# US 11,079,091 B2 · Lens and method of producing a lens

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- Number: US 11,079,091 B2
- Document ID: US11079091B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/301,963
- Filed: 2017-05-18
- Published: 2019-05-30
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-18
- Assignees: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
- Applicants: SMR Patents S.à.r.l.
- Inventors: Nitesh Shah
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079091B2

## CPC

- F21V 7/0091: {using total internal reflection}
- F21S 43/14: Light emitting diodes [LED]
- F21S 43/26: {Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S43/235 - F21S43/255}
- F21S 43/315: {using total internal reflection}
- F21V 5/007: {Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane (combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008)}
- F21V 5/04: of lens shape
- G02B 6/4206: {Optical features (G02B6/4207, G02B6/421 take precedence)}
- G02B 19/0028: {refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems}
- G02B 19/0052: {the light source comprising a laser diode (coupling into light guides using intermediate optical elements G02B6/4204; semiconductor lasers having optical devices external to the laser cavity H01S5/005)}
- H10H 20/856: Reflecting means
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- 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
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- 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 lens includes a first interface acting as a refractive entrance surface for a light ray, a second interface acting as a total inner reflective (TIR) surface for the light ray entering the lens through the first interface, and a third interface acting as a refractive exit surface for the light ray reflected at the second interface. A method of producing a lens includes shaping the second interface and the third interface so that at least two light rays having a diverging angle to each other and impinging under an arbitrary solid angle onto the first interface exit the lens in the area of the third interface substantial parallel to each other and in a common direction of space.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lens, comprising
at least one first interface acting as a refractive entrance surface for at least one light ray;
at least one second interface acting as a total inner reflective (TIR) surface for the light ray entering the lens through the first interface; and
at least one third interface acting as a refractive exit surface for the light ray reflected at the second interface,
wherein the second interface and the third interface are shaped such that at least two light rays having a diverging angle to each other and impinging under an arbitrary solid angle onto the first interface exit the lens in an area of the third interface substantial parallel to each other and in a common direction of space,
the third interface is shaped such that it has at least area by area a normal vector neither parallel nor perpendicular to the common direction of space,
the at least two light rays are substantial non-parallel to each other until exiting the third surface, and
the shape of at least one first section of the second interface is based on a polynomial first function, the first function determining the angle of reflection of the light ray reflected at the first section of the second interface depending on a first incident angle of the light ray on the first interface,
wherein, at a plurality of points of at least one second section of the second interface, the angle of reflection of the light ray impinging on the second interface with respect to the optical axis is defined by at least one polynomial second function depending on the first incident angle of the light ray on the first interface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lens of claim 1, wherein the light rays exit the lens under at least one first solid angle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The lens of claim 1, further comprising, in a first plane perpendicular to the first solid angle, a substantially rectangular, quadratic, circular, elliptical or polynomial periphery, wherein at least one light emitting source which emit the light rays can be placed at a center of gravity of the first plane.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The lens of claim 1, further comprising at least one fourth interface which comprises at least one contact area for at least one mounting element for mounting the lens to at least one supporting structure.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The lens of claim 1, wherein at least one of
the lens further comprises at least area by area and in an area of at least one of the first interface, the second interface, and the third interface, at least one first medium comprising at least one of PMMA, PC and glass, and
at least one of the first interface, the second interface, and the third interface comprises a transition between a second medium comprising at least one of air and a low refractive index medium, and the second medium.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method for producing the lens of claim 1, comprising
defining, as a symmetry axis an optical axis of the lens, which passes through a first plane in which at least one propagation path of at least one light ray emitted by at least one light emitting source passes,
wherein the lens comprises:
at least one first interface acting as a refractive entrance surface for the light ray;
at least one second interface acting as a total inner reflective (TIR) surface for the light ray entering the lens through the first interface; and
at least one third interface acting as a refractive exit surface for the light ray reflected at the second interface, and
at a plurality of points of at least one first section of the second interface, the angle of reflection with respect to the optical axis of the light ray impinging on the second interface is based on at least one polynomial first function depending on at least one first variable,
wherein, at a plurality of points of at least one second section of the second interface, the angle of reflection of the light ray impinging on the second interface with respect to the optical axis is defined by at least one polynomial second function depending on at least the first variable,
wherein the first variable is determined depending on a first angle by which the angle of incidence under which the light ray impinges on the first interface with respect to the optical axis is defined.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the angle of reflection is determined for at least one value which exceeds at least one first limit of the first value or for at least one value which falls below of at least one second limit of the first value.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of second functions are determined for a plurality of second sections including for ten second sections.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the first interface is defined, at least area by area including an area by area course in the first plane, by a polynomial third function.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the first function, the second function, and the third function is determined by at least one polynomial function of order one, two, three, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein a form of the third interface is calculated at least area by area including an area by area course in the first plane, by a cartesian oval method, tangent approximation method, partial differential equation based method, or other design calculation method.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein a form of at least one of the first interface, the second interface, and the third interface is determined for a plurality of first planes arranged under different second angles relatively to the symmetry axis or the optical axis.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the first function, the second function, and the third function is determined depending on the second angle, and at least one of the first function, the second function, and the third function comprise an additional term dependent on the second angle.