LUMINAIRE HAVING A TWO-WAY WAVEGUIDE

• US 20080239749A1
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Steiner, Ivan B., Saccomanno, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,806,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/609
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources

Abstract

A luminaire includes a waveguide having first and second opposing ends and first and second opposing sides between the first and second ends. The waveguide is configured to totally internally reflect light propagating through the waveguide in a first direction and direct light propagating through the waveguide in a second direction through at least one of the first and second sides. A reflective body is coupled to the second end of the waveguide and configured to reflect light propagating towards the second end of the waveguide such that the light propagates towards the first end of the waveguide.

Claims

1. A luminaire comprising:

a waveguide having first and second opposing ends and first and second substantially parallel opposing sides between the first and second opposing ends, the waveguide being configured to internally reflect light propagating between the first and second ends with a first property and direct light propagating between the first and second ends with a second property through at least one of the first and second opposing sides; and

an optical modifier coupled to the second end of the waveguide and configured to reflect and modify light propagating towards the second end of the waveguide such that the light propagates towards the first end of the waveguide with the second property.

2. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the light with the first property propagates from the first end to the second end of the waveguide in a first direction and the light with the second property propagates from the second end to the first end of the waveguide in a second direction.

3. The luminaire of claim 2, further comprising an extraction material adjacent to one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide, the waveguide and the extraction material jointly forming an interface therebetween and configured such that the light propagating in the first direction is totally internally reflected by selected portions of the interface and light propagating in the second direction is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface and is directed through the at least one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide.

4. The luminaire of claim 3, wherein the first and second properties are at least one of a polarization state, a frequency, and an angle of incidence with the interface.

5. The luminaire of claim 4, wherein the extraction material is adjacent to the first side of the waveguide and the light propagating in the second direction and transmitted by the selected portions of the interface is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

6. The luminaire of claim 4, wherein the extraction material is adjacent to the second side of the waveguide and the light propagating in the second direction and transmitted by the selected portions of the interface is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

7. The luminaire of claim 6, wherein the extraction material comprises an extraction layer and an adhesive layer, the adhesive layer interconnecting the extraction layer and the waveguide such that the interface is formed between the adhesive layer and the waveguide, and wherein the adhesive layer comprises adhesive material portions and air gap portions, a ratio of the area of the adhesive material portions to the area of the air gap portions increasing as a function of distance from the optical modifier.

8. A luminaire comprising:

a waveguide having first and second opposing ends and first and second opposing sides between the first and second opposing ends;

an extraction material adjacent to one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide and forming an interface between the waveguide and the extraction material, the waveguide and the extraction material being configured such that when light enters the first end of the waveguide and propagates through the waveguide in a first direction with a first property, the light is internally reflected by selected portions of the interface; and

a reflective body adjacent to the second end of the waveguide and configured to reflect and modify the light propagating through the waveguide in the first direction such that the light propagates through the waveguide in a second direction with a second property, the waveguide and the extraction material being further configured such that the light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface and is directed through at least one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide.

9. The luminaire of claim 8, wherein the first and second properties are at least one of a polarization state, frequency, and an angle of incidence with the interface.

10. The luminaire of claim 9, wherein the extraction material is adjacent to the first side of the waveguide and light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface and is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

11. The luminaire of claim 10, wherein the extraction material is adjacent to the second side of the waveguide and light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface and is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

12. The luminaire of claim 11, wherein the extraction material comprises a plurality of extraction features formed therein and the light that is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface is reflected by the plurality of extraction features in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second directions.

13. The luminaire of claim 12, further comprising:

a support substrate, the light source and the waveguide being coupled to the support substrate;

a collimator assembly coupled to the support substrate positioned to receive light emitted by the light source and configured to collimate the light as the light propagates therethrough, the waveguide being positioned over the collimator assembly; and

at least one optical component coupled to the support substrate and adjacent to a side of the collimator assembly opposite the light source and the first end of the waveguide, the at least one optical component being configured to direct the light propagating through the collimator assembly in substantially in the third direction away from the support substrate and redirect the light in the first direction over the collimator assembly and the light source.

14. The luminaire of claim 13, wherein the extraction material comprises an extraction layer and an adhesive layer, the adhesive layer interconnecting the extraction layer and the waveguide and the interface being formed between the adhesive layer and the waveguide and wherein the adhesive layer comprises adhesive material portions and air gap portions, a ratio of the area of the adhesive material portions to the area of the air gap portions increasing as a function of distance from the optical modifier.

15. The luminaire of claim 14, wherein the reflective body comprises a reflective surface having first and second sets of alternating raised and recessed formations thereon extending in respective first and second substantially perpendicular directions.

16. A luminaire comprising:

a waveguide having first and second opposing ends and first and second opposing sides between the first and second ends;

an extraction layer on one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide;

an adhesive layer between the waveguide and the extraction layer having a first end adjacent to the first end of the waveguide and a second end adjacent to the second end of the waveguide and forming an interface between the waveguide and the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer comprising adhesive material portions and air gap portions, a ratio of the area of the adhesive material portions to the area of the air gap portions increasing as a function of distance from the optical modifier, the waveguide and the adhesive layer being configured such that when light propagates through the waveguide in a first direction, the light is totally internally reflected by the interface; and

a reflective body adjacent to at least one of the first and second ends of the waveguide and configured to reflect the light propagating through the waveguide in the first direction such that the light propagates through the waveguide in a second direction, the waveguide, the adhesive layer, and the extraction layer being further configured such that the light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction is transmitted by the interface and is directed through at least one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide.

17. The luminaire of claim 16, wherein the reflective body is further configured to modify the light such that the light propagating in the first direction has a first property and the light propagating in the second direction has a second property, the first and second properties being at least one of a polarization state, frequency, and an angle of incidence with the interface.

18. The luminaire of claim 17, wherein the extraction layer and the adhesive layer are on the first side of the waveguide and the light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the interface and is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

19. The luminaire of claim 18, wherein the extraction layer and the adhesive layer are on the second side of the waveguide and the light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the interface and is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

20. The luminaire of claim 19, wherein the extraction layer comprises a plurality of extraction features formed therein and the light that is transmitted by the interface is reflected by the plurality of extraction features in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second directions.