Pin having nonaligned cube axis and pin axis and bundle of such pins

Abstract

A pin for use in making the reflector includes an elongated .[.snank.]. .Iadd.shank .Iaddend.of regular polygon outline and a cube-corner formation at one end. The cube axis of the cube-corner formation is at an angle other than zero degrees with respect to the pin axis. A group of such pins are assembled into a pin bundle for use in making a mold insert for the reflector.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A pin for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof said pin comprising an elongated shank being of regular polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, and a cube-corner formation at one end of said shank and having a cube axis at an angle to said pin axis of other than zero degrees, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges. 
     
     
       2. The pin set forth in claim 1, wherein said elongated shank is square in outline. 
     
     
       3. The pin set forth in claim 1, wherein said pin is constructed of stainless steel. 
     
     
       4. The pin set forth in claim 1, wherein said predetermined angle is in the range of about 6° to 13°. 
     
     
       5. A pin for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof said pin comprising an elongated shank being of rectangular outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, and a cube-corner formation at one end of said shank and having a cube axis at an angle to said pin axis of other than zero degrees, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, said cube-corner formation having a given side which is rectilinear and is contained by one of said faces and lies in a plane perpendicular to said pin axis. 
     
     
       6. The pin set forth in claim 5, wherein one of said one edges lies in the plane containing said pin axis and said cube axis. 
     
     
       7. The pin set forth in claim 5, wherein none of said edges lies in the plane containing said pin axis and said cube axis. 
     
     
       8. A pin for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof said pin comprising an elongated shank being of rectangular outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, a cube-corner formation at one end of said shank and having a cube axis at an angle to said pin axis of other than zero degrees, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, said cube-corner formation having one of said edges thereof terminating at a corner of the associated outline. 
     
     
       9. The pin set forth in claim 8, wherein said one edge lies in a plane containing said cube axis and said pin axis. 
     
     
       10. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof over a wide angle, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof and a cube axis, said elongated shank being of regular polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, said cube-corner formation having a cube axis at an angle to said pin axis of other than zero degrees, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
       11. The pin bundle set forth in claim 10, wherein said elongated shank has a square outline. 
     
     
       12. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof over a wide angle, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof and a cube axis, said elongated shank being of regular polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, each of said cube-corner formations having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another, the cube axes of a first group of said pins being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes at a first angle as measured in a predetermined plane, the cube axes of a second group of said pins being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes at a second different angle as measured in said predetermined plane. 
     
     
       13. The pin bundle set forth in claim 12, wherein the cube axes of the pins in said first group are substantially parallel to one another, and the cube axes of the pins in said second group are substantially parallel to one another. 
     
     
       14. The pin bundle set forth in claim 12, wherein said first and second groups of pins are interspersed. 
     
     
       15. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof over a wide angle, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof and a cube axis, said elongated shank being of regular polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting three mutually perpendicular edges, said cube-corner formation having a given side which is rectilinear and is contained by one of said faces and lies in a plane perpendicular to said pin axis, one edge of said cube-corner formation being substantially perpendicular to said one face and lying in a predetermined plane, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another, said pins being arranged in said first and second rows, the cube axes of the pins in said first rows being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes at a first angle as measured in said predetermined plane, the cube axes of the pins in said second rows being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes at a second different angle as measured in said predetermined plane. 
     
     
       16. The pin bundle set forth in claim 15, wherein all of said one edges are parallel. 
     
     
       17. The pin bundle set forth in claim 15, wherein said first and second rows of pins alternate. 
     
     
       18. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof over a wide angle, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof and a cube axis, said elongated shank being of regular polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, said cube-corner formation having a given side which is rectilinear and is contained by one of said faces and lies in a plane perpendicular to said pin axis, one edge of said cube-corner formation being substantially perpendicular to said one face, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another, said pins being arranged in units each having first and second and third and fourth pins respectively clockwise situated in the four quadrants of a rectangle, the cube axes of said first and second and third and fourth pins being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes respectively at first and second and third and fourth angles as measured respectively in first and second and third and fourth planes. 
     
     
       19. The pin bundle set forth in claim 18, wherein said first pin is a mirror image of said second pin, and said third pin is the mirror image of said fourth pin. 
     
     
       20. The pin bundle set forth in claim 18, wherein said first and third planes are substantially parallel, and said second and fourth planes are substantially parallel. 
     
     
       21. The pin bundle set forth in claim 18, wherein said one edges of said first and second pins lie in a common plane and said one edges of said third and fourth pins lie in a common plane. 
     
     
       22. The pin bundle set forth in claim 18, wherein said one edges of said first and fourth pins are not parallel, and said one edges of said second and third pins are not parallel. 
     
     
       23. The pin bundle set forth in claim 18, wherein said third pin is rotated 180° with respect to said first pin, and said fourth pin is rotated 180° with respect to said second pin. 
     
     
       24. The pin bundle set forth in claim 18, wherein said first pin is the mirror image of said fourth pin, and said third pin is the mirror image of said second pin. 
     
     
       25. The pin bundle set forth in claim 18, wherein said given side of said first pin is in common with said given side of said second pin so as to provide a rectilinear boundary between said first and second pins, and said given side of said third pin is in common with said given side of said fourth pin so as to provide a rectilinear boundary between said third and fourth pins. 
     
     
       26. The pin bundle set forth in claim 18, wherein said unit is substantially square in outline when projected in a plane perpendicular to the associated pin, and each of said pins is substantially square in outline when projected in a plane perpendicular to the associated pin axes. 
     
     
       27. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof over a wide angle, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof and a cube axis, said elongated shank being of regular polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, said cube-corner formation having one of said edges thereof terminating at a corner of the associated outline, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another, said pins being arranged into rectangular units having four pins respectively situated in the four quadrants of a rectangle, the cube axes respectively of said first and second and third and fourth pins being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes respectively at first and second and third and fourth angles as measured respectively in first and second and third and fourth planes. 
     
     
       28. The pin bundle set forth in claim 27, wherein said first and third planes are substantially coplanar, and said second and fourth planes are substantially coplanar. 
     
     
       29. The pin bundle set forth in claim 27, wherein said unit is substantially square in outline when projected in a plane perpendicular to the associated pin axes, and each of said reflector elements is substantially square in outline when projected in a plane perpendicular to the asociated pin axis. 
     
     
       30. The pin bundle set forth in claim 27, wherein said one edges respectively of said reflector elements extend respectively to the corners of said unit. .Iadd. 31. A pin for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof, said pin comprising an elongated shank being of polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, and a cube-corner formation at one end of said shank and having a cube axis at an angle to said pin axis of other than zero degrees, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges. .Iaddend..Iadd. 32. The pin set forth in claim 31, wherein said predetermined angle is in the range of about 6° to 13°. .Iaddend..Iadd. 33. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof, said elongated shank being of polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, said cube-corner formation having a cube axis at an angle to said pin axis of other than zero degrees, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another. .Iaddend..Iadd. 34. The pin bundle set forth in claim 33, wherein said elongated shank has a rectangular outline. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 35. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof over a wide angle, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof and a cube axis, said elongated shank being of polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, each of said cube-corner formations having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another, the cube axes of a first group of said pins being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes at a first angle as measured in a predetermined plane, the cube axes of a second group of said pins being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes at a second different angle as measured in said predetermined plane. .Iaddend..Iadd. 36. The pin bundle set forth in claim 35, wherein said first and second groups of pins are interspersed. .Iaddend..Iadd. 37. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof over a side angle, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof and a cube axis, said elongated shank being of polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting three mutually perpendicular edges, said cube-corner formation having a given side which is rectilinear and is contained by one of said faces and lies in a plane perpendicular to said pin axis, one edge of said cube-corner formation being substantially perpendicular to said one face and lying in a predetermined plane, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another, said pins being arranged in said first and second rows, the cube axes of the pins in said first rows being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes at a first angle as measured in said predetermined plane, the cube axes of the pins in said second rows being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes at a second different angle as measured in said predetermined plane. .Iaddend..Iadd. 38. The pin bundle set forth in claim 37, wherein all of said one edges are parallel. .Iaddend..Iadd. 39. The pin bundle set forth in claim 37, wherein said first and second rows of pins alternate. .Iaddend..Iadd. 40. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof over a wide angle, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof and a cube axis, said elongated shank being of polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, said cube-corner formation having a given side which is rectilinear and is contained by one of said faces and lies in a plane perpendicular to said pin axis, one edge of said cube-corner formation being substantially perpendicular to said one face, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another, said pins being arranged in units each having a first and second and third and fourth pins respectively clockwise situated in the four quadrants of a rectangle, the cube axes of said first and second and third and fourth pins being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes respectively at first and second and third and fourth angles as measured respectively in first and second and third and fourth planes. .Iaddend..Iadd. 41. The pin bundle set forth in claim 40, wherein said one edges of said first and second pins lie in a common plane and said one edges of said third and fourth pins lie in a common plane. .Iaddend..Iadd. 42. The pin bundle set forth in claim 40, wherein said one edges of said first and fourth pins are not parallel, and said one edges of said second and third pins are not parallel. .Iaddend..Iadd. 43. The pin bundle set forth in claim 40, wherein said third pin is rotated 180° with respect to said first pin, and said fourth pin is rotated 180° with respect to said second pin. .Iaddend..Iadd. 44. The pin bundle set forth in claim 40, wherein said first pin is the mirror image of said fourth pin, and said third pin is the mirror image of said second pin. .Iaddend..Iadd. 45. The pin bundle set forth in claim 40, wherein said given side of said first pin is in common with said given side of said second pin so as to provide a rectilinear boundary between said first and second pins, and said given side of said third pin is in common with said given side of said fourth pin so as to provide a rectilinear boundary between said third and fourth pins. .Iaddend..Iadd. 46. A pin bundle for use in making cube-corner reflectors capable of reflecting light back to the source thereof over a wide angle, said pin bundle comprising a plurality of pins each including an elongated shank and a cube-corner formation at one end thereof and a cube axis, said elongated shank being of polygon outline and having a longitudinally extending pin axis, said cube-corner formation having three mutually perpendicular faces symmetrically arranged with respect to said cube axis and respectively intersecting in three mutually perpendicular edges, said cube-corner formation having one of said edges thereof terminating at a corner of the associated outline, the pin axes respectively of said pins being disposed substantially parallel to one another, said pins being arranged into rectangular units each having four pins respectively situated in the four quadrants of a rectangle, the cube axes respectively of said first and second and third and fourth pins being inclined with respect to the associated pin axes respectively at first and second and third and fourth angles as measured respectively in first and second and third and fourth planes. .Iaddend..Iadd. 47. A pin bundle set forth in claim 46, wherein said first and third planes are substantially coplanar, and said second and fourth planes are substantially coplanar. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 48. The pin bundle set forth in claim 46, wherein said one edges respectively of said cube-corner formation of each pin extend respectively to the corners of said unit.