Energy transmission
First Claim
1. Radiant energy transmission apparatus for use in an external radiant energy transmitting medium and operative in a concentrating mode, said apparatus comprising, transmission means including:
- (a) substantially concavely sloping radiant energy reflective wall means for guiding radiant energy, said wall means comprising means defining an energy inlet,(b) means, including said energy inlet, for defining a field of acceptance for radiant energy, and(c) a radiant energy refractive internal medium, said reflective wall means comprising an interface between said refractive internal medium and said external radiant energy transmitting medium, and said internal medium having a higher index of refraction for radiant energy then said external medium;
and radiant energy trap means operatively associated with said reflective wall means for receiving radiant energy guided by said wall means;
said concavely sloping reflective wall means having a profile curve sloped to assume the maximum possible slope consistent with totally internally reflecting onto said energy trap means the extremal energy rays which enter said energy inlet within said field of acceptance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are radiant energy transmitting devices operative selectively in concentrative and emissive modes, having transmitting elements including radiant energy transmitting and guiding surfaces at the interface of media of differing indices of refraction for radiant energy. Surfaces generally are of a concavely sloping configuration consistent with reflecting, for example, extremal energy rays entering the element from within a defined field of acceptance at an energy inlet onto an energy trap or, in the alternative, extremal rays from an energy source through an energy outlet within a defined field of emission. The energy source or trap is preferably an energy transducer such as a photoelectric device.
171 Citations
24 Claims
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1. Radiant energy transmission apparatus for use in an external radiant energy transmitting medium and operative in a concentrating mode, said apparatus comprising, transmission means including:
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(a) substantially concavely sloping radiant energy reflective wall means for guiding radiant energy, said wall means comprising means defining an energy inlet, (b) means, including said energy inlet, for defining a field of acceptance for radiant energy, and (c) a radiant energy refractive internal medium, said reflective wall means comprising an interface between said refractive internal medium and said external radiant energy transmitting medium, and said internal medium having a higher index of refraction for radiant energy then said external medium; and radiant energy trap means operatively associated with said reflective wall means for receiving radiant energy guided by said wall means; said concavely sloping reflective wall means having a profile curve sloped to assume the maximum possible slope consistent with totally internally reflecting onto said energy trap means the extremal energy rays which enter said energy inlet within said field of acceptance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Radiant energy transmission apparatus for use in an external radiant energy transmitting medium and operative in an emitting mode, said apparatus comprising:
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transmission means including, (a) substantially concavely sloping radiant energy reflective wall means for guiding radiant energy, said wall means comprising means defining an energy outlet, (b) means, including said energy outlet, for defining a field of emission for radiant energy, and (c) radiant energy refractive internal medium, said reflective wall means comprising an interface between said refractive internal medium and said external radiant energy transmitting medium, and said internal medium having a higher index of refraction for radiant energy than said external medium; and radiant energy source means operatively associated with said reflective wall means for emitting radiant energy guided by said wall means, said concavely sloping, reflective wall means including reflective means having a profile curve sloped to assume the maximum possible slope consistent with totally internally reflecting all energy rays from said energy source means through said energy outlet within said field of emission. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification