Hollow lightguide having multiple reflectors

• US 9,261,643 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Ender, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Connelly, Michelle R
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, HOANG Q
• Application Number:
  US13/382,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20120114284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,038 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/143 using macroscopically faceted or segmented reflective surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0018 Redirecting means on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/2804 forming multipart couplers without wavelength selective elements, e.g. "T" couplers, star couplers

Abstract

Lightguide is disclosed. The lightguide includes a staircase shape optical construction that includes a plurality of light reflecting risers. At least two of the risers include non-parallel light reflecting portions.

Claims

1. A lightguide comprising a staircase shape optical construction comprising a plurality of light reflecting risers, at least two risers in the plurality of light reflecting risers comprising non-parallel light reflecting portions,

wherein the lightguide is hollow, and further comprises an input arm disposed facing first and second non-parallel light reflecting portions in the light reflecting portions, and the first and second non-parallel reflecting portions reflect light from the input arm into different directions that are on the same side of the input arm, and

wherein the first and second non-parallel light reflecting portions are offset with respect to each other along two mutually orthogonal directions, each of the two mutually orthogonal directions is orthogonal or parallel to a thickness direction of the lightguide, and the first and second non-parallel light reflecting portions are rotated with respect to each other about an axis parallel to the thickness direction of the lightguide.

2. The lightguide of claim 1, wherein one of the light reflecting risers is disposed on an inner wall of the lightguide and at least another of the light reflecting risers is disposed in an interior of the lightguide.

3. The lightguide of claim 1, wherein at least two of the light reflecting risers have an average specular optical reflectance in the visible for normally incident light that is not less than about 60%.

4. The lightguide of claim 1, wherein at least one of the light reflecting risers comprises a reflective multilayer optical film or a metal light reflector.

5. A lightguide comprising:

an input arm;

a first output arm;

a second output arm; and

a bend connecting the input arm to the first and second output arms and comprising;

a first light reflector for reflecting light from the input arm to the first output arm;

a second light reflector for reflecting light from the input arm to the second output arm, the second light reflector being offset relative to the first light reflector along two mutually orthogonal directions; and

a staircase shape optical construction comprising a plurality of light reflecting risers, a first riser comprising the first light reflector, a second riser different than the first riser comprising the second light reflector, the first and second light reflectors are rotated with respect to each other about an axis parallel to a thickness direction of the lightguide to reflect light into different directions that are on the same side of the input arm.

6. The lightguide of claim 5, wherein the second light reflector is offset relative to the first light reflector along three mutually orthogonal directions.

7. The lightguide of claim 5 being hollow.

8. The lightguide of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second light reflectors comprises a metal light reflector.

9. The lightguide of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second light reflectors comprises a reflective multilayer optical film.

10. The lightguide of claim 5 further comprising:

a third output arm for guiding light; and

a third light reflector for reflecting light from the input arm to the third output arm, a third riser different than the first and second risers comprising the third light reflector.

11. The lightguide of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second light reflectors comprises a planar portion.

12. The lightguide of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second light reflectors is piecewise planar.

13. The lightguide of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second light reflectors comprises a curved portion.

14. The lightguide of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first and second light reflectors is piecewise curved.

15. A lightguide comprising:

an input arm;

a staircase shape optical construction comprising a plurality of light reflecting risers configured to reflect light from the input arm, and

an emitting surface, at least a portion of the emitting surface being a top surface of the lightguide transversal to a thickness direction of the lightguide,

wherein a first light reflecting riser in the plurality of light reflecting risers comprises a first light reflecting portion, a second light reflecting riser in the plurality of light reflecting risers comprises a second light reflecting portion, and the first and second light reflecting portions are rotated with respect to each other about an axis parallel to the thickness direction of the lightguide to reflect light from the input arm into different directions that are on the same side of the input arm.

16. The lightguide of claim 15, wherein at least one of the risers in the plurality of light reflecting risers comprises a planar portion.