Lighting device with optical lens for beam shaping and refractive segments

• US 10,502,964 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2019
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mao, An, Aggarwal, Januk
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Dedei K
• Application Number:
  US16/379,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20190235257A1
• Time in Patent Office: 245 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/043 the lens having cylindrical faces, e.g. rod lenses, toric lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/16 square or rectangular, e.g. for light panels
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/18 annular; polygonal other than square or rectangular, e.g. for spotlights or for generating an axially symmetrical light beam
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0922 the semiconductor light source comprising an array of light emitters
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0955 Lenses lenses per se G02B3/00

Abstract

An example lighting device includes a plurality of individually controllable illumination light sources configured to be driven by electrical power to emit light. The lighting device further includes an optical lens positioned over the illumination light sources for beam shaping or steering. The optical lens has a plurality of aspherical, spherical, planar, or freeform surfaces, including an input surface coupled to receive light from the illumination light sources and an output surface. The input surface includes an input peripheral portion and an input central portion. The input peripheral portion extends from the illumination light sources and includes a plurality of input peripheral segments that are discontinuous and in aggregate curve from a first region of the input surface near the illumination light sources to a second region of the input surface near the input central portion.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a plurality of individually controllable illumination light sources configured to be driven by electrical power to emit light; and

an optical lens positioned over the illumination light sources, the optical lens having a plurality of aspherical, spherical, planar, or freeform surfaces, including an input surface coupled to receive light from the illumination light sources and an output surface;

wherein;

the input surface includes an input peripheral portion and an input central portion,

the input peripheral portion extends from the illumination light sources and includes a plurality of input peripheral segments that are discontinuous and in aggregate curve from a first region of the input surface near the illumination light sources to a second region of the input surface near the input central portion,

the input central portion includes a plurality of input central segments that are discontinuous,

the output surface includes an output lateral portion, an output shoulder portion, and an output body portion,

the output lateral portion extends away from the illumination light sources, curves away from the input peripheral portion, and intersects the output shoulder portion,

the output shoulder portion abuts the output body portion, and

the output body portion includes a plurality of output body segments that are discontinuous and in aggregate curve outwards in a direction away from the illumination light sources and the output shoulder portion.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein:

the input central segments in aggregate are planar or curve towards the illumination light sources.

3. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein:

incoming light rays for illumination lighting emitted by at least one of the illumination light sources first pass through the input peripheral segments or the input central segments where the incoming light rays undergo refraction to shape or steer the illumination lighting; and

after passing through the input peripheral segments or the input central segments, the refracted incoming light rays then pass through the output lateral portion, the output shoulder portion, or the output body segments where the refracted incoming light rays undergo further refraction to shape or steer the illumination lighting.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein:

incoming light rays for illumination lighting emitted by at least one of the illumination light sources first pass through the input peripheral segments or the input central segments where the incoming light rays undergo refraction to shape or steer the illumination lighting;

after passing through the input peripheral segments, a first subset of the refracted incoming light rays then strike the output lateral portion where the first subset of refracted incoming light rays undergo total internal reflection (TIR) to further shape or steer the illumination lighting;

after striking the output lateral portion, the first subset of TIR reflected light rays pass through the output shoulder portion and undergo further refraction; and

after passing through the input central segments, a second subset of the refracted incoming light rays then strike the output body segments where the second subset of refracted incoming light rays undergo further refraction.

5. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein:

the optical lens is circular or oval shaped; and

the input peripheral portion extends around the plurality of illumination of light sources and includes the input peripheral segments formed at different longitudinal levels.

6. The lighting device of claim 5, wherein:

each of the input peripheral segments has a single facet that is continuous at a respective longitudinal level of the input peripheral portion.

7. The lighting device of claim 5, wherein:

each of the input peripheral segments has multiple facets that are discontinuous at a respective longitudinal level of the input peripheral portion.

8. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein:

the optical lens is rectangular or square shaped; and

the input peripheral portion includes a left input peripheral portion and a right input peripheral portion linearly arranged along opposing sides of the input central portion and a length of the optical lens.

9. The lighting device of claim 8, wherein:

the plurality of input peripheral segments includes a plurality of left input peripheral segments and a plurality of right input peripheral segments;

the left input peripheral portion includes the left input peripheral segments; and

the right input peripheral portion includes the right input peripheral segments.

10. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein:

each of the left input peripheral segments has a single left facet that is continuous at a respective left longitudinal level of the left input peripheral portion along the length of the optical lens; and

each of the right input peripheral segments has a single right facet that is continuous at a respective right longitudinal level of the right input peripheral portion along the length of the optical lens.

11. The lighting device of claim 9, wherein:

each of the left input peripheral segments has multiple left facets that are discontinuous at a respective left longitudinal level of the left input peripheral portion along the length of the optical lens; and

each of the right input peripheral segments has multiple right facets that are discontinuous at a respective right longitudinal level of the right input peripheral portion along the length of the optical lens.

12. An optical device comprising:

a plurality of optical-to-electrical transducers, each optical-to-electrical transducer being configured to be driven by received light to produce a respective electrical signal and to be individually activated for outputting the respective electrical signal in response to light; and

an optical lens positioned over the optical-to-electrical transducers, the optical lens having a plurality of aspherical, spherical, planar, or freeform surfaces, including an input surface and an output surface coupled to direct light to the optical-to-electrical transducers;

wherein;

the input surface includes an input lateral portion, an input shoulder portion, and an input body portion,

the output surface includes an output peripheral portion and an output central portion,

the input lateral portion extends towards the optical-to-electrical transducers, curves towards the output peripheral portion, and intersects the input shoulder portion,

the input shoulder portion abuts the input body portion,

the input body portion includes a plurality of input body segments that are discontinuous and in aggregate curve outwards in a direction away from the optical-to-electrical transducers and the input shoulder portion,

the output peripheral portion includes a plurality of output peripheral segments that are discontinuous and in aggregate curve from a first region of the output surface near the optical-to-electrical transducers to a second region of the output surface near the output central portion, and

the output central portion includes a plurality of output central segments that are discontinuous.

13. The optical device of claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of output central segments in aggregate are planar or curve towards the optical-to-electrical transducers.

14. The optical device of claim 12, wherein:

incoming light rays to drive one or more of the optical-to-electrical transducers first pass through the input lateral portion, the input shoulder portion, or the input body segments where the incoming light rays undergo refraction; and

after passing through the input lateral portion, the input shoulder portion, or the input body segments, the refracted incoming light rays then pass through the output peripheral segments or the output central segments where the refracted incoming light rays undergo further refraction to shape or steer the light rays to be selectively received by at least one of the optical-to-electrical transducers.

15. The optical device of claim 12, wherein:

the optical lens is circular or oval shaped; and

the output peripheral portion extends around the plurality of optical-to-electrical transducers and includes the output peripheral segments formed at different longitudinal levels.

16. The optical device of claim 15, wherein:

each of the output peripheral segments has a single facet that is continuous at a respective longitudinal level of the output peripheral portion.

17. The optical device of claim 15, wherein:

each of the output peripheral segments has multiple facets that are discontinuous at a respective longitudinal level of the output peripheral portion.

18. The optical device of claim 12, wherein:

the optical lens is rectangular or square shaped; and

the output peripheral portion includes a left output peripheral portion and a right output peripheral portion linearly arranged along opposing sides of the output central portion and a length of the optical lens.

19. The optical device of claim 18, wherein:

the plurality of output peripheral segments includes a plurality of left output peripheral segments and a plurality of right output peripheral segments;

the left output peripheral portion includes the left output peripheral segments; and

the right input peripheral portion includes the right output peripheral segments.

20. The optical device of claim 19, wherein:

each of the left output peripheral segments has a single left facet that is continuous at a respective left longitudinal level of the left output peripheral portion along the length of the optical lens; and

each of the right output peripheral segments of the right output peripheral portion has a single right facet that is continuous at a respective right longitudinal level of the right output peripheral portion along the length of the optical lens.

21. The optical device of claim 19, wherein:

each of the left output peripheral segments has multiple left facets that are discontinuous at a respective left longitudinal level of the left output peripheral portion along the length of the optical lens; and

each of the right output peripheral segments has multiple right facets that are discontinuous at a respective right longitudinal level of the right output peripheral portion along the length of the optical lens.