Lens for Primarily-Elongate Light Distribution

• US 20130223060A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ruud Lighting Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Castillo, Mario Alberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,541,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/235
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• 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

Abstract

A lens for a primarily-elongate distribution of light from a light emitter having an axis with a lens base being substantially normal to the axis. The lens includes a substantially-rectangular emitter opening to a cavity defined by a refracting inner surface. The lens further includes a refracting main output surface transverse the axis and a reflecting surface extending from the lens base away from the axis outwardly of and around the inner surface. The reflecting surface receives substantially all forward and rearward light and a portion of lateral light refracted by the inner surface for total internal reflection (TIR) toward the main output surface which refracts such light into the elongate distribution. The lens is configured such that the other portion of the lateral light exits the lens away from the axis for wide-angle distribution along the elongate distribution.

Claims

1. A lens for a primarily-elongate distribution of light from a light emitter having an axis, the lens comprising:

a base defining a plane substantially normal to the axis and forming a substantially-rectangular opening to a cavity defined by an inner surface;

the inner surface including a refracting inner surrounding surface extending from the opening substantially orthogonally with respect to the plane to terminate at a refracting inner end surface transverse the axis;

a refracting main output surface transverse the axis and having front and back edges and a pair of lateral edges therebetween;

a pair of refracting lateral output surfaces each extending from one of the main-output-surface lateral edges toward the plane; and

a reflecting surface extending from the base away from the axis and positioned outwardly of and around the inner surrounding surface to receive substantially all forward and rearward light and a portion of lateral light refracted by the inner surrounding surface for total internal reflection (TIR) toward the main output surface forming the elongate distribution,

whereby the lateral output surfaces refract the other portion of lateral light away from the axis to provide wide-angle distribution along the elongate distribution.

2. The lens of claim 1 wherein the reflecting surface includes:

front and back curves each having a first configuration; and

a pair of lateral curves each having a second configuration which differs from the first configuration.

3. The lens of claim 2 wherein the reflecting-surface terminates at distances from the plane which are greatest at a center of each of the front and back curves and gradually decrease toward a center of each of the lateral curves for the other portion of the lateral light to pass directly from the inner surface to the lateral output surfaces.

4. The lens of claim 2 wherein:

the front and back curves are each bilaterally symmetric; and

the lateral curves are each bilaterally symmetric.

5. The lens of claim 1 wherein the substantially-rectangular opening and the cavity have a front-to-back dimension which is greater than a side-to-side dimension.

6. The lens of claim 5 wherein the inner surrounding surface includes:

front and back portions refracting forward and rearward emitter light away from the axis toward the front and back curves; and

a pair of lateral portions each between the front and back portions and refracting lateral emitter light away from the emitter axis.

7. The lens of claim 6 wherein the front and back portions of the inner surrounding surface are substantially planar.

8. The lens of claim 6 wherein the lateral portions of the inner surrounding surface are substantially planar.

9. The lens of claim 8 wherein the front and back portions of the inner surrounding surface are substantially planar.

10. The lens of claim 6 wherein the inner end surface is substantially normal to the emitter axis and refracts emitter light toward the emitter axis for refraction by the main output surface.

11. The lens of claim 10 wherein the inner end surface is substantially planar.

12. The lens of claim 1 wherein the refracting main output surface is substantially planar.

13. The lens of claim 12 wherein the main output surface is substantially normal to the emitter axis.

14. The lens of claim 12 wherein a main-output-surface front-to-back dimension is greater than a main-output-surface side-to-side dimension.

15. The lens of claim 14 wherein the front and back edges of the main output surface are curved outwardly from the substantially-straight lateral edges.

16. The lens of claim 15 wherein:

the front and back edges extend along sectors of a circle with a center on the emitter axis; and

the lateral edges are substantially parallel to each other.

17. The lens of claim 15 wherein each of the lateral output surfaces are substantially planar.

18. The lens of claim 17 wherein the inner surrounding surface includes:

front and back portions refracting forward and rearward emitter light away from the axis toward the front and back curves; and

a pair of lateral portions each between the front and back portions and refracting lateral emitter light away from the emitter axis.

19. The lens of claim 18 wherein the inner end surface and each portion of the inner surrounding surface are substantially planar.

20. The lens of claim 1 further including:

an outer surrounding wall extending from the output surfaces and the reflecting surface toward the plane; and

an outward flange extending from the outer surrounding wall away from the axis.

21. The lens of claim 1 being bilaterally symmetric in a front-to-back direction.

22. The lens of claim 21 being bilaterally symmetric in a side-to-side direction.

23. The lens of claim 1 being bilaterally symmetric in a side-to-side direction.

24. The lens of claim 1 wherein the lateral output surfaces are longitudinal indicators of the elongate light distribution.

25. The lens of claim 1 wherein the light emitter includes at least one light-emitting diode (LED).

26. The lens of claim 25 wherein:

the light emitter includes an LED package having a primary lens over the at least one LED; and

the lens is a secondary lens placed over the primary lens.

27. A lens for a primarily-elongate distribution of light from a light emitter having an axis with a lens base being substantially normal to the axis, comprising:

a substantially-rectangular emitter opening to a cavity defined by a refracting inner surface, the opening being in the lens base;

a refracting main output surface transverse the axis; and

a reflecting surface extending from the lens base away from the axis outwardly of and around the inner surface and receiving substantially all forward and rearward light and a portion of lateral light refracted by the inner surface for total internal reflection (TIR) toward the main output surface which refracts such light into the elongate distribution,

whereby the lens is configured such that the other portion of the lateral light exits the lens away from the axis for wide-angle distribution along the elongate distribution.

28. The lens of claim 27 further including a pair of refracting lateral output surfaces each extending from the main output surface toward the lens base and refracting the other portion of the lateral light away from the axis into the wide-angle distribution.

29. The lens of claim 28 wherein:

the main output surface is substantially planar and has front and back edges and a pair of lateral edges therebetween; and

each lateral output surface each extends from a corresponding one of the lateral edges toward the base.

30. The lens of claim 29 wherein:

the front and back edges are along sectors of a single circle with the center on the emitter axis; and

the lateral edges are substantially parallel to each other.

31. The lens of claim 28 wherein the reflecting surface includes:

front and back curves each having a first configuration; and

a pair of lateral curves each having a second configuration which differs from the first configuration.

32. The lens of claim 31 wherein the refracting inner surface includes an inner surrounding surface extending from the emitter opening substantially orthogonally with respect to the lens base to terminate at an inner end surface transverse the axis.

33. The lens of claim 31 wherein:

the front and back curves are each bilaterally symmetric; and

the lateral curves are each bilaterally symmetric.

34. The lens of claim 33 wherein the lens base defines a main plane the reflecting surface terminates at distances from the main plane which are greatest at centers of the front and back curves and gradually decrease toward centers of the lateral curves.

35. The lens of claim 34 wherein the substantially-rectangular emitter opening and the cavity have a front-to-back dimension greater than a side-to-side dimension.

36. The lens of claim 35 wherein the inner surrounding surface includes:

front and back portions refracting forward and rearward emitter light away from the axis and toward the front and back curves; and

a pair of lateral portions each between the front and back portions and refracting lateral emitter light away from the emitter axis.

37. The lens of claim 36 wherein the front and back portions and the lateral portions of the inner surrounding surface are substantially planar.

38. The lens of claim 36 wherein the inner end surface is substantially planar and is substantially normal to the emitter axis to refract emitter light toward the emitter axis for further refraction by the main output surface.

39. The lens of claim 28 wherein:

the main output surface is substantially planar and is substantially normal to the axis; and

each of the lateral output surfaces are substantially planar.

40. The lens of claim 39 wherein a main-output-surface front-to-back dimension is greater than a side-to-side dimension.

41. The lens of claim 27 being bilaterally symmetric in a front-to-back direction and bilaterally symmetric in a side-to-side direction.