EP3254022A1 - Recycling of light with solid and hollow light pipes - Google Patents

Recycling of light with solid and hollow light pipes

Info

Publication number
EP3254022A1
EP3254022A1 EP16747399.0A EP16747399A EP3254022A1 EP 3254022 A1 EP3254022 A1 EP 3254022A1 EP 16747399 A EP16747399 A EP 16747399A EP 3254022 A1 EP3254022 A1 EP 3254022A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
light
output
leds
recycling
mirror
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP16747399.0A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP3254022A4 (en
Inventor
Kenneth Li
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Meadowstar Enterprises Ltd
Original Assignee
Meadowstar Enterprises Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Meadowstar Enterprises Ltd filed Critical Meadowstar Enterprises Ltd
Publication of EP3254022A1 publication Critical patent/EP3254022A1/en
Publication of EP3254022A4 publication Critical patent/EP3254022A4/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0096—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the lights guides being of the hollow type
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0005—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being of the fibre type
    • G02B6/0008—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being of the fibre type the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/0001—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems
    • G02B6/0005—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings specially adapted for lighting devices or systems the light guides being of the fibre type
    • G02B6/0006—Coupling light into the fibre
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L33/00—Semiconductor devices with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
    • H01L33/48—Semiconductor devices with at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier specially adapted for light emission; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by the semiconductor body packages
    • H01L33/58—Optical field-shaping elements

Definitions

  • Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the invention. It includes a light source, which is one or more LEDs, mounted on a heats ink.
  • the output of the light source is coupled to the input end of a tapered light pipe (TLP) having an output with larger area.
  • TLP tapered light pipe
  • the cross- section of the TLP can be square, rectangular, circular, or other shapes.
  • the TLP transforms the light from small area, large angle at the input to large area, small angle at the output.
  • the output face of the TLP can be flat, but for more effective transformation, the output surface of the TLP is made convex.
  • the output of the TLP is then coupled to a hollow light pipe with reflective walls inside.
  • the hollow light pipe guides the light toward the output end.
  • a mirror is used to reflect part of the light back to die hollow light pipe, TLP and the light source for recycling.
  • the un-reflected light exits through the aperture, which is the output of the system.
  • the output aperture can be square, rectangular, circular, etc. The light reflected back to the light source will be redirected towards the output together with the emitted light, increasing the brightness of the system.
  • FIG 2a shows an embodiment of the invention applied to a light combining system.
  • the system includes two of more of the recycling light system module (RLSM) as shown in Figure 1.
  • RLSM recycling light system module
  • Each RLSM consists of LEDs with color different from the others, As shown in Figure 2a, it consists of 3 RLSMs, one is RED, one is GREEN, and one is BLUE. These are the 3 primary color, when combined, produces color displays.
  • a 4- color system can also be made using 4 RLSMs. for example, with RED, GREEN, BLUE, and YELLOW.
  • FIG. 2a shows the outputs of the 3 RLSMs as shown in Figure 2a.
  • Figure 2b shows the X-Cube indicating the reflective surface and apertures used.
  • the reflective surface and aperture can be made as part of the X- Cube, or can be part of the hollow light pipe with the RLSM.
  • Figure 3a shows an embodiment with two or more RLSMs assembled together producing combined output with recycling. As shown in Figure 3a, it is a 2 x 2 system consisting of 4- RLSMs with rectangular TLPs, and with, end view as shown in Figure 3b.
  • Four independent hollow light pipes can be used.
  • a single hollow light pipe is used with a single aperture for the output. A smal l portion of light from one light pipe can be reflected to the neighboring light pipe in the recycling process, which is fine as the light will be recycled by the neighboring LED,
  • the TLP can be made with, glass or plastic. They can be polished or molded, A.R coatings can be added to the end surfaces.
  • the hollow light pipes can be made with glass, plastic, or metal with reflective coating in the inside.
  • the output mirror with aperture can be made with glass, plastic, or metal.
  • the tapered light pipe transforms light from large angle to small angle desi gned to match the requirement of the application.
  • It can be used for flashlight, search light, or spot light applications where the output from the RLSM can be collimated or have divergence changed with lenses.
  • the combined output from the X-Cube can be used for projectors, entertainment lighting systems, and spot lights.

Abstract

The present invention is a device for recycling light emitted from an LED light source having one or more LEDs mounted on a heatsink. The device includes a tapered light pipe being rectangular or circular in shape, having an input end smaller than the output end. The LEDs are coupled to the input end. The output end is coupled to a hollow tunnel with a reflective interior surface with the other end of the hollow tunnel covered by a mirror directed toward the interior surface of the hollow tunnel. The mirror having an output aperture about the middle and a reflective interior surface guiding light emitted from the LEDs toward the output aperture. The mirror reflects part of the light emitted from the LEDs that does not exit the output aperture thereby recycling the light and increasing the brightness of light emitted through the output aperture.

Description

RECYLING OF LIGHT WITH SOLID AND HOLLOW LIGHTP PIPES
Inventor: Kenneth Li
Claims:
To increase brightness of LED, recycling of light back to the LED chip is used. Various methods have been used with different level of cost and difficulty. In this invention, a combination of solid and hollow light pipes is used producing a simple and cost effecti ve mean of recycling.
Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the invention. It includes a light source, which is one or more LEDs, mounted on a heats ink. The output of the light source is coupled to the input end of a tapered light pipe (TLP) having an output with larger area. The cross- section of the TLP can be square, rectangular, circular, or other shapes. The TLP transforms the light from small area, large angle at the input to large area, small angle at the output. The output face of the TLP can be flat, but for more effective transformation, the output surface of the TLP is made convex. The output of the TLP is then coupled to a hollow light pipe with reflective walls inside. The hollow light pipe guides the light toward the output end. At the output end, a mirror is used to reflect part of the light back to die hollow light pipe, TLP and the light source for recycling. The un-reflected light exits through the aperture, which is the output of the system. The output aperture can be square, rectangular, circular, etc. The light reflected back to the light source will be redirected towards the output together with the emitted light, increasing the brightness of the system.
Figure 2a shows an embodiment of the invention applied to a light combining system. The system includes two of more of the recycling light system module (RLSM) as shown in Figure 1. Each RLSM consists of LEDs with color different from the others, As shown in Figure 2a, it consists of 3 RLSMs, one is RED, one is GREEN, and one is BLUE. These are the 3 primary color, when combined, produces color displays. A 4- color system can also be made using 4 RLSMs. for example, with RED, GREEN, BLUE, and YELLOW. The outputs of the 3 RLSMs as shown in Figure 2a are combined using an X-Cube, which consists of two diagonal color filters transmitting and reflecting the appropriate colors such that all 3 colored outputs from the RLSMs are directed to the output with minimum loss. Figure 2b shows the X-Cube indicating the reflective surface and apertures used. The reflective surface and aperture can be made as part of the X- Cube, or can be part of the hollow light pipe with the RLSM.
Figure 3a shows an embodiment with two or more RLSMs assembled together producing combined output with recycling. As shown in Figure 3a, it is a 2 x 2 system consisting of 4- RLSMs with rectangular TLPs, and with, end view as shown in Figure 3b. Four independent hollow light pipes can be used. For practical implementation, a single hollow light pipe is used with a single aperture for the output. A smal l portion of light from one light pipe can be reflected to the neighboring light pipe in the recycling process, which is fine as the light will be recycled by the neighboring LED,
The TLP can be made with, glass or plastic. They can be polished or molded, A.R coatings can be added to the end surfaces. The hollow light pipes can be made with glass, plastic, or metal with reflective coating in the inside.
The output mirror with aperture can be made with glass, plastic, or metal.
The tapered light pipe transforms light from large angle to small angle desi gned to match the requirement of the application.
It can be used for flashlight, search light, or spot light applications where the output from the RLSM can be collimated or have divergence changed with lenses.
As shown inFigure 2a, the combined output from the X-Cube can be used for projectors, entertainment lighting systems, and spot lights.

Claims

1 . A device for recycling light emitted from an LED light source comprising one or more LEDs mounted on a heatsink, a tapered light pipe having an input end and an output end said input end being smaller than said output end said output end that transforms light output from said input end having a small area, large angle to said output end having a large area, small angle, said tapered light pipe being rectangular or circular in shape, said output end being flat or convex, said one or more LEDs coupled to said input end, a hollow light tunnel having a reflective interior surface, one end coupled to said output end of said light pipe and a second end covered by a mirror directed toward the interior surface of said hollow light tunnel, said mirror having an output aperture about the middle of said mirror, wherein said reflective interior surface guiding light emitted from said one or more LEDs toward said output aperture, where said mirror reflects part of said light emitted from said one or more LEDs that does not exit said output aperture to said hollow light pipe, said tapered light pipe and said light source thereby recycling said light, said recycled light combined with said emitted light thereby increasing the brightness of light emitted through said output aperture.
EP16747399.0A 2015-02-06 2016-02-06 Recycling of light with solid and hollow light pipes Withdrawn EP3254022A4 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201562112781P 2015-02-06 2015-02-06
PCT/US2016/016907 WO2016127145A1 (en) 2015-02-06 2016-02-06 Recycling of light with solid and hollow light pipes

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3254022A1 true EP3254022A1 (en) 2017-12-13
EP3254022A4 EP3254022A4 (en) 2018-07-25

Family

ID=56564798

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP16747399.0A Withdrawn EP3254022A4 (en) 2015-02-06 2016-02-06 Recycling of light with solid and hollow light pipes

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP3254022A4 (en)
JP (1) JP2018510448A (en)
KR (1) KR20170116001A (en)
CN (1) CN106537032A (en)
CA (1) CA2945662A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2016127145A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN107191880A (en) * 2017-07-21 2017-09-22 陕西普光能源技术有限公司 One kind is based on underground pipe gallery solar illumination apparatus
US11068675B2 (en) * 2017-12-05 2021-07-20 Datalogic Ip Tech S.R.L. Highly efficient and eye-safe illumination unit for a barcode reader
CN108758453A (en) * 2018-08-03 2018-11-06 佛山市南海区协隆电器有限公司 A kind of polychrome starry sky projector

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6960872B2 (en) * 2003-05-23 2005-11-01 Goldeneye, Inc. Illumination systems utilizing light emitting diodes and light recycling to enhance output radiance
US6869206B2 (en) * 2003-05-23 2005-03-22 Scott Moore Zimmerman Illumination systems utilizing highly reflective light emitting diodes and light recycling to enhance brightness
US7234820B2 (en) * 2005-04-11 2007-06-26 Philips Lumileds Lighting Company, Llc Illuminators using reflective optics with recycling and color mixing
US7889430B2 (en) * 2006-05-09 2011-02-15 Ostendo Technologies, Inc. LED-based high efficiency illumination systems for use in projection systems
CA2652240C (en) * 2006-06-13 2016-04-26 Wavien, Inc. Illumination system and method for recycling light to increase the brightness of the light source
EP2553322A4 (en) * 2010-04-01 2017-09-13 Meadowstar Enterprises, Ltd. Led illumination system with recycled light

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JP2018510448A (en) 2018-04-12
CA2945662A1 (en) 2016-08-11
WO2016127145A1 (en) 2016-08-11
KR20170116001A (en) 2017-10-18
CN106537032A (en) 2017-03-22
EP3254022A4 (en) 2018-07-25

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