ARRAY OF CORNER REFLECTORS SHAPED BY THREE-LEVEL GROOVES Russian patent published in 2009 - IPC G02B5/124 

FIELD: physics, optics.

SUBSTANCE: invention is related to retroreflecting corner reflectors. Array of corner reflectors is created by formation of three sets of parallel equidistant V-shaped grooves. Directions of grooves in these three sets create three angles, neither of which is equal to any of other two angles. When observing array in plan, lines arranged along grooves ribs create array of triangles, in which tops of corner reflectors are located at the distance from centroids of appropriate triangles, at that mentioned distance is less than distance between orthocenter of appropriate triangle and its centroid. When using sheet retroreflecting material, which has no metal coating, array of quasitriangular corner reflectors has advantages of reflectors with combined incline relative to characteristics of inlet angles. Simultaneously their efficiency at small inlet angles is almost equal to efficiency of triangular corner reflectors without incline.

EFFECT: increased efficiency.

23 cl, 74 dwg