Illumination system having an aspherical lens
First Claim
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1. A lens system, comprising:
- a conical lens portion providing internal reflection of light rays present therein; and
an aspherical containing lens portion integrally coupled to said conical lens portion and said lens portions having a central longitudinal optical axis and said conical lens portion having an entrance and exit aperture with radii r and r'"'"', respectively, and said aspherical lens portion further having a surface shape causing light rays incident thereon with an angle of incidence θ
less than about 24°
to the central longitudinal optical axis to be imaged after reflection from said conical lens portion on said exit aperture at a minimum distance l in accordance with the expression,
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">l=(r+r'"'"')/(tan θ
'"'"') (1)rsinθ
=(r'"'"'sin θ
'"'"''"'"')(n)θ
"=output angle in medium ##EQU2## n=index of refraction described above and edge rays defining ray intercepts at said exit aperture plane such that the derivative of said ray intercept is a positive value.
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Abstract
A lens system containing an aspherical portion enabling minimization of spherical aberration as well as the lens length. The lens system includes a conical lens portion providing total internal reflection of light within the lens system and an integrally attached aspherical lens portion. For light rays within a defined angular range of less than about ±24°, the light rays are focused on the exit aperture (for a concentrator) at a minimum lens length, l.
74 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A lens system, comprising:
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a conical lens portion providing internal reflection of light rays present therein; and an aspherical containing lens portion integrally coupled to said conical lens portion and said lens portions having a central longitudinal optical axis and said conical lens portion having an entrance and exit aperture with radii r and r'"'"', respectively, and said aspherical lens portion further having a surface shape causing light rays incident thereon with an angle of incidence θ
less than about 24°
to the central longitudinal optical axis to be imaged after reflection from said conical lens portion on said exit aperture at a minimum distance l in accordance with the expression,
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">l=(r+r'"'"')/(tan θ
'"'"') (1)rsinθ
=(r'"'"'sin θ
'"'"''"'"')(n)θ
"=output angle in medium ##EQU2## n=index of refraction described above and edge rays defining ray intercepts at said exit aperture plane such that the derivative of said ray intercept is a positive value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. The lens system as defined in claim I wherein said aspherical lens portion comprises on ellipsoid of eccentricity equal to the inverse of the index of refraction.
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5. A lens system having a minimum length, comprising:
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a conical lens portion providing internal reflection or metallic reflection of light rays present therein; and an aspherical lens portion integrally coupled to said conical lens portion and said lens portions having a central longitudinal optical axis and said conical lens portion having a characteristic index n and an entrance and exit aperture with radii r and r'"'"', respectively, and said minimum length determined as a function of the angle θ
of light rays relative to the central longitudinal axis and said index n with said aspherical lens portion further having a surface shape causing light rays off-axis from said central optical axis and at each extreme of said aspherical lens portion to pass through s id exit aperture with the light ray incident at a glancing angle at one extreme edge defining an angle θ
'"'"' relative to said central optical axis inside said conical lens portion and said minimum length defined as a function of tan θ
'"'"'. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of manufacturing a lens system wherein light rays are optically manipulated using a minimum length lens system, comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a conical lens portion providing reflection of light rays present therein; and (b) constructing an aspherical lens portion having a surface shape causing light rays off-axis from a central longitudinal optical axis to trace extreme edge rays with a first extreme edge ray tangent to one end of said aspherical lens portion and tracing a path forming an angle θ
to said central optical axis with said minimum length l of said conical lens portion defined by the expression,
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">l=(r+r'"'"')/(tan θ
'"'"') (1)rsinθ
=(r'"'"'sin θ
")(n)θ
"=output angle in medium ##EQU3## n=index of refraction described above
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12. A method of spherical aberration free manipulation by a user of light rays incident on a lens system off-axis from a central optical longitudinal axis, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a lens system comprising; (i) a solid conical lens portion providing total internal reflection of light rays present therein; and (ii) a solid aspherical lens portion integrally coupled to said solid conical lens portion and said lens portion having a central longitudinal optical axis with said solid aspherical lens portion further having a surface shape causing light rays off-axis from said central optical axis to trace extreme rays with a first extreme edge ray tangent to one end of said aspherical lens portion and tracing a path forming an angle θ
to said central optical axis with said minimum length l of said conical lens portion defined by the expression,
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">l=(r+r'"'"')/(tan θ
'"'"') (1)rsinθ
=(r'"'"'sin θ
")(n)θ
"=output angle in medium ##EQU4## n=index of refraction described above (b) interposing said lens system at a selected location relative to a light source, said selected location causing the light from said light source to be incident at an acceptance angle off axis from said central optical longitudinal axis; and(c) applying the light without spherical aberration in the user desired manner. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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Specification