LENS ASSEMBLY

• US 20080259630A1
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varroc Lighting Systems S.R.O. (Varroc Engineering Limited)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Chinniah, Jeyachandrabose, Fallahi, Amir P., Sayers, Edwin M., Gattis, Christopher W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,554,742 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/551
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/241 of complex shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/243 emitting light from one or more of its extremities
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/247 with a single light source being coupled into the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/315 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/40 characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• 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 19/0061 the light source comprising a LED semiconductor devices with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier specially adapted for light emission H01L33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0071 adapted to illuminate a complete hemisphere or a plane extending 360 degrees around the source
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer

Abstract

A lens assembly for use with a light source and including an inner lens and a light directing portion. The inner lens collects light rays from the light source through a light-collecting face and emits at least a portion of the light rays radially through a series of collimators. The light directing portion may be an outer lens having light-collecting faces and light-distributing faces. The light-collecting faces correspond with the collimators and distribute the light rays through light-distributing faces. The light direction portion may alternatively be an outer reflector. The reflector has a plurality of light-reflecting surfaces, corresponding to the collimators, and configured to reflect the light rays emitted from the collimators.

Claims

1. A light distribution assembly for use with a light source, the assembly comprising:

an inner lens having an inner light-collecting face and a radial inner light-emitting face, the radial inner light-emitting face including a plurality of collimators, the inner lens being configured to collect light rays from the light source through the light-collecting face and emit at least a portion of the light rays radially through the collimators; and

an outer light directing portion having a plurality of light-distributing faces, the light-distributing faces corresponding to the collimators and being configured to distribute the light rays emitted from the collimators.

2. A lens assembly for use with a light source, the lens assembly comprising:

an inner lens having an inner light-collecting face and a radial inner light-emitting face, the radial inner light-emitting face including a plurality of collimators, the inner lens being configured to collect light rays from the light source through its light-collecting face and emit at least a portion of the light rays radially through the collimators; and

an outer lens having a plurality of outer light-collecting faces and a plurality of outer light-distributing faces, the light-collecting faces corresponding to the collimators and being configured to collect the light rays emitted from the collimators, the outer lens being further configured to distribute the light rays collected by the outer light-collecting faces through the outer light-distributing faces.

3. The lens assembly of claim 2, wherein the outer light-collecting faces correspond in number to the collimators of the inner lens.

4. The lens assembly of claim 3, wherein the outer light collecting faces are aligned with the collimators.

5. The lens assembly of claim 2, wherein the collimators have convex radial surfaces.

6. The lens assembly of claim 2, wherein the inner lens includes an axial light emitting face and is further configured to emit at least a portion of the light rays axially through the axial light-emitting face.

7. The lens assembly of claim 2, wherein the inner light-collecting face defines a pocket formed within the inner lens, the pocket having an open end.

8. The lens assembly of claim 7, wherein the pocket is defined by an axial surface surrounded by a radial surface.

9. The lens assembly of claim 8, wherein the axial surface is generally concave.

10. The lens assembly of claim 8, wherein the radial surface extends from the axial surface toward the open end of the pocket, the radial surface being an inwardly convex surface of rotation.

11. The lens assembly of claim 8, wherein the radial surface extends from the axial surface toward the open end of the pocket, the radial surface being a tapered cylindrical surface.

12. The lens assembly of claim 2, wherein the outer lens comprises at least one light pipe having a plurality of light-reflecting faces being located along the length the light pipe.

22. The lens assembly of claim 11, wherein the inner lens is a body of revolution symmetrical about an axis of revolution, and wherein the inner lens has an outer curvature that curves inward from a normal plane toward the axis of revolution, the normal plane being coplanar with the open side of the pocket and perpendicular to the axis of revolution, the outer curvature being configured to direct light rays incident thereon in a direction parallel to the normal plane.

13. A light distribution assembly for use with a light source, the light distribution assembly comprising:

a lens having a light-collecting face and a radial light-emitting face, the radial light-emitting face including a plurality of collimators, the lens being configured to collect light rays from the light source through light-collecting face and emit at least a portion of the light rays radially through the collimators; and

a reflector having a plurality of light-reflecting faces corresponding to the collimators, the light-reflecting faces configured to reflect the light rays emitted from the collimators.

14. The light distribution assembly of claim 13, wherein each of the light-reflecting faces of the reflector is aligned with one of the collimators.

15. The light distribution assembly of claim 13, wherein the collimators have convex radial surfaces.

16. The light distribution assembly of claim 13, wherein the lens further includes an axial light-emitting face to emit at least a portion of the light rays axially.

17. The light distribution assembly of claim 13, wherein the light-collecting face defines a pocket formed within the lens, the pocket having an open end.

18. The light distribution assembly of claim 17, wherein the pocket is defined by an axial surface surrounded by a radial surface.

19. The light distribution assembly of claim 18, wherein the axial surface is generally concave.

20. The light distribution assembly of claim 18, wherein the radial surface extends from the axial surface toward the open end of the pocket and defines a straight surface of rotation increasing in division adjacent to the open end.

21. The light distribution assembly of claim 18 wherein the radial surface is a convex surface of rotation.