Reflexite Corporation

Orafol Americas Inc.

Xiao-Jing Lu

Robert B Nilsen

Patrick W Mullen

Gary J Gauer

David A Jacob

Erich Minier

A system, and corresponding method for use, for providing a mass-producible retroreflective material, or sheeting, featuring full cube corner pins is presented. The full cube corner shaping may be provided with the use of a diamond turning tool. The diamond turning tool may be used to simultaneously manufacture a number of pins. The pins may be used to form a mold featuring a triangular or full cube corner surface formation.

Pin based method of precision diamond turning to make prismatic mold and sheeting

A retroreflective structure includes a retroreflective sheeting having an array of transparent prisms formed into pairs of prisms. Each prism includes a base aperture and three intersecting lateral faces meeting at an apex. Each of the lateral faces includes a base edge which forms a portion of the perimeter of the base aperture. The base edge of each lateral face intersects the base edge of a contiguous lateral face to form a base point, the first face of at least one prism in the array including a first face first planar surface and a first face second planar surface. The first face first planar surface and the first face second planar surface are contiguous along an edge having a first and second end points, wherein the apex, the first end point, and a first base point are coplanar and form a continuous edge from the first base point to the apex.

Prismatic retroreflector having a multi-plane facet

A waveguide for use in a back lighting device includes a moth-eye structured surface. A back lighting system includes a lighting device, a display panel, and a waveguide for redirecting light generated by the light source toward the display panel. A first light-redirecting film, which can include a plurality of moth-eye structures, can be positioned between the waveguide and the display panel. The first light-redirecting film can also include a plurality of linear prisms. A second light-redirecting film is also provided that can include a plurality of moth-eye structures and a plurality of linear prisms. The second light-redirecting film can be positioned between the first light-redirecting film and the display panel. A diffuser can be positioned between the first light-redirecting film and the waveguide and/or between the second light-redirecting film and the display panel.

Subwavelength optical microstructure light-redirecting films

A light collimating film has a sheeting having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side includes a series of linear optical elements having a primary axis running the length of the optical elements, and the second side includes a plurality of subwavelength optical microstructures being oriented at about 90 degrees relative to the primary axis of the linear optical elements. Another embodiment includes a back lighting display device having a lighting device, a display panel, and a sheeting having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side includes a series of linear prisms having peaks, and the second side includes a plurality of subwavelength optical microstructures being oriented at about 90 degrees relative to the peaks of the linear prisms. Yet another embodiment includes a light collimating structure having a first collimating film having a first surface with a plurality of subwavelength optical microstructures thereon and a second surface with first linear prisms having peaks, the subwavelength optical microstructures being oriented at about 90 degrees relative to the peaks of the first linear prisms, and a second collimating film having a first surface with a plurality of subwavelength optical microstructures thereon and a second surface with second linear prisms having peaks, the subwavelength optical microstructures being oriented at about 90 degrees relative to the peaks of the second linear prisms.

Subwavelength optical microstructure light collimating films

A light collimating film has a sheeting having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side includes a series of prisms, and the second side includes a plurality of subwavelength optical microstructures. Another embodiment includes a back lighting display device having a lighting means, a display panel, and a sheeting having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side includes a series of prisms, and the second side includes a plurality of subwavelength optical microstructures. A preferred embodiment includes a back lighting display device having a first collimating film having a first surface with a subwavelength optical microstructure thereon and a second surface with linear prisms having an included angle of greater than about 95 degrees, and a second collimating film having a first surface with a subwavelength optical microstructure thereon and a second surface with linear prisms having an included angle of less than about 85 degrees.

Growing community of inventors

Avon, CT, United States of America

Xiao-Jing Lu