Display or illumination element for motor vehicles

• US 6,728,464 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Waldmann, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Duverne, Jean F.
• Application Number:
  US09/677,237
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 385/147, 385/125, 385/133, 385/901, 385/902, 385/146, 385/120, 385/117, 356/383, 356/73.1, 356/372, 359/652
• US Class Current: 385/147
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/64 for a single lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/78 for generating luminous strips, e.g. for marking trim component edges
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it

Abstract

A display or illumination element for motor vehicles has at least one light guide for receiving and guiding light beams emitted by a light source. The at least one light guide has at least one reflection element and at least one surface transparent for the light beams. The at least one reflection element is positioned in a path of the light beams and is configured to reflect the light beams to the at least one transparent surface.

Claims

1. A display or illumination element for motor vehicles, said element comprising:

at least one light guide (1) configured to receive and guide light beams (6) of a light source and consisting of a light guide material;

said at least one light guide (1) having at least one reflection element (2, 2a-2d) arranged in an interior of said at least one light guide (1);

said at least one light guide (1) having at least one transparent surface (9) transparent for the light beams (6);

wherein said at least one reflection element (2, 2a-2d) is positioned in a path of the light beams (6) and is configured to reflect the light beams (6) to said at least one transparent surface (9); and

wherein said at least one reflection element (2, 2a-2d) consists of the light guide material and Is produced by localized melting of the light guide material and is embedded in the light guide material.

2. The element according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reflection element (2, 2a-2d) is a portion of said at least one light guide (1) which portion has been locally melted by laser beams.

3. The element according to claim 1, wherein several of said reflection elements (2, 2a-2d) are distributed within said at least one light guide (1).

4. The element according to claim 3, wherein said reflection elements (2, 2a-2d) are identical.

5. The element according to claim 3, wherein said reflection elements (2, 2a-2d) are different.

6. The element according to claim 1, wherein said reflection elements (2, 2a-2d) are positioned at different angles to the path of the light beams (6).

7. The element according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reflection element (2, 2a-2d) is a flat structure.

8. The element according to claim 1, wherein said at least one reflection element (2, 2a-2d) is a three-dimensional structure.