Modular Light Guide Luminaires

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016370533-A1
Application number	US-201414905782-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 18, 2014
Priority date	Jul 18, 2013
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present technology relates to achieving a low manufactured cost and high design alignment robustness for fabrication of modular light guide luminaires featuring solid state light-emitting elements.

First claim

1 . A luminaire module comprising:
one or more light-emitting elements (LEEs) disposed on one or more substrates and adapted to emit light in a forward direction; a light guide comprising an input end and an output end, and side surfaces extending from the input end to the output end, the side surfaces shaped to guide light emitted by the one or more LEEs and received at the input end of the light guide in the forward direction to the output end of the light guide and provide guided light at the output end of the light guide; and an optical extractor optically coupled with the output end of the light guide and adapted to receive the guided light, the optical extractor having a first redirecting surface and one or more output surfaces, the first redirecting surface of the optical extractor being adapted to reflect at least a portion of the light received at the optical extractor in a first direction that has a component orthogonal to the forward direction, wherein at least one of the first redirecting surface or at least one of the one or more output surfaces diffuse light.

2 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , wherein the light guide comprises a solid transparent material and the side surfaces are configured to guide the light via TIR.

3 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , wherein the light guide is hollow and the side surfaces are reflectors configured to guide the light via specular reflection.

4 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , further comprising one or more couplers positioned to receive a portion of the light emitted by corresponding one or more LEEs and adapted to at least partially collimate the received portion of the light, the one or more couplers being adjacent to the input end of the light guide.

5 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , wherein the optical extractor comprises a second redirecting surface, the second redirecting surface of the optical extractor being adapted to reflect at least a portion of the light received at the optical extractor in a second direction that has a component orthogonal to the forward direction and antiparallel to the orthogonal component of the first direction.

6 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first redirecting surface, the second redirecting surface, or at least one of the one or more output surfaces comprises a diffusive film.

7 . The luminaire module of claim 6 , wherein the diffusive film is reflective.

8 . The luminaire module of claim 6 , wherein the diffusive film is transmissive.

9 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first redirecting surface, the second redirecting surface, or at least one of the one or more output surfaces comprises diffusive structures.

10 . The luminaire module of claim 9 , wherein the diffusive structures include facets.

11 . The luminaire module of claim 9 , wherein the diffusive structures include indentations.

12 . The luminaire module of claim 9 , wherein the diffusive structures include undulating features.

13 . The luminaire module of claim 9 , wherein the diffusive structures are two dimensional within at least one of the first redirecting surface, the second redirecting surface, or at least one of the one or more output surfaces.

14 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , wherein the diffusive surfaces have translational symmetry of at least one of the first redirecting surface, the second redirecting surface, or at least one of the one or more output surfaces.

15 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first redirecting surface, the second redirecting surface, or at least one of the one or more output surfaces further comprises a reflective coating.

16 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , further comprising one or more reflectors disposed on at least a portion of at least one of the first or the second redirecting surface of the optical extractor.

17 . The luminaire module of claim 1 , further comprising a cap coupled to the optical extractor such that light that is output through at least one of the first or the second redirecting surface is received at an input surface of the cap.

18 . The luminaire module of claim 17 , wherein the cap comprises a diffusive light output surface.

19 . A method of fabricating the optical extractor of claim 9 , the method comprising:
providing an optical extractor having smooth surfaces corresponding to at least one of the first redirecting surface, the second redirecting surface, or at least one of the one or more output surfaces; and generating the diffusive structures on at least one of the smooth surfaces.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein generating the diffuse structures comprises embossing the diffusive structures.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein generating the diffuse structure comprises molding the diffusive structures.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein generating the diffuse structure comprises imprinting the diffusive structures.

23 . A method of fabricating the optical extractor of claim 6 , the method comprising disposing the diffusive film on at least one of the first redirecting surface, the second redirecting surface, or at least one of the one or more output surfaces.

24 - 71 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Quarkstar Llc

Inventors

• York Allan Brent
• Speier Ingo
• Stormberg Hans Peter

Classifications

• G02B6/0096

  the lights guides being of the hollow type · CPC title

• G02B6/002

  by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces · CPC title

• F21K9/61

  using light guides · CPC title

• G02B6/0045

  by shaping at least a portion of the light guide · CPC title

• G02B6/0055

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title