Lighting system for increasing brightness to a light guide
First Claim
1. A lighting system comprising:
- first and second light sources each having an envelope through which light passes, the envelopes each having a selected region coated with reflective material to direct light back through the respective light source;
first and second generally ellipsoidal reflective surfaces, each of said first and second light sources being located at a respective focal point of the respective reflective surface;
at least one of said reflective surfaces being oriented relative to the other of said reflective surfaces to thereby enable said reflective surfaces to direct the light received from said light sources toward a common focal point to maximize the light brightness; and
a light guide having an input end disposed at the common focal point to receive light from the first and second reflective surfaces.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A light source includes an integral reflective coating on a portion of its envelope for reflecting light back through the source. The light from the source is directed by a reflector toward a focus thereof at which is located an input end of a light guide. The integral reflective coating allows a half ellipsoidal reflector to be used in one embodiment without depreciable loss of light. Accordingly, a pair of light sources can be arranged with a common focus to substantially double the brightness in the light guide. Alternatively, the light sources can provide a primary and redundant arrangement, or used to provide two levels of light in another arrangement. According to another embodiment, a hemispherical reflector is used to obtain unit magnification and increase the angular range through which light may enter the light guide.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A lighting system comprising:
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first and second light sources each having an envelope through which light passes, the envelopes each having a selected region coated with reflective material to direct light back through the respective light source; first and second generally ellipsoidal reflective surfaces, each of said first and second light sources being located at a respective focal point of the respective reflective surface;
at least one of said reflective surfaces being oriented relative to the other of said reflective surfaces to thereby enable said reflective surfaces to direct the light received from said light sources toward a common focal point to maximize the light brightness; anda light guide having an input end disposed at the common focal point to receive light from the first and second reflective surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A lighting system comprising:
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a light source in a closed envelope emitting light outward through at least a first portion of the envelope; an integral reflective coating on a second portion of the envelope receiving light from the light source and directing the light back through the light source; a partial-ellipsoidal reflector element, the light source being located at a first focal point of the partial-ellipse reflector element thereby enabling the partial-ellipsoidal reflector element to, receive light from the light source and direct the light toward a second focal point of the reflector element; and a light guide having an input end at the second focal point for receiving light from the reflector element. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A lighting system for increasing the brightness in a light guide, the system comprising:
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first and second light sources, each light source including an envelope having an integral reflective portion that reflects light back through the light source; a reflector having first and second partial-ellipsoidal portions, a first and second light sources being located at the first focal point of the first and second partial-ellipsoidal portions, respectively, each partial-ellipsoidal portion thereby receiving light from one of said light sources and directing the light toward a second common focal point; a light guide having an input end disposed at the common focal point to receive light reflected from said partial-ellipsoidal portions. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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Specification