Device for changing the passage of light through a window,...

Details Device for changing the passage of light through a window,... Device for changing the passage of light through a window,...

2000-11-20

2002-08-20

Phan, James (Department: 2872)

Optical: systems and elements

Light control by opaque element or medium movable in or...

Electro-mechanical

C359S227000, C296S215000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06437898

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for changing the passage of light through a window, especially through the transparent cover of a motor vehicle roof toward the motor vehicle interior, by means of two strip-shaped grid structures which lie on top of one another and which are arranged to be able to move on top of one another, and their mutual positioning can be set by an actuating means.
2. Description of the Related Art
German Patent DE 42 32 660 C1 (corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,184) discloses a transparent cover for a motor vehicle roof which has an outside window and an inside window and a device, located in the intermediate space between the two windows, for changing the incidence of light toward the vehicle interior. This device contains a strip-shaped grid which is located on the bottom of the outside window, the strip-shaped grid composed of alternately transparent and opaque strips and one such grid composed of alternately transparent and opaque strips which is located on the top of the inside window. The inside window can be moved in the lengthwise direction of the motor vehicle by an amount which corresponds at least to the width of a grid strip. With this device for darkening the motor vehicle interior, a setting of the light transparency can be chosen which is, for example, from 0 to 50%, depending on the width of the strips.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the invention is to provide a device which allows more extensive possibilities for changing and influencing the incidence of light through a window or into the vehicle interior.
This object is achieved with a device for changing the passage of light through a window with at least two strip-shaped grid structures which lie on top of one another, the grid structures are movable on top of one another, and mutual positioning of the grid structures can be set by an actuating device, where one grid structure is formed from alternately transparent and opaque strips and the other grid structure is formed from at least two colored strips of different color in a repeating sequence. With this device, depending on the respective mutual position of the two grid structures, a certain coloration can be imparted to the incident light according to the colored strips located in the light passage. If the transparent strip is located in the middle above the boundary line between two different colored strips, a mixed color composed of the colors of the two bordering colored strips can be produced. If the transparent strip is located off-center above the boundary line between the two different colored strips, other mixed colors can be set according to the surface of the two strips which is free at the time.
If preferably three colored strips with three basic colors are used in a recurring sequence over the surface of the colored grid structures, for example blue, red, and yellow, the incident light can appear both in these individual pure colors and also in any mixed colors.
If, in another preferred embodiment, there is additionally a third strip-shaped grid structure of alternately transparent and opaque strips, the brightness of the incident light can be adjusted as far as complete darkening.
In the following, several embodiments of the device are described with reference to the drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5405184 (1995-04-01), Jardin et al.
patent: 5905589 (1999-05-01), Tanaka et al.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Device for changing the passage of light through a window,... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Device for changing the passage of light through a window,..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for changing the passage of light through a window,... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2901013