Semi-cylindrical illuminator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020332985-A1
Application number	US-202016918771-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 1, 2020
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Oct 22, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

An illumination system converting light beams into wide-angle light transmissions including 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

We claim:

1 . An illumination system comprising:
(a) a cylindrical member comprising a top end, a middle, a bottom end, an inner surface, and an outer surface wherein the top end of the cylindrical member comprises a cone-shaped depression with a tip of the cone extending into an interior portion of the cylindrical member; (b) a diffuser comprising a surface relief pattern on the cylindrical member or comprising a separate diffuser attachment that is adhered to the outer surface of the cylindrical member; and (c) a semicircular member comprising an inner surface and an outer surface wherein the inner surface of the semicircular member encircles a portion of the outer surface of the cylindrical member and wherein the outer surface of the semicircular member comprises an upper angular surface and a lower angular surface that meet at an equatorial ridge.

2 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical member comprises a round or oval outline in a cross-section formed by a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical member.

3 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the bottom end of the cylindrical member comprises a Fresnel lens or a classical lens to collimate a light beam entering the cylinder.

4 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical member and the semicircular member comprise a material comprising a polymer, a glass, a ceramic, or a mixture thereof.

5 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical member and the semicircular member comprise a polymer comprising acrylic, polycarbonate, cyclic olefin copolymer, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, or a mixture thereof.

6 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical member and the semicircular member comprise a material having an index of refraction greater than about 1.41.

7 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical member and the semicircular member comprise separate components or comprise a unitary structure.

8 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the diffuser comprises a holographic diffuser or a flat top diffuser.

9 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the diffuser comprises a holographic diffuser comprising an elliptical diffuser.

10 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the cone-shaped depression comprises a right circular cone.

11 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the cone-shaped depression comprises a sloped surface sloping between 10-80° from the top end of the cylindrical member.

12 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the semicircular member comprises an upper angular surface comprising a sloped surface sloping between 45-135° from the top end of the cylindrical member and a lower angular surface comprising a sloped surface sloping between 45-135° from the bottom end of the cylindrical member wherein the upper angular surface and the lower angular surface meet at an equatorial ridge forming an angle between 60-120°.

13 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the semicircular member comprises an upper angular surface and a lower angular surface wherein the angled surfaces comprise flat surfaces, curved surfaces, or irregular surfaces.

14 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical member and the semicircular member comprise heights that are similar.

15 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the semicircular member encircles about half of the cylindrical member.

16 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the cylindrical member and the semicircular member comprise a hollow interior or a solid interior.

17 . The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the diffuser provides a vertical angle in the range of 0-35° to light exiting the illumination system.

18 . The illumination system of claim 1 further comprising a film or coating.

19 . The illumination system of claim 1 further comprising a film or coating comprising an anti-reflection coating, a hardness coating, a bandpass filter, a wavelength filter, a scratch-resistant coating, an oxide, or a mixture thereof.

20 . The illumination system of claim 1 configured to rotate with or without a rotating light source to create a scanning device.

Assignees

• Luminit Llc

Inventors

• Ang Anthony

Classifications

• F21V13/10 Primary

  the elements being reflectors and screens · CPC title

• G01S7/4817

  relating to scanning · CPC title

• G02B5/02

  Diffusing elements; Afocal elements · CPC title

• F21V7/041

  with conical or pyramidal surface · CPC title

• G01S7/4814

  of transmitters alone · CPC title