摘要:
A cylindrical irradiance-redistribution lens is positioned over a line of LEDs, and is shaped to redistribute their light for uniformly illuminating a nearby planar target, such as shelves, signs, or walls. The lens shape is calculated via matching the cumulative lateral flux functions of the line of LEDs with that of the uniformly illuminated planar target. Numerous preferred embodiments are disclosed for a variety of illumination geometries.
摘要:
An illumination apparatus comprises an elongated waveguide having proximal and distal ends and a central longitudinal axis. The waveguide includes an elongated forward side for outputting light and an elongated rearward side having an elongated reflective surface for reflecting light towards the forward side. A light source such as a solid state light emitter may be situated on the proximal end of the waveguide introduces light into the waveguide in the form of a beam which propagates from the proximal end to the distal end. Light traveling within the waveguide is reflected from the reflective surface along the elongated rearward side towards the forward side for viewing.
摘要:
An illumination lens for hemispherically emitting light emitting diodes is disclosed that produces a square illumination pattern too narrow for a refractive lens to produce by itself. The lens is freeform in that it departs from circular symmetry in order to produce a square pattern. It is catadioptric in that it comprises a central refractive lens with a square output of desired angular width and a surrounding TIR prism that produces the same square output, overlapping the first for better uniformity of the sum. The central lens and circumambient TIR prism are joined in a monolithic configuration suitable for injection molding. Vector equations are disclosed for generating the shapes of the five optically active surfaces of the invention, two internal surfaces forming a central cavity surrounding the LED and three external surfaces, all five departing from circular symmetry.
摘要:
A tubular luminaire efficiently utilizes the light of a line of high-brightness unlensed LEDs to reproduce the homogeneous appearance of a neon tube. The transparent tube has an annular cross-section suitable for cost-effective manufacturing by extrusion. The LEDs are mounted in a line on a circuit board that can be positioned either inside or outside the tube. Their light shines into a cylindrical groove, thereby entering within the material of the tube. Above the groove, the wall of the tube has a spiral shape that reflects the light laterally so that it stays within the annular tube for a considerable path length. Volume scattering by a low density of scattering inclusions causes the light to escape as a homogenous glow. Alternatively, mild surface scattering from the inside surface can be used.
摘要:
Various embodiments described herein comprise array of light emitting diodes and a cylindrical lens having front and rear curved surfaces. The cylindrical lens is disposed to receive light from the light emitting diodes and to redistribute the light. The cylindrical lens is located no more than about 8 inches distance from the front an illumination target, which may for example, comprise products on shelves in a refrigerator. The front and rear surfaces of the cylindrical lens are shaped to provide substantially uniform illumination across the target.
摘要:
Apparatus for integral collection and storage of solar thermal energy, comprises(a) a relatively large storage vessel having side and end walls that absorb solar energy in order to heat its contents;(b) a translucent enclosure surrounding the large storage vessel, for suppression of convective heat losses;(c) structure on the vessel for the suppression of thermal radiation heat losses from said large storage vessel;the apparatus providing a ratio of thermal mass, as measured in BTU per degree Fahrenheit, to heat-loss coefficient, as measured in BTU per degree Fahrenheit per hour, exceeding 36 hours.
摘要:
A light source emits light into a solid angle exceeding pi steradians with a known intensity distribution. An illumination lens has a first surface that receives at least 90% of the light of the known intensity distribution and has a shape that transforms the known intensity distribution into an intermediate intensity distribution within the transparent material of the lens. A second surface receives the intermediate intensity distribution and is shaped to transform the intermediate intensity distribution into a final intensity distribution that produces a prescribed illumination distribution upon a rectangular target zone. At least one of the shapes of the first and second surfaces is non-rotationally symmetric and is approximated by a super-ellipsoid.
摘要:
A light source emits light into a solid angle exceeding pi steradians with a known intensity distribution. An illumination lens has a first surface that receives at least 90% of the light of the known intensity distribution and has a shape that transforms the known intensity distribution into an intermediate intensity distribution within the transparent material of the lens. A second surface receives the intermediate intensity distribution and is shaped to transform the intermediate intensity distribution into a final intensity distribution that produces a prescribed illumination distribution upon a rectangular target zone. At least one of the shapes of the first and second surfaces is non-rotationally symmetric and is approximated by a super-ellipsoid.
摘要:
An illumination-redistribution lens comprising a thick aspheric lens collecting a high proportion of the luminous output of a compact LED with a quasi-hemispheric pattern. After receiving the highly nonuniform illuminance from the nearby LED, the lower surface refractively deflects these rays into a less diverging angular pattern that results in uniform illuminance on the upper surface of the lens, which itself is shaped so its distribution of slope angles refractively deflects the uniform illuminance distribution into an exiting beam that will produce uniform illuminance on a distant target, such as a table below a ceiling-mounted unit. When square-cut sections of such lenses are laterally arrayed to form a downlight, a uniform rectangular spot will be produced on the target.
摘要:
In one embodiment of a solar concentrator, a tailored aspheric lens augments the solar-concentrator performance of a concave mirror, widening its acceptance angle for easier solar tracking, making it more cost-competitive for ultra-large arrays. The molded-glass secondary lens also includes a short rod for reducing the peak concentration on a photovoltaic cell that is optically bonded to the end of the rod. The Simultaneous Multiple Surface method produces lens shapes suitable for a variety of medium and high concentrations by mirrored dishes. Besides the rotationally symmetric parabolic mirror itself, other aspheric deviations therefrom are described, including a free-form rectangular mirror that has its focal region at its edge.