Vehicle lamp lens

• US 4,993,807 A
• Filed: 08/21/1989
• Issued: 02/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakakibara, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shafer, R. D.
• Application Number:
  US07/396,204
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 350/167, 350/168, 350/452, 362/80, 362/80.1, 362/268, 362/309, 362/332, 362/336, 362/337, 362/338, 362/339, 362/340, 362/326
• US Class Current: 359/743
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/26 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876

Abstract

A lens for a vehicle lamp having a central bright portion and a surrounding portion of lesser brightness and which can be manufactured as a single unit. The lens surface is formed with arcuate step-like blocks circumferentially separated from one another and divided from one another by a plurality of concentric lines and radial lines. The blocks in a central portion of the lens have a refractive configuration, while the blocks disposed outside of the central portion have a linearly transmitting configuration. The two types of blocks are arranged continuously and unitarily in a concentric manner in a radial direction of the central portion.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp lens comprising:

a lens body; and

a plurality of arcuate step-like blocks circumferentially and radially separated from one another and arranged in a mosaic pattern, said blocks being formed on a lens surface of said lens body, and separated from one another along a plurality of concentric and radial lines, ones of said blocks in a central portion of said lens having a refractive configuration, and ones of said blocks disposed outside of said central portion having a nonrefractive linear transmitting configuration, said ones of said blocks having said linear transmitting configuration and said ones of said blocks having said refractive configuration being arranged continuously and unitarily in a concentric manner in a radial direction of said central portion.

2. The vehicle lamp lens of claim 1, wherein said central portion is circular in shape.

3. The vehicle lamp lens of claim 1, wherein said central portion is rectangular in shape.

4. The vehicle lamp lens of claim 1, wherein boundaries between circumferentially adjacent blocks are made smoothly continuous to eliminate abrupt discontinuities giving rise to abberational effects.

5. The vehicle lamp lens of claim 1, wherein a pitch of said ones of said blocks having said linear transmitting configuration and said blocks having said refractive configuration is substantially constant in said radial direction.