Illuminator for use with a remote light source

• US 5,438,485 A
• Filed: 01/07/1993
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Fallahi, Amir, Erion, Jeffrey A., Li, John X.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, Y MY QUACH
• Application Number:
  US08/001,709
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 362/32, 362/297, 362/298, 362/346, 362/61, 362/26, 362/302, 362/304, 385/901, 385/902, 385/31, 385/36
• US Class Current: 362/558
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0011 with light guides for distributing the light between several lighting or signalling devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/24 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

An illuminator for vehicle exterior lamps using a remote light source. Light is transmitted to the illuminator by a light guide, such as a fiber optic light pipe. The illuminator utilizes a complex mirror and a reflector to collect and collimate over 80% of the light from remote light source into a desired parallel beam for use as an automotive headlight.

Claims

1. An illuminator for use with a light source, optically coupled to an end of a light pipe comprising:

a solid body optically coupled to another end of said light pipe including a first reflective surface on an end of said solid body such that light from said light source entering said solid body is reflected out of said body by said first reflective surface;

a second reflective surface spaced from said first reflective surface for collecting and reflecting substantially all of the light reflected by said first reflective surface;

said second reflective surface includes a paraboloidal shaped reflector having a focal point and said first reflective surface having a center point aligned with said focal point; and

said first reflective surface includes a spherical portion and a cone shaped portion.

2. An illuminator as set forth in claim 1 including a lens, positioned proximate to said first reflective surface, to focus the light exiting the light source onto said first reflective surface.

3. An illuminator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said solid body is made from at least one material selected from a group of polycarbonate and acrylic.

4. An illuminator as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first reflective surface reflects said light in a predetermined geometric pattern and said second reflective surface configured such that light reflected by said first reflective surface illuminates only said second reflective surface.

5. An illuminator for use with a light source comprising:

a first reflective surface positioned to reflect substantially all the light emitted from the light source, said reflective surface including a compound mirror having a spherical portion having a center point and a cone shaped portion; and

a second reflective surface having a parabolic shape, spaced apart from said first reflective surface for collecting substantially all of the light reflected by said first reflective surface, said second reflective surface including a focal point and a focal axis, said center point of said spherical portion coincident with said focal point of said second reflective surface, said cone shaped portion of said first reflective surface includes a surface generated by revolving a section of a parabola about said focal axis.

6. An illuminator as set forth in claim 5 wherein said spherical portion of said first reflective surface includes a bifocal surface having one focal length in the vertical direction and one focal length in the horizontal direction.