Optical waveguides

• US 9,519,095 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• 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: Wilcox, Kurt S., Durkee, John W., Raleigh, Craig D., Chobot, Joseph P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Connelly, Michelle R
• Application Number:
  US13/842,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20140212090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/23 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with a single fitting for each light source, e.g. for substitution of incandescent lamps with bayonet or threaded fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/61 using light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0041 provided in the bulk of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0058 varying in density, size, shape or depth along the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0088 of the light guide or other optical sheets in the package
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/009 of the light source in the package G02B6/0021 takes precedence

Abstract

An optical waveguide includes a coupling optic and a waveguide body. According to one embodiment, the body includes a first curved surface that extends between an input surface and an end surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The input surface has a first thickness disposed between the first and second surfaces and the end surface has a second thickness disposed between the first and second surfaces less than the first thickness.

Claims

1. An optical waveguide body, comprising:

a first surface that extends between an input surface and an end surface;

a second surface opposite the first surface wherein a body thickness is disposed between the first and second surfaces;

wherein the body thickness at the input surface is greater than the body thickness at the end surface and the body thickness between the input surface and end surface decreases over a length of the body;

and at least one stepped feature defined by first and second oblique angles on one of the first and second surface;

wherein the first surface is curved along an entire first extent between the input surface and the end surface, and wherein the first surface is curved along an entire second extent between side surfaces wherein the first extent is orthogonal to the second extent.

2. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, wherein light is emitted through the first surface.

3. The optical waveguide body of claim 2, wherein light is internally reflected along the first and second surfaces.

4. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, wherein the first thickness is approximately 6 mm, the second thickness is approximately 2 mm, and the first surface comprises a radius of curvature of approximately 200 mm.

5. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, wherein the waveguide comprises a length between the input surface and the end surface and a width transverse to the length, wherein a distance between the first surface and the second surface decreases at least a portion along the width, and wherein the second surface is curved.

6. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, further comprising at least one extraction feature.

7. The optical waveguide body of claim 6, wherein the at least one extraction feature is located within the body.

8. The optical waveguide body of claim 6, wherein the at least one extraction feature is located on an outer surface of the body.

9. The optical waveguide body of claim 6, wherein the at least one extraction feature is an angled slot comprising parallel sides.

10. The optical waveguide body of claim 6, further comprising a reflective surface.

11. The optical waveguide body of claim 10, wherein the reflective surface is disposed adjacent to the at least one extraction feature.

12. The optical waveguide body of claim 6, wherein the extraction feature comprises a stepped feature.

13. The optical waveguide body of claim 12, wherein the stepped feature is formed on the first surface.

14. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, further comprising an array of extraction features on the first surface.

15. The optical waveguide body of claim 14, wherein the extraction features comprise sizes that vary across the first surface.

16. The optical waveguide body of claim 14, further comprising at least one reflective surface adjacent to at least one extraction feature.

17. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, in combination with a coupling optic.

18. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, further in combination with a light source.

19. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, further including unequally spaced extraction features disposed on the first surface.

20. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, further including unequally sized extraction features disposed on the first surface.

21. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, further including unequally shaped extraction features disposed on the first surface.

22. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, further including equally spaced extraction features disposed on the first surface.

23. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, further including equally sized extraction features disposed on the first surface.

24. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, further including equally shaped extraction features disposed on the first surface.

25. The optical waveguide body of claim 1, wherein the body is made of a material selected from the group comprising an acrylic material, a silicone, a polycarbonate, and a glass material.

26. An optical waveguide body, comprising:

a first surface that extends between an input surface and an end surface;

a second surface opposite the first surface;

wherein the input surface comprises a first thickness disposed between the first and second surfaces;

wherein the end surface comprises a second thickness disposed between the first and second surfaces less than the first thickness;

wherein at least one of the first and second surfaces comprises first and second pluralities of spaced surfaces wherein each surface of the first plurality of spaced surfaces is disposed between and comprises ends coincident with ends of successive surfaces of the second plurality of spaced surfaces and the first and second pluralities of spaced surfaces define an overall body thickness that does not increase at any point from the input surface to the end surface;

wherein the waveguide body develops a light distribution for general lighting;

wherein at least one of the surfaces of the first and second pluralities of spaced surfaces is disposed at an oblique angle with respect to an adjacent other surface of the first and second pluralities of spaced surfaces; and

wherein the first and the second pluralities of spaced surfaces are unequally spaced.

27. The optical waveguide body of claim 26, wherein at least one of the surfaces of the first and second pluralities is disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to an adjacent other surface of the first and second pluralities.

28. The optical waveguide body of claim 26, wherein at least one of the surfaces of the first and second pluralities is disposed at an acute angle with respect to an adjacent other surface of the first and second pluralities.

29. The optical waveguide body of claim 26, wherein an optical feature is disposed on at least one of the surfaces of the first and second pluralities.

30. The optical waveguide body of claim 29, wherein the optical feature is an extraction feature.

31. The optical waveguide body of claim 26, wherein the overall body thickness decreases between the input surface and the end surface.

32. The optical waveguide body of claim 31, wherein the overall body thickness decreases with at least one of the first and second pluralities of surfaces.

33. An optical waveguide body, comprising:

a first surface extending in a length dimension between an input surface and an end surface and the first surface extending in a width dimension orthogonal to the length dimension;

a second surface opposite the first surface;

wherein the input surface comprises a first thickness disposed between the first and second surfaces;

wherein the end surface comprises a second thickness disposed between the first and second surfaces less than the first thickness; and

wherein at least one stepped feature is located on one of the first and second surfaces and a plurality of discrete optical features is disposed on the at least one stepped feature and the discrete optical features are disposed in a sequence extending along the width dimension.

34. The optical waveguide body of claim 33, wherein the at least one stepped feature is defined by first and second obtuse angles on one of the first and second surfaces.

35. The optical waveguide body of claim 33, wherein the at least one stepped feature is defined by at least one acute angle on one of the first and second surfaces.

36. The optical waveguide body of claim 33, wherein the at least one stepped feature is defined by at least one obtuse angle on one of the first and second surfaces.

37. The optical waveguide body of claim 33, wherein each of the plurality of optical features is an extraction feature.

38. The optical waveguide body of claim 37, wherein each of the plurality of optical features is a curved protrusion.

39. The optical waveguide body of claim 38, wherein the plurality of optical features is continuously formed.