Illumination system

• US 8,262,252 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bergman, Anthonie Hendrik, Cortenraad, Hubertus Maria Rene, De Zwart, Siebe Tjerk, Vissenberg, Michel Cornelis Josephus Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Diane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gramling, Sean
• Application Number:
  US11/995,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20100061090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,255 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 362/237
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/007 using rotating transparent or colored disks, e.g. gobo wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/06 by movement of refractors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/635
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/007 Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/045 the lens having discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/406 for theatres, stages or film studios
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0961 Lens arrays lens arrays per se G02B3/0006
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/30 Collimators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/08 with discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lens diffractive Fresnel lenses G02B5/1876

Abstract

The illumination system has an array of light sources (1, 1′, . . . ) such as an array of light emitting diodes arranged in a pre-determined manner in a first plane (11), wherein d_source is a characteristic dimension of the spatial arrangement of the light sources in the first plane. An array of associated lenses (2, 2′, . . . ) is arranged in substantially the same pre-determined manner in a second plane (12). Each lens has substantially the same focal distance f_lens. The array of lenses is provided at a plane distance d_plane from the array of light sources. The plane distance d_plane is substantially equal to the focal distance f_lens of the lenses. The illumination system has displacement means for displacing the array of lenses with respect to the array of light sources so as to obtain a plurality of directional light beams projecting spots on a projection plane arranged at a projection distance d_projection from the illumination system, wherein d_projection≧10×d_source and d_projection≧10×d_plane.

Claims

1. An illumination system comprising:

an array of light sources arranged in a pre-determined manner in a first plane wherein d_source is a characteristic dimension of the spatial arrangement of the light sources in the first plane representing the distance between adjacent light sources,

an array of associated lenses arranged in substantially the same pre-determined manner in a second plane, each lens having substantially the same focal distance f_lens and having a distance between a centerpoint of each of said associated lenses of d_lens, said array of light sources and said array of lenses rotatably mounted relative to each other;

the second plane being arranged substantially parallel to the first plane,

the array of lenses being provided at a plane distance d_plane from the array of light sources, the plane distance d_plane being substantially equal to the focal distance f_lens of the lenses,

said rotatable mounting of said plurality of lenses and said plurality of light sources relative to each other sufficient for displacing the array of lenses with respect to the array of light sources parallel to the first plane so as to obtain a plurality of directional light beams projecting spots on a projection plane arranged at a projection distance d_projection from the illumination system, wherein d_projection≧

10×

d_source and d_projection≧

10×

d_plane, wherein d_lens<

d_source, wherein d_lens is a characteristic dimension of the spatial arrangement of the lenses;

wherein said dimension d_lens<

d_source, causes said plurality of directed light beams to overlap to form a single spot when said array of lenses are in a first rotational position relative to said array of light sources;

a rotatable mount positioning said array of lenses and said array of light sources in a second rotational position repositioning said single spot without tilting said illumination system and maintaining substantially the same distance of said d_plane;

said rotatable mount positioning said array of lenses and said array of light sources in a third rotational position creating a broadened spot relative to said single spot wherein said plurality of directional beams overlap.

2. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the characteristic dimension of the spatial arrangement of the light sources in the first plane and the characteristic dimension of the spatial arrangement of the lenses in the second plane meets the relation:

3. The illumination system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the light sources and the lenses are arranged in a hexagonal structure.

4. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotatable mount of said array of lenses relative to said array of light sources is constructed for translational displacement of the array of lenses so as to obtain a joint translational displacement of the spots.

5. The illumination system as claimed in claim 4, wherein

the translational displacement comprises a position in which a lens optical axis of at least one of the lenses coincides with a source optical axis of at least one of the light sources so as to obtain substantially coinciding spots on the projection plane,

the translational displacement of the array of lenses causing a corresponding displacement of the coinciding spots, and

the lens optical axis and the source optical axis being perpendicular to the second and the first plane, respectively.

6. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotatable mount is constructed for rotational displacement of the array of lenses so as to obtain a rotational displacement of the spots, the angles of the light beams with respect to an axis perpendicular to the second plane changing upon rotation.

7. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the array of lenses comprises an array of Fresnel lenses.

8. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the array of light sources comprises an array of light-emitting diodes.

9. The illumination system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the array of light-emitting diodes comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes of different primary colors.

10. The illumination system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the array of light sources comprises an array of light-outcoupling structures arranged in a light guide, the light guide being provided with at least one primary source of light.

11. An illumination system comprising:

a plurality of light sources arranged in a first plane and a plurality of associated lenses arranged in a second plane, said first plane and said second plane substantially parallel, said plurality of light sources rotatably mounted relative to said plurality of lenses while maintaining substantially the same distance between said light sources and said lenses;

wherein said plurality of light sources are in a spatial arrangement d_source in said first plane representing the distance between adjacent light sources,

the plurality of lenses being positioned on said plane a distance d_plane from said plurality of light sources,

wherein said plane distance d_plane substantially equal to a focal distance f_lens of said plurality of lenses and wherein d_lens is a dimension of the spatial separation arrangement of said plurality of lenses and the centerpoint of each of said plurality of lenses;

said rotatable mounting of said lenses and said light sources relative to each other sufficient for displacing the array of lenses with respect to the array of light sources parallel to the first plane so as to obtain a plurality of directional light beams projecting spots on a projection plane arranged at a projection distance d_projection from said second plane, wherein d_projection≧

10×

d_source and d_projection≧

10×

d_plane, wherein d_lens<

d_source,

wherein said d_lens<

d_source, causes said plurality of directed light beams to overlap to form a single spot when said array of lenses are in a first rotational position relative to said array of light sources;

said rotatable mount positioning said array of lenses and said array of light sources in a second rotational position repositioning said single spot without tilting said illumination system;

said rotatable mount positioning said array of lenses and said array of light sources in a third rotational position creating a broadened spot relative to said single spot wherein said plurality of directional beams overlap.