Lighting system for increasing brightness to a light guide

• US 5,526,237 A
• Filed: 12/10/1993
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Davenport, John M., Allen, Gary R., Hansler, Richard L., Parham, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gromada, Denise L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, Y MY QUACH
• Application Number:
  US08/165,769
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 362/32, 362/227, 362/228, 362/234, 362/235, 362/248, 362/255, 362/263, 362/297, 362/298, 362/346, 362/237, 362/240, 362/241, 362/243, 313/113, 313/114
• US Class Current: 362/551
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers

Abstract

A light source includes an integral reflective coating on a portion of its envelope for reflecting light back through the source. The light from the source is directed by a reflector toward a focus thereof at which is located an input end of a light guide. The integral reflective coating allows a half ellipsoidal reflector to be used in one embodiment without depreciable loss of light. Accordingly, a pair of light sources can be arranged with a common focus to substantially double the brightness in the light guide. Alternatively, the light sources can provide a primary and redundant arrangement, or used to provide two levels of light in another arrangement. According to another embodiment, a hemispherical reflector is used to obtain unit magnification and increase the angular range through which light may enter the light guide.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

first and second light sources each having an envelope through which light passes, the envelopes each having a selected region coated with reflective material to direct light back through the respective light source;

first and second generally ellipsoidal reflective surfaces, each of said first and second light sources being located at a respective focal point of the respective reflective surface;

at least one of said reflective surfaces being oriented relative to the other of said reflective surfaces to thereby enable said reflective surfaces to direct the light received from said light sources toward a common focal point to maximize the light brightness; and

a light guide having an input end disposed at the common focal point to receive light from the first and second reflective surfaces.

2. The lighting system as defined in claim 1 wherein both of the light sources are one of arc discharge and filament lamps.

3. The lighting system as defined in claim 1 wherein one of the first and second light sources is an incandescent light source.

4. A lighting system comprising:

a light source in a closed envelope emitting light outward through at least a first portion of the envelope;

an integral reflective coating on a second portion of the envelope receiving light from the light source and directing the light back through the light source;

a partial-ellipsoidal reflector element, the light source being located at a first focal point of the partial-ellipse reflector element thereby enabling the partial-ellipsoidal reflector element to, receive light from the light source and direct the light toward a second focal point of the reflector element; and

a light guide having an input end at the second focal point for receiving light from the reflector element.

5. The lighting system as defined in claim 4 further comprising a second light source and a generally ellipsoidal reflector element for directing light to the input end of the light guide.

6. The lighting system as defined in claim 5 wherein the second light source is enclosed in an envelope, the envelope having an integral reflective coating for directing light back through the second light source.

7. The lighting system as defined in claim 5 wherein the generally ellipsoidal second reflector element has an elliptical conformation wherein a first focal point thereof is located at the second light source and a second focal point thereof is located at the input end of the light guide.

8. The lighting system as defined in claim 4 wherein the light source is a discharge light source in which an arc gap thereof is minimized relative to a radius of the light source envelope.

9. A lighting system for increasing the brightness in a light guide, the system comprising:

first and second light sources, each light source including an envelope having an integral reflective portion that reflects light back through the light source;

a reflector having first and second partial-ellipsoidal portions, a first and second light sources being located at the first focal point of the first and second partial-ellipsoidal portions, respectively, each partial-ellipsoidal portion thereby receiving light from one of said light sources and directing the light toward a second common focal point;

a light guide having an input end disposed at the common focal point to receive light reflected from said partial-ellipsoidal portions.

10. The lighting system as defined in claim 9 wherein the first and second light sources are both arc discharge sources.