LED optical assembly

• US 8,246,212 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schaefer, Gary Eugene, Mihalcea, Hristea
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Makiya, David J
• Application Number:
  US12/363,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20100195333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 362/243, 362/245, 362/294, 362/237, 362/241, 362/247, 362/249.02
• US Class Current: 362/294
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/08 with a standard F21S6/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/164 the parts being subjected to bending, e.g. snap joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/02 of prismatic shape F21V5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0083 Array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more reflectors F21V7/0025
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/06 with parabolic curvature
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/09 with a combination of different curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An LED optical assembly is provided having a heatsink, a support surface having a plurality of light emitting diodes, a plurality of reflectors, and a plurality of optical lenses. The heatsink is in thermal connectivity with the support surface. Each reflector is positioned over a corresponding light emitting diode and at least one optical lens is placed over a corresponding reflector.

Claims

1. An LED luminaire comprising:

a heatsink;

a support surface in thermal connectivity with said heatsink, said support surface having a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted thereto, said light emitting diodes electrically connected to a power source, each of said light emitting diodes having a light output axis oriented outward and away from said support surface;

a plurality of reflectors mountable over said support surface, each of said reflectors positioned over one of said plurality of light emitting diodes and being a bi-focal reflector with a first reflector portion having a first curvature and a second reflector portion having a second curvature, said first curvature being a more gradual curvature than said second curvature, said first reflector portion having a first focal point and said second reflector portion having a second focal point, said first focal point being more proximal said support surface than said second focal point;

a plurality of optical lenses, each of said optical lenses positioned over one of said plurality of reflectors;

wherein at least a single optical lens of said plurality of optical lenses has at least one cutoff prism positioned over said first reflector portion of a single reflector of said reflectors and a single light emitting diode of said light emitting diodes, said cutoff prism extending in a direction outward and away from said support surface;

wherein said single optical lens has a non-prismatic outer face positioned over said second reflector portion of said single reflector, said non-prismatic outer face of said single optical lens facing outward and away from said support surface; and

wherein light output from said single light emitting diode that is incident on said cutoff prism is asymmetrically redirected out of said cutoff prism.

2. The LED luminaire of claim 1, wherein said plurality of reflectors are coupled to one another to form a unitary reflector bank.

3. The LED luminaire of claim 1, wherein a prismatic area is provided on at least a portion of a first surface of at least one of said plurality of optical lenses, each said first surface covering a light output opening of one of said plurality of reflectors.

4. The LED luminaire of claim 3, wherein said prismatic area of at least one of said plurality of optical lenses is an asymmetric prismatic area.

5. The LED luminaire of claim 4, wherein a refracting bar is provided on said first surface of at least one of said plurality of optical lenses, said refracting bar extending from proximal a first junction of one said first reflector portion and one said second reflector portion to proximal a second junction of one said first reflector portion and one said second reflector portion.

6. The LED luminaire of claim 5, wherein each of said plurality of optical lenses is removably coupled to one of said plurality of said reflectors.

7. The LED luminaire of claim 6, wherein at least one of said plurality of optical lenses has at least one cantilever latch extending therefrom.

8. The LED luminaire of claim 7, wherein at least one of said plurality of reflectors has at least one cantilever latch connection area, said at least one cantilever latch connection area removably receiving said at least one cantilever latch.

9. An LED luminaire having an LED optical assembly, the LED luminaire comprising:

a heatsink;

a support surface in thermal connectivity with said heatsink, said support surface having a plurality of light emitting diodes electrically connected to a power source;

a plurality of reflectors affixed to said support surface, each of said reflectors positioned over one of said light emitting diodes;

a plurality of optical lenses, each of said optical lenses removably affixed to one of said plurality of reflectors and having a first surface and a second surface, each said first surface covering a light output opening of one of said plurality of reflectors and generally facing one of said plurality of reflectors, each said second surface generally facing away from one of said plurality of reflectors;

wherein at least one cutoff prism extends from a portion of said second surface of at least one of said plurality of optical lenses in a direction away from said support surface, said cutoff prism asymmetrically redirecting light output entering said cutoff prism from one of said plurality of light emitting diodes;

wherein each of said plurality of reflectors has a first reflector portion having a first focal point and a second reflector portion having a second focal point, said first focal point being positioned closer to said support surface than said second focal point;

wherein each said cutoff prism is positioned over at least a portion of said first reflector portion of one of said plurality of reflectors and at least a portion of one of said light emitting diodes.

10. The LED luminaire of claim 9, wherein a prismatic area with a plurality of prisms is provided on at least a portion of said first surface of at least one of said plurality of optical lenses.

11. The LED luminaire of claim 10, wherein at least one said prismatic area is an asymmetric prismatic area.

12. The LED luminaire of claim 11, wherein at least one said prismatic area is a wide distribution prismatic area.

13. The LED luminaire of claim 9, wherein each said prismatic area is positioned over at least a portion of one said second reflector portion of one of said plurality of reflectors and at least a portion of one of said light emitting diodes.

14. The LED optical assembly of claim 9, wherein each said first reflector portion extends approximately one hundred and eighty degrees about one of said light emitting diodes.

15. The LED optical assembly of claim 14, wherein each said second reflector portion extends approximately one hundred and eighty degrees about one of said light emitting diodes.

16. The LED optical assembly of claim 12, wherein said second surface of at least one of said optical lenses has a plurality of cutoff prisms.

17. The LED optical assembly of claim 9, wherein each said cutoff prism has at least one cutoff surface positioned and contoured to refract some light rays emanating from one said light emitting diode and internally reflect other light rays emanating from one said light emitting diode.

18. An LED luminaire for illuminating an illumination plane comprising:

a heatsink;

a support surface in thermal connectivity with said heatsink, said support surface having a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted thereon and electrically connected to a power source, each of said plurality of light emitting diodes having a light output axis;

a plurality of reflectors forming a reflector bank, said reflector bank mountable on said support surface such that each of said plurality of reflectors is aligned over a single of said plurality of light emitting diodes, each of said plurality of reflectors being a bi-focal reflector with a first reflector portion having a first curvature and a second reflector portion having a second curvature, said first curvature being a more gradual curvature than said second curvature, said first reflector portion having a first focal point and said second reflector portion having a second focal point, said first focal point being more proximal said support surface than said second focal point;

a plurality of optical lenses forming an optical lens bank, said optical lens bank affixed to said reflector bank such that at least one of said plurality of optical lenses is mounted over at least one of said plurality of reflectors, at least one of said plurality of optical lenses having a cutoff prism extending from a portion thereof, each said cutoff prism extending in a direction outward and away from said support surface;

wherein said support surface is placed at an angle with respect to the illumination plane, said angle being between sixty and ninety degrees;

wherein light output from a single light emitting diode that is incident on said at least one of said optical lenses above said second reflector portion of said at least one of said reflectors is directed divergently away from said light output axis of said single light emitting diode away from said cutoff prism in a first general direction;

wherein light output from said single light emitting diode that enters said cutoff prism is asymmetrically redirected out of said cutoff prism in said first general direction

wherein each said cutoff prism is positioned over at least a portion of said first reflector portion of one of said plurality of reflectors and at least a portion of one of said light emitting diodes.