Indicator lights for motor vehicles

• US 6,273,591 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Vision (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Albou, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zeade, Bertrand
• Application Number:
  US09/109,238
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 362/520, 362/522, 362/311, 362/326, 362/332, 362/333, 362/330, 362/337, 362/339, 362/334, 359/455, 359/456, 359/457
• US Class Current: 362/333
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/255 Filters
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/26 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255

Abstract

An indicator light for a motor vehicle has a point source, an intermediate screen which receives the light directly from the source, and a cover glass outside the screen. The intermediate screen comprises a series of optical cells, each of which has, on an internal face, a curved surface for straightening and spreading the light. Each cell further has, on an outer face, a set of at least two flat facets which are oblique with respect to a plane of the intermediate screen.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle indicator light, comprising:

a light source being substantially a point source;

a cover glass; and

an intermediate screen between the light source and the cover glass for directly receiving light from the light source;

the screen comprising a series of optical cells, each of said cells having an internal face facing said light source and an external face facing said cover glass, the internal face of each of said cells defining a curved surface for straightening and spreading the light, and the external face of each of said cells defining a set of at least two transparent flat facets, the facets being angled with respect to each other.

2. An indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the cells in said series of cells define a horizontal and a vertical pitch, the horizontal pitch and the vertical pitch each being approximately between 5 and 30 mm.

3. An indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the curved surfaces are convex.

4. An indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the facets in said set are hollow.

5. An indicator light according to claim 4, defining a general direction of emission of the light, wherein the intermediate screen further defines relief facets slightly inclined to the general direction and laterally bounding the facets of the set.

6. An indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate screen further defines a plurality of horizontal straight lines constituting junctions between the facets.

7. An indicator light according to claim 1, wherein each cell defines a median line of the cell, each said set of facets consisting of two oblique facets being symmetrical with respect to the median line of a corresponding cell.

8. An indicator light according to claim 1, defining a general direction of emission of the light, wherein each of said cells define a median line of the cell and each of said set of facets further comprise a central facet extending substantially at right angles to the general direction, the two oblique facets lying on either side of the central facet and being symmetrical with respect to the median line of the corresponding cell.

9. An indicator light according to claim 1, wherein a facet of a cell corrects the spread provided by the curved surface of the cell, in a single direction, the single direction being selected from the group consisting of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, wherein the intermediate screen provides a horizontal spread and a vertical spread in accordance with regulations, said horizontal spread differing from said vertical spread.

10. An indicator light according to claim 1, wherein the cover glass is smooth on both the external and internal faces and is substantially parallel to the intermediate screen.

11. A motor vehicle indicator light, comprising:

a source of light;

a cover glass, and

an intermediate screen between the source of light and the cover glass for receiving light from the source of light; and

the intermediate screen comprising a series of optical cells, each of said cells having an internal face facing said source of light and an external face facing said cover glass, the internal face defining a curved surface for straightening and spreading the light, and the external face defining a set of two transparent flat facets, the two facets being angled with respect to each other for adjusting the spread of the light passing through the two facets.

12. An indicator light of claim 11, wherein each cell creates two secondary light sources.

13. An indicator light according to claim 11, defining a general direction of emission of the light, wherein the intermediate screen further defines relief facets slightly inclined to the general direction and laterally bounding the facets of the set.

14. An indicator light according to claim 11, defining a general direction of emission of the light, wherein each of said cells define a median line of the cell and each set of facets further comprises a central facet extending substantially at right angles to the general direction, the two angled facets lying on either side of the central facet and being symmetrical with respect to the median line of the corresponding cell.

15. An indicator light according to claim 11, wherein the a facet of a cell corrects the spread provided by the curved surface of the cell, in a single direction, the single direction being selected from the group consisting of a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, wherein the intermediate screen provides a horizontal spread and a vertical spread in accordance with regulations, said horizontal spread differing from said vertical spread.

16. A motor vehicle indicator light, comprising:

a source of light;

a cover glass; and

an intermediate screen between the source of light and the cover glass for receiving light from the source of light; and

the intermediate screen comprising a series of optical cells, each of said cells having an internal face facing said source of light and an external face facing said cover glass, the internal face defining a curved surface for straightening and spreading the light, and the external face defining a set of two transparent flat facets, the two facets being angled with respect to each other for adjusting the spread of the light passing through the two facets, and the external surface defining relief facets slightly inclined with respect to a general direction of emission of the light, the relief facets laterally bounding the facets of the set.

17. A motor vehicle indicator light, comprising:

a source of light;

a cover glass; and

an intermediate screen between the source of light and the cover glass for receiving light from the source of light; and

the intermediate screen comprising a series of optical cells, each of said cells having an internal face facing said source of light and an external face facing said cover glass, the internal face defining a curved surface for straightening and spreading the light, and the external face defining a set of two transparent flat facets, the two facets being angled with respect to each other for adjusting the spread of the light passing through the two facets, and the set further comprising a central facet extending substantially at right angles to a general direction of the emission light, the two angled facets lying on either side of the central facet and being symmetrical with respect to a median line of the corresponding optical cell.