Optical Devices for guiding illumination

• US 20100027288A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Viavi Solutions, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RPC Photonics, Inc. (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Schertler, Donald J., Sales, Tasso, Morris, G. Michael, Chakmakjian, Stephen H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,111,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/555
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• 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 6/0048 with stepwise taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity

Abstract

Optical devices for guiding illumination are provided each having a body of optical material with staircase or acutely angled ramp structures on its top surface for distributing light inputted from one end of the device from the front exit faces of such structures along certain angular orientations, while at least a substantial portion of the light is totally internally reflected within the body until distributed from such front exit faces. Optical devices are also provided each have a body of optical material having a bottom surface with acutely angled ramp structures and falling structures which alternate with each other, such that light is totally internally reflected within the device until reflected by such ramp structures along the bottom surface to exit the top surface of the device or transmitted through the ramp structures to an adjacent falling structure back into the device. Acutely angled ramp structures may be provided on both top and bottom surfaces of optical devices for distributing light along such top surface. Illumination apparatuses are also provided using such optical devices.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A device for guiding illumination comprising:

a body having a first surface with a plurality of ramp structures and falling structures, and a second surface in which said first and second surface are along opposite sides of said body, and said ramp structures and falling structures alternate with each other along said first surface, and said ramp structures and falling structures extend along a dimension representing the axis of the device which is substantially parallel to said second surface, wherein light when received from one end of said body is totally internally reflected within said body until distributed by reflection from one of said ramp structures to exit from said second surface or transmitted through one of said ramp structures back into said body via an adjacent one of said falling structures.

39. The device according to claim 38 wherein each of said ramp structures comprise a rising surface that is at an acute angle with respect to said axis, and each of said falling structures comprises a falling surface which is at an acute angle with respect to the normal of said axis, and then a surface substantially parallel to said second surface.

40. The device according to claim 39 wherein said falling surface of each of said falling structure represent a prismatic surface.

41. The device according to claim 39 wherein the first flat surface is lower than the back surface extending from said one end to the first of said ramp structure, and the flat surface of each of the falling structures after the first flat surface is a higher level than the previous flat surface along the length of the optical device, thereby reducing the thickness of the optical device.

42. The device according to claim 38 wherein each of said ramp structures and said falling structures increase in size proportionally with the reducing of thickness along said first surface.

43. The device according to claim 39 wherein the rising surface of each of the ramp structures is segmented into multiple surfaces of progressive steeper acute angles with respect to said axis.

44. The device according to claim 39 wherein the rising surface of each of the ramp structures has a continuously varying slope.

45. The device according to claim 38 wherein said first surface has reflective material.

46. The device according to claim 38 further comprising a source for inputting light inputted into said one end of said device.

47. The device according to claim 46 wherein said source represents a lamp, a single LED, an LED array, or a fiber optic light source.

48. The device according to claim 46 wherein said source and said device are located in a housing.

49. The device according to claim 48 wherein said housing is mountable on a surface.

50. The device according to claim 38 wherein said device is located in a housing, and said source comprises a fiber optic with an input end external said housing for receiving illumination and an output end extending into said housing for delivering light to said device.

60. The device according to claim 38 wherein said body comprises multiple portions in which one of said portions has said ramp structures and said falling structure along said first surface of said one of said portions, and another of said portions has other ramp structures along said second surface providing illumination from said second surface of said another of said portions.

51-52. -52. (canceled)

53. An illumination apparatus comprising:

a light guiding device having a top surface and a bottom surface, and said bottom surface comprising a pattern of acutely angled ramp structures which directs light out of said top surface when light is received along one end of the device.

54. The apparatus according to claim 53 further comprising a housing having at least said light guiding device.

55. The apparatus according to claim 54 wherein said housing further has a light source for inputting light into said light guiding device.

56. The apparatus according to claim 54 wherein said housing is mountable on a surface.

57. The apparatus according to claim 55 wherein said light source represents a lamp, a single LED, an LED array, or a fiber optic light source.

58. The apparatus according to claim 53 further comprising a light source for inputting light into said light guiding device.

59. The apparatus according to claim 58 wherein said light source represents a lamp, a single LED, an LED array, or a fiber optic light source.