Optics for aisle lighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10948162-B2
Application number	US-201916403928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2019
Priority date	May 4, 2018
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

An optic for aisle lighting includes a portion of an optical material defined by a length and a cross-sectional profile. The cross-sectional profile is characterized by a cavity within the optical material, two upwardly-facing surfaces of the optical material on opposite sides of the cavity from one another, and downwardly-facing surfaces of the optical material. The cavity is bounded by an upward facing aperture, and at least three faces of the optical material that meet at interior angles. Light received through the upward facing aperture is separated at the interior angles, and refracted by the faces of the optical material, into separate light beams equal in number to the faces. The two upwardly-facing surfaces internally reflect the separate light beams downwardly. The downwardly-facing surfaces intercept respective portions of the separate light beams, and refract the portions as they exit the optic.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optic for aisle lighting, comprising:
a portion of an optical material defined by a length and a cross-sectional profile orthogonal to the length, wherein the cross-sectional profile is characterized by:
an upper side of the cross-sectional profile forming a cavity within the optical material, the cavity being bounded by
an upward facing aperture, and
three faces of the optical material that meet at interior angles, such that when light is received through the upward facing aperture of the cavity, the light is separated at the interior angles, and refracted by the faces of the optical material, into three separate light beams;
and wherein a first face of the faces of the optical material extends along a bottom of the cavity, and is arranged such that the first face of the optical material reduces a beam spread of a first light beam of the three separate light beams that are refracted therethrough; and
second and third faces of the faces of the optical material are planar and substantially vertical faces of the optical material that face one another across the cavity, with each of the second and third faces adjoining the first face along the bottom of the cavity, the second and third faces being arranged so as to reduce beam spreads of corresponding second and third light beams of the three separate light beams refracted therethrough; and
the cross-sectional profile being further characterized by:
two upwardly-facing surfaces of the optical material on opposite sides of the cavity from one another, each of the two upwardly-facing surfaces being configured to internally reflect respective ones of the separate light beams downwardly, as compared with their original directions, the two upwardly-facing surfaces of the optical material being sufficiently curved so as to further reduce the beam spreads of the corresponding second and third light beams as the light beams reflect from the upwardly-facing surfaces; and
a plurality of downwardly-facing surfaces of the optical material, arranged such that each of the downwardly-facing surfaces intercepts at least a portion of one of the separate light beams, and refracts the portion of the one of the separate light beams as it exits the optic, and wherein:
first and second ones of the downwardly-facing surfaces meet at an angle, so as to provide different center ray angles for first and second portions of the first light beam, as they exit the optic; and
the first and second ones of the downwardly-facing surfaces are curved surfaces arranged to further reduce beam spreads of the first and second portions of the first light beam, as compared to beam spreads of the first and second portions of the first light beam, as refracted by the first face of the optical material.

2. The optic of claim 1 , wherein the two upwardly-facing surfaces of the optical material on opposite sides of the cavity from one another are coated with a reflective material.

3. The optic of claim 1 , wherein:
the first face of the optical material is a planar horizontal surface, and
the second and third faces of the optical material adjoin the first face of the optical material at angles of eighty degrees to one hundred ten degrees.

4. The optic of claim 1 , wherein the first and second ones of the downwardly-facing surfaces are arranged to substantially collimate each of the first and second portions of the first light beam, and to refract the first and second portions of the first light beam so that the different center ray angles are at least ten degrees different from one another, as the first and second portions of the first light beam exit the optic.

5. The optic of claim 4 , wherein:
the cross-sectional profile is bilaterally symmetric, such that the center ray angle of the first portion of the first light beam, is equal and horizontally opposite to the center ray angle of the second portion of the first light beam.

6. An optic for aisle lighting, comprising:
a portion of an optical material defined by a length and a cross-sectional profile orthogonal to the length, wherein the cross-sectional profile is characterized by:
an upper side of the cross-sectional profile forming a cavity within the optical material, the cavity being bounded by
an upward facing aperture, and
three faces of the optical material that meet at interior angles,
such that when light is received through the upward facing aperture of the cavity, the light is separated at the interior angles, and refracted by the faces of the optical material, into three separate light beams, and wherein:
a first face of the three faces of the optical material extends along a bottom of the cavity, and is arranged such that the first face of the optical material reduces a beam spread of a first light beam of the three separate light beams that is refracted therethrough; and
second and third faces of the faces of the optical material are planar and substantially vertical faces of the optical material that face one another across the cavity, with each of the second and third faces adjoining the first face along the bottom of the cavity, the second and third faces being arranged so as to reduce beam spreads of corresponding second and third light beams of the three separate light beams refracted therethrough;
the cross-sectional profile being further characterized by:
two upwardly-facing surfaces of the optical material on opposite sides of the cavity from one another, each of the two upwardly-facing surfaces being configured to internally reflect respective ones of the separate light beams downwardly, as compared with their original directions,
and wherein the two upwardly-facing surfaces of the optical material are sufficiently curved so as to further reduce the beam spreads of the corresponding second and third light beams as the light beams reflect from the upwardly-facing surfaces, and
each of the upwardly-facing surfaces is arranged so as to substantially collimate the second and third light beams within the optic as they propagate downwardly; and

a plurality of downwardly-facing surfaces of the optical material, arranged such that each of the downwardly-facing surfaces intercepts at least a portion of one of the separate light beams, and refracts the portion of the one of the separate light beams as it exits the optic, and wherein:
first and second ones of the downwardly-facing surfaces meet at an angle, so as to provide different center ray angles for first and second portions of the first light beam, as they exit the optic; and are arranged to substantially collimate each of the first and second portions of the first light beam, and to refract the first and second portions of the first light beam so that the different center ray angles are at least ten degrees different from one another, as the first and second portions of the first light beam exit the optic; and
third and fourth ones of the downwardly-facing surfaces are substantially planar surfaces that are arranged so as to refract the second and third light beams, as they exit the optic, into respective output angles from nadir that are substantially the same as the center ray angles of the first and second portions of the first light beam, respectively.

7. An optic for aisle lighting, comprising:
a portion of an optical material defined by a length and a cross-sectional profile orthogonal to the length, wherein the cross-sectional profile is characterized by:
an upper side of the cross-sectional profile forming a cavity within the optical material, the cavity being bounded by
an upward facing aperture, and
three faces of the optical material that meet at interior angles,
such that when light is received through the upward facing aperture of the cavity, the light is separated at the interio

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Chen Jie
• Marquardt Craig Eugene

Classifications

• F21V7/0091 Primary

  using total internal reflection · CPC title

• F21V5/02

  of prismatic shape (F21V5/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/30

  Collimators · CPC title

• F21V5/04

  of lens shape · CPC title

• G02B19/0061 Primary

  the light source comprising a LED · CPC title