Luminaire utilizing waveguide

• US 10,310,160 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilcox, Kurt S., Medendorp, Jr., Nicholas W., Yuan, Zongjie, Bendtsen, Andrew Dan, Snell, Nathan, Sorenson, Jeremy, Kinnune, Brian, Raleigh, Craig D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kianni, Kaveh C
• Application Number:
  US15/652,066
• Publication Number:
  US 20180045875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 385131
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/009 the casing being inside the housing of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/10 Outdoor lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0075 Arrangements of multiple light guides G02B6/0028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0085 Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package heat extraction or cooling elements for semiconductor light sources in general H01L33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/24 Coupling light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/305 and having an integrated mode-size expanding section, e.g. tapered waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/32 having lens focusing means positioned between opposed fibre ends with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical waveguide comprising orthogonal x- and y-dimensions and developing an illumination distribution pattern comprising orthogonal x- and y-extents, comprising at least one coupling feature for directing light into the waveguide, at least one light redirection feature for redirecting light in an x-y plane within the waveguide, and at least one light extraction feature for extracting light out of the waveguide in an illumination pattern comprising at least one of the x- and y-extents that is offset with respect to the x- and y-dimensions, respectively. Additionally, the optical waveguide comprises optical features on at least first, second, and third sides thereof.

Claims

1. An optical waveguide comprising orthogonal x- and y-dimensions and developing an illumination distribution pattern comprising orthogonal x- and y-extents, comprising:

at least one coupling cavity for directing light into the waveguide;

at least one light redirection feature disposed within the optical waveguide for redirecting light in an x-y plane within the waveguide; and

at least one light extraction feature for extracting light out of the waveguide in an illumination pattern;

wherein the illumination pattern comprises at least one of the x- and y-extents that is offset with respect to the x- and y-dimensions, respectively;

wherein the at least one light redirection feature, the at least one light extraction feature, and the least one coupling cavity are disposed on first, second, and third sides of the optical waveguide; and

wherein the third side is transverse to and between the first and second sides.

2. The optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein the at least one light extraction feature comprises one or more extraction features on each of the first and second sides of the optical waveguide, and wherein the first side is opposite the second side.

3. The optical waveguide of claim 2 wherein the one or more light extraction features on the first side of the optical waveguide extend perpendicular to the one or more extraction features on the second side of the optical waveguide.

4. The optical waveguide of claim 1 wherein the at least one light redirection feature is a cavity on the first side of the optical waveguide.

5. The optical waveguide of claim 1 wherein the at least one extraction feature comprises first and second extraction features disposed transverse to one another on the first side of the optical waveguide.

6. The optical waveguide of claim 1 wherein the at least one light redirection feature is disposed on the at least one light extraction feature.

7. The optical waveguide of claim 1 wherein a combination of the at least one light redirection feature and the at least one light extraction feature develop the illumination pattern comprising at least one of the x- and y- extents that is offset with respect to the x- and y-dimensions, respectively.