Appeal No. 97-1841
Application 08/315,052
an incident beam or ray of light. The element back side is
disclosed as a base or backing (10) having a reflective back
surface coating (11) thereon. The front side of Palmquist that
is illuminated by both ambient and incident beams or rays of
light from the lamp, also has a reflective binder coating of a
different color than the reflective coating on the element back
side. Note that the reflective coating (12) from the optical
element front side is interrupted by spheres (13), which spheres
by their location in the element front side reflective coating
make this coating only partially cover the element front side.
Turning to a consideration of the spheres (13), they provide the
optical element with elevated regions having no reflective
coatings thereon, such that a light channeling path as shown in
Figure 1 by ray trace c is provided. Note that as shown by ray
trace c, light in the channeling path is directed to the front or
incident light side (by an oncoming headlight) and reflected off
the element back side and exits through the element front side.
As noted above, Palmquist is disclosed as being illuminated both
by incident ambient light and by incident beams or rays of light
as provided by the headlights of approaching cars. In our view,
the structure of Palmquist when operated with approaching
automobiles having headlamps, as clearly disclosed, satisfies the
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Last modified: November 3, 2007