Light collector with a plurality of lenslets packed in an optimized dense circular pattern

A method of providing a light collector adapted to collect light from a plurality of light sources, wherein the light collector comprises a plurality of lenslets adapted to collect light from the plurality of light sources and adapted to convert the collected light into a plurality of light beams so that the plurality of light beams propagate along an optical axis, wherein each lenslet of the plurality of lenslets comprise an entrance surface where the light enters the lenslet and an exit surface where the light exits the lenslet, and wherein each lenslet of the plurality of lenslets has a substantial uniform circular cross section of the lenslet, the method comprising:

• arranging the lenslets in a dense pattern, wherein the plurality of lenslets comprise a plurality of outermost lenslets located along an outer circular boundary, wherein each of the plurality of outermost lenslets has a same diameter as that of the other plurality of outermost lenslets, and has a same radial distance to a center of the light collector, wherein each of the plurality of outermost lenslets contacts two other outermost lenslets and at least one inner lenslet located inside the plurality of outermost lenslets,
• optimizing a packaging density defined by a ratio of a sum of areas of circular cross sections of the plurality of lenslets and an area enclosed or defined by the outer circular boundary,
• providing at least 12 outermost lenslets,
• optimizing the packaging density to at least 0.79,
• arranging a first group of lenslets of the plurality of lenslets located inside the plurality of outermost lenslets on a first annular ring;
• and
• arranging a second group of lenslets of the plurality of lenslets located inside the plurality of outermost lenslets on a second annular ring,
• wherein a diameter of each of the plurality of lenslets is the same for the first group of lenslets and the second group of lenslets,
• wherein a difference in length of a first lenslet of the first group of lenslets on the first annular ring to the center of the light collector and a first lenslet of the second group of lenslets on the second annular ring to the center of the light collector is less than a half of the diameter of each of the plurality of lenslets,
• wherein the dense pattern is a non-hexagonal pattern.

A light collector adapted to collect light from a plurality of light sources, the light collector comprising:

• a plurality of lenslets adapted to collect light from the light sources and adapted to convert the collected light into a plurality of light beams so that the plurality of light beams propagate along an optical axis, wherein each lenslet of the plurality of lenslets comprises an entrance surface where the light enters the lenslet and an exit surface where the light exits the lenslet, the plurality of lenslets are arranged in a dense pattern, wherein the plurality of lenslets comprise a plurality of outermost adjacent lenslets located along an outer circular boundary, wherein each of the plurality of outermost adjacent lenslets has a same diameter as that of the other plurality of outermost adjacent lenslets, and has a same radial distance to a center of the light collector, wherein each of the plurality of outermost adjacent lenslets contacts two other outermost adjacent lenslets and at least one inner lenslet located inside the plurality of outermost adjacent lenslets, and wherein the dense pattern has been obtained by optimizing a packaging density defined by a ratio of a sum of areas of circular cross sections of the plurality of lenslets and an area enclosed or defined by the outer circular boundary, wherein the plurality of outermost adjacent lenslets comprise at least 12 outermost lenslets and that the packaging density is less than 0.88,
• a first group of lenslets of the plurality of lenslets located inside the plurality of outermost adjacent lenslets is arranged on a first annular ring;
• and
• a second group of lenslets of the plurality of lenslets located inside the plurality of outermost adjacent lenslets is arranged on a second annular ring,
• wherein a diameter of each of the plurality of lenslets is the same for the first group of lenslets and the second group of lenslets,
• wherein a difference in length of a first lenslet of the first group of lenslets on the first annular ring to the center of the light collector and a first lenslet of the second group of lenslets on the second annular ring to the center of the light collector is less than a half of the diameter of each of the plurality of lenslets, and
• wherein the dense pattern is a non-hexagonal pattern.