Lamp lens or bezel with visual effect
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsPhilippe Schottland, David S. Bryce, Thomas Bouchard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Lenses and bezels for lamps provide an appealing aesthetic look in the form of a colored glow at the edges of the lens or bezel by incorportation of an photoluminescent material in a molded polycarbonate body. The lenses are particularly suitable for use as an automotive outer lens, and can also improve the quality of the light emitted through this outer lens by interacting with the light bulb. The emitted beam is of a legal color and intensity as defined per the SAE J578 standard. The lighting performance may also be improved in such manner as reducing glare, increasing brightness or producing a beam that enhances road visibility at night to the human eye.
Claims99
An automotive headlamp comprising a housing for receiving a light source and an outer lens disposed such that light from a light source disposed in the housing passes through the lens, wherein the lens comprises a polycarbonate and a photoluminescent material and is compliant with SAE standards for automotive headlamps and provides a visual effect at least at an edge of the lens as a result of photoluminescense from the photoluminescent material.
An automotive headlamp comprising a housing for receiving a light source, a bezel and an outer lens disposed such that light from a light source disposed in the housing passes through the bezel and the lens, wherein the bezel comprises a polycarbonate and an photoluminescent material and headlamp is compliant with SAE standards for automotive headlamps,and wherein the bezel provides a visual effect at least at an edge of the bezel as a result of photoluminescense from the photoluminescent material.
A lens comprising a molded body having a generally concave outer surface, a generally flat or convex inner surface and an edge surface, wherein the molded body is formed from a composition comprising polycarbonate and an photoluminescent material, and wherein white light transmitted through the lens results in emission from the fluorescent dye which is conducted to a substantial extent to the edge surface of the lens thereby creating a colored visual effect at the edge of the lens.
A bezel comprising an annular molded body having a generally concave outer surface, a generally flat or convex inner surface and inner and outer edge surfaces, wherein the molded body is formed from a composition comprising polycarbonate and an photoluminescent material, and wherein white light transmitted through the bezel results in emission from the fluorescent dye which is conducted to a substantial extent to the edge surfaces of the bezel thereby creating a colored visual effect at the edges of the bezel.
A method for making or bezel having a luminescent visual effect for an automotive headlamp, comprising the steps of preparing a molding composition comprising a polycarbonate and a photoluminescent material, molding the lens or bezel from the molding composition, and optionally forming cuts or protrusions, or both, in a surface of the lens or bezel article to define the graphic image, wherein the step of forming the cuts or protrusions can occur during or subsequent to the molding step, and wherein the luminescent visual effect occurs at least at an edge of the lens or bezel and at cuts and protrusions formed therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.