Lightweight rigid mirror and a method of producing a lightweight rigid mirror
AssigneeFlightsafety International Inc.
InventorJustin King Knaplund
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mirror body, a mirror array, and a method of producing a mirror and a mirror array are provided. The mirror body can be formed of a rigid foam and has a front surface with a shape adapted to reflect light that originates in a projector of a simulator. A block of the rigid foam may be machined to form the mirror body. A reflective material is positioned over the front surface to reflect light from the projector. In embodiments, the reflective material is a sheet of a metalized film. In embodiments, the reflective material is applied to the front surface in a first state and subsequently changes to a second state. The mirror array may be formed of two or more mirror bodies. In embodiments, a seam between adjacent mirror bodies is covered with the reflective material.
Claims20
A mirror for a simulator, comprising:
- a body including a front surface, a rear surface, a top surface, a bottom surface, a first side, and a second side, comprising:
- a rigid foam defining a first portion of the body;
- and
- an insert formed of a second material, wherein the insert defines a second portion of the body and the front surface, and wherein the front surface has a shape adapted to reflect light that originates in a projector of the simulator to a user;
- and
- a reflective material covering the front surface to reflect the light from the projector, wherein the reflective material is one or more of:
- (a) a metalized film;
- (b) biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BoPET);
- (c) a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET);
- (d) a metallized PET (polyester) film;
- (e) a vacuum metallized high gloss PET film;
- (f) an aluminized polyester film;
- (f) a polymer film coated with a metal;
- and (g) a material applied to the front surface in a first state and the material subsequently changes to a solid state.
A mirror array for a simulator, comprising:
- a first mirror body positioned adjacent to a second mirror body, wherein the mirror bodies comprise first portions formed of a foam, and wherein second portions of the mirror bodies are defined by inserts formed of a second material, the inserts defining front surfaces of the first and second mirror bodies;
- and
- a reflective material covering the front surfaces of the inserts.
A method of forming a mirror body for a simulator, comprising:
- shaping a substrate into a mirror body which includes a front surface with a geometry adapted to reflect light that originates in a projector of the simulator, wherein the mirror body is rigid, and wherein the substrate is one or more of:
- a polyurethane foam, a polyethylene foam, a polystyrene foam, a polyisocyanurate foam, a thermosetting polymer (or plastic), a metal foam, a syntactic foam, a cellulose foam, a high density urethane foam, a plastic, a fiberglass, a metal, a rubber, and a wood;
- and
- covering the front surface with a reflective material to reflect the light from the projector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.