Illumination Devices Including Multiple Light Emitting Elements

• US 20130039090A1
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Published: 02/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
• Original Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
• Inventors: Dau, Wilson, Gardner, Robert C., Lerman, George, Lerman, Louis, Ogonowsky, Brian D., Smith, George E., Speier, Ingo, Teng, Jacqueline, York, Allan Brent, Lowery, Christopher H., Steele, Robert V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,028,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/551
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/04 intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures F21S8/02 takes precedence; details of ceiling bases F21V21/03
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0016 on lighting devices that also provide for direct lighting, e.g. by means of independent light sources, by splitting of the light beam, by switching between both lighting modes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0025 Combination of two or more reflectors for a single light source array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources F21V7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0033 with successive reflections from one reflector to the next or following
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0001 specially adapted for lighting devices or systems lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0011 the light guides being planar or of plate-like form
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

A variety of illumination devices are disclosed that are configured to manipulate light provided by one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs). In general, embodiments of the illumination devices feature one or more optical couplers that redirect illumination from the LEEs to a reflector which then directs the light into a range of angles. In some embodiments, the illumination device includes a second reflector that reflects at least some of the light from the first reflector. In certain embodiments, the illumination device includes a light guide that guides light from the collector to the first reflector. The components of the illumination device can be configured to provide illumination devices that can provide a variety of intensity distributions. Such illumination devices can be configured to provide light for particular lighting applications, including office lighting, task lighting, cabinet lighting, garage lighting, wall wash, stack lighting, and downlighting.

Claims

1-281. -281. (canceled)

282. An illumination device comprising:

one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) operatively disposed on one or more substrates and configured to emit light in a first angular range;

one or more primary optics optically coupled with the one or more LEEs and configured to direct light received from the one or more LEEs in the first angular range at one or more input ends of the one or more primary optics, and provide directed light in a second angular range at one or more output ends of the one or more primary optics, a divergence of the second angular range being smaller than a divergence of the first angular range;

a light guide optically coupled at an input end of the light guide with the one or more output ends of the one or more primary optics, the light guide shaped to guide light received from the one or more primary optics in the second angular range to an output end of the light guide and provide guided light [252] in substantially the same second angular range at the output end of the light guide; and

a solid secondary optic optically coupled with the second end of the light guide at an input end of the solid secondary optic to receive light from the light guide, the solid secondary optic having a redirecting surface spaced from the input end of the solid secondary optic and an output surface, the redirecting surface configured to reflect light received at the input end of the solid secondary optic in the second angular range and provide the reflected light in a third angular range towards the output surface, the output surface extending between the input end and the redirecting surface, the output surface being shaped to refract the light provided by the redirecting surface in the third angular range as refracted light and to output the refracted light in a fourth angular range outside the output surface of the solid secondary optic, the solid secondary optic having an elongated configuration to provide the fourth angular range with a longitudinal extension and a shorter, transverse extension.

283. The illumination device according to claim 282 further comprising a second redirecting surface and a second output surface, the second redirecting surface spaced from the input end of the solid secondary optic and configured to reflect light received at the input end of the solid secondary optic in the second angular range and provide the reflected light in a fifth angular range towards the second output surface, the second output surface extending between the input end and the second redirecting surface, the second output surface being shaped to refract the light provided by the second redirecting surface in the fifth angular range as refracted light in a sixth angular range outside the second output surface of the solid secondary optic, the elongated configuration of the solid secondary optic configured to provide the sixth angular range with a longitudinal dimension.

284. The illumination device of claim 283 further comprising an elongated first reflector optic facing the output surface and arranged along the longitudinal extension of the fourth angular range, wherein the first reflector optic is shaped to reflect at least some of the light output by the output surface of the solid secondary optic in the fourth angular range as first reflected light, and to provide the first reflected light in a seventh angular range, wherein the seventh angular range is different than the fourth angular range.

285. The illumination device of claim 284, wherein the elongated first reflector optic is spaced apart from the output surface.

286. The illumination device of claim 283 further comprising an elongated second reflector optic facing the second output surface and arranged along the longitudinal extension of the sixth angular range, wherein the second reflector optic is shaped to reflect at least some of the light output by the second output surface of the solid secondary optic in the sixth angular range as second reflected light, and to provide the second reflected light in an eight angular range, wherein the eighth angular range is different than the sixth angular range.

287. The illumination device of claim 286, wherein the elongated second reflector optic is spaced apart from the second output surface.

288. The illumination device according to claim 282, wherein the one or more substrates include one integrally formed, elongated substrate.

289. The illumination device according to claim 282, wherein the one or more substrates include a plurality of substrates, the plurality of substrates having an elongated configuration.

290. The illumination device according to claim 282, wherein one or more of the LEEs and one or more of the primary optics are integrally formed.

291. The illumination device according to claim 282, wherein the one or more primary optics include one integrally formed, elongated primary optic.

292. An illumination device comprising:

one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) operatively disposed on one or more substrates and configured to emit light in a first angular range;

one or more primary optics optically coupled with the one or more LEEs and configured to direct light received from the one or more LEEs in the first angular range and provide directed light in a second angular range, the second angular range being smaller than the first angular range; and

a secondary optic spaced apart from the one or more primary optics and arranged to receive light from the one or more primary optics in the second angular range, the secondary optic having a redirecting surface configured to reflect light received from the one or more primary optics in the second angular range and provide the reflected light in a third angular range, the third angular range being different from the second angular range, the secondary optic having an elongated configuration to provide the third angular range with a longitudinal extension and a shorter, transverse extension;

wherein the longitudinal extension of the third angular range is perpendicular to a prevalent direction of propagation of light emitted by the one or more LEEs in the first angular range.

293. The illumination device according to claim 292, further comprising a second redirecting surface, the second redirecting surface configured to reflect light received from the one or more primary optics in the second angular range and provide the reflected light in a fourth angular range, the fourth angular range being different from the second angular range and the third angular range, the elongated configuration of the secondary optic configured to provide the fourth angular range with a longitudinal extension.

294. The illumination device of claim 293 further comprising an elongated first reflector optic being spaced apart from and facing the redirecting surface and arranged along the longitudinal extension of the third angular range, wherein the first reflector optic is shaped to reflect at least some of the light received from the redirecting surface in the third angular range as first reflected light, and to provide the first reflected light in a fifth angular range, wherein the fifth angular range is different than the third angular range at least perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the third angular range.

295. The illumination device of claim 294 further comprising an elongated second reflector optic being spaced apart from and facing the redirecting surface and arranged along the longitudinal extension of the fourth angular range, wherein the second reflector optic is shaped to reflect at least some of the light received from the second redirecting surface in the fourth angular range as second reflected light, and to provide the second reflected light in a sixth angular range, wherein the sixth angular range is different than the fourth angular range at least perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the fourth angular range.

296. The illumination device according to claim 292, wherein the one or more substrates include one integrally formed, elongated substrate.

297. The illumination device according to claim 292, wherein the one or more substrates include a plurality of substrates, the plurality of substrates having an elongated configuration.

298. The illumination device according to claim 292, wherein one or more of the LEEs and one or more of the primary optics are integrally formed.

299. The illumination device according to claim 292, wherein the one or more primary optics include one integrally formed, elongated primary optic.

300. The illumination device according to claim 292, wherein the one or more primary optics include a plurality of primary optics, the plurality of primary optics having an elongated configuration.

301. The illumination device according to claim 292, wherein the one or more primary optics are configured as one or more solid primary optics.