Rippled mixers for uniformity and color mixing
First Claim
1. An illumination system comprising:
- a plurality of different light emitting diodes; and
a mixer comprising a light pipe having input and output ends and a central region therebetween, an optical path extending in a longitudinal direction from said input end through said central region to said output end, said plurality of light emitting diodes disposed in proximity to said input end wherein at least one of said light emitting diodes is offset from the center of the input end,wherein said central region of said light pipe comprises one or more rippled sidewalls having a plurality of elongate ridges and valleys and sloping surfaces therebetween, at least one ridge or valley of said ridges and valleys at least partially formed by a faceted surface comprising three or more substantially nonorthogonal surface portions or by a rounded surface,wherein light from said plurality of light emitting diodes propagating along said optical path reflects from said sloping surfaces and is redirected at a different azimuthal direction toward said output end thereby mixing and increasing uniformity of said light at said output end.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments described herein comprise mixers comprising a light pipe having input and output ends and a central region therebetween. An optical path extends in a longitudinal direction from the input end through the central region to the output end. The central region of the light pipe comprises one or more rippled reflective sidewalls having a plurality of elongate ridges and valleys and sloping surfaces therebetween. Light from the input end propagating along the optical path reflects from the sloping surfaces and is redirected at a different azimuthal direction toward the output end thereby mixing the light at the output end. Illuminance and/or color mixing can therefore be provided.
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Citations
114 Claims
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1. An illumination system comprising:
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a plurality of different light emitting diodes; and a mixer comprising a light pipe having input and output ends and a central region therebetween, an optical path extending in a longitudinal direction from said input end through said central region to said output end, said plurality of light emitting diodes disposed in proximity to said input end wherein at least one of said light emitting diodes is offset from the center of the input end, wherein said central region of said light pipe comprises one or more rippled sidewalls having a plurality of elongate ridges and valleys and sloping surfaces therebetween, at least one ridge or valley of said ridges and valleys at least partially formed by a faceted surface comprising three or more substantially nonorthogonal surface portions or by a rounded surface, wherein light from said plurality of light emitting diodes propagating along said optical path reflects from said sloping surfaces and is redirected at a different azimuthal direction toward said output end thereby mixing and increasing uniformity of said light at said output end. - 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, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 83, 94, 95, 97, 101, 102)
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53. A lighting apparatus comprising:
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a light source comprising a plurality of emitters; and a mixer comprising a solid light pipe having an input end and an output end and a central region therebetween, said mixer comprising at least one rippled surface in said central region comprising a plurality of peaks and valleys connected by sloping surface portions, said peaks and valleys each comprising a vertex at least partially formed by a rounded portion or by two or more substantially nonorthogonal surface portions, said peaks having an average angle α
of between about 10 degrees and about 65 degrees,wherein at least one of said emitters is offset from the center of the input end, and light entering said input end propagating longitudinally along said central region is deflected by said sloping surface portions of said rippled surface in an azimuthal direction thereby increasing mixing of said light in said mixer and uniformity at said output end. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 91, 96, 98, 103, 106, 107, 108)
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77. An illumination system comprising:
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a plurality of light emitting diodes; and an elongate member having an input end and an output end and a central region therebetween, said input end having a different size or shape than said output end, and at least one of said light emitting diodes displaced from the center of the input end; wherein said elongate member comprises at least one rippled surface in said central region comprising a plurality of peaks and valleys connected by sloping surface portions, said peaks each comprising a vertex at least partially formed by two or more substantially nonorthogonal surface portions or by a rounded surface, said peaks having an average angle α
of less than about 65 degrees, such that light entering said input end propagating longitudinally along said central region is deflected by said sloping surface portions of said rippled surface in an azimuthal direction thereby increasing mixing of said light and uniformity at said output end. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 92, 93, 99, 104, 109, 110, 111)
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84. An illumination system comprising:
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a plurality of light emitting diodes; and a solid light pipe having an input end and an output end and a central region therebetween, said input end having a different size or shape than said output end, and at least one of said light emitting diodes displaced from the center of the input end, wherein said solid light pipe comprises at least one rippled surface in said central region comprising a plurality of peaks and valleys connected by sloping surface portions, at least one of said peaks and valleys at least partially formed by a faceted surface comprising two or more substantially nonorthogonal surface portions or by a rounded surface, such that light entering said input end propagating longitudinally along said central region is deflected by said sloping surface portions of said rippled surface in an azimuthal direction thereby increasing mixing of said light and uniformity at said output end. - View Dependent Claims (85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 100, 105, 112, 113, 114)
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Specification