Lighting unit having a plurality of curved surface elements

• US 20060050530A1
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ODELO GmbH (Bayraktarlar Holding AS)
• Original Assignee: Schefenacker Vision Systems Germany GmbH
• Inventors: Erber, Andreas, Kunze, Jochen, Luce, Thomas, Stefanov, Emil
• Granted Patent: US 7,441,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/602
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/30 characterised by reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/54 having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting unit having at least one light source and at least one light guide following the source and at least partially surrounding it, said light guide including at least one light exit surface facing away from the source and at least approximately located centrally, surrounded by at least one externally located light exit surface. In addition, at least one externally located light exit surface comprises a plurality of surface elements adjacent to each other with or without offset. These surface elements are surface regions of curved solids. With the present invention, a compact lighting unit is developed that makes possible a uniformly high yield in a preassigned target region.

Claims

1. Lighting unit comprising:

at least one light source;

at least one light guide following and at least regionally surrounding the source,

said light guide including at least one light exit surface facing away from the source and centrally located at least approximately, surrounded by at least one externally located light exit surface, wherein said at least one externally located light exit surface comprises a plurality of surface elements adjoining each other with or without offset, and said surface elements are surface regions of curved solids.

2. Lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a lighting diode.

3. Lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the single curved solid is an ellipsoid.

4. Lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the surface elements are Cartesianally arranged.

5. Lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein all surface elements are like surface regions of the identical curved solid.

6. Lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein a central light exit surface includes an optical lens.

7. Lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the central light exit surface comprises a plurality of surface elements adjacent to each other, which are surface regions of curved solids.

8. Lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guide includes an envelope which is rotationally symmetrical with respect to the optical axis and a diameter of a central light-emitting surface of said light guide is 40 percent of the diameter of the light guide.

9. Lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guide includes a truncated paraboloid.

17. Lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein the light guide includes a truncated paraboloid.

10. Lighting unit comprising:

at least one light source;

at least one light guide following and at least regionally surrounding the source,

said light guide including at least one light exit surface facing away from the source and centrally located at least approximately, surrounded by at least one externally located light exit surface, wherein

said at least one externally located light exit surface comprises a plurality of surface elements adjoining each other with or without offset, and

said surface elements are surface regions of curved solids;

said light guide including an envelope which is rotationally symmetrical with respect to an optical axis and wherein a diameter of a central light emitting surface is about 40% of the diameter of the light grid.

11. Lighting unit according to claim 10, wherein the light source is a lighting diode.

12. Lighting unit according to claim 10, wherein the single curved solid is an ellipsoid.

13. Lighting unit according to claim 10, wherein the surface elements are Cartesianally arranged.

14. Lighting unit according to claim 10, wherein all surface elements are like surface regions of the identical curved solid.

15. Lighting unit according to claim 10, wherein a central light exit surface includes an optical lens.

16. Lighting unit according to claim 10, wherein the central light exit surface comprises a plurality of surface elements adjacent to each other, which are surface regions of curved solids.