Apparatus for radiating light from a virtual source

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435504-B2
Application number	US-201314066795-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A lighting assembly that includes an LED source that generates a light cone (solid angle); and a transparent near field lens having a front surface, a collimating surface, and an aspherical groove. The collimating surface collimates the light cone into a beam that reflects off of the front surface toward the aspherical groove, and the aspherical groove directs the beam away from the lens as an exit cone from a virtual focal point, positive virtual focal ring or a negative virtual focal ring. The exit cone may be evenly distributed, substantially forward or substantially rearward from the virtual focal point or virtual focal ring. Parabolic or aparabolic reflectors can be employed with lighting assemblies having a virtual focal point or virtual focal ring, respectively, to reflect the exit cone in a vehicular exterior lighting pattern.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting assembly, comprising:
an LED source that generates a light cone; and
a transparent near field lens having a front surface, a collimating surface, and an aspherical groove,
wherein the collimating surface collimates the light cone into a beam that reflects off of the front surface toward the groove, the groove shaped to spread the beam as an exit cone substantially evenly distributed from a virtual focal point in forward and rearward directions.

2. The lighting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the near field lens is configured in proximity to the LED source such that the collimating surface collimates a substantial portion of the light cone into the beam that reflects off of the front surface toward the aspherical groove.

3. The lighting assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the aspherical groove possesses a continuously varying radius of curvature.

4. A lighting assembly, comprising:
an LED source that generates a light cone; and
a transparent near field lens having a front surface, a plurality of collimating surfaces, and an aspherical groove,
wherein the collimating surfaces collimate the light cone into a beam that reflects off of the front surface toward the groove, the groove shaped to spread the beam as an exit cone substantially evenly distributed from a virtual focal point in forward and rearward directions.

5. The lighting assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the near field lens is configured in proximity to the LED source such that the collimating surfaces collimate a substantial portion of the light cone into the beam that reflects off of the front surface toward the aspherical groove.

6. The lighting assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the aspherical groove possesses a continuously varying radius of curvature.

7. The lighting assembly according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a parabolic reflector configured to reflect the exit cone in a vehicular exterior lighting pattern.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Durand Jason

Classifications

• F21S43/14

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21S43/315

  using total internal reflection · CPC title

• F21S41/322

  the reflector using total internal reflection · CPC title

• F21S43/33

  characterised by their material, surface treatment or coatings · CPC title

• F21S43/40

  characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors · CPC title