Retroreflective Tiled Articles With Reference Edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing retroreflective articles face challenges with handling small tiles and forming precise edges, leading to crude edges and large seams, which degrade the fill factor and efficiency of retroreflective sheeting.
Innovation Solution
The method involves forming tiles with reference edges and walls that abut face-to-face to create precise seams, allowing for the assembly of smaller prism arrays while maintaining larger lateral dimensions for easier handling, and using these tiles to form retroreflective articles with improved fill factors and optical performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If conventional dicing techniques are used to produce small tiles, then the tile size is reduced allowing more tiles per area, but the edges become crude and seams between tiles become large, degrading the fill factor
Solution Approach 1:
Reference edges are formed on tiles before the tiling process. These pre-formed reference edges serve as precise alignment features that enable accurate positioning when tiles are assembled together, preventing the edge precision degradation that normally occurs with conventional dicing of small tiles
Solution Approach 2:
Reference edges act as intermediary alignment features between adjacent tiles. Rather than relying on the crude diced edges of small tiles to align directly, the reference edges serve as mediating elements that enable precise positioning and minimize seam widths, thereby maintaining high fill factor despite the small tile size
2Quantity of substance
If smaller prism arrays are used on tiles, then the retroreflective article covers more area with more elements, but the tiles become difficult to handle and assemble
Solution Approach 1:
The retroreflective article is divided into multiple tiles, each containing an array of prism elements. This segmentation allows the total quantity of prism elements to be increased across the assembled tiles while each individual tile remains of manageable size and weight, making them easier to handle and assemble compared to a single large tile with the same total number of elements
Solution Approach 2:
Reference edges serve as intermediary alignment features that facilitate the assembly of multiple tiles. By providing precise positioning features, they make it easier to handle and assemble multiple smaller tiles containing numerous prism elements, compared to handling and positioning a single large tile or tiles without such alignment features
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the production of retroreflective articles with enhanced optical performance and uniform appearance across a wide range of viewing distances and angles, with reduced sensitivity to orientation and improved handling of smaller prism arrays.
Implementation Method 1
cube corner elements each have three reflecting faces. Incident light from a remote source passes through the smooth front surface, reflects off each of the three faces of a cube corner element, and passes back through the front surface in a direction nominally 180° to the direction of incidence
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of making an article, the method comprising: forming prism elements on a surface of a substrate; forming a wall on the substrate, wherein the wall shares a first common edge with the surface; and forming a face on the substrate, wherein the wall shares a second common edge with the face; wherein the first common edge is on an opposite side of the wall from the second common edge.