Luminaire utilizing waveguide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9835317-B2
Application number	US-201615060354-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

According to one aspect, an optical waveguide comprises a plurality of coupling cavities for directing light into a waveguide body spaced from a particular point. Further, each of the coupling cavities comprises a dimension that varies with distance from the particular point.

First claim

We claim:

1. An optical waveguide, comprising:
a plurality of coupling cavities comprising differing shapes for directing light into a waveguide body; wherein the plurality of coupling cavities are spaced from a particular point and the shape of each of the coupling cavities comprises a dimension that varies with distance from the particular point;
wherein for each coupling cavity at least one LED element is disposed adjacent the respective coupling cavity and aligned therewith;
wherein the optical waveguide extends in an x-dimension and a y-dimension orthogonal to the x-dimension, wherein the particular point lies on a particular line extending parallel to the y-dimension, and the waveguide body is divided in the x-dimension by the particular line to define at least first and second portions of the waveguide body; and
wherein the plurality of coupling cavities is disposed on one of the first and second portions and a further plurality of coupling cavities is disposed on another of the first and second portions.

2. The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein first and second pluralities of LED elements are aligned with the at least two pluralities of coupling cavities for coupling light into the waveguide body; and
further comprising at least one planar surface disposed between the plurality of coupling cavities and the further plurality of coupling cavities wherein LED elements are only aligned adjacent the plurality of coupling cavities and the further plurality of coupling cavities.

3. The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein each of the at least first and second portions is divided by second and third particular lines, respectively; and
wherein the dimension of each cavity of the pluralities of coupling cavities varies with distance from the second particular line and third particular line on the at least first and second portions, respectively.

4. The optical waveguide of claim 3 , wherein each of the coupling cavities comprises a surface with a shape that is at least partially parabolic; and
wherein the dimension that varies in dependence upon distance from the particular point is a focal length of each coupling cavity.

5. The optical waveguide of claim 4 , wherein coupling cavities having the shortest focal length are proximal the particular point.

6. The optical waveguide of claim 1 , further comprising at least one planar surface disposed between the plurality of coupling cavities and a further plurality of coupling cavities, and further comprising an indentation in the at least one planar surface disposed substantially equidistantly between the pluralities of coupling cavities.

7. The optical waveguide of claim 6 , further comprising at least one light redirection feature for redirecting light in the waveguide body, wherein the at least one light redirection feature extends at an oblique angle to the at least one planar surface.

8. The optical waveguide of claim 1 , further comprising a first light extraction feature aligned with a first subset of the plurality of coupling cavities for extracting light out of the optical waveguide in a first direction, a light redirection feature aligned with a second subset of the plurality of coupling cavities for redirecting light in the optical waveguide, and a second light extraction feature for extracting light out of the optical waveguide in a second direction different than the first direction.

9. The optical waveguide of claim 1 , wherein the coupling cavities of the further plurality comprise a dimension that varies with distance from the particular point.

10. An optical waveguide extending in orthogonal x- and y-dimensions, comprising:
a waveguide body of the optical waveguide that couples with a plurality of LED elements along the x-dimension;
at least one light extraction member extending in the x-dimension for extracting light out of the waveguide body;
at least one plurality of abutting light extraction members extending in the y-dimension for extracting light out of the waveguide body; and
at least one plurality of light extraction members extending in the x-dimension parallel to the at least one light extraction member and spaced from the at least one plurality of abutting light extraction members extending in the y-dimension;
wherein each of the light extraction members of the at least one plurality of abutting light extraction members extends an entire length of the waveguide body and divides the at least one light extraction member extending in the x-dimension.

11. The optical waveguide of claim 10 , further comprising:
at least two pluralities of coupling cavities for directing light into the waveguide body disposed on either side of a particular line wherein the coupling cavities of at least one of the pluralities of cavities comprise a dimension that varies in dependence upon distance from the particular line;
wherein the particular line divides the waveguide body into at least first and second portions; and
wherein at least one of the pluralities of coupling cavities is disposed on each of the at least first and second portions.

12. The optical waveguide of claim 11 , wherein first and second pluralities of LED elements are aligned with the at least two pluralities of coupling cavities for coupling light into the waveguide body.

13. The optical waveguide of claim 11 , wherein each of the at least first and second portions are divided by second and third particular lines; and
wherein the dimension of each of the coupling cavities of the at least two pluralities of coupling cavities varies in dependence upon distance from the second and third particular line on the respective first and second portions.

14. The optical waveguide of claim 11 , further comprising at least one planar surface that separates the at least two pluralities of coupling cavities; and
wherein the at least one planar surface is substantially aligned with the at least one plurality of adjacent light extraction members.

15. The optical waveguide of claim 14 , wherein the at least one planar surface and the at least one light extraction member extending in the x-dimension form opposing end surfaces of the at least one plurality of adjacent light extraction members extending in the y-dimension.

16. An optical waveguide extending in orthogonal x- and y-dimensions, comprising:
at least one first light extraction member extending in the x-dimension for extracting light out of a waveguide body;
at least one plurality of light extraction members extending in the y-dimension for extracting light out of the waveguide body;
at least first and second portions of the waveguide body disposed on either side of the plurality of light extraction members;
a plurality of light redirection features extending transverse to the at least one plurality of light extraction members and the at least one first light extraction member;
first and second pluralities of coupling cavities disposed on the respective at least first and second portions of the waveguide body;
wherein an end surface of each of the at least one plurality of light extraction members forms a portion of the at least one first light extraction member;
wherein the plurality of light redirection features are disposed on both the at least one plurality of light extraction members and the at least first and second portions of the waveguide body; and
wherein the at least one first light extraction member is disposed at an end of the optical waveguide opposite a coupling end surface.

17. The optical waveguide of claim 16 , further comprising:
at least two pluralities of couplin

Assignees

• Cree Inc

Inventors

• Yuan Zongjie
• Goldstein Corey J
• Wilcox Kurt S

Classifications

• F21V29/51

  using condensation or evaporation of a fluid, e.g. heat pipes · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21V21/116 Primary

  Fixing lighting devices to arms or standards (F21V21/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F21S8/086

  with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways · CPC title

• G02B6/0036

  2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces · CPC title