-xenon headlights are used: the low/high beam functions are implemented in one headlight.
• Cut-off boundaries in bi-xenon optics can be reproduced in several ways.
  Method one: Light screen in projector headlights.
  Method two: Horizontal movement of the discharge lamp in reflective headlights.
• Bi-xenon type headlights are mostly equipped with a special rotation module: vertical, horizontal plane.
• Due to the nature of xenon headlights, they must always be combined with

ECE, DOT and JDM standards

Headlights (or lighting fixtures) that satisfy European requirements"ECE" (Economic Commission of Europe, EEC/UN), indicated by the letter E and numbers in a circle. The number indicates the country that certified this product(1 - Germany, 2 - France, 3 - Italy,.., 22 - Russia). Both ECE and DOT regulations only regulate low beam adjustment.

Since 1957, for the light of “European” cars, a “clear” cut-off line with asymmetrical light distribution has been established (the right side rises upward at an angle of 15°, providing accentuated illumination of the right side of the road). In addition, the ECE standard prescribes a lower permissible level of glare for oncoming drivers than, for example, in the United States.

*note-1: in countries with left-hand traffic, for example, in the UK with country code 11, the requirements may be mirror different;
**note 2: in general, excluding the specularity of left-hand traffic, in the rules of lighting technology a number of countries are gradually migrating to European standards: Great Britain in the late 1970s, Australia in the 1980s, Japan in the 1990s.

Unlike European ones, the light of North American headlights is distributed almost symmetrically. Lighting devices intended for the USA are marked with the abbreviation DOT (Department Of Transport, US Department of Transportation). As DOT places greater emphasis on road sign and marking lighting, this ultimately translates into higher permissible level glare (dazzle effect) for oncoming traffic. In addition, in the USA, headlights are supposed to be adjusted only vertically.

Lighting devices intended for domestic market Japanese cars(JDM, Japan Domestic Market) are designed for Left side traffic, and essentially satisfy the mirror copy of ECE.
Three types of car headlights

Parabolic - the most common are conventional headlights with a parabolic reflector. Their feature is that the light bulb is located at the focus (focal point), due to which the reflector directs the light beam along the axis (convenient for high beam). The diffuser expands the beam horizontally. Useful way out light (“efficiency”) of such headlights is about 27%.

FF reflectors are an elliptical “free form” reflector (free form, freie flechen). The surface of the reflector, calculated on a computer, is divided into separate segments, each of which is responsible for its own part of the illuminated space. The beam is distributed more specifically and its range increases, and the "efficiency" increases. reaches about 45%.

Projection DE. All more models cars are moving away from traditional parabolic headlights, which are beginning to lose significantly in efficiency. Manufacturers are beginning to prefer headlights with ellipsoidal reflectors - popularly called spot or lens optics. The rays of a lamp located at the first focus are collected at the second and then enter a collecting lens. For the first time, “lens” low-beam headlights appeared in 1986 on the BMW “Seven”. The rays, collecting at the second focus of the reflector, are “cut” by the screen, which provides a given cut-off line, and then focused again by the lens. Their efficiency (especially the second generation) is already beginning to exceed 50%. At the same time, together with perfectly focused bright light, lens optics try to protect the eyes of oncoming drivers from it, preventing dangerous exposure oncoming traffic(but more on that below).
Advantages of projection headlights:
- increased light output with better efficiency.
- improved visibility, greater safety and visibility.
- modern style type of car.

Disadvantages: usually quite high cost.
Black and white border
According to the standards of most countries, one of the most important characteristics The car's lighting fixtures serve as the so-called "cut-off line" (low beam) - an arbitrary line where the beam of your headlights ends, turning into almost complete darkness ahead on the road. As can be seen from the figure, the line is asymmetrical: the beam on the right extends slightly further than the left.

You can add one more illustration here, which shows that the right headlight “hits” brighter and further, and the left one - just enough so as not to blind oncoming traffic. This is the standard European spot light pattern for right-hand traffic- on the right it is longer to better illuminate the side of the road - exactly where you can expect, for example, the sudden appearance of an unexpected figure or children running out. Obviously, the implementation of such a complex light profile is not the easiest thing, and it is also clear that the quality of car headlights today largely depends on the perfection of the manufacturer's technology and on its precise tuning.
How does lens optics work?
The term “lens” means that the headlight now has a lens - it allows you to get a light beam from a smaller surface of the reflector that is superior in properties to a regular one. In general, a projection-type headlight is an optical system consisting of an elliptical reflector, a screen (curtain) and a convex (spherical or elliptical) lens. The whole structure resembles a projector, which was simply inserted into the headlight and covered from the outside with transparent glass or a diffuser.

Here, the rays of a light source located at the first focus of the system are reflected by an elliptical reflector and collected at the second focus, where, “cut off” by the screen, they are then projected by the lens onto the road.
What exactly is cutting off the light from above?
Cutting off overhead light, especially that which interferes with oncoming traffic, has been an ECE requirement since 1957. In lens optics, although general form The beam is created by a reflector; a screen placed at the second focus of the system is responsible for cutting off the upper light, ultimately setting the cut-off horizon. Someone will ask why the screen (in the figure) is at the bottom if the light needs to be cut off from above? It's as simple as physics: projectors turn over "what they project."

In other cases, even minor deviations can cause the headlights to become dangerous for oncoming drivers, plus can significantly impair your own visibility. For example, most likely, few will notice the difference if you turn a regular headlight by 4 degrees. But turn the beam of lens optics 4 degrees - you will immediately discover that there is something wrong with your light, not to mention other people.

As you know, the brightness of the luminous flux of xenon lamps is approximately twice as high as conventional ones, and headlights can become a source of severe glare. Therefore, the EEC rules have recently been supplemented with the requirement that lensed optics must have automatic system adjustment of the light beam in the vertical plane (Automatic Level adjuster), as well as headlight washers.

Why a washer is so necessary may seem strange, but this follows from the results of studies by Alferdinck, Hella, Bosch and others, namely: dirt accumulating on headlight lenses potentially increases the glare effect by up to 300% compared to clean lenses. This is especially true for high-brightness headlights. Currently everything production cars equipped with the necessary devices.

The first plastic diffuser appeared in 1993 on Opel sedans Omega - this allowed us to reduce the weight of the headlight by almost a kilogram!

There are many misconceptions when it comes to headlights. Considering that headlights are one of the most important features cars, many people think that there is no misinformation about front optics. After all, it seemed that car front optics had a simple and understandable design. However, there are many types of headlight designs in the auto industry, causing confusion. In this article, I want to clear up any misconceptions and explain the design of various headlights nowadays.

And so I divided the article into three parts:

- Housing and design of headlights

- Lamps

- Other relevant information/Miscellaneous

SECTION 1: Headlight housing and design

The headlight housing is the part of the optics within which the lighting lamp is installed. As you know on modern market There are many different lighting lamps for cars, ranging from conventional halogen to laser technology. The design of the headlight housing also depends on what kind of lighting lamp is installed in the front optics.

Reflector

Headlights with reflectors installed in the front optics housing are the most common in the automotive industry today. Although at the moment there is a tendency to replace headlights with reflectors with lensed optics. I'm not going to bore you with the science of how a car headlight works. In short, a lighting lamp is usually installed inside the headlight next to the reflector. The light that the headlight emits is reflected from the chrome paint that is applied to the reflector. As a result, the light of the lamp, reflected from the chrome surface, comes out onto the road.

Typically halogen car lamp also has a small area of ​​chrome or protective coating made of another material (usually placed on the front end of the lamp), which prevents direct rays of light from entering the eyes of drivers of oncoming cars. As a result, the lamp does not emit light directly onto the road, but hits a reflector, which scatters the light rays and sends them onto the road.

Recently it seemed that this type of lamp would soon disappear from the auto industry. Especially after they appeared. But the bottom line is that today, halogen car bulbs are still the most common in the automotive world.

Lens

Headlights with lenses inside are currently gradually losing popularity to optics with reflectors. Let us remind you that lensed headlights first appeared on expensive luxury cars. But then, as technology became cheaper, front lens optics began to appear on ordinary, inexpensive ones. vehicles.

What are lensed front optics? As a rule, this type of headlights uses lenses instead of reflectors (a special optical bulb that does not reflect the emitted light from the lamps onto the road, but in fact, uses projection to transmit illumination to the road).

Currently, there are a huge number of different types of lenses and designs of lensed headlights.

But the meaning of lensed optics is the same. What is a lens in a headlight and how does it work?

The fact is that licked headlights form a beam of light to illuminate the road in a completely different way, unlike optics with reflectors.

For example, there is also a chrome-plated reflector inside the lens that reflects light from the lamp. But unlike a conventional reflector, the structure of a lensed reflector is created in such a way as not to direct light onto the road, but to collect it in a special place inside the headlight - on a special metal plate. This plate, in essence, collects light into a single beam and redirects it into the lens, which in turn projects a directed beam of light onto the road.

Typically, a lens headlight provides superior light output with a sharp cutoff line and focused beam.

SECTION 2: Lamps

As we have already said, the most important thing in any headlight is the light source. The most common light sources in car headlights are halogen incandescent lamps.

In some cases you will have to purchase new optics. But since LEDs have a very long service life, even today the use of LED road lighting is economically justified.

Lasers (future)

Currently a number automobile companies have already begun to be implemented on some expensive models a new generation of optics, which is equipped with innovative lasers as light sources.

True for now laser optics in the automotive industry it still remains a rarity due to the high cost of manufacturing such optics.

So how do laser optics work? In fact, laser headlights also use LEDs, which, when exposed to the laser, produce a more uniform and brighter glow. Thus, the luminous flux of conventional LEDs is 100 lumens, while in laser optics LEDs produce 170 lumens.

The main advantage of laser headlights is their energy consumption. So, compared to LED automotive optics, laser headlights With LEDs they consume half the energy.

Another advantage of laser headlights is the size of the diodes used. For example, a laser LED, which is one hundred times smaller than a conventional LED, produces the same level of luminescence. As a result, this allows automakers to reduce the size of headlights without losing the quality of road lighting.

Unfortunately, laser light sources in the automotive industry are very, very expensive these days. So in soon laser optics will not be widely used. But in the future, most likely, laser headlights will gradually replace all traditional car lighting sources.

SECTION 3: Other Important Information/Miscellaneous

Now that we've covered everything Various types technologies of front automotive optics, it's time to talk about some emerging issues. So, for example, let's find out whether it can be used in halogen headlights xenon lamps and vice versa?

As a rule, to use xenon lamps, the front optics must be equipped with a lens that projects light onto the road. Also, xenon optics are required; as a rule, they are equipped with a headlight range control.

Mostly these days, automatic headlight leveling is used, which changes the angle of the lens in order to protect oncoming drivers from the bright daylight of xenon headlights. The angle changes depending on the number of passengers inside. In addition, all xenon headlights must be equipped with an optics washer, since a xenon light source is not effective with dirty headlights.

As for halogen lamps, unlike xenon lamps, they can be installed in lensed optics. What about LEDs? Since LED lamps, as a rule, have a directional light source, install them in a headlight with ordinary reflectors not safe, since in this case the efficiency of road lighting will be low. Therefore, most automakers equip LED optics lenses that project light from LEDs onto the road. More about this below:

Is it possible to install xenon lamps in regular headlights with reflectors?

In principle, it is possible, but nothing good will come of it. Firstly, according to Russian legislation, the use of xenon lamps in headlights with reflectors is strictly prohibited, since this creates a danger for oncoming drivers on the road, who may be blinded by the bright source of light from xenon lamps scattered by the headlight reflectors.

As a result, by installing xenon lamps in headlights with reflectors, you will only get an externally beautiful glow. But the road illumination will be much worse than when using halogen lamps, since xenon lighting sources require lensed optics. In addition, xenon lamps installed in the reflector provide disgusting illumination of the road in rainy weather.

In particular, we would like to note that xenon lamps in short term will burn out the chrome plating of your reflectors. As a result, even if you subsequently install halogen lamps again, your headlights will not shine as efficiently as before.

What is the responsibility for installing xenon lamps in headlights with reflectors?

As we have already said, installing xenon light sources in car lights equipped with reflectors for halogen lamps is prohibited.

Thus, in accordance with Part 3 of Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, driving a vehicle on the front of which is installed lighting devices with red lights or red reflective devices, as well as lighting devices, the color of the lights and the operating mode of which do not comply with the requirements of the Basic Regulations for the admission of vehicles to operation and responsibilities officials on security traffic entails deprivation driver's license for a period of 6 months to 1 year with confiscation of xenon equipment and lamps.

That is, in other words, if you illegally install xenon lamps on your car in headlights that are not intended for this type of light source, then you will not be fined, but will be immediately deprived of driver's license, and after the end of the period of deprivation you will have to retake the theoretical exam.

Is it possible to install LED bulbs in a xenon headlight lens?

Theoretically it is possible. But you will have to buy and install either the Chinese version, which is unlikely to please you with the quality of road illumination and durability, or you will have to disassemble the headlight and install another block lens. In the latter option, the quality of lighting will indeed be better and perhaps even more efficient than xenon light sources. But again, if you buy high-quality LED lamps and a block lens for them, which costs a lot of money.

As for the legislation, at the moment there is no direct ban on the use of LED low and high beam lamps in conventional headlights. There are also no uniform standards or GOSTs yet that would prescribe rules for the installation and use of LED low- and high-lighting sources on vehicles.

At the moment, rules and standards are just being developed. So in the near future, most likely, everything will happen exactly the same as with xenon lamps. Remember what happened on Russian roads 10 years ago, when every second car was equipped with non-factory xenon. It's the same picture today.

Things get worse every day on the road more cars with non-factory LED low and high beam lamps, when most owners of cars equipped with headlights with conventional reflectors no longer use xenon lighting sources for fear of losing their license (although many have already realized that “collective farm” xenon actually reduces safety on the road).

So using LED lamps in reflectors or lenses for xenon is just as dangerous as using “collective farm” xenon, since an LED lamp will not effectively illuminate the road in a reflector or lens designed for a xenon lamp.

Remember that LEDs also require a special spotlight (block lens with special equipment, which collects light from the LED lamp into a beam and directs it into the glass lens).

What is Bi-Xenon?

The term Bi-Xenon means that the car is equipped with a single xenon lamp that performs the work of both a low beam source and a high beam source. Those cars that are not equipped with Bi-Xenon headlights are usually equipped with either halogen lamps or combined light sources (low beam: xenon lamps, high beam: conventional incandescent halogen lamp).

There are two types of Bi-xenon headlights common in the automotive industry.

The first type uses a special shutter in the lens located outside the xenon lamp bulb. As a result, when the high beam is turned on, the curtain directs the light source to the reflector, which then sends light to the lens in the high beam spectrum.

With the second type of Bi-xenon headlights, a special Bi-xenon lamp is used, which, for example, when the high beam is turned on, independently moves the lamp bulb relative to the reflector built into the lens. As a result, light is projected onto the road in the low-beam spectrum.

Which headlights are better: Halogen, Xenon or LED?

There is currently great controversy about this. As they say, how many people, so many opinions. However, today it is already known that halogen lamps cannot withstand any competition compared to xenon and LED artificial light sources.

It seems that the fashion for eye-eaten “collective farm” xenon has finally passed, but today LED artillery, which has not yet been banned, is entering the battle. A logical question arises: are the standard headlight bulbs really so bad that you need to look for an alternative, or are there other options?

Kulibins will not disappear in Russia, no matter what GOSTs and TUs are admonished to them, no matter what fines they intimidate for interfering with the design of the car. And the reason here is not at all the itch of invention. Most standards of civilization end beyond the bypass roads of large cities.

The hype around LED or LED bulbs has fueled Chinese manufacturers lighting equipment, throwing it onto the market for last years a huge number of product options for headlights. Whether it is of good quality or not is another matter, but the buyer, as they say, caught fire.

Game without rules

Indeed, modern LEDs can last up to forty years; they are insensitive to temperature changes, and most importantly, to vibrations and shocks. And the light output, at first glance, is considerable - up to 30–60 lm/W or more versus 10–17 lm/W for an incandescent lamp, and it grows, with the development of technology, from year to year.

It would seem, buy and install such light bulbs, besides, the cunning Chinese have produced them in all known types of bases, which we recently wrote about. There are a great variety of designs: with one or more LEDs, with or without a small focusing lens... Sellers promise fantastic light, but, alas, they are lying to the eye.

But what about UNECE rules No. 112, on the basis of which national standards for automotive lighting were created, in particular GOST R 41.112–2005? After all, they clearly state that headlights marked C - low beam, R - high beam, CR - dual-mode (low and high beam) beam, and they are either designed to work with incandescent lamps, or in the case of the markings HC, HR and HCR are suitable, accordingly, only for halogen incandescent lamps. For HID gas dischargers, or xenon lamps, their headlight standards are UNECE rules No. 98 or GOST R 41.98–99. All of them are on the official website of the Economic Commission for Europe.

For LED headlights head light (not to be confused with today's standardized daytime running lights!) uniform rules are still under development, i.e. GOST only shines for them, which gives rise to a huge number of experiments by car owners.

Focus with focus

Alas, the experimental way to achieve results is not always the best and shortest, and trying to achieve the perfection of Volkswagen, Opel or Audi, which has LED headlights costing several thousand euros per unit in its A8 or R8 models, is not guaranteed to work. Getting to the level of Peugeot or Kia is also unlikely - and everything is not easy there.

It’s not just about that very “bird” that each of us saw on the focusing stand - the main parameter correct settings headlights You can get something similar with LEDs, and the light spot will be tolerable in shape.

It would seem that the LED temperature is correct (4500–5000 K), and the brightness is colossal (up to 3000 lm) with a power consumption of 20–30 W, but still the headlights will either shine mediocrely or be blinding. And the point here is not only in the brightness of the light source, but also in its geometric characteristics. What we see in the headlights largely depends on the shape, size and orientation of the tungsten filament.

For example, a filament strictly 4.1 mm long is required for a lamp with an H7 socket and not only that. Moreover, the distance from the base support area to the bottom edge of the spiral should be exactly 25 mm! A system for dispersing and focusing the headlights of the vast majority of cars has been developed for them: either a spotlight system - with a traditional design of reflectors and lenses, or, in common parlance, a lensed system - a projector system. But not under the glowing squares, rectangles and ovals of LEDs.

For LED headlight designs, special projector focusing schemes are still used, which are fundamentally familiar from both halogen and xenon headlights. Premium segment cars began to use matrix configurations for beam formation and control, which require complex calculations and expensive auxiliary electronics.

Even the simplest LED lamps require pulsed, stabilized power supply and a cooling system - the basis for correct, long and uninterrupted operation devices. Not to mention the mentioned focusing structures, which cannot be done on the knee.

Yes, there are companies that have mastered the production of LED headlight assemblies. For example, in the line of the German Herth+Buss there is a version for our Niva. True, the set will cost as much as 44 thousand rubles! Again, German Hella, American J.W. Speaker and other companies have launched the production of projector focusing LED modules that are mounted in certain types of headlights. But to mass production none of this is relevant yet.

Before playing tricks with headlights, it’s a good idea to turn to your 7th grade school physics textbook. Read about illumination, luminous intensity, reflectance of various surfaces. You can finally check out the online resource, where some patented headlight designs are presented.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

So, do we have any chance of getting excellent headlights at a reasonable cost? If we talk about LED low and high beams, then today this is the case. Until a unified design of headlights for LED lamps appears, this pleasure will either be insanely expensive or ineffective.

But there is still a way out, even with the notorious halogens. A well-made, serviceable and adjusted headlight, even with a 55-watt bulb, will provide safe lighting in most cases. Naturally, if the headlight glass is not covered with dirt, the reflector has not peeled off, and the voltage in the car network is at least 12 V.

If, despite all the conditions being met, you are not satisfied with the job standard headlights, you can try to supply analogues from alternative manufacturers, if any are found. However, if you like tuning headlights with modified filling, get ready for the fact that they will most likely be Chinese or Taiwanese. For owners of VAZ products - domestic ones.

Approximate cost of headlights for popular models cars in Russia, rub./pcs.

car brand	Original	Depo (Taiwan)	Hella (Germany)	Direct parts (China)	Magneti Marelli (Italy)	Alkar (Spain)
Hyundai Solaris	8340	-	-	4800	-	-
Renault Duster	5209	2994	-	-	-	4059
Renault Logan	4441	1955	-	-	-	2409
VW Polo sedan	9841	5037	10 775	-	7952	-
Lada Granta	4900	-	-	-	-	-
Skoda Octavia	9190	-	-	-	10 012	-
Chevrolet Cruze	16 390	4194	-	-	-	9336
Nissan Qashqai	10 924	7480	9190	-	-	-
Kia cee'd	29 430	-	-	-	-	-
Nissan Almera	13 120	5810	-	-	-	-