Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Plural light sources
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-06
2001-10-02
Husar, Stephen (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Plural light sources
C362S518000, C362S520000, C362S241000, C362S240000, C362S247000, C362S509000, C362S311040, C362S235000, C362S522000, C362S310000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296382
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention concerns a multi-chamber lamp for vehicles, with a lamp housing thereof having a plurality of reflectors, there being a common closure pane for the reflectors, and there being at least one intermediate pane extending over an entire light-emergence plane of at least one of the reflectors.
Such a multi-chamber lamp for vehicles is disclosed by German patent document DE 90 01 659 U1. The multi-chamber lamp has a lamp housing of plastic, a forward opening of which is enclosed by a plastic, light-transmissive, closure pane. A back wall of the lamp housing forms a plurality of bowl shaped reflectors, in each of which respectively, is an opening for receiving a light, as a light source, installed therein. The reflectors border on one another, up to partitions which extend between them. The partitions are molded on the back wall of the lamp housing. Some of the reflectors are commonly covered by an intermediate pane, which extends adjacent to free ends of the partitions, and spaced from the common closure pane. The closure pane and the intermediate pane have optical elements. The common closure pane has arranged on its inside, rectilinearly-shaped retroreflectors, between which light dispersing cylindrical lenses are arranged. The optical elements of the intermediate pane collect parallel-reflected light from the reflectors in such a manner, that the light is directed, bundled, between the rectilinearly arranged retroreflectors and is dispersed by the cylindrical lenses between the retroreflectors. The lights and the light receiver openings are concealed by the optical elements of the closure pane and intermediate pane, and, thus, are not regarded as disturbing when viewed from a forward side of the lamp. A disadvantage of this is, that the optical elements of the closure and intermediate panes have a matte, or dull, surface and thus illumination losses arise through the closure and intermediate pane, and the lamp, when not turned on, appears dull and lacks brilliance. The optical elements can only be produced with a matte surface, since half dies for molding optical elements would lose their exact surface shapes if they were polished.
DE 197 37 55 0 A1 discloses a tail light for vehicles, a housing of which has a single reflector. The lamp housing, on its forward side, is enclosed by a light-transmissive closure pane. This closure pane is made to be optics-free and permits a clear view of a reflecting surface of the reflector. The reflecting surface of the reflector has a facet-like structured surface. A light is in a central opening of the bowl shaped reflector, serving as a light source. The facet-like surface of the reflector diverts light from the light source in a desired direction and past a lamp cover arranged directly in front of the light source. The lamp cover is made of transparent plastic and is constructed from a retroreflector. The retroreflector is secured on the lamp housing by two laterally protruding clips. The clips, which serve as holders for the retroreflector, when looking into the interior of the light, extend inside in front of the reflecting surface of the reflector and are thus disturbing for a harmonic total impression of the tail light.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide a multi-chamber lamp for vehicles, of a type described in the opening paragraph above, in which light losses through closure and intermediate panes become as small as possible and light emergence planes of reflectors can be made optionally independent of one another in their shapes; and, even with an uncomplicated structure for the lamp, areas surrounding the reflectors and one of the light sources neighboring the intermediate pane are blocked to the greatest extent from outside viewing, without a holding means serving for this blocking disturbing a harmonic appearance of the lights.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to principles of this invention, not only a closure pane, but also an intermediate pane, at least in partial areas thereof, are made to be optics-free, with the intermediate pane supporting a center shield device for a light source corresponding to its reflector, with the center shield device being encompassed by an optics-free area and at least the reflector corresponding to the intermediate pane being completely surrounded by a cover apparatus, which blocks off an interior of the lamp housing and an outer, peripherally-extending rim of the intermediate pane against being viewed from outside.
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Patent Abstracts of Japan, JP 09231813 A, May 9, 1997, Natsume Kazunori, Lamp.
Hella KG & Hueck Co.
Husar Stephen
Ton Anabel M
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