Lens for Preferential-Side Distribution

• US 20130223062A1
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• 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 10,408,429 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 7/00 Reflectors for light sources characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/505
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 19/0014 at least one surface having optical power
• 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 distribution of light from a light emitter having an axis, the lens including a (1) base forming a substantially rectangular opening to an emitter cavity defined by an inner surface, (2) a main output surface transverse the axis, (3) a reflecting surface is positioned to reflect light received from the inner surface toward the main output surface, the reflecting surface including front and back curvatures and a pair of substantially-identical lateral curvatures each adjoining the front and back curvatures. Configuration of the lateral curvatures differs from configurations of the front and back curvatures, which differ from one another.

Claims

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

a base forming a substantially rectangular opening to a cavity defined by an inner surface;

a main output surface transverse the axis and directing light toward the preferential side; and

a reflecting surface positioned to reflect light received from the inner surface toward the main output surface.

2. The lens of claim 1 wherein the light emitter includes at least one LED.

3. The lens of claim 2 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.

4. The lens of claim 2 wherein at least about half of the cross-dimension of each side of the cavity opening is straight.

5. The lens of claim 4 wherein at least about two-thirds of the cross-dimension of each side of the cavity opening is straight.

6. The lens of claim 2 wherein the inner surface includes a surrounding inner surface extending from the opening and terminating at an inner end surface which is transverse the axis and is positioned to refract light from the emitter toward the preferential side.

7. The lens of claim 6 wherein the surrounding inner surface extends from the opening substantially parallel to the emitter axis.

8. The lens of claim 7 wherein:

the base defines a plane substantially normal to the axis; and

the inner end surface extends between front and back edges, the back edge being farther from the plane than the front edge.

9. The lens of claim 8 wherein the inner end surface includes front and back facets angled with respect to one another and each extending from the respective one of the front and back edges to a centrally-located side-to-side juncture.

10. The lens of claim 9 wherein the inner end surface includes a pair of each of the front and back facets, the facets of each pair being adjoined along a centrally-located front-to-back juncture and extending from the front-to-back juncture toward the base.

11. The lens of claim 10 wherein the front and back facets are substantially planar.

12. The lens of claim 2 wherein the reflecting surface extends from the base away from the axis radially outwardly of and around the inner surface.

13. The lens of claim 12 wherein the reflecting surface includes front and back curvatures, the front curvature having a front-curvature configuration which differs from the configuration of the back curvature.

14. The lens of claim 13 wherein the front and back curvatures are each bilaterally symmetric.

15. The lens of claim 13 wherein:

the base defines a plane substantially normal to the axis; and

the back curvature of the reflecting surface terminates at a greater distance from the plane than the front curvature.

16. The lens of claim 15 wherein the front and back curvatures are each bilaterally symmetric.

17. The lens of claims 13 wherein the reflecting surface includes a pair of substantially-identical lateral curvatures each adjoining the front and back curvatures.

18. The lens of claim 2 wherein the main output surface includes front and back sectors, the front sector spanning greater than 180°

about the emitter axis.

19. The lens of claim 18 wherein the front and back sectors are each bilaterally symmetric along a front-to-back plane which includes the emitter axis.

20. The lens of claim 18 wherein:

the base defines a base plane substantially normal to the axis; and

the main output surface is disposed at distances from the base plane which are greatest along the back of the back sector and gradually decrease toward the front of the front sector.

21. The lens of claim 20 wherein:

the main output surface has an edge including back-sector and front-sector portions;

a projection of the front-sector edge portion on the base plane extends along a circle; and

the back-sector edge portion is substantially linear and extends between the ends of the front-sector edge portion.

22. The lens of claim 21 wherein:

the main output surface includes a singularity point on a front-to-back plane which includes the emitter axis;

the front sector includes a convex curvature extending from the singularity point; and

the back sector includes a convex curvature extending from the singularity point, the back sector adjoining the front sector along planes each of which includes the singularity point and one of the ends of the front-sector edge portion.

23. The lens of claim 22 wherein the singularity point is offset from the emitter axis toward the preferential side.

24. The lens of claim 23 wherein the front and back sectors are each bilaterally symmetric along the front-to-back plane.

25. The lens of claim 2 wherein:

the base defines a base plane substantially normal to the axis;

an outer surrounding-wall surface extends from the main output surface toward the base plane; and

an outward flange extends from the outer surrounding-wall surface away from the emitter axis.

26. The lens of claim 2 being bilaterally symmetric in a front-to-back direction.

27. A lens for preferential-side distribution of light from a light emitter having an axis, the lens comprising:

a base forming an opening to a cavity defined by an inner surface;

a main output surface transverse the axis and directing light toward the preferential side; and

a reflecting surface positioned to reflect light received from the inner surface toward the main output surface, the reflecting surface including front and back curvatures and a pair of substantially-identical lateral curvatures each adjoining the front and back curvatures, a configuration of the lateral curvatures differing from configurations of the front and back curvatures which differ from one another.

28. The lens of claim 27 wherein the light emitter includes at least one LED.

29. The lens of claim 28 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.

30. The lens of claim 28 wherein:

the cavity opening is substantially rectangular; and

the reflecting surface extends from a base edge toward the main output surface, the base edge being substantially equidistantly spaced from a respective side of the cavity opening.

31. The lens of claim 30 wherein:

the base defines a plane substantially normal to the axis; and

the back curvature terminates at greater distances from the plane than the front curvature.

32. The lens of claim 31 wherein the front and back curvatures are each bilaterally symmetric.

33. The lens of claim 28 wherein the front and back curvatures are each bilaterally symmetric.

34. The lens of claim 28 being bilaterally symmetric in a front-to-back direction.

35. A lens for a distribution of light from a light emitter having an axis, the lens comprising:

a base forming a substantially rectangular opening to an emitter cavity defined by an inner surface;

a main output surface transverse the axis; and

a reflecting surface positioned to reflect light received from the inner surface toward the main output surface.

36. The lens of claim 35 wherein the light emitter includes at least one LED.

37. The lens of claim 36 wherein at least about half of the cross-dimension of each side of the cavity opening is straight.

38. The lens of claim 37 wherein at least about two-thirds of the cross-dimension of each side of the cavity opening is straight.

39. The lens of claim 36 wherein the inner surface includes a surrounding inner surface extending from the opening substantially parallel to the emitter axis.

40. The lens of claim 39 wherein the reflecting surface extends from a base edge toward the main output surface, the base edge being substantially equidistantly spaced from a respective side of the cavity opening.

41. The lens of claim 36 wherein the reflecting surface extends from a base edge toward the main output surface, the base edge being substantially equidistantly spaced from a respective side of the cavity opening.

42. The lens of claim 41 wherein the reflecting surface includes front and back curvatures and a pair of substantially-identical lateral curvatures each adjoining the front and back curvatures, a configuration of the lateral curvatures differing from configurations of the front and back curvatures which differ from one another.

43. The lens of claim 36 being bilaterally symmetric in a front-to-back direction.