Semi-cylindrical illuminator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10753578-B2
Application number	US-201916435893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2019
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to an illumination system converting light beams into wide-angle light transmissions. It includes i) a cylindrical member having a cone-shaped depression in a distal end; and ii) a semi-circular member having an inner radial surface adjacent to a sidewall of the cylindrical member; and angled upper and lower annular surfaces extending from the cylindrical member and meeting at an outer radial edge. A light beam entering the proximal end of the cylindrical member strikes a first edge of the cone-shaped depression and is reflected out as a first light transmission; or it strikes a second edge of the cone-shaped depression, is reflected against the upper and lower annular surfaces, and exits the cylindrical member as a second light transmission parallel to the first diffused light transmission. At least one light path passes through a diffuser on the cylindrical member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An illuminator comprising:
a cylinder having a depression at a distal end of the cylinder, the depression having a right circular cone shape and a first sloped surface sloping between 40-60° from the distal end, and the cylinder having at least one diffuser;
a first flaring skirt member depending from a first portion of the cylinder, the first flaring skirt member having a second sloped surface sloping between 40-60° from the distal end of the cylinder; and
a second flaring skirt member depending from a second portion of the cylinder, the first flaring skirt member having a third sloped surface of sloping between 40-60° from a proximal end of the cylinder;
the flaring skirt members meeting to define an equatorial ridge; each flaring skirt member having first and second side surfaces meeting the first and second side surfaces of the other flaring skirt member;
wherein when a light beam enters the proximal end of the cylinder, i) the light beam strikes a first portion of the first sloped surface and is reflected to exit the cylinder on a first path, or ii) the light beam strikes a second portion of the first sloped surface and is reflected against the second sloped surface, then the third sloped surface, and then exits the cylindrical member on a second path parallel to the first path; and
wherein at least one of the first and second paths pass through the diffuser.

2. The illuminator of claim 1 wherein:
the first flaring skirt member depends from a half portion of the distal end of the cylinder; and
the second flaring skirt member depends from a half portion of the proximal end of the cylinder.

3. The illuminator of claim 1 , the second and third sloped surfaces being sloped between 44-46°.

4. The illuminator of claim 1 , the diffuser providing a vertical angle in the range of 0-35° to the path passing through it.

5. The illuminator of claim 1 , comprising a flat-top diffuser providing a vertical angle to the path passing through it, chosen from the following: 0.5, 1, 2, 3.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 degrees.

6. The illuminator of claim 1 wherein:
the first path is proximate to the distal end of the cylinder;
the second path is proximate to the proximal end of the cylinder; and
both paths are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the cylinder.

7. An illumination system comprising:
a cylindrical member having:
a sidewall comprising a diffuser;
a longitudinal axis; and
a top portion comprising a cavity having an inverted right-angled cone shape, the cavity including a first angled surface being symmetrical about the longitudinal axis; and

a half-torus member adjacent to the cylindrical member, the half-torus member having:
an inner radius adjacent to the cylindrical member;
a second angled surface extending outward and downward from the top portion of the cylindrical member;
a third angled surface extending outward and upward from a bottom portion of the cylindrical member; the second and third angled surfaces meeting to define an outer radius of the half-torus member; and
first and second end surfaces, each end surface connecting the second and third angled surfaces, and each end surface extending outward from the cylindrical member;

wherein a light beam entering the bottom portion of the cylindrical member hits the first angled surface and is reflected to exit through the cylindrical member;
wherein when the light beam strikes a first portion of the first angled surface, the light beam is reflected to exit the cylindrical member on a first path, the first path being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and when the light beam strikes a second portion of the first angled surface, the light beam reflects against the second angled surface, then the third angled surface, and then exits the cylindrical member on a second path parallel to the first path; and
wherein at least one of the first and second paths pass through the diffuser.

8. The illumination system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second angled surfaces extend from the cylindrical member at an angle between 40-60°; and
the second and third angled surfaces meet at an angle between 60-120° to define the outer radius of the half-torus member.

9. The illumination system of claim 7 , wherein:
each of the first and second angled surfaces extend from the cylindrical member at an angle between 44-46°; and
the second and third angled surfaces meeting at a right angle to define the outer radius of the half-torus member.

10. The illumination system of claim 7 , the light beam being collimated when entering the cylindrical member.

11. The illumination system of claim 7 , comprising a flat-top diffuser providing a vertical angle in the range of 0-35° to the path passing through it.

12. The illumination system of claim 7 , the diffuser providing a vertical angle to the path passing through it, chosen from the following: 0.5, 1, 2, 3.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 degrees.

13. The illumination system of claim 7 , wherein:
the inverted angled surface is divided into a first half section distal from the semicircular body member and a second half section proximate to the semicircular body member; and
when the light beam strikes the first half section of the inverted angled surface distal from the, the light beam is reflected to exit the cylindrical body member on a first path through the top portion of the cylinder; and when the light beam strikes the second half section of the inverted angled surface, the light beam reflects against the semicircular upper segment, then the semicircular lower segment, and then exits the cylindrical body member on a second path through the bottom portion of the cylinder, the first and second paths being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member.

14. An illumination system comprising:
a cylindrical body member having a top portion, a bottom portion, and a longitudinal axis; the top portion having a depression in a shape of an inverted right circular cone with an inverted angled surface, the inverted angled surface being symmetrical about the longitudinal axis, and at least one of the top and bottom portions comprising a diffuser; and
a semicircular body member adjacent to the cylindrical body member, the semicircular body member having:
a semicircular upper segment flaring downward from the cylindrical body member;
a semicircular lower segment flaring upward from the cylindrical body member, the semicircular segments meeting and defining a semicircular equator; and
first and second side surfaces attaching to opposite sides of the cylindrical body member, the side surfaces defining a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical body member;

wherein a light beam entering the bottom portion of the cylindrical body member hits the inverted angled surface and spreads in a 360° angle direction;
wherein when the light beam strikes a first portion of the inverted angled surface, the light beam is reflected to exit the cylindrical body member on a first path; and when the light beam strikes a second portion of the inverted angled surface, the light beam reflects against the semicircular upper segment, then the semicircular lower segment, and then exits the cylindrical body member on a second path parallel to the first path; and
wherein at least one of the first and second paths pass through the diffuser.

15. The illumination system of claim 14 ,
the semicircular segments flaring at a 45° angle from the cylindrical body member; and
the semicircular segments meeting at a right angle at the semicircular equator.

Assignees

• Luminit Llc

Inventors

• Ang Anthony

Classifications

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G02B5/02

  Diffusing elements; Afocal elements · CPC title

• F21V13/10 Primary

  the elements being reflectors and screens · CPC title

• F21V7/0033

  with successive reflections from one reflector to the next or following · CPC title

• G01S7/4817

  relating to scanning · CPC title