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US 2013/0294064 A1Published application
Dimpled light distribution plates
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsLeon McCaughan, Thomas F. Kuech, Christopher J. Zenner, Cedric Meyers
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Dimpled plates for light distribution and concentration are provided. Also provided are apparatus incorporating the plates as waveguides, and methods for using the dimpled plates for distributing or concentrating input light. The dimpled plates are designed to spatially distribute light from each of one or more near point light sources into a pixelated light projection using an array of reflective conical light deflection elements.
Claims16
A light distribution apparatus comprising:
- (a) a light distribution plate comprising:
- (i) a layer of optically transparent material, the layer of optically transparent material comprising an upper surface;
- a lower surface disposed opposite the upper surface;
- and an edge surface that bridges the upper and lower surfaces along their perimeter;
- wherein the upper surface defines a plurality of inverted, right circular cone-shaped indentations that extend toward the lower surface;
- and
- (ii) a coating of optically reflective material disposed on at least those portions of the upper surface that define the interior surfaces of inverted, right circular cone-shaped indentations;
- and
- (b) one or more near point light sources configured to direct light into the edge surface of the layer optically transparent material;
- wherein the light distribution plate is configured such that light directed into the edge surface of the layer optically transparent material by the one or more near point light sources and reflected from the coating of optically reflective material on the interior surfaces of the plurality of inverted, right circular cone-shaped indentations will be projected onto the lower surface of the layer of optically transparent material with a pixelated spatial intensity distribution.
7 more elements
A dimpled waveguiding plate comprising:
- (a) a layer of material that is optically transparent to visible light, the layer of material comprising an upper surface;
- a lower surface disposed opposite the upper surface;
- and an edge surface that bridges the upper and lower surfaces along their perimeter;
- wherein the upper surface defines a plurality of inverted, right circular cone-shaped indentations that extend toward the lower surface;
- and further wherein the depth of the inverted, right circular cone-shaped indentations is at least 70% of the thickness of the layer of material;
- the inverted, right-circular cone-shaped indentations have a cone base diameter in the range from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm and a cone depth in the range from about 0.1 mm to about 5 mm;
- and the inverted, right-circular cone-shaped indentations have a cone base diameter to cone depth ratio in the range from 4:1 to 1:4;
- and
- (b) a coating of material that is optically reflective to visible light disposed on at least those portions of the upper surface that define the interior surfaces of inverted, right circular cone-shaped indentations.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.