Separate Optical Device for Directing Light from an LED

• US 20110273894A1
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: illumitex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: illumitex, Inc.
• Inventors: Winberg, Paul N., Duong, Dung T., Thomas, Matthew R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,896,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/347
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/09 with a combination of different curvatures
• 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: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14629 Reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide separate optical devices operable to couple to a separate LED, the separate optical device comprising an entrance surface to receive light from a separate LED when the separate optical device is coupled to the separate LED, an exit surface opposite from and a distance from the entrance surface and a set of sidewalls. The exit surface can have at least a minimum area necessary to conserve brightness for a desired half-angle of light projected from the separate optical device. Furthermore, each sidewall is positioned and shaped so that rays having a straight transmission path from the entrance surface to that sidewall reflect to the exit surface with an angle of incidence at the exit surface at less than or equal to a critical angle at the exit surface.

Claims

1. An optical device comprising:

an entrance surface to receive light from a light source;

an exit surface parallel to the entrance surface; and

a set of sidewalls, wherein each sidewall has a plurality of sections, each section adapted to reflect light with a direct transmission path from the entrance face to that section such that the light is reflected to the exit surface to be incident on the exit surface at less than or equal to a critical angle at the exit surface, and wherein an area of the exit surface, a distance between the entrance surface and exit surface and sidewall shapes are selected so that the optical device is configured to emit at least 70% of the light entering the separate optical device through the entrance surface from the exit surface in the selected half angle.