Flat panel luminaire having embedded light guides
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A luminaire comprising:
- a light source;
at least one optical light pipe having two ends, one said end coupled to said light source; and
at least one light emitting panel coupled to the other said end of said light pipe, said light emitting panel comprising;
a tapered light-injection area having a narrow end and a wide end, said narrow end coupled to said light pipe, a light-emitting zone having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end joined to said wide end, and at least one irregular tetrahedrally-shaped light guide embedded in said light-emitting zone, said light guide extending continuously from said proximal end to said distal end and forming a groove that increases in surface area from said proximal end to said distal end.
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Abstract
A flat panel luminaire includes a light source, which can be remote, an optical light pipe, and a light-emitting panel. The light-emitting panel includes a tapered light-injection zone joined to a light-emitting zone having the embedded irregular tetrahedrally-shaped light guides. The surface and cross-sectional areas of the light guides gradually increase as the light guides extend away from the tapered zone. Methods of illuminating an area using such light guides are also provided.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A luminaire comprising:
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a light source;
at least one optical light pipe having two ends, one said end coupled to said light source; and
at least one light emitting panel coupled to the other said end of said light pipe, said light emitting panel comprising;
a tapered light-injection area having a narrow end and a wide end, said narrow end coupled to said light pipe, a light-emitting zone having a proximal end and a distal end, said proximal end joined to said wide end, and at least one irregular tetrahedrally-shaped light guide embedded in said light-emitting zone, said light guide extending continuously from said proximal end to said distal end and forming a groove that increases in surface area from said proximal end to said distal end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of illuminating an area, said method comprising:
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generating a light flux from a light source;
transporting said light flux via an optical light medium to a tapered enclosure of a light-emitting panel; and
propagating said light flux from said tapered enclosure through a tetrahedrally-shaped groove embedded in said light-emitting panel, said tetrahedrally-shaped groove having a surface area that increases in the direction of said propagating. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification