Light guide and lighting assembly with array of rotated micro-optical elements

A light guide, comprising:

• opposed major surfaces between which light propagates by total internal reflection;
• a light input edge extending between the major surfaces in a thickness direction through which light is input into the light guide;
• and
• an array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces, the array of micro-optical elements corresponding to the light input edge, each of the micro-optical elements in the array comprising a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of +45° to −45° relative to the light input edge,
• wherein a path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements in the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof at a positive angle relative to the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof at a negative angle relative to the light input edge.

A lighting assembly, comprising:

• a light guide to propagate light by total internal reflection, the light guide comprising opposed major surfaces and a light input edge extending between the major surfaces in a thickness direction through which light is input into the light guide, a tangent of at least part of the light input edge extending in a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction;
• a light source located adjacent the light input edge to edge light the light guide;
• and
• an array of micro-optical elements of well-defined shape at at least one of the opposed major surfaces, the array of micro-optical elements corresponding to the light source, each of the micro-optical elements in the array comprising a longitudinal axis arranged within the range of +45° to −45° relative to the tangent of the light input edge,
• wherein a path linearly extending along the light guide from the light input edge intersects at least a portion of the micro-optical elements of the array, at least one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof at a positive angle relative to the tangent of the light input edge, and at least another one of the micro-optical elements along the path arranged with the longitudinal axis thereof at a negative angle relative to the tangent of the light input edge.