Optical element

• US 9,234,644 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zumtobel Lighting GmbH (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Zumtobel Lighting GmbH (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Inventors: Ebner, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Neils, Peggy
• Application Number:
  US14/131,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20140168972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 362/308, 362/310, 362/311.02, 362/329
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/1601 the injected materials not being adhered or bonded to each other B29C45/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0003 of successively moulded portions rigidly joined to each other
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/16 Making multilayered or multicoloured articles B29C45/0062 takes precedence; feeding colouring materials into the injection unit B29C45/1816
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0048 Moulds for lenses moulds for plastic articles in general B29C33/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/60 Optical arrangements integrated in the light source, e.g. for improving the colour rendering index or the light extraction
• 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 5/048 the lens being a simple lens adapted to cooperate with a point-like source for emitting mainly in one direction and having an axis coincident with the main light transmission direction, e.g. convergent or divergent lenses, plano-concave or plano-convex lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0066 specially adapted to cooperate with point like light sources; specially adapted to cooperate with light sources the shape of which is unspecified F21V7/16 - F21V7/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0066 in the form of an LED array
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0955 Lenses lenses per se G02B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements

Abstract

An optical element for influencing the light emission of a substantially punctiform light source, in particular an LED. The optical element has a truncated pyramid- or cone-like basic shape with an approximately rectangular base that forms a light-emitting surface, and the optical element also has a cover surface which faces the light source and which forms a light inlet surface. Lateral face regions of the optical element, the regions extending from the cover surface in the direction of the corners of the base, are formed by flat or rotationally symmetrical surface regions.

Claims

1. An optical element for influencing the light emission of a substantially punctiform light source, in particular an LED, the element comprising:

a hollow body having a central axis, a truncated-pyramid-like or truncated-cone-like basic shape outer wall, an approximately rectangular base surface forming a light emission surface, and having a top surface with a central area sized to receive a light source and form a light entrance surface,

wherein, the outer wall further comprising four side regions extending from the rectangular base surface inwardly toward the top surface, and four corner surfaces alternatively interposed between the four side regions, each extending between a corner of the rectangular base surface to the top surface, forming a planar or rotationally symmetrically segment of the outer wall thereby eliminating sharp internal corners extending from the corners of the rectangular base surface and the top surface, providing an interior surface which continuously expands without graduations between the top surface to the rectangular base surface.

2. The optical element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the four corner surfaces of the optical element are formed by generally planar surface regions.

3. The optical element as claimed in claim 1, wherein regions of the outer wall of the optical element are structured, in particular provided with facets or spherical caps.

4. The optical element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top surface of the optical element is rotationally symmetrical.

5. The optical element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top surface of the optical element is embodied in a polygonal fashion.

6. The optical element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top surface of the optical element has a cutout opening formed therein.

7. The optical element as claimed in claim 6, wherein the four side regions each have a cutout opening of a parabola shape formed therein.

8. The optical element as claimed in claim 6, wherein a bottom surface of the cutout is curved.

9. The optical element as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cutout is formed within an indentation.

10. The optical element as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base surface of the optical element is square.

11. A light influencing element for influencing the light of a plurality of punctiform light sources, in particular LEDs, wherein the light influencing element consists of a plurality of integrally interconnected optical elements as claimed in claim 1.

12. The optical element as claimed in claim 6, wherein the four side regions each join pair of corner surfaces to form a parabola shaped intersection.

13. The optical element as claimed in claim 6, wherein the central area sized to receive the light source forms an indentation.