Solid-state luminaire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10162098-B2
Application number	US-201414767564-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2014
Priority date	Feb 13, 2013
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A luminaire includes (i) light-emitting elements (LEEs), (ii) couplers to receive light from the LEEs and to redirect the received light, and (iii) a light guide including input and output ends and a pair of opposing surfaces both extending along an axis of the light guide. The light guide receives light from the couplers at the input end and guides light along the axis to the output end. The luminaire includes (iv) a diffuser adjacent the light guide to diffuse at least a portion of the light output by the light guide, and (v) a reflector to receive the light emitted from the output end of the light guide, such that light output by the light guide without impinging on the diffuser impinges on only one of the surfaces of the reflector. When operated, the luminaire outputs light within first and second output angular ranges.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A luminaire comprising:
a. one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) arranged to provide light within a first angular range;
b. one or more couplers arranged to receive light from the one or more LEEs and configured to provide light within a second angular range;
c. a light guide comprising an input end and an output end at opposing ends of the light guide and a pair of opposing surfaces both extending along an axis of the light guide, the light guide being arranged to receive light from the one or more couplers at an input end and guide light along the axis to the output end of the light guide;
d. a diffuser adjacent the light guide and configured to diffuse at least a portion of the light output by the light guide; and
e. a reflector having two or more surfaces, the reflector being positioned to receive the light emitted from the output end of the light guide, such that light output by the light guide without impinging on the diffuser impinges on only one of the surfaces of the reflector,
wherein, when operated, the luminaire outputs light within a first output angular range and a second output angular range.

2. The luminaire according to claim 1 , wherein
the diffuser is a transmitting diffuser at the output end of the light guide, and
the reflector is spaced apart from the diffuser and oriented to receive diffusely transmitted light from the diffuser and is configured to redirect the diffusely transmitted light in the first and second output angular ranges.

3. The luminaire according to claim 1 , wherein
the diffuser is a transmitting diffuser at a side surface of the light guide adjacent the output end and is configured to provide diffusely transmitted light in the first output angular range, and
the reflector is spaced apart from the diffuser and oriented to receive light from the output end of the light guide and is configured to redirect the received light in the second output angular range.

4. The luminaire according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second diffuser adjacent the light guide and configured to diffusely transmit at least another portion of the light guided by the light guide,
wherein the diffuser and the second diffuser are at different side surfaces of the light guide adjacent the output end and are configured to respectively diffusely transmit light in the first and second output angular ranges, and
wherein the reflector is coupled to the light guide at the output end and is configured to reflect light—guided by the light guide—towards the diffuser and the second diffuser.

5. The luminaire according to claim 4 , wherein the light in one of the first or second output angular ranges propagates forward and the light in the other output angular range propagates backward.

6. The luminaire according to claim 4 , wherein the diffuser extends across a portion of the width of the light guide proximate the output end.

7. The luminaire according to claim 6 , wherein the second diffuser extends across a second portion of the width of the light guide proximate the output end.

8. The luminaire according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more couplers substantially propagate light within a solid transparent material.

9. The luminaire according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide substantially propagates light within a solid transparent material.

10. The luminaire according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide is a planar light guide.

11. The luminaire according to claim 1 , wherein the reflector has an elongate configuration.

12. The luminaire according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the surfaces of the reflector is convex.

13. The luminaire according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the surfaces of the reflector is concave.

14. A luminaire comprising:
a. one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) arranged to provide light within a first angular range;
b. one or more couplers arranged to receive light from the one or more LEEs and configured to provide light within a second angular range;
c. a light guide comprising an input end and an output end at opposing ends of the light guide, the light guide being arranged to receive light from the one or more couplers at the input end and guide light along an axis to the output end of the light guide; and
d. a reflector having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the reflector being positioned to receive the light emitted from the output end of the light guide, first and second surfaces being arranged asymmetrically with respect to the axis so that, during operation, the first surface of the reflector reflects light from the light guide in a first output angular range and the second surface of the reflector reflects light from the light guide in a second output angular range,
wherein the first and second output angular ranges are asymmetric relative to each other with respect to the axis, and light in at least one of the first and second output ranges propagates forward with respect to the axis.

15. The luminaire of claim 14 , wherein the first and second surfaces of the reflector extend parallel to a common plane that is non-parallel to the axis.

16. The luminaire of claim 15 , wherein an edge of the reflector is arranged proximate to the output end of the light guide.

17. The luminaire of claim 14 , wherein the light guide is a planar light guide.

18. The luminaire according to claim 14 , wherein the light guide substantially propagates light within a solid transparent material.

19. The luminaire of claim 14 , wherein the reflector is a diffuse reflector.

20. The luminaire according to claim 14 , wherein the one or more couplers substantially propagate light within a solid transparent material.

21. The luminaire according to claim 14 , wherein the reflector has an elongate configuration.

22. The luminaire according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one of the surfaces of the reflector is convex.

23. The luminaire according to claim 14 , wherein the at least one of the surfaces of the reflector is concave.

Assignees

• Quarkstar Llc

Inventors

• Lerman Louis

Classifications

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21V7/05

  plane · CPC title

• F21V7/04

  Optical design · CPC title

• F21Y2115/30

  Semiconductor lasers · CPC title

• G02B6/0063

  for extracting light out both the major surfaces of the light guide · CPC title