LED lens assembly

• US 9,176,260 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sur-Seal LLC
• Original Assignee: Sur-Seal Corporation
• Inventors: Scherrer, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US13/776,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/16 Making multilayered or multicoloured articles B29C45/0062 takes precedence; feeding colouring materials into the injection unit B29C45/1816
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1615 The materials being injected at different moulding stations
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00278 Lenticular sheets B29D11/00269 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2011/0075 Light guides, optical cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0014 at least one surface having optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0066 in the form of an LED array
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/00 Simple or compound lenses

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a co-molded lens assembly comprising injecting a first material in a complete bezel mold having a bezel injection half and a bezel ejection half to form a bezel, and then injecting a second material in a complete optics mold to form a lens that is co-molded to the bezel. A third material is injected in a complete gasket mold to co-mold a gasket to the bezel.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a co-molded lens assembly comprising

a. injecting a first material in a complete bezel mold having a bezel injection half and a bezel ejection half to form a bezel;

b. injecting a second material in a complete optics mold to form a lens, whereas the lens is co-molded to the bezel; and

c. injecting a third material in a complete gasket mold to form a gasket, whereas the gasket is co-molded to the bezel.

2. The method according to claim 1, whereas the first material is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic and a polymer.

3. The method according to claim 1, whereas the first material is selected from the group consisting of acrylic, polycarbonate, and silicone.

4. The method according to claim 1, whereas the second material is selected from the group consisting of acrylic, polycarbonate, polyester, and silicone.

5. The method according to claim 1, whereas the third material is selected from the group consisting of a silicone and a thermoplastic elastomer.

6. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising the step of retaining the molded bezel in the bezel ejection mold, and transferring and mating the bezel ejection mold having the formed bezel to an optics injection half to form a complete optics mold.

7. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising the step of retaining the co-molded bezel and lens in the bezel ejection mold, and transferring and mating the bezel ejection mold having the formed bezel and lens to a gasket injection half to form a complete gasket mold.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising transferring the bezel from the complete bezel mold to a complete lens mold having an optics injection half and an optics ejection half, wherein the step of injecting a second material to mold a lens is performed in the complete optics mold.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the transferring the bezel step comprises transferring with a robot.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising transferring the lens and bezel from the complete optics mold to a complete gasket mold having a gasket injection half and a gasket ejection half, wherein the step of injecting a third material to mold the gasket is performed in the complete gasket mold.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the transferring the lens and bezel step comprises transferring with a robot.

12. A co-molded lens assembly comprising

a. a bezel,

b. a lens co-molded to the bezel, and

c. a gasket co-molded to the bezel.