Luminaire having a deformable reflector well

• US 20060062000A1
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Published: 03/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fette GmbH (LMT Leading Metalworking Technologies GmbH & Company KG), Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: InFocus Corporation (Lap-Shun Hui, MBA)
• Inventors: Peterson, Mark D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,178,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/341
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/02 by movement of light sources in vehicle head lamps F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/025 in portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/02 with provision for adjustment, e.g. for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/16 with provision for adjusting the curvature
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0825 the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for a luminaire with a light emitting device and a deformable reflector well is disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A luminaire comprising:

a light emitting device;

a deformable membrane adjacent to the light emitting device, having a reflective surface; and

a first actuator adapted to deflect the deformable membrane to provide a first predetermined reflector well configuration for the light emitting device.

2. The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate coupled to facilitate at least a selected one of support or electrical connections to the light emitting device, the deformable membrane, and the first actuator.

3. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the deformable membrane is coupled to the light emitting device.

4. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the first actuator is adapted to deflect the deformable membrane a first distance from a neutral axis resulting in the first predetermined reflector well configuration having a first focal distance.

5. The luminaire of claim 4, wherein the first actuator is adapted to deflect the deformable membrane a second distance from the neutral axis resulting in a second predetermined reflector well configuration having a second focal distance.

6. The luminaire of claim 5, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance and the first focal distance is greater than the second focal distance.

7. The luminaire of claim 4, wherein the light emitting device is positioned on the neutral axis.

8. The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more additional actuators, adapted to cooperate with the first actuator to deflect the deformable membrane to provide the predetermined reflector well configuration.

9. The luminaire of claim 8, wherein the one or more additional actuators are selectably actuated.

10. The luminaire of claim 8, wherein light from the light emitting device is reflected off of the reflector well with a focal distance and a direction based at least in part on the one or more actuators actuated.

11. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the deformable membrane is conductive.

12. The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more conductive anchors coupled to the deformable membrane.

13. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the deformable membrane has a polygonal perimeter geometry.

14. A method comprising:

operating a light emitting device to output light; and

actuating a first actuator to deflect a reflective membrane, adjacent to the light emitting device, into a predetermined reflector well configuration.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the light emitting device is coupled to the reflective membrane.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

actuating one or more additional actuators to cooperate with the first actuator in deflecting the reflective membrane into the predetermined reflector well configuration.

17. A system comprising:

an illumination module having a luminaire including

a light emitting device;

a deformable membrane, adjacent to the light emitting device, having a reflective surface; and

a first actuator adapted to deflect the deformable membrane to provide a predetermined reflector well configuration for the light emitting device; and

a light valve, optically coupled to the illumination module.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the luminaire further includes

a substrate coupled to facilitate at least a selected one of support or electrical connections to the light emitting device, the deformable membrane, and the first actuator.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the luminaire further includes

one or more additional actuators, adapted to cooperate with the first actuator to deflect the deformable membrane to provide the predetermined reflector well configuration.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the illumination module further comprises:

one or more additional luminaires, each having

a light emitting device;

a deformable membrane, adjacent to the light emitting device, having a reflective surface; and

a first actuator adapted to deflect the deformable membrane to provide a predetermined reflector well configuration for the light emitting device.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a video unit with an output video signal; and

a projection device, coupled to video unit, to receive video signal and project video, said projection device including the illumination module and the light valve.

22. The system of claim 21, in which the video unit is selected from a group consisting of a digital versatile disk (DVD), a video camera, an integrated television tuner, and a set-top box.