Triangular Pyramid Retroreflective Elements Azimuth Performance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional retroreflective sheets, such as triangular pyramidal cube corner retroreflective articles, exhibit limited improvement in entrance angularity, observation angularity, and rotation angularity beyond specific azimuths due to their rotational symmetry and inclined optical axes, leading to suboptimal performance in various applications like traffic signs and vehicle markings.
Innovation Solution
A triangular pyramidal cube corner retroreflective article is designed with a closest-packed arrangement of retroreflective element pairs on a common plane, featuring line-symmetrically disposed elements with different inclination angles and azimuth angles, optimizing optical axis orientation to enhance retroreflective performance across a wide range of azimuths by combining two types of element pairs with congruent shapes and varying heights of reflective side faces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If an inclined optical axis is used in triangular pyramidal cube corner retroreflective elements, then entrance angularity is improved in the direction of the inclined optical axis and perpendicular thereto, but retroreflective performance is not improved in other azimuths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by using inequilateral triangular pyramidal cube corner elements where the three base lines have different lengths, breaking the rotational symmetry of conventional elements. This asymmetric geometry creates multiple optical axes with different inclination angles and azimuth angles, enabling improved retroreflective performance across a broader range of azimuths rather than being limited to specific directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different inclination angles and azimuth angles to different optical axes of the inequilateral elements. Each local region (each face of the pyramid) has optimized optical properties tailored to specific azimuth ranges, with at least two optical axes having different inclination angles to cover multiple azimuth sectors effectively.
2Ease of manufacture
If rotational symmetry is maintained in retroreflective elements, then manufacturing is simplified, but entrance angularity, observation angularity, and rotation angularity are limited beyond specific azimuths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent deliberately breaks rotational symmetry by using inequilateral triangles with three different base line lengths, transforming the conventional symmetric element geometry. This asymmetric design improves entrance angularity, observation angularity, and rotation angularity across multiple azimuths while remaining manufacturable through precision molding or cutting techniques.
3Stability of the object's composition
If all base lines of triangular pyramidal cube corner elements are equal in length, then the elements have rotational symmetry, but retroreflective performance is limited in azimuths other than the inclined optical axis direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by making the three base lines of the triangular pyramid have different lengths, creating inequilateral elements. This breaks the rotational symmetry that limits azimuth performance, allowing the elements to provide improved retroreflective performance across a wider range of azimuths through multiple optical axes with different orientations.
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 design significantly improves entrance angularity, observation angularity, and rotation angularity, allowing for even retroreflective performance in all azimuths and enabling the retroreflective sheet to be cut in any direction, making it suitable for diverse applications such as traffic signs and vehicle license plates.
Implementation Method 1
a first reflective side face (a1) extending from the apex (H) to the common plane (S plane), a second reflective side face (b1) extending from the apex (H) to the common plane (S plane), and a third reflective side face (c1) extending from the apex (H) to the common plane (S plane)
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a triangular pyramidal cube corner retroreflective article and a producing method thereof. In the triangular pyramidal cube corner retroreflective article, a triangular pyramidal cube corner retroreflective element pair group is disposed in a closest-packed fashion on a common plane defined by three base lines, and the each of retroreflective elements in a pair having one base line (A-B) shared by the retroreflective elements in the pair. The triangular pyramidal cube corner retroreflective article includes a first element pair group, in which two interior angles (α=∠BAC and β=∠ABC) formed by the shared base line of the element pair and two other base lines are different from each other and the element pair is line-symmetrically disposed in relation to the shared base line (A-B); and a second element pair group, in which the element pair is congruent to a line-symmetrical shape to the first element pair in relation to a line segment connecting vertexes of the base planes.