Clear thick outer lens

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12553584-B2
Application number	US-202418679566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2024
Priority date	Nov 17, 2023
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

An outer lens including: a first material with a first composition including: a polymer that is substantially free of ultraviolet stabilizers; and a second material with a second composition that includes: a polymer that includes the ultraviolet stabilizers, wherein the second material surrounds all or a portion of the first material and extends between an external environment of an automative vehicle and the first material.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An outer lens comprising:
a first material with a first composition comprising:
a polymer that is substantially free of ultraviolet stabilizers; and
a second material with a second composition that comprises:
a polymer and
the ultraviolet stabilizers, wherein the ultraviolet stabilizers are added in an amount of greater than 0.1 percent by total weight of the outer lens;
wherein the second material surrounds all or a portion of the first material and extends between an external environment of an automotive vehicle and the first material, and
wherein the outer lens is directly exposed to the external environment around the automotive vehicle, and
wherein an interior surface of the outer lens receives light from a light pipe that causes the outer lens to glow and project light out of an exterior surface of the outer lens.

2 . The outer lens of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third material that extends around all or a portion of the outer lens and at least forms an outer most layer of the outer lens between the second material and the external environment, wherein the third material is a hard coating that protects all or a portion of the outer lens.

3 . The outer lens of claim 2 , wherein the third material is sprayed on the second material or the third material is applied on the outer lens within a mold.

4 . The outer lens of claim 1 , further comprising:
a color material that separates all or a portion of the outer lens into two or more discrete zones that are each configured to allow light to pass through to provide two or more lighting functions.

5 . The outer lens of claim 4 , wherein the color material prevents light from passing between the two or more discrete zones, blocks internal component from being visible through the outer lens, or both.

6 . The outer lens of claim 5 , wherein the color material is black or opaque.

7 . The outer lens of claim 1 , wherein the first material is encapsulated within the second material so that the second material protects the first material from ultraviolet light.

8 . The outer lens of claim 1 , further comprising:
a color material extending though the first material from the interior surface towards the exterior surface so that the first material is divided into separate zones, wherein the color material prevents light from passing through a first zone into a second zone of the first material.

9 . The outer lens of claim 1 , wherein the first material is only partially located within the second material so that the first material faces the light at the interior surface, and
wherein the exterior surface of the first material is covered by the second material so that the first material is protected from ultraviolet light from the external environment.

10 . The outer lens of claim 1 , wherein the light extends through the outer lens in a direction parallel to the first material and the second material and out of the outer lens through the exterior surface.

11 . An outer lens comprising:
an interior surface that is configured to face an interior of an automotive vehicle; an exterior surface that faces away from the interior of the automotive vehicle and faces an environment exterior to the automotive vehicle so that the exterior surface and the environment are in direct communication; a first material located between the interior surface and the exterior surface, the first material comprising:
a first composition including acrylic, polyurethane, polycarbonate, or a combination thereof and the first composition is substantially free of ultraviolet stabilizers;
a second material located between the first material and the exterior surface so that the second material is located between the environment and the first material, the second material comprising;
a second composition including:
polyurethane, polycarbonate, or both and
the ultraviolet stabilizers, wherein the ultraviolet stabilizers prevent ultraviolet rays from the environment from contacting the first material and

wherein the outer lens has a thickness of 10 mm or more and the interior surface of the outer lens receives light from a light pipe that causes the outer lens to glow and project the light out of the exterior surface of the outer lens.

12 . The outer lens of claim 11 , wherein the second material is sufficiently thick so that ultraviolet light is prevented from passing through the second material into contact with the first material.

13 . The outer lens of claim 12 , further comprising:
a third material that extends between the environment and the first material and the second material, wherein the first material comprises two or more layers.

14 . The outer lens of claim 11 , wherein the outer lens has a total thickness extending between the interior surface and the exterior surface and the first material comprises a thickness of between 50 percent and 95 percent of the total thickness and the second material comprises a second thickness of between 15 percent and 40 percent of the total thickness of the outer lens.

15 . The outer lens of claim 14 , wherein the total thickness is between 12 mm and 25 mm.

16 . A method comprising:
forming an outer lens comprising an interior surface and an exterior surface, a step of forming comprising:
disposing two or more layers of a first material into a mold to form the outer lens, the first material comprising:
a polymer that is substantially free of ultraviolet stabilizers; and

disposing one or more layers of a second material into the mold over the first material so that the second material is located between the first material and an external environment so that the second material protects the first material from the external environment, the second material comprising:
a polymer comprising: polyurethane, polycarbonate, or both and ultraviolet stabilizers,

directing light from a light pipe into the interior surface of the outer lens so that the light projects out of the exterior of the outer lens; wherein the two or more layers of the first material and the one or more layers of the second material have a total thickness of 12 mm or more; and wherein the outer lens is a directly exposed to an external environment around the automotive vehicle.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of forming the outer lens further comprises:
disposing a third material over all or a portion of the second material, wherein the third material is located between at least the second material and the external environment.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the step of forming the outer lens further comprises:
disposing the third material between the second material and the external environment, wherein the third material is a hard material that protects the first material and the second material from the external environment.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of forming the outer lens further comprises:
disposing a color material between the two or more layers of the first material, between the first material and the second material, or both.

20 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of forming the outer lens further comprises:
disposing a color material into the mold though the first material so the first material is divided into two or more zones.

Assignees

• Valeo Vision

Inventors

• Fraizer Robert
• Darlage Colby
• Guinn Brian

Classifications

• F21S41/275

  Lens surfaces, e.g. coatings or surface structures · CPC title

• F21S41/27

  Thick lenses · CPC title

• F21S41/40 Primary

  characterised by screens, non-reflecting members, light-shielding members or fixed shades · CPC title

• F21S43/255

  Filters · CPC title

• F21S41/2805 Primary

  Cover glass · CPC title