GB2453037A

GB2453037A - An arrangement for the total reflection of light.

Info

Publication number: GB2453037A
Application number: GB0816973A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ralf Kroener; Bernd Lochte; Heinz Redlich
Original assignee: Dr Ing HCF Porsche AG
Current assignee: Dr Ing HCF Porsche AG
Priority date: 2007-09-20
Filing date: 2008-09-16
Publication date: 2009-03-25
Also published as: GB0816973D0; FR2921497A1

Abstract

An optical arrangement for total reflection which comprises a reflecting foil 14 that is applied to a basic carrier 12 and creates an optical depth effect by means of a printed pattern on the surface of the foil, the foil is covered by a covering plate 11 which has a wave shape lens 15 which faces the foil. The foil may have patterning which has at least one highly reflective region and at least one weakly reflecting region.

Description

An arrangement for the reflection of light rays The invention relates to an optical element for the reflection of light rays, as is known from DE 101 24 370 Al, for example. In this known arrangement, an optical element consists of a transparent basic body which, with the formation of reflection surfaces bounding the basic body, is structured or formed so that at least some of the light rays striking the reflection surfaces upon emergence from the transparent basic body are totally reflected. Covering members are incorporated into the transparent basic body and, for their part, have reflection surfaces so that, owing to the correspondingly adapted reflection surfaces, the light entering the transparent basic body emerges from the transparent basic body again on the same side on which it entered.

Starting from the prior art, the arrangement according to the invention seeks to provide a more cost-effective and simpler design of a reflector for total reflection.

The arrangement according to the invention for total reflection of the light, having the features of the main claim, has the advantage over the known prior art that the incident light, owing to the arrangement of a structured covering plate and a correspondingly formed layout foil, in addition to total reflection achieves a visual, optically greater depth effect with minimal installation space.

Embodiments of the invention will be further explained in the following description and are shown in the drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of the reflection arrangement, and Fig. 2 shows a schematic view of the layout foil for the arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows the construction of the optical arrangement as mounted on the rear of a motor vehicle, for example. In this case, the optical arrangement 10 comprises a lamp glass 11 which is transparent and, when arranged on the rear of a vehicle, substantially has a red colour. A signalling effect is achieved by this red coloration of the translucent covering plate 11. The covering plate 11 is connected to a basic carrier 12 at two connecting points 13. These connecting points can be formed by welding, for example, so that the resulting weld seam forms an air-tight connection between the carrier part 12 and the covering plate 11. A reflecting foil 14 is applied to the carrier part 12. This foil 14 is preferably glued onto the carrier part 12.

The foil 14 is shown in detail in Fig. 2. In the embodiment described, this reflecting foil 14 has a rectangular shape, although other shapes are also possible for a corresponding projection.

Fig. 1 shows a sectional view of the arrangement comprising the covering plate 11, the carrier part 12 and the foil 14. On the side of the carrier part 12 remote from the covering plate 11 connecting elements are provided, which will not be described in detail in the following and by means of which the reflection arrangement according to the invention is mounted on the rear end of a vehicle, for example. Various locking mechanisms are possible here, as well as the screw connection of this arrangement according to this embodiment of the invention.

Owing to the rectangular shape of the reflecting foil 14, in the arrangement according to this embodiment of the invention the connecting points 13 are provided circumferentially, i.e. as a continuous gap-free connection, likewise in the rectangular shape of the foil 14 so that in each case the foil is arranged in an air-tight manner between the covering plate 11 and the carrier part 12.

Owing to the particular configuration of the covering plate 11, which has a horizontal wave lens 15 on the side facing the reflecting foil 14, and owing to the printing of the reflecting foil with a corresponding layout, this arrangement for total reflection achieves an optical depth effect which imparts a three-dimensional image to the observer.

The reflecting foil 14 is schematically shown in Fig. 2, as already mentioned hereinabove, wherein the reference numeral 16 designates patterning of the reflecting foil 14.

The patterning 16 exhibits longitudinal division into a strongly reflecting region 17 and a less strongly reflecting region 18, which are shown in Fig. 2 by the variation in colour shading. This patterning 16 produces the desired depth effect for the observer. The reflecting foil 14 itself is usually a silver foil which is configured by means of corresponding layout printing using a known layout printing process.

For the rear end of a vehicle, owing to the corresponding coloration and depth effect of this reflector screen, a type of reflector strip can be formed between the rear lamps, which is then adapted to the rear lamps in coloration and depth effect. Owing to the design of this arrangement for total reflection of the light, a component with a very small installation depth can be provided.

Finally, it should be emphasised that the combination of the horizontal wave lens of the covering plate 11 and the printed reflector foil 14 produces a greater optical depth effect than the available installation space would otherwise allow.

Claims

Claims 1. An optical arrangement for total reflection, with a reflecting foil which is applied to a basic carrier and which achieves an optical depth effect by means of layout printing, and wherein the basic carrier with the applied reflecting foil is covered by a covering plate which has a wave lens on the side facing the foil.
2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the reflecting foil has patterning which comprises at least one strongly reflecting region and at least one less strongly reflecting region and thus produces different colour shading.
3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the reflecting foil is a silver foil.
4. An arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the basic carrier and the covering plate are connected to one another in an air-tight manner and the reflecting foil is enclosed in an air-tight manner.
5. An arrangement according to claim 1 and 2, characterised in that the wave lens of the covering plate and the patterning of the reflecting foil have the same longitudinal alignment.
6. An optical arrangement for total reflection, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. An optical arrangement according to any preceding claim, configured for use in a motor vehicle.