Vehicular lamp assembly with a simplified structure and CHMSL and tail lamp incorporating the same

• US 6,851,839 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ventra Greenwich Holdings Corp.
• Original Assignee: Meridian Automotive Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Kelly, Timothy J., Nykerk, Todd M., Malone, Brian J.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zeade, Bertrand
• Application Number:
  US10/096,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20020149946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 362/487, 362/543, 362/544, 362/518, 362/546, 362/298, 362/301, 362/300, 362/302, 362/346, 362/611, 362/545, 362/800, 362/299, 362/538, 362/539
• US Class Current: 362/487
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/322 the reflector using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/237 rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/239 plate-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/245 emitting light from one or more of its major surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/249 with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/40 characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection

Abstract

A lamp assembly comprising a transparent body having a front surface and a back surface, the back surface having at least one convex curved portion, each such convex curved portion having at least one axis perpendicular to the front surface, and an internally reflective curved surface facing the front surface of the transparent body, a cavity in each convex curved portion, having sidewalls and a bottom, adapted to receive a light emitting source, and a reflective surface at the bottom of each cavity oriented so that light emitted by the light emitting source is reflected by the reflective surface onto the internally reflective curved surface of the convex curved portion. In some embodiments, the internally reflective curved surface also provides one or more electrical circuits for one or more light emitting sources.

Claims

1. A lamp assembly comprising

a. a transparent body having a front surface and a back surface,

b. the back surface of such transparent body having at least one convex curved portion, each such convex curved portion having at least one axis perpendicular to the front surface, and having an internally reflective curved surface facing the front surface of the transparent body,

c. a cavity in each convex curved portion, having sidewalls and a bottom, adapted to receive a light emitting source,

d. a reflective surface at the bottom of each cavity oriented so that light emitted by the light emitting source is reflected by the reflective surface onto the internally reflective curved surface of the convex curved portion.

2. The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the back surface of the transparent body has a plurality of convex curved portions.

3. The lamp assembly of claim 1 or 2 wherein the transparent body is a one-piece structure.

4. The lamp assembly of claim 1 or 2 wherein the transparent body is injection-molded plastic.

5. The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein each convex curved portion is parabolic along at least one axis.

6. The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the internally reflective curved surface of each convex curved portion is parabolic along at least one axis.

7. The lamp assembly of claim 6 wherein the back surface of the transparent body has a plurality of convex curved portions forming a plurality of internally reflective parabolic surfaces.

8. The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the cavity is generally cylindrical.

9. The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the light emitting source is an LED.

10. The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the reflective surface at the bottom of the cavity in each convex curved portion is generally conically shaped.

11. The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein the reflective surface at the bottom of the cavity in each convex curved portion is formed by the deposition of reflective material onto the bottom of the cavity.

12. The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein each internally reflective curved surface is comprised of reflective material deposited onto each convex curved portion of the back surface of the transparent body.

13. The lamp assembly of claim 12 wherein the reflective material deposited on each convex curved portion of the back surface of the transparent body is also electrically conductive.

14. The lamp assembly of claim 13 wherein the reflective material deposited on each convex curved portion forms part of an electrical circuit together with one or more leads of each light emitting source.

15. The lamp assembly of claim 13 wherein the reflective material is deposited in at least two electrically isolated sections, with separate electrically isolated sections being connected to at least one of each light emitting source.

16. The lamp assembly of claim 2 wherein the internally reflective curved surface of each of the plurality of convex curved portions is comprised of reflective material deposited on the convex curved portions of the transparent body.

17. The lamp assembly of claim 16 wherein the reflective material deposited on the convex curved portions of the transparent body is also electrically conductive.

18. The lamp assembly of claim 17 wherein adjacent convex curved portions are also electrically interconnected by reflective material deposited on the back surface of the transparent body between adjacent convex curved portions.

19. The lamp assembly of claim 18 wherein the reflective material deposited on and between adjacent convex curved portions forms part of an electrical circuit together with one or more leads of each light emitting source.

20. The lamp assembly of claim 19 wherein the reflective material is deposited in at least two electrically isolated sections, with separate electrically isolated sections being connected to at least one lead of each light emitting source.

21. The lamp assembly of claim 20 having at least four electrically isolated sections.

22. The lamp assembly of claim 15, 20, or 21 wherein the electrically isolated sections are separated by ribs.

23. The lamp assembly of claim 22 wherein the ribs are S-shaped.

24. The lamp assembly of claim 1 wherein one or more optical elements are formed in the front surface of the transparent body.

25. The lamp assembly of claim 24 wherein the optical elements include a fresnel lens.

26. The lamp assembly of claim 1 further comprising a lens positioned in front of the front face of the transparent body.

27. A method for diffusing light from a light source comprising

a. forming a transparent body having a front surface and a back surface,

b. forming at least one convex curved portion, such convex curved portion having at least one axis perpendicular to the front surface,

c. forming a cavity in each convex curved portion, having sidewalls and a bottom, adapted to receive a light source,

d. depositing a reflective material on the convex curved portion such that the convex curved portion has an internally reflective curved surface facing the front surface of the transparent body,

e. depositing a reflective material onto the bottom of the cavity, and

f. mounting a light source in the cavity directed toward the reflective material on the bottom of the cavity, so that at least some of the light emitted by the light source is reflected by the reflective material in the bottom of the cavity onto the reflective material forming the internally reflective curved surface, and, in turn reflected toward the front surface of the transparent body.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the formation of the transparent body, at least one convex curved portion, and a cavity in each convex curved portion is performed in a single injection molding step.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the deposition of reflective material onto the convex curved portion and onto the bottom of the cavity is performed in a single deposition step.