Optic assembly for mirror

• US 8,708,536 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Muth Mirror Systems LLC (K. W. Muth)
• Original Assignee: KW Muth Company
• Inventors: Mathieu, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAABE, CHRISTOPHER M
• Application Number:
  US12/871,727
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 362/494, 362/487, 362543-545, 362/297, 362/298, 362/346
• US Class Current: 362/494
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2665 on rear-view mirrors lighting devices for vehicle interior on or for rear-view mirrors B60Q3/258
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/1207 with lamps; with turn indicators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0023 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/143 using macroscopically faceted or segmented reflective surfaces

Abstract

An optic assembly has a reflector with a reflective surface, one or more light sources, and mask assembly with one or more apertures. Light rays from a light source are refocused and substantially converged before being emitted through one or more apertures in the mask assembly.

Claims

1. An optic assembly for mounting behind a substrate, the optic assembly comprising:

a mask assembly defining one or more apertures, the mask assembly being capable of being mounted behind the substrate;

a reflector attached to the mask assembly and having a reflective surface, the reflective surface having a plurality of facets such that the facets are capable of reflecting light rays in a plurality of directions;

the plurality of facets including one or more refocusing facets and one or more converging facets;

one or more light sources substantially enclosed between the mask assembly and reflector;

wherein light from the one or more light sources is directly received by one or more refocusing facets

that first cause at least a portion of light rays from a light source to be directed from the natural focal point of the light source towards another focal point; and

wherein at least a portion of the light rays that were first directed by the one or more refocusing facts is received by one or more converging facets that cause at least a portion of light rays to be directed through at least one aperture in the mask assembly.

2. The optic assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a mirror.

3. The optic assembly of claim 1, wherein the mask assembly further comprises:

a diffuser, the diffuser being capable of scattering light rays emitted from the one or more light sources; and

a mask defining one or more apertures, the mask at least partially covering the diffuser such that the diffuser and mask substantially enclose an area between the reflector and the mask assembly.

4. The optic assembly of claim 1, wherein the one or more apertures form an icon.

5. The optic assembly of claim 1, wherein there is one or more refocusing facet and one or more converging facet for each aperture.

6. The optic assembly of claim 1, wherein there is at least one converging facet for each aperture.

7. The optic assembly of claim 1, wherein the refocusing facets are compound refocusing facets arrayed about one particular light source so as to create multiple refocusing points that are used in conjunction with multiple converging facets.

8. The optic assembly of claim 1, wherein the optic assembly has only one light source.

9. A method for directing light rays from a light source in an optic assembly comprising the steps of:

providing one or more light sources capable of emitting light rays into a reflector, the reflector having a reflective surface having a plurality of facets;

substantially refocusing light rays using a refocusing facet on the reflector, the refocusing facet capable of causing light rays received directly from the light source to be directed from the natural focal point of the light source towards another focal point;

substantially converging at least a portion of the substantially refocused light rays using a converging facet on the reflector, the converging facet capable of causing at least a portion of light rays directed by a refocusing facet to be substantially aligned and directed through an aperture in the optic assembly, the aperture adjacent to a substrate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate is a rearview mirror for a vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the mask assembly further comprises a diffuser, the diffuser being capable of scattering light rays emitted from the one or more light sources.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the optic assembly includes one or more apertures that form an icon.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the reflective surface further comprises one or more compound refocusing facets arrayed about one particular light source so as to create multiple refocusing points that are used in conjunction with multiple converging facets.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the optic assembly has only one light source.