Light guide for an automobile lighting and/or signaling device

摘要

The light guide for an automobile lighting device having at least one coupler having at least two input faces arranged so that, when a light source is positioned at a predetermined point in relation to the coupler, for each of the input faces, all the rays from the source passing geometrically through the point and penetrating into the guide through the input face are refracted there in mutually parallel planes.

主权项

1. A light guide for an automobile lighting device, wherein said light guide comprises:
at least one coupler having at least two input faces that are generally opposed and joined by a lens so that when a light source is positioned at a predetermined point in relation to said at least one coupler, for each of said at least two input faces, all the rays from said light source passing geometrically through said predetermined point and penetrating into said light guide through at least one of said at least two input faces are refracted once and in mutually and substantially parallel planes toward an output face, said at least two input faces diverging as said at least two input faces extend away from said lens and toward said light source; said light guide also comprises at least two reflection faces, said light guide being arranged so that the refracted rays are directed directly toward one of said at least two reflection faces where said refracted rays are reflected to provide reflected rays that are reflected directly toward said output face of said light guide; wherein all of said rays that penetrate through either of said at least two input faces first encounter a single refraction and then a single reflection and light that passes through said lens is not reflected before said light exits said light guide; wherein each of said at least one coupler of said light guide has at least two generally smooth, continuous and diverging input faces, and wherein each of said at least one coupler is connected to an adjacent coupler by a plurality of adjacent sidewalls connecting generally discontinuously at about a midpoint between said at least one coupler and said adjacent coupler, said at least one coupler and said adjacent coupler and said plurality of adjacent sidewalls connected to each other in a predetermined configuration to provide said light guide; wherein said light guide defines a sheet having guiding faces that are generally parallel and that extend from said at least two input faces to said output face.