Vehicle lamp and reflector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12366341-B2
Application number	US-202318378698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2023
Priority date	Oct 11, 2023
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle lamp includes at least a light source, a primary reflector, and an inner lens. A method of forming the vehicle lamp includes dividing a facet area of the primary reflector into a plurality of smaller facets and analyzing light intensity performance for each smaller facet. The method further includes comparing the light intensity performance for each smaller facet to a predetermined standard, and identifying smaller facets that do not meet the predetermined standard. The method further includes adjusting a position of the light source associated with each smaller facet that does not meet the predetermined standard or re-shaping an outer surface of the primary reflector in an area associated with each smaller facet that does not meet the predetermined standard.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a vehicle lamp that includes at least a light source, a primary reflector, and an inner lens, the method comprising:
dividing a facet area of the primary reflector into a plurality of smaller facets;
analyzing light intensity performance for each smaller facet;
comparing the light intensity performance for each smaller facet to a predetermined standard;
identifying smaller facets that do not meet the predetermined standard; and
adjusting a position of the light source associated with each smaller facet that does not meet the predetermined standard or re-shaping an outer surface of the primary reflector in an area associated with each smaller facet that does not meet the predetermined standard.

2. The method of claim 1 , including adjusting the position of the light source associated with each smaller facet that does not meet the predetermined standard or re-shaping the outer surface of the primary reflector in the area associated with each smaller facet that does not meet the predetermined standard until the predetermined standard is met for each facet.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing light intensity performance for each smaller facet further includes setting an illuminance sensor on the inner lens, placing an intensity sensor in a far field position, and tracing each smaller facet illuminance contribution from the light source on the inner lens and luminous intensity in the far field position.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, prior to adjusting a position of the light source or re-shaping an outer surface of the primary reflector in an area associated with each smaller facet that does not meet the predetermined standard, the method includes:
for each identified smaller facet that does not contribute a sufficient amount of light intensity to far field intensity, rotating each identified smaller facet until a uniform illuminance is generated on a target area of the inner lens.

5. The method of claim 4 , further including, if after rotating the identified smaller facet, the identified smaller facet still does not receive enough light from the light source, adjusting the position of the light source to increase light collect efficiency.

6. The method of claim 5 , further including, if adjusting the position of the light source does not result in the identified smaller facet meeting the predetermined standard, subsequently forming a parabola reflector for the identified smaller facet to target a specified area of the inner lens.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each smaller facet is comprised of a plurality of cubic surfaces.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of LEDs.

9. The method of claim 1 , including providing an outer lens over the inner lens, and positioning the inner lens such that an exterior facing side of the inner lens faces the outer lens and an interior facing side of the inner lens faces the primary reflector.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the exterior facing side of the inner lens includes a plurality of pillow lenses.

11. The method of claim 10 , including forming a textured surface on the interior facing side.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the outer lens is clear.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein once the predetermined standard is met for each facet area, forming a finalized lamp assembly comprising the light source the primary reflector, the inner lens, and the outer lens.

14. A vehicle lamp comprising:
a light source;
a primary reflector that reflects light from the light source;
an inner lens that receives reflected light from the primary reflector;
an outer lens outward of the inner lens, wherein the inner lens has an exterior facing side that faces the outer lens and an interior facing side that faces the primary reflector; and
wherein the primary reflector is divided into a plurality of facet areas that each have a contoured outer surface specific to each facet area to provide required light intensity and a homogeneous appearance.

15. The vehicle lamp of claim 14 , wherein each facet area is divided into a plurality of smaller facets, and wherein light performance for each smaller facet within an associated facet area is used to determine the contoured outer surface specific to that associated facet area.

16. The vehicle lamp of claim 14 , wherein the light source comprises a plurality of LEDs.

17. The vehicle lamp of claim 14 , wherein the exterior facing side includes a plurality of pillow lenses.

18. The vehicle lamp of claim 17 , wherein the interior facing side of the inner lens comprises a textured surface.

19. The vehicle lamp of claim 18 , wherein the exterior facing side of the inner lens directly faces the outer lens and the interior facing side of the inner lens directly faces the primary reflector.

20. The vehicle lamp of claim 14 , wherein the outer lens is clear.

21. The method of claim 6 , wherein each smaller facet is comprised of a plurality of cubic structures, and further including re-shaping a surface area of cubic structures within the identified smaller facet to provide a parabola shaped surface that focuses light to a designated area.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein, once the predetermined standard is met for each facet area, an overall surface of the primary reflector is smoothed out to provide smooth transitions between different shaped outer surface contours for each facet to provide a finalized lamp assembly.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of adjusting the position of the light source or re-shaping the outer surface of the primary reflector is performed until the predetermined standard is met for each facet area, and then subsequently smoothing out an overall surface of the primary reflector to provide a finalized lamp assembly.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Chen Linsheng

Classifications

• F21V7/048

  with facets structure · CPC title

• F21W2103/55

  Daytime running lights [DRL] · CPC title

• F21W2103/35

  Brake lights · CPC title

• F21S43/14 Primary

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21S43/31 Primary

  Optical layout thereof · CPC title