Apparatus and method of guiding and shaping light from light source
First Claim
1. An optical assembly comprising:
- a light guide of a single integral piece of light transmissive material having a plurality of external surfaces comprising;
(1) a first external entrance surface adapted to collect and substantially collimate light from a light source and direct the substantially collimated light internally into the light guide;
(2) one or more external surfaces adapted to control direction and vertical and horizontal spread of the substantially collimated light, internally in the light guide with substantially total internal reflection, to create a light pattern approximately rectangular in angle space to issue from the light guide.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for controlling light from a non-rectangular light source. The apparatus and method relate to using a light guide of a single piece of light-transmissive material having a plurality of external surfaces. One external surface is shaped to collect and substantially collimate light from the light source into the interior of the light guide. At least one external surface is shaped to internally control and direct light such that it issues from the light guide in a substantially rectangular pattern and with substantially total internal reflection. The light guide can be used to create a single controlled beam pattern. In another aspect, one light guide could be adapted to issue two controlled beam patterns. Still further, two light guides could be mounted in a common housing and used to generate two beam patterns. One exemplary application of two beam patterns is a bow light for marine vessels. One pattern would issue a red pattern; the other a blue-green pattern; each angularly offset from the other in a horizontal plane, such as dictated by marine regulations.
-
Citations
66 Claims
-
1. An optical assembly comprising:
a light guide of a single integral piece of light transmissive material having a plurality of external surfaces comprising; (1) a first external entrance surface adapted to collect and substantially collimate light from a light source and direct the substantially collimated light internally into the light guide; (2) one or more external surfaces adapted to control direction and vertical and horizontal spread of the substantially collimated light, internally in the light guide with substantially total internal reflection, to create a light pattern approximately rectangular in angle space to issue from the light guide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
-
47. A method of controlling light from a light source comprising:
-
(a) directing light from the light source into a single integral piece of light transmissive material having a plurality of external surfaces; (b) one of said external surfaces collecting and substantially collimating light from the light source and directing the substantially collimated light internally into the single integral piece of light transmissive material; (c) controlling horizontal and vertical spread of the light source with one or more of said external surfaces of the material, internally in the material with substantially total internal reflection, to create a light pattern approximately rectangular in angle space projecting from the material. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65)
-
-
66. A bow light for a marine vessel comprising:
-
(a) a housing adapted for mounting on a bow of a marine vessel; (b) first and second tight sources mountable in the base; (c) first and second light guides, each of a single integral piece of light transmissive material and mountable in the base in optical alignment with a corresponding light source and each having a plurality of external surfaces comprising; (i) a first external surface adapted to collect and substantially collimate light from a light source and direct the substantially collimated light internally into its respective light guide; (ii) one or more external surfaces adapted to control direction and vertical and horizontal spread of the substantially collimated light, internally in the light guide with substantially total internal reflection, to create a light pattern approximately rectangular in angle space to issue from each respective light guide; (d) the first and second light guides mounted such that the light pattern from each light guide is angularly offset generally in horizontal plane, when the bow light is installed on a marine vessel; and (e) one light pattern having a red hue, the other having a blue-green hue.
-
Specification