Illumination – Light modifier – Refractor
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-30
2001-08-14
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light modifier
Refractor
C362S520000, C362S522000, C362S332000, C362S334000, C362S340000, C362S337000, C362S326000, C362S311040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06273591
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to indicator lights, or indicating lights, for motor vehicles, and more particularly to indicator lights which include a light source which is substantially a point source, an intermediate screen, and a cover glass, or lens, in front of the screen, the intermediate screen and the cover lens both being interposed in the path of an essentially parallel beam emitted by the indicator light.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such an indicator light is known in general terms, in which the intermediate screen, and sometimes the cover lens, include optical arrangements for giving the indicator light the desired photometry and, optionally, a particular styling appearance.
A first conventional approach consists of giving the intermediate screen a Fresnel lens which is focused on the light source, so as to restitute, at the exit of the indicator light, an essentially parallel beam. In that case, the cover lens is formed with billet-shaped or toroidal elements for diffusion of the light both horizontally and vertically. The outward aesthetic appearance of such a known type of indicator light is not very original.
A second approach consists of providing, on the intermediate screen, a set of deflecting prisms which are arranged as tiles, to give the indicator light a sparkling appearance while satisfying the regulations as regards photometry. This sparkling appearance, which does give the indicator light some novelty from the aesthetic point of view, has the disadvantage that it has an appearance, both when extinguished and when lit, which varies in a very marked manner when the observer moves around the vehicle. In addition, this sparkling appearance is often associated with a downmarket product.
DISCUSSION OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an indicator light of the type mentioned above, which, while satisfying the photometric regulations and being, where appropriate, without any light flux recuperator, has a novel visual appearance both when extinguished and when lit, which hardly varies when the observer moves around the vehicle.
More precisely, the invention aims to provide an indicator light which, when lit, gives the impression of having a plurality of individual elementary light sources in the same way as indicator lights with light emitting diodes, over a wide range of angles of observation.
According to the invention, an indicator light for a motor vehicle, comprises a substantially point source, of light an intermediate screen receiving light directly from the light source, and a cover glass situated outside the screen, wherein the intermediate screen includes a series of optical cells each comprising, on an internal face, a curved surface for straightening and spreading the light, and, on an external surface, a set of at least two flat facets which are oblique with respect to a plane of the intermediate screen.
Any one or more of the following preferred features of the invention, which are in no way limiting, may be applied to an indicator light according to the invention:
the cells, defined by a curved surface and a set of facets associated therewith, have a horizontal pitch and a vertical pitch each pitch being in the approximate range 5 to 30 mm;
the curved surfaces are convex;
the facets in a set are hollow;
the facets in a set are bounded laterally by relief facets which are slightly inclined with respect to the general direction of emission of the light;
the facets are joined together along horizontal straight lines;
each set of facets consists of two oblique facets which are symmetrical to a median line of a corresponding cell;
each set of facets consists of a central facet extending substantially at right angles to the general direction of emission, together with two oblique facets lying on either side of the central facet and being symmetrical with respect to a median line of a corresponding cell;
the obliquity of the facets is determined in such a way as to correct a spread provided by the corresponding curved surface, either in the vertical direction only, or in the horizontal direction only, so that the screen provides horizontal spread and a vertical spread in accordance with regulations, the horizontal and vertical spreads being different from each other;
the cover glass is smooth on both of its faces and extends substantially parallel to the intermediate screen.
Further features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, which are given by way of non-limiting example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4654761 (1987-03-01), Walsh
patent: 4752116 (1988-06-01), Sekiguchi
patent: 5945916 (1999-08-01), Collot
patent: 0 784 185 (1997-07-01), None
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
O'Shea Sandra
Valeo Vision
Zeade Bertrand
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