Light guide within recessed housing
First Claim
1. An illumination apparatus comprising:
- a housing formed with a recess, wherein the recess defines a ring-like shape and includes one or more interior side walls;
a mirror surface on the housing, wherein the mirror surface is substantially surrounded by the ring-like shaped recess;
a light guide that transmits light via total internal reflection (TIR) positioned within the recess such that the light guide is in proximity to the one or more interior side walls; and
a set of notches formed on the light guide along a centerline axis of the tight guide to define an angular distribution of light emitted from the light guide, wherein the angular distribution of the light defined by the set of notches and emitted from the light guide is such that the light is angularly dispersed from the recess without substantially illuminating the interior side walls.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is directed to an illumination apparatus that includes a light guide within a recessed housing. A light source, such as a light emitting diode can be used to provide light to the light guide. The light is transmitted through the light guide via total internal reflection (TIR), and can be emitted in a controlled manner to ensure that a desired angular distribution of light is achieved without substantially illuminating interior side walls of the recessed housing. In this manner, efficient lighting can be provided. In one embodiment, the invention is can be implemented within a cosmetic compact that includes a mirror. The compact may incorporate aspects of the invention by implementing a light guide within a ring-shaped recess of the compact to provide facial lighting to a user.
136 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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a housing formed with a recess, wherein the recess defines a ring-like shape and includes one or more interior side walls;
a mirror surface on the housing, wherein the mirror surface is substantially surrounded by the ring-like shaped recess;
a light guide that transmits light via total internal reflection (TIR) positioned within the recess such that the light guide is in proximity to the one or more interior side walls; and
a set of notches formed on the light guide along a centerline axis of the tight guide to define an angular distribution of light emitted from the light guide, wherein the angular distribution of the light defined by the set of notches and emitted from the light guide is such that the light is angularly dispersed from the recess without substantially illuminating the interior side walls. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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a housing formed with a recess, wherein the recess defines a ring-like shape and includes one or more interior side walls;
a light guide positioned within the recess such that the light guide is ni proximity to the one or more interior side walls; and
one or more light extraction features in the light guide that define an angular distribution of light emitted from the light guide, wherein the angular distribution of the light emitted from the light guide is such that the light is angularly dispersed from the recess without substantially illuminating the interior side walls, wherein the light extraction features include a first set of notches formed on the light guide along a first centerline axis of the light guide and a second set of notches formed on the light guide along a second centerline axis of the light guide, wherein the first set of notches are located approximately 5 degrees from points of the light guide in closest proximity to a bottom of the recess in a direction toward a center of the housing, wherein the second set of notches are located approximately 30 degrees from points of the light guide in closest proximity to a bottom of the recess in a direction away from a center of the housing, wherein notch angles associated with the notches in the first and second sets are approximately 80 degrees, wherein the notches in the first and second sets are each separated by approximately 1.5 millimeters, wherein notch depths associated with the notches in the first and second sets are approximately 0.3 millimeter, and wherein the notches are arranged such that two notches in the first set separate each notch in the second set. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method comprising:
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positioning a light guide that transmits light via total internal reflection (TIR) substantially within a recessed housing, wherein the recessed housing defines a ring-like shape and defines one or more interior side walls, and wherein the recessed housing includes a mirror surface on the housing, wherein the mirror surface is substantially surrounded by the ring-like shaped recess; and
emitting light from the light guide via a set of notches formed on the light guide along a centerline axis of the light guide so as to substantially maximize angular distribution of light without substantially illuminating the walls of the recessed housing, wherein an angular distribution of the light defined by the set of notches and emitted from the light guide is such that the light is angularly dispersed from the recess without substantially illuminating the walls of the recessed housing. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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a housing formed with a recess, wherein the recess defines a ring-like shape and includes one or more interior side walls; and
a mirror surface on the housing, wherein the mirror surface is substantially surrounded by the ring-like shaped recess;
a light guide that transmits light via total internal reflection (TIR) positioned substantially within the recess such that the light guide is in proximity to the one or more interior side walls, wherein the light guide is formed with one or more means for emitting light, wherein the means for emitting light define an angular distribution of light from the light guide, and wherein the angular distribution of light omitted from the light guide is such that light is angularly dispersed from the recess without substantially illuminating the one or more interior side walls, wherein the means for emitting light comprise notches fanned on the light guide along a centerline axis of the light guide. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. An illumination apparatus comprising:
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a housing formed with a recess, wherein the recess includes one or more interior side walls;
a mirrored surface formed on the housing, wherein the recess surrounds the mirrored surface;
a light guide positioned within the recess such that the light guide is in proximity to the one or more interior side walls, wherein the light guide is formed with light extraction features that define an angular distribution of light emitted from the light guide, wherein the light extraction features comprise a set of notches and are arranged such that the angular distribution of the light defined by the light extraction features and emitted from the light guide is such that the light is angularly dispersed from the recess without substantially illuminating the interior side wails, and wherein the light extraction features are arranged such that the angular distribution of the light defined by the light extraction features and emitted from the light guide defines an illumination plane at a defined distance from the housing. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification