Optical member, light source device, and irradiation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10180232-B2
Application number	US-201715691555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

An optical member includes one or more lens surfaces, each lens surface comprising a curved surface having: a curvature in a first direction, and a curvature in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction in an imaginary plane perpendicular to an optical axis of incident light. Each of the one or more lens surfaces has a substantially rectangular planar shape when viewed in an optical axis direction, the substantially rectangular planar shape being defined by two sides substantially parallel to the first direction and two sides substantially parallel to the second direction. The curvature in the second direction continuously increases from a first end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction toward a second end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical member comprising:
one or more lens surfaces, each lens surface comprising a curved surface having:
a curvature in a first direction, and
a curvature in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction in an imaginary plane perpendicular to an optical axis of incident light,

wherein each of the one or more lens surfaces has a substantially rectangular planar shape when viewed in an optical axis direction, the substantially rectangular planar shape being defined by two sides substantially parallel to the first direction and two sides substantially parallel to the second direction, and
wherein the curvature in the second direction continuously increases from a first end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction toward a second end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction.

2. The optical member according to claim 1 , wherein:
the curvature in the first direction comprises a spline curve or a Bézier curve,
the curvature in the second direction comprises a curve that is a portion of an ellipse at the first end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction, and a curve that is a portion of a circle at the second end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction.

3. The optical member according to claim 2 ,
wherein the one or more lens surfaces comprise a plurality of the lens surfaces that are arranged in a matrix and oriented in the same direction.

4. A light source device comprising:
the optical member according to claim 3 ; and
a light source configured to irradiate collimated light on the optical member.

5. An irradiation system comprising:
the light source device according to claim 4 ; and
an inclined surface positioned to be irradiated with light emitted from the light source device,
wherein the inclined surface is inclined with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to light emitted from the light source device such that a first end of the inclined surface that is closer to the first end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction is located closer to the light source device and a second end of the inclined surface that is closer to the second end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction is located farther from the light source device.

6. A light source device comprising:
the optical member according to claim 2 ; and
a light source configured to irradiate collimated light on the optical member.

7. An irradiation system comprising:
the light source device according to claim 6 ; and
an inclined surface positioned to be irradiated with light emitted from the light source device,
wherein the inclined surface is inclined with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to light emitted from the light source device such that a first end of the inclined surface that is closer to the first end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction is located closer to the light source device and a second end of the inclined surface that is closer to the second end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction is located farther from the light source device.

8. The optical member according to claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more lens surfaces comprise a plurality of the lens surfaces that are arranged in a matrix and oriented in the same direction.

9. A light source device comprising:
the optical member according to claim 8 ; and
a light source configured to irradiate collimated light on the optical member.

10. An irradiation system comprising:
the light source device according to claim 9 ; and
an inclined surface positioned to be irradiated with light emitted from the light source device,
wherein the inclined surface is inclined with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to light emitted from the light source device such that a first end of the inclined surface that is closer to the first end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction is located closer to the light source device and a second end of the inclined surface that is closer to the second end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction is located farther from the light source device.

11. A light source device comprising:
the optical member according to claim 1 ; and
a light source configured to irradiate collimated light on the optical member.

12. An irradiation system comprising:
the light source device according to claim 11 ; and
an inclined surface positioned to be irradiated with light emitted from the light source device,
wherein the inclined surface is inclined with respect to an imaginary plane perpendicular to light emitted from the light source device such that a first end of the inclined surface that is closer to the first end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction is located closer to the light source device and a second end of the inclined surface that is closer to the second end of each of the one or more lens surfaces in the first direction is located farther from the light source device.

Assignees

• Nichia Corp

Inventors

• Fujimori Hiroshi
• Wakafuji Akiyoshi

Classifications

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• G09F13/02

  Signs, boards, or panels, illuminated by artificial light sources positioned in front of the insignia · CPC title

• G02B2003/0093

  characterised by the shape · CPC title

• F21S8/086

  with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways · CPC title

• G02B3/0056

  arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085) · CPC title