Side lamp display or indicating light having an intermediate screen, and a method of making such a screen
AssigneeValeo Vision
InventorPierre Albou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An indicating light or side lamp display for a motor vehicle comprises a substantially point light source, a flux recuperator such as a mirror, for reflecting the light from the source towards the outside in the form of an essentially parallel beam, and, interposed in the path of the beam, an intermediate screen and a cover lens. The intermediate screen has a set of optical cells, each of which includes on an internal face a substantially spherical surface for spreading the light, and, on an outer face of the screen, a set of at least two flat facets which are oblique with respect to the plane of the intermediate screen.
Claims23
An indicating light for a motor vehicle comprising:
- a substantially point light source;
- a flux recuperator associated with the light source for reflecting light from the source in an outward direction and in an essentially parallel beam path;
- a transparent intermediate screen interposed in front of the light source and recuperator in the beam path;
- and
- a cover lens in front of the intermediate screen in the beam path,
- wherein the intermediate screen has an inner face and an outer face and defines a general plane having a horizontal axis and a vertical axis, the intermediate screen further including a plurality of optical cells, each of the cells having a substantially spherical surface of the inner face for spreading the beam in at least two dimensions, and a plurality of flat facet surfaces on the outer face, at least one of the surfaces being oblique with respect to the plane and wherein each of the surfaces have edges which are substanially parallel to the horizontal axis or the vertical axis.
A method of making a transparent intermediate screen for an indicating light for a motor vehicle, the screen defining a horizontal axis and a vertical axis, the indicating light having a substantially point light source and a flux recuperating means associated with the light source for reflecting light from the source whereby to produce an essentially parallel light beam, the screen being interposed in the beam, the indicating light defining an angular field of illumination and another angular field of illumination generally perpendicular thereto, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
- providing on a zone of an inner face of the screen a generally spherical elementary surface for deflecting the light over one field;
- providing on an outer face of the screen, and in line with the generally spherical surface, a plurality of flat surfaces for diverting the beam over the other of the angular fields, each of the surfaces have edges which are parallel to the horizontal axis, and at least one of the surfaces being oblique with respect to the plane;
- forming a mold having two half molds, with a set of generally spherical elementary surfaces on one of the half molds and a plurality of surfaces homologous with the flat facet surfaces on the other half mold;
- and
- molding the screen using the mold.
An indicating light for a motor vehicle comprising:
- a substantially point light source for generating light;
- a flux recuperator associated with the light source for reflecting light from the source in an outward direction and in an essentially parallel beam path;
- a transparent intermediate screen interposed in front of the light source and recuperator in the beam path, the intermediate screen having an inner face and an outer face and defining a general plane, the intermediate screen including a plurality of optical cells, each of the cells having a substantially spherical surface of the inner face for spreading the light beam, and a plurality of centrically assymetrical flat facet surfaces on the outer face, at least one of the surfaces being oblique with respect to the plane;
- and
- a cover lens disposed to receive the light beam after it passes through the intermediate screen.
A transparent screen having an inner face and an outer face and defining a plane having a horizontal axis and a vertical axis, the inner surface being disposed to receive an essentially parallel beam of light and transmit an optically altered beam, the screen comprising a plurality of optical cells, each said cell having (1) a substantially spherical surface on the inner face adapted to spread the beam in at least two dimensions and (2) a plurality of flat facet surfaces on the outer face, each of the surfaces have edges which are parallel to the horizontal axis or the vertical axis, and at least one of the surfaces being oblique with respect to the plane of the screen.
A transparent screen having an inner face and an outer face and defining a plane, the inner surface being disposed to receive a beam of light, the screen comprising a plurality of optical cells, each said cell having (1) a substantially spherical surface on the inner face adapted to spread the beam in at least two dimensions and (2) a plurality of centrically asymmetrical flat facet surfaces on the outer face, at least one of the surfaces being oblique with respect to the plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.