# US 2010/0165463 A1 · Triangular-pyramidal cube-corner retroreflective article having curved reflective lateral face > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0165463 A1 - Document ID: US20100165463A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/694,529 - Filed: 2010-01-27 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2003-12-02 - Assignees: Nippon Carbide Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Ikuo Mimura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100165463A1 ## CPC - G02B 5/124: plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet - B29D 11/00605: {Production of reflex reflectors} - Y10T 409/502624: Means for cutting groove - Y10T 428/2457: Parallel ribs and/or grooves - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - B29D: PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE (making granules B29B9/00; making preforms B29B11/00) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract To provide a retroreflective article formed of many triangular-pyramidal cube-corner retroreflective element pairs. One-side groove angle formed between a cross line between a plane vertical to the common plane and to a V-groove vertical plane which includes the base line of a V-shaped groove is vertical to the common plane, and a reflective lateral face containing the base line of the v-shaped groove, and the V-groove vertical plane, does not form a constant angle in the reflective lateral face but the lateral face forms a curved and/or multiple surface. A base line constituting any directional V-shaped groove in retroreflective element pairs is a nonlinear base line which does not form a linear trajectory and the reflective lateral face formed of the V-shaped groove forms a curved and/or multiple surface. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-6. (canceled) ### Claim 7 A retroreflective article comprising plural triangular-pyramidal cube-corner retroreflective element pairs formed of V-shaped groove groups (x, x, x, . . . , y, y, y, . . . , and z, z, z, . . . ) arranged at equal intervals from three directions and set on a common plane (S-S′) decided by base line groups of the V-shaped grove groups, in which the base line constituting any-directional V-shaped groove in the retroreflective element pairs is a nonlinear base line which does not form a linear trajectory and the reflective lateral face formed of the V-shaped groove forms a curved and/or multiple surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The retroreflective article according to claim 7, wherein a nonlinear factor (fx, fy, or fz) specified by the maximum distance between the intersect of a vertical line from the both-end straight line connecting both ends of the nonlinear base line to the nonlinear base line and the nonlinear side and the both-end straight line ranges between 0.0001 L and 0.05 L when assuming the length of the both-end straight line as L. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7, 8) The retroreflective article according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the trajectory of the nonlinear base line includes at least one curved line selected from a function obtained from a circular arc, trigonometric function (sine curve, cosine curve, or tangent curve), inverse trigonometric function, elliptic function, hyperbolic function, and function obtained by combining any of these functions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7, 8) The retroreflective article according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the trajectory of the nonlinear base line is shown by a broken line obtained by combining straight lines. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The retroreflective article according to claim 9, wherein a one-side groove angle (GLx, GRx, GLy, GRy, GLz, or GRz) formed of a line decided when a plane vertically intersecting with the both-end straight line intersects with the reflective lateral face and a V-groove vertical plane (Ux, Uy, or Uz) vertical to a common plane (S-S′) and including the both-end straight line do not form a constant angle with the maximum deviation of 0.0001 to 0.1° from a normal one-side groove angle for forming a cube corner or a reflective lateral face does not form a plane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The retroreflective article according to claim 11, wherein an internal angle of a base line triangle formed of the both-end straight line connecting both ends of base lines of three reflective lateral faces constituting the reflection elements ranges between 35 and 75°. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The retroreflective article according to claim 12, wherein an internal angle of a base line triangle formed of the both-end straight line connecting both ends of base lines of three reflective lateral faces constituting the reflection elements ranges between 45 and 70°. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The retroreflective article according to claim 13, wherein the depth of at least one of planes (Sx, Sy, or Sz) formed of each base line group of the three-directional V-shaped groove groups (x, x, x, . . . , y, y, y, . . . , and z, z, z, . . . ) is different from the depth of other planes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The retroreflective article according to claim 13, wherein an x-directional V-shaped groove does not pass through the intersect (A or B) between y-directional and z-directional V-shaped grooves and is formed at a position having an offset (Δx) shown by the maximum distance between the x-directional groove and a straight line connecting the intersects A and B, and the triangular-pyramidal cube-corner retroreflective element pair is an asymmetric pair. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The retroreflective article according to claim 10, wherein a one-side groove angle (GLx, GRx, GLy, GRy, GLz, or GRz) formed of a line decided when a plane vertically intersecting with the both-end straight line intersects with the reflective lateral face and a V-groove vertical plane (Ux, Uy, or Uz) vertical to a common plane (S-S′) and including the both-end straight line do not form a constant angle with the maximum deviation of 0.0001 to 0.1° from a normal one-side groove angle for forming a cube corner or a reflective lateral face does not form a plane. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The retroreflective article according to claim 16, wherein an internal angle of a base line triangle formed of the both-end straight line connecting both ends of base lines of three reflective lateral faces constituting the reflection elements ranges between 35 and 75°. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The retroreflective article according to claim 17, wherein an internal angle of a base line triangle formed of the both-end straight line connecting both ends of base lines of three reflective lateral faces constituting the reflection elements ranges between 45 and 70°. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The retroreflective article according to claim 18, wherein the depth of at least one of planes (Sx, Sy, or Sz) formed of each base line group of the three-directional V-shaped groove groups (x, x, x, . . . , y, y, y, . . . , and z, z, z, . . . ) is different from the depth of other planes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The retroreflective article according to claim 18, wherein an x-directional V-shaped groove does not pass through the intersect (A or B) between y-directional and z-directional V-shaped grooves and is formed at a position having an offset (Δx) shown by the maximum distance between the x-directional groove and a straight line connecting the intersects A and B, and the triangular-pyramidal cube-corner retroreflective element pair is an asymmetric pair.