Multiple source collimated beam luminaire

• US 6,988,815 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Light Transformation Technologies LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Farlight, LLC
• Inventors: Rizkin, Alexander, Tudhope, Robert H., Agurok, Il′ya
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amarantides, John
• Application Number:
  US09/867,881
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 362/231, 362/494, 362/800, 362242-247, 362/308, 362/309
• US Class Current: 362/245
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/77 with essentially identical diverging planar fins or blades, e.g. with fan-like or star-like cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/89 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/043 the lens having cylindrical faces, e.g. rod lenses, toric lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/02 for roads, paths or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/33 annular
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A luminaire comprising a light transmissive optical element, a plurality of light sources, a light source support structure, and a light reflective surface. The light transmissive optical element, which preferably is a quasi-toroidal light transforming collector, is spaced from and disposed about an axis. The plural light sources are disposed radially outwardly of the optical element relative to the axis, to produce a corresponding plurality of light beams. Each light source directs its light beam toward the optical element. The optical element is shaped and adapted to collect and transform the light beams and pass them in the direction of the axis. The light reflective surface, which preferably is a curved conical collimating combiner, is spaced from the optical element, and is disposed along the axis. The light reflective surface is optically shaped to redirect along the axis and combine the plurality of light beams passed by the optical element to produce a collimated beam of light from the re-directed plurality of light beams.

Claims

1. A luminaire comprising:

(A) a light transmissive optical element spaced from and disposed about an axis;

(B) a plurality of light sources disposed radially outwardly of the optical element relative to the axis, for producing a corresponding plurality of light beams, wherein each light source directs a corresponding one of the plurality of light beams toward the optical element, wherein the optical element is optically shaped to collect and pass in the direction of the axis the plural light beams received from the plurality of light sources,

(C) a light source support structure; and

(D) a light reflective surface spaced from the optical element and disposed along the axis, wherein the light reflective surface is optically shaped to redirect along the axis and combine the plurality of light beams passed by the optical element to produce a collimated beam of light from the re-directed plural light beams.

2. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the optical element is generally toroidal in shape and is formed by rotating a closed curved section about the axis.

3. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the light reflective surface is generally conical in shape and is formed by rotating a generally triangular section on the axis.

4. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of light sources is a light emitting diode.

5. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light sources are equally peripherally spaced radially outwardly of the optical element relative to the axis.

6. A luminaire comprising:

(A) a light transmissive optical element spaced from and disposed about an axis, wherein the optical element is generally quasi-toroidal in shape;

(B) a plurality of light sources disposed radially outwardly of the optical element relative to the axis, for producing a corresponding plurality of light beams, wherein each light source directs a corresponding one of the plurality of light beams toward the optical element, wherein the optical element is optically shaped to collect and transform the plurality of light beams received from the plurality of light sources and to pass them in the direction of the axis;

(C) a light source support structure; and

(D) a light reflective surface spaced from the optical element and disposed along the axis, wherein the light reflective surface is generally conical in shape and is formed by rotating on the axis a generally triangular section having a curved hypotenuse, and wherein the light reflective surface is optically shaped to redirect along the axis and combine the plurality of light beams passed by the optical element to produce a collimated beam of light from the re-directed plural light beams.

7. The luminaire of claim 6, wherein the plurality of light sources are equally peripherally spaced radially outwardly of the optical element relative to the axis.

8. The luminaire of claim 7, wherein each one of the plurality of light sources is a light emitting diode.

9. The luminaire of claim 7, wherein each one of the plurality of light sources is a combination of red, green and blue light emitting diodes with controlled intensity.

10. A luminaire comprising:

(A) a light transmissive optical element spaced from and disposed about an axis, wherein the optical element is substantially quasi-toroidal in shape and is formed by rotating a closed curved section about the axis;

(B) a plurality of light sources disposed radially outwardly of the optical element relative to the axis, for producing a corresponding plurality of light beams, wherein each light source directs a corresponding one of the plurality of light beams toward the optical element, wherein the optical element is optically shaped to collect and transform the plurality of light beams received from the plurality of light sources and pass them in the direction of the axis, wherein the plurality of light sources are equally peripherally spaced radially outwardly of the optical element relative to the axis, and wherein each one of the plurality of light sources is a light emitting diode;

(C) a light source support structure further comprising an effective amount of a heat-transfer surface, disposed in a heat-transfer relationship with the plurality of light sources, to provide for removal of heat that is generated by the plurality of light sources, and

(D) a light reflective surface spaced from the optical element and disposed along the axis, wherein the light reflective surface is generally conical in shape and is formed by rotating about the axis a generally triangular section having a curved hypotenuse, and wherein the light reflective surface is optically shaped to redirect along the axis and combine the plurality of light beams passed by the optical element to produce a single collimated beam of light from the re-directed plurality of light beams.

11. The luminaire of claim 10, wherein the quasi-toroidal optical element comprises an assembly of concentric quasi-toroidal components each having different indices of refraction to redirect the plurality of light beams perpendicular to said axis.

12. The luminaire of claim 10, wherein the light source support structure further comprises a temperature-control device disposed within a support structure cavity in association with a heat-transfer surface so that the light emitting diodes operate across a wide temperature range and within one of the following specified performance parameters:

luminous output, color, and spatial luminous intensity distribution.

13. The luminaire of claim 10, wherein the light transmissive optical element and the light reflective surface are mutually designed and calculated to provide equal luminous intensity distribution across the single collimated beam of light.