Optical waveguide and lamp including same

• US 9,366,396 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yuan, Zongjie, Ma, Jiayin, Wilcox, Kurt S., Tarsa, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Raleigh, Donald
• Application Number:
  US14/101,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20140211497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/233 specially adapted for generating a spot light distribution, e.g. for substitution of reflector lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/61 using light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/773 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it

Abstract

An optical waveguide includes a body of optically transmissive material defined by outer edges and having a width substantially greater than an overall thickness thereof. The body of optically transmissive material includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side. An interior coupling cavity is defined by a surface intersecting the second side and extends from the second side toward the first side. The interior coupling cavity is disposed remote from edges of the body and is configured to receive an LED element. The body of optically transmissive material further includes a first array of light mixing cavities surrounding the interior coupling cavity and an extraction feature disposed on one of the first and second sides. The light extraction feature at least partially surrounds the interior coupling cavity.

Claims

1. An optical waveguide, comprising:

a body of optically transmissive material defined by outer edges and comprising a width substantially greater than an overall thickness thereof and further comprising a first side, a second side opposite the first side, an interior coupling cavity defined by a surface intersecting the second side and extending from the second side toward the first side, wherein the interior coupling cavity is disposed remote from edges of the body and is configured to receive an LED element, the body of optically transmissive material further comprising a first array of light mixing cavities surrounding the interior coupling cavity and an extraction feature disposed on one of the first and second sides, wherein the light extraction feature at least partially surrounds the interior coupling cavity; and

wherein the optical waveguide further comprises a total internal reflectance optical member disposed in the interior coupling cavity.

2. The optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein first array of cavities comprises between 2 and 200 cavities.

3. The optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein each cavity of the first array of cavities comprises a diameter of between 0.3 mm and 6 mm and a shape that is one of circular cylindrical, elliptical, and star-shaped.

4. The optical waveguide of claim 2, wherein the cavities of the first array of cavities extend fully through the body of optically transmissive material.

5. The optical waveguide of claim 2, wherein the cavities of the first array of cavities are blind cavities such that the cavities do not extend through the body of optically transmissive material.

6. The optical waveguide of claim 2, wherein the cavities of the first array of cavities contain an optically transmissive second material selected from the group comprising air, acrylic, polycarbonate, molded silicone, a cyclic olefin copolymer, glass, and combinations thereof.

7. The optical waveguide of claim 1, further comprising a second array of cavities, wherein the cavities of the second array of cavities are offset from and surround the first array of cavities.

8. The optical waveguide of claim 7, wherein the second array of cavities comprises between 2 and 200 cavities.

9. The optical waveguide of claim 7, wherein each cavity of the second array of cavities comprises a diameter of between 0.4 mm and 10 mm and a shape that is one of circular-cylindrical, elliptical, and star-shaped.

10. The optical waveguide of claim 7, wherein the cavities of the second array of cavities comprise a different shape than the cavities of the first array of cavities.

11. The optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein the body of optically transmissive material is non-circular in shape.

12. The optical waveguide of claim 1, further comprising a third array of cavities,

wherein the cavities of the third array of cavities are offset from and surround the cavities of the second array of cavities,

wherein the third array of cavities comprises between 2 and 200 cavities, and wherein each cavity of the third array of cavities comprises a diameter of between 0.4 mm and 10 mm and a shape that is one of circular-cylindrical, elliptical, and star-shaped.

13. A luminaire, comprising:

a base comprising an electrical connector;

a central body disposed on the base;

a light assembly joined to the central body wherein the light assembly comprises a lightguide body comprising an interior coupling cavity, an LED element disposed in the coupling cavity, and a first array of cavities surrounding the coupling cavity;

wherein the lightguide body utilizes total internal reflection; and

a reflective surface disposed in the interior coupling cavity,

wherein the lightguide body is comprised of a material;

wherein the LED element directs light onto the reflective surface and the light is diverted transversely into the material of the lightguide body; and

wherein the light passes through a cavity of the first array of cavities at an angle that is different from an angle at which the light passes through the material of the lightguide body.

14. The luminaire of claim 13, wherein the LED module comprises a combination of blue-shifted yellow LEDs and red LEDs.

15. The luminaire of claim 13, further comprising a second array of cavities surrounding the first array of cavities,

wherein the light passes through a cavity of the second array of cavities an angle that is different from the angle at which the light passes through the material of the lightguide body.

16. The luminaire of claim 13, further comprising a second array of cavities surrounding the first array of cavities, wherein the first array of cavities comprises a first plurality of cavities of a first size and the second array of cavities contains a second plurality of cavities of a second size, wherein the second size is larger than the first size.

17. The luminaire of claim 13, wherein the coupling cavity is disposed in the center of the first array of cavities.

18. An optical waveguide, comprising:

a body of optically transmissive material comprising a width substantially greater than an overall thickness thereof and comprising a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and an interior coupling cavity extending between the first and second sides, wherein the interior coupling cavity is configured to receive an LED element, the body of optically transmissive material further comprising at least one array of color mixing cavities each extending at least partially through a waveguide body and the array of color mixing cavities surrounding the interior coupling cavity, and wherein the waveguide body utilizes total internal reflection, and wherein the body of optically transmissive material comprises light mixing features in the interior coupling cavity.

19. The optical waveguide of claim 18, wherein the body comprises a plurality of arrays of color mixing cavities extending at least partially through the waveguide and offset from the interior coupling cavity.

20. The optical waveguide of claim 18, wherein the color mixing cavities comprise different sizes.

21. The optical waveguide of claim 18, wherein the color mixing cavities comprise different shapes.

22. The optical waveguide of claim 18, wherein the color mixing cavities are disposed in a repeating pattern around the interior coupling cavity.

23. The optical waveguide of claim 18, wherein the color mixing cavities are disposed randomly around the interior coupling cavity.