Tractrix-based optical device for use with illumination sources in optical systems
AssigneeLumenFlow Corp.
InventorHarold W. Brunt, JR.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tractrix-based optical device is provided. The tractrix-based optical device includes a light receiving surface, a light emitting surface, and an intermediate portion of transparent material between the light receiving surface and the light emitting surface. The intermediate portion includes a boundary connective surface that adheres to a tractrix when in cross-section to provide total internal reflection of light propagating from the light receiving surface to the light emitting surface. The tractrix-based optical device can align and correlate light from multiple off-axis light emitting elements, or from an extended source light emitting element, thereby providing a generally uniform output distribution.
Claims20
A tractrix-based optical device comprising:
- a light receiving surface;
- a light emitting surface spaced apart from the light receiving surface along a common optical axis;
- and
- an intermediate portion of transparent material between the light receiving surface and the light emitting surface, wherein the intermediate portion includes a boundary connective surface that adheres to a tractrix when in cross-section to provide total internal reflection of light propagating from the light receiving surface toward the light emitting surface, and wherein the boundary connective surface has a rotational symmetry about the common optical axis and combines light rays from multiple emitting sources propagating through the tractrix-based optical device into a common optical propagation path having a generally uniform output intensity distribution.
An optical emitter comprising:
- a plurality of light emitting elements;
- and
- a tractrix-based optical device including:
- a light receiving surface positioned over the plurality of light emitting elements,
- a light emitting surface spaced apart from the light receiving surface along a common optical axis, and
- an intermediate portion of transparent material between the light receiving surface and the light emitting surface of the tractrix-based optical device, wherein the intermediate portion includes a boundary connective surface that adheres to a tractrix when in cross-section to provide total internal reflection of light propagating from the light receiving surface toward the light emitting surface, wherein light propagating through the tractrix-based optical device from the plurality of light emitting elements is combined into a common optical propagation path.
An optical emitter comprising:
- an extended source light emitting element;
- and
- a tractrix-based optical device including:
- a first refractive surface positioned over the extended source light emitting element,
- a second refractive surface in alignment with the first refractive surface along a common optical axis, and
- an intermediate portion of transparent material between the first refractive surface and the second refractive surface, wherein the intermediate portion of transparent material includes an outer diameter that adheres to a tractrix when transitioning from the first refractive surface to the second refractive surface to provide total internal reflection of light propagating through the optical device and to provide light propagating through the optical device with a generally uniform output distribution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.