# US 10,865,958 B2 · Multi-waveguide LED luminaire with outward emission

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- Number: US 10,865,958 B2
- Document ID: US10865958B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/682,819
- Filed: 2019-11-13
- Published: 2020-03-26
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15
- Assignees: IDEAL Industries Lighting LLC
- Applicants: Ideal Industries Lighting LLC
- Inventors: Kurt S. Wilcox; Nicholas W. Medendorp, Jr.; Brian Kinnune; Gary David Trott; Mario A. Castillo; Peter Lopez; S. Scott Pratt; Mark Dixon; William L. Dungan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865958B2

## CPC

- F21V 5/00: Refractors for light sources (characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/504)
- F21S 8/086: {with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways}
- F21V 7/0091: {using total internal reflection}
- G02B 6/0021: {for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses}
- G02B 6/0031: {Reflecting element, sheet or layer}
- G02B 6/0035: {provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it}
- G02B 6/24: Coupling light guides
- G02B 6/262: {Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements}
- G02B 6/2817: {using reflective elements to split or combine optical signals}
- G02B 6/2848: {having refractive means, e.g. imaging elements between light guides as splitting, branching and/or combining devices, e.g. lenses, holograms}
- G02B 6/305: {and having an integrated mode-size expanding section, e.g. tapered waveguide}
- G02B 6/32: having lens focusing means {positioned between opposed fibre ends (with lens being an integral part of the single fibre end G02B6/262)}
- G02B 6/34: utilising prism or grating {(G02B6/293 takes precedence)}
- F21W 2131/103: of streets or roads
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- G02B 6/0046: {Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide}
- G02B 6/0075: {Arrangements of multiple light guides (G02B6/0028 takes precedence)}
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

A luminaire comprises a frame and a plurality of optical waveguides retained by the frame. The optical waveguides bound a cavity, and each comprises: a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end; a coupling portion disposed at the top end; an inner side facing the cavity; and an outer side opposite the inner side. The inner and outer sides are disposed between the top and bottom ends. The luminaire further comprises at least one light emitting diode (LED) associated with each optical waveguide. Each of the LEDs are disposed opposite, and configured to direct light into, the coupling portion of the associated optical waveguide. Each optical waveguide is configured to receive the light via the coupling portion and emit the light primarily from the outer side.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A luminaire, comprising:
a frame;
a plurality of optical waveguides retained by the frame and bounding a cavity, each of the optical waveguides comprising:
a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end;
a coupling portion disposed at the top end;
an inner side facing the cavity and an outer side opposite the inner side, wherein the inner and outer sides are disposed between the top and bottom ends;
at least one light emitting diode (LED) associated with each optical waveguide, each of the LEDs being disposed opposite, and configured to direct light into, the coupling portion of the associated optical waveguide; and
wherein each optical waveguide is configured to receive the light via the coupling portion and emit the light primarily from the outer side.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the inner side of each of the optical waveguides is configured to prevent at least some of the light received via the coupling portion from escaping the optical waveguide at the inner side by redirecting the at least some of the light back into the optical waveguide.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, wherein each of the LEDs is enclosed within the frame by a cover configured to transfer heat by thermal conductivity from the LED to an exterior of the luminaire.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The luminaire of claim 3, wherein the cavity is open opposite from the cover.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the coupling portion of each of the optical waveguides comprises refractive and reflective portions that are arranged to collimate and direct the light into the top end of the optical waveguide.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, wherein each of the optical waveguides tapers from the top end towards the bottom end.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the inner side of each optical waveguide faces the inner side of another of the optical waveguides.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, wherein to emit the light primarily from the outer side, the inner side of each of the optical waveguides comprises light extraction features configured to direct the light primarily toward the outer side, and the outer side comprises scalloped features configured to spread the light up and down as the light is emitted.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising:
a central enclosure connected to the frame and extending into the cavity; and
operating circuitry electrically connected to the LEDs and retained in the central enclosure, wherein the operating circuitry is configured to supply power to the LEDs.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The luminaire of claim 9, wherein:
the central enclosure comprises an opening exposed to the cavity;
the operating circuitry comprises a sensor supported in the opening;
the sensor is configured to sense ambient light level and vary an illumination level of the luminaire in accordance with the sensed ambient light level.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, wherein each of the optical waveguides further comprises an end light extraction feature adjacent to the bottom end and configured to increase the light emitted from the optical waveguide on a single pass of the light through the optical waveguide.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The luminaire of claim 11, wherein the end light extraction feature of each optical waveguide comprises a wedge-shaped protrusion on the inner side, and a wedge-shaped channel on the outer side.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising a mounting plate opposite an open end of the cavity.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising a respective circuit board corresponding to each optical waveguide, wherein the LEDs associated with each optical waveguide are mounted to the circuit board corresponding to the optical waveguide.

### Claim 15

An optical waveguide comprising:
a top end and a bottom end opposite the top end;
a coupling portion disposed at the top end and configured to direct light into the top end;
an outer side disposed between the top and bottom ends, wherein the outer side is configured to emit most of the light directed into the top end by the coupling portion;
an inner side opposite the inner side and between the top and bottom ends, wherein the inner side comprises light extraction features configured to direct at least a portion of the light received via the coupling portion primarily towards the outer side;
an end light extraction feature adjacent to the bottom end and configured to increase the emission of the light by the outer side that occurs on a single pass of the light directed into the top end through the optical waveguide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The optical waveguide of claim 15, wherein to direct the light into the top end, the coupling portion comprises refractive and reflective portions that are arranged to collimate the light.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The optical waveguide of claim 15, wherein the optical waveguide tapers from the top end towards the bottom end.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The optical waveguide of claim 15, wherein the outer side comprises scalloped features configured to spread the light up and down as the light is emitted.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The optical waveguide of claim 15, wherein the end light extraction feature comprises a wedge-shaped protrusion on the inner side, and a wedge-shaped channel on the outer side.

### Claim 20

A method of assembling a luminaire, the method comprising:
inserting an optical waveguide into a frame of the luminaire such that:
a primary light emitting surface of the optical waveguide faces away from a cavity of the luminaire;
a surface of the optical waveguide configured to redirect light toward the primary light emitting surface is adjacent to the cavity;
a bottom end of the optical waveguide is inserted into the frame before a top end of the optical waveguide;
a coupling cavity disposed at the top end of the optical waveguide is exposed;
mounting at least one light emitting diode (LED) into the frame of the luminaire such that the at least one LED is configured to direct light toward the coupling cavity of the optical waveguide;
sealing a cover onto the frame over the at least one LED and the optical waveguide.