US5140457A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Reflector for display lighting
Assignee: Wells Fargo Business Credit Inc
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Filing: 1990-11-13
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Granted: 1992-08-18
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Expires: 2010-11-13
Abstract
Abstract A cold mirror reflector comprising; a reflector substrate; a first high refractive index thin layer disposed upon at least one surface of said reflector substrate which is about one quarter design wavelength in thickness; a relatively thin layer of a highly reflective metal material disposed upon said first high refractive index thin layer; and a second high refractive index thin layer disposed outwardly from said metal thin layer which is about one quarter design wavelength in thickness.
Inventors
- 👤 Eugene C. Letter
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 20:04
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B5/00; G02B5/08; G02B5/0816; G02B5/085; G02B5/0858; F; F21; F21V; F21V7/00; F21V7/22; F21V7/24; F21V7/28; G09; G09F; G09F13/00; G09F13/04; G09F13/14; G09F13/0418; G09F13/0422; G09F2013/145
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
A reflector, comprising: a reflector substrate, G, that does not reflect infrared radiation; a first thin film array, S, disposed upon at least one surface of said reflector substrate; a relatively thin metal layer, M, that is a highly reflective metal material disposed upon said first thin film array, M limited in thickness, such that infrared radiation transmission is induced; and a second thin film array, S', on the opposite side of said metal thin layer from said first thin film array S wherein said reflector is schematically represented as GSMS', GS'MS, S'MSG or SMS'G←incident light wherein S and S' are one or more layers H or L, each said layer a material that is of high refractive index (H) or low refractive index (L) and at least one of S or S' is highly reflective of visible light comprising a plurality of alternating layers of H and L.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
149 words
A reflector, comprising: a reflector substrate, G, that does not reflect infrared radiation; a first thin film array, S, disposed upon at least one surface of said reflector substrate; a relatively thin metal layer, M, that is a highly reflective metal material disposed upon said first thin film array, M limited in thickness, such that infrared radiation transmission is induced; and a second thin film array, S', on the opposite side of said metal thin layer from said first thin film array S wherein said reflector is schematically represented as GSMS', GS'MS, S'MSG or SMS'G←incident light wherein S and S' are one or more layers H or L, each said layer a material that is of high refractive index (H) or low refractive index (L) and at least one of S or S' is highly reflective of visible light comprising a plurality of alternating layers of H and L.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein the reflector is schematically represented as G S M S'←incident light wherein S' is schematically represented as array 0.25 H (0.25 L 0.25 H)n←incident light, thicknesses of said H or L are quarter wave optical thicknesses (Q.W.O.T.) for a design wavelength of about 500 nm, and n is an integer from 0 to 3.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein the reflector configuration is represented as G S M S'←incident light wherein S' is schematically represented as alpha L 0.25 H (0.25 L 0.25 H).sub.n ←incident light thicknesses are given in quarter wave optical thicknesses (Q.W.O.T.) for a design wavelength of about 500 nm, n is an integer from 0 to 3 and alpha expressed in fractional wave optical thickness (W.O.T.) is a value chosen to maximize infrared transmission.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
73 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein the reflector configuration is represented as G S M S'←incident light wherein S is schematically represented as array (0.25 L 0.25 H).sub.n beta L←incident light thicknesses are given in quarter wave optical thicknesses (Q.W.O.T.) for a design wavelength of about 500 nm, n is an integer from 0 to 3 and beta as expressed in fractional wave optical thickness (W.O.T.) is a value which maximizes infrared transmission.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
68 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein the reflector configuration is represented as G S M S'←incident light wherein S is schematically represented as (0.25 H 0.25 L)n beta H←incident light thicknesses are given in quarter wave optical thicknesses fractional wave optical thickness (W.O.T.) for a design wavelength of about 500 nm, n is an integer from 0 to 3 and beta is a thickness which optimizes infrared transmission.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
74 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein the reflector configuration is represented as S' M S G←incident light wherein S is schematically represented as array beta L (0.25 H 0.25 L).sub.n ←incident light thicknesses are given in quarter wave optical thicknesses (Q.W.O.T.) for a design wavelength of about 500 nm, n is an integer from 0 to 3 and beta as expressed in fractional wave optical thickness (W.O.T.) is a value which maximizes infrared transmission.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein the reflector configuration is represented as S' M S G←incident light wherein S is schematically represented as array beta H (0.25 L 0.25 H).sub.n ←incident light thicknesses are given in quarter wave optical thicknesses (Q.W.O.T.) for a design wavelength of about 500 nm, n is an integer from 0 to 3 and beta as expressed in fractional wave optical thickness (W.O.T.) is a value which maximizes infrared transmission.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein the reflective metal material is silver, aluminum or chromium.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein said low refractive index material is SiO 2 , MgF 2 , NaF, LiF, CaF 2 , AlF 3 , Na 3 , AlF 6 or 5NaF.3A1F 3 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
137 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein said high refractive index material is titanium oxide TiO 2 , cerium oxide CeO 2 , tantalum pentoxide Ta 2 O 5 , zinc sulfide ZnS, niobium pentoxide Nb 2 O 5 , zirconium oxide ZrO 2 , yttrium oxide (Y 2 O 3 ), thallous chloride (TlC1), praseodymium oxide (Pr 6 O 11 ), lanthanum oxide (LA 2 O 3 ), hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), bismuth oxide (Bi 2 O 3 ), tungsten trioxide (WO 2 ), tungsten pentoxide (W 2 O 5 ), zinc oxide (ZnO), zircon (ZnSiO 4 ), tin oxide (SnO 2 ), scandium oxide (Sc 2 O 3 ), silicon monoxide (SiO), cadmium telluride (CdTe), antimony sulfide (Sb 2 S 3 ), antimony trioxide (Sb 2 O 3 ), cadmium sulfide (Cas), and tellurium (Te).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein all H or L are one quarter wave optical thickness.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The reflector of claim 1 wherein for both S and S' the individual layers H or L adjacent M are adjusted in optical thickness such that transmission of infrared radiation is maximized.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-08-18 | 1996-02-17 | 1996-08-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-08-18 | 2000-02-17 | 2000-08-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-08-18 | 2004-02-17 | 2004-08-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |