Directional light distribution optical array and directional light distribution optical module

• US 8,749,891 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lin, Hui-Hsiung, Yang, Wen-Hsun, Hsu, Chin-Ju, Pao, Yu-Nan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US13/315,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20120147476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 359/641, 359/708, 359/711, 359/712, 359/718, 359/719, 359/728, 359/793, 359/794, 359/800, 359/868, 359/869, 362/217.07, 362/97.2, 362326-328, 362/330, 362/333, 362/339, 362/612, 362/618, 362/620, 362/617, 362/311.02, 362/16, 362/23.15, 362/555, 362/558, 313/504, 313/512, 396/176
• US Class Current: 359/641
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0911 Anamorphotic systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0944 Diffractive optical elements, e.g. gratings, holograms gratings per se G02B5/18; holograms used as optical elements per se G02B5/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/095 Refractive optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/30 Collimators

Abstract

The collimating optical element includes a light incident surface and a light emission curved surface. The light incident surface receives a light emitted by a light source. The light emission curved surface and a first plane are intersected to form a first curve. The first curve has a plurality of first curve segments, and each first curve segment includes at least three first tangent points. After passing each first tangent point along a connecting line of the light source and each first tangent point, the light exits along a first collimation axis, and an included angle formed between the first collimation axis and an optic axis is greater than −15° and smaller than −15°. Thus, the light after passing the collimating optical element forms a one-dimensional collimating light.

Claims

1. A directional light distributing optical array, for receiving a plurality of first light beams and a plurality of second light beams emitted by a plurality of light sources, wherein each light source comprises an optic axis, the directional light distributing optical array arranged along a first plane comprising:

a plurality of light incident surfaces, wherein each light incident surface comprises a central axis and individually receives the plurality of first light beams and the plurality of second light beams emitted by at least one light source;

a plurality of light emission curved surfaces, wherein each light emission curved surface is intersected with the first plane being vertical to the central axes to form a first curve, each first curve has a plurality of first curve segments, each first curve segment comprises at least three first tangent points, and after passing a corresponding first tangent point, each of the plurality of first light beams exits along a first axis, an included angle formed between the first axis and the optic axis is greater than −

15° and

smaller than 15°

, and wherein each first tangent point satisfies a formula in the following;

2. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 1, wherein an included angle formed between connecting lines of two end points of each first curve segment and the corresponding light source is greater than 0°

and smaller than 15°

.

3. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emission curved surfaces is formed by the first curves extending along the central axes.

4. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 1, wherein an included angle formed between two end points of each first curve and the corresponding light source is greater than 0°

, and smaller than or equal to 60°

.

5. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of second planes, each second plane contains one of the central axes, each of the plurality of light emission curved surfaces intersects one of the plurality of second planes to form a second curve, an included angle formed between two end points of each second curve and the corresponding light source is greater than 0°

and smaller than 40°

, and the plurality of light emission curved surfaces is formed by the first curves extending along the central axes, such that each second curve is a straight line.

6. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 5, wherein an included angle formed between each of the plurality of first light beams after passing a corresponding second curve and the corresponding optic axis is greater than or equal to 30°

.

7. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of second planes, each second plane contains one of the central axes, each of the plurality of light emission curved surfaces intersects one of the plurality of second planes to form a second curve, an included angle formed between two end points of each second curve and the corresponding light source is greater than 0°

and smaller than 40°

, each second curve has a plurality of second curve segments, each second curve segment comprises at least three second tangent points, and after passing the corresponding second tangent point, each of the plurality of first light beams exits along a second axis, and wherein each second tangent point satisfies a formula in the following;

8. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 7, wherein an included angle formed between each second axis and the corresponding optic axis is greater than or equal to 30°

.

9. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 1, wherein each first curve comprises a plurality of connecting segments, each connecting segment of each first curve connects two adjacent first curve segments, and each connecting segment of each first curve is substantially parallel to a connecting line of an end point of each connecting segment of each first curve and the corresponding light source.

10. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 1, wherein an incident angle that each of the plurality of second light beams from the light sources is incident to a corresponding reflective structure is greater than 42°

.

11. The directional light distributing optical array according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of reflective structures has an apex, there is a first connecting line between each apex and the corresponding light source which are adjacent to each other, there is a second connecting line between each light source and one end point of the corresponding first curve, and an included angle formed between each first connecting line and the adjacent second connecting line is greater than 8°

.

12. A directional light distributing optical module, comprising:

a plurality of light sources, wherein each light source is used to emit a plurality of first light beams and a plurality of second light beams, and comprises an optic axis; and

a directional light distributing optical array arranged along a first plane, comprising;

a plurality of light incident surfaces, wherein each light incident surface comprises a central axis and individually receives the plurality of first light beams and the plurality of second light beams emitted by at least one of the plurality of light sources;

a plurality of light emission curved surfaces, wherein each light emission curved surface is intersected with the first plane being vertical to the central axes to form a first curve, each first curve has a plurality of first curve segments, each first curve segment comprises at least three first tangent points, and after passing a corresponding first tangent point, each of the plurality of first light beams exits along a first axis, an included angle formed between the first axis and the optic axis is greater than −

15° and

smaller than 15°

, and wherein each first tangent point satisfies a formula in the following;