LIGHT OUTPUT DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20110075420A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Rijke, Arij Jonathan, Van Gorkom, Ramon Pascal, Jak, Martin Jacobus Johan
• Granted Patent: US 8,459,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/235
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/10 the elements being reflectors and screens
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The present invention relates to a light output device (10, 50, 70), comprising: a first light source (12a, 52a, 72a); a second light source (12b, 52b, 72b); and a partly transparent mirror (16, 56, 76). The device is characterized in that the partly transparent mirror, during operation, receives substantially all light emitted by the first and second light sources, and reflects part of the light emitted by the first light source and transmits part of the light emitted by the second light source, and vice versa, such that the light from the first light source is completely superimposed onto the light from the second light source following reflection/transmission at the partly transparent mirror. The present invention also relates to a light output method.

Claims

1. A light output device, comprising:

a first light source;

a second light source; and

a partly transparent mirror, and

collimating means for at least partly collimating the light of the first and second light sources, such that during operation substantially all the at least partly collimated light of the first and second light sources is incident on the partly transparent mirror;

the partly transparent mirror, during operation, receiving substantially all the at least partly collimated light emitted by the first and second light sources, and reflecting part of the light emitted by the first light source and transmitting part of the light emitted by the second light source, and vice versa, such that the light from the first light source is completely superimposed onto the light from the second light source following reflection/transmission at the partly transparent mirror, wherein said collimating means comprise mirror-wise arranged portions corresponding to said first light source and said second light source, respectively, said first light source and said second light source being arranged on opposite outer ends of said collimating means.

2. A light output device according to claim 1, wherein the partly transparent mirror is a semi-transparent mirror.

3. A light output device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second light sources are arranged symmetrically one on each side of the partly transparent mirror.

4. A light output device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second light sources have substantially identical radiation patterns.

5. A light output device according to claim 1, wherein the first light source is adapted to emit light having a first wavelength spectrum, and wherein the second light source is adapted to emit light having a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum.

6. A light output device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second light sources comprises at least one light emitting diode.

8. A light output device according to claim 1, wherein during operation the at least partly collimated light of the first and second light sources is incident on the partly transparent mirror such that a first and second mixed beam is produced, the light output device further comprising a plane mirror for re-directing one of the first and second mixed beams in the direction of the other mixed beam.

9. A light output device according to claim 8, further comprising at least one lens adapted to focus the superimposed light.

10. A light output device according to claim 1, wherein the collimating means comprises two parabolic mirrors, the partly transparent mirror is arranged between the two parabolic mirrors, and the first light source is arranged on the optical axis of one of the parabolic mirrors between the one parabolic mirror and the focal point of the one parabolic mirror, and the second light source is arranged on the optical axis of the other parabolic mirror between the other parabolic mirror and the focal point of the other parabolic mirror.

11. A light output device according to claim 10, further comprising a secondary collimating means adapted to collimate the superimposed light.

12. A light output device according to claim 10, further comprising additional light sources, the light sources of the device being arranged in two rows, one row on each side of the partly transparent mirror.

7. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. A light output method, comprising:

at least partly collimating light emitted by a first light source and a second light source, each of said first and second light source being arranged on respective outer ends of a collimating means receiving substantially all light emitted by a first light source and a second light source by a partly transparent mirror; and

reflecting part of the light emitted by the first light source and transmitting part of the light emitted by the second light source, and vice versa, such that the light from the first light source is completely superimposed onto the light from the second light source following reflection/transmission at the partly transparent mirror.