1. A lighting system for a vehicle, comprising:
a headlamp light source;
a trim piece mounted adjacent the light source and having an inner surface illuminated by light from the light source and an outer surface visible from outside the vehicle, wherein the trim piece comprises a light transmitting plastic body, wherein a signature image is formed on the body having a foreground region and a background region, wherein the foreground region has a corresponding surface characteristic on the inner and outer surfaces within the foreground region different from a corresponding surface characteristic on the inner and outer surfaces within the background region so that more light from the light source is transmitted through the foreground region than through the background region.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the surface characteristic is comprised of a smooth texture for one of the foreground region or background region, and wherein the surface characteristic is comprised of a stippled texture for the other one of the foreground region or background region.
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the stippled texture is included on the outer surface.
4. The system of claim 2 wherein the stippled texture of the foreground or background region has a mild grain, and wherein at least one of the inner surface or outer surface outside of the signature image is comprised of a stippled texture having an aggressive grain to provide greater scattering of light than the mild grain.
5. The system of claim 2 wherein the foreground region has the smooth texture and the background region has the stippled texture.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the foreground region is raised with respect to the background region.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the trim piece further comprises a metallization layer applied to at least a portion of the outer surface.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the metallization layer covers the foreground regions and the background region.
9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a refracting element disposed in a light path from the light source to divert light toward the signature image.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the trim piece forms a skirt around the periphery of the signature image.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the trim piece further comprises a metallization layer applied to the outer surface over the skirt and not over the signature image.
12. A method of illuminating a signature image formed on a trim piece of a vehicle lighting system mounted adjacent a light source and having an inner surface illuminated by light from the light source and an outer surface visible from outside the vehicle, wherein the trim piece comprises a light transmitting plastic body, wherein the signature image has a foreground region and a background region within a relatively opaque framing area of the trim piece, the method comprising the steps of:
diverting a portion of the light produced by the light source toward the signature image and the relatively opaque framing area;
passing the light directed toward one of the background region or the foreground region through a first surface texture that causes a first amount of diffusion of the light;
passing the light directed toward the other one of the background region or the foreground region through a second surface texture that causes a second amount of diffusion of the light that is less than the first amount of diffusion; and
substantially blocking the light directed toward the relatively opaque framing area due to a third surface texture that causes a third amount of light diffusion that is greater than the first amount of diffusion.
13. A bezel for a vehicle headlamp, comprising:
a light transmitting plastic body with inner and outer surfaces, wherein a signature image is formed on the body having a foreground region with a first surface texture and a background region with a second surface texture, wherein light diffusion by the first and second surface textures are perceptibly different; and
a light-transmitting metallization layer over the outer surface.
14. The bezel of claim 13 wherein the first surface texture is substantially smooth and the second surface texture is stippled.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An article of footwear having an upper and a lower, comprising:
a one-piece block of material to receive a foot therein and shaped to form part of the lower, where the lower is configured to be substantially positioned on an underside of the foot, and where the block of material extends upward at a front edge of the foot and terminates at a position on top of the toes of the foot to form a toe cap which at least partially encloses the toes of the foot; and
a harness forming the upper and mounted on the lower, the harness comprising:
a plurality of straps configured to maintain the foot on and in the lower, the plurality of straps comprising a medial strap coupled to the toe cap, a heel strap configured to maintain a heel of the foot in a lateral position by traversing the article of footwear at a position behind the heel, and a plurality of side straps attached to the lower, where the side straps include two side heel straps, one on each side of the article of footwear to connect the heel strap, the plurality of side straps further comprising at least six mid-section side straps, with three outside mid-section side straps extending from the lower along an outer side of the foot and three inside mid-section side straps extending from the lower along an inner side of the foot; and
a plurality of lace-throughs to accommodate a lace, a lace-through coupled to the medial strap, a lace-through coupled to an inside mid-section side strap and one lace-through coupled to an outside mid-section side strap.
2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the lower comprises a midsole flex line.
3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein the midsole flex line is substantially aligned with a rear edge of the toe cap.
4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the portion of the one-piece block of material positioned underneath the foot and the toe cap are injection co-molded of the same moldable plastic.
5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the mid-section side straps are attached to a side edge of the lower.
6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of straps are comprised of one or more of leather and fabric.
7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein each mid-section side strap includes a lace-through.
8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein each side heel strap includes a lace-through.
9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the mid-section side straps are tapered at an angle from the lower towards the toe cap.
10. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least two outside mid-section side straps are substantially parallel to each other.
11. An article of footwear having an upper and a lower, comprising:
a one-piece block of material to receive a foot therein and shaped to form part of the lower, where the lower is configured to be substantially positioned on an underside of the foot, and where the block of material extends upward at a front edge of the foot and terminates at a position on top of the toes of the foot to form a toe cap which at least partially encloses the toes of the foot; and
a harness forming the upper and mounted on the lower, the harness comprising:
a plurality of straps configured to maintain the foot on and in the lower, the plurality of straps comprising a medial strap coupled to the toe cap, a heel strap configured to maintain a heel of the foot in a lateral position by traversing the article of footwear at a position behind the heel, and a plurality of side straps attached to the lower, where the side straps include two side heel straps, one on each side of the article of footwear to connect the heel strap, the plurality of side straps further comprising mid-section side straps, with at least one outside mid-section side strap extending from the lower along an outer side of the foot and at least one inside mid-section side strap extending from the lower along an inner side of the foot, where the mid-section side straps are positioned at an angle from the lower towards the toe cap;
a plurality of lace-throughs, one lace-through extending from an inside mid-section side strap and one lace-through extending from an outside mid section side strap; and
a lace traversing the harness and passing through the lace-throughs.
12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the lace is crossed as it traverses the harness.
13. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the side straps are spaced apart to form side gaps.
14. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the medial strap is attached to at least one outside mid-section side strap and at least one inside mid-section side strap.
15. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the medial strap is attached to each of the mid-section side straps.
16. An article of footwear, comprising:
a lower including a one-piece block of material to receive a foot therein, where the block of material extends upward at a front edge of the foot and terminates at a position on top of the toes of the foot to form a toe cap which at least partially encloses the toes of the foot; and
an upper comprising a plurality of straps, the plurality of straps including a heel strap, a medial strap coupled to the toe cap, an inside mid-section side strap coupled to the medial strap, an outside mid-section side strap coupled to the medial strap, and a side heel strap coupled to the heel strap, wherein the medial strap, inside mid-section side strap, outside mid-section side strap, and side heel strap each include a lace-through extending therefrom and wherein the plurality of straps are comprised of different material than the one-piece block of material.
17. The article of footwear of claim 16, wherein the lace-through extending from the medial strap is further coupled to the toe cap.
18. The article of footwear of claim 16, wherein the lower further comprises an outsole coupled to the one-piece block of material.
19. The article of footwear of claim 16, wherein the lower further comprises a frictional surface positioned on top of the one-piece block of material.