LED lensing arrangement

• US 9,920,901 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilcox, Kurt, Raleigh, Craig, Castillo, Mario Alberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahll, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US14/638,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20150241021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An LED lensing arrangement for lighting fixtures includes (1) a rigid light-transmissive outer structure having an outwardly-facing light-exit surface and an outer-structure light-input surface, (2) an optically-clear molded polymeric inner structure having a light-entrance surface and a light-output surface which is adhered to the outer-structure light-input surface, the inner structure being of a material which is pourable upon molding, one example being a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) material, and (3) at least one LED light source secured with respect to and optically coupled to the inner-structure light-entrance surface.

Claims

1. An LED lensing arrangement for lighting fixtures comprising:

a rigid light-transmissive outer structure having a light-exit surface and an elongate outer-structure light-input surface;

an elastomeric optically-clear inner structure having a light-entrance surface defining an inner cavity with a light-receiving opening, a pair of outward lateral surfaces configured for receiving and redirecting lateral light from the inner cavity toward an elongate light-output surface which is adhered to the elongate outer-structure light-input surface; and

at least one LED light source optically coupled with respect to and spaced from the light-entrance surface of the elastomeric inner structure.

2. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 1 having a plurality of LED light sources.

3. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the outer-structure light-input surface and the light-exit surface are in non-parallel planes.

4. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 3 wherein the outer-structure light-input surface and the light-exit surface are in substantially perpendicular planes.

5. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 4 wherein the outer structure is a sheet-like member having two principal surfaces and the outer-structure light-input surface, one of the two principal surfaces being the light-exit surface and the other being a light-extraction surface configured to reflect light from the at least one LED light source toward the light-exit surface.

6. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 5 having a plurality of LED light sources along the light-entrance surface.

7. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 6 wherein the plurality of LED light sources are arranged substantially along a single line.

8. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 5 wherein the light-extraction surface includes a plurality of angled surfaces.

9. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 5 wherein the two principal surfaces are angled to one another such that the outer structure has a wedge-like cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the light-exit and light-input surfaces of the outer structure.

10. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the outer-structure light-input surface and the inner-structure light-output surface are planar.

11. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the inner-structure light-output surface is substantially coextensive with the outer-structure light-input surface.

12. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the inner structure is adhered to a glass sheet which forms the rigid outer structure.

13. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the inner structure is a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) member.

14. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 13 wherein the LSR is an optical-grade LSR pourable upon molding.

15. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 13 wherein the LSR member has a Shore A durometer hardness of less than about 70.

16. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the outer structure is a sheet-like member having two principal surfaces and the outer-structure light-input surface, one of the two principal surfaces being the light-exit surface and the other being a light-extraction surface configured to reflect light from the at least one LED light source toward the outwardly-facing light-exit surface.

17. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 16 wherein the light-extraction surface includes a plurality of angled surfaces.

18. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 16 wherein the two principal surfaces are angled to one another such that the outer structure has a wedge-like cross-section in a plane perpendicular to the exit and input surfaces of the outer structure.

19. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the inner structure further comprises a surface with molded light-extraction characteristics configured to direct light from the light-entrance surface toward the light-output surface, the light-entrance surface being along a light-entrance edge configured to receive light from the at least one LED light source.

20. An LED lensing arrangement for lighting fixtures comprising:

a rigid light-transmissive outer structure having a light-exit surface and an outer-structure light-input surface substantially coextensive with the light-exit surface;

an elastomeric optically-clear inner structure having a light-entrance surface and a light-output surface which is adhered to the outer-structure light-input surface; and

at least one LED light source optically coupled with respect to the light-entrance surface of the elastomeric inner structure.

21. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 20 having a plurality of LED light sources.

22. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 20 wherein the light-entrance surface of the inner structure and the light-exit surface of the outer structure are in non-parallel planes.

23. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 22 wherein the outer-structure light-input and light-exit surfaces are in substantially parallel planes.

24. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 23 wherein the outer-structure light-input surface and the inner-structure light-output surface are planar.

25. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 23 wherein the inner-surface light-output surface is substantially coextensive with the outer-structure light-input surface.

26. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 22 having a plurality of LED light sources along the inner-structure light-entrance surface.

27. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 26 wherein the plurality of LED light sources are arranged substantially along a single line.

28. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 20 wherein the outer-structure light-exit surface is substantially planar.

29. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 20 wherein:

the outer structure is a sheet-like member having two principal surfaces, one of the two principal surfaces being the light-exit surface and the other being the outer-structure light-input surface; and

the inner-structure light-output surface engages at least a portion of the outer-structure light-input surface.

30. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 29 wherein the inner-structure light-output surface engages a major portion of the outer-structure light-input surface.

31. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 29 wherein the inner structure further comprises a surface with molded light-extraction characteristics configured to direct light from the light-entrance surface toward the light-output surface, the light-entrance surface being along a light-entrance edge configured to receive light from the at least one LED light source.

32. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 31 wherein the outer structure is a glass sheet.

33. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 32 wherein the inner structure is a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) member.

34. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 33 wherein the LSR is an optical-grade LSR pourable upon molding.

35. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 33 wherein the LSR member has a Shore A durometer hardness of less than about 70.

36. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 20 wherein the outer-structure light-input surface is substantially planar.

37. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 36 wherein the outer structure is a substantially planar glass sheet.

38. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 20 wherein the inner structure is adhered to a glass sheet forming the rigid outer structure.

39. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 20 wherein the inner structure is of a liquid silicone rubber (LSR) having a viscosity less than about 10,000 centipoise upon molding.

40. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 39 wherein the LSR has a viscosity less than about 5,000 centipoise upon molding.

41. The LED lensing arrangement of claim 40 wherein the LSR member has a Shore A durometer hardness of less than about 70.