Just a quick one.

[Kerplunk]

Can someone explain to me what Ellipsoidal headlights are? Are these just a fancy name for 'standard' lights?

I thank you !

 

[Confused]

Where the reflector isn't round.

 

[Vonhelmet]

I didn't even know they made them with spherical reflectors.

Optics fail, yo.

 

[Kerplunk]

Perhaps this isnt gonna be a quick one lol

What do you mean by the reflectors arent round? Square lights??

Cheers

 

[Confused]

The reflectors are the silver bit that directs the light from the bulb.


Older designs were spherical - usually around 7" in diameter. Think Mk1 MX-5's, old Ford Anglia's etc.


Ellipsoidal basically means they're not round. So, pretty much any headlight since those ones!

 

[Vonhelmet]

Perhaps this isnt gonna be a quick one lol

What do you mean by the reflectors arent round? Square lights??

Cheers

Shaped like an ellipse. Like if you cut an eggshell in half and used the pointy end.

BEST ANALOGY EVAR.

 

[Jonny69]

I looked up elipsoid hoping it might be half an elipse in section.

WRONG!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsoid

I think it means it's got the flat reflecting surfaces in the elipse, like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsoidal_reflector_spotlight

 

[Vonhelmet]

I looked up elipsoid hoping it might be half an elipse in section.

WRONG!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsoid

I think it means it's got the flat reflecting surfaces in the elipse, like this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellipsoidal_reflector_spotlight

Meh, so it's an approximation to an elliptical surface. Makes sense, as an actual elliptical surface would be prohibitively expensive for those purposes.