Packed pillow optic array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9546771-B2
Application number	US-201313975490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2013
Priority date	Aug 26, 2013
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A pillow optic array comprising a plurality of first order pillow optic elements arranged as a two-dimensional grid with a plurality of interstice spaces between adjacent first order pillow optic elements. Each of a plurality of second order pillow optic elements, located within respective interstice spaces. Pillow optic elements of the second order have a predetermined dimension that is less than a predetermined dimension for pillow optic elements of the first order. A ratio of a cross-sectional width of pillow optic elements to a cross-sectional height of pillow optic element is the same proportion for each order of pillow optic elements in the pillow optic array, the cross-sectional width being located in a plane along the pillow optic array and the cross-sectional height located in a plane vertical to the pillow optic array. The higher order pillow optic elements touching, about tangentially, a lower order pillow optic element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pillow optic array comprising:
a plurality of first order pillow optic elements having a first predetermined dimension;
the plurality of first order pillow optic elements arranged as a two-dimensional grid, the adjacent first order pillow optic elements touching about tangentially;
a plurality of interstice spaces, the plurality of interstice spaces located between adjacent first order pillow optic elements;
a plurality of second order pillow optic elements, each of the plurality of second order pillow optic elements having a second predetermined dimension;
at least one respective element of the plurality of second order pillow optic elements located within respective ones of the plurality of interstice spaces; and
the second predetermined dimension being less than the first predetermined dimension;
wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional width of pillow optic elements to a cross-sectional height of pillow optic element is the same proportion for each order of pillow optic elements in the pillow optic array, the cross-sectional width being located in a plane along the pillow optic array and the cross-sectional height located in a plane vertical to the pillow optic array.

2. The pillow optic array of claim 1 , where adjacent rows of the pillow optic array are offset so as to form a triangular grid between centers of pillow optic elements in the adjacent rows.

3. The pillow optic array of claim 1 , where the pillow optic elements have a circular cross section in at least one plane.

4. The pillow optic array of claim 3 , wherein the pillow optic element is a portion of spherical pillow optic element.

5. The pillow optic array of claim 1 , including the respective elements of the plurality of second order pillow optic elements touching about tangentially first order pillow optic elements adjacent to the respective ones of the plurality of interstice spaces.

6. A lamp comprising the pillow optic array of claim 1 , the lamp including a lamp base located distal from the pillow optic array and a light source emitter located between the lamp base and the pillow optic array.

7. The lamp of claim 6 , wherein the light source is one of a light emitting diode LED and an LED array.

8. A pillow optic array comprising:
a plurality of first order pillow optic elements having a first predetermined dimension;
the plurality of first order pillow optic elements arranged as a two-dimensional grid, the adjacent first order pillow optic elements touching about tangentially;
a plurality of interstice spaces, the plurality of interstice spaces located between adjacent first order pillow optic elements;
a plurality of second order pillow optic elements, each of the plurality of second order pillow optic elements having a second predetermined dimension;
at least one respective element of the plurality of second order pillow optic elements located within respective ones of the plurality of interstice spaces; and
the second predetermined dimension being less than the first predetermined dimension;
wherein the pillow optic array further includes:
a plurality of third order pillow optic elements, each of the plurality of third order pillow optic elements having a third predetermined dimension;
two or more respective elements of the plurality of third order pillow optic elements being located within respective ones of the plurality of interstice spaces adjacent to the respective elements of the plurality of second order pillow optic elements; and
the third predetermined dimension being less than the second predetermined dimension.

9. The pillow optic array of claim 8 , wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional width of pillow optic elements to a cross-sectional height of pillow optic element is the same for each order of pillow optic elements in the pillow optic array, the cross-sectional width being located in a plane along the pillow optic array and the cross-sectional height located in a plane vertical to the pillow optic array.

10. The pillow optic array of claim 8 , including the respective elements of the plurality of third order pillow optic elements touching about tangentially the respective second order pillow optic elements located in the respective ones of the plurality of interstice spaces.

11. The pillow optic array of claim 8 , including:
one or more pluralities of higher order pillow optic elements, each of the pluralities of higher order pillow optic elements having a respective predetermined dimension;
two or more respective elements of the pluralities of higher order pillow optic elements being located within respective ones of the plurality of interstice spaces adjacent to respective elements of a plurality of lower order pillow optic elements; and
each of the respective predetermined dimensions being less than a predetermined dimension for each of the plurality of lower order pillow optic elements.

12. The pillow optic array of claim 11 , wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional width of pillow optic elements to a cross-sectional height of pillow optic element is the same for each order of pillow optic elements in the pillow optic array, the cross-sectional width being located in a plane along the pillow optic array and the cross-sectional height located in a plane vertical to the pillow optic array.

13. The pillow optic array of claim 11 , including the respective elements of the pluralities of higher order pillow optic elements touching about tangentially the respective lower order pillow optic element located in the respective ones of the plurality of interstice spaces.

14. A lamp comprising:
a pillow optic array lens, and a light source emitter, the pillow optic array lens comprising:
a plurality of first order pillow optic elements having a first predetermined dimension;
the plurality of first order pillow optic elements arranged as a two-dimensional grid, the adjacent first order pillow optic elements touching about tangentially, wherein each of the plurality of first order pillow optic elements comprises a geometric shape that is concave or convex with respect to a surface of the pillow optic array lens;
a plurality of interstice spaces, the plurality of interstice spaces located between adjacent first order pillow optic elements;
a plurality of second order pillow optic elements, each of the plurality of second order pillow optic elements having a second predetermined dimension;
at least one respective element of the plurality of second order pillow optic elements located within respective ones of the plurality of interstice spaces; and
the second predetermined dimension being less than the first predetermined dimension.

15. The lamp of claim 14 , wherein a ratio of a cross-sectional width of pillow optic elements to a cross-sectional height of pillow optic element is the same proportion for each order of pillow optic elements in the pillow optic array lens, the cross-sectional width being located in a plane along the pillow optic array lens and the cross-sectional height located in a plane vertical to the pillow optic array lens.

16. The lamp of claim 14 , where adjacent rows of the pillow optic array are offset so as to form a triangular grid between centers of pillow optic elements in the adjacent rows.

17. The lamp of claim 14 , where the pillow optic elements have a circular cross section in at least one plane.

18. The lamp of claim 17 , wherein the pillow optic element is a portion of spherical pillow optic element.

19. The lamp of claim 14 , including the respective elements of the plural

Assignees

• Ge Lighting Solutions Llc

Inventors

• Mayer Mark J

Classifications

• G02B3/0068

  arranged in a single integral body or plate, e.g. laminates or hybrid structures with other optical elements (G02B5/1885, G02B17/002, G02B30/27 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B3/0056 Primary

  arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085) · CPC title

• F21V5/04 Primary

  of lens shape · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• G02B6/08

  with fibre bundle in form of plate · CPC title