Patent · US Expired

Lighting apparatus, lens and method of making the lens

US7387413B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by

10References

6Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Schott AG · DE

Inventors

Matthias Brinkmann · Klein-Winternheim, DE
Edgar Pawlowski · Stadecken-Elsheim, DE
Wolfram Beier · Essenheim, DE
Rolf Harmgardt · Alfeld (Leine), DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jul 20, 2004
Grant date	Jun 17, 2008
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 20, 2024

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG03H1/2202
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In order to meet the legal requirements regarding color of light from a headlight, especially at the light-dark boundary and how much scattered light can occur in the dark region, a lens (5) is provided, which has a diffractive structure on at least one of its surfaces (8). This lens (5) is built into a headlight with a diaphragm (4) arranged between the lens (5) and a light source (3) so that the diffractive structure is arranged substantially only in a region of the lens surface that is not masked by the diaphragm. In various embodiments a computer-generated hologram (17a-17e) can be arranged in the other region of the lens surface that is masked by the diaphragm, so that the lighting apparatus can perform other functions, such as improving driver visibility, displaying an image, measuring the distance to an object or detecting rain or snow.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.