Vehicle lamp assembly

• US 4,556,928 A
• Filed: 06/14/1984
• Issued: 12/03/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Britax VEGA Limited Droitwich England
• Original Assignee: Britax Vega Ltd. (Koito Manufacturing Company Limited)
• Inventors: Tysoe, Nicholas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dolinar, Andrew M.
• Application Number:
  US06/620,443
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/268, 362/293, 362/309, 362/308
• US Class Current: 362/510
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/255 Filters

Abstract

A vehicle lamp assembly comprises a housing enclosed by a light transmitting cover element and having an inner portion containing a light source and an outer portion containing a lens and a reflector, both of which are arranged to collimate light from the light source parallel to a common optical axis. The reflector is arranged to direct the light collimated thereby past an edge of the lens. The outer portion of the housing is separated from the inner portion by a color filter, the assembly being so constructed as to obstruct passage of light between the cover element and the color filter except via the lens or via the reflector.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp assembly comprising a housing enclosed by a light transmitting cover element and having an inner portion containing a light source and an outer portion containing a lens arranged to collimate light from the light source parallel to its optical axis, a reflector arranged to collimate light from the light source parallel to the optical axis and to direct the light collimated thereby past an edge of the lens, colour filter means separating the outer portion of the housing from the inner portion, and an opaque baffle extending from the edge of the lens round which light is directed by the reflector to a surface defined by the path of light from the light source to the edge of the reflector nearest to the cover element, the baffle obstructing passage of light between the cover element and the colour filter except via the lens or via the reflector.

2. A lamp assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lens comprises inner and outer cylindrical surfaces having a common axis perpendicular to the optical axis, the light source being located on said common axis, one of the cylindrical surfaces carrying elongated Fresnel prism formations of uniform cross-section extending parallel to the common axis and the other cylindrical surface carrying elongate Fresnel prism formations of constant cross-section extending in respective planes perpendicular to said common axis.

3. A lamp assembly according to claim 2, wherein the part of the walls of the outer portion of the housing which does not form the reflector has an inner surface which comprises a series of alternate first zones which are substantially parallel to the optical axis and second zones which are substantially perpendicular to the optical axis so that the dimensions of the outer portion in directions perpendicular to the optical axis increase from the end adjacent to the colour filter to the end enclosed by the cover element.

4. A vehicle lamp assembly comprising a housing enclosed by a light transmitting cover element and having an inner portion containing a light source and an outer portion containing a lens arranged to collimate light from the light source parallel to its optical axis, reflector arranged to collimate light from the light souce parallel to the optical axis and to direct the light collimated thereby past an edge of the lens, colour filter means separating the outer portion of the housing from the inner portion, and blocking means for obstructing passage of light between the cover element and the colour filter except via the lens or via the reflector;

the part of the walls of the outer portion of the housing which does not form the reflector having an inner surface which comprises a series of alternate first zones which are substantially parallel to the optical axis and second zones which are substantially perpendicular to the optical axis so that the dimensions of the outer portion in directions perpendicular to the optical axis increase from the end adjacent to the colour filter to the end enclosed by the cover element.

5. A lamp assembly according to claim 4, wherein the blocking means comprises an opaque baffle extending from the edge of the lens round which light is directed by the reflector to a surface defined by the path of light from the light source to the edge of the reflector nearest to the cover element.

6. A lamp assembly according to claim 4, wherein the lens comprises inner and outer cylindrical surfaces having a common axis perpendicular to the optical axis, the light source being located on said common axis, one of the cylindrical surfaces carrying elongated Fresnel prism formations of uniform cross-section extending parallel to the common axis and the other cylindrical surface carrying elongate Fresnel prism formations of constant cross-section extending in respective planes perpendicular to said common axis.

7. A vehicle lamp assembly comprising a housing enclosed by a light transmitting cover element and having an inner portion containing a light source and an outer portion containing a lens arranged to collimate light from the light source parallel to its optical axis, a reflector arranged to collimate light from the light source parallel to the optical axis and to direct the light collimated thereby past an edge of the lens, colour filter means separating the outer portion of the housing from the inner portion, and blocking means for obstructing passage of light between the cover element and the colour filter except via the lens or via the reflector;

the lens comprising inner and outer cylindrical surfaces having a common axis perpendicular to the optical axis, the light source being located on said common axis, one of the cylindrical surfaces carrying elongated Fresnel prism formations of uniform cross-section extending parallel to the common axis and the other cylindrical surface carrying elongate Fresnel prism formations of constant cross-section extending in respective planes perpendicular to said common axis.