OPTICAL ELEMENT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20110002127A1
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ter Laak, Michael Johan Ferdinand Marie, Sweegers, Norbertus Antonius Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/865,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002127A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/296.01
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0012 characterised by the manufacturing method
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/00 Optical elements other than lenses light guides G02B6/00; optical logic elements G02F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/505 characterised by the shape, e.g. plate or foil

Abstract

A method for manufacturing optical elements (5), comprising the steps of providing (100) an optical sheet (1); coating (103) a reflective layer (4) on the optical sheet (1); and forming (102) a first set of tracks (3), each having a first width, across the optical sheet (1) to divide the optical sheet into a plurality of optical elements (5).

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing optical elements , said method comprising the steps of:

providing an optical sheet;

coating a reflective layer on said optical sheet; and

forming a first set of tracks, each having a first width, across said optical sheet to divide said optical sheet into a plurality of optical elements.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said optical sheet is provided on a carrier for holding said optical elements in position after the formation of said first set of tracks.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said step of forming the first set of tracks is performed prior to said step of coating, the method further comprising the steps of:

removing a thickness, at least corresponding to the thickness of the reflective layer, from the optical sheet; and

forming a second set of tracks inside said first set of tracks, said second set of tracks being narrower than said first set, thereby forming a plurality of optical elements having reflectors formed on the edges thereof.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

thinning said optical sheet prior to coating.

5. An optical element comprising an at least partly optically transparent plate having first and second opposing faces and a plurality of lateral edge surfaces, wherein said first face is a receiving face for receiving light from a light-source and at least one of said second face and said edge surfaces is coated with a reflective material.

6. An optical element according to claim 5, wherein said at least partly optically transparent plate is a ceramic-based wavelength converting plate.

7. An optical element according to claim 5, wherein each of said edge surfaces is coated with said reflective material.

8. An optical element according to claim 5, wherein said second face is coated with said reflective material.

9. An optical element according to claim 5, wherein said reflective material is a resin filled with reflective particles.

10. A light output device comprising:

a light source arranged to emit light, and an optical element according to claim 5 arranged to receive light emitted by said light source.

11. A light output device according to claim 10, wherein said light source is a light emitting diode.