Cube-corner retro-reflective article

Claim 2

A retro-reflective monolithic article formed of transparent material and having a front and rear surface, the front surface being smooth and the rear surface having a continuous array of cube-corner retro-reflective units, said array being divided by intersecting septa into a plurality of separate cells, each said cell containing a plurality of said units, and said septa having rear edges forming a continuous securable rear edge, characterized in that said array is formed as a surface of continuous contiguous rearwardly projecting cube-corner units each having a rearwardly positioned apex formed by three rectangular mutually perpendicular rearwardly converging facets forming three rearwardly converging dihedral edges, and said septa are formed as continuous intersecting walls extending rearward from a portion of at least one of said facets forming said dihedral edges, having a width less than a dimension of said facet, and directionally along the shortest path defined by said dihedral edges connecting apexes of adjacent units whereby said septa minimize the loss in retro-reflectivity afforded by said facets from which said septa extend.

Claim 3

A retro-reflective article according to claim 1 wherein said front surface is planar and the rear edges of said septa project rearward at least as far as said apexes.

Claim 4

A retro-reflective article according to claim 1 wherein said septa have side walls extending generally parallel with the plane of a facet of each of the projecting cube-corner units and extend generally along straight lines dividing said article into lozenge-sHaped cells.

Claim 5

A retro-reflective article according to claim 1 wherein said septa follow a zig-zag path and have side walls which are generally perpendicular to a plane defined by the rear edges of said septa.

Claim 6

A retro-reflective article according to claim 2 wherein said article has a uniform thickness between said front surface and the rear edges of said septa.

Claim 7

A monolithic retro-reflector structure for reflecting light back toward the source thereof, said structure comprising a body of transparent material having a substantially smooth light receiving front surface area and a rear surface area immediately opposite and coextensive with said front surface area, said rear surface area having an array of contiguous cube-corner retro-reflective units having rearwardly positioned apexes each formed by three rectangular mutually perpendicular rearwardly converging facets forming three converging dihedral edges, said array of cube-corner retro-reflective units being continuous and divided by intersecting septa, said intersecting septa defining a substantially continuous rear support surface and dividing said rear surface area into a plurality of separate isolated cells each containing a plurality of said retro-reflective units oriented in the cells to reflect light falling upon said front surface area, said units reflecting from said structure light falling upon said front surface area in the portion thereof corresponding to said cells and reflecting the light back toward the source thereof to render said structure highly visible at night, and said septa extending rearwardly from a portion of at least one of the facets defining the converging dihedral edges of said cube-corner retro-reflective units and along the dihedral edges of adjacent units forming the shortest path between the apexes of said adjacent units along the edges of said cells.

Claim 8

A monolithic retro-reflector structure for reflecting light back toward the source thereof, said structure comprising a body of transparent material having a substantially smooth light receiving front surface area and a rear surface area immediately opposite and coextensive with said front surface area, said rear surface area having an array of contiguous cube-corner retro-reflective units having rearwardly positioned apexes each formed by three rectangular mutually perpendicular rearwardly converging facets forming three converging dihedral edges, said array of cube-corner retro-reflective units being continuous and divided by intersecting septa, said intersecting septa defining a substantially continuous rear support surface and dividing said rear surface area into a plurality of separate isolated cells each containing a plurality of said retro-reflective units oriented in the cells to reflect light falling upon said front surface area, said units reflecting from said structure light falling upon said front surface area in the portion thereof corresponding to said cells and reflecting the light back toward the source thereof to render said structure highly visible at night, and said septa extending rearwardly from a portion of at least one of the facets defining the converging dihedral edges of said cube-corner retro-reflective units and along the dihedral edges of adjacent units forming the shortest path between the apexes of said adjacent units along the edges of said cells.

Claim 9

A retro-reflective sheet material comprising a monolithic article formed of transparent material having a smooth light-receiving front surface and a rear surface opposite said front surface and coextensive with said front surface, said rear surface having a continuous array of cube-corner retro-reflective units having apexes each formed by three rectangular mutually perpendicular rearwardly converging facets forming three converging dihedral edges and having intersecting septa, said septa extending rearwardly from a portion of at least one facet forming said dihedral edges adjacent said edge, and directionally along said dihedral edges joining the apexes of adjacent units for dividing said rear surface into a plurality of separate cells each containing a plurality of said units, said septa having rear edges positioned rearwardly a distance at least equal to that of the apexes of said units, and a backing joined to said rear edges of said septa to define hermetically sealed cells in said material.

Claim 10

A retro-reflective sheet material comprising a monolithic article formed of transparent material having a smooth light-receiving front surface and a rear surface opposite said front surface and coextensive with said front surface, said rear surface having a continuous array of cube-corner retro-reflective units having apexes each formed by three rectangular mutually perpendicular rearwardly converging facets forming three converging dihedral edges and having intersecting septa, said septa extending rearwardly from a portion of at least one facet forming said dihedral edges adjacent said edge, and directionally along said dihedral edges joining the apexes of adjacent units for dividing said rear surface into a plurality of separate cells each containing a plurality of said units, said septa having rear edges positioned rearwardly a distance at least equal to that of the apexes of said units, and a backing joined to said rear edges of said septa to define hermetically sealed cells in said material.