Cube-corner retroreflective sheeting

• US 9,372,288 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Carbide Industries Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nippon Carbide Industries Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Mimura, Ikuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Greece, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Broome, Sharrief
• Application Number:
  US13/881,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20130215509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 359529-533, 359/831, 359833-834, 359836-837
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/122 cube corner, trihedral or triple reflector type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/124 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary plate or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/136 plural reflecting elements forming part of a unitary body G02B5/124 takes precedence

Abstract

In cube-corner retroreflective sheeting 3, cube-corner retroreflective elements in at least two mutually adjacent regions A and B rotate with each other around an axis perpendicular to the sheeting, in which cube-corner retroreflective elements 11 and 12 not in contact with boundaries between the regions A and B are cube-corner retroreflective elements having a hexagonal shape, and cube-corner retroreflective elements 11s, 12s, 11t and 12t in contact with the boundaries between the regions A and B are cube-corner retroreflective elements having a shape obtained by cutting parts of one or two reflective lateral surfaces of the cube-corner retroreflective element having a hexagonal shape where the partly cut reflective lateral surfaces are in contact with the boundaries.

Claims

1. A cube-corner retroreflective sheeting having a plurality of regions in which cube-corner retroreflective elements having predetermined rotation angle characteristics are arranged in a closest-packed state, wherein

the respective cube-corner retroreflective elements in at least two mutually adjacent regions are rotated with each other around an axis perpendicular to the sheeting, each of the regions including a cube-corner retroreflective element that is not in contact with a boundary between the regions and a cube-corner retroreflective element that is in contact with the boundary between the regions,

the cube-corner retroreflective element that is not in contact with respective boundaries between the regions provides three quadrangular reflective lateral surfaces perpendicular to one another having one apex in common, such cube-corner retroreflective element having three edge lines each being one common side of the mutually adjacent reflective lateral surfaces and having a hexagonal shape by sides of the respective reflective lateral surfaces that are not common sides of mutually adjacent reflective lateral surfaces,

the cube-corner retroreflective element that is in contact with the respective boundaries between the regions has a quadrangular or pentagonal shape obtained by cutting part of one or two quadrangular reflective lateral surfaces of the cube-corner retroreflective element having the hexagonal shape to form the reflective lateral surface in a triangular shape, and

only the triangular reflective lateral surface that is partly cut off is in contact with the boundary between the regions.

2. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to claim 1, wherein a surface in contact with the boundary in each cube-corner retroreflective element in contact with the boundary is a surface formed of a triangle obtained by cutting the reflective lateral surface along a line connecting common apexes of only two reflective lateral surfaces, the apexes being opposed to each other.

3. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein only one reflective lateral surface of each of the cube-corner retroreflective elements in contact with the boundary is in contact with the boundary.

4. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein two reflective lateral surfaces of each of the cube-corner retroreflective elements in contact with the boundary are in contact with the boundary.

5. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein only one reflective lateral surface of each of some cube-corner retroreflective elements in contact with the boundary is in contact with the boundary, and

two reflective lateral surfaces of each of some other cube-corner retroreflective elements in contact with the boundary are in contact with the boundary.

6. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the boundary is parallel to a line connecting common apexes of only two reflective lateral surfaces of the cube-corner retroreflective element having the hexagonal shape.

7. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein the three edge lines of the cube-corner retroreflective element having the hexagonal shape have the equal length to one another.

8. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to claim 7, wherein the cube-corner retroreflective elements having the hexagonal shape in mutually adjacent regions rotate relative to each other by an odd multiple of 60 degrees around an axis perpendicular to the sheeting.

9. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one out of the three edge lines of the cube-corner retroreflective element having the hexagonal shape have a length different from those of the other edge lines.

10. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to claim 9, wherein the cube-corner retroreflective elements having the hexagonal shape in mutually adjacent regions rotate relative to each other by 180 degrees around an axis perpendicular to the sheeting.

11. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein apical angles of the cube-corner retroreflective elements in respective regions are deviated.

12. The cube-corner retroreflective sheeting according to any one of claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the quadrangular reflective lateral surfaces is divided into an upper reflective lateral sub-surface and a lower reflective lateral sub-surface along a line connecting common apexes of only two of the quadrangular reflective lateral surfaces with each other, and

the upper reflective lateral sub-surface and the lower reflective lateral sub-surface are not on the same plane as each other.