Light guiding body and lighting system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9568661-B2
Application number	US-201514627541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 20, 2015
Priority date	Mar 18, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

A light guiding body that guides light includes, a light guiding portion, and an introducing portion including a plane of incidence and a curvature surface connected to the plane of incidence to guide the light to the light guiding portion by being connected to the light guiding portion, wherein an angle θ 1 formed by a line segment connecting a first point on the plane of incidence and a second point on the curvature surface and a normal of the curvature surface at the second point satisfies θ 1 ≧sin −1 (1/n), where n is an index of refraction of the light guiding body.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A lighting system comprising:
a light guiding body comprising a light guiding portion, and an introducing portion including a plane of incidence and a curvature surface connected to the plane of incidence, the introducing portion is configured to guide the light to the light guiding portion by being connected to the light guiding portion, wherein an angle θ 1 formed by a line segment connecting a first point on the plane of incidence and a second point on the curvature surface and a normal of the curvature surface at the second point satisfies, θ 1 ≧sin −1 (1/n), where n is an index of refraction of the light guiding body, the curvature surface is curved to be convex in a direction along the plane of incidence toward the direction moving away from the light guiding portion,
a light source provided at a position opposite to the plane of incidence directly irradiates the plane of incidence, the curvature surface, and a surface of reflection with light; the surface of reflection is curved to be convex in a direction along the plane of incidence toward the direction moving away from the light guiding portion, deviating from the plane of incidence toward the curvature surface, reflecting the portion of light radiated from the light source toward the curvature surface; wherein
an angle θ 2 formed by the line segment connecting a third point on the plane of incidence and a fourth point on the surface of reflection and the normal of the surface of reflection at the fourth point satisfies
θ 2 <sin −1 (1 /n ).

2. The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein the third point matches a first junction on a border of the plane of incidence and the curvature surface.

3. The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein θ 2 =0 holds.

4. The lighting system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a second junction positioned between the curvature surface and the surface of reflection, wherein
the direction of the normal of the curvature surface and the surface of reflection at the second junction matches the direction of the normal of the plane of incidence.

5. The lighting system according to claim 4 , wherein the curvature surface and the plane of reflection are joined by a singular point.

6. The lighting system according to claim 5 , wherein the light guiding portion is in a spherical shape.

7. The lighting system according to claim 6 , further comprising: a base, wherein
the light source radiates the light in the direction in which the base projects.

8. The lighting system according to claim 7 , further comprising: a heat transfer portion accommodated inside the light guiding body and to which heat from the light source is transferred.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Ohno Hiroshi
• Kato Mitsuaki
• Takamatsu Tomonao
• Yamamoto Yuichiro

Classifications

• G02B6/002

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

• G02B6/0085

  Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package · CPC title

• G02B6/0031

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title

• G02B6/0045 Primary

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

• G02B6/0001

  specially adapted for lighting devices or systems (lighting or signalling on vehicles using light guides B60Q1/00; lighting devices for vehicle dashboards B60Q3/10; lighting devices for vehicle interior using light guides B60Q3/62; lighting devices mounted on the vehicle rear part using light guides F21S43/235; measuring arrangements having light conducting pointers G01D13/265; illumination of liquid crystal displays G02F1/1336; illuminated signs G09F13/00) · CPC title