Photoconversion device and illumination system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11835225-B2
Application number	US-202117915359-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A photoconversion device includes a holder, a wavelength converter, and an optical element. The holder holds an output portion that outputs excitation light. The wavelength converter includes an incident surface section including a protruding surface to receive the excitation light from the output portion and emits fluorescence in response to the excitation light incident on the incident surface section. The optical element includes a focal point surrounded by the incident surface to direct the fluorescence emitted by the wavelength converter in a predetermined direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photoconversion device, comprising:
a holder holding an output portion configured to output excitation light;
a wavelength converter including an incident surface section including a protruding surface to receive an excitation light from the output portion, the wavelength converter being configured to emit a fluorescence in response to the excitation light that is incident on the incident surface section;
an optical element including a reflector surrounding the wavelength converter, the reflector including a focal point surrounded by the incident surface section to direct the fluorescence emitted by the wavelength converter in a predetermined direction, the reflector being configured to reflect the fluorescence emitted by the wavelength converter;
a drive configured to change an illuminating area to receive the excitation light in the incident surface section, wherein
the incident surface section includes a plurality of phosphor areas including a first phosphor area and a second phosphor area,
the first phosphor area emits a first fluorescence with a first wavelength spectrum in response to the excitation light,
the second phosphor area emits a second fluorescence with a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum in response to the excitation light,
the drive moves a part of at least one of the holder or the wavelength converter to change a relative positional relationship between the output portion and the plurality of phosphor areas,
the drive includes a mover configured to move the wavelength converter and the holder relative to each other in an intersecting direction intersecting with an optical axis of the excitation light, and
the plurality of phosphor areas is arranged in the intersecting direction in a plan view of the wavelength converter in a direction parallel to the optical axis.

2. The photoconversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical element includes a lens configured to transmit the fluorescence emitted by the wavelength converter.

3. The photoconversion device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical element focuses the fluorescence at an input end of an optical transmitter.

4. An illumination system, comprising:
a light-emitting module configured to emit excitation light;
a first optical transmitter configured to transmit the excitation light from the light-emitting module;
a relay including the photoconversion device according to claim 1 ;
a second optical transmitter configured to transmit the fluorescence from the relay; and
an optical radiation module configured to radiate the fluorescence transmitted by the second optical transmitter into an external space,
wherein the output portion includes an output end of the first optical transmitter.

5. A photoconversion device, comprising
a holder holding an output portion configured to output excitation light;
a wavelength converter including an incident surface section including a protruding surface to receive an excitation light from the output portion, the wavelength converter being configured to emit a fluorescence in response to the excitation light that is incident on the incident surface section;
an optical element including a focusing element configured to focus the fluorescence emitted by the wavelength converter onto a focusing plane, the optical element including a conjugate point having a conjugate relation with a point on the focusing plane, the conjugate point being surrounded by the incident surface section; and
a drive configured to change an illuminating area to receive the excitation light in the incident surface section, wherein
the incident surface section includes a plurality of phosphor areas including a first phosphor area and a second phosphor area,
the first phosphor area emits a first fluorescence with a first wavelength spectrum in response to the excitation light,
the second phosphor area emits a second fluorescence with a second wavelength spectrum different from the first wavelength spectrum in response to the excitation light,
the drive moves a part of at least one of the holder or the wavelength converter to change a relative positional relationship between the output portion and the plurality of phosphor areas,
the drive includes a mover configured to move the wavelength converter and the holder relative to each other in an intersecting direction intersecting with an optical axis of the excitation light, and
the plurality of phosphor areas is arranged in the intersecting direction in a plan view of the wavelength converter in a direction parallel to the optical axis.

6. A photoconversion device, comprising
a holder holding an output portion configured to output excitation light;
a wavelength converter including an incident surface section including a protruding surface to receive an excitation light from the output portion, the wavelength converter being configured to emit a fluorescence in response to the excitation light that is incident on the incident surface section; and
an optical element including a reflector surrounding the wavelength converter, the reflector including a focal point surrounded by the incident surface section to direct the fluorescence emitted by the wavelength converter in a predetermined direction, the reflector being configured to reflect the fluorescence emitted by the wavelength converter, wherein
the incident surface section includes a first incident surface and a second incident surface being opposite to each other, and
the photoconversion device further comprises a splitter optical system configured to split the excitation light from the output portion into first excitation light and second excitation light and direct the first excitation light to the first incidence surface and direct the second excitation light to the second incidence surface.

7. The photoconversion device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a reflector including a reflective surface and a through-hole in the reflective surface, the reflective surface being concave and surrounding the splitter optical system and the wavelength converter, the through-hole being configured to allow the excitation light to pass through, the reflector being configured to reflect, with the reflective surface, the fluorescence emitted by the wavelength converter.

8. The photoconversion device according to claim 6 , wherein
the wavelength converter includes
a first phosphor portion including the first incident surface, the first phosphor portion being configured to emit first fluorescence with a first wavelength spectrum in response to the first excitation light, and
a second phosphor portion including the second incident surface, the second phosphor portion being configured to emit second fluorescence with a second wavelength spectrum different from the first fluorescence in response to the second excitation light.

9. The photoconversion device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a reflector including a reflective surface being concave and surrounding the wavelength converter, the reflector being configured to reflect, with the reflective surface, the fluorescence emitted by the wavelength converter to be focused at an input end of an optical transmitter.

10. A photoconversion device comprising:
a holder holding an output portion configured to output an excitation light;
a wavelength converter including an incident surface section including a protruding surface to receive the excitation light from the output portion, the wavelength converter being configured to emit fluorescence in response to the excitation light that is incident on the incident surface section;
an optical element including a reflect

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Takeuchi Eri
• Niino Noritaka

Classifications

• F21V9/35 Primary

  at focal points, e.g. of refractors, lenses, reflectors or arrays of light sources · CPC title

• F21V5/04

  of lens shape · CPC title

• F21V7/06

  with parabolic curvature · CPC title

• F21V9/45

  by adjustment of photoluminescent elements · CPC title

• F21V29/502

  characterised by the adaptation for cooling of specific components · CPC title