INTEGRATION OF SIDE REFLEX AND LIGHT PIPE SIDE MARKER

• US 20180186282A1
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Published: 07/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo North America Incorporated (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo North America Incorporated (Valeo SE)
• Granted Patent: US 10,160,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2619 built in the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/24 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/337 the reflector having a structured surface, e.g. with facets or corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/241 of complex shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/245 emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/247 with a single light source being coupled into the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/00 Reflectors for light sources characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/505
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/048 with facets structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/122 cube corner, trihedral or triple reflector type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

A lightning device including a reflector having a plurality of reflex pins, a light pipe integrally connected to the reflector along the periphery of the reflector forming a neck between the light pipe and the reflector, wherein the light pipe and the reflector function independently, and a light source connected to the light pipe.

Claims

1. A lightning device, comprising:

a reflector portion configured to reflect external light incident thereon;

a light pipe portion integrally connected to the reflector portion along the periphery of the reflector portion forming a neck between the light pipe portion and the reflector portion; and

a light source optically coupled the light pipe, wherein said neck is dimensioned to minimize mixing of said external light and said light source light.

2. The lightning device according to claim 1, the neck has a neck thickness in the range 2 mm to 3.5 mm.

3. The lightning device according to claim 2, the neck has a neck length in the range 1.75 mm to 10 mm.

4. The lightning device according to claim 3, wherein a ratio of said neck thickness to said neck length is 1:

3.

5. The lightning device according to claim 1, wherein the reflector portion is configured to reflect of external light incident thereon.

6. The lightning device according to claim 1, the reflex pins have a first base angle and a first peak angle such that an exterior light is reflected by the surface of the reflex pin without interfering with the light from the light pipe.

7. The lightning device according to claim 1, wherein the light pipe portion comprises a light pipe and prisms.

8. The lightning device according to claim 7, wherein the light pipe has an opening along a circumference of the light pipe to define said neck.

9. The lightning device according to claim 8, the opening in the light pipe is maintained in the range 1.75 mm to 3 mm.

10. The lightning device according to claim 8, the opening of the light pipe portion is seamlessly connected to the neck creating a channel between the light pipe portion and the reflector portion.

11. The lightning device according to claim 1, the lightning device is a side marker.

12. A vehicle fitted with a lightning device, comprising:

a reflector portion configured to reflect external light incident thereon;

a light pipe portion integrally connected to the reflector portion along the periphery of the reflector portion forming a neck between the light pipe portion and the reflector portion; and

a light source optically coupled the light pipe, wherein said neck is dimensioned to minimize mixing of said external light and said light source light.

13. The vehicle device according to claim 12, the neck has a neck thickness in the range 2 mm to 3.5 mm and a neck length in the range 1.75 mm to 10 mm.

14. The lightning device according to claim 13, wherein a ratio of said neck thickness to said neck length is 1:

3.

15. The lightning device according to claim 12, the reflex pins have a first base angle and a first peak angle such that an exterior light is reflected by the surface of the reflex pin without interfering with the light from the light pipe.

16. The lightning device according to claim 12, wherein the light pipe portion comprises a light pipe and prisms.

17. The lightning device according to claim 16, wherein the light pipe has an opening along a circumference of the light pipe to define said neck.

18. The lightning device according to claim 17, the opening in the light pipe is maintained in the range 1.75 mm to 3 mm.

19. The lightning device according to claim 17, the opening of the light pipe portion is seamlessly connected to the neck creating a channel between the light pipe portion and the reflector portion.

20. The lightning device according to claim 12, the lightning device is a side marker.