Automotive lighting element

• US 4,799,131 A
• Filed: 11/18/1987
• Issued: 01/17/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Miller, Richard A., Aho, Kenneth A., Melby, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/121,947
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/297, 362/310, 362/346, 362/348, 362/80
• US Class Current: 362/518
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/338 the reflector having surface portions added to its general concavity

Abstract

An automotive lighting element has a lower surface with a plurality of ridges and grooves. Those ridges and grooves are reflectorized so that light emitted by a light source in the lighting element will be reflected back into other portions of the reflector rather than out of the lighting element with a large upward vertical component.

Claims

1. An automotive lighting element comprising a reflector defining an optical cavity having an optical window and a light source in said optical cavity, said reflector comprising:

a smoothly curved portion;

a structured surface portion having a plurality of ridges and grooves such that light emitted by said light source and striking said structured surface will be reflected a first time by said structured surface and a second time by said reflector prior to emerging from said optical cavity, said grooves having bases that are located in a plane.

2. The automotive lighting element of claim 1 wherein a first of said ridges has a surface that makes a first angle with said plane and a second of said ridges has a surface that makes a second angle with said plane, said first ridge being closer to said light source than said second ridge and said second angle being greater than said first angle.

3. The automotive lighting element of claim 1 wherein said ridges and grooves are curved so that said light reflected from said ridges and grooves to said curved portion of said reflector strikes said curved portion near said light source.

4. The automotive lighting element of claim 3 wherein a first of said ridges has a surface that makes a first angle with said plane and a second of said ridges has a surface that makes a second angle with said plane, said first ridge being closer to said light source than said second ridge and said second angle being greater than said first angle.

5. An automotive lighting element comprising a reflector defining an optical cavity having an optical window and a light source in said optical cavity, said reflector comprising:

a smoothly curved portion;

a structured surface portion having a plurality of ridges and grooves such that light emitted by said light source and striking said structured surface will be reflected a first time by said structured surface and a second time by said reflector prior to emerging from said optical cavity, each of said ridges has a first side proximate to said light source and a second side distant from said light source, each of said first sides having a specularly reflective finish and each of said second sides being colored.

6. The automotive lighting element of claim 5 wherein said grooves have bases that are located in a plane.

7. The automotive lighting element of claim 6 wherein a first of said ridges has a surface that makes a first angle with said plane and a second of said ridges has a surface that makes a second angle with said plane, said first ridge being closer to said light source than said second ridge and said second angle being greater than said first angle.

8. The automotive lighting element of claim 5 wherein said ridges and grooves are curved so that said light reflected from said ridges and grooves to said curved portion of said reflector strikes said curved portion near said light source.

9. The automotive lighting elements of claim 8 wherein said grooves have bases that are located in a plane.

10. The automotive lighting element of claim 9 wherein a first of said ridges has a surface that makes a first angle with said plane and a second of said ridges has a surface that makes a second angle with said plane, said first ridge being closer to said light source than said second ridge and said second angle being greater than said first angle.