Light-collecting illumination system

• US 7,427,146 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2004
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Conner, Arlie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Bao Q
• Application Number:
  US10/776,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 362/268, 362235-237, 362/253, 362/307, 362/311, 362/331, 362/335, 352/203, 352/198, 353/102, 359/448, 359455-457
• US Class Current: 362/268
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0994 Fibers, light pipes optical fibers per se G02B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/102 for generating a colour image from monochromatic image signal sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/123 The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/148 including stacked surfaces having at least one double-pass partially reflecting surface

Abstract

Light-collecting illumination systems are disclosed, which include a light source module, a first meniscus lens having a convex side and a concave side and a second meniscus lens having a convex side and a concave side. The concave side of the second meniscus lens is adjacent to the convex side of the first meniscus lens and the concave side of the first meniscus lens faces the light source module for receiving light therefrom. In addition, light-collecting illumination systems are disclosed, which include a plurality of light source modules and a system of optical elements comprising a plurality of pairs of meniscus lenses, each pair being associated with a light source module.

Claims

1. An illumination system, comprising:

a plurality of light source modules, wherein each light source module comprises an emitting surface and a pyramid collector disposed over the emitting surface, wherein each pyramid collector has a generally square proximate end and a generally rectangular distal end;

a system of optical elements comprising a plurality of pairs of meniscus lenses, each pair being associated with a light source module and including a first meniscus lens having a convex side and a concave side and a second meniscus lens having a convex side and a concave side;

wherein the concave side of each second meniscus lens is adjacent to the convex side of each first meniscus lens and the concave side of each first meniscus lens faces the associated light source module for receiving light therefrom; and

wherein all first meniscus lenses have substantially the same shape and size and all second meniscus lenses have substantially the same shape and size; and

an image-forming device disposed for being illuminated at an angle and having a plurality of mirrors rotatable about a pivot axis, and wherein the plurality of light source modules are disposed in an array having a shape generally approximating a non-radially symmetrical aperture having a long dimension and a short dimension, said non-radially symmetrical aperture oriented so that the long dimension is aligned with the pivot axis of the mirrors of the image-forming device.

2. The optical system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first meniscus lens is in contact with the second meniscus lens.

3. The optical system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second meniscus lenses are held together by an optically clear material.

4. The optical system as recited in claim 1, wherein the light source module comprises an emitting surface and a pyramid collector disposed over the emitting surface.

5. The optical system as recited in claim 4, wherein the pyramid collector has a generally square proximate end and a generally rectangular distal end.

6. The optical system as recited in claim 1, wherein the light source module comprises a plurality of emitting services disposed next to each other and the concave side of the first meniscus lens faces the emitting surfaces of the light source module for receiving light therefrom.

7. The optical system as recited in claim 6, wherein at least two of the emitting surfaces have different colors.

8. The optical system as recited in claim 6, wherein the light source module has emitting surfaces of first, second and third colors.

9. The optical system as recited in claim 8, wherein the first, second and third colors are primary colors.

10. The illumination system as recited in claim 1, wherein each first meniscus lens is in contact with each second meniscus lens.

11. The illumination system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of the pains of meniscus lenses is configured substantially as a double-layered hexagonal closely packed array and the plurality of light source modules is disposed to substantially track that configuration.

12. The illumination system as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of the pairs of meniscus lenses is configured substantially as a double-layered rectangular closely packed array and the plurality of light source modules is disposed to substantially track that configuration.

13. An illumination system, comprising:

a plurality of light source modules and

a system of optical elements composing a plurality of pairs of meniscus lenses, each pair being associated with a light source module and including a first meniscus lens having a convex side and a concave side and a second meniscus lens having a convex side and a concave side;

wherein the concave side of each second meniscus lens is adjacent to the convex side of each first meniscus lens and the concave side of each first meniscus lens faces the associated light source module for receiving light therefrom;

wherein all first meniscus lenses have substantially the same shape and size and all second meniscus lenses have substantially the same shape and size; and

wherein the plurality of the light source modules is disposed within a non-radially symmetrical aperture; and

an image-forming device disposed for being illuminated at an angle and having a plurality of mirrors rotatable about a pivot axis, and wherein the non-radially symmetrical aperture has a long dimension and a short dimension and is oriented so that the long dimension is aligned with the pivot axis of the mirrors of the image-forming device.

14. The illumination system as recited in claim 13, wherein each light source module comprises an emitting surface and a substantially optically clear dome disposed over the emitting surface.

15. The illumination system as recited in claim 13, wherein the light source modules each have a plurality of emitting surfaces disposed next to each other and so that the concave side of each first meniscus lens faces the emitting surfaces of the associated light source module for receiving light therefrom.

16. The illumination system as recited in claim 15, wherein at least two emitting surfaces of at least one light source module have different colors.

17. The illumination system as recited in claim 15, wherein each light source module has emitting surfaces of first, second and third colors.

18. The illumination system as recited in claim 17, wherein the first, second and third colors are primary colors.

19. The illumination system as recited in claim 15, further comprising an illumination target comprising first, second and third color zones, and wherein the system of optical elements images the emitting surfaces of the first, second and third colors onto the respective color zones of the illumination target.

20. The illumination system as recited in claim 19, wherein the system of optical elements further comprises a lenticular array disposed between the illumination target and the plurality of pairs of meniscus lenses.

21. The optical system as recited in claim 13 wherein the light source module comprises a plurality of emitting services disposed next to each other and the concave side of the first meniscus lens faces the emitting surfaces of the light source module for receiving light therefrom.

22. The optical system as recited in claim 21, wherein at least two of the emitting surfaces have different colors.

23. The optical system as recited in claim 21 wherein the light source module has emitting surfaces of first, second and third colors.

24. The optical system as recited in claim 23, wherein the first, second and third colors are primary colors.

25. The optical system as recited in claim 13 wherein the first meniscus lens is in contact with the second meniscus lens.

26. The optical system as recited in claim 13 wherein the first and second meniscus lenses are held together by an optically clear material.