×

Planar remote phosphor illumination apparatus

  • US 9,857,519 B2
  • Filed: 06/28/2013
  • Issued: 01/02/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. An illumination apparatus comprising:

  • a substantially planar waveguide having (i) top and bottom opposed surfaces, (ii) a first input region for receiving light, and (iii) spatially separated from the first input region, a first output region for emitting light, wherein (i) at least a portion of the waveguide confines light by total internal reflection from an interface between a surface of the waveguide and a surrounding ambient environment, and (ii) the waveguide has either (a) a single output surface consisting of a single unitary portion of the top surface of the waveguide without any reflectors disposed thereover, light being emitted from the top surface of the waveguide only through the output surface, or (b) a first output surface consisting of a single unitary portion of the top surface of the waveguide without any reflectors disposed thereover and a second output surface consisting of a single unitary portion of the bottom surface of the waveguide without any reflectors disposed thereunder, light being emitted from the top and bottom surfaces of the waveguide only through the first and second output surfaces;

    a first light source for emitting light into the first input region;

    disposed on a surface of the waveguide only in the first input region, a layer of phosphor material for converting a portion of light emitted from the first light source to a different wavelength;

    disposed on the layer of phosphor material in the first input region, a first reflector for reflecting converted and unconverted light back into the first input region, the reflected converted light combining with unconverted light from the first light source to form, within the first input region, mixed light that is substantially uniform in at least one of intensity or color; and

    an out-coupling structure, disposed only in the first output region, for disrupting total internal reflection of substantially uniform mixed light received from the first input region such that the substantially uniform mixed light is emitted from the first output region,wherein a surface of the waveguide inwardly protrudes in the first input region to form a protrusion.

View all claims
  • 9 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×