Vehicle lamp lens with surface treatments

• US 6,435,702 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1999
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Koichi, Aikawa, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US09/464,185
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 362/509, 362/510, 362/351, 362/311, 362/267, 362/310, 362/546, 428/423.1, 428/411.1, 428/447, 428/448, 428/451, 428/500, 428/502, 428/524, 428/690, 428/913, 427/162, 427/164, 427/389.7
• US Class Current: 362/509
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 3/067 Curing or cross-linking the coating
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 5/04 to obtain a surface receptive to ink or other liquid B05D5/02, B41M5/52 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 7/02 to macromolecular substances, e.g. rubber treatment or coating of shaped articles made of macromolecular substances C08J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/08 using ultrasonic vibrations non-plastics element to plastics elements B29C65/645
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/30223 said melt initiators being rib-like
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/542 joining hollow covers or hollow bottoms to open ends of container bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/747 Lightning equipment
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/28 Cover glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/10 Protection of lighting devices cooling of lighting devices F21S45/40; waterproofing of lighting devices F21S45/50
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/04 characterised by materials, surface treatments or coatings

Abstract

A vehicle lamp comprising a lens that includes an inner surface on which an antifogging coating film is formed and an outer surface on which a hard coating film is formed. It is preferable that the vehicle lamp further comprise a lamp body, wherein the lens further includes a lens front portion, a peripheral wall portion formed at the outer peripheral edge of the lens front portion, and a seal leg portion formed at the leading end of the peripheral wall portion and fixed to the lamp body, and wherein the antifogging coating film and the hard coating film are formed on at least the lens front portion excluding the seal the leg portion of the lens.

Claims

1. A vehicle lamp comprising:

a lens that includes an inner surface on which an antifogging coating film is directly formed and an outer surface on which a hard coating film is directly formed; and

a lamp body, wherein said lens further comprises;

a lens front portion;

a peripheral wall portion formed at the outer peripheral edge of said lens front portion, wherein at least a portion of the peripheral wall includes a relief formed on an inner surface of the peripheral wall; and

seal leg portion formed at the leading end of said peripheral wall portion and fixed to said lamp body, and wherein the antifogging coating film and the hard coating film are formed on at least said lens front portion excluding said seal leg portion of said lens.

2. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lens front portion is formed of transparent cover, and the antifogging coating film is formed on said lens front portion.

3. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the height of the inner surface of said peripheral wall portion is set to 60 mm or less.

4. The vehicle lamp according to claim 3, wherein said lens is securely fixed by weld bonding to said lamp body.

5. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the antifogging coating film includes a compound of hydrophilic portion with a hydrophobic portion.

6. The vehicle lamp according to claim 5, wherein the hydrophobic portion of the compound in the antifogging coating film sticks to the inner surface of the lens.

7. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the antifogging coating film is set at 10 um or less.

8. The vehicle lamp according to claim 1, wherein the lens is made of plastic.

9. A method comprising:

placing a vehicle lens on a jig such that a seal leg portion formed on a leading edge of a peripheral wall portion of the lens contacts the jig to expose an outer surface of the lens;

applying a hard coating film to at least a front portion of the outer surface excluding the seal leg portion;

heating the hard coating film to harden the coating;

placing the seal leg portion on a backing jig to expose an inner surface of the lens; and

applying an antifogging coating film to at least a front portion of the inner surface of the lens excluding a relief formed on at least a portion of the inner surface of the peripheral wall portion, and excluding the seal leg portion.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein alien substances are removed from the outer surface of the lens before applying the hard coating film.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein alien substances are removed from the inner surface of the lens before applying the antifogging coating film.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising applying an antifogging coating film to the outer surface of the lens.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising weld bonding the lens to a lamp body.