Illumination optical system with tunable beam angle

Abstract

An illumination optical system with a tunable beam angle (IOSTBA) is presented to achieve different beam angles without changing parts. The IOSTBA includes a light source and a post having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end in optical communication with the light source, an internal area of the post having a reflective surface. Also shown is a diffuser disposed across the end of the post, the diffuser in optical communication with the post and a reflector surrounding a portion of the post, the reflector movable along a length of the post. A position of the reflector along the post determines a beam angle of a resulting light beam exiting the IOSTBA. The system features a simple and cost effective optical design which works with a variety of light sources, including color mixing and champing strategies.

Claims

1. An optical system comprising: a light source; a post having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end in optical communication with the light source, an internal area of the post having a reflective surface, wherein the post is totally reflective; a diffuser disposed across the distal end of the post, the diffuser in optical communication with the post; and a reflector surrounding a portion of the post, the reflector movable along a length of the post, wherein a position of the reflector along the post determines a beam angle of a resulting light beam exiting the optical system.

2. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises a smooth parabolic reflector.

3. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the reflector is faceted.

4. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the reflector is specular.

5. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the reflector is Lambertian.

6. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the reflector is between specular and Lambertian.

7. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the resulting light beam is one of the group comprising a Narrow SPot beam (NSP), a SPot light (SP), a Narrow Flood Light (NFL), a FLood (FL), a Wide FLood (WFL), and a Very Wide FLood (VWFL).

8. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the post is comprised of specular material.

9. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the post is comprised of diffusive material.

10. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the post is comprised of solid material.

11. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the post is liquid filled.

12. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the diffuser comprises a cone reflector.

13. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the reflector includes different zonal properties.

14. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the post includes grooves on the side of the post so that light is guided within the post due to two or more total internal reflection (TIR) reflections.

15. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the diffuser has one of the group comprising a flat shape and a curved shape.

16. The optical system of claim 1, wherein the reflector comprises one of the group comprising a plain reflector, a transparent solid having a reflective coating and a transparent solid having as grooved structure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages disclosed herein will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments disclosed herein, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles disclosed herein.

(2) FIG. 1A depicts a cut-away side view of an illumination optical system with a tunable beam angle at a first position according to embodiments disclosed herein.

(3) FIG. 1B shows a graph of a resulting light beam from the illumination optical system of FIG. 1A.

(4) FIG. 2A depicts a cut-away side view of an illumination optical system with a tunable beam angle at a second position according to embodiments disclosed herein.

(5) FIG. 2B shows a graph of a resulting light beam from the illumination optical system of FIG. 2A.

(6) FIG. 3A depicts a cut-away side view of an illumination optical system with a tunable beam angle at a third position according to embodiments disclosed herein.

(7) FIG. 3B shows a graph of a resulting light beam from the illumination optical system of FIG. 3A.

(8) FIG. 4 is a picture of an illumination optical system with a tunable beam angle wherein the post elevates the light source according to embodiments disclosed herein.

(9) FIG. 5A is a diagram of a plain reflector according to embodiments disclosed herein.

(10) FIG. 5B is a diagram of a reflector as a transparent solid with a reflective coating according to embodiments disclosed herein.

(11) FIG. 5C is a diagram of a reflector as a transparent solid with a grooved structure according to embodiments disclosed herein.

(12) FIG. 6A depicts a cut-away side view of an illumination optical system with a tunable beam angle at a first position according to embodiments disclosed herein.

(13) FIG. 6B depicts a cut-away side view of the illumination optical system of FIG. 6A wherein the reflector has been compressed according to embodiments disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(14) Traditionally, e.g. for conventional PAR lamps, a reflector is designed that can satisfy the tightest beam angle requirement, say NSP, and then different diffusers (or a lenticular lens) are placed in front of the designed reflector to achieve all other beam angles. The reflector can be smooth, parabolic, or faceted. The reflection can be specular (high gloss surface with low diffuseness, mirror) or Lambertian (completely diffuse) or anywhere in between. Specular reflection is the mirror-like reflection of light from a surface, in which light from a single incoming direction is reflected into a single outgoing direction. Lambertian reflectance is the property that defines a diffusely reflecting surface. The apparent brightness of such a surface to an observer is the same regardless of the observer's angle of view. As discussed above, in order to get a different beam angle, users have to change the whole lamp, or may have to change the diffusers, which is hard to do because often the diffuser is glued to the reflector as a whole.

(15) One alternative to conventional lighting systems is to use a zoom lens system in front of the light source. While there is no need to change the diffuser for this case, the cost of such a zoom lens system will be an issue for such kind of systems to be adapted by many applications. All the aforementioned issues, as shown below, are addressed by embodiments disclosed herein.

(16) Compared to the traditional way to achieve tunable beam angles by changing the diffusers, embodiments described herein do not require any changeable parts and thus are preferred for many applications. Though the prior art applications are discussed in terms of lamps, embodiments are not so limited and may be used in any type of lighting device, such as but not limited to lamps, light engines, modules, fixtures, luminaires, systems, and so forth. An embodiment of an illumination optical system with tunable beam angle (IOSTBA) 100a is shown in FIG. 1A. It includes a substrate 102 (such as but not limited to a printed circuit board, metal core circuit board, flexible polymer, etc.) having a light source 104 disposed thereon. The light source 104, in some embodiments, is one or more solid state light sources mounted thereon. In some embodiments, individual solid state light sources are used. A post 108 has a proximal end 108a and a distal end 108b, the proximal end 108a in optical communication with the light source 104. An internal area of the post has a reflective surface 110. In some embodiments, the post 108 includes specular reflection film (98% reflectivity) to create a better light recycling chamber. The post 108, in some embodiments, is a hollow tube having a reflective surface on an internal portion thereof. Alternately, in some embodiments, the post 108 is realized as a solid light guide with a reflective surface surrounding the outer portion of the post. The reflective surface can be due to total internal reflection (TIR). It is also possible, in some embodiments, to have V-grooves or other markings on the side of the post 108 so that light will be guided within the post due to two or more TIRs reflections. In some embodiments, the post 108 is filled with a fluid. The post 108 also serves as a mixing chamber for the light. The reflection can be either specular or diffusive or somewhere in between. Specular reflection favors higher optical efficiency with less mixing capabilities. Diffusive reflection has lower optical efficiency with similar reflectivity but favors better light mixing.

(17) When used, a diffuser 112 is disposed across the distal end 108b of the post 108, the diffuser 112 in optical communication with the post 108. The diffuser 112 shown in FIG. 1A is a volume diffuser. Other type of diffusers could be, and in some embodiments are, used. For example, holographic diffusers or engineered diffusers with microstructures could also be used to spread light to specific directions for better controllability. In some embodiments, the diffuser is be totally flat. Thus, in some embodiments, the diffuser curves to form certain shapes. For example, if the post 108 is a solid light guide, the diffuser 112, in some embodiments, is a part of the post 108 with roughened surfaces or molded patterns for specific beam shaping purposes. Again, the diffuser 112 is formed to any desired shape or shapes. “Diffuser” is really a general word here to imply any type of beam shaping optics with refractive/reflective/scattering and even diffractive natures.

(18) The IOSTBA 100a further includes a reflector 114 surrounding a portion of the post 108. The reflector 114 is movable along a length of the post 108, wherein a position of the reflector 114 along the post determines a beam angle of a light beam 116 exiting the optical system. The reflector 114, in some embodiments, is movable along the post 108 by any manner as would be known by one of ordinary skill in the art. Any type of reflector (formed reflectors, faceted reflectors, double TIR reflectors, and/or different shapes and functional reflectors) are possible for use in the IOSTBA 100a. In some embodiments, the reflector 114 has a central opening fitting around the post 108. The reflector 114, in some embodiments, has a highly polished and reflective surface for providing optimal reflection of light, and in other embodiments, has a more or less reflective surface depending on the amount and type of reflection desired. In some embodiments, the reflector 114 has a parabolic shape, though reflectors having different shapes are also possible. The reflector 114 is movable in a vertical (and horizontal) direction about the post 108, and movement of the reflector 114 along the post 108 provides different size light beams, as explained in detail below. Accordingly, the same illumination optical system provides a tunable beam angle and can be used in a variety of applications.

(19) In some embodiments, the reflector 114 is designed with different zonal properties so that different beam angles are obtained. For example, in some embodiments, a cone reflector is used to replace the diffuser. A carefully designed cone reflector will help to guide the light to a specific direction (e.g. form an extreme batwing distribution), which facilitates the reflector design for an accurate control of the beam angle. It should also be noted that color mixing and champing strategies can be used due to a highly efficient light mixing chamber formed within the post 108.

(20) In the IOSTBA 100a shown in FIG. 1A, the reflector 114 is disposed at a lowest position on the post 108. As a result, light from the light source 104 reflects off the reflective surface 110 of the post 108 and to the diffuser 112. Light leaves the diffuser 112 and avoids interaction with the reflector 114 since the reflector 114 is at a lowest position along the post 108, resulting in a wide light beam 152, shown in a graph 150 in FIG. 1B. The resulting wide light beam 152 has a beam angle (FWHM) of approximately 120 degrees.

(21) FIG. 2A shows an IOSTBA 100b, which includes the same components as the IOSTBA 100a of FIG. 1A, but here the reflector 114 is disposed at a generally middle position on the post 108. As a result, light from the light source 104 reflects off the reflective surface 110 of the post 108 and to the diffuser 112, as with the IOSTBA 100a of FIG. 1A. However, here in FIG. 2A, light leaves the diffuser 112 and interacts with the reflector 114, resulting in a narrower light beam 162, as shown in detail in a graph 160 of FIG. 3B. Note that the light beam 162 is narrower than the light beam 152 shown in FIG. 1B due to the position of the reflector 114 along the post 108 in the IOSTBA 100b of FIG. 2A. The resulting narrower light beam 162 has a beam angle of approximately 20 degrees.

(22) FIG. 3A shows an IOSTBA 100c, which includes the same components as the IOSTBA 100a of FIG. 1A and the IOSTBA 100b of FIG. 2A, but here the reflector 114 is disposed at a top position on the post 108. As a result, light from the light source 104 reflects off the reflective surface 110 of the post 108 and to the diffuser 112, as with the IOSTBA 100a of FIG. 1A and the IOSTBA 100b of FIG. 2A. Here, however, somewhat similarly to the IOSTBA 100b of FIG. 2A, light leaves the diffuser 112 and interacts with the reflector 114, resulting in a narrow light beam 172. The narrow light beam 172 is shown in detail in a graph 170 in FIG. 3B, which is narrower than the narrow light beam 162 of FIG. 2B (and also the light beam 152 of FIG. 1B) due to the position of the reflector 114 along the post 108 in the IOSTBA 100c of FIG. 3A. The narrow light beam 172 shown in FIG. 3B has a beam angle of approximately 10 degrees.

(23) FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of an IOSTBA 200 including a base 202, one or more light sources 204, and a post 208. In FIG. 4, the post 208 is a solid, heat conducting cylinder that elevates the one or more light sources 204 and does not use a reflector. In FIG. 4, a substrate 212, onto which the one or more light sources 204 are placed, is mounted on a top of the post 208 (that is, an end of the post 208 that is opposite the base 202). The post 208 is movable in a vertical direction to provide different heights with respect to the base 202.

(24) FIGS. 5A-5C show different style reflectors. FIG. 5A shows a reflector 300 that is a plain reflector, where an incoming ray (denoted by an arrow pointed towards the reflector 300) is reflected back as a reflected ray. FIG. 5B shows a reflector 320 comprising a transparent solid having a reflective coating. FIG. 5C shows a reflector 340 comprising a transparent solid having a grooved structure. While grooves are shown and descried, it should be appreciated that other shapes could also be used. As shown in FIG. 5C, light within the grooved structure is reflected within the groove before being reflected away from the reflector surface.

(25) FIGS. 6A and 6B show an IOSTBA having similar components as the IOSTBA 100a shown in FIG. 1 that changes between a first state 400 and a second state 420. In FIGS. 6A-6B, the reflector 114 is capable of compression. Thus, FIG. 6A shows the reflector 114 in the first state 400 (uncompressed), and FIG. 6B shows the reflector 114 in the (compressed) second state 420. Though the reflector 114 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B is a typical parabolic shape, embodiments are not so limited, and thus in some embodiments, the reflector 114 is comprised of several sections or blades, some or all of which are capable of moving between a first state and a second state.

(26) Unless otherwise stated, use of the word “substantially” may be construed to include a precise relationship, condition, arrangement, orientation, and/or other characteristic, and deviations thereof as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, to the extent that such deviations do not materially affect the disclosed methods and systems.

(27) Throughout the entirety of the present disclosure, use of the articles “a” and/or “an” and/or “the” to modify a noun may be understood to be used for convenience and to include one, or more than one, of the modified noun, unless otherwise specifically stated. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

(28) Elements, components, modules, and/or parts thereof that are described and/or otherwise portrayed through the figures to communicate with, be associated with, and/or be based on, something else, may be understood to so communicate, be associated with, and or be based on in a direct and/or indirect manner, unless otherwise stipulated herein.

(29) Although the methods and systems have been described relative to a specific embodiment thereof, they are not so limited. Obviously many modifications and variations may become apparent in light of the above teachings. Many additional changes in the details, materials, and arrangement of parts, herein described and illustrated, may be made by those skilled in the art.