Fluted lamp reflector
First Claim
1. In a lamp reflector of the type comprising a reflector body which defines a reflector surface having at least one convex flute, said reflector body defining a midline, and said at least one flue oriented generally transverse to the midline, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of parallel segments included in each of the flutes and arranged side by side along a lateral direction defined by the midline, the segments of each flute comprising at least one central segment, a plurality of left-of-center segments, and a plurality of right-of-center segments, wherein each of said segments is shaped as a section of a respective paraboloid having a respective focus, central axis and focal length;
wherein all of the focuses substantially coincide at a selected point in space;
wherein the segments of each flute are aimed in a plurality of non-parallel directions with the left-of-center segments of each flute aimed left of the central segments and the right-of-center segments of each flute aimed right of the central segments to laterally disperse reflected light originating at the selected point in space;
wherein the focal lengths of the paraboloids increase progressively from one side to the other side of at least some of the flutes;
wherein the paraboloids are each scaled about the respective focus to ensure that adjacent segments meet on the midline in a substantially continuous curve; and
wherein each of the flutes is convex as viewed from the selected point in space at which all of the focusses substantially coincide.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fog lamp reflector includes a reflector body having a reflector surface made up of a series of vertical convex flutes. Each of the flutes is made up of a plurality of segments, and each of the segments is shaped as a section of a respective paraboloid. The focuses of all of the paraboloids substantially coincide at a selected point in space, and the segments of each flute are aimed at a plurality of non-parallel directions with the left-of-center segments of each flute aimed left of the central segment and the right-of-center segments of each flute aimed right of the central segment to laterally disperse reflected light originating at the selected point in space. The focal lengths of the paraboloids increase progressively from one side to the other side of at least some of the flutes, and the paraboloids are each scaled about their respective focus to ensure that adjacent segments meet on the midline of the reflector in a substantially continuous curve.
54 Citations
13 Claims
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1. In a lamp reflector of the type comprising a reflector body which defines a reflector surface having at least one convex flute, said reflector body defining a midline, and said at least one flue oriented generally transverse to the midline, the improvement comprising:
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a plurality of parallel segments included in each of the flutes and arranged side by side along a lateral direction defined by the midline, the segments of each flute comprising at least one central segment, a plurality of left-of-center segments, and a plurality of right-of-center segments, wherein each of said segments is shaped as a section of a respective paraboloid having a respective focus, central axis and focal length; wherein all of the focuses substantially coincide at a selected point in space; wherein the segments of each flute are aimed in a plurality of non-parallel directions with the left-of-center segments of each flute aimed left of the central segments and the right-of-center segments of each flute aimed right of the central segments to laterally disperse reflected light originating at the selected point in space; wherein the focal lengths of the paraboloids increase progressively from one side to the other side of at least some of the flutes; wherein the paraboloids are each scaled about the respective focus to ensure that adjacent segments meet on the midline in a substantially continuous curve; and wherein each of the flutes is convex as viewed from the selected point in space at which all of the focusses substantially coincide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeDecoma International Corporation
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Original AssigneeBlazer International Corporation
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InventorsMayer, Mark J.
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Primary Examiner(s)Husar, Stephen F.
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Assistant Examiner(s)Neils, Peggy A.
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Application NumberUS07/548,379Time in Patent Office383 DaysField of Search362/296, 362/297, 362/346, 362/347, 362/348, 362/61, 362/341US Class Current362/297CPC Class CodesF21S 41/337 the reflector having a stru...F21V 7/09 with a combination of diffe...
