# US 2014/0192521 A1 · Light guide element > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0192521 A1 - Document ID: US20140192521A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/789,939 - Filed: 2013-03-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-10 - Assignees: Ledil Oy - Applicants: Ledil Oy - Inventors: Olli-Pekka LAAKKIO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140192521A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/0036: {2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces} - F21S 8/032: {the surface being a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement} - G02B 6/0045: {by shaping at least a portion of the light guide} - F21W 2131/103: of streets or roads - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS - 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 light guide element (201) for modifying a light distribution pattern of a light source (202) is presented. The light source radiates first light beams to a first quarter-space and second light beams to a second quarter-space, where the first and second quarter-spaces are defined by mutually perpendicular spatial planes and one of the spatial planes constitutes a planar boundary between the first and second quarter-spaces. The light guide element includes transparent material (207) on a route of the first light beams for modifying the light distribution pattern of the first light beams and a reflective surface (208) for reflecting at least a part of the second light beams to the first quarter-space. A surface of solid material on a route of the second light beams includes grooves for spreading the light distribution pattern of the second light beams in the direction of the section line between the spatial planes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A light guide element for modifying a light distribution pattern of a light source radiating first light beams to a first quarter-space and second light beams to a second quarter-space, the first and second quarter-spaces being defined by mutually perpendicular spatial planes so that one of the spatial planes constitutes a planar boundary between the first and second quarter-spaces, the light guide element comprising: transparent material on a route of the first light beams for modifying a light distribution pattern of the first light beams, a refractive index of the transparent material being greater than unity, and a reflective surface for reflecting at least a part of the second light beams to the first quarter-space, wherein a surface of solid material on a route of the second light beams comprises mutually parallel grooves for spreading a light distribution pattern of the second light beams in a direction of a section line between the spatial planes, the grooves being substantially perpendicular to the section line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A light guide element according to claim 1, wherein the grooves are on the reflective surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A light guide element according to claim 1, wherein the light guide element comprises a transparent wall before the reflective surface on the route of the second light beams, and the grooves are on a surface of the transparent wall. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A light guide element according to claim 3, wherein a middle region of the transparent wall is provided with the grooves and flank regions on both sides of the middle region are free from grooves. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A light guide element according to claim 1, wherein the light guide element comprises a transparent piece comprising a first cavity for the light source and a second cavity whose surface constitutes the reflective surface so that a total reflection takes place when the second light beams arrive, from inside the transparent piece, at the surface of the second cavity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A light guide element according to claim 2, wherein the light guide element comprises a transparent piece comprising a first cavity for the light source and a second cavity whose surface constitutes the reflective surface so that a total reflection takes place when the second light beams arrive, from inside the transparent piece, at the surface of the second cavity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) A light guide element according to claim 5, wherein a first surface of the transparent piece comprises pits constituting the first and second cavities and is substantially planar on regions surrounding the pits, and a second surface of the transparent piece has a convex shape surrounding the first and second cavities. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A light guide element according to claim 6, wherein a first surface of the transparent piece comprises pits constituting the first and second cavities and is substantially planar on regions surrounding the pits, and a second surface of the transparent piece has a convex shape surrounding the first and second cavities. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) A light guide element according to claim 5, wherein the transparent piece is made of one of the following: acrylic plastic, polycarbonate, optical silicone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) A light guide element according to claim 6, wherein the transparent piece is made of one of the following: acrylic plastic, polycarbonate, optical silicone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) A light guide element according to claim 7, wherein the transparent piece is made of one of the following: acrylic plastic, polycarbonate, optical silicone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A light guide element according to claim 1, wherein the grooves have a V-shaped profile. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A light guide element according to claim 1, wherein the grooves have a concave U-shaped profile. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A light guide element according to claim 1, wherein ridges between adjacent grooves have a convex U-shaped profile. ### Claim 15 An illuminator device comprising a light source and a light guide element for modifying a light distribution pattern of the light source, the light source radiating first light beams to a first quarter-space and second light beams to a second quarter-space, the first and second quarter-spaces being defined by mutually perpendicular spatial planes so that one of the spatial planes constitutes a planar boundary between the first and second quarter-spaces, and the light guide element comprising: transparent material on a route of the first light beams for modifying a light distribution pattern of the first light beams, a refractive index of the transparent material being greater than unity, and a reflective surface for reflecting at least a part of the second light beams to the first quarter-space, wherein a surface of solid material on a route of the second light beams comprises mutually parallel grooves for spreading a light distribution pattern of the second light beams in a direction of a section line between the spatial planes, the grooves being substantially perpendicular to the section line. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An illuminator device according to claim 15, wherein the illuminator device further comprises a circuit board and the light guide element comprises a transparent piece comprising a first cavity for the light source and a second cavity whose surface constitutes the reflective surface so that a total reflection takes place when the second light beams arrive, from inside the transparent piece, at the surface of the second cavity, a first surface of the transparent piece comprising pits constituting the first and second cavities and being substantially planar on regions surrounding the pits, a second surface of the transparent piece having a convex shape surrounding the first and second cavities, and the planar regions of the first surface of the transparent piece being against the circuit board and the light source being in the first cavity. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) An illuminator device according to claim 16, wherein the illuminator device comprises a plurality of the light guide elements and a plurality of the light sources, the light guide elements being parts of a single piece of the transparent material and the light guide elements being mutually parallel. ### Claim 18 A mold having a form suitable for manufacturing, by mold casting, a transparent piece of a light guide element that comprises: transparent material on a route of first light beams for modifying a light distribution pattern of the first light beams, a refractive index of the transparent material being greater than unity and the first light beams being radiated to a first quarter-space, and a reflective surface for reflecting at least a part of second light beams to the first quarter-space, the second light beams being radiated to a second quarter-space and the first and second quarter-spaces being defined by mutually perpendicular spatial planes so that one of the spatial planes constitutes a planar boundary between the first and second quarter-spaces, wherein a surface of solid material on a route of the second light beams comprises mutually parallel grooves for spreading a light distribution pattern of the second light beams in a direction of a section line between the spatial planes, the grooves being substantially perpendicular to the section line, and wherein the transparent piece comprises a first cavity for a light source and a second cavity whose surface constitutes the reflective surface so that a total reflection takes place when the second light beams arrive, from inside the transparent piece, at the surface of the second cavity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A mold according to claim 18 and having a form suitable for manufacturing, by mold casting, the transparent piece of the light guide element, wherein a first surface of the transparent piece comprises pits constituting the first and second cavities and is substantially planar on regions surrounding the pits, and a second surface of the transparent piece has a convex shape surrounding the first and second cavities. ### Claim 20 A system comprising a road and a streetlamp comprising at least one illumination device comprising a light source and a light guide element for modifying a light distribution pattern of the light source, the light source radiating first light beams to a first quarter-space and second light beams to a second quarter-space, the first and second quarter-spaces being defined by mutually perpendicular spatial planes so that one of the spatial planes constitutes a planar boundary between the first and second quarter-spaces, and the light guide element comprising: transparent material on a route of the first light beams for modifying a light distribution pattern of the first light beams, a refractive index of the transparent material being greater than unity, and a reflective surface for reflecting at least a part of the second light beams to the first quarter-space, wherein a surface of solid material on a route of the second light beams comprises mutually parallel grooves for spreading a light distribution pattern of the second light beams in a direction of a section line between the spatial planes, the grooves being substantially perpendicular to the section line and substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the road.