A lighting device for a vehicle includes an optical fiber having a light emitting end. A reflecting plate extends frontward of the light emitting end of the optical fiber, and separates a region frontward of the light emitting end of the optical fiber into first and second sub regions. The reflecting plate serves to reflect a portion of light emitted from the light emitting end of the optical fiber. An optical member is located at one of the first and second sub regions. The optical member is separate from the light emitting end of the optical fiber. The optical member serves to act on light emitted from the light emitting end of the optical fiber and light reflected by the reflecting plate.
A headlamp for a vehicle includes a holder for a light-distribution optical fiber of the type that has an output end emanating light of known spatial-intensity distribution, an optical coupler that has an input end adjacent the holder and includes a plurality of elements, each of which is positioned to receive light from a selected area of the light of known spatial intensity distribution and to alter the intensity or spatial distribution of that light to provide a predetermined spatial intensity distribution at an output of said coupler, and a projection lens to project the predetermined spatial intensity distribution to a desired illumination pattern. The optical coupler may be in the form of a mask and one or more filters or may be a number of light-transmitting elements that carry light from one spatial part of the input to a different spatial part in the output. In general, the optical coupler alters the intensity or angular distribution of the light pattern at the input to produce a desired light pattern at the output for projection onto the road by the projection lens.
