Separate Sections Patents (Class 362/332)
  • Patent number: 6336735
    Abstract: An ornamental lighting device in which the housing decorative design may be varied by the user. The light device has an inner housing and an outer housing with an open space between them. The inner housing surrounds the light bulb and the outer housing surrounds the inner housing. The open space is completely or partially filled with light-altering objects such as, for example, multi-colored marbles. Light from the bulb passes through the marbles so as to create a multi-colored effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2002
    Assignee: MIE Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael W. Eddins
  • Patent number: 6305830
    Abstract: Lighting optics is provided for lights of vehicles, preferably motor vehicles. The lighting optics has a light-refracting lens element that is disposed in the path of rays of at least one light. The lens element has at least one aperture through which a portion of the rays of the light passes without undergoing refraction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Reitter & Schefenacker GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Hubert Zwick, Helfried Sandig
  • Patent number: 6273591
    Abstract: An indicator light for a motor vehicle has a point source, an intermediate screen which receives the light directly from the source, and a cover glass outside the screen. The intermediate screen comprises a series of optical cells, each of which has, on an internal face, a curved surface for straightening and spreading the light. Each cell further has, on an outer face, a set of at least two flat facets which are oblique with respect to a plane of the intermediate screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventor: Pierre Albou
  • Patent number: 6273596
    Abstract: A grid defining illumination cells having areas to pass light from a source for use in generation of a lines, wherein the grid is defined by first lines extending about one axis defined by the source, and second lines emanating from the axis to intersect first lines, each cell having four edges defined by successive of first lines and successive of second lines, the cells having one of the following: i) equal areas ii) areas that increase in direction away from the source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2001
    Assignee: Teledyne Lighting and Display Products, Inc.
    Inventor: William A. Parkyn, Jr.
  • Patent number: 6269660
    Abstract: A lamp for vehicle that includes a light source, a housing, a reflector and a lens is disclosed. The lens is made by the process that includes the steps of (a) assuming an imaginary plane with a cross hatching pattern made of crossing groups of plural lines disposed in parallel at a constant pitch, (b) deforming the imaginary plane by a desired shape consisting of a convex surface, a concave surface or a combination of both surfaces, so that the cross hatching pattern is deformed into a process surface, and (c) processing a lens cut in accordance with the cross hatching pattern when the process surface is orthographically projected onto the lens surface. The deformation given to the imaginary plane is performed so that the maximum pitch of the cross hatching pattern orthographically projected onto the lens surface is 1.5 times or more and 20 times or less the minimum pitch. The lens cut may have curvatures of the same diffusion coefficient regardless of the pitch of the cross hatching pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Kondo, Toshio Miyokawa
  • Patent number: 6264347
    Abstract: A rear indicating light for a motor vehicle comprises a light source, a bonnet in front of the light source, and an optical plate in front of the bonnet. The bonnet has means for distributing essentially uniformly the radiation it receives from the light source, over at least part of the surface of the flat optical plate, which is formed with striations to align the radiation along the optical axis. These striations are grouped in at least one discrete zone on the surface of the plate, the remainder of this surface consisting of at least one optically neutral zone, while the distributing means are adapted to distribute at least some of the radiation from the light source towards the discrete striated zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Vincent Godbillon, Jean Claude Gasquet, Christian Montelymard
  • Patent number: 6254246
    Abstract: An illumination device and an image display apparatus using the same. The illumination device comprising a light source, an illumination uniformizing device, and a polarization converter. The image display apparatus comprises an illumination device provided in the invention, a synthesizing means, and a projection means. The illumination uniformizing device has an incident plane for receiving a light emitted from the light source. Opposite the incident plane, a mirror is used as a side plane of the illumination uniformizing device to reflect the light coming from the incident plane. A bottom plane at a lower side and projection plane at an upper side of the incident plane are disposed between the incident plane and the side plane. A scattering pattern gradually condensed from the incident side toward the side plane is formed on the bottom plane, so that the light incident from the incident plane is made uniform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Kuo-Tung Tiao, Kuang-Vu Chen, Fu-Ming Chuang, Jinn-Chou Yoo
  • Patent number: 6250777
    Abstract: A double-focus lens is disclosed in which double-focus lens cuts (for example, cuts in which elements of the lens cuts formed on one of the surfaces of the lens include convex cuts in a first direction and concave cuts in the direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction) are formed on at least a portion of the lens. A vehicular lamp device can be constructed using the double-focus lens as an outer lens. Accordingly, a vehicular lamp device with a feeling of three-dimensional depth can be realized by using a lens that forms focal points in two locations, i.e., oil the front side of the lens and on the back side of the lens, without sacrificing light distribution characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2001
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Toshihiro Aoyama
  • Patent number: 6247833
    Abstract: A lamp fixture having a top housing with slightly slanted side walls, a faceted rectangular glass portion extending from the housing and held affixed to the housing by a door, and a junction box and an extrusion plate for mounting the fixture to an electrical or junction box in a building. The extrusion plate is mounted to a sidewall of the housing. The extrusion plate includes J or hooked shaped end portions forming cavities therein. The junction box includes ridges. The ridges are slightly angled to match the angle of the sidewalls of the fixture housing. The fixture and mounted extrusion plate can then be lifted above the junction box, and the cavities of the extrusion plate slid over the ridges of the junction box. The top surface of the extrusion plate is slightly angled to compensate for the angle of the ridges, so that the top surfaces of the extrusion plate and the junction box are flush with one another. The wire connections are made and pushed into the junction box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Inventor: Jerome Neustadt
  • Patent number: 6231201
    Abstract: A display unit, in particular in a vehicle, has a display (1.) which can be transilluminated by a transilluminating device (2) in a prescribed direction. Light launched from a light source (3) into an optical conductor (4) is aligned by a first optical element (5) and deflected into a prescribed direction by a second, displaceably arranged optical element (8). As a result, an image on the display (1) is to be detected exclusively from a viewing angle region in which the display (1) is transilluminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG
    Inventor: Christoph Rupp
  • Patent number: 6183108
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a lens, such as a circular rod carried by a housing. A lamp or light is positioned adjacent the circular rod which has a convex entry portion and a convex exit portion to distribute a wide and intense beam of light to a desired area. Variations of the apparatus allow for distribution of the light in any desired pattern, either downwardly or outwardly, as desired by the particular end use. The apparatus eliminates the need for reflectors to assist in generating the beam, although mirrors may be employed to generate a triple high-intensity beam from a single light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Inventor: Michael A. Herold
  • Patent number: 6157500
    Abstract: A flow cell 2, a composite lens 15, and first to third detectors 16 to 18 are arranged in this sequence in the light pathway of light emitted from a laser light source 1. The composite lens 15 is configured by a convex lens 15a, and lens elements 15b and 15c. These lenses have different focal lengths. When the posture of the composite lens is correct, light impinging on the convex lens forms an image on the first detector. Therefore, the positioning of the composite lens is enabled. When particles in the flow cell are irradiated with laser light, forward scatter is produced. Forward small angle scatter having a small scattering angle impinges on the first lens element 15b to be collected thereby, and is then received by the second detector 17. Forward large angle scatter having a large scattering angle impinges on the second lens element 15c in the outermost periphery to be collected thereby, and is then received by the third detector 18 which is remotest from the composite lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
    Inventors: Masao Yamazaki, Yutaka Nagai, Katsuhiro Tsuchiya, Yoshiyuki Takahara
  • Patent number: 6155702
    Abstract: A motor vehicle headlamp comprises an ellipsoidal reflector with two focus regions, a light source in the region of the first focus and a convergent lens focused on the region of the second focus. At least one optical plate exposed to light emitted directly by the light source includes an optical processing arrangement which returns at least a part of the direct light into the illumination field of the headlamp. An intermediate framework part fixed to the reflector is provided between the reflector and the lens and the intermediate part includes an arrangement for fixing the optical plate. Applications include elliptical headlamps with an enlarged illuminating area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2000
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Eric Blusseau, Gerard Billot
  • Patent number: 6152570
    Abstract: A light incident into a wedge type light scattering conducting element from a light incident surface of the light scattering conducting element is converted into a light flux having a directionality and is output from a light output surface. The output light is input to a wedge type emitting direction characteristic adjusting element arranged with a positional relationship complementary to the light scattering conducting element. A prism shaped irregularity for adjusting a propagating directionality of the light in longitudinal/transverse directions is formed on a light input surface/light output surface of the wedge type emitting direction characteristic adjusting element. The wedge type emitting direction characteristic adjusting element has a weakened scattering power depending on requirements, thereby a degree of directionality sharpness of the light emitted from a surface light source device is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Assignees: Enplas Corporation, Yasuhiro Koike
    Inventor: Kazuaki Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 6139173
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp including a lamp body having a U-shaped recess portion defining a lamp chamber and an opening; a light source disposed in the lamp chamber; a lens covering the opening of the lamp body; a fish-eye lens portion formed of at least one fish-eye lens; a cylindrical lens portion formed of at least one cylindrical lens, the fish-eye lens portion and the cylindrical lens portion arranged on a surface of the lens with a thickness of the fish-eye lens portion being substantially equal to a thickness of the cylindrical lens portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuhiro Hanamori
  • Patent number: 6116757
    Abstract: An illumination system with a light source and a surrounding cylindrical array of refracting elements producing spokes of light on adjacent surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2000
    Inventor: Jerome H. Simon
  • Patent number: 6109772
    Abstract: A lamp including a light source, a petaline reflector, and aspheric lenses. The petaline reflector is formed of a plurality of reflecting surface units combined radially around the center axis of the light source. Each of the reflecting surface units is obtained by cutting, radially around the center axis, a portion from a spheroid having a first focal point located on the center axis and adjacent the light source and a second focal point located on a line passing through the first focal point and tilted appropriately from the center axis such that the cut portion spans a range of 15.degree. to 60.degree. around the center axis. The aspheric lenses are disposed to correspond to the respective second focal points of the reflecting surface units of the petaline reflector and converge reflected light beams from the respective reflecting surface units. Shades for forming a light distribution pattern are disposed at the respective near-focal points of the aspheric lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Futami, Teruo Koike, Yoshifumi Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 6070994
    Abstract: A dual beacon is provided for mounting on an obstruction such as a tower. The dual beacon is substantially cylindrical with an open cylindrical interior. An upper lens section and a lower lens section is provided and at the inside top of the upper lens section there is a slight, outward and downward taper of about 1.degree.. The upper lens section and the lower lens section are hinged to allow access to the interior where a plate has an upper flashtube assembly and a lower flashtube assembly mounted thereon. The member is hinged to allow easy access to the upper flashtube assembly and to the lower flashtube assembly. The upper lens section and the lower lens section each have a central portion which controls the intensity of the light beam. The peak intensity is in an area of 3.degree. through 5.degree. above a horizontal reference plane and in an area of 1.degree. below such horizontal reference plane greater than 50% of peak intensity is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2000
    Assignee: TRW Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Gavin D. Sebek, Donald V. Nguyen, Jeffrey A. Huehlefeld
  • Patent number: 6048080
    Abstract: A lens for use in a light fixture provided to project a beam of light in a first light pattern having a first cross-sectional geometry. A lenticular lens element is supported in the fixture and movable into a position to interrupt the beam of light for selecting beam shape by altering the first projected light pattern from the first cross-sectional geometry to a second cross-sectional geometry different from the first geometry and for moving the second pattern to a desired orientation. The lens element may be carried by a disc rotatably mounted in the fixture. The disc may carry a plurality of lens elements which can also change the orientation of the projected light patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: High End Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard S. Belliveau
  • Patent number: 6033094
    Abstract: A microlens array is formed with lenses having many different symmetries to produce a large number of light output pattern shapes. The portions of the microlens array lenslets that direct light into undesirable locations are replaced with additional lenslets that redirect the light to where it is wanted. The microlens array has a plurality of primary lenslets on a substrate, the primary lenslets being curved shapes. Each of the primary lenslets has a surface area and a peripheral region. A plurality of secondary lenslets are at the peripheral regions of the primary lenslets and have surface areas which are smaller than the surface areas of the primary lenslets. The primary lenslets have a first vertical dimension and the secondary lenslets have a second vertical dimension which is smaller than the first vertical dimension. Tertiary lenslets may also be included in the microlens array. In the second of two described embodiments, the secondary and tertiary lenslets present convex cross-sectional shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Fresnel Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Sohn
  • Patent number: 6033092
    Abstract: A reflective-refractive lighting jacket has a first reflective and second refractive surface for surrounding a tubular light source in the interior of the jacket. A first reflective section reflects light from the source, and a second refractive section transmits light from the source and from the reflecting section. Both sections are forms in cross section that have a focal point in the interior of the jacket. Flutes in the jacket create various images and projected beams so that many different images and projected lines of the source are formed to provide for distributing light while minimizing actual diffusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Inventor: Jerome J. Simon
  • Patent number: 5971568
    Abstract: An optical device and a multisurface reflector which can be used for this purpose, which has high uniformity of the illumination intensity on the entire surface of an area to be illuminated, and a small shape, and in which a high utilization factor of the light can be obtained is achieved according to the invention by there being a multisurface concave reflector which is composed of numerous mirror elements which combine to form a concave reflection surface of a generally oval shape. A light source lamp is arranged such that an emission part of it is positioned along the center axis of the multisurface reflector, and a lens plate is located in front of the multisurface reflector on a plane perpendicular to its center axis. The lens plate a plurality of lens elements which each correspond number to the number of mirror elements on the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Ushiodenki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kiyoyuki Kabuki
  • Patent number: 5945916
    Abstract: A motor vehicle indicator light comprises a light source, a reflector defining an axis on which the light source lies, the reflector having striations in a first orientation, and an optical plate having striations in a second orientation substantially at right angles to the first orientation. A central zone of the reflector spreads the light in a first direction in a first angular gap defined on either side of the axis, while the striations in two side zones of the reflector spread the light while directing it towards the axis of the reflector in the first direction. A homologous central zone of the optical plate, which may be an intermediate screen, spreads the light in a second direction substantially at right angles to the first direction, in a second angular gap on either side of the axis, while homologous side zones of the intermediate screen spread the light in the second direction to a lesser extent than the central zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventor: Patrice Collot
  • Patent number: 5897201
    Abstract: From a quasi point source, light distribution means produce a selected one or ones of broadly distributed ambient light, non-shadowing task illumination, multibeam display lighting, projective lineal lighting and projective surface washing illumination lineally or radially distributed. Collimation optics shape light from a quasi point source into a disc of selected axial thickness. Containment optics contain divergence of and direct light from the collimation optics to distribution optics. The distribution optics modulates and redirects the radiant energy into a shape or shapes useful in illuminating architectural space. The distribution optics may reflect or refract light to direct and shape it for a particular architectural illumination requirement. The efficient combination of the optics provides for a system of minimized thickness, permitting maximum flexibility in integration with or within shelves, soffits and other structural members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1999
    Inventor: Jerome H. Simon
  • Patent number: 5863115
    Abstract: Illumination system with a light source and a surrounding cylindrical array of refracting elements producing spokes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 26, 1999
    Inventor: Jerome H. Simon
  • Patent number: 5839823
    Abstract: The light output of a back-coupled illumination system is improved by recycling reflected and misdirected light rays. A reflector at the light source and an array of microprisms having reflective elements therebetween efficiently redirect errant light rays to increase the total available light output and improve efficiency. Both specular and diffuse reflective materials may be used in combination to enhance light output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 24, 1998
    Assignee: AlliedSignal Inc.
    Inventors: Janpu Hou, Waltraud Rosalie Unger, Jerry Wayne Kuper
  • Patent number: 5836674
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp which includes a lamp body having a front opening, a lens coupled to the front opening of the lamp body, a light source disposed within a lamp chamber defined by the lamp body and the lens, and convex and concave fish-eye lens steps arranged in a line direction thereof, wherein because step portions are formed at a boundary of the convex and concave lens steps and the convex lens steps and the concave lens steps are arranged to shift by half a pitch in a column direction thereof, optical images created by the convex and concave lens steps are focused on different points from each other in the front-rear direction of the lens or the lamp, to create an impression of the deep, three dimensional lamp inside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Norihiro Nishitani, Hirokazu Yanagihara, Masamitsu Wada
  • Patent number: 5772306
    Abstract: A lens for a light distribution has an incident surface and an exit surface, where the exit surface is an aspheric surface so that an aberration of the outer periphery in the horizontal direction can be larger than an aberration of the outer periphery in the vertical direction of the exit surface. Among light distributions formed by an outgoing light emitted from the exit surface, a light distribution in the horizontal direction blurs on the peripheral portion but a light distribution in the vertical direction does not blur on the peripheral portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1998
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Okuchi
  • Patent number: 5730519
    Abstract: In order to prevent a driver from feeling strange when he looks at a boundary of illumination between a hot illumination zone and flat illumination zone, a light-grading optical member is provided. A headlight for a vehicle includes a fiberoptic cable and a lamp member for forming incident light beams into a desired illumination profile to illuminate portions in front of the vehicle. The lamp member is composed of a light conducting member to define the profile of the illumination by introducing the light beams from the fiberoptic cable, a first lens member for forming the hot illumination zone and a second lens member for forming the flat illumination zone. The optical member or means for refracting a portion of the light beams is formed on a periphery of the first lens member or on a periphery of the light conducting member, whereby a difference in brightness between the hot and flat illumination zones is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Okuchi, Hideyuki Kato
  • Patent number: 5709451
    Abstract: A vehicle headlamp is provided including a parabolic reflector, a high intensity discharge bulb mounted with the reflector having a main arc located generally at a focal point, and a lens for focusing the bulb having a vertical and a horizontal axis intersecting the reflector axis. The reflector has a maximum horizontal dimension W made up of a left width WL and a right width WR. There is a two-part zone 1 bordered on the bottom by the horizontal axis of the lens and bordered on the top by the top of the lens as long as the top of the lens is 60 millimeters or less from the horizontal axis. The zone 1 is bordered on the right side by a line extending a distance RT from the vertical axis going down to a distance RB taken from the vertical axis, and RT equals 1/4 WR and RB equals 3/4 WR. In like manner, the left side of zone 1 is bordered on the top at a distance LT from the vertical axis and a distance LB along the horizontal axis from the vertical axis, and LT equals 1/4 WL and LB equals 3/4 WL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 20, 1998
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Spencer David Flora, Tony Eugene Collins
  • Patent number: 5683175
    Abstract: A lenticular lens containing a multiplicity of multi-sided lenticules useful with reflector lamps provides improved light distribution by having the lenticules oriented to avoid parallelism with a projected light image and distributed in a plurality of zones or bands concentric about said optical center. The size and light-spreading ability of the lenticules in each zone is selected to provide the desired light distribution. Parallelism is avoided by having the lenticules arrayed in a plurality of wedge-shaped sections circumferentially arranged in a circle around the optical center of the lens and extending through the zones with the lenticules in each section arrayed in a uniform, close-packed hexagonal array of parallel rows with the longitudinal axis of one of the rows being radially aligned with respect to the optical center of the lens, so that none of the sides of the lenticules are parallel to the light source image projected off the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Thomas M. Golz
  • Patent number: 5676457
    Abstract: Lineal light distribution is provided from a source which may comprise a quasi-point source. The light is directed to one or more arms, each arm comprising conveyance means defining a region of light travel. Collimated light is directed into the conveyance means. Directing means in the light path direct light in respective independent paths to each of a plurality of exit means. The directing means may be discrete or distributed. The exit means each project light away from the conveyance means. The exit means are distributed at a number of locations at differing locations with respect to the source so that a lineal distribution of light from the source is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Inventor: Jerome H. Simon
  • Patent number: 5665305
    Abstract: Overlapping lenses for use in a light fixture provided to project a beam of light in a first beam shape having a first cross-sectional geometry. A first lens device is supported in the fixture and movable into a position to interrupt the beam of light for selecting beam shape by altering the first projected beam shape from the first cross-sectional geometry to a second cross-sectional geometry different from the first geometry. The first lens device includes at least one lenticular lens element having lenticules oriented in a first direction. A second lens device, separate from the first device, is supported in the fixture and movable into a position to interrupt the beam of light for selecting beam shape by altering the second projected beam shape from the second cross-sectional geometry to a third cross-sectional geometry different from the first and second geometries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 9, 1997
    Inventors: Richard S. Belliveau, John W. Lane, II
  • Patent number: 5658072
    Abstract: The front opening of a lamp body with a bulb disposed therein is covered with a lens. The lens is segmented into a plural number of segmental areas. A first fisheye step group composed of convex fisheye steps and a second fisheye step groups composed of concave fisheye steps are alternatingly formed in the segmental areas. In the first fisheye step group, real images of the light source are formed on the front side of the lens by the convex fisheye steps. In the second fisheye step groups, virtual images are formed on the rear side of the lens by the concave fisheye steps. The distance between the real and virtual images of the light source creates an appearance of depth for the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 19, 1997
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Natsume, Hitoshi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 5657169
    Abstract: A lens (10) is disclosed for use on automotive vehicles and which forms part of lamp assemblies used on the rear, front or side surfaces thereof. The lens utilizes a combination of optical elements (25) and reflex elements (24) interspersed therewith, the density of the reflex elements (24) relative to the optic elements (25) being graduated in selected areas of the lens surface, for example from the stop or brake light area (12) of the lens through the "running light" area (14) to a fog area (16). One form of the invention has the optic elements (25) and the reflex elements (24) on a single lens surface and, in another embodiment, the optic elements (25) of the lens (10) are located on one lens surface (52) and the reflex elements (24) are located in juxtaposition outwardly thereof on a second lens surface (48) and spaced from one another so that the reflex elements (24) are axially interspersed between the optic elements (25). The method of manufacturing both forms of lenses is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: August 12, 1997
    Assignee: DBM Reflex Enterprises Inc.
    Inventor: Italo Caroli
  • Patent number: 5651609
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fluorescent lamp housing assembly capable of providing convection cooling to the lamp and the ballast. The lens of the present invention includes two distinct portions, a central portion and an apertured portion. The housing assembly further includes apertures so that air mass is able to freely move up through the assembly and out ventilation apertures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Inventors: Bruce A. Pelton, Michael Siminovitch
  • Patent number: 5641218
    Abstract: A flashing device having an optical panel 3 to converge light, emitted from a flashing discharge tube 1, and reflected from a reflector 2, the converged light being directed by the optical panel to a photographic object. The optical panel is placed in front of the flashing discharge tube 1 and reflector 2 so as to control the light distribution in a transverse direction perpendicular to the axis of the flashing discharge tube 1. Moreover, the optical panel has different optical characteristics at its central portion and circumferential portion in the transverse direction perpendicular to the axis of the flashing discharge tube 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 24, 1997
    Assignee: Olympus Optical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidenori Sakurai
  • Patent number: 5615090
    Abstract: A lens member for a flat zone illumination of a headlight has a light incident surface which receives light beams introduced from a centralized light source through a fiberoptic cable, a light emitting surface which has a cylindrical lens portion for irradiating the light beams in front of a car and a curved light conducting portion between the surfaces which has total reflecting surfaces on the peripheries thereof. The light emitting surface is formed to slightly incline with respect to a light axis of a hot zone lens member so that the light beams are refracted in parallel with the light beams for the hot zone illumination when they are emitted from the surface and increase the brightness of the flat zone illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideyuki Kato
  • Patent number: 5613770
    Abstract: A lighting fixture includes one or more corner structures for connecting adjacent panels at their adjacent real or virtual corners or edges at predetermined angles to each other. The corner structures include sockets of which at least one includes a single flange member for adhering support on one side of lighting fixture panels with the other sockets each including at least a single flange member for adhering support on one side of lighting fixture panels. Adjacent ones of the sockets are attached to each other at cantilevered ends or at the bases of the flange limbs, or at combinations thereof. The corner structure can be fabricated from sheet metal by cutting and stamping the corner structure according to a predetermined pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Lite Corporation
    Inventors: Paul W. Chin, Jr., Hsing M. Keng
  • Patent number: 5605396
    Abstract: A single or multi-tier lighting fixture includes intra-tier and inter-tier corner structures for connecting adjacent panels at their adjacent corners at predetermined angles to each other, within and across one or more horizontal tiers. The corner structures include sockets including flange members for straddling connection to opposite sides of the panels being connected. The adjacent ones of the sockets are attached to each other for connecting the adjacent panels in a single or multi-tier lighting fixture, and tiered structures include the corner structures which are adhesively connected to the panels in the lighting structure. The tiers of panels may be structurally supportable by rods and struts connecting tier support plates, or rings, and selected corner structures of the lighting fixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: Lite Corporation
    Inventors: Paul W. Chin, Jr., Hsing M. Keng
  • Patent number: 5603563
    Abstract: The front opening of a lamp body with a bulb attached thereto is covered with a lens. The lens includes a plural number of areas having horizonal and vertical cylindrical steps formed thereon. The areas including the horizonal cylindrical steps and the areas including the vertical cylindrical steps are alternately disposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunori Natsume
  • Patent number: 5603561
    Abstract: A vehicular lamp including a lamp body having a front opening, a reflector disposed at an inner-rear surface of the lamp body, a light source mounted at the central part of the lamp body for emitting a light beam, and an outer lens covering the front opening of the lamp body. The outer lens includes linearly extending steps such as concave or convex cylindrical lens and retroreflection steps. The linearly extending steps and the retroreflection steps are alternatingly arrayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazutami Ohishi
  • Patent number: 5582481
    Abstract: An automotive marker lamp has a lens on which there are formed both convex and concave semicylindrical steps, all extending parallel to each other. Each convex step creates the real image of the light source outside lens whereas each concave step creates the virtual of the light source inside the lens. Thus the lamp gains a depth image when glowing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 10, 1996
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazunori Natsume
  • Patent number: 5580165
    Abstract: An outer lens includes transparent segmental areas and first fisheye step groups, and an inner lens also includes transparent segmental areas and second fisheye step groups. The first and second fisheye step groups are shifted in the depth direction of the lamp so as to slightly overlap when viewed from the front side of the identification lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 3, 1996
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazunori Natsume, Nobuhiro Taki
  • Patent number: 5515253
    Abstract: A L.E.D. light assembly having a refractive lens having a front surface and a rear surface. A plurality of horizontal rows of pillow lens modules are formed on the rear surface of the refractive lens. The respective edges of the pillow lens modules coincide with adjacent pillow block lens modules to form both vertical and horizontal intersection lines. A plurality of vertically oriented convex or concave flute strips are formed on the front surface of the refractive lens in the front surface of these respective vertical intersection lines. A plurality of L.E.D.'s are mounted on a printed circuit board spaced a predetermined distance behind the rear surface of the refractive lens. There is one L.E.D. for every pillow lens module. Vertical oriented planar strips are formed on the front surface of the refractive lens intermediate each of the vertically oriented convex or concave flute strips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 7, 1996
    Inventor: Fritz C. Sjobom
  • Patent number: 5502626
    Abstract: Fluorescent lamp energy efficiency is improved by providing geometric formations on the surface to which the phosphor coating is applied. By such geometric formations, a greater oblique surface area is available for receiving a desirably thin phosphor coating such that greater and more uniform visible light output is obtained from the device for a given energy input, i.e., greater relative to that possible with smooth surfaces receiving the phosphor coating. In the illustrated embodiment, the interior surfaces of an enclosure include V-shaped groove formations for increasing the interior surface area and establishing oblique orientation relative to approaching UV light rays. A UV light source is placed within the enclosure for excitation of a phosphor coating applied to the interior surfaces of the enclosure. The invention is particularly well adapted for use as a backlighting system in an active matrix liquid crystal display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1996
    Assignee: Honeywell Inc.
    Inventors: James B. Armstrong, J. Michael Lengyel
  • Patent number: 5490045
    Abstract: An improved barrier light assembly is provided of the type wherein the lens subassembly is pivotable relative to the case subassembly. The assembly employs a limited field light source (preferably an LED with a field of about 34.degree.), and incorporates a self-orienting, lens coupled holding and positioning subassembly for such a light source whereby this light source remains fixed at the lens subassembly focal point with its emission center line extending along the lens center line regardless of the pivoted position of the lens subassembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Elgin Molded Plastics, Inc.
    Inventor: Henry Lindner
  • Patent number: 5416683
    Abstract: A lighting fixture for overhead mounting to produce a generally-rectangular, outwardly and downwardly directed light illumination over a broad areal expanse. The fixture includes a pair of back-to-back arranged reflectors depending from a supporting overhead housing and defining arcuate, generally-parabolic sections flaring outwardly horizontally of one another from opposite sides of a lamp of the fixture. A refractor of polymeric organic composition overlying and protectively capping the lamp and the reflectors diffuses, distributes and directs illumination from the lamp, from the parabolic reflectors and from a reflector plate located above the reflectors to provide an expansive, essentially rectangular-beam light pattern of uniform illumination. Physically faceted upper sections constituting flattened areas of the parabolic reflectors enhance the distribution of light to ensure more even illumination patterns and eliminate "dark" zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 16, 1995
    Assignee: Kenall Manufacturing Co.
    Inventor: Charles A. McCarthy
  • Patent number: 5410460
    Abstract: A positioning device for a Christmas light string, which comprises a plurality of lamp sockets, of which each is mounted with a decorative casing; the decorative casing includes a reflecting shade and a transparent shade; the center of the reflecting shade has a plug hole for receiving the lamp socket mounted with a spun-wire cable; the reflecting shade and the transparent shade can be assembled together by means of several fastening assemblies; the ring flanges of the reflecting shade and the transparent shade are furnished with at least two symmetrical positioning hooks, of which each includes an opening, a guide slot and a positioning slot for receiving two single wires respectively extended out of the lamp socket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1995
    Inventor: Ching-Chong Liou
  • Patent number: 5408387
    Abstract: Reflective material is closely provided to cover the surfaces of a diffusing-reflection arrangements that are defined by a dot pattern on a transparent substrate, thereby fabricating an edge light panel. The diffusing-reflecting arrangements are in microspheric configurations, so that they can act as a condenser lenses, thereby achieving a much higher luminance in combination with the location of the reflective material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 18, 1995
    Assignee: Meitaku System Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinzo Murase, Hirokazu Matsui