Luminaire having a two-way waveguide

• US 7,806,579 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2007
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Steiner, Ivan B., Saccomanno, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAN, JASON
• Application Number:
  US11/749,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20080239749A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: 362606-607, 362/616, 362/621, 362617-619, 349/65
• US Class Current: 362/606
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources

Abstract

A luminaire includes a waveguide having first and second opposing ends and first and second opposing sides between the first and second ends. The waveguide is configured to totally internally reflect light propagating through the waveguide in a first direction and direct light propagating through the waveguide in a second direction through at least one of the first and second sides. A reflective body is coupled to the second end of the waveguide and configured to reflect light propagating towards the second end of the waveguide such that the light propagates towards the first end of the waveguide.

Claims

1. A luminaire comprising:

a waveguide having first and second opposing ends and first and second substantially parallel opposing sides between the first and second opposing ends, the waveguide being configured to receive and internally reflect light having a first property and being devoid of a second property propagating from the first end to the second end on a first pass and direct at least a portion of the light propagating from the second end to the first end on a second pass with the second property through at least one of the first and second opposing sides; and

an optical modifier coupled to the second end of the waveguide and configured to reflect and modify the light propagating towards the second end of the waveguide such that the light propagates towards the first end of the waveguide with the second property,

wherein the extraction material comprises an extraction layer and an adhesive layer, the adhesive layer interconnecting the extraction layer and the waveguide such that the interface is formed between the adhesive layer and the waveguide, and wherein the adhesive layer comprises adhesive material portions and air gap portions, a ratio of an area of the adhesive material portions to an area of the air gap portions increasing as a function of distance from the optical modifier.

2. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the light having the first property and being devoid of the second property propagates from the first end to the second end of the waveguide in a first direction and the light with the second property propagates from the second end to the first end of the waveguide in a second direction.

3. The luminaire of claim 2, further comprising an extraction material adjacent to one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide, the waveguide and the extraction material jointly forming an interface therebetween and configured such that the light propagating in the first direction is totally internally reflected by selected portions of the interface and light propagating in the second direction is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface and is directed through the at least one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide.

4. The luminaire of claim 3, wherein the first and second properties are at least one of a polarization state, a frequency, and an angle of incidence with the interface and further comprising a light source coupled to the waveguide and configured to direct the light having the first property and being devoid of the second property into the waveguide.

5. The luminaire of claim 4, wherein the extraction material is adjacent to the first side of the waveguide and the light propagating in the second direction and transmitted by the selected portions of the interface is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

6. The luminaire of claim 4, wherein the extraction material is adjacent to the second side of the waveguide and the light propagating in the second direction and transmitted by the selected portions of the interface is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

7. A luminaire comprising:

a support substrate;

a light source coupled to the support substrate;

a waveguide having first and second opposing ends and first and second opposing sides between the first and second opposing ends;

an extraction material adjacent to one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide and forming an interface between the waveguide and the extraction material, the waveguide and the extraction material being configured such that when light having a first property and being devoid of a second property enters the first end of the waveguide and propagates through the waveguide on a first pass in a first direction, substantially all of the light is internally reflected by selected portions of the interface;

a reflective body adjacent to the second end of the waveguide and configured to reflect and modify the light propagating through the waveguide in the first direction such that the light propagates through the waveguide on a second pass in a second direction with the second property, the waveguide and the extraction material being further configured such that at least a portion of the light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface and is directed through at least one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide;

a collimator assembly coupled to the support substrate positioned to receive light emitted by the light source and configured to collimate the light as the light propagates therethrough, the waveguide being positioned over the collimator assembly; and

at least one optical component coupled to the support substrate and adjacent to a side of the collimator assembly opposite the light source and the first end of the waveguide, the at least one optical component being configured to direct the light propagating through the collimator assembly in substantially in a third direction away from the support substrate and redirect the light in the first direction over the collimator assembly and the light source.

8. The luminaire of claim 7, wherein the first and second properties are an angle of incidence with the interface.

9. The luminaire of claim 8, wherein the extraction material is adjacent to the first side of the waveguide and light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface and is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

10. The luminaire of claim 8, wherein the extraction material is adjacent to the second side of the waveguide and light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface and is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

11. The luminaire of claim 9, wherein the extraction material comprises a plurality of extraction features formed therein and the light that is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface is reflected by the plurality of extraction features in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second directions.

12. The luminaire of claim 7, wherein the extraction material comprises an extraction layer and an adhesive layer, the adhesive layer interconnecting the extraction layer and the waveguide and the interface being formed between the adhesive layer and the waveguide and wherein the adhesive layer comprises adhesive material portions and air gap portions, a ratio of an area of the adhesive material portions to an area of the air gap portions increasing as a function of distance from the optical modifier.

13. The luminaire of claim 7, wherein the reflective body comprises a reflective surface having first and second sets of alternating raised and recessed formations thereon extending in respective first and second substantially perpendicular directions.

14. The luminaire of claim 7, wherein the first and second properties are an angle of incidence with the interface.

15. A luminaire comprising:

a waveguide having first and second opposing ends and first and second opposing sides between the first and second ends;

an extraction layer on one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide;

an adhesive layer between the waveguide and the extraction layer having a first end adjacent to the first end of the waveguide and a second end adjacent to the second end of the waveguide and forming an interface between the waveguide and the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer comprising adhesive material portions and air gap portions, a ratio of an area of the adhesive material portions to an area of the air gap portions increasing as a function of distance from one of the first and second ends thereof, the waveguide and the adhesive layer being configured such that when light propagates through the waveguide in a first direction, the light is totally internally reflected by the interface; and

a reflective body adjacent to at least one of the first and second ends of the waveguide and configured to reflect the light propagating through the waveguide in the first direction such that the light propagates through the waveguide in a second direction, the waveguide, the adhesive layer, and the extraction layer being further configured such that the light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction is transmitted by the interface and is directed through at least one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide.

16. The luminaire of claim 15, wherein the reflective body is further configured to modify the light such that the light propagating in the first direction has a first property and the light propagating in the second direction has a second property, the first and second properties being at least one of a polarization state, frequency, and an angle of incidence with the interface.

17. The luminaire of claim 16, wherein the extraction layer and the adhesive layer are on the first side of the waveguide and the light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the interface and is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

18. The luminaire of claim 17, wherein the extraction layer and the adhesive layer are on the second side of the waveguide and the light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the interface and is directed through the second side of the waveguide.

19. The luminaire of claim 18, wherein the extraction layer comprises a plurality of extraction features formed therein and the light that is transmitted by the interface is reflected by the plurality of extraction features in a third direction substantially perpendicular to the first and second directions.

20. A luminaire comprising:

a waveguide having first and second opposing ends and first and second opposing sides between the first and second opposing ends;

an extraction material adjacent to one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide and forming an interface between the waveguide and the extraction material, the waveguide and the extraction material being configured such that when light having a first property and being devoid of a second property enters the first end of the waveguide and propagates through the waveguide on a first pass in a first direction, substantially all of the light is internally reflected by selected portions of the interface; and

a reflective body adjacent to the second end of the waveguide and configured to reflect and modify the light propagating through the waveguide in the first direction such that the light propagates through the waveguide on a second pass in a second direction with the second property, the waveguide and the extraction material being further configured such that at least a portion of the light propagating through the waveguide in the second direction with the second property is transmitted by the selected portions of the interface and is directed through at least one of the first and second opposing sides of the waveguide,

wherein the reflective body comprises a reflective surface having first and second sets of alternating raised and recessed formations thereon extending in respective first and second substantially perpendicular directions.