Collimating lamp

• US 6,527,411 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2000
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Varroc Lighting Systems S.R.O. (Varroc Engineering Limited)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Corporation
• Inventors: Sayers, Edwin Mitchell
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/629,350
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 362/237, 362/241-248, 362/551, 362/555, 362/559, 362/560, 362/561, 362/318, 362/230, 362/231, 362/26, 362/235, 362/236, 362/249, 362/349, 362/544, 362/545, 362/511
• US Class Current: 362/245
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/143 the main emission direction of the LED being parallel to the optical axis of the illuminating device
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/24 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/241 of complex shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/243 emitting light from one or more of its extremities
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/249 with two or more light sources being coupled into the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/255 Filters
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/315 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0083 Array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more reflectors F21V7/0025
• 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 19/0066 in the form of an LED array

Abstract

A lamp for emanating light has two or more light units assembled together. Each light unit comprises a light pipe having side surfaces to direct light from a light receiving end to a light exiting end and a light source. Each light pipe has a dedicated light source.

Claims

1. A lamp for emanating light having two or more light units assembled together, each light unit comprising:

a light pipe having side surfaces to direct light from a light receiving end to a light exiting end; and

a dedicated light source;

wherein at least two light pipes share a light exiting surface having a supra-cusp region, wherein the supra-cusp region is filled with a generally liquid material.

2. The lamp of claim 1, wherein at least one of the light sources is a light-emitting diode.

3. The lamp of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a side surface of at least one of the light pipes is generally parabolic in shape.

4. The lamp of claim 1, wherein each light pipe is a dedicated light pipe.

5. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the light receiving surface of at least one light unit is generally curved in shape.

6. The lamp of claim 1, wherein at least one light exiting end is generally hemispheric in shape.

7. The lamp of claim 1, wherein at least one side surface is generally flat in shape.

8. The lamp of claim 1, wherein at least one side surface is generally curved in shape.

9. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the light pipes are rigid.

10. A lamp for emanating light having a plurality of light units arranged in a cluster, wherein:

each light unit comprises a light source, a light pipe having a light receiving end to introduce light from the light source into the light pipe in the form of an intra-solid beam, and a light exiting end through which the light exits the pipe;

said cluster of light units has a generally circular configuration with a central light unit surrounded by a plurality of light units; and

each of said surrounding light units have at least one side surface, said side surface is generally flat in shape.

11. The lamp of claim 10, wherein the central light unit is generally conical in shape.

12. The lamp of claim 10, wherein each of said surrounding light units have at least one side surface, said side surface is generally parabolic in shape.

13. The lamp of claim 10, wherein each of said surrounding light units have at least one side surface, said side surface is generally curved in shape.

14. The lamp of claim 10, wherein each of said light units has a dedicated light source.

15. The lamp of claim 10, wherein the central light unit borders the surrounding light units at a radially inward arc edge of each of said surrounding light units.

16. The lamp of claim 10, wherein each of said light receiving ends is narrower than each of said light exiting ends of said light units.

17. The lamp of claims 10, wherein each of said light units is filled with one of air, a liquid, and a semisolid.

18. A lamp for emanating light having a plurality of light units arranged in a cluster, wherein:

each light unit comprises a light source, a light pipe having a light receiving end to introduce light from the light source into the light pipe in the form of an intra-solid beam, and a light exiting end through which the light exits the pipe;

said cluster of light units has a generally circular configuration with a central light unit surrounded by a plurality of light units; and

each of said surrounding light units has at least one side surface, said side surface being generally parabolic in shape.