Linear lighting system

• US 6,601,970 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyoto Denkiki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Kyoto Denkiki Company Limited
• Inventors: Ueda, Hiroshi, Nakayama, Yuzo, Kuroda, Kunio
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zeade, Bertrand
• Application Number:
  US09/895,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20020006039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 362/217, 362/216, 362/227-249, 362/241, 362/247, 362/260, 362/255, 362/296, 362/347, 362/16, 362/11
• US Class Current: 362/225
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/02 changing colors F21S10/002 - F21S10/007, F21S10/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/28 rigid, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/005 with an elongated shape to cooperate with linear light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features

Abstract

The present invention relates to a linear lighting system with a linear light source. According to the invention, all the effective light around the optical axis emitted from the linear light source is introduced to a concave reflector so that the illumination is carried out only with the reflected light. The reflected light is controlled to be a converging or parallel beam of light so that a desired area is illuminated and the luminance is increased. In a mode of the invention, a cylindrical concave reflector 2 whose section taken vertical to a linear light source 1 is a part of an ellipse 2e having a first focus F1 at the linear light source 1 and a second focus F2 at an irradiation plane 3 (irradiation target point). The part of the ellipse covers an effective emission angle 2θ of the linear light source 1, and a reflected light produced at the part from a light within the effective emission angle 2θ is free of obstruction by the linear light source 1. In another mode, the cylindrical concave reflector 2 is a part of a parabola having a focus at the linear light source 1. The part of the parabola covers an effective emission angle 2θ of the linear light source 1, and a reflected light produced at the part from a light within the effective emission angle 2θ is free of obstruction by the linear light source 1.

Claims

1. A linear lighting system for converging light on a linear portion including a linear light source emitting light mostly in an effective emission angle and a concave reflector having a cylindrical concave surface, which is characterized in that a section of the concave surface, taken vertical to the linear light source, is part of an ellipse having a first focus at the linear light source and a second focus at a point of the linear portion, where the part of the ellipse covers the effective emission angle of the linear light source and a reflected light produced at the part from a light within the effective emission angle is free of obstruction by the linear light source.

3. The linear lighting system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of the linear light sources and the concave reflectors corresponding to the linear light sources, wherein the concave reflectors share the target point as the second focuses thereof and each corresponding pair of the linear light source and the concave reflector are arranged as aforementioned in claim 1.

5. The linear lighting system according to claim 3, wherein the linear light sources are constructed so that irradiation angles of the reflected lights are variable.

7. The linear lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the linear light source is constructed using a plurality of light-emitting diodes arranged in a row.

9. The linear lighting system according to claim 7, wherein plural types of light-emitting diodes having different emission wavelengths are arranged.

11. The linear lighting system according to claim 1, wherein the linear light source is constructed using an aperture fluorescent lamp.

13. A connection-type linear lighting system comprising a plurality of linear lighting system units to be placed on a rail and connected with each other, each linear lighting system unit including a casing with a lighting unit fixed inside, each lighting unit including the linear light source and the concave reflector as aforementioned in claim 1.

2. A linear lighting system including a linear light source and a concave reflector having a cylindrical concave surface, which is characterized in that a section of the concave surface, taken vertical to the linear light source, is part of a parabola having a focus at the linear light source, where the part of the parabola covers an effective emission angle of the linear light source and a reflected light produced at the part from a light within the effective emission angle is free of obstruction by the linear light source.

4. The linear lighting system according to claim 2, comprising a plurality of the linear light sources and the concave reflectors corresponding to the linear light sources, wherein the linear light sources and the concave reflectors are arranged so that all reflected lights produced by the concave reflectors cross at the irradiation target point.

6. The linear lighting system according to claim 4, wherein the linear light sources are constructed so that irradiation angles of the reflected lights are variable.

8. The linear lighting system according to claim 2, wherein the linear light source is constructed using a plurality of light-emitting diodes arranged in a row.

10. The linear lighting system according to claim 8, wherein plural types of light-emitting diodes having different emission wavelengths are arranged.

12. The linear lighting system according to claim 2, wherein the linear light source is constructed using an aperture fluorescent lamp.

14. A connection-type linear lighting system comprising a plurality of linear lighting system units to be placed on a rail and connected with each other, each linear lighting system unit including a casing with a lighting unit fixed inside, each lighting unit including the linear light source and the concave reflector as aforementioned in claim 2.