US 7,261,426 B2 · Table 10 / 12 / 13 / 14 · col.29–36
前面所有几何都是零误差的理想立方角。但专利真正保护的,是往这副骨架上叠加的、精确设计过的偏差——208 片薄片,每一条沟槽的参数都不一样。
每条侧沟槽在机床上有四个可调量。它们对立方角三个二面角的影响各不相同,这是专利 col.17-18 给出的定性关系。
只有 skew 能让 Dih1-2 与 Dih1-3 反向变化——这正是权利要求 1 的措辞 "the dihedral angle errors vary in opposition"。inclination 让两者同向变,只能整体平移光斑;张角误差只动 Dih2-3,光斑沿水平轴散开。Fig.24(只有 primary 误差)光斑呈十字形、极不均匀,缺的就是 skew。
Example 1A 的误差不是随机的,是两层嵌套的重复图案:
同一片薄片上,第 1~8 条槽各有自己的 skew 和 inclination,第 9 条回到第 1 条的参数。
薄片 2/4/6/8 分别是 1/3/5/7 的对向片(参数取反),所以专利只列了 Table 10/12/13/14 四张表。
208 = 26 × 8,正好 26 个完整外层循环。总宽 208 × 0.1905 mm = 39.6 mm(1.56 英寸)。
注意:208 片还不是成品母模——它只有 1.56 英寸宽,之后还要电铸 + 同向拼砖。见下一节。
专利把规则写得很明确,但机械工序委托给了另一篇文件:"The assembly and electroforming process is further described in previously cited U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0175541." 所以下面这些是本专利能提供的全部。
"laminae are preferably assembled such that cube corner elements of adjacent laminae are in opposing orientations"——每片绕 z 轴转 180°,参数同时取反。
"every other pair of laminae are positioned in opposing orientations ... their respective primary groove faces form a primary groove"——主沟槽 52 出现在每隔一个的接缝上,另一半接缝不形成沟槽。
"the non-dihedral edges of the elements of opposing laminae contacted each other",且 "34b aligned with 42b"——靠边对边贴合定位,不是随便叠。
"substantially free of vertical walls (e.g. walls greater than 0.0001 in lateral dimensions)"——即 <2.5 µm。垂直壁不参与回归反射,是纯损失。
"the lamina order 1-8 was sequentially repeated throughout the assembly"——不是随机排布,是严格按型号顺序循环 26 遍。
"the structured surface of the assembly was then replicated by electroforming to create a cube cavity tool"——薄片叠成的是正片,电铸出负片(腔),再压出反光片。
"The calculated maximum number of laminae that can be machined concurrently (i.e. in a stack) without creating significantly varying cube geometries is as few as two laminae."
因为 skew 让沟槽偏离平行最多 1°,叠着切时几何会跨越整叠漂移。所以专利说 "the side grooves are preferably formed in individual laminae"——208 片是一片一片单独切的。这也是每片能给出独立误差表的前提。
208 片组装体只有 1.56 英寸宽,离一块路牌还差得远。专利 col.26 把后续链条写得很清楚。
"Tiling such toolings together can then assemble a master tool of the desired size. In the present invention the toolings are typically tiled in the same orientation."
背景里被批评的 tiling 是多朝向拼砖(为了平均各朝向亮度),"can be visually objectionable"——路牌上能看出格子。本发明靠 sideways cant 本身解决了均匀性,所以只需同向拼砖,纯粹为了做大面积,看不出接缝。
"the retroreflective sheeting may have the dimensions of a standard U.S. sign (e.g. 30 inches by 30 inches) and thus the microstructured tool … may have about the same dimensions."
卷材则 "the width is typically at least 30 inches and preferably at least 48 inches",长度可达 50~100 码(45~91 m)。
Example 1A 只给了厚度和槽距。但 col.2 说 "one lamina can typically have about 400–1000 individual cube corner elements",按 0.005625″ 槽距反推薄片长 2.25″~5.6″——与专利给的「1~20″,typically <6″」吻合。
专利原文:"Each row in the tables defines the parameters used during machining of an individual side groove." 每条槽占两行——上、下两个半角误差,两者之和恒等于该槽的张角误差(col.20 规则,可用来校验抄录)。
| 槽 | 名义张角 | 张角误差 | 半角误差 上/下 | Dih 2-3 | Skew | Inclination | Dih 1-3 | Dih 1-2 |
|---|