High-density illumination system
First Claim
1. An illuminating system, comprising:
- an electrical interconnection plate with an array of electrically conductive circuitry arranged for interconnecting one or more LED chips to positive and negative voltage sources;
an array of LED chips, said LED chips equally sized and spaced from each other a distance S that is less than or equal to width W of said LED chip;
an array of metallically reflecting bins whose center to center spacing is equal to W+S, each said bin comprising a clear output aperture and a clear input aperture formed by one or more tapered metallically reflecting sidewalls extending between them;
a first light redirecting means disposed beyond said array of metallically reflecting bins that transmits light in a first angular range and reflects light in a second angular range back towards said array of bins;
a second light redirecting means disposed beyond said first light redirecting means that transmits light in a first angular range and reflects light in a second angular range back towards said first light redirecting means; and
said array of LED chips bonded electrically to said array of electrically conductive circuitry on said electrical interconnection plate, said array of metallically reflecting bins disposed just above said electrical interconnection plate such that every said LED chip in said array of LED chips extends in and through the center of every said input aperture.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A compact and efficient optical illumination system featuring planar multi-layered LED light source arrays concentrating their polarized or un-polarized output within a limited angular range. The optical system manipulates light emitted by a planar array of electrically-interconnected LED chips positioned within the input apertures of a corresponding array of shaped metallic reflecting bins using at least one of elevated prismatic films, polarization converting films, micro-lens arrays and external hemispherical or ellipsoidal reflecting elements. Practical applications of the LED array illumination systems include compact LCD or DMD video image projectors, as well as general lighting, automotive lighting, and LCD backlighting.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. An illuminating system, comprising:
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an electrical interconnection plate with an array of electrically conductive circuitry arranged for interconnecting one or more LED chips to positive and negative voltage sources;
an array of LED chips, said LED chips equally sized and spaced from each other a distance S that is less than or equal to width W of said LED chip;
an array of metallically reflecting bins whose center to center spacing is equal to W+S, each said bin comprising a clear output aperture and a clear input aperture formed by one or more tapered metallically reflecting sidewalls extending between them;
a first light redirecting means disposed beyond said array of metallically reflecting bins that transmits light in a first angular range and reflects light in a second angular range back towards said array of bins;
a second light redirecting means disposed beyond said first light redirecting means that transmits light in a first angular range and reflects light in a second angular range back towards said first light redirecting means; and
said array of LED chips bonded electrically to said array of electrically conductive circuitry on said electrical interconnection plate, said array of metallically reflecting bins disposed just above said electrical interconnection plate such that every said LED chip in said array of LED chips extends in and through the center of every said input aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An optical system, comprising:
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a liquid crystal display device whose rectangular aperture has length L and width W;
a condensing system of effective focal length F;
a planar light source array of equal length and width L′
comprising a regular array of contiguous reflecting bins, said reflecting bins each comprising a clear output aperture and a clear input aperture formed by one or more tapered metallically-reflecting sidewalls extending between them, each said reflecting bin containing one or more LED chips whose emitting surfaces protrude through said clear input aperture;
a first light redirecting means disposed beyond said array of reflecting bins that transmits light in a first angular range and reflects light in a second angular range back towards said array of bins;
a second light redirecting means disposed beyond said first light redirecting means that transmits light in a first angular range and reflects light in a second angular range back towards said first light redirecting means;
a first polarization converting means comprising a quarter-wave phase retardation film a second polarization converting means comprising a polarization-selective reflecting film;
said condensing system, and said planar light source array oriented parallel to each other on planes orthogonal to a commonly centered optical axis, said LCD oriented either parallel or perpendicular to said commonly centered optical axis, the separation distances between said condenser system and each said LCD and said planar light source array being approximately equal to said effective focal length F of said condensing system, adjusted for the actual length within the dielectric material (if not air) occupying the spaces in between the elements; and
said first light directing means disposed above said reflecting bins by a gap thickness that includes air and the thickness of said array of reflecting bins, said second light redirecting means disposed beyond said first light directing means by an air gap thickness, said first polarization converting means disposed beyond said planar reflecting bins and said second polarization converting means disposed beyond said first polarization converting means. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification