Illuminating apparatus

• US 6,974,236 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tenmyo, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sawhney, Hargobind S.
• Application Number:
  US10/354,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20030147244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 362/323, 362/330, 362/337, 362/339, 362/340, 362/31, 362/26, 362/331, 362/332, 362/327, 362/300, 362/336, 362/600, 362606-609, 362/614, 362/617, 362/619, 362/920, 362/623, 362/624
• US Class Current: 362/340
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/045 the lens having discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection

Abstract

This specification discloses an illuminating apparatus having a light source and an optical unit disposed forwardly on the object side of the light source, the optical unit being provided with an incidence surface on which light from the light source is incident, a light emergence surface provided with a Fresnel lens, and a side reflecting surface for totally reflecting the light incident on the incidence surface toward the Fresnel lens, wherein the light totally reflected by the side reflecting surface is refracted by the Fresnel lens and efficiently irradiates the object.

Claims

1. An illuminating apparatus comprising:

a light source comprised of a light emitting tube; and

an optical unit disposed forwardly on the object side of the light source;

the optical unit being provided with an incidence surface on which light from the light source is incident, a light emergence surface provided with a Fresnel lens, and a side reflecting surface for totally reflecting the light incident on the incidence surface toward the Fresnel lens, said side reflecting surface being one of the side reflecting surfaces formed on both sides of the of the lengthwise direction of the light emitting tube and making an angle ranging between 85 degrees to 95 degrees to a lengthwise direction of the light emitting tube;

wherein the light totally reflected by the side reflecting surface is refracted by the edge surface of the Fresnel lens and emerges toward the object side thereof and wherein and the vertical angle of the Fresnel lens is formed along a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the light emitting tube.

2. An illuminating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reflecting member disposed on a side of the light source which is opposed to the optical unit for reflecting the light from the light source to the optical unit side.

3. An illuminating apparatus comprising:

a light source; and

an optical unit disposed forwardly on the object side of the light source;

the optical unit being provided with an incidence surface on which light from the light source is incident, a reflecting surface for totally reflecting some of the light incident from the incidence surface, and a light emergence surface;

wherein a diffusing portion is formed on at least a portion of the reflecting surface, said diffusion portion near the incidence surface having a higher degree of diffusion toward the incidence surface and near the emergence surface having a higher degree of diffusion toward the emergence surface.