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Efficient light engine systems, components and methods of manufacture

  • US 6,356,700 B1
  • Filed: 06/08/1999
  • Issued: 03/12/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A light engine for efficient energy delivery and simultaneous é

  • tendue efficient area and angle reformatting of a gas discharge lamp comprising;

    a retro reflector system;

    a primary reflector system having a first and second focal point F1 and F2 defining a system axis; and

    a gas discharge lamp system comprising a gas tight, semitransparent envelope enclosing an energizable gas and including means for creating and energizing at least one spatially extended, semitransparent region of said gas, thereby creating an emission source S that emits electromagnetic energy escaping from said lamp system through said envelope and with the longest dimension of said source S defining a source axis;

    said source axis being aligned substantially perpendicular to said system axis;

    said source S being located proximate to said focal point F1 and said lamp system having a respective emission é

    tendue function ES(p) in at least one wavelength region of interest and with p representing the percentage of total emitted energy emitted by said lamp system in said wavelength region of interest;

    said retro reflector system having an exit port and comprising at least one primary concave retro-reflector, said retro reflector system collecting and retro-reflecting a portion of said energy emitted from said source S back into said lamp system proximate to said source S, the combination of said source S and said retro reflector system thereby creating an effective retro-reflected emission source Sr, said source Sr having a respective spatial dependent emission intensity distribution SI(x,y;

    Sr) in a plane perpendicular to said system axis and containing said source axis;

    said primary reflector system comprising at least one concave reflector, said primary reflector system collecting and reflecting a portion of the energy emitted from said source Sr and concentrating the major portion of said reflected energy approximately symmetrically around said envelope near said focal point F2, thus creating a secondary emission source S′

    having a respective spatial dependent intensity distribution SI(x,y;

    S′

    ) perpendicular to said system axis and proximate to focal point F2; and

    where curvatures, spectral reflectivities and transmissivities and extent of said primary reflector system and said retro reflector system and said exit port are chosen for efficient energy delivery in said at least one wavelength region of interest to said secondary source S′ and

    such that said spatial asymmetric intensity distribution SI(x,y;

    S′

    ) has its longest dimension substantially parallel to said source axis and is a quasi-imaging magnification of said intensity distributions SI(x,y;

    Sr) and the beam exiting said retro reflector system through said exit port has a secondary source é

    tendue function ES′

    i
    (p) in said wavelength region of interest that is minimally increased over said source é

    tendue function ES(p) for at least one of said p-values;

    thereby forming a minimal light engine (MLE).

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