Subassemblies for cube corner type retroreflector molds

A subassembly for a reflector mold portion, said mold portion being adapted for incorporation into a mold for forming cube-corner type retroreflective surfaces in a body formed by such a mold, said subassembly comprising

• (A) two slab shaped bodies,
• (B) each one of said bodies having spaced, generally parallel respective side wall portions with connecting top and bottom edge walls, and opposed end walls,
• (C) one of said bodies having at least one type of flat first facet surface defined in the region of a top edge wall portion thereof,
• (D) the second of said bodies having a plurality of each of a second and a third different types of flat facet surfaces defined in at least a top edge wall portion thereof, said second and said third facet surface types each being arranged in respective paired interrelationships with each individual such second facet being so configured and so oriented relative to an individual such third facet that each such pair thereof comprises two facets of an individual cube corner-type retroreflective unit, each respective one of said second and said third facet surfaces being equal in area and shape to all others of said second and said third facet surfaces,
• (E) all individual ones of each of said first, said second, and said third facet surface types being further characterized by having one edge thereof coincide with one common side edge of their respective associated said bodies,
• (F) said bodies being adapted for, and spatially orientable in, a contacting, adjacent longitudinally mating, side-by-side relationship relative to respective said side wall portions thereof with all individual ones of each of said, first, said second, and said third facet surface types cooperating to define a plurality of such individual cube corner type retroreflective units, all said units comprising said plurality being generally longitudinally arranged in adjacent relationship to one another along the adjoining said top edge wall portions of said bodies,
• (G) each such individual cube corner type retroreflective unit being defined by one of each of said first, said second, and said third facet surfaces, respectively, which are arranged circumferentially about an optical axis extending therethrough, all of such facet surfaces of any given such cube corner type retroreflective unit being inclined at a generally similar angle relative to said optical axis, and all such facet surfaces of any given such cube corner type retroreflective unit meeting at an apex point along said optical axis, said first facet surface in any given such cube corner-type retroreflective unit being at least equal in area to each of the respective areas of said second and said third facet surface types thereof, the interrelationship between all such facet surfaces of any given such cube corner type retroreflective unit and said optical axis thereof being such that a ray of incident light striking a predetermined surface of a body molded over said adjoining top edge wall portions, and also striking one of the facet surfaces of any given such cube corner type retroreflective unit as such is formed in said molded body within a predeterminable range of incident angles relative to said optical axis thereof as formed in said molded body, is deflected successively against the other two said facet surfaces of such cube corner type retroreflective unit as such is formed in such molded body, and is then substantially retroreflected away from such cube corner type retroreflective unit in said molded body,
• (H) each respective such optical axis of all such cube corner type retroreflective units comprising said plurality being disposed substantially parallel to the other optical axes thereof, and
• (I) each respective such apex point of each such cube corner retroreflective unit comprising said plurality being substantially coplanar with respect to the other apex points thereof.