Patent ID: 6719928
Filing Date: 2004-04-13
Classification: B29D,G02C

Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a lens structure that reflects light impinging thereon in a purposefully scattered manner, while allowing a portion of said light to pass through said lens structure in a coherent manner, the method comprising the steps of:providing a first mold assembly having first and second mold forms for receiving a first plastic molding material, said first and second mold forms each having a molding surface, and said first mold assembly forming a mold cavity in the shape of a lens; delivering said first plastic molding material to said cavity of said first mold assembly; subjecting said first plastic molding material to a curing process to solidify said first plastic molding material; removing the solidified first plastic molding material, in the form of a first lens element having a first surface that replicates the molding surface of said first mold form and a second surface that replicates the molding surface of said second mold form, from said first mold assembly; applying a reflective medium to said first surface of said first lens element; applying an adhesion promoting element to said reflective medium, wherein said first lens element having said reflective coating and said adhesion promoting element applied to said first surface represents a first prepared lens element; providing a third mold form having a molding surface; delivering a second plastic molding material to the molding surface of said third mold form; placing said first surface of said first prepared lens element against the molding surface of said third mold form such that said first surface of said first prepared lens element is in contiguous relationship with said second plastic molding material; applying an additional quantity of second plastic molding material to said second surface of said first prepared lens element; providing a fourth mold form having a molding surface; placing the molding surface of said fourth mold form against said second surface of said first prepared lens element such that the molding surface of said fourth mold form is in contiguous relationship with said second plastic molding material; subjecting said second plastic molding material to a curing process to solidify the second plastic molding material to form a second lens element that bonds to said adhesion promoting element and to said second surface of said first lens element; removing the solidified second plastic molding material together with said first prepared lens element from said third and fourth mold forms in the form of a lens structure in which said second lens element has a third surface that replicates the molding surface of said third mold form and a fourth surface that replicates the molding surface of said fourth mold form.