LED assembly having a refractor that provides improved light control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9587802-B2
Application number	US-201514693193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2015
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

An LED assembly that includes optics and optical arrangements for light emitting diodes (LEDs). In some embodiments, a reflector is provided within a void between the lens and the LED. This reflector can reflect light emitted by the LED in a non-preferred direction back toward the preferred direction. In other embodiments, an optical element is formed or otherwise provided in the lens cavity and shaped so that, when the lens is positioned above the LED, the refractor bends the emitted light in a preferred direction. In some embodiments, both a reflector and optical element are provided in the LED assembly to control the directionality of the emitted light. Such embodiments of the invention can be used to increase the efficiency of an LED by ensuring that generated light is being directed to the target area of choice.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light assembly for distributing light in a preferred direction, the light assembly comprising:
a light emitter coupled with a substrate, the light emitter defining an emitter axis that is perpendicular to the substrate, a plane including the emitter axis dividing a preferred side from a non-preferred side; and
a lens positioned over the light emitter and defining a lens cavity enclosed between the substrate and the lens,
wherein for a first portion of light, defined as all light emitted by the light emitter that enters the lens cavity on the preferred side, the lens emits all of the first portion of light toward the preferred side without refracting any of the first portion of light toward the non-preferred side;

an optical element disposed within the lens cavity on the non-preferred side,
wherein for a second portion of light, defined as all light emitted by the light emitter that both enters the lens cavity on the non-preferred side and first impinges on the optical element, the optical element refracts all of the second portion of light toward the preferred side without refracting any of the first portion of light toward the non-preferred side; and

a reflector disposed within the lens cavity on the non-preferred side and arranged such that all of the light emitted by the light emitter that enters the lens cavity on the non-preferred side excluding the second portion of the light reflects from the reflector before impinging on the lens or the optical element,
wherein for a third portion of light, defined as all light emitted by the light emitter that enters the lens cavity on the non-preferred side excluding the second portion of the light, the reflector reflects all of the third portion of light toward the preferred side;

such that all of the first, second and third portions of the light exit the lens toward the preferred side.

2. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a circuit board.

3. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein a subset of the third portion of light reflects toward the optical element, and wherein the optical element refracts the subset of the third portion of light so that the subset exits the lens in the preferred direction.

4. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical element is formed integrally with the lens.

5. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the optical element is separate from the lens, is disposed in contact with the lens and extends from the lens toward the light emitter.

6. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one optical element terminates in a tip that points from the lens toward the light emitter.

7. A light assembly for distributing light in a preferred direction, the light assembly comprising:
a light emitter coupled with a substrate, the light emitter defining an emitter axis that is perpendicular to the substrate, a plane including the emitter axis dividing a preferred side from a non-preferred side; and
a lens positioned over the light emitter and defining a lens cavity enclosed between the substrate and the lens,
wherein for a first portion of light, defined as all light emitted by the light emitter that enters the lens cavity on the preferred side, the lens emits all of the first portion of light toward the preferred side without refracting any of the first portion of light toward the non-preferred side;

an optical element disposed within the lens cavity on the non-preferred side, wherein:
the optical element is radially symmetric about the emitter axis, and
for a second portion of light, defined as all light emitted by the light emitter that both enters the lens cavity on the non-preferred side and first impinges on the optical element, the optical element refracts all of the second portion of light toward the preferred side without refracting any of the first portion of light toward the non-preferred side; and

a reflector disposed within the lens cavity on the non-preferred side and arranged such that all of the light emitted by the light emitter that enters the lens cavity on the non-preferred side excluding the second portion of the light reflects from the reflector before impinging on the lens or the optical element,
wherein for a third portion of light, defined as all light emitted by the light emitter that enters the lens cavity on the non-preferred side excluding the second portion of the light, the reflector reflects all of the third portion of light toward the preferred side;

such that all of the first, second and third portions of the light exit the lens toward the preferred side.

8. A light assembly for distributing light in a preferred direction, the light assembly comprising:
a light emitter coupled with a substrate, the light emitter defining an emitter axis that is perpendicular to the substrate, a plane including the emitter axis dividing a preferred side from a non-preferred side; and
a lens positioned over the light emitter and defining a lens cavity enclosed between the substrate and the lens,
wherein for a first portion of light, defined as all light emitted by the light emitter that enters the lens cavity on the preferred side, the lens emits all of the first portion of light toward the preferred side without refracting any of the first portion of light toward the non-preferred side;

an optical element disposed within the lens cavity on the non-preferred side, wherein:
wherein the optical element forms a tip and defines an axis of symmetry that extends through the tip,
the axis of symmetry extends parallel to but is offset from the light emitter axis, and
for a second portion of light, defined as all light emitted by the light emitter that both enters the lens cavity on the non-preferred side and first impinges on the optical element, the optical element refracts all of the second portion of light toward the preferred side without refracting any of the first portion of light toward the non-preferred side; and

a reflector disposed within the lens cavity on the non-preferred side and arranged such that all of the light emitted by the light emitter that enters the lens cavity on the non-preferred side excluding the second portion of the light reflects from the reflector before impinging on the lens or the optical element,
wherein for a third portion of light, defined as all light emitted by the light emitter that enters the lens cavity on the non-preferred side excluding the second portion of the light, the reflector reflects all of the third portion of light toward the preferred side;

such that all of the first, second and third portions of the light exit the lens toward the preferred side.

9. The light assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reflector extends at least partially around the light emitter.

10. A light assembly comprising:
a substrate;
a light emitter supported on the substrate and having an emitter axis oriented outwardly from and normal to the substrate, wherein a preferred-side and a non-preferred-side are separated by a plane that includes the emitter axis;
a lens positioned over the light emitter, the lens comprising:
an outer surface, and
an inner surface, wherein a void exists between the light emitter and the inner surface;

an optical element, disposed exclusively on the non-preferred-side and within the void, that is shaped to refract light that is emitted from the light emitter directly toward the optical element, so that the refracted light exits the lens toward the preferred side; and
a reflector, coupled with the substrate and disposed within the void on the non-preferred-side, that reflects light that is emitted from the light emitter directly toward the reflector so that the reflected light exits the lens toward the

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Chen Jie
• Marquardt Craig Eugene
• Weiss Daniel Aaron
• Sekowski Daniel Vincent
• Abdelsamed Yaser S

Classifications

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21V5/04

  of lens shape · CPC title

• F21V13/04 Primary

  the elements being reflectors and refractors {(for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40)} · CPC title

• F21W2131/10

  Outdoor lighting · CPC title

• F21V5/08

  producing an asymmetric light distribution · CPC title