Luminaire having a deformable reflector well

• US 7,178,945 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fette GmbH (LMT Leading Metalworking Technologies GmbH & Company KG), Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: InFocus Corporation (Lap-Shun Hui, MBA)
• Inventors: Peterson, Mark D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, John Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAKIYA, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US10/945,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20060062000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 359/847, 362/278, 362/320
• US Class Current: 362/278
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/02 by movement of light sources in vehicle head lamps F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/025 in portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/02 with provision for adjustment, e.g. for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/16 with provision for adjusting the curvature
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0825 the reflecting element being a flexible sheet or membrane, e.g. for varying the focus flexible mirrors for cosmetic use A45D42/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for a luminaire with a light emitting device and a deformable reflector well is disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A luminaire comprising:

a solid-state light emitting device;

a deformable membrane adjacent to the solid-state light emitting device, having a reflective surface; and

an electromagnetic actuator adapted to deflect the deformable membrane by exerting an electromagnetic force directly on the deformable membrane to provide a first predetermined reflector well configuration for the solid-state light emitting device.

2. The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising:

a substrate coupled to the solid-state light emitting device and adapted to provide electrical connections to the solid-state light emitting device.

3. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the deformable membrane is coupled to the solid-state light emitting device.

4. The luminaire of claim 3, wherein the deformable membrane is coupled to the substrate and adapted to provide electrical connections between the solid-state light emitting device and the substrate.

5. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the deformable membrane is constructed of a material adapted to respond to an electromagnetic force exerted by the electromagnetic actuator.

6. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the deformable membrane includes a plurality of anchors adapted to respond to an electromagnetic force exerted by the electromagnetic actuator.

7. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the deformable membrane has a polygonal perimeter geometry.

8. A method comprising:

operating a solid-state light emitting device to output light; and

actuating a first electromagnetic actuator to exert an electromagnetic force directly on a reflective membrane, adjacent to the light emitting device, to deflect the reflective membrane into a predetermined reflector well configuration.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

vibrating the reflective membrane.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

actuating one or more additional electromagnetic actuators to cooperate with the first electromagnetic actuator in deflecting the reflective membrane into the predetermined reflector well configuration.

11. A system comprising:

an illumination module having a luminaire including

a solid-state light emitting device;

a deformable membrane, adjacent to the solid-state light emitting device, having a reflective surface; and

an electromagnetic actuator adapted to deflect the deformable membrane by exerting an electromagnetic force directly on the deformable membrane to provide a predetermined reflector well configuration for the light emitting device; and

a substrate coupled to the illumination module and adapted to provide electrical connections to the illumination module.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the luminaire further includes

one or more additional actuators adapted to cooperate with the electromagnetic actuator to deflect the deformable membrane to provide the predetermined reflector well configuration.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the luminaire is a first luminaire and the illumination module further comprises a plurality of luminaires, including the first luminaire, coupled to the substrate.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a video unit with an output video signal; and

a projection device, having the illumination module, coupled to the video unit, to receive video signal and project video.

15. The system of claim 14, in which the video unit is selected from a group consisting of a digital versatile disk (DVD), a video camera, an integrated television tuner, and a set-top box.