Light-emitting devices with reflective elements

• US 9,915,410 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
• Original Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
• Inventors: York, Allan Brent, Haitz, Roland H., Lerman, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Raleigh, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quarterman, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/427,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20150241029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/62 using mixing chambers, e.g. housings with reflective walls
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0033 with successive reflections from one reflector to the next or following
• 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: F21V 7/041 with conical or pyramidal surface
• 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 19/0028 refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0066 in the form of an LED array

Abstract

A variety of light-emitting devices are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by a light-emitting element (LEE). In general, embodiments of the light-emitting devices feature two or more light-emitting elements, a scattering element that is spaced apart from the light-emitting elements, an extractor element coupled to the scattering element, and a reflective element that is configured and arranged to reflect light emitted from the light-emitting elements.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device, comprising:

a base substrate;

two or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) disposed on the base substrate;

a first optical element having a first surface spaced apart from the LEEs and positioned to receive light from at least one of the LEEs, the first optical element having a refractive index n₁and configured to scatter light from the LEEs;

a second optical element having an exit surface, the second optical element being transparent and having a refractive index n₂ that is equal to or larger than n₁, the second optical element being optically coupled with the first optical element and arranged to receive at least a portion of light through the first optical element; and

a reflective element having a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface, the reflective element disposed between a first set of LEEs including one or more first LEEs of the two or more LEEs and a second set of LEEs including one or more second LEEs of the two or more LEEs, such that the first reflective surface reflects light from the one or more first LEEs and the second reflective surface reflects light from the one or more second LEEs to create a first light distribution and a second light distribution that

(i) radiate in different directions to provide for angularly differentiated far field light distributions within an illuminated environment, and

(ii) superimpose to provide a melded intensity distribution, wherein a first side of the melded intensity distribution, which includes only light from the one or more first LEEs, is differentiated from a second side of the melded intensity distribution, which includes only light from the one or more second LEEs, by a smooth transition region.

2. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the second reflective surface opposes the first reflective surface.

3. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the reflective element extends from the base substrate toward the first optical element.

4. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the reflective element extends between the base substrate and the first optical element.

5. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the reflective element extends into the second optical element.

6. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the reflective element extends through the exit surface.

7. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the reflective element extends from the first optical element toward the base substrate.

8. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first and second reflective surfaces are arranged perpendicular to the base substrate.

9. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first and second reflective surfaces are planar.

10. The light-emitting device of claim 9, further comprising two additional reflective elements and the two or more LEEs comprise at least three LEEs, the reflective element and the two additional reflective elements separating the one or more first LEEs, the one or more second LEEs different from the first LEEs, and one or more third LEEs different from the first and second LEEs.

11. The light-emitting device of claim 9, further comprising three or more additional reflective elements and the two or more LEEs comprise at least four LEEs, the reflective element and the three or more additional reflective elements separating respective LEEs of the at least four LEEs.

12. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein power to the one or more first LEEs and the one or more second LEEs is controlled independently.

13. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein power to each LEE of the two or more LEEs is controlled separately.

14. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first optical element is configured to isotropically scatter light passing therethrough.

15. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first optical element comprises inelastic scattering centers.

16. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first optical element comprises elastic scattering centers.

17. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the one or more first LEEs are configured to provide light having a first spectral power distribution into the first side of the melded intensity distribution, and the one or more second LEEs are configured to provide light having a second spectral power distribution different from the first spectral power distribution into the second side of the melded intensity distribution, such that the first spectral power distribution and the second spectral power distribution superimpose in the smooth transition region of the melded intensity distribution.

18. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the first LEEs have different spectral power distributions and the at least two of the first LEEs are independently controlled.

19. The light-emitting device of claim 18, wherein at least two of the second LEEs have different spectral power distributions and the at least two of the second LEEs are independently controlled.

20. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first optical element is shaped such that at least some light scattered from the first optical element via the first surface propagates directly back to another location of the first surface.

21. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the base substrate has a reflective base surface facing the first optical element.

22. The light-emitting device of claim 21, wherein the base surface is planar.

23. The light-emitting device of claim 21, wherein the base surface comprises specular reflective portions.

24. The light-emitting device of claim 21, wherein the base surface comprises diffuse reflective portions.

25. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the first optical element has a substantially uniform thickness.

26. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the exit surface is shaped such that an angle of incidence on the exit surface of the light provided by the first optical element that directly impinges on the exit surface is less than a critical angle for total internal reflection.

27. The light-emitting device of claim 26, wherein the exit surface is shaped such that an angle of incidence on the exit surface of light that directly impinges on the exit surface is less than the Brewster angle.

28. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein an axis of symmetry of the first optical element and an axis of symmetry of the second optical element are collinear.

29. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein the exit surface has a spherical shape.

30. The light-emitting device of claim 1, wherein a medium adjacent to the first surface is a gas.