Holographic automotive high mount stop lamp

• US 5,708,519 A
• Filed: 07/11/1996
• Issued: 01/13/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakakibara, Koichi, Yamamoto, Norimasa, Satsukawa, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren E.
• Application Number:
  US08/678,167
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 359/1, 359/13, 359/14, 359/15, 359/22, 359/25, 362/61, 362/80, 362/80.1, 340/479
• US Class Current: 359/15
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/2202 Reconstruction geometries or arrangements

Abstract

A hologram fitted to a rear window glass is irradiated with light from a regenerative light source to produce a holographic image to ensure the effective operation of a high mount stop lamp and to simultaneously prevent light from dazzling the driver of a following vehicle. The high mount stop lamp is provided with a hologram disposed on the inside surface of a rear automotive window glass, and a regenerative light source for regenerating the holographic image by irradiating the hologram. Part of the regenerative light source is buried in a recess in a rear parcel shelf of the automobile. A shielding wall is fitted to a part of the periphery of the regenerative light source so as, together with the rear window glass, to surround the regenerative light source to shield the light directed to the front of the automobile. The shielding wall is formed, for example, by folding up part of the decorative panel of the rear parcel shelf in the form of a wall.

Claims

1. An automotive high mount stop lamp comprising:

a hologram provided on a curved portion of a rear window glass, and a regenerative light source for regenerating an image to the rear of an automobile by irradiating said hologram, said regenerative light source emitting light from an opening of a body of said light source, said opening being curved along said hologram, wherein said regenerative light source emits condensing light from said opening of said body, and wherein said opening is curved parallel to said hologram.

2. An automotive high mount stop lamp comprising:

a hologram extending along a rear window glass, and a regenerative light source for regenerating a holographic image to the rear of an automobile by irradiating said hologram, said hologram being smaller in width than an opening in a body portion of said regenerative light source through which light is irradiated from said regenerative light source, and wherein said hologram is irradiated with condensing light from said regenerative light source in such a state that light therefrom is smaller in width than said opening.

3. An automotive high mount stop lamp as claimed in claim 2, wherein said hologram comprises a plurality of subdivided holograms, and wherein the subdivided holograms have different incident angles of light corresponding to respective incident angles of condensing or diffusing light.

4. An automotive high mount stop lamp comprising:

a hologram provided on a rear window glass; and

a regenerative light source for regenerating a hologram image in the rear of an automobile by irradiating the hologram with light rays, said light rays condensing in a first direction and parallel in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to said first direction.

5. An automotive high mount stop lamp as set forth in claim 4, wherein said hologram is shaped substantially in the form of a rectangle, having a smaller dimension in said first direction and a larger dimension in said second direction.

6. An automotive high mount stop lamp, comprising:

a hologram provided on a curved portion of a rear window glass; and

a regenerative light source for regenerating an image to the rear of an automobile by irradiating said hologram with condensing light.